I’ve covered enough high profile search and rescues to know that if the missing would have had some kind of a GPS locator beacon they probably would still be alive. James Kim, the San Francisco techie who got stuck in the Oregon mountains during a snowstorm could have been saved by technology. He left his family in the car while he went for help only to die of hypothermia while teams looked for him. Cases like that, led many people to buy the latest locator gadget. And now authorities are starting to see some abuse of the products by people who have little experience in the back country. They call it Yuppie 9-1-1.

Mostly it’s people hitting the S.O.S. when they’re tired or cold and don’t want to work to get out of the woods. Another abuse takes the cake. A father and son were camping in Arizona. They initiated a search three days in a row. The last time was because they drank water from a stream that tasted salty. Irritated rescuers finally yanked them out of the woods. Over a 15 year period search and rescues in national parks alone cost taxpayers more than $58-million. Beacons can actually reduce the cost of legitimate emergencies by giving rescuers an exact location to pinpoint the search. But abuses are frustrating sheriff’s departments and the many volunteers who conduct these operations. There’s no substitute for preparation. And if these novice outdoorsmen continue to be the ‘hiker who cried wolf’ they could end up getting charged for their ‘rescue’. Currently New Hampshire is the only state that allows for a rescue bill, but if the Yuppie 9-1-1 trend accelerates look for other states to follow.

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I have the privilege of spending Veterans Day in a place where it carries special meaning this year. Last week, a gunman stationed at Ft. Hood in central Texas, started shooting and killed 13 people. Twelve of the victims were members of the military. At a time when soldiers risk their lives every day in Afghanistan and Iraq, they certainly don’t expect to risk their lives once they make it safely home. As the investigation continues, and the wounds of the injured begin to heal, the family of those killed will begin to bury their dead. Their sacrifice is a world apart. Even though they were not killed on the battlefield, in the end they were killed because they had a commitment to serving their country. No one but soldiers and those serving soldiers were killed or wounded that day.

Today at a press conference, three soldiers wounded during the attack were in front of the cameras. They are part of a unit who lost three people in the shooting. I can only begin to imagine the pain they and their families are experiencing. They will deploy to Afghanistan before the year is out.

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Making biodiesel in a high school lab.

What if school buses could run on fuel made by students? It’s happening on a small scale at East Burke High School in Connelly Springs, NC.

Science teacher Bob Smith is showing students how to turn used cooking oil from a local restaurant into biodiesel fuel for use in school buses. In the process, his students learn about chemistry, environmental science and even public speaking (the school’s biodiesel program, after all, is attracting local and national media attention).

“We wanted to do something hands on in the lab that would utilize classroom lessons with a real world problem,” Smith said. The instuctor also hopes the biodiesel project will encourage some of his students to pursue careers in science and engineering.

“We’re using chemistry in everyday life,” said Nou Yang, a high school senior who is considering a career pediatric medicine. “Cooking is chemistry. We’re just not baking a cake, it’s about molecules reacting to each other.”

The same goes for driving.

The process of refining vegetable oil into an odorless fuel takes about 6 to 7 hours of work in the lab followed by an overnight waiting period to allow the product to settle.

At the conclusion, students load the fuel into a school bus and watch their work in action. Click here to see the live demonstration they did for FOX News Channel.

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It’s something people who fly don’t like to think about. ‘What happens in the event of a serious crash?’ But federal safety officials are increasingly looking at improving crash survivability and new regulations kick in October 27th aimed at improving the odds that more passengers will walk away from serious accidents.

We wanted to see what these new guidelines will look like so we went to AMSAFE, an airplane seatbelt manufacturer based in Phoenix, Arizona. Over the last several years AMSAFE has been testing and producing airbags that they install in their seatbelts. They demonstrated the airbag in a crash test complete with two dummies, one with an airbag and one without, and a hard crash into a plane’s bulkhead. The violent crash was equivalent to a head on car collision at 30 MPH. The dummy without the airbag lurched forward even with his seatbelt on and smacked into the bulkhead suffering what would be a fatal head injury. The dummy with the airbag survived the crash without any injury.

Airlines will not be required to have airbags, but the devices could actually save them a lot of money. In order to comply with the new regulations airlines have to show that every passenger can survive a crash up to 16 times the force of gravity. With stronger seats throughout the aircraft most passengers will be fine. The exceptions are the rows directly behind the bulk head and exit rows. That’s because the bulkhead and seats in front of the exit row don’t move forward during a crash. Airlines will have to either move seats further away from these immovable objects or install airbags that greatly cushion the blow.

