johnhanblog

VIRGINIA TECH KILLER'S FAMILY MAKES FIRST PUBLIC REMARKS SINCE MASSACRE:
WE 'NEVER COULD HAVE ENVISIONED THAT HE WAS CAPABLE OF SO MUCH
VIOLENCE'

# posted by John @ 4/20/2007 06:57:00 PM 0 comments

Breaking News

STANDOFF AT NASA'S JOHNSON SPACE CENTER ENDS: GUNMAN COMMITS SUICIDE,
ONE HOSTAGE DEAD, ANOTHER UNHARMED

# posted by John @ 4/20/2007 06:48:00 PM 0 comments

The 22-caliber Walther semi-automatic pistol used by Cho Seung-Hui was
purchased from a Wisconsin-based Web site, CBS News reports. Cho bought
the pistol with a credit card for $267 on Feb. 2 and picked it up a week
later at a pawn shop near campus. 

# posted by John @ 4/20/2007 12:16:00 PM 0 comments

A Day Of Mourning For Va. Tech Victims

Fed up with the attention given to Cho Seung-Hui's twisted writings and
his videotaped rant, parents and officials urged people to honor the
victims of the deadliest rampage in U.S. history. Virginia's governor
declared Friday a day of mourning. 

# posted by John @ 4/20/2007 12:14:00 PM 0 comments

Columbine sees similarities in VT, 8 years later
---------------------------------------------
Angry video, photos and writings by Virginia Tech gunman Cho Seung Hui
have
stunned families of the Columbine High School massacre through eerie
parallels
to footage and words left by the Colorado killers eight years ago
Friday.

Preacher's wife convicted in slaying
---------------------------------------------
A preacher's wife who claimed her husband abused her was convicted of
voluntary manslaughter Thursday for killing him with a shotgun she said
fired
accidentally as she aimed at him. Mary Winkler showed no emotion as the
verdict was read.

Senators crank up heat on Gonzales
---------------------------------------------
As another Republican called for his resignation, Attorney General
Alberto Gonzales told a skeptical Senate panel Thursday that he didn't
know why two federal prosecutors were being fired when he abruptly
dismissed them, and he admitted he never reviewed evaluations for any of
the eight U.S. attorneys fired last year.

MONEY

Chrysler to sell Dodge vehicles in China
---------------------------------------------
Chrysler Group will begin selling two Dodge vehicles in China as the
company
tries to increase its presence in the world's fastest-growing
automotive
market.

Chrysler sale could be wrapped up by May, source says
---------------------------------------------
DaimlerChrysler could wrap up a sale of its ailing U.S. arm Chrysler as
early
as next month, a source familiar with the situation said on Thursday.

Insurance rates still feel Katrina's storm winds
---------------------------------------------
Even before Hurricane Katrina struck, homeowners' insurance prices were
rising, and the availability of coverage was falling in disaster-prone
areas
of the USA.

# posted by John @ 4/20/2007 09:17:00 AM 0 comments

http://www.bloglines.com/blog/johnDispatch

# posted by John @ 4/19/2007 03:56:00 PM 0 comments

April 19, 2007

IRAN
IAEA: Iran Has 1,300 Centrifuges Up and Running
International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors have confirmed through
firsthand observation that Iran has over 1,300 centrifuges in operation,
a diplomat close to the organization siad.

# posted by John @ 4/19/2007 01:27:00 PM 0 comments

April 19, 2007

IRAN
IAEA: Iran Has 1,300 Centrifuges Up and Running
International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors have confirmed through
firsthand observation that Iran has over 1,300 centrifuges in operation,
a diplomat close to the organization siad.

# posted by John @ 4/19/2007 01:26:00 PM 0 comments

NEWS

Court takes harder stance on abortion
---------------------------------------------
The Supreme Court's abortion ruling Wednesday revealed the new court's
approach to one of the most difficult social issues and was a reminder
of its rightward turn since the addition of Bush appointee Samuel
Alito.

Police study material gunman sent to NBC
---------------------------------------------
Minutes before Cho Seung Hui gunned down 30 people in a Virginia Tech
building, he mailed a hate-filled package of video and photos to NBC,
sending
what amounted to a deranged final message aired after his death.

Breast cancer drop is no '1-year wonder'
---------------------------------------------
After government researchers reported in July 2002 that long-term
hormone therapy's benefits did not outweigh its risks, millions of
postmenopausal women stopped taking their pills.

MONEY

FDA: Tainted pet food ingredient came from China
---------------------------------------------
Testing by the Food and Drug Administration has detected melamine in
imported rice protein concentrate from China, and the company who
imported it said late Wednesday it had recalled it.

