In Cleveland today there are two stories that have captured the attention of the locals. Ohio has voted to bring gambling to their state and a convicted sex offender is in custody charged with 5 murders and may soon be charged with more authorities say after 10 bodies and a skull were found inside and behind his home.

Since the early morning hours, families of missing women joined local residents to stand outside  the home Anthony Sowell lived in and try to fathom what may have gone on inside. It is a home Sowell, who had served 15 years in prison for rape and returned to in 2005, will likely never return to again if the prosecutor here gets what he wants … A conviction that he says could bring the death penalty.

Today during his first court appearance, Sowell a former marine, acknowledged to the judge he understood the charges against him . So far, at least five counts of aggravated murder, kidnapping, felony assault and rape the last three based on a claim a woman made that she’d been attacked at the house several weeks ago but escaped.

Sowell was registered as a sex offender at the address and though cops visited him since his 2005 release, they never went inside. This has baffled neighbors who say they complained about a smell coming from the home for years. Authorities say the decomposing bodies may have been there that long too. Maybe days, maybe weeks, maybe says the police chief for years. City councilman Zach Reed talked to me about how this could happen, what folks here are saying about it and what needs to be done:

The Carmichael family, one of the families who came here looking for answers this morning … got the one they feared the most. Their loved one was one of the women whose bodies were removed from Sowell’s home. As much as the Carmichaels wanted to know, it had to be truly devastating to learn that the mother two daughters loved so much and the daughter a mom, the elder Mrs. Carmichael who gave her DNA cheek swab to gain that answer, had died in such a violent way. The girls told me for the last week they just had a feeling they would find out.

The coroner says they want families of other missing women to come forward. Without getting maternal DNA samples he says making a match can be tough.

The prosecutor calls Anthony Sowell a dangerous threat to the public. For now he will remain behind bars. His DNA likely unable to be able to be matched the coroner says because of the condition on the bodies. A grand jury will have to decide what Anthony Sowell is facing but it could include the death penalty.

Cops say this is the second worst criminal investigation in the state. The last years involved 14 bodies found at a single location I’m told. If more bodies are found, and cops say they will dismantle the home and check abandoned homes in the neighborhood in case there are more victims yet to be discovered. If the body count rises by just 4, it will be the deadliest crime scene investigators say they’ve ever seen.

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by FNC Reporter Alicia Acuna

The state of Arkansas is run by a popular Democratic governor and predominantly Democratic legislature.  The congressional delegation is made up of one Republican U.S. Representative, three Democratic ones and two Democratic U.S. Senators.  But if you ask folks around here, most will describe their state as conservative.  After all, they chose Senator John McCain over Barack Obama by 20 percent in 2008.  President Obama did not make Arkansas a campaign stop last year, and everyone we interviewed on this story mentioned it.  He clearly didn’t need it to win, but he may need Arkansas in 2010.  That’s because Democratic Senator Blanche Lincoln is running to keep her seat in Washington and her opponents are talking like they can already taste the sweet victory.

Doyle Webb, Chairman of the Arkansas Republican Party predicts, “This seat will change hands next year. Arkansans are ready for a change, Senator Lincoln has not been the United States Senator that they thought she was when she was elected. She’s drank too much of that Potomac River water and she’s forgot what it is to be an Arkansan, and become more of a Washitonian”.  Senator Lincoln rejects that notion.  While she acknowledged in an interview with us that, “2010 is a gonna be a tough election year,” Lincoln said, “it always is when you run midterm of a new administration.  I did it in 1994 when our own Bill Clinton…had just won the presidency, it was midterm of his first term. And it’s always difficult.”

Adding to the Senator’s challenge, is the debate on healthcare reform.  Dr. Art English a professor with The University of Arkansas at Little Rock Political Science department says, “I actually think she’ll win re-election but it may be a bit of a struggle. But right now I think with the health care debate, of course she’s been right in the vortex of that because of her re-election.”

Senator Lincoln says she does not support a government run, government funded option, but says the country needs to reform its health care system. In its current version, the health care reform bill introduced by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, is not popular with Arkansans.  This state has the second largest senior citizen population in the country (Florida is first). Concerns about potential Medicare cuts and increased taxes prompted a group called, 60plus.org to run TV ads appealing to Senator Lincoln.

She’s  in a tough spot: does she go with national party loyalty? Or cast a vote that reflects the constituents back home?  Either way, she loses something.  What Senator Lincoln does seem to get is the impatience growing around the goals of this administration. She told us, “People’s expectations have been high and most of them know that we don’t move at breakneck speeds in Washington.  But unfortunately when expectations go up, people want to see the results, and I want to bring them results, but I want to make sure that it’s positive and it’s what’s right for Arkansas, it’s what’s right for the country”.

Election day 2010 is not only a year away, it’s an eternity away in political time. A lot can happen, and probably will.

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by FNC Reporter Molly Line

Voters in upstate New York hit the polls today in the wake of whirlwind developments shaking up the race for the 23rd Congressional district’s open seat.
Two very different candidates are left standing in this battle- Democrat Bill Owens and the Conservative Party Candidate Doug Hoffman.

Republican Dede Scozzafava pulled out and the repercussions are still echoing.
Democrat Bill Owens picked up her endorsement and garnered last minute backing from organized labor- a vote was split before Scozzafava, who’s husband is a union leader, pulled from the contest.