Federal safety officials estimate that over the last 14 years fifty lives could have been saved if these new requirements had been in place.

So the next time you fly check out your seat belt. It just might come equipped with an airbag.

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California game wardens cover a massive amount of land and water in and off of the Golden State. From 200 miles off the coast, the the highest peaks and lowest desert, wardens do their best to protect California’s natural resources, animals and wild areas. It is a rewarding, yet tedious job since only 358 sworn officers cover an area twice the size of California (counting the ocean of course). As a kid growing up in Northern California and then as I worked in areas like Chico (the North Valley), the Wine Country, the Sacramento Valley and now for Fox as a correspondent, I have seen their good work. Tough and ever more dangerous. The budget crisis hasn’t made anything easier as a significant increase in manpower wont likely come any time soon. Here is some behind the scenes video as we along for a ride with wardens Stephen Johnson and Byron Trunnell on the Sacramento River.

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So what is it like to board a Navy ship? Well the last time a photographer and I boarded this ship, the destroyer USS Milius, we were landing in a helicopter as the ship patrolled the Persian Gulf and enforced the UN Mandate on Iraq before the war began back in February 2003. Now we get the chance to do a proper boarding in San Diego, where the ship calls home. The crew has just returned from a seven month deployment and will stay in this area until some time next spring. It is good to be back on board the ship and good to see her in such great shape and in such good hands.

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With the first doses of 2009 H1N1 vaccine expected in early October, many Americans will have already been exposed to the virus — which was first identified in April. A common question is whether someone who’s already been sick still needs to get vaccinated — or whether they’re already protected.

The short answer is: Yes AND yes, according to experts at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“People who have actually been infected with the 2009 H1N1 virus likely do have some immunity,” said Jay Butler, MD, chief of the CDC’s 2009 H1N1 Vaccine Task Force. “But the important issue is whether or not they know that’s what they were actually infected with.”

Most suspected H1N1 cases are diagnosed without laboratory confirmation.

“Early in the epidemic, we had other strains of influenza circulating,” Butler said. “There are other viruses that can make people ill as well. So, even if someone has had an illness that’s similar to influenza, even if there was perhaps a credible diagnosis of H1N1 infection made, our recommendation would still be to receive the vaccine so that you know that you’re immune.”

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Last Spring a handful of kids in and around Huntsville, Alabama came down with the flu.  As you would expect, they were too sick to go to school, so they stayed home.  But what might surprise you is that nearly 51,000 kids joined them.  All over the city school was closed.  Doors were locked.  Classrooms were empty, playgrounds deserted.  The only sign of life in three school districts for days were cleaning crews scrubbing everything from floor to ceiling with the hopes of stopping the H1N1 virus.

Some parents in North Alabama publicly criticized state, county and federal health officials for telling three entire school districts to close, calling it an overreaction.  Many were left scrambling to provide care for their children who, for the most part, were healthy.

But Danny Walker disagrees.  He has a son in the fifth grade at Harvest Elementary School just outside of Huntsville.  Walker says he wasn’t surprised when all the schools closed in the area.

“I think the schools erred on the side of caution because of the health risks that were involved,”  Walker told me in the school library.  “Overall I think it turned out to be a good plan because it stabilized the spread of the flu.”

Terita St. Julian has a son in the second grade.  She agrees with Walker that health officials and the school districts did what they thought was best last Spring when faced with this new thing called The Swine Flu.

“The school handled everything very well and so I was prepared and able to keep my son home and stay with him.”

Madison County Schools Superintendent Terry Davis calls the decision a collaborative effort between all three school districts, the Madison County Health Department and the State Health Department in Montgomery.

“It was a tough decision because by law we have to go to school for 180 days,”  Davis said.  “So we knew for every day we closed that was one day we would have to push on into the summer.”

But this year is different.  In many cases, school will not be closed.  The Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta says instead try to keep schools open unless the spread of the flu interrupts the day to day operations within the district.  They are also telling teachers and principals to separate any students that show symptoms and then send them home right away.  And this year, more than ever, kids are being taught in class proper hand washing, using hand sanitizer and using their sleeves to cover coughs and sneezes.

