NEW YORK (Reuters) –
Eli Lilly and Co (LLY.N) reported far better second quarter earnings on Wednesday on higher sales of its prescription drugs, and raised its 2009 earnings forecast

The Indianapolis drugmaker earned $1.16 billion, or $1.06 per share. That compared with $959 million, or 88 cents per share, in the year-earlier period, when Lilly had a favorable tax rate.

Excluding special items, Lilly earned $1.12 per share. Analysts on average expected $1.02 per share, according to Reuters Estimates.

Quarterly revenue rose 3 percent to $5.29 billion, matching the Reuters Estimates forecast.

Lilly expects full-year 2009 earnings, excluding special items, of $4.20 to $4.30 per share. It had previously projected a profit of $4 to $4.25 per share.

(Reporting by Ransdell Pierson; Editing by Derek Caney)

Some believe that pacifiers, if used for too long, may cause crooked teeth.

The infant teeth tend to emerge in pairs - first one upper incisor emerges then the other upper incisor emerges before the next set begin to emerge. The general pattern of emergence is:

Organic Baby Products

TOKYO, July 22, 2009 (AFP) –
Deflation is set to deepen in Japan but the world's number two economy should avoid a "vicious circle" of falling consumer prices leading to a weaker economy, a top central banker said Wednesday.

Year-on-year falls in consumer prices "will likely accelerate for the time being" but moderate from the second half of this financial year to March 2010 as the economy recovers, Bank of Japan deputy governor Hirohide Yamaguchi said.

"The Bank therefore thinks it unlikely at present that prices will continue to decline and thereby lead Japan's economy into a deflationary spiral," he said in a speech to business leaders in the northern city of Hakodate.

Japan was stuck in a deflationary spiral for years after its asset price bubble burst in the early 1990s, prompting consumers to put off purchases in the hope of further price drops and reducing corporate earnings.

Fears of another prolonged bout of deflation are growing. Core consumer prices fell a record 1.1 percent in May from a year earlier, while wholesale prices dropped by an unprecedented 6.6 percent in June year-on-year.

The Bank of Japan last week announced it would extend its emergency measures to tackle the worst recession in decades, but it also noted that economic conditions "have stopped worsening."

It has reduced its key interest rate to 0.1 percent since the economic crisis erupted and has been buying up corporate debt to keep credit flowing to cash-strapped firms.

Japan entered recession in the second quarter of 2008 as its heavy dependence on overseas demand to drive growth left it highly exposed to the global downturn.

The economy shrank at an annualised pace of 14.2 percent in the first quarter of 2009, the worst performance on record, but recent data have indicated that exports and industrial production have begun to rebound.

MEXICO CITY – Police have detained a woman in the deaths of two professional wrestlers who were found drugged in a low-rent hotel in the Mexican capital, prosecutors said Tuesday.
The 65-year-old suspect is one of two women caught on surveillance video leaving the victims' hotel room, Mexico City prosecutors said in a statement.
The statement said an autopsy on the two wrestlers, who were brothers, detected a substance found in eye drops that can damage the nervous system when mixed with alcohol.
One of the diminutive wrestlers went by the name "La Parkita" — or "Little Death" — and wore a skeleton costume in the ring. The other was known as "Espectrito Jr."
Prosecutors said previously that gangs of female robbers are experienced at using drugs to knock men out and rob them, but they may have used too strong a dose in this instance.
That may have been because of the wrestlers' small stature, although larger men have also died in similar crimes.
Police located the suspect by tracing calls from a cell phone belonging to one of the victims, the statement said. She was arrested Tuesday.

Garden Chairs

A bench is a piece of furniture, which mostly offers several persons seating. As a rule, benches are made of wood, but one can also find stone benches and benches made of synthetic materials. Many benches have arm rests. In public areas, benches are often donated by persons or associations, which may then be indicated on it, e.g. by a small copper plaque.

Various types of benches are specifically designed for and/or named after specific uses, such as a Bench (weight training) is used for fitness exercises, such as the bench press which is named after its use of a bench a Communion bench is not used as a seat Piano benches offer usually one person seating and are height adjustable. a spanking bench, such as a caning bench, is specifically designed for a spankee to lie upon, possibly strapped down, while submitting to paining of the posterior Swing seats are independently movable, suspended benches, used for play or as a relaxing porch swing. a courting bench (or kissing bench, or tête-à-tête): a two-seater with the seats pointing in opposite directions, thus almost facing each other. A friendship bench in a school playground is where a child can go when they want someone to talk to. The bench in a courtroom, behind which the judge is seated.

BERLIN (Reuters) –
German police arrested three men suspected of attempting to blackmail Susanne Klatten, the country's wealthiest woman, by claiming they had a secret video of her affair with a Swiss gigolo, prosecutors said Friday.

Munich state prosecutor Thomas Steinkraus-Koch said the trio had been arrested last week by police in the northern town of Duisburg on suspicion of trying to extort 800,000 euros and a BMW luxury SUV from Klatten, heiress to the BMW empire.

"They sent a letter to her threatening to give the sex video they claimed to have to Italian media if she did not give them 800,000 euros and a BMW," Steinkraus-Koch told Reuters, adding that Klatten immediately forwarded the letter to police.

"We assume the story about the video was contrived. At least we have found no evidence of any such video after searching their apartments and computers. There is nothing to suggest they ever were in possession of such a sex video."

