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Show tiu TMzy'slsswe Today is Friday, January 23, 2009. Today's issue of The Utah Statesman is published especially for Brett Petersen, an English technical writing junior from Newton, Utah. ClarifyCorrect The policy of The Utah Statesman is to correct any error made as soon as possible. If you find something you would like clarified or find unfair, please contact the editor at 797-1762 or TSC 105. Nat'lBriefT Indiana man accused of faking his own death INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - An Indiana financial adviser accused of trying to fake his death in a plane crash improperly moved money from accounts, forged signatures on investment documents and charged exorbitant fees for years, investors testified at a hearing Thursday. An administrative law judge in Indiana heard from investors and their relatives who claim Marcus Schrenker bilked them out of hundreds of thousands of dollars before last week's plane crash in Florida. While that hearing was going on, Schrenker was in federal court in Pensacola, Fla., where he pleaded not guilty to charges of deliberately crashing his airplane and making a false distress call. Judge Roger Vinson ordered the 38-year-old amateur pilot sent for a psychiatric evaluation after Schrenker's attorney claimed he is not mentally competent for trial. Schrenker was arrested Jan. 13 at a campground near Tallahassee, Fla., where federal agents say he tried to kill himself after parachuting from his plane in Alabama and driving off on a motorcycle he had stashed nearby. His plane continued on autopilot for 200 miles before crashing in the Florida Panhandle. Smoking-related deaths highest in Kentucky ATLANTA (AP) - Kentucky and West Virginia - where people traditionally smoke the most - have the highest death rates from smoking, a new federal study has found. Rounding out the 10 states with the highest average annual smoking death rates were Nevada, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Arkansas, Alabama, Indiana and Missouri. The lowest death rates were in Utah and Hawaii, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study. The smoking death rate in Kentucky was about 371 deaths out of every 100,000 adults age 35 and older. That was nearly one-and-a-half times higher than the national median of 263 per 100,000. And it was nearly three times the rate for Utah, which was 138 per 100,000. The smoking death rates were calculated using death certificate data from the years 2000 through 2004, focusing on lung cancer and 18 other diseases caused by cigarette smoking. The rates track pretty closely with the Economic outlook worsens Celebs&Peopte WASHINGTON (AP) - The number of newly laid-off Americans filing jobless claims and the pace of home construction both posted worse-than-expected results in government data released Thursday, lending urgency to the economic recovery plan President Barack Obama and Congress are scrambling to advance. The latest batch of economic news cemented fears that the recession, already in its second year, will drag on through much of 2009. The reports "paint a bleak economic landscape ahead," said Stuart Hoffman, chief economist at PNC Financial Services Group. And the furious pace of layoffs continued Thursday, with Microsoft Corp. saying it will slash up to 5,000 jobs over the next 18 months. Chemical maker Huntsman Corp. will ax 1,175 jobs this year and will get rid of an additional 490 contractors. Those - as well as other employers have seen customer demand wane and are cutting costs to survive the fallout. "The corporate sector is rolling over, and we probably have not yet seen many job losses stemming from the sudden collapse in international trade," warned Ian Shepherdson, chief U.S. economist at High Frequency Economics. "The labor market remains a disaster area." Wall Street ended a volatile trading day sharply lower following the worse-than-expected economic data, concerns about the nations banks and disappointing results from Microsoft. The Dow Jones industrial average fell 105.30, or 1.28 percent, to 8,122.80. On Capitol Hill, House Democrats rolled up their sleeves to nail down pieces of Obama s A M A N LOOKS A T JOB LISTINGS at the Employment Development Department in San Francisco. Jobless claims have risen to 589,000. AP photo $825 billion stimulus package - a blend of tax cuts and increased government spending that includes boosting unemployment benefitswith the goal of a floor vote next week. And the Senate Finance Committee cleared Obama's nomination of Timothy Geithner to be Treasury secretary - despite what the nominee called "careless" and "avoidable" tax mistakes. The full Senate still must clear Geithner, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, before he can take office. Already Geithner is helping shape the Obama administration's new plan to bust through the debilitating credit and financial crises that are aggravating the recession. The package - likely to be unveiled in a few weeks - may include a program to mop up bad mortgages and other toxic assets so banks would be in a better position to lend money more freely. On the layoffs front, first-time applications for unemployment benefits jumped last week by 62,000 to 589,000, the Labor Department reported. That was much more than the 540,000 tally economists expected. It left claims matching a 26-year high reached four weeks ago, although the work force has grown by about half since then. Part of the rise was blamed on a backlog of claims that piled up in recent weeks as several states experienced computer crashes from a crush of filings, a government analyst said. The number of unemployed people continuing to draw jobless benefits soared by 97,000 to 4.6 million. That figure, too, was above analysts' expectations, and was up