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It wasn’t my intention to cover a ceremony unveiling the Civil Rights Trail in downtown Birmingham, Alabama.  Instead, I was assigned to work on a story about Mayor Larry Langford’s announcement that the city of Birmingham would refund civil fines and penalties levied by the city almost 50 years ago during the civil rights movement.  But when I called the Mayor’s office last week, hoping to track down anyone who would file for such a refund, I was told many of them would be at this historic ceremony at the historic center of Birmingham’s Civil Right’s Battle.

We arrived at Kelly Ingram Park about a half hour before the ceremony started. City staff were still busy setting up the speaker’s podium and testing microphones as guests began to fill rows of chairs that were staged near the pavilion in the middle of the park.  When I introduced myself to Mayor Langford, he immediately connected me with a man who was simply sitting among the guests in the audience.  His name was Melvin J. Short.  He was probably in his mid-60’s and I noticed he held an envelope in his hand. As I talked to Mr. Short about why he was here for the trail unveiling, I learned that simple business-sized envelope held a piece of history — a real-life documentation of the struggle for basic human rights in Birmingham four decades ago.  He was born and raised here and remembered clearly what it was like living under the Jim Crow Laws of the segregated South.

“Back in the sixties you couldn’t eat in the restaurant, you had to go to the back door. You couldn’t ride in the front of the bus, in other words you had no rights,” Short said.

Short was known as a “foot soldier” – average citizens who enlisted themselves in the battle to end discrimination, racial segregation and violence. The strategy was to commit acts of civil disobedience, like drinking water from a whites-only drinking fountain, boldly walking into the front of a segregated restaurant and ordering food or taking a seat in the front of a city bus. The idea was to overwhelm the jails and law enforcement resources, a strategy that proved to be very effective. For black residents in 1960’s Birmingham, these simple acts of daily life meant being arrested and fined.

“I had signed up at the church to be arrested because we knew we were going to get arrested…to go to city hall and rink some white water,” Short said, referring to the whites only drinking fountains. “What we wanted was equal rights, our rights were being violated. So that’s what we were going to jail for.”

Short said he spent a total of 12 days in jail for two separate instances of defying Jim Crow laws. Alongside others who “signed up” to be thrown in jail, Short was fined $48, a hefty amount for a young man who only brought home $30 per week. He even had the pink slip of paper dated April 26, 1966 inside that envelope, proving his arrest and the fine he paid to the court clerk. After 43 years, Melvin Short will get his $48 back. Mayor Langford says refunding the fines to people like Short is long overdue.  But for the mayor, it’s not a pardon for the people like Short who marched and struggled for their rights. It’s a pardon for the city who he says wronged so many people so long ago. “

The City is sorry for what it did because it can never be a crime to fight for human decency and human rights,” Langford says. “Healing is not easy and sometimes two words can do more to heal a nation than anything else on the planet. And those two words are simply ‘I’m Sorry.’” Short wasn’t aware that he was entitled a refund of the civil fines he paid in 1966. He says he will fill out forms and wait for his $48 check from the city. The mayor says all requests need to be verified before money is refunded. However, in Short’s case, having a 43 year old receipt is hard to deny.

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Here’s a tiny silver lining in the bad economic news that’s been smacking us in the face almost every day for the past year. The recession apparently has solved a problem in the healthcare industry, at least temporarily. A study out of Vanderbilt University shows that a decade-long nursing shortage has nearly disappeared in the past year. Researchers found that more nurses are delaying retirement or coming out of retirement because of demolished 401K’s and partners who have lost their job. The nursing shortage might be over for now, but experts warn as the economy recovers and baby boomers age we could see an even worse shortage over the next decade. Check out the story that we shot at Vanderbilt Univeristy Medical Center and Emory University Healthcare.

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We’re celebrating the 40th anniversary of man’s walk on the moon at FNC and it’s got us singing a tune!  Check out our quiz below and don’t forget to tune into our special FOX News Reporting:  Apollo 11: One Small Step to Our Future this Friday at 10p/1a et. 

These famous songs all have titles inspired by the moon.  Test your knowledge to see if you can identify what song the lyrics below are from.  Then, click “Keep Reading” to hear the songs and get answers!

Song 1:
Hey Andy, did you hear about this one? Tell me, are you locked in the punch?
Hey Andy, are you goofing on Elvis? Hey baby, are you having fun?

Song 2:
Fill my heart with song,
and let me sing forever more.
You are all I long for, all I worship and adore.
In other words, please be true!
In other words, I love you!