SUVs do better in report on fatalities
---------------------------------------------
Small cars continue to be the least safe on the road, but all vehicles
and SUVs in particular are getting much safer. Those are among the
conclusions of a report out today from the Insurance Institute for
Highway Safety.

P&G vows more control of Menu Foods
---------------------------------------------
A month after one of the biggest pet-food recalls in history, a leading
pet-food maker says it's taking steps to lessen the chance of it
happening again.

# posted by John @ 4/19/2007 09:28:00 AM 0 comments

BLACKSBURG, Va. - The Virginia Tech gunman mailed a package to NBC News
containing what authorities said were video, photos of himself
brandishing
weapons, and a rambling diatribe about getting even with rich people.
NBC said
that a time stamp on the package indicated the material was mailed in
the two-
hour window between the first burst of gunfire in a high-rise dormitory
and
the second fusillade, at a classroom building. NBC said it immediately
turned
the package over to authorities.

# posted by John @ 4/18/2007 08:03:00 PM 0 comments

Breaking News

IN DECEMBER 2005, A VIRGINIA COURT FOUND VT KILLER SEUNG CHO 'MENTALLY
ILL' AND 'AN IMMINENT DANGER TO OTHERS'

# posted by John @ 4/18/2007 03:51:00 PM 0 comments

Breaking News

POLICE SAY CHO WAS ADMITTED TO A VA. MENTAL HEALTH FACILITY IN 2005 --
SCHOOL FEARED HE MAY HAVE BEEN SUICIDAL

# posted by John @ 4/18/2007 01:33:00 PM 0 comments

Bombings in Baghdad kill 127 people, including 82 in an attack at a
market, the Iraqi Interior Ministry says.

# posted by John @ 4/18/2007 01:31:00 PM 0 comments

U.S. Supreme Court in a 5-4 ruling upholds a law banning what some call
"partial birth" abortions.

# posted by John @ 4/18/2007 01:30:00 PM 0 comments

Va. governor promises probe of shooting
---------------------------------------------
An independent panel will conduct "a very thorough after-action review"
of the
events surrounding Monday's mass shooting at Virginia Tech, Virginia
Gov. Tim
Kaine said Tuesday as investigators probed further into the background
student
believed responsible for more than 30 deaths.

Bombs kill 33 in Baghdad; nitric acid cache found
---------------------------------------------
Three separate explosions rocked Baghdad on Wednesday including a
suicide
attack in the Shiite militia stronghold of Sadr City killing at least
33
people as violence climbed toward levels seen before a U.S.-led surge
to
pacify the capital. U.S. forces seized 3,000 gallons of nitric acid in
a
weapons cache hidden in a warehouse in eastern Baghdad, the military
said
Wednesday.

Taxpayers elect not to pay for campaigns
---------------------------------------------
As candidates say no to public money for presidential campaigns, so do
American taxpayers. Only 7.3% of 2006 tax returns filed from Jan. 1 to
April
14 designated a $3 contribution to the public campaign-financing
system,
according to data the Internal Revenue Service prepared for USA TODAY.

# posted by John @ 4/18/2007 09:17:00 AM 0 comments

One of the guns used in the massacre -- a 9MM semi-automatic Glock 19 --
was purchased brand new at a Roanoke, Va. gunshop, Roanoke Firearms, 36
days ago.

# posted by John @ 4/17/2007 02:44:00 PM 0 comments

Breaking News

VIRGINIA TECH KILLER CHO SEUNG-HUI SAID 'YOU CAUSED ME TO DO THIS' IN A
LONG NOTE FOUND IN HIS DORM ROOM

# posted by John @ 4/17/2007 12:50:00 PM 0 comments

A student gunman originally from South Korea was behind the deadliest
massacre in U.S. history, killing 32 people on the campus of Virginia
Tech, before taking his own life, police said. Cho Seung-Hui, 23, was a
senior English major. 

# posted by John @ 4/17/2007 12:15:00 PM 0 comments

The suspected shooter in a massacre that killed 33 people, including
himself, is a 23-year-old man called Sueng Hui Cho.

# posted by John @ 4/17/2007 09:27:00 AM 0 comments

NEWS

33 dead in Va. Tech shootings
---------------------------------------------
At least 33 people were killed in two shooting attacks Monday morning
at
Virginia Tech University. Police blamed a gunman for killing at least 30
of
the victims in the worst mass shooting spree in U.S. history.

Some students stunned by university's response
---------------------------------------------
By the time most Virginia Tech students first learned of an early
morning
shooting in a campus dorm Monday, Derek O'Dell was crouching beneath his
desk,
bleeding from his arm and watching his classmates fall to the floor in
a
barrage of bullets.