The three men aged 33 to 46 -- including one German and one Serb -- were contacted by a police officer posing as an acquaintance of Klatten, he said. They set up a contact phone number for the blackmailers and that led to their arrest.

Klatten, a member of the Quandt family -- the leading shareholders in carmaker BMW -- went public last year with the story of how her Swiss lover secretly shot intimate footage and later demanded tens of million of euros not to reveal it.

Helg Sgarbi, a former Swiss investment banker, was sentenced to six years in jail by a Munich court after he admitted he had seduced Klatten and three other wealthy women. He persuaded them to pay him nearly 10 million euros under various false pretexts.

Sgarbi, a Swiss army lieutenant, won over Klatten, a 46-year-old married mother of three, at a health centre.

She later handed him a cardboard box containing 7 million euros in 500 euro notes, believing he had paralysed a child in a traffic accident in America and was in need of the money.

Klatten ended the relationship after Sgarbi, 44, demanded more money. He responded by threatening to send photos and tapes of their hotel-room rendezvous to colleagues, family and media unless she gave him 49 million euros. She then went to police.

Klatten's wealth is estimated by Forbes magazine at almost $10 billion (6.1 billion pounds), making her the 68th richest person in the world.

The Quandt dynasty had close ties to the Nazi party and built its fortune supplying German army and railway worker uniforms. The first wife of Klatten's grandfather went on to marry Nazi propaganda chief Joseph Goebbels.

In March, a truck driver from Bochum tried to blackmail Klatten with a similar claim. He was seeking 75,000 euros and is now on trial in Munich for attempted blackmail.

(Editing by Philippa Fletcher)

FRIDAY, July 17 (HealthDay News) -- Whether you have an easy baby
or a fussy one may have nothing to do with your parenting skills because
the combination of a certain gene and a particular pattern of brain
activity may determine a child's temperament, a new study has found.

Canadian researchers examined the interaction between the DRD4 gene and
activity in the frontal cortex of the brain to find out if it predicted
children's temperament.

Previous studies have suggested that the longer version (allele) of the
DRD4 gene is associated with increased sensory responsiveness,
risk-seeking behavior and attention problems in children. It has also been
determined that infants with more activity in the left frontal cortex are
temperamentally "easy" and take little effort to calm down. On the other
hand, children with more activity in the right frontal cortex are more
easily distressed, more difficult to soothe, and are considered to have a
"negative" temperament.

In this study, Louis Schmidt of McMaster University in Hamilton,
Ontario, and colleagues measured brain activity in 9-month-old infants.
When the children were 4 years old, their mothers completed questionnaires
about their children's behavior, and DNA samples were taken from the
children for analysis of the DRD4 gene.

The researchers found that children who had more left frontal cortex
activity and had the long version of the DRD4 gene were more easily
soothed at 48 months than those with the shorter version of the gene.
Children with the long version of the gene and with more activity in the
right frontal cortex were the least soothable and had more attention
problems than the other children, according to the study.

The findings "suggest that it is possible that the DRD4 long allele
plays different roles (for better and for worse) in child temperament,"
the researchers said. They added that the pattern of frontal cortex
activity may influence how DRD4 affects a child's temperament.

The study appears online in the journal Psychological
Science.

More information

The American Academy of Pediatrics has more about children's temperament.

LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles County coroner's office says it will take longer than first expected to complete Michael Jackson's full autopsy report.
The office previously expected to wrap up the report late this week or early next week.
But Assistant Chief Coroner Ed Winter said Thursday that it's now expected to be two weeks away. He declined to explain the reason for the delay.
The toxicology report should include what drugs were in Jackson's system when he died and whether they caused his death. That will be key in determining whether any criminal charges are brought.
Jackson died June 25.

Plus Size Lingerie

Frank Ricci's firehouse in New Haven was not exactly captivated by his appearance before the Senate Judiciary Committee. Some firefighters said they watched the hearing on TV briefly, while others said they were too busy testing hoses on a hot day.
Some said they were sick of it after six years -- and that's about all they would say. The city has ordered firefighters not to talk about the case. Shortly after Ricci spoke, two firefighters were nearly asleep watching "Mad TV." A military channel had been on earlier.-John Christoffersen, AP correspondent, New Haven, Conn.

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Friends with the FBI -- director that is

Thur Jul 16, 5:23 pm ET

Former FBI Director Louis Freeh has quite a different perspective than most witnesses on Sonia Sotomayor. He's actually seen her in the courtroom.Freeh was a judge in federal court in Manhattan when Sotomayor arrived at the court in 1992. He said there was a tradition that the second newest judge had to mentor the newest judge. So he said he sat in her courtroom during trials and helped her review opinions. His conclusion: she has "enormous judicial integrity and commitment."About a year later, Freeh was nominated by President Clinton to be FBI director, a post he held until 2001.-Larry Neumeister, AP New York-based federal court reporter, Washington