Song 3:
Once upon a time, there was light in my life
But now there’s only love in the dark

 Song 4:
And then there suddenly appeared before me
The only one my arms will ever hold
I heard somebody whisper please adore me
And then I looked to the Moon it turned to gold

 Song 5:
Old dream maker, you heart breaker,
Where ever you’re going,
I’m going your way.

Song 6:
Some may say,
I’m wishing my days away, no way
And if it’s the price I pay, some say
Tomorrow’s another day, you’ll stay
I may as well play

Click “Keep Reading” for answers!

How’d you do?  Check your answers below and listen to our selection of moon-inspired tunes!

Song 1:  Man on the Moon – R.E.M.
Play it here:  Man on the Moon

Song 2:  Fly Me to the Moon – Astrud Gilberto
Play it here:  Fly Me To The Moon

Song 3:  Total Eclipse of the Heart—Bonnie Tyler
Play it here:  Total Eclipse of the Heart

Song 4:  Blue Moon – By The Supremes
Play it here:  Blue Moon

Song 5: Moon River – Bobby Darin
Play it here:  Moon River

Song 6:  Walking on the Moon – The Police
Play it here:  Walking on the Moon

Plus check out all of our fun facts and features at  www.foxnews.com/foxfan.

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I hit the social networking sites to ask people if they’ll be watching the Michael Jackson memorial. On Facebook, Tenzin writes:

he’s a pop god i would surely have attended the concert if i could … but i can only watch it on tv …

The memorial is on TV today, including LIVE coverage on FOX News hosted by Shepard Smith. But for those who aren’t near a TV today, we’re also streaming live right here on FoxNews.com. I’ll be covering the memorial itself and the lead-up to it from 12-2pmET on Strategy Room. Reporters Anita Vogel and Adam Housley are covering the expected family funeral and the public memorial in Los Angeles for Fox News, and may also be joining us with live reports on Strategy Room. At 2pm, I’ll head over to FOX News Radio, where I’ll join host Todd Starnes to discuss the performances, the attendees, and more. We’ll be sure to discuss the cost of today’s events, which has some fans very concerned. On Twitter, Jeff writes:

Label me a fan, but this thing about taxpayers paying for the funeral security is off the wall.

And others say they aren’t fans of Jackson at all, but will still check out today’s memorial. On Facebook, Jeffry writes:

I may watch it out of curiosity because it’s demanding so much attention. If I were out there and if I had a ticket I might attend because it’s an historic event not because I’m a Michael Jackson fan.

Will you be watching today’s coverage? If so, is it because it’s become such a huge news story, because you’re a fan, or for another reason? We want to hear from you. Click “comments” below and share your thoughts.

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The last time we were in Mexico for Fox News, correspondent Kris Gutierrez and I were covering the impending landfall of Hurricane Dean. Now we’re back, this time in Cabo San Lucas, where a perfect storm of a different sort has hit Mexico’s tourism industry. There were already poor economic conditions worldwide, which kept many travelers at home. But then in the past few months add to that worries about swine flu and increased drug cartel violence. The people in Cabo like to point out neither the swine flu nor the drug violence is anywhere near here. They add that there are also some pretty good deals on hotels and airfare for anyone willing to make the trip. For example, the hotel where we are staying has rooms as low as $129  a night.

How we get our story on T.V. is tricky. Usually, we have a satellite truck to handle our transmissions, but here we’ve brought our own live capability with us. You may have seen the logo for it on the screen when we do liveshots–we use what’s called a “Streambox.” Basically, we’re going live via a fast internet connection.

The liveshot must look pretty good because we seem to be receiving a lot of emails from our coworkers. I suspect a certain jealousy on their part and I can’t blame them. I can’t imagine a better place for an assignment.

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by FNC reporter Alicia Acuna

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By FNC Coordinating Producer John Fiegener

The ballroom inside the Sheraton hotel had not changed much since I last saw it two years ago. The temperature inside soars to a comfortable swelter as the overworked air conditioner tries to cool the several hundred bodies gathered in the room. The seventies design has been polished for the thousandth time and a new carpet is already well worn.

Today’s event: The launch of a new political party in Iraq called the Wassat or Center Path party to compete in next year’s national elections. It is the party of Muwaffaq Rubaie, a man who retains in title only a position of power as the National Security Advisor. His position was created under the CPA, Coalition Provisional Authority, back in 2004 for a period of five years. His time is coming up and the position is going away inside a government that already has a half dozen security departments and ministries, so he is doing what any Iraqi in a position to do so would do: Form a political party.