Doug Hoffman, the Conservative Party candidate, has grassroots support that helped him climb up in the polls.

Hoffman is a pro-life fiscal conservative who promises to cut taxes and reduce government spending. His campaign has the backing of Tea Party activists and prominent conservatives, like Fred Thompson and Sarah Palin.

The Republican National Committee first endorsed Scozzafava but, were quick to throw their backing to Hoffman when she left the race- the RNC and the National Republican Congressional Committee have made 140,000 calls on Hoffman’s behalf since Sunday.

Hitting the polls early this morning, Owens says voters have a clear choice.

“We can go backward to the Bush agenda which includes tax cuts for the very wealthy, privatization of social security and tax credits for companies that send jobs overseas, the recession, a 4.9 trillion dollar addition to the deficit, or they can move forward with us,” Owens said.

Doug Hoffman says he’s fighting for the heart and soul of the Republican Party, backed by grassroots support.

Republican Scozzafava freed her supporters but, it’s unclear where her votes will go now.
As a pro-choice, pro-gay marriage candidate with moderate views on tax issues she appealed to some Democrats and Independent voters who could peal away towards the Owens camp, however, the majority of her voters identified with the GOP and their support could benefit Hoffman who now has the backing of national party leaders.

The unusual battle has sparked much debate over whether the results are evidence of a rift in the GOP or just a anomaly resulting from unique circumstances that allowed local republican leaders to hand-pick a nominee, rather than voters.

House Minority Leader John Boehner weighed in today saying political rebellion among conservatives is bigger than most people imagine.

“They don’t have a primary in New York. If they had a primary this would have been resolved weeks ago but, what has happened over the last two or three weeks, basically has been the republican primary,” Boehner said.

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It’s election day in New Jersey, and though the sun is shining – not much is clear.  The polls put the match up between incumbent Democrat Governor Jon Corzine and his Republican challenger Chris Christie at a dead heat.  That’s a significant shift from this time last year when President Obama carried the Garden State by a 15 point margin.  Obama has invested time in this race, trying to buoy Corzine going into the homestretch, but any boost has yet to surface in the polls.  After voting today, Corzine sounded optimistic.  “I feel like we’ve got a lot of momentum coming from behind,” Corzine continued, “the only poll that counts is the one that’s going on right now between 6 and 8.”

The Christie camp remains upbeat as well, encouraged by what it sees as a swing away from Corzine and toward Christie in recent polling data.  The candidate is confidently predicting victory.  “I believe the Republican party will be much stronger tomorrow because we will have a Republican governor of New Jersey.”  To make that a reality Christie will have to do what no Republican has been able to accomplish since 1993 – unseating an incumbent Democratic governor.  Christie says he welcomes the challenge, and sees a win tonight as just a beginning.   Christie commented today, “It’s also going to place a great deal of responsibility on our party then to govern.”

Still in the mix, though not as a top contender, is Independent Chris Daggett.  What happens with his supporters today could swing the race in one direction or another.  “Unaffiliateds” make up the state’s largest pool of registered voters at 2.4 million.  It’s all the unknowns that will make the New Jersey gubernatorial race such an interesting race to watch when the polls close at 8:00pm EST.

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In sports “helmet cams” offer a unique, first-person perspective of events as they happen on the racetrack or the football field.

Now, the San Jose police department is set to become the first in the nation to test out a similar – though much smaller – technology to help officers collect evidence and protect themselves from false allegations of misconduct.

Last week, a few dozen officers attended a demonstration of the cameras, which will be integrated into their uniform, and worn over their ear like a bluetooth. Some cops found the headsets cumbersome, and i tried on several for a stand-up before finding a way to make one fit correctly (lots of napkins stuffed behind my hair to make it snug!). We thought rank and file cops might be opposed to recording their every move in the field. But when so much of what they do is called into question later, and it’s just their word against someone else’s – many officers said they’d welcome the technology as evidence to support their account of events. Right now the department has no set policy about when the cameras must be turned on, though they expect to have very clear guidelines set once this test period is over. I suspect the department will require the cameras be used more often than not, and seriously question those officers who don’t hit “record,” when the action starts.

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Easton, Pennsylvania is a historic town nestled in the Lehigh Valley at the confluence of the Delaware and Lehigh rivers. It was the site of one of the three public readings of the Declaration of Independence on July 8th, 1776 and is home to Lafayette College, Crayola Crayons and former Heavyweight Boxing Champion Larry Holmes, aka “The Easton Assassin”.

Easton is also roughly 72 miles from both New York City and Philadelphia, PA, which means there are Yankee fans and Phillies fans living and working side by side. Actually a lot of people here root for both teams since they rarely play each other (the only other time they met in the World Series was 1950 when the Bronx Bombers swept the Phillies in 4 games).

The Mayor is one of those people having a tough time choosing sides, especially since he grew up and went to school in the city.

“If the Yankees had made it and the Phillies hadn’t, you would have rooted for the Yankees?” I asked Mayor Salvatore Panto. “I definitely would have been a full Yankee fan.”