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Cone recalls his glory days

Thur Jul 16, 5:16 pm ET

Fresh off winning the Cy Young Award as the American League's top ace in 1994, David Cone found himself at the White House a few months later making another pitch: Trying to help end the players' strike that had wiped out the World Series.The baby-faced righty was part of a small group that met with President Bill Clinton and was a key player throughout the negotiations, representing major leaguers at the bargaining table. At one point, players and owners even agreed to shift talks from Washington to New York to accommodate his wedding.Cone testified today in support of Sotomayor, who ended the baseball strike in 1995."A lot of people both inside and outside baseball tried to settle the dispute," Cone said. Her key ruling forced owners and players back to the bargaining table and ultimately brought Major League Baseball back to the nation."With one decision Judge Sotomayor changed the entire dispute," he said. "I believe all of us who love the game -- players, owners and fans -- are in her debt."Cone lost about $570,000 of his $2 million salary because of the walkout. It may have cost him a little more, too — two weeks after the strike was settled, his hometown Kansas City Royals saved money by trading him away.Cone retired in 2003, leaving with credentials that got him on the Hall of Fame ballot last year. He won 194 games, was a five-time All- Star and played on five World Series champions. He pitched one of only15 perfect games in modern baseball history, and once tied the then- National League record of 19 strikeouts in a game.Now 46, Cone remains popular with fans as a broadcaster for the New York Yankees.-Ben Walker, AP baseball writer, New York and Laurie Kellman, AP reporter, Congress

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End times are near ... maybe

Thur Jul 16, 5:03 pm ET

Everything in the Senate revolves around votes -- and there's one at 1 a.m. Friday EDT.What that has to do with the Sotomayor hearing: It might continue into the night until all public witnesses have been heard because senators have to stick around anyway for the vote. Another reason: If at all possible, senators would like to head home Friday rather than sit in committee. No decision on timing has been made, according to a knowledgeable person. So, once again, stay tuned.-Laurie Kellman, AP reporter, Congress

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Vote next week, if Dems have their way

Thur Jul 16, 4:54 pm ET

Democrats are wasting no time now that Sonia Sotomayor has passed her confirmation hearing test in good condition.Public witnesses for and against Sotomayor were still testifying when Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy's aides announced that it had scheduled a confirmation vote on her nomination for Tuesday. But while Republicans have said they won't block Sotomayor's confirmation, a committee vote might not happen then.Any senator on the committee has the right to ask for a one-week delay on a confirmation vote. Scheduling the vote for Tuesday means that the latest it is going to happen is Tuesday, July 28. That gives Democrats almost two weeks to get her confirmed on the Senate floor before the chamber leaves for its summer break on August 7.-Jesse J. Holland, AP reporter, Supreme Court

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Hispanic firefighter was labeled as Uncle Tom and traitor

Thur Jul 16, 4:30 pm ET

Benjamin Vargas had a tough decision. He was one of only two Hispanics who scored high enough on a promotion test for New Haven firefighters, and city officials threw it out because too few minorities scored well.He could join a group of white firefighters suing the city, or he could side with others -- including many minorities -- who wanted the results thrown out.He joined the lawsuit and says others labeled him as an Uncle Tom and a traitor to the Hispanic community."I received lots of criticism," he said testifying to the Senate Judiciary Committee. "I've got a thick skin."Judge Sonia Sotomayor was part of a three-judge panel that rejected the lawsuit. Last month, the Supreme Court ruled for the firefighters, and Sotomayor has faced harsh criticism for her ruling.Vargas said he was proud of the Hispanic background that he shares with Sotomayor, but that the ruling was unfair and un-American. "This is what America is all about. You work hard," he said. "We're the greatest country in the world. ... You rise and fall on your own merits."Vargas said the Supreme Court decision makes him believe that things are getting better. "We're going the right direction now."-Michael Giarrusso, AP editor

New Haven, Conn. firefighters Ben Vargas, right, and

Frank Ricci (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)

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Short white guys -- and others -- welcome

Thur Jul 16, 4:30 pm ET

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., seemed to try to have it both ways on diversity as he spoke to Frank Ricci, the New Haven, Conn., firefighter testifying about the controversial reverse-discrimination case.The senator professed his belief that judges should be chosen on merit -- but then claimed that considering diversity was "a standard way of operating in political circles.""I know that Republicans sit down and think ... let's make sure we let the whole country know the Republican Party is just not a party of short white guys," said Graham, himself a short white guy.He seemed to try to explain himself later, saying: "What I wanted to tell the country is Republicans very much do sit down and think about political picks and appointments, in a political sense, to try to show that we are a party that looks at all Americans and wants to give an opportunity. That is just life, and that is not a bad thing."-Larry Neumeister, AP New York-based federal courts reporter, Washington

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The docket: coming up in the fall

Thur Jul 16, 4:43 pm ET

The Supreme Court has released the cases that Sotomayor and her eight colleagues will hear on her first day of the next session if she is confirmed to the Supreme Court. The three cases the Supreme Court will hear on Monday, Oct. 5, will be:MARYLAND V. SHATZER: A case in which the Supreme Court will clarify how long a suspected criminal's request for a lawyer during police interrogation should be valid. The court will hear Maryland's appeal of a decision throwing out child molester Michael Shatzer's confession.Shatzer asked for a lawyer almost three years before admitting to the abuse.MOHAWK INDUSTRIES V. CARPENTER: A case where the high court will decide whether a party may immediately appeal a discovery order to disclose materials said to be covered by the attorney-client privilege.SOUTH CAROLINA V. NORTH CAROLINA: A fight between those two states over water in the Catawba River. South Carolina says North Carolina is taking more than its equitable share of water out of the Catawba.-Jesse J. Holland, AP reporter, Supreme Court

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Tick, tock

Thur Jul 16, 4:30 pm ET

It's that time of day when we ask ourselves: How much longer is this hearing going to take? Early guidance is that the Judiciary Committee might not hear from all three remaining public witness panels today. Stay tuned. -Laurie Kellman, AP reporter, Congress