The room filled with sheikhs and other citizens of Iraq who wield varying degrees of power in their communities. It dawned on me for the first time to ask my colleague Badr what was the significance of the headdresses worn by the hundreds of sheikhs in the room.  The general rule, I was told, is that a black and white Kufiyeh (or head cover) usually signifies one is of southern Iraqi tribal origin, a red and white one is usually worn by northerners or westerners, a plain white one can be worn by Sunnis mainly from the north, and the size of the band or Agal as it is called in Iraq, can be thick and wide to reflect southern sheikh with greater influence, or thin and tight for those from northern and western tribes. But since the tribes often times spill across all regions of the country, this is not a sure bet to know where anyone is from… what he represents… and certainly not what he wants.

Politics here is just as tidy as the general rule of the Kufiyeh and Agal. The announcement of a new political party that would bring together all Iraqis on a “Center Path” was politely greeted by those gathered. There seemed to be more black and white Kufiyehs in the room, but a good deal of plain white ones as well, so maybe more interest from southern Iraqis and Sunnis?

No great details were provided by the speakers, just a promise to act on behalf of all Iraqis.

One sheikh from Nassaryah, wearing a black and white Kufiyeh with a thick Agal, said he was here to listen, after all he had received a personal invitation and to not come would be impolite and perhaps not terribly astute down the road. He seemed somewhat disappointed that speakers did not talk about providing water projects for his area, after all that is one of his main concerns.

Another Iraqi politician-businessman said he listened and would decide in time if the party had the money to joust in the upcoming elections.
In principle the idea of a center party was interesting.

One of the few women in attendance complained that she was afraid all politicians were liars and none would deliver anything good for women in Iraq. She recounted how she recently traveled to the south and could not check into a hotel because local authorities forbade unaccompanied women from checking into hotels.

What was impressive to me was that everyone in the old ballroom listened, occasionally nodded, constantly waived papers or anything else that would move the stale, hot air around, and left without anger or argument. The process of listening to what politicians have to offer has started in Iraq, and while no one doubts much jockeying is to come and many backroom deals are to be made, at least today’s event showed there is interest in the process.

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The American Idol season 8 finale is tonight. Former contestants are weighing in on the big showdown between Adam Lambert and Kris Allen.  

Bo Bice joined me LIVE on Strategy Room to share how he felt about the final song “No Boundaries,” as well as the final song when he competed in the Season 4 finals against eventual winner Carrie Underwood. He says the 2004 final song was better suited to Underwood, and that “No Boundaries” was a challenge for both Lambert and Allen.

Season 5’s Ace Young joined me LIVE on Fox News Channel to tell me how nerve-wracking is it for contestants on elimination nights. His fellow Season 5 alum, Mandisa, weighed in on the possible last man standing. “Who I want to win and who I think will win are different,” she says. “I think Adam will win, but I want Kris to win.”

I’ll be reporting LIVE from the Nokia theater with the results – we’ll soon see if Madisa got it right!  Tune in to Fox News around the clock, and to Strategy Room starting at 9et Thursday morning for our interviews with the winner.

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By FNC Reporter Alicia Acuna

As Californians attempt to wrangle themselves out of a more than 40 billion dollar deficit, they may be hearing the courting calls of other states saying “come live here!”.

Colorado is just one state making an aggressive play for California industry  as businesses in the Golden State complain that they may have the nice weather, but the climate is unfriendly to their progress.

In February, the Denver Metro Economic Development Corporation launched its “Colorado Loves California” campaign.  It  sent Valentine’s cards to corporate CEO’s inviting them to expand in the Rocky Mountain State.  It also sent small planes with banners, to fly over California drivers stuck in traffic.  When they looked up, they could read the message that another state would show them the love.

The EDC also paid a visit to California, inviting corporate officers to come hear a pitch by Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper and others, about all that Colorado has to offer.  According to Tom Clark, executive vice president of the Denver Metro Economic Development Corporation, the room was a lot more full than they anticipated.  He told Fox News, “we had a lunch, and thought we would get one person from each company and were surprised CEO’s brought in, almost in all instances, two or three other people, CFO’s, folks of that caliber.  We heard stories that were discouraging from a business standpoint.  They’re going through tough times from a regulatory and  tax standpoint.”