“And if the Phillies had made it and the Yankees didn’t…” I continued “you would have definitely rooted for the Phillies? Definitely …” he replied. “So now with both in there together…?” I asked. He laughed “It is a tough struggle!”

Larry Holmes grew up in Easton and never left, despite winning 69 prize fights (including his first 48) and millions of dollars in purses. He was Champ for 7 1/2 years, beating opponents including Muhammad Ali, Ken Norton, Earnie Shavers, Gerry Cooney and James “Bonecrusher” Smith. He invested in real estate in town over the years, buying a hotel and office buildings and plots of land, some of which he recently sold off. He’s a great grandfather (twice) about to turn 60 and looking to simplify his life but still owns a bar/restaurant in town (on Larry Holmes Drive) and that’s where we met for our interview.

Me: “Is it hard to decide which team to root for?”
Champ: “No because I know who I like and I want to see win and I want to see the Phillies win.”
Me: “But you spent a lot of time in New York…?
Champ: “I started my boxing career there on 149th street in the Bronx. I got my butt kicked! That’s probably one of the reasons I don’t like New York!”
Me: “If someone starts rooting for the Yankees in your bar are you going to throw them out?”
Champ: “No because they have a right to root for whoever the want to.”
Me: “Are you going to beat them up?”
Champ: “(laughs) no but if you were rooting for the Yankees in my bar I would throw YOU out!”
Me: “Any message for Yankees fans?”
Champ: “Go cry, it’s going to be alright, you got next year!”

The Champ bought everyone pizza for lunch (delivered to the restaurant) since his kitchen was closed so we made a bet. If the Phillies win I’m buying the next pie. If the Yankees win he owes me a beer.

I think it’ll be worth the drive back to collect.

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The U.S.S. New York made its triumphant New York City debut today…. and what a sight to behold it was.  Many 9-11 first responders and 9-11 family members lined the banks of the Hudson River today to be a part of history — to watch the ship made with the salvaged remains of the World Trade Center return to the site where twin towers came down 8 years ago.

Watching the transformation of the twisted and charred steel turn into a massive hulking warship was powerful for shipbuilders, who have said  this ship is a bold reminder that America will “never forget”, which is also the ship’s motto.

The U.S.S. New York arrived with a large escort of firefighting, police and coast guard boats … like a protected public official — or rock star heading to a stage… a fitting entourage for a ship of this size.  She is 684 feet long, 105 feet wide and weighs 25-thousand tons — 7 1/2 tons of salvaged steel from the twin towers were melted down and molded into the ship’s bow.  As the ship made it’s way into New York Harbor … it passed under the Verrazano Bridge, then paused in the waters just outside the world trade center where Marines on board gave a 21 gun salute.     It then muscled it’s way up the Hudson River to Pier 88 on Manhattan’s west side, where it will stay parked for the next 10 days.

It took a billion dollars, and four years to complete –  there is what is considered a communications masterpiece tucked away under two cones of steel called the A-E-M’s — advanced enclosed masts that help reduce radar detection.  During the ships construction Navy Commanding Officer Curt Jones said, he knew this ship was going to be special.  “I walked underneath this ship, and put my hand on the hull and every hair in my body stood on edge”

The ship can carry 360 sailors, and 700 Marines.  800 for a surge mission.    The U.S.S. NEw York  LPD-21 is the 5th amphibious transport ship in the Navy’s San Antonio class and will be used to transport land marines, equipment, and supplies and can hold four helicopters or 2 Osprey’s at a time.  At today’s welcoming ceremony, New Yorkers said the ship shares the personality of the city..and embodies the strength and determination of the people who live here.  Mayor Michael Bloomberg continued … “so, every friend that sets foot on it, and every foe that dares challenge it, will feel it’s power, and know that it is literally made from the heart and soul of the city that has sacrificed so much”.
The U.S.S. New York will be open to the public starting this Wednesday after 9-11 first responders and family members have a chance to visit her… then it’s off to it’s new home port in Virginia where it will be used for crew training exercises – it is expected to be deployed for active duty within the year.

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One of a handful of key national debates right now is over the stimulus. Is it working? We traveled to Oregon for an answer because the Beaver State was the first in the nation to report how the money is being spent. So far about $1.1 billion has flowed through the state as stimulus. But a vast majority of that, roughly $700-million, has not gone toward job creation. Instead, state officials decided to spend the money to avoid deep spending cuts and shore up the social safety net for those who are hurting right now.

Most of the money has gone to education. That means teacher and professor salaries. It has allowed the state to avoid a lot of layoffs and the prospect of having to close schools early.  The second biggest chunk of spending has gone toward social services. The state increased money for food stamps, Medicaid and unemployment benefits. It has also increased some agencies such as the Department of Human Services. DHS has hired hundreds of new case workers to deal with the higher number of families on public assistance. We interviewed one of the new hires. He himself had been out of work and on food stamps before getting the job.

Government officials in Oregon say the stimulus is working because the money is getting directly into the hands of people who need it most. But critics say what’s really happening is the growth of government and the creation of jobs that are unsustainable when the stimulus money dries up. Oregon’s unemployment rate is still at 11.5 percent, well above the national average which is just under 10-percent. 3 out of every 4 jobs that has either been saved or created in Oregon is in the public sector. Private companies, the engine of job growth in America, have added precious few positions. So back to the original question, ‘Is it working?’  If you’re that new employee at DHS you’d no doubt say it is. Government officials say the recession would be far worse if they had not propped up the struggling. But if you’re a private business owner who is still laying off workers, you’re likely wondering when if ever you’ll see light at the end of the tunnel.