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Getting to the point

Thur Jul 16, 3:57 pm ET

Leave it to Sen. Arlen Specter to ask the question everyone wants to know: "Do you have any reason to think that Judge Sotomayor acted in anything other than good faith in trying to reach a fair decision in the case?" The Pennsylvania Democrat asked that of New Haven firefighters Frank Ricci and Benjamin Vargas who joined other plaintiffs in a racial bias lawsuit against the Connecticut city. Ricci's microphone briefly went out, but here's what he said: "That's beyond my legal expertise ... This is our first time we've gotten to testify about our story so I can't comment." Did Specter get Vargas to go any further? Not so much. "I would have to defer to the same response. We were invited here to give our story, and we wanted to focus on that," Vargas said. Sotomayor was part of a three-judge panel that ruled against the firefighters. That ruling was overturned by the Supreme Court, and opponents have been highly critical of Sotomayor's decision in the case.-Laurie Kellman, AP reporter, Congress

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Graham's colorful commentary

Thur Jul 16, 3:57 pm ET

Think Sen. Lindsey Graham's previous comments during the Sonia Sotomayor hearing have been colorful? Think again.The South Carolina Republican just cussed when addressing firefighter Frank Ricci. "I appreciate how difficult this must have been for you to bust your ass and study so hard" and still be turned down for a promotion, Graham said. "You probably did not get the day in court that you deserved," Graham added. "Please do not lose sight of the fact that not so very long ago, the test was rigged a different way."-Laurie Kellman, AP reporter, Congress

Sen. Lindsey Graham (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)

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A crack up

Thur Jul 16, 3:57 pm ET

It's pretty certain that Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., would have loved a do-over on one remark he made while talking to Wade Henderson, president of the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, about scheduling a Senate Judiciary hearing on the crack cocaine problem.Sessions said he and Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., had been in discussions, saying: "Senator Leahy and I were talking during these hearings -- we're going to do that crack cocaine thing you and I have talked about before."The hearing room cracked up.Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., looked over at Sessions. "Please rephrase it, Senator. please rephrase," he said. Sessions laughed along with the crowd, but also clarified: "I misspoke."-Jesse J. Holland, AP reporter, Supreme Court

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Bunning and baseball

Thur Jul 16, 3:50 pm ET

With Sonia Sotomayor a professed baseball nut, you'd think the only former Major League Baseball player serving in the Senate would vote for her.Nope. Sen. Jim Bunning, R-Ky., took to the Senate floor immediately after Sotomayor finished her testimony to say that he's going to vote against her. Said Bunning: "On viewing the record of Judge Sotomayor, I do not find her to be a suitable candidate for justice of the Supreme Court of the United States and will vote against her whenever the Senate considers her nomination."Bunning played for 17 years in the majors. This is how he describes his career in the big leagues on his Web site."Pitching primarily for the Detroit Tigers and Philadelphia Phillies, Bunning accumulated a record of achievement that eventually won him a seat in the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1996. He was the second pitcher in history (Cy Young was the first) to record 1,000 strikeouts and 100 wins in both the American and National leagues. When he retired in 1971, Bunning was second on the all time strikeout list -- second only to Walter Johnson."Sotomayor is a big Yankees fan, and there was baseball talk just about every day of her questioning. But with Bunning, she struck out.-Jesse J. Holland, AP reporter, Supreme Court

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Praise payback

Thur Jul 16, 3:47 pm ET

Throughout the hearing, Sotomayor has heaped praise on longtime Manhattan District Attorney Robert Morgenthau and the role he played in her life. He got the chance to return the compliments today when he appeared before the Senate Judiciary Committee, seated next to New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg.The 89-year-old Morgenthau said that as a prosecutor for four years, Sotomayor could not be pushed around, and that as a judge she never looked for the easy way out of cases. He said she was so effective as a prosecutor that she once left a judge in tears as she described the harm done to victims in a Times Square child pornography case.He said she would be an outstanding justice and would bring a unique perspective to the court because she has been a state criminal prosecutor. Morgenthau announced earlier this year that he is retiring after 35 years as district attorney.-Larry Neumeister, AP New York-based federal courts reporter, Washington

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Firefighters testify about difficult test preparation

Thur Jul 16, 3:28 pm ET

New Haven firefighters Frank Ricci and Benjamin Vargas talked emotionally about how hard they studied for a promotion test that was thrown out by city officials because too few minorities did well.Ricci and Vargas stressed that the test was clearly related to their job, which requires fast decisions and a broad understanding of fires and rescue techniques. Vargas, who is Hispanic, and Ricci, who is dyslexic, said they threw themselves into preparation for the test to make sure they were promoted."I studied harder than I ever have before," said Ricci, running his finger across the page as he read from a statement. "Reading. Making flash cards. Reading again. ... Listening to tapes."Ricci said he was a virtual absentee father and husband while studying. Vargas said he ignored his family for three months, surrounding his basement desk with photos of his three sons to remind himself that he was working to make their futures better. His wife, a teacher, took time off from work so he could focus on the test. He eventually checked into a hotel to cram."I was shocked when I was not rewarded for this hard work," Vargas testified.Ricci and Vargas joined other plaintiffs in a racial bias lawsuit against the city. Sotomayor was part of a three-judge panel that ruled against the firefighters. That ruling was overturned by the Supreme Court, and opponents have been highly critical of Sotomayor's decision in the case.-Michael Giarrusso, AP editor

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Firefighters testify, but not everyone's listening