Three months later, the tactic is showing some promising results for the Denver EDC: 72 hours after the initial campaign went live, 25 to 30 companies reached out to the Metro Denver EDC about possible expansion or relocation.  Of that original 30, 7 are currently in serious negotiations with the city.

Clark credits the changes Colorado has been willing to make in order to make itself more attractive.  Specifically, loosening its tax code on out-of-state businesses, creating employer incentives and the fact that there is less regulation here than elsewhere.  According to Clark, companies in California are paying twice the tax rate of what Colorado’s pay and,  “They’re seeing storm clouds of additional tax increases on them. They’re dealing in a very tough regulatory environment that does not seem to be sensitive to their economic circumstances.  In many respects feel they are being pushed out California.”

According to UHaul, the nations largest do-it-yourself moving company, in the past year and a half it has helped more people move out of California than to it.

States making aggressive plays for a state that is down have been criticized for smelling blood in the water and knocking a competitor when it’s down.  Not so, says Clark, who told us their efforts revolve around expansion, not complete relocation.  He told Fox News that we all need California to fix its problems, because eventually they will  trickle eastward and around the globe.

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We went behind-the-scenes at Glenn’s live audience show “The Civilest of Wars”.  Check out the photos below:

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Elisabeth & Tim Hasselbeck

Happy Mother’s Day! FOX News caught up with several well-known moms, from Elisabeth Hasselbeck to Marge Simpson (kind of!) to get a sneak-peek at their Mother’s Day plans. Hasselbeck has two young children (and a third on the way). She says her 4-year-old daughter has made no secret of the Mother’s Day surprises in store for Hasselbeck. Sounds like hubby (and football analyst) Tim Hasselbeck took the kids with him to the florist!

We also talked to Judd Apatow, the man behind hit comedy films from “Knocked Up” to “The 40-Year Old Virgin.” Apatow says his wife, actress Leslie Mann, will have a very musical Mother’s Day. (We hope he’s kidding about the mariachi band!). For more from Apatow, Hasselbeck and many other stars (including ”The Simpsons” creator Matt Groening), check out the clip below.

Happy Mother’s Day! Share your well-wishes for your mom, in the “comments” section below!

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By FNC Reporter Alicia Acuna

Today we returned to Greensburg, Kansas, two years to the day that an EF5 tore through this town of 1600 people, leaving 11 dead and 95 percent of the homes and businesses destroyed.

It was one of the largest tornadoes on record — and it’s footprint; it’s path,was 1.7 miles wide. Greensburg is 1.5 miles wide.  When that monster arrived here, and stayed for 12 minutes on its stomp through town, it appeared that Greensburg might be gone forever.

“People were just looking for each other,” mayor Bob Dixson told Fox News of that day. “And that’s the human element that is so critical of our recovery process and everything.  ‘Cause it mattered not your socio-economic status in Greensburg, you lost everything.  Everybody was on the same page and the only things we had left was our relationships with each other. “

But the town of Greensburg also had a choice: could they, would they, and did they even want to try to come back?  Folks here say prior to the twister, this place was dying. The small population was dwindling, as younger residents headed on to bigger opportunities and career options in this tiny southwest Kansas spot, minimal.  The decision came quickly.  With the remnants of their history in piles of debris, soaked from the rain, the people of Greensburg not only decided to rebuild, but to make this a rebirth.

Not only would Greensburg be Greensburg again, but it would be really really green. In fact, local leaders promised that this would become the greenest, most energy efficient city in the country.

Drive down the streets here and every other block you either see a scar from the past or a vision of the future. Every home built is at minimum constructed with energy efficient windows.  Most, however, go way beyond, with energy efficient appliances, low-flow toilets and some running off solar power. One home we went to visit is owned by the Eller family.  It would look like your average two story house if it weren’t for the gigantic honeycomb shaped domes sticking out of the north and south sides of the home. Those, explained the builder, can withstand wind at speeds of up to 205 miles per hour.  It’s aerodynamic.  The walls are also constructed of 6 inch styrofoam, plus re-enforcements. The insulation is no joke.

The family’s power bill is next to nothing.

All public buildings meet the highest standard around for sustainability and energy efficiency and soon, the town will get a wind farm.  The hope is that one day, the wind will power all of Greensburg.

Of the 1600 who once lived here, 800 returned, armed with determination  some may not quite get.