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By FNC Reporter Shannon Bream

The newest Quinnipiac poll out Monday shows the New Jersey gubernatorial race continues to be too close to call.  The latest results show Republican challenger Chris Christie at 42 percent, with the Democratic incumbent ,Governor Jon Corzine, at 40 percent.  Third-party candidate Chris Daggett continues to poll around 12 percent, and while he isn’t a top contender he could have great impact on the two men who are.  In that same Quinnipiac poll Daggett supporters were pushed to select a second choice.  Thirty-nine percent would go to Corzine, while just 29 percent would shift to Christie.  The Daggett factor could have significant impact tomorrow, though Corzine believes Daggett’s entry into the race has been positive.  “I think Mr. Daggett did everybody a favor by forcing my opponent to try to say something specific, which he hasn’t said in 11 months,” Corzine remarked in reference to the ads Christie has been running against Daggett in recent weeks.

Corzine is coming off a weekend that attracted thousands to events headlined by President Obama.  The top Democrat urged Corzine supporters to recognize that the governor has managed many difficulties during his term.  “Change is hard,” the president warned, “Corzine didn’t promise it was going to be easy -  he promised he would wake up every single day thinking about you.”

At his events, Corzine also linked Christie to controversial Congressman Joe Wilson, the Republican who shouted “you lie” during President Obama’s health care reform address to Congress.  Corzine said the two were campaigning together, something the Christie campaign flatly denied.  Though Wilson was in New Jersey at an unrelated event, there was no connection between Christie’s camp and the Wilson meeting.

Christie remains positive on his final day of campaigning, as he travels across the state on a bus tour.  He’s stopping to thank supporters and also trying to sway last minute undecideds, the group that could make all the difference on Tuesday.  While Corzine has accused him of failing to offer specific solutions, Christie says it’s Corzine’s record that should be the biggest concern for voters.  “Jon Corzine stood in front of the people of New Jersey and made a bunch of promises and he put his hand over his heart and said, ‘Citizens of New Jersey, hold me accountable,’” Christie continued, “Well November 3rd is accountability day, let’s pick him up and throw him out!”

Political analyst Larry Sabato says that would be a big loss for the administration.  “If Corzine loses that, of course, is a major prob for the WH because they’ve picked the New Jersey’s governor’s race as the one President Obama can affect.”  The dozens of supporters who waited in the cold drizzle to cheer Christie outside the Monmouth Country Republican Headquarters Monday seem determined to make that happen.

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Atlanta prides itself on being “the city too busy to hate.” Indeed, race relations here are cordial and the city provides economic and social opportunities for people of many different racial, ethnic and social backgrounds.

Yet in the “cradle of the Civil Rights Movement,” social issues and politics are viewed through a racial prism. Such is the case with this year’s mayoral campaign.

For the first time since 1973, Atlanta may elect a white mayor. A poll from last week, commissioned by local TV station WXIA 11Alive and radio station V103, suggests Atlanta City Concilwoman Mary Norwood is leading a six-way race for mayor with 46 percent of the vote. Her closest contender, Georgia State Senator Kasim Reed, trails at 26 percent.

Although the candidates have kept the focus of their campaigns on crime, taxes and city services, two African-American professors released the racial genie back in August when they wrote an open letter, urging black voters to unite behind Atlanta City Council President Lisa Borders “in order to defeat a Norwood (white) mayoral candidacy.”

Both Norwood and Reed were quick to distance themselves from the letter. “It was wrong minded,” Reed told FOX News. “It represents the worst of Atlanta in my mind.”

Despite Norwood’s considerable lead in the polls, she will likely face Reed in a runoff. Election rules require the winner of the Atlanta mayoral race to receive a 50 percent plus one vote majority.

“The conventional wisdom has always been that a white candidate could get in a runoff in a citywide election, but that that white candidate was doomed in the runoff when all the black voters consolidated behind a black candidate,” said Dick Williams, a longtime Georgia publisher and political commentator.

But much has changed since current Mayor Shirley Franklin was elected to the first of her two terms eight years ago. Atlanta’s African-American majority, which once accounted for two out of three voters — now hovers just above 50 percent.

Williams said the closing of Atlanta’s large public housing projects has removed a loyal minority voting bloc. “Those were reliable foot soldiers for the mayoral candidates who could arrange the money and the transportation to the polls,” he said.

The gentrification of many inner-city neighborhoods has attracted many white and black professionals, who may be less likely to see race as a key issue in a political contest.

While many Atlantans still hold painful memories of the days of segregation, younger citizens have grown up in a city with many prominent African-American politicians and entrepreneurs. Race has become an issue not so much for division, but discussion.

No doubt, that discussion will continue through the November 3rd election. Watch my video report here.

Follow Jonathan on:     Twitter Facebook Other Blogs

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Backstage Blog from Laura Ingle

For a fan of Rock N Roll … it just doesn’t get bigger than this!!

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 25th Anniversary Concert was the kind of line up that you could only *dream* of making up, just for fun to see who you could think of pairing up on stage to jam.