Energized Democratic donors outpace GOP
---------------------------------------------
A USA TODAY analysis of first-quarter fundraising reports shows that
Democrats
led in eight of the 10 states that are the top sources of presidential
campaign contributions, and outraised Republicans across the country in
the
first three months of the year. Democratic candidates raised a total of
about
$79 million the first quarter, vs. $51.3 million for Republicans.

MONEY

Axe ads turn up the promise of sex appeal
---------------------------------------------
As the battle heats up for young men's grooming dollars, Axe is rolling
out new marketing that hits even harder on its sex-appeal message.

AARP deals could double its HMO membership
---------------------------------------------
AARP, the advocacy group for seniors, said Monday that it has signed
seven-year agreements with major insurers Aetna and Unitedhealth care
that could double the number of people in its branded health insurance
offerings.

Subprime lenders' big gifts helped lawmakers
---------------------------------------------
The nation's top subprime lenders, including New Century Financial,
which has filed for Chapter 11, have lavished generous donations on
homeownership programs sponsored by black or Hispanic members of
Congress.

# posted by John @ 4/17/2007 08:56:00 AM 0 comments

Breaking News

BLACKSBURG, Va. (AP) - A gunman opened fire in a dorm and classroom at
Virginia Tech on Monday, killing at least 30 people in the deadliest
shooting rampage in U.S. history, government officials told The
Associated Press. The gunman was killed, bringing to death toll to 31,
but it was unclear if he was shot by police or took his own life.

# posted by John @ 4/16/2007 02:59:00 PM 0 comments

April 16, 2007

9/11 ATTACK
Report: French Knew of al-Qaida Plot
The French intelligence service learned as early as January 2001 that
al-Qaida was working on a plot to hijack U.S. airliners, and it passed
the information on to the CIA, a report in the French newspaper La Monde
said Monday. (AP)

# posted by John @ 4/16/2007 01:06:00 PM 0 comments

Breaking News

AT LEAST 25 PEOPLE HAVE BEEN KILLED IN SHOOTINGS ON VIRGINIA TECH
UNIVERSITY CAMPUS. THE NUMBER OF FATALITIES ARE EXPECTED TO RISE.

# posted by John @ 4/16/2007 01:03:00 PM 0 comments

Breaking News

AT LEAST TWENTY PEOPLE HAVE BEEN SHOT AND KILLED AT VIRGINIA TECH
UNIVERSITY CAMPUS. THE SHOOTER IS DECEASED. UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT CALLS
IT A MONUMENTAL TRAGEDY

# posted by John @ 4/16/2007 12:42:00 PM 0 comments

Police say one person is dead and Virginia Tech is under lockdown after
reports of a shooter on campus.

# posted by John @ 4/16/2007 11:33:00 AM 0 comments

Officials have told The AP that a gunman suspected in one killing and
seven to eight additional casualties at Virginia Tech has been
arrested.

# posted by John @ 4/16/2007 11:32:00 AM 0 comments

Gonzales offers an apology
---------------------------------------------
Attorney General Alberto Gonzales said Sunday he has done nothing
improper in
the firings of eight federal prosecutors in testimony prepared for his
appearance before a Senate panel widely viewed as a last chance to save
his
job.

Trauma severe for Iraqi children
---------------------------------------------
About 70% of primary school students in a Baghdad neighborhood suffer
symptoms
of trauma-related stress such as bed-wetting or stuttering, according to
a
survey by the Iraqi Ministry of Health.

Pearl honored with Holocaust victims
---------------------------------------------
Daniel Pearl was added to the 30,000 names etched on the Holocaust
Memorial
Wall here on Sunday to honor the American journalist who was abducted
and
killed by terrorists in 2002.

# posted by John @ 4/16/2007 09:51:00 AM 0 comments

A huge nor'easter has roared onto the East Coast, flooding roads,
canceling flights, and knocking out power and rail service. Earlier, the
same storm system spawned tornadoes in the Gulf states. Overall, more
than eight people have died. 

# posted by John @ 4/16/2007 09:06:00 AM 0 comments

A huge nor'easter has roared onto the East Coast, flooding roads,
canceling flights, and knocking out power and rail service. Earlier, the
same storm system spawned tornadoes in the Gulf states. Overall, more
than eight people have died. 

# posted by John @ 4/16/2007 09:06:00 AM 0 comments

Metro North service suspended.

Because of severe flooding in the Mott Haven section of the Bronx along,
there are no metro north trains running on the Harlem and New Haven
lines in and out of Grand Central.

# posted by John @ 4/15/2007 08:25:00 PM 0 comments

April 15, 2007
Northeast Slammed By Rare April Storm

At least 350 flights have already been canceled in New York and other
Northeast airports as a severe storm barrels across the Mid-Atlantic
States and New England. Coastal Long Island could see some of its worst
flooding in 14 years. 

# posted by John @ 4/15/2007 04:32:00 PM 0 comments