You won’t find self pity in Greensburg, Kansas. If you stop by Mayor Dixson’s place, you may hear this piece of advice handed down from his grandparents: “You take lemons and you make lemonade, and then you take lemonade and you make lemon meringue pie.  And when things get the worst, they’re not the worst, look around, somebody else has got it a whole lot worse than you do.  Don’t feel sorry for yourself, get after it and get things taken care of.  And that is the mentality of rural America”.

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We went backstage at the Tea Parties: Media Lies Exposed special.  Check out the exclusive photos below!

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Forward Operating Base Tillman, Afghanistan –  Way out here on the far eastern edge of Paktika province, less than two miles from the Pakistani border, is FOB Tillman.  It’s named after Pat Tillman who gave up a multi-million dollar NFL contract with the Arizona Cardinals to serve his country.

Just after 9/11, he enlisted in the Army with his brother and then trained to become an elite Ranger.  Five years ago this week, he was killed when his patrol was ambushed in this rugged country.  His death was a result of friendly fire, but to those soldiers we have spoken with out here, it does not matter how he died.  He gave up his life serving his country.

Kabul-based Fox News reporter Conor Powell’s and my journey to this remote spot started on Monday at Bagram Air Field, about an hour’s drive from Kabul.  One C-130 flight to Salerno FOB, a Chinook helicopter and an overnight in FOB Orgun-E and then another Chinook flight this morning got us to our final destination.

To be honest, our timing was lucky.  We did not plot out actually being here on this solemn day, the exact day and region where the man so many have called an American hero was killed … and on the base named after him.

While waiting for our flight at Bagram we were killing some time at the USO Pat Tillman Center and a plaque with the date of his KIA caught my attention.  We could not believe the timing.  We did the story right then and there on the 5th year since his death and the USO center named after him.  It was only until we reached Orgun-E that we found out that we were coming to FOB Tillman.

Here’s a link to a story on Pat Tillman aired on the Fox Report:

During our stay over the next few days we will tag along with the 509th Baker Company as we learn the situation along this stretch of the border and how a ‘rubber meets the road’ approach is working by the three involved parties (Afghan security forces, US Army and the Pakistani Army) as they attempt to stamp out the cross border movement and attacks by insurgents.  There’s a lot at stake and has been for some time, but with the major focus by the Obama administration, the political instability in Pakistan and the Afghan Presidential elections around the corner, they ante is now through the roof.

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I have never heard of Cullowhee and didn’t have the faintest idea what a “Catamount” is.  If you have never been to Western Carolina University, you may not be familiar with these terms either.  Cullowhee, home to Western Carolina, sits smack in the middle of the Blue Ridge Mountains between Knoxville, TN and Asheville, NC.   It’s also home to the Catamounts, WCU’s mascot. 

I attended journalism school at Michigan State University and love my Spartans (who WILL take the NCAA championship next year,) but if I had to do it over again I would definitely choose a school like this.  In my older years I have grown to enjoy hiking, mountain biking and whitewater rafting, unlike my younger years revolved around beer and sleep.  But the older, wiser me would relish in the opportunity to live and learn on a campus that is surrounded by some of the most amazing natural resources east of the Mississippi. 

Apparently Western Carolina University isn’t just popular because of study breaks floating on the Tuckasegee River or on the hiking trails in the surrounding Nantahala National Forest.  The school has seen a sharp increase in the number of graduate school applications because of the faltering economy.  Scott Higgins is the Dean of the Graduate School and Research at Western Carolina.  He says the school has seen an 11 percent jump in applications and a 30 percent increase in admissions, a trend we found at The University of South Carolina, Texas Tech, Princeton and The University of Alabama.  We found laid off workers who never thought of going back to school for a masters degree until they found themselves out of work.  We also found a graduating senior who had a job offer retracted when the company suddenly posted record losses.  Displaced workers and students fighting for a few jobs are finding that Graduate School is the best place to wait out a hard economy and faltering job market.  Take a look at the story I shot with Reporter Marianne Silber, Intern Becky Hood and Photographer Mari De Carvahlo on a couple of students who have no choice but to get a masters.  By the way, Webster’s Dictionary defines “catamount” as any various wild cats such as a cougar or lynx.  Many species which have roamed this part of the country for years.  In case you were wondering.