Thur Jul 16, 3:15 pm ET

Not everyone showed up to hear the Republicans' star witness testify: the firefighter at the center of a controversial reverse-discrimination case much-discussed during Sonia Sotomayor's confirmation hearing.Frank Ricci told his story -- but he didn't mention Sotomayor by name in his statement. He did say the case at hand was not about his dyslexia, but about fairness. "The more attention our case got, the more some people tried to distort it," Ricci said. "We sought basic fairness and even-handed enforcement of the laws, something all Americans believe in."Ben Vargas, another firefighter, also testified the focus of the case should have been on what he did to deserve a promotion. He said: "The focus should not have been on me being Hispanic." Only the following senators heard their statements -- Ben Cardin of Maryland, Chairman Patrick Leahy of Vermont, Richard Durbin of Illinois, Arlen Specter of  Pennsylvania for the Democrats; Jeff Sessions of Alabama, Orrin Hatch of Utah, John Cornyn of Texas, and Lindsey Graham for the Republicans. Only Leahy appeared to be reading, the rest listened intently.The two firefighters filed a reverse discrimination suit that Sotomayor joined in dismissing. The Supreme Court reversed that decision last month. The case has proved a leading cause for conservatives opposed to Sotomayor. The judge's critics have criticized her for dismissing the firefighters' arguments without a hearing. They were trying to win promotions they said they earned on an examination that the city administered.-Liz Sidoti, AP reporter, politics; Laurie Kellman, AP reporter, Congress

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Up now: firefighters

Thur Jul 16, 3:00 pm ET

Speaking now before the Judiciary Committee: The man at the center of one of Sonia Sotomayor's most-disputed court rulings.New Haven, Conn., firefighter Frank Ricci is telling his story in the reverse discrimination case that has proved a leading cause for conservatives opposed to Sotomayor.The judge's critics have criticized her for dismissing the firefighters arguments without a hearing. They were trying to win promotions they said they earned on an examination that the city administered. New Haven eventually ruled the test invalid, saying it looked stacked against minorities.-Liz Sidoti, AP reporter, politics

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Bloomberg's face in the crowd

Thur Jul 16, 2:51 pm ET

He's the top dog in New York City. But in Washington? He's simply one member of a panel reading prepared testimony supporting Sonia Sotomayor's nomination to the Supreme Court.Michael Bloomberg sat at the far end of a witness table that included arguably the most anticipated witnesses -- firefighters Frank Ricci and Ben Vargas, who are testifying for Republicans. Bloomberg was supposed to go first but he was running late. So Dustin McDaniel, Arkansas' attorney general, picked up the slack. He was starting his testimony when the New York mayor arrived. When it was his turn, Bloomberg predictably put in many a plug for his city and heralded Sotomayor as "the quintessential New York success story."-Liz Sidoti, AP reporter, politics

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The "other" Sotomayor

Thur Jul 16, 2:47 pm ET

Sonia isn't the only famous Sotomayor who passed the bar and went on to reach some pretty lofty heights.Cuba's Javier Sotomayor has held the world record for the high jump since 1992, when he leapt 2.45 meters, or 8 feet 1/2 inch. The mark is one of track and field's most enduring records. He was also the first human to jump over 8 feet, and he did it in 1989 in Puerto Rico, where Sonia's parents were born.Now retired from competition, the 41-year-old manages the Cuban national track and field team. Like Sonia, he's a hero to millions of people across Latin America. He is considered the best high jumper of all time.In case you're curious: They're not related.-William J. Kole, AP Vienna bureau chief

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Standup from a seated senator?

Thur Jul 16, 2:29 pm ET

Since he entered the Minnesota senate race, Al Franken has been his own straight man. But when he made his debut as senator this week, we wondered if he'd loosen up and show his sense of humor. Check out the video package "Franken's muted debut" created by AP reporter Kevin Vineys, focusing on probably the second most-watched person at the hearing after Sotomayor herself.-Beth Davidz, AP reporter, Washington

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Public testimony: Where are the senators?

Thur Jul 16, 2:11 pm ET

Here's how important the first post-Sotomayor public-witness panel is: Chairman Patrick Leahy wasn't even there. The Vermont Democrat was in a booth above the hearing room, being interviewed on MSNBC, while one of the most junior members on the panel, Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., grilled witnesses from the American Bar Association. Few senators joined him.-Laurie Kellman, AP reporter, Congress

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Getting more comfortable?

Thur Jul 16, 1:50 pm ET

Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., seems to be warming up to Sonia Sotomayor -- at least when comments made today to reporters during a break are compared with what he said Wednesday during a similar break.A day ago, he said her testimony was "muddled, confusing and backtracking on issue after issue." But just minutes ago after she finished testifying, Sessions told reporters "the nominee said some good things in the hearing." But he added that he still had some serious concerns about her and needed to think about it before he decides how to vote.Sessions said he did not expect a committee vote on her nomination by next Tuesday, adding: "To have a few extra days between the hearing and the vote is not too much to ask."-Larry Neumeister, AP New York-based federal courts reporter, Washington

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And... she's outta here

Thur Jul 16, 1:46 pm ET

After sitting in the witness chair for 3.5 days, Sonia Sotomayor is finally done. But not before a few more words from Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy. He thanked the nominee and her assembled family for their intellect, grace and patience. He also said that 2,000 people attended the hearings in person. Then, Leahy recessed the hearing for a few minutes.  Much hugging ensued. Sotomayor stood up, hugged her family and friends, then made her way up to the dais. She hugged Leahy, who hugged her back. And then she left. Public witnesses are next.-Laurie Kellman, AP reporter, Congress