Who better to tell the story of Rock and Roll (the show’s concept), than the people who have lived it best, along with a little help from their friends.

The shows, featured Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, U2, Paul Simon, Metallica, Jeff Beck Band, Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder, Crosby, Stills, Nash and Friends, Simon and Garfunkel, Jeff Beck, Mick Jagger… Each band, had it’s own dream list of performers to bring up on the big stage.    Stevie Wonder, jammed with Smokey Robinson, John Legend, and Sting.   At one point, Stevie Wonder busted out a tribute to Michael Jackson and played “The Way You Make Me Feel”  … the place went nuts.  I was standing in the “stage right, house left” area and looked up and saw actor Michael Douglas, his actress wife Catherine Zeta-Jones, actor and concert co-producer Tom Hanks, and his actress wife Rita Wilson dancing in the aisles.  They were really going for it… laughing, singing and had their hands up in the air.  When I looked closer, I saw that Yoko Ono, Robbie Robertson, and Dennis Miller were in the same section (though Miller, Robertson and Ono were not partaking in the dancing in the aisle fun)

Another amazing musical moment; Crosby, Stills, and Nash with Bonnie Raitt, James Taylor, B.B. King and Jackson Browne.  Hard rockers Metallica provided a heavy metal dream come true when they invited  Ozzy Osbourne on stage.  One of the more honest, and respectful moments came when lead singer James Hetfield admitted, “We’re not the most jammy kind of band, we’re kind of a tight little unit, we don’t usually let people in”.  Hetfield smirked, then smiled, then asked Ozzy to come on out.   One of my favorite things to see Ozzy do when he performs is that “frog jump” thing that he does – and he did it repeatedly while singing “Iron Man” and “Paranoid”.  What a Rock moment that was.  Look at the bottom of this post for Ozzy talking about his daughter’s upcoming wedding, he really sounds like a concerned dad!    Metallica also had  Ray Davies of The Kinks, and Lou Reed join them on stage.  I mean honestly, isn’t this all enough to make your head spin?

So who’s idea was this anyway?  Well, the team that put together the 2 day event is also quite impressive. Joel Peresman, the CEO of the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame pulled in the creative might of actor Tom Hanks, his producing partner Gary Goetzman, singer-songwriter Robbie Robertson, and Academy Award winning-screenwriter Cameron Crowe to produce and film the event for HBO.

Tom Hanks having fun in the press room

When Tom Hanks and his wife Rita Wilson came by the press room Thursday- Hanks talked about helping put this show together like a true music fan. He said he is just like the rest of us, “happy to be in the same venue as all these artists.”

As Tom Hanks was wrapping up his time in the press room, someone asked what his favorite song of 2009 is so far, and why… he cracked everyone up when he said “That Ring On It” song… Check out the video below … (he was referring to Beyonce’s hit song, “Single Ladies” (Put A Ring On It”)

The anniversary show will be presented Thanksgiving weekend on HBO — with lots of behind the scene interviews and unscripted moments.   As Bonnie Raitt said when asked what it was like to be a part of the show and backstage with so many artists… she said “all I can say is… there’s a LOT happening in the hallways around here”.   Indeed.   

Can you imagine what it was like to hang out backstage with U2, while Bono was chatting up Bruce Springsteen, Patti Smith, and Fergie before they all went on stage? 

Check out the slide show at the bottom of this blog from the second night (photo credit Kenny Kramme), and these select shots from Thursday. I wish you could have been there with me, but with this backstage blog pass, doesn’t it feel a little like you were?    Rock on!

Sounds of Silence

James Taylor and Bonnie Raitt in Press Room

Backstage in the Press Room: Crosby Stills Nash

Stevie Wonder backstage at Rock Hall of Fame concert

Laura hangs with Little Stevie Van Zandt

Laura and John Legend after exclusive interview with Fox!

Check out the shots we got in the Press Room during the 2nd night

Here’s Ozzy on what it was like to be asked to play with Metallica – what he thinks of his daughter getting married, and why. 

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The stock market floor on the day of the crash -- October 29, 1929.

It was October 29, 1929 when a decade of extravagance came to a “crashing” halt. Living in luxury and investing in intangible money quickly became a thing of the past. Since Fox News wasn’t there to take you on the scene, we need your help.

From how they made money to what food they could manage to put on the table, we want to hear your family’s stories. Have any first-, second-, or third-hand accounts of that fateful day and the tough times that followed? Click “leave a comment” below to share!

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I am amazed at the amount of walk in traffic today at the NYC Army Recruitment office where we are doing live shots about the number of opportunities the Army offers civilians it’s hiring. Right after 9/11, there was an outpouring of Americans who felt the patriotic urge to serve. Now, so many years later and with pretty much a guarantee that if you sign up you will deploy to Afghanistan or Iraq, I mistakenly thought Army recruiting efforts for soldiers had dropped.

I recently sat down exclusively with Army Chief of Staff General George Casey (a four star and highly decorated soldier I’d long admired) and I was pleasantly surprised to hear that the Army has already exceeded its goal for new recruits this year. That’s great news for the front line mission we have underway in Afghanistan and elsewhere around the World. But what about the many other Americans who still believe that serving our country is a great profession and certainly an honorable one too but might not meet the age or physical fitness requirements of becoming a soldier or who are unable to deploy so far away from home.