Click on link below to watch story:

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Lt. Col. Joanna Reagan in Kuwait

in Kuwait.  With their leader being called to duty in the Middle East, The North Carolina Coastal Pines Chapter of the Girl Scouts considered breaking the troop up and transferring the girls to other troops.  But lucky for the girls of 1444, an unlikely person stepped up to help lead the troop and keep Joanna’s girls together.

Keith happens to be Joanna Reagan’s husband and stepped up to help out when she was deployed.  When we attended the Troop’s weekly meeting a few weeks ago the energy in the room was electric.  The girls were obviously close with one another and thrilled to have Keith Reagan as co-leader of their troop.

“He is fun because he just understands me and helps us out a lot,” says troop member Emma Falcon-Voleski.  Whitney Pollard agrees with Emma that Keith brings unique to the troop and provokes them to have fun.  All the girls agree that their troop father brings an exciting twist to troop activities.  “It’s kind of like having a woman lead us, just a different gender.  Sometimes it can be exciting,” Pollard says.

Click here to watch our story:

According to the United States Girl Scout Council, male leaders are rare, but not unheard of.  Out of about one million leaders nationwide, two percent are men.  The North Carolina Coastal Pines Chapter says the girl scouts value diversity and that every position in Girl Scouting is open to qualified men and

“It came to a point where there was some concern whether the troop would continue,” says Keith Reagan, father and Troop 1444’s stand-in leader.  “The girls might have to be farmed out to another troop in order to remain in the girl scouts and I said I will not allow that to happen.”

Joanna Reagan is the leader of North Carolina Coastal Pines Troop 1444

According to the United States Girl Scout Council, male leaders are rare, but not unheard of.  Out of about one million leaders nationwide, two percent are men.  The North Carolina Coastal Pines Chapter says the girl scouts value diversity and that every position in Girl Scouting is open to qualified men and women.  They do however believe that female role modes are so important to young girls, that men like Keith working directly with girls must have a female co-leader.  Keith runs troop 1444 alongside Heather Walters and her husband Chris, who has been appointed “Cookie Dad” due to his ability effectively manage those famous Spring cookie sales.

So while Joanna is serving in Kuwait, Keith will continue to lead Troop 1444 in the Girl Scout Promise at every weekly meeting.  He’ll plan camping trips with co-leader Heather Walters, strategize fundraisers and help the girls sew those iconic patches onto their “girl scout green” vests.

“We do allow males to work with our girls here.  We understand that there is an important balance between males and females in our roles,”  says Meta Trombley, Membership Executive for the North Carolina Coast Pines Chapter.  “So we just want to make sure that the Moms were okay with it and the girls still knew they were going to get a great girl scouting experience.” 

Troop 1444 with myself and our Fox News Crew

“I hope that my presence, if nothing else, has provided an aspect to girl scouts that they might not have without a male influence,”  Reagan says.

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by Courtney Walsh,  FNC Contract Reporter

Friday morning. The heartbreaking public funeral in the center of L’aquila has just ended.

The hardest part is seeing the little white coffins of the babies who’ve died, lying on top of their mothers coffins…a last embrace. (Of the 289 dead, more than 20 were children).

When the quake struck on Monday at 3:32 AM, I was jolted out of my bed in Rome, some 70 miles away.

My first thought was get the kids and go outside. But the rocking subsided shortly.

There was no information at all on the TV. I contacted FOX in New York and found out from the desk that the quake had hit Aquila.

For almost two hours there was still no news on Italian media. And no sleep, either, as colleagues from sky UK called for reports.

The day after the quake struck, I drove up with producer Mario Biasetti and reporter Greg Burke to Onna, a village of 300 outside of Aquila.

Here are a few photos from that day.

I interviewed many of the survivors who had slept in their cars, some still in their nightclothes, and were passing time in the tent set up in a field.

The emergency relief effort was impressive. There was food, basic necessities, but the terror was palpable.

One woman told me how she had been lying on a sofa nursing her 3 month old baby when she felt the quake hit. She grabbed the baby and raced out, just in time to see part of the house collapse.

Simona In the Tent With Her Baby

What would have happened if the baby hadn’t woken her up, she asked.

Just then an aftershock hit. We were both scared. She grabbed my hands and told me how she felt tremors all the time, even when there were none.

What are we going to do, where are we going to go, she asked.

Later that night I got a ride back to Rome with a colleague from The Washington Post.

The traffic snarled as many roads were blocked. Ambulances continued to speed around the city of Aquila.

But how fortunate we were, we kept repeating, with homes to go to, and our children  safe and snug in bed.

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