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Lightning round

Thur Jul 16, 1:25 pm ET

When Sonia Sotomayor finishes answering questions, the pace of the hearing will increase tremendously.The public witnesses who are scheduled to speak will for the most part come in, give a quick speech and then leave. Many of the senators don't even hang around for the public witness part of confirmation hearings. You may have a couple senators ask questions of the witnesses, but those will go by quickly.The only exception to this will be the New Haven, Conn., firefighters Frank Ricci and Ben Vargas. Senators will come back to hear from these two men, considering Republicans have used the New Haven firefighter case to criticize Sotomayor. Look for GOP senators to also criticize liberal groups that have been digging in Ricci's past to find something to use against him, since he is expected to criticize Sotomayor's decision in his lawsuit. -Jesse J. Holland, AP reporter, Supreme Court

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Money, money, money

Thur Jul 16, 12:55 pm ET

Sonia Sotomayor mentioned that she took a pay cut when she left corporate law to become a judge. She said federal judges had not received a raise in 20 years.Republican Sen. Jeff Sessions, who was nominated as a federal judge in 1985 and rejected by the Senate Judiciary Committee, pointed out that judges do get cost-of-living increases.Federal trial judges are paid $169,300 a year. Appellate judges make more, ranging up to $217,400 for Chief Justice John Roberts. Sessions said the salary for judges was about four times the average family's income. "I hope you can live on it. If not, you probably shouldn't take the job," he told Sotomayor.An AP story about judicial pay.-Michael Giarrusso, AP editor

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Editorial Cartoons: Sotomayor as a pinata and more

Thur Jul 16, 12:52 pm ET

The Miami Herald turns the "wise Latina" table on senators. A joke about the hot air in the hearing room from the San Antonio Express-News.The Star-Ledger jokes about Republicans trying to carefully attack Sotomayor.The Atlanta Journal-Constitution makes another "wise Latina" joke.The Chattanooga Times Free Press makes fun of the Atlanta Braves and the complaints about Sotomayor.The Belleville News-Democrat pokes fun at Sotomayor.A story in The Washington Post about a controversial cartoon in The Oklahoman. And a direct link to The Oklahoman cartoons, including a July 15 cartoon about Sotomayor.

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Waving the white flag?

Thur Jul 16, 12:40 pm ET

Did GOP Sen. Jeff Sessions of Alabama just signal the Republicans' surrender on Sonia Sotomayor's confirmation?Sessions, who leads the Judiciary Republicans, said that they are not going to try to block Sotomayor, saying: "I will not support and I don't think any member of this side will support a filibuster or any attempt to block a vote on your nomination. It's a very important vote."Some conservatives, as well, have called on the GOP to slow down her nomination and hold it over past the Senate's month-long recess in August. But it doesn't seem like that is going to happen either. Said Sessions to Sotomayor: "I look forward to you getting that vote before we recess in August."-Jesse J. Holland, AP reporter, Supreme Court

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Why do you want this job?

Thur Jul 16, 12:26 pm ET

Sotomayor says she wants to be a Supreme Court justice because "I can't think of a greater service to give to the country."Seemingly fresh out of questions, Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., started to wind down the morning session by asking simply: "Why do you want to be a Supreme Court justice?"Sotomayor answered with a story about her rise to the federal bench, a move Sotomayor said was inspired by her dedication to public service."It really has always been the answer, given who I am, my love of the law," she said. "My sense of importance about the rule of law, how central it is to the function of our society, how it sets us apart as many senators have noted, from the rest of the world, have always created a passion in me," she said. "I can't think of a greater service to give the country than to be given the privilege of being a justice of the Supreme Court."-Ron Fournier, AP Washington bureau chief

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Everybody out of the cert pool

Thur Jul 16, 12:23 pm ET

Here's another one of those what-the-heck-is-it subjects: the cert pool.It's a Supreme Court tradition where law clerks review petitions for certiorari -- requests for an appeal of a ruling to the Supreme Court -- and recommend whether they should be granted. The recommendation is circulated to each justice in the pool. It's supposed to be a time-saving device, with thousands of requests for cert to the Supreme Court. Only two sitting justices don't participate, Justices John Paul Stevens and Samuel Alito. Alito participated for a while, and then withdrew.It came up today when Sen. Arlen Specter, D-Pa., asked whether Sotomayor would join the cert pool."My approach would probably be similar to Justice Alito, which is experience the process, take, for a period of time, consider its costs and benefits, and then decide whether to try the alternative or not and figure out what I think works best in terms of the functioning my chambers and the court," Sotomayor said. "I can't give a definitive answer because I generally try to keep an open mind until I experience something and can then speak from knowledge about whether to change it or not."-Jesse J. Holland, AP reporter, Supreme Court

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Not on the fringe

Thur Jul 16, 12:20 pm ET

Two of the Senate Judiciary Committee's conservatives say Sotomayor's judicial record shows she's in the mainstream.Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, is a former state judge himself: "I actually agree that your judicial record strikes me as pretty much in the mainstream of judicial decision-making by district court judges and by Court of Appeals judges on the federal bench."Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., took Sotomayor to task about her speeches and work outside the court, saying: "You have, I think, consistently, as an advocate, took a point of view that was left of center." But, he added, "you have, as a judge, been generally in the mainstream."Graham and Cornyn -- both of whom were strong advocates of President George W. Bush's judicial nominees and fought Democrats over their judicial filibusters -- have not said how they will vote on Sotomayor in committee or on the Senate floor. But the nominee's probably feeling pretty good about those statements from two very conservative senators.-Jesse J. Holland, AP reporter, Supreme Court