Well, General Casey says 325,000 people serve right now as Army civilians and the Army is looking for more. Jobs like crime scene investigators, childcare directors, archeologists, scientists and customer service representatives are just a few of the 550 different jobs the Army fills with civilians.

Almost every day we are reporting about company cutbacks either job losses or benefits curtailment at corporations whose names you know. Meanwhile, the Army offers competitive salaries, healthcare coverage, retirement benefits and if you qualify repayment of your student loans. At some job locations, civilians can actually take advantage of on site childcare. They can also seek out flexible work hours and work environments like job sharing.

General Casey has even begun a new initiative that is mandatory November 1 called resilience training which will provide all Army employees with confidential, on-line assessments and resources to help Army staffers and their families with anxiety and depression using something called Positive Psychology. Positive Psychology or Resilience Training is based on the work and studies of University of Pennsylvania Psychology Professor Dr. Martin Seligman.

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I often wonder, “If I was pregnant, would I get the Swine flu vaccine?” So far, 28 women have died from H1N1. Another 100 have been sent to Intensive Care Units. Not many when compared to the population of the U.S., and the number of women who are pregnant at any given time, but even one death is too many. I wouldn’t want to put myself, or anyone I love in danger of getting a deadly virus that could have been prevented.

Pregnant women, and thousands of others in high risk groups, are waiting in long lines around the country to get the H1N1 vaccine, only to find supplies have run out. In Des Moines, Iowa, there’s now a waiting list for pregnant women so they bypass the lines, and get their shots faster. CDC officials say egg-based vaccine production has been slower than expected, so with demand up, many clinics and health departments are simply running out of supplies.

Health officials continue to warn expectant mothers of the risks of not getting the vaccine, but there are still some women who are skeptical. Many have heard about Thimerosol. It’s a component of some vaccines that contains mercury, blamed by vaccine opponents for causing Autism in children. That’s a claim health professionals say has not been proven through research. In any case, mercury-free seasonal flu vaccine is out there, and CDC officials say it will be available in limited supply for H1N1 Shots, too.

I have a good friend who is six months pregnant, and married to a doctor. Her husband advised her a few weeks ago, to head to her mom’s house in the mountains for a while. A sort of self-inflicted quarantine which she hoped would keep herself and her toddler from becoming infected until vaccines arrived. Now that the shots are here, doctors are being advised to counsel their patients about the potential dangers of foregoing the vaccine. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists released a statement last week urging doctors to talk with pregnant women about the risks not just to themselves, but for unborn children as well. Still, one in four women says they don’t plan on getting vaccinated despite warnings from health officials. Pregnant women are naturally at higher risk of catching all sorts of illnesses due to changes in their immune systems. The risks are higher later in pregnancy as the fetus pushes against the lungs making it more difficult to breathe. Several doctors have told me that deep breaths are necessary to fight off lung infections. So, my answer to the question I posed earlier? Would I get vaccinated? Yes. I will get vaccinated, as soon as H1N1 vaccine supplies are opened up to those of us lucky enough not to be in a high risk group.

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By FNC Reporter Shannon Bream

On the campaign trail today it’s a drizzly, gray day in northern New Jersey, but Republican challenger Chris Christie is clearly optimistic.  A new poll from Rasmussen Reports give Christie a slight lead over the Democratic incumbent, Governor Jon Corzine – 46% to 43%.  The wildcard is third-party candidate Chris Daggett.  While his share of the pie slipped to just 7% in the Rasmussen poll, a number of analysts say he is hurting Christie more than Corzine.  Christie seems unconcerned about Daggett, and is quick to lump him in with Corzine.  We’ll find out if voters are buying the strategy, one week from today.

About 75 prospective voters showed up at Garvey’s Pub in Monroe Township, New Jersey, on Tuesday to talk with Christie firsthand.  They posed tough questions about job losses, health care and taxes.  The crowd was polite, but passionate.  They included a man who has plastered the side, front and back of his large RV with bright orange letters touting Christie as the answer to all of New Jersey’s problems.

The Corzine camp, flush with cash and big-name support, will welcome former President Bill Clinton for a second appearance tonight.  Then, President Obama will join Corzine for the third time on Sunday.  Of the visits, Corzine says, “I think it’s helpful that a popular president believes that I could be a better partner with him than other candidates in the race.”  To which Christie replied, “In the end, he’ll get on the Air Force One and leave.  He’s not gonna stay here and help run New Jersey.”  Christie continued, “The people of New Jersey are too smart for that.”

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“We are getting to the level where it will become significantly easier to find vaccine,” said Thomas Frieden, MD.

The director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said, as of today, 22.4 million doses of H1N1 vaccine are available for shipment to providers. While that figure is not as high as public health officials would like, it represents an 8 million dose increase over the amount of vaccine available last week.

“Eventually there will be enough vaccine for all who want to get vaccinated to get vaccinated,” Frieden said.

Frieden said H1N1 activity is actually beginning to decrease in some parts of the country, including Georgia — where the spread of H1N1 got off to a rapid start (likely because of the early beginning of the school year in that state).

