I had a hard time getting to sleep last night. I was flipping around the tv and landed on ESPN. I figured that listening to more in depth coverage of Tom Brady's ankle would be tv's version of Ambien, it would help me get my zzzzs. However, I made one fatal flaw, one that many mortals in Greek mythology made when looking at a Gorgon, I took a peek at the scroll on the bottom of the screen. There were two categories, NFL and SANTANA. Much to my astonishment, the Twins had agreed to send Johan Santana to the Mets for a hamburger today (pending the Mets contract extension for Santana). Well, maybe not a hamburger, but the Mets package of Phil Humber, Carlos Gomez, Deolis Guerra and Kevin Mulvey. Mulvey, wasn't that Jerry called his girlfriend who's name he couldn't remember. Oh no, that was Mulva.

In Sudan, another conflict could eclipse Darfur

This potential flash point is Abyei, a small, ethnically diverse enclave on the border between the Arab north and the African south. Now, a dispute is under way over who should control the district – a power struggle infused with ethnic rivalry, marginalization, politics, and greed.

"It's like Kashmir, where you have two big entities – the National Congress party leading the country from Khartoum for nearly 20 years and you've got major rebel groups on the other side, and both sides will not compromise on Abyei," says John Prendergast, an antigenocide advocate for the Enough Project in Washington.

Countrywide expands plans for subprime borrowers

Calif. groups seek BofA foreclosure moratorium [Sacramento] Countrywide foreclosure rate doubles [Tampa Bay] Countrywide expands plans to help subprime borrowers [Raleigh/Durham] BofA's Columbia Management to merge money-market funds [Charlotte] Wachovia to drop Visa Rewards for its own program [Baltimore] .

Sun turns to Neil Diamond for Amazon utility 'killer'

Here's Sun Microsystems. Ahead of the curve with utility computing? Check. Interested in gaining the business of today's internet companies? Big check. Full of server-side software skills? Check. Behind Amazon.com of all companies in actually putting these things together as a product or service companies can buy? Yep.

Quarter of pupils miss out

Many of our schools receive significantly more applicants than there are places. However, the number of parents offered their first preference school in Barnet has actually increased this year, and 90 per cent of parents have been offered a place at one of their preferred schools, all of which are high-performing good schools.

First, Step Up

With no money and no organization, seven of us launched StepItUp in January 2007. Before the year was out, we'd helped organize 2,000 demonstrations in all 50 states-and helped take our once-radical demand for an 80 percent reduction in U.S. carbon emissions by mid-century into the halls of power.

It will need to work much better, though. We'll need to see a whole new level of commitment-to nonviolent protest, to electioneering, to endless lobbying.

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At cornerback, junior Kendrick Harper could take on a bigger role. He's started a few games but battled injuries. Junior college transfer Nathan D'Cunha is expected to move in for Collins. too. Highly touted JUCO transfer Jocques Crawford is leading candidate at running back.

Job openings: Quarterback Andre Woodson figures to be a first-day pick in the NFL draft, and his departure creates the biggest hole for the back-to-back Music City Bowl champions. Top candidates for the starting QB job include speedster Curtis Pulley, who missed last season for academic reasons, and sophomore Mike Hartline, Woodson's backup last year. Also gone is running back Rafael Little, but the Wildcats have plenty of depth there, with Tony Dixon, Derrick Locke and Alfonso Smith all returning.

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Allegiant currently services airports in Des Moines and Cedar Rapids, among 58 destinations in the United States.The announcement of discussions with Allegiant Air was made at the Waterloo Regional Airport board meeting Wednesday morning in the airport conference room. The board also reviewed a draft of the airport's fiscal year 2009 budget, which will be subject to a board approval next month before a final draft is sent on to the city of Waterloo for approvalAccording to the budget, total expenses for the airport are expected to rise by $58,696 from the FY2008 budget. The largest increases in expenses from 2008 to 2009 were in regular salaries ($16,535), time and a half ($14,442), health insurance ($12,338) and utilities ($11,000). Revenues were expected to rise $15,450 from 2008 to 2009, with the biggest gains coming from gas sales ($9,000) and miscellaneous revenues ($3,500).

Okanagan International Sculpture Symposium

Kelowna and District Arts Council will be hosting the 2002 Okanagan International Sculpture Symposium. The budget for the symposium is estimated to be 1.5 million dollars

The symposium will consist of a core team of 10 international sculptors representing a diversity of cultural influences. This core will be selected with the help of the symposium committee as well as participating foreign governments. Up to 15 Canadian sculptors will also participate. All sculptors will create permanent sculpture onsite and the public will be invited to view the works in progress. All sculptors will be commissioned to create one monumental sculptural piece.

This symposium will billed as the natural continuation of the 1975 stone symposium held in Van Dusen gardens in Vancouver. This was an extremely successful event that averaged over 300 spectators a day for the three month event and involved 15 sculptors from around the world.

Winds shifting in the debate over education

Listening to Jones testify on HB 881, I am suddenly aware that, indeed, the center of gravity on the education debate has shifted. No longer are we stuck on inputs and debate about how one government can best grow another, which the input set chooses to define as "local control."

Coeur d'Alene Soldier Buried at Arlington National Cemetery

The question is still up in the air. Add two more council seats or stay the same? The question may be big but the turnout sure isn't. The city of Post Falls is contracting with the KC election department to conduct a special election today (at the Armory on Seltice until 8 p.m.) on this issue. As of about 3:40 p.m. when I made a visit there had been 168 votes cast including early absentee. That translates into a voter turnout so far of 1.6 percent. Who knows, at that rate the turnout may go over 2 or even 3 percent."