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Praise from both sides of the aisle

Thur Jul 16, 12:15 pm ET

Three days of testimony are paying off: Sonia Sotomayor is drawing praise today from GOP skeptics as well as Democratic supporters.It's the final day of Senate questioning that's expected to lead to her confirmation.Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., described Sotomayor's judicial record as "generally in the mainstream" and said he thought she would keep an open mind on gun rights. He proclaimed her "not an activist."Sen. Arlen Specter, a Republican-turned-Democrat from Pennsylvania, said he's not ready to announce his vote, but "conventional wisdom" strongly points toward Sotomayor's confirmation.-Ron Fournier, AP Washington bureau chief

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Another very popular situation where costumes are employed are for sporting events, where people dressed as their team's representative mascot help the club or team rally round their team's cause. Animal costumes which are visually very similar to mascot costumes are also popular among the members of the furry fandom where they are referred to as fursuits.

“Clothing worn in dance training generally reflects period, culture, and performance traditions” (Penrod 12). Throughout history clothing has become more simplified as dance becomes more physically demanding and free. In the past, dancers would dance in gardens and halls in elaborate and expensive costumes. However, in the eighteenth century they began to dance in theaters and to “discard cumbersome garments” (Penrod 13) by training in daily clothing.

Sexy Halloween Costumes

WASHINGTON – Alan Bean uses bits of lunar dust and tiny slices of space suit patches to bring the moon closer to people who will never have a chance to go there.
The Apollo 12 moon walker left NASA 28 years ago to chart a new career as an artist, inspired by his astronaut experience.
On Thursday, the largest exhibition of his work ever mounted, "Alan Bean: Painting Apollo, First Artist on Another World," opened at the National Air and Space Museum — in time for Monday's 40th anniversary celebration of the first human steps on the moon.
"Half the people on Earth were not around when this was taking place," said Bean, 77. "These paintings will be around long after I'm gone."
They depict some of the most famous moments of Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, who landed in 1969. Some show lunar landscapes, as well as the experiments and exploration the Apollo astronauts carried out. Others capture the boyish wonder of the experience, such as Alan Shepard hitting a golf ball on the moon.
Bean was the lunar module pilot on Apollo 12 in November 1969 for the second moonwalk mission and became the fourth person to set foot on the moon. Memories from that voyage and stories from all six moon landings comprise his nearly 170 original paintings.
Of those, 43 works are included in the exhibit, which will be on view through January at the Smithsonian Institution museum. It includes Bean's tools and techniques, along with some of the artifacts depicted in his paintings — the lunar rover, a box for moon rocks and a replica of Shepard's golf club.
Bean lights up as he shows off his technique — making boot prints in the texture of his works and mixing pieces of history with the paint. He never had a moon rock to keep, but he did have patches from his space suit that were soiled with moon dust.
"I said to myself, 'If I am willing to cut these things up and put them in the paintings, then I will have moon dust in my paintings,'" he said. "If I'm spending the rest of my life doing this, I might as well make these paintings as fun for me as I can make them."
No one ever complained to Bean about how he was using the traces of moon dust, though some astronaut friends questioned whether it was wise for him to leave all his flight training behind to be an artist. Now, he says, they love his work.
Curator Carolyn Russo worked to plan the exhibit over the past two years. She found Bean's work encompasses the entire Apollo program but was missing from the museum's extensive art collection.
"He puts himself into his paintings," she said. "To cut up his tiny little patches that came back from the moon — his most precious things — he's giving them back to us in his work.
"You know how they say, you can't take it with you? I think Alan understands that," she said.
He critiques his early work, saying he "didn't have the heart of an artist" at first. Now he paints at his Houston studio at least six days a week beginning at 8 a.m., completing about seven paintings a year.
"No matter how good or bad they are, they are the first paintings in all of history of another place that an Earth human has actually seen and painted," Bean said. "When we're all gone, a lot of these stories will be lost."
The exhibit will be the setting for NASA's exclusive party Monday to celebrate the first moon walk.
Though decades have passed since Apollo and NASA is debating how it will return humans to the moon, Bean remains bullish on the space program, though it's taking longer than he expected to establish permanent lunar outposts.
"Some day, when they have art galleries on the moon," he said, "they'll put some of these paintings there as the first paintings of this world."

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On the Net:

Alan Bean Gallery: http://www.alanbeangallery.com/NASMExhib.html

SHARM EL-SHEIKH, Egypt (AFP) –
Pakistan and India vowed on Thursday to cooperate in the fight against terror, but New Delhi insisted peace talks remain on hold until the perpetrators of the devastating Mumbai attacks are brought to justice.

"Both leaders affirmed their resolve to fight terrorism and cooperate with each other to this end," said a joint statement after the meeting between Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and his Indian counterpart Manmohan Singh in Egypt.

It was only the second top-level meeting between the nuclear armed neighbours since the November attacks in the Indian commercial capital of Mumbai that cost 166 lives, and raised hopes of a resumption of peace talks.

"Prime Minister Singh reiterated the need to bring the perpetrators of the Mumbai attacks to justice and Prime Minister Gilani assured that Pakistan will do everything in its power in this regard."

The statement described terrorism as the main threat to both countries but said: "Action on terrorism should not be linked to the composite dialogue process and these should not be bracketed."