And while that may be good news for your Atlanta-based correspondent, the threat of H1N1 is far from over. Cases continue to increase in other parts of the country.

“H1N1 influenza remains widespread throughout the United States,” Frieden said.

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4 years in the making, yet the NASA rocket scientists will have to wait at least 1 more day.  A freighter in the danger zone and chronic unfavorable weather forced NASA’s Ares 1 X launch director to scrub the launch attempt Tuesday.    For 4 hours, mission managers went through delay after delay.  First it was too many clouds.  NASA has a triboelectrification flight rule, which means if there are clouds between 22,000 and 72,000 feet, through which the Ares 1 X rocket would fly, that could create electricity which could then strike the rocket and ruin the test flight.  After that, there was a short delay as a sensor cover was removed from the tip of the 327-foot tall rocket, but got stuck.  Once that fell out of the way, the weather again looked good—green for go-launch—but then a cargo ship entered the danger zone east of the launch pad.  By the time the ship’s pilot was contacted and turned around out of the way, the weather soured again.  And then winds violated the “no winds within 10 nautical miles of the launch pad that exceed 20 miles an hour” rule.

By 11:30 a.m. Eastern Standard Time, after 3 ½ hours of excitement and anticipation, the highly anticipated test flight was scrubbed for the day.

This flight is more than 4 years and $3 billion in development.  It’s the first test flight of the new Constellation space flight system that will replace the current space shuttle program once it’s retired, currently scheduled for 2010. The flight plan is for a short flight, just about 6 minutes from liftoff to splashdown.  The first  2 minutes are the crucial ones, where sensors on board the world’s tallest rocket will record vibration, thermal and aerodynamic data to help in the final design of the Ares 1 rocket.   The next launch attempt will be Wednesday at 8a.m. Eastern time at the soonest.

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By FNC Reporter Alicia Acuna

I hope cooking aromas don’t contain calories.

Oh my does it smell GOOD in here!  Today we are at the Cook Street School of Fine Cooking in Denver as part of Fox’s ongoing series “On the Job Hunt.”

We’re here because culinary school enrollment is way up nationwide.  One of the reasons, we’re told, is that many folks who’ve been laid off or saw the writing on wall at their companies decided to pursue their true passions and dreams of going to cooking school.  Another reason is necessity.  We talked to the Colorado Restaurant Association about enrollments and the President and CEO  Pete Meersman told us that restaurant operators have become much more picky when it comes to hiring for the professional kitchen.  No longer can an inexperienced person just fill out an application and expect to stand out as a prospect.  Meersman says “the people with the skills will get the jobs that we have available”.

We did hear a bit of advice from the folks who run Cook Street.  They strongly suggest doing your homework on exactly what you’re getting yourself into.  Just like every kid who plays basketball in school doesn’t go onto to become the next Carmelo Anthony, every culinary student won’t become Rachael Ray.  It’s hard work and the pay begins at around $10 an hour.

Over the summer the restaurant industry suffered a blow from folks spending less and doing more home cooking. But that is expected to change, according to national statistics.  Projections by the National Restaurant Association show growth in this sector.  If you think about some of the stats, it makes sense.  Half of all American adults eat out once a day and the overall economic impact of this industry is expected to exceed one and a half trillion dollars this year.  Folks are eating out.  Someone’s gotta do the cooking.

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The search for a 7 year old missing North Florida girl has now turned into the search for a child killer.  Somer Thompson disappeared Monday afternoon in Orange Park, Florida as she was walking the mile home from elementary school with her twin brother, 10 year old sister and several friends.  At some point, they noticed Somer was missing.  Almost 2 days to the hour from that moment, investigators at a Georgia landfill discovered two small legs protruding from the trash heap.

Clay County Sheriff Rick Beseler identified the body this morning as Somer Thompson, due to a distinct birthmark Somer had on her leg as well as the clothing Somer’s mother said she wore to school Monday.   A Georgia medical examiner began the autopsy in Savannah, Georgia this morning, to determine the exact cause of death, try to discover any DNA other than Somer’s on the body and also use dental records to officially declare the body found in the landfill is that of the missing 7 year old.

Investigators from a dozen local, state and federal agencies are now involved in the hunt for Somer Thompson’s killer.

Stay tuned to Fox News Channel for the latest in this story.

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The H1N1 vaccine came out sooner than expected, but in smaller amounts. So vaccination efforts continue to focus on high risk groups.

Just 20 blocks from our FOX News Atlanta Bureau (where I’m writing this blog), Emory University Hospital Midtown is vaccinating pregnant women. And in New York City, public schools are sending students home with parental consent forms for a pediatric vaccine campaign to begin next week.

Most of us outside the high risk groups, however, will likely have to wait well into November before we can get the shots.

In the meantime — many hospitals, local governments and other entities are taking precautions to slow the spread of H1N1, or at least prevent the virus from disrupting operations.

In Minneapolis, Hennepin County Court officials are issuing 20 percent more jury summons than normal. They’re also doubling the number of alternate jurors assigned to trials.

That way, even if some members of the jury pool get sick with H1N1, the trials are likely to proceed on schedule.

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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 been happening everywhere – in every field.  Companies losing revenue, asking employees to take pay cuts, and then sending out the inevitable “envelope” to staff members who open up the bad news with a heavy heart.