considerably from a year ago, when 2.7 million people were receiving such aid. The pickup shows that those out of work are having trouble finding a new job. Some economists believe the number of people continuing to draw unemployment benefits could rise to 5.5 million this year, on top of the 4.6 million covered by the regular unemployment insurance program. BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (AP) - "The Dark Knight" is the box-office behemoth with the deceased acting front-runner whose name everyone knows. "Slumdog Millionaire" is the outofcnowhere surprise with a cast no one ever heard of before. On the one-year anniversary of Heath Ledger's death, he is expected to earn LEDGER a supporting-actor nomination for his feverish performance as Batman's archenemy, the Joker, in Christopher Nolans "The Dark Knight." Ledger has been the solid favorite throughout awards season. The film had been considered a longshot in other top categories, but it has gained momentum for best picture, director and screenplay as it grabbed across-the-board nominations for awards from one Hollywood guild after another. "The Dark Knight" continues the story Nolan started with "Batman Begins," starring a top-name cast that includes Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman and Gary Oldman. BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (AP) -"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" is the Academy Awards heavyweight with 13 nominations, yet the shadow of Batman loomed large with the absence of "The Dark Knight" in the best-picture race. An epic romance that earned a best-actor nomination for Brad Pitt and a directing spot for David Fincher, "Benjamin Button" was joined in the bestpicture category Thursday by the Richard Nixon tale "Frost/Nixon," the chronicle of gay-rights leader Harvey Milk in "Milk," the Holocaust-themed drama "The Reader" and the rags-to-riches crowdpleaser "Slumdog Millionaire." The honors for "Benjamin Button" include a directing nomination for David Fincher and supporting actress for Taraji P. Henson. LateNiteHumor Rally marks anniversary WASHINGTON (AP) - Tens of thousands of abortion opponents rallied Thursday on the National Mall to mark the 36th anniversary of Roe v. Wade amid concerns they could face political setbacks under the new president. The rally and subsequent march to the Supreme Court came two days after the swearing-in of President Barack Obama, which many demonstrators said emphasized the need to become more vocal with their message. Among those attending the rally marking the 1973 ruling that legalized abortion was Kirk Kramer of Cottage City, Md., who held up a sign reading: "The Audacity Of Hope: No More Roe." Kramer, a Democrat, said he has mixed feelings about Obama. He supports the president's position on Iraq but said he was concerned about statements Obama made during the campaign indicating support for the Freedom of Choice Act, which would overrule many state-level restrictions on access to abortion. "Our country is better than the war we have fought in Iraq and we are better than legalizing abortion," he said. In a letter posted on their Web site, organizers invited Obama to speak at Thursday's rally. "America needs your strong leadership as president of all the people to stop the intentional killing of an estimated 3,000 preborn boys and girls each day and the brutalizing of mind, heart and body of pregnant mothers," the letter states. Obama, who did not attend the rally, issued a statement Thursday saying the government "should not intrude on our most private family matters" and reaffirming his support for abortion rights. "While this is a sensitive and often divisive issue, no matter what our views, we are united in our determination to prevent unintended pregnancies, reduce the need for abortion, and support women and families in the choices they make," Obama said. A small group of abortionrights supporters also gathered in front of the Supreme Court on Thursday. Lisa King of Washington, D.C., said she is disappointed that Obama did not immediately move to overturn the so-called "global gag rule," which denies U.S. funds to any international family planning group that provides abortion-related services or information. "I'm just waiting and seeing really," King said. "I don't have any huge expectations just because he's a Democrat." She said she worries the abortion issue will be a low priority, given all the other problems Obama faces. President George W. Bush regularly voiced support for those attending the annual anti-abortion rally. In audio remarks broadcast to demonstrators last year, he said biology confirms that from the start, each unborn child is a separate individual with his or her own genetic code. Speakers at this year's rally included Republican Sen. David Vitter of Louisiana. "We're going to win this fight," he told cheering supporters, "because of your faith and your commitment to your work." David Letterman, January 23,2009 Top Ten Signs Your Neighbor's hiding Osama Bin Laden 10. He's turned backyard jungle gym into Taliban training camp 9. You call over there and someone answers, "Death to America... I mean, Yello" 8. There's a large "No Infidels" sign on the front porch 7. In latest video, behind Osama is you mowing the lawn 6. Neighborhood suddenly reeks of figs and sheep 5. Just had delivered issue of People's "25 Sexiest Mullahs" 4. Got invited to summer block party this years theme: "Sun, Fun and Jihad" 3. Mailbox now reads, "Rutherford/Bin Laden" 2. Car in the driveway has a hilarious "Martyrdom or Bust" bumper sticker 1. Last Sunday, Kim Jong-II dropped by for Brunch First 50 Girls Receive Door Prize1 Food / Drinks Mecrianical Bull DANCE 1 r PINNACLE 575 E. 1400 North SECURITY Next to Lee's Marketplace ' Open House 7 - 9 p.m? | Dance Party. 9 -1 a.nT ( !DAN r23: |