The meeting was held on the sidelines of the Non-Aligned summit in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, where more than 50 heads of state of developing nations gathered with the world economic crisis topping the agenda.

Soon after the joint statement was issued, however, Singh told journalists in Sharm el-Sheikh that peace talks with Pakistan were still on hold.

"A composite dialogue cannot begin unless and until the terrorist attacks that shook Mumbai are accounted for and the perpetrators of these heinous crimes brought to book," Singh said.

"The starting point of any meaningful dialogue with Pakistan has to have their commitment not to let their territory be used for terrorist activities against India."

"If acts of terrorism continue to be perpetrated, there is no question of a dialogue, let alone a composite dialogue."

Relations between India and Pakistan, which have fought three wars, deteriorated sharply after the Mumbai bombings which New Delhi blamed on the banned Pakistani militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).

The Mumbai siege left in tatters a fragile peace process launched in 2004 to resolve all outstanding issues of conflict, including a territorial dispute over the divided Himalayan territory of Kashmir.

Pakistan has said that it would probably put the five accused of involvement in the attacks on trial this week, including the alleged mastermind Zakiduddin Lakhvi.

Thursday's encounter was the first top-level meeting since Singh met Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari on the sidelines of a summit in Russia last month.

On Wednesday, Gilani had expressed optimism that relations between the neighbours were improving.

"There has recently been some forward movement in our relations with India," Gilani said. "We hope to sustain this momentum and move towards comprehensive engagement. We believe durable peace in South Asia is achievable."

Peace "will be facilitated by the resolution of all outstanding disputes, including Jammu and Kashmir," Gilani said.

More than 50 heads of state from the developing world were gathered in Sharm el-Sheikh to tackle the fallout from the global economic meltdown, with calls for a "new world order" to prevent a repeat of the crisis.

Founded in 1955, the Non-Aligned Movement's 118 member states represent around 56 percent of the global population. NAM states consider themselves not formally aligned with or against any major power bloc.

The next summit is to be held in 2012 in Tehran.

KABUL – Local Taliban commanders threatened Thursday to kill a captured American soldier unless the U.S. military stops operations in two districts of southeastern Afghanistan.
The Taliban claimed last week to be holding the soldier, whom the U.S. military earlier described as possibly being in enemy hands.
Abdullah Jalali, a spokesman for Taliban commander Mawlavi Sangin, told The Associated Press in a telephone interview Thursday that the soldier was healthy.
He said the soldier would be killed unless the U.S. stops airstrikes in Ghazni province's Giro district and Paktika province's Khoshamand district. Jalali did not explain why the Taliban chose those areas, noting only that Giro has been heavily bombed.
Spokeswoman Capt. Elizabeth Mathias declined to comment on the demands but did say recent operations in Giro district this month did not involve bombings.
Neither district is in Helmand province, where Marines are currently conducting the largest U.S. military operation in Afghanistan since the Taliban were toppled from power in 2001.
Jalali said the final decision about the soldier's fate will be made by Taliban leader Mullah Omar.
The U.S. military has said that the soldier was noticed missing during a routine check of the unit on June 30 and was "believed captured."
The Taliban claimed on its Web site on July 6 that it was holding the soldier.
"Five days ago, a drunken American soldier who had come out of his garrison named Malakh was captured by mujahedeen. ... He is still with mujahedeen," said the report. The short Web message did not elaborate on his whereabouts, nor did it provide any proof such as a photo.
The U.S. military has said it intercepted communications in which insurgents talked about holding an American.
The soldier's body armor and weapon were found on the base, and U.S. defense sources say he "just walked off" post with three Afghans after work. They say they have no explanation for why he left the base.
The military has not identified the soldier but say his family has been notified that he is missing. He is serving in an Army infantry unit assigned to a combat outpost, one of a number of smaller bases set up by foreign forces in Afghanistan.
Also Thursday, the governor of Kandahar province announced that six civilians were killed and 14 were wounded in the airstrike on a village in Shawalikot district. His statement said an investigation is ongoing.
Wounded villagers at a hospital in the provincial capital told The Associated Press that attack helicopters started bombarding their homes at about 10:30 p.m. Wednesday. One man said his 3-year-old granddaughter was killed.
Mathias, the U.S. military spokeswoman, said she did not have details because fighting was continuing in the area. She said casualties were reported but could not confirm anything.
U.S. Gen. Stanley McChrystal, who took over last month as the commander of U.S. and NATO forces, has said he wants his troops' first priority to be protecting Afghan civilians, not using massive fire power.
Elsewhere, officials said three police were killed by a suicide car bomber in Nimroz province, and two Afghan army soldiers died in two other attacks in the south. NATO forces said they killed two insurgents in an attack in the east.

The Interior Ministry said an attack on an international military supply convoy sparked a gunbattle that killed at least eight insurgents, two police officers and a private security guard

WASHINGTON – House Democrats want to guarantee people with pre-existing health conditions faster access to insurance coverage.
Democrats on the Education and Labor Committee passed the amendment as they got to work Thursday on their portion of a sweeping health overhaul bill.
The underlying bill has provisions that would take effect in 2013 to stop insurance companies from denying coverage to people with pre-existing conditions. The amendment accepted by the committee would move up the implementation date for group plans to six months from when the bill takes effect.
It was one of about 50 amendments before the committee, which plans to meet throughout the day in an effort to complete work on its portion of the bill by day's end.