Union and non-union members in the New York Times newsroom have been told “the envelope” will be mailed out to everyone this Thursday that will detail the buy out deal. If employees take it, they will have the chance to exit the building with at least a little something to look forward to, however, there is no word on what laid off employees will get when the axe falls. Union employees will reportedly get 3 weeks salary for each year of service – non-union workers will get 2 weeks pay per year served. The bad news came way of a memo Monday from Times executive editor Bill Keller who informed staffers that they have 45 days to decide if they want to take part in the buy out – if they don’t get 100 takers, the higher ups will then be forced to cut jobs. The newspaper industry has been getting pummeled for the last several years with declining circulation numbers for most every newspaper chain. Gannett, the nation’s largest, which churns out 84 newspapers in the United States reported yesterday that it’s third-quarter profit fell 53% from a year before. The reason? Readers say they are abandoning their print subscriptions and going online to get virtually the same product for free. The New York Times execs have said that they are seeing sharp declines in advertising revenue from their printed additions, and Web advertising hasn’t caught up.

So, what will happen to all these well paid and out of work journalists and editors? Media analysts say many will have to wait out the storm, and wait for other newspapers to start to re-staff once the revenue returns, if it does at all.

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They called him “Jazz”, short for Jasper.

He was known as an impact player on the University of Connecticut Huskies football team, a starting corner back since his freshman year who also returned punts, a former standout at Miami Edison High School in South Florida, a kid from the mean streets of the Liberty City neighborhood who made his mother proud, becoming the first from his family to attend college.

Late Saturday night, after celebrating his team’s homecoming victory, which he played a key role in with 11 tackles and a forced fumble at the goal line preventing the other team from potentially tying the game, he was found stabbed.  More than 300 people spilled out into the street in the chilly Storrs, Ct. air.  A fight broke out between a group of non-students and half-a-dozen football players, someone plunged a blade into Jazz’s abdomen.  A fellow player went to his aid, another came to try and stop the bleeding and the police were called.  Ambulances  brought Jazz went to one hospital, but unfortunately he could not be saved.

Police have made one arrest, 21-year-old Johnny Hood, who police say lied about his name when questioned at the scene.  Another wounded player identified Hood as being involved in the fight.  His lawyer says he’s only guilty of being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Another lawyer says there are four more “main” suspects and he represents one of them, another young man who apparently admits to being involved in the fight but not with the stabbing.  Police have questioned him and searched his home and seem to be making progress in the investigation.  They’re asking anyone with pictures or home video of the scene outside the dance to forward the images since they could help solve this homicide.

Meanwhile Jazz’s uniform sits unused in his locker and will for the next two seasons, except when the Huskies are on the road.  They plan to bring #6 with them to honor his memory and his loss.

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Have you ever been hiking through a national forest and stumbled upon a small, quaint, old cabin tucked in the woods? Chances are that cabin owner is essentially leasing the land under the cabin from Uncle Sam. Well, now those bucolic cabins may be driven to extinction by the very same government that encouraged them to be built. Back in 1915, people either lived on the farm or in big cities. Few Americans recreated in the national forests let alone live there. Congress wanted our public lands to be used by the public so it lured people to the woods with the Recreation Residence program.

Turns out it worked too well. Thousands of Americans built their tiny vacation cabins, but then others started scooping up adjacent private land and building mcmansion cabins. That has led the feds to think their cabin tenants were getting too sweet of a deal. Congress passed a law calling for new assessments. The result has led to sticker shock. Take the Minard family in Lake Wenatchee, Washington. On top of local property tax and a state tax, they have been paying $1,400 year to the U.S. government. Now that fee has spiked to $17,000 per year. The Minards can’t afford that and nobody wants to buy the cabin when they learn of the fee. So they’re left with only one option…pay to have the cabin demolished, return the forest to its natural state and walk away from five generations of memories.

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Few assignments are as fun as those about food trends, and when I was given a story about the boom in “cupcakeries”,  I knew I had the sweetest story of the day.  Cupcakes are more than a fad. Sure, they’re a niche market, but the low prices & high demand are helping gourmet cupcake shops thrive. Most cities today have at least one, with lines of hungry customers that go out the door. Sales reportedly rose nearly 9 % last year, and chains like Sprinkles in LA and Crumbs in New York have dozens of locations. Employing hundreds of people and smaller boutiques are doing well, too in tiny Mill Valley, California, right outside San Francico, Frosting Bake Shop is holding it’s own against the gelato store and Baskin Robbins down the street.

In fact business is going so well, the owner is opening a second, bigger shop, which means a dozen new jobs, from the bakers to drivers to clerks & more taxes for the local economy. This store is one of 600,000 small businesses that opened last year. All told, there are more than 29-million small businesses in the U.S., accounting for more than “half”  of all private sector jobs. In fact, small businesses like Frosting Bake Shop have created 60% of new jobs over the last 15 years.

Now, cupcakes are expanding beyond the specialty gourmet retail shop. The Ritz-Carlton hotel in New York offers a “Cupcake Tea” for $25 dollars. Many restaurants now offer cupcakes on dessert menus and fast food restaurants may be next.  According to some reports, Taco Bell is test-marketing red velvet cupcakes in some Southern California locations!

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