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Posted: 5:03 a.m. Monday, March 7, 2011

KRMG Morning News "Stack of Stuff" and Notes 3/07/11 

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By Joe Kelley, Host of the KRMG Morning News

  1. AP - The state of Oklahoma is now tweeting. Officials with the state's website, ok.gov, announced Friday they have created an account on Twitter. The social network has become a popular platform that allows users to send and receive messages. State Chief Information Officer Alex Pettit says state officials will use the network to quickly notify the public about state agency news and inform citizens about weather-related events. Pettit says plans also are in the works to launch a state page on Facebook, another popular social media website.
  2. KRMG: Tulsa police are investigating a shooting early Sunday morning in which a 9-year-old boy was shot when the house he was in was sprayed with bullets.  The youngster was struck in the foot.  A baby sleeping in a basinet was nearly hit.  The incident happened near 10th Street and Lewis.  Several women were inside the house at the time of the incident.  They weren't hurt.  
  3. KRMG: Authorities say a woman attempted to cross 71st Street at 1:35 Sunday morning when she was hit by a car. Tulsa Police say 30-year-old Megan Shepard was sprinting across the 6-lane street at Utica wearing black clothing. She was hit by a driver traveling eastbound. Police say the driver of the Chevy Malibu wasn't speeding and was not under the influence at the time of the accident. According to officers, lighting is low in the area and the victim wasn't paying attention to traffic. Shepard was pronounced dead at the hospital. The driver was not ticketed.
  4. KOTV - TULSA, Oklahoma -- Monday's windy weather could provide the perfect conditions for grass fires. The National Weather Service says winter should wrap up with dryer and warmer conditions this year because of La Nina patterns. Local fire fighters say there are some easy things you can do to protect your home and our land. Be sure to follow burn bans; don't throw cigarettes out of your car window; and keep a shovel, water and an extinguisher nearby.
  5. NEWS RELEASE - Today, the Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department announced the closure of seven state parks.  The parks will remain open through the summer season and will close on August 15.  The Department is facing budget cuts of at least five percent this legislative session. The seven state parks and their locations are:
    Adair State Park, Stillwell
    Beaver Dunes, Beaver
    Boggy Depot, Atoka
    Brushy Lake, Sallisaw
    Heavener Runestone, Heavener
    Lake Eucha, Jay
    Wah-Sha-She, Copan
    "The decision to close these parks was a difficult but necessary one," said Deby Snodgrass, Executive Director of the Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department.  "We are facing budget cuts of at least five percent - on top of a 13 percent cut last year. These closures will help ensure the long-term viability of the park system in Oklahoma."
  6. Congressional hearings set to begin this week on Islamic radicalization in the U.S. are sparking controversy, with Muslim-Americans and their supporters slamming it as xenophobic and saying that singling out Muslims, rather than extremists in general in the U.S., is unfair. Some 300 protesters gathered in New York's Times Square yesterday to protest the upcoming hearings. Meanwhile, a top White House official, Deputy National Security Adviser Denis McDonough, said Sunday (March 6th) at an interfaith meeting at a Washington-area mosque that Muslim-Americans are not part of the terrorism problem facing the U.S., but part of the solution. Republican Rep. Peter King of New York, who is chairing the hearings and is the driving force behind them, said they'll focus on the level of cooperation from the Muslim community to help law enforcement fight radicalization. Speaking on CNN's State of the Union Sunday, King said, "I don't believe there is sufficient cooperation," continuing, "Certainly my dealings with the police in New York and FBI and others say they do not believe they get the same -- they do not give the level of cooperation that they need."
  7. With $4-a-gallon gas threatening to become reality nationwide, some relief at the pump may be coming our way.  Speaking on NBC's "Meet the Press," White House Chief of Staff BILL DALEY said the Obama administration is considering tapping the U-S strategic oil reserve in order to ease prices sent soaring by unrest in Libya. Then again, they may not. "We are looking at the options," he said, the classic Washington Beltway term politicians use to back away from "options" later. Several Senate Democrats have broached the issue of tapping the emergency oil supply but Energy Secretary STEVEN CHU disagrees, saying that Saudi Arabia will ramp up oil production and lower the price of crude, now over $100 a barrel. Some of that may hinge on what happens in Saudi Arabia later this week when massive anti-government demonstrations are schedule.
  8. A lot of folks are no doubt giggling at a possible DONALD TRUMP presidential candidacy, but some info from a recent NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll might make people think differently. Among major Republican figures polled, Trump had the highest "positive" rating at 26 percent --higher than both MITT ROMNEY, and TIM PAWLENTY. Trump would of course be an extreme longshot to win, but he would likely serve a vital purpose by just getting in the race. He would say things about the current world and national scene that no other candidate would dare. He's already made the rounds of the major conservative radio shows, blasting the governments of both China and South Korea for their restrictive trade practices, as well as Saudi Arabi and OPEC for manipulating the price of crude oil.   Would anyone from either party touch seriously on those issues?
  9. With the increasing popularity of e-books, publishers are beginning to worry about what that means for libraries that have always allowed members to renew books multiple times. Today, HarperCollins will begin implementing new rules that will allow e-books to be checked out a maximum of 26 times. "After that," says the Chicago Tribune, "the license on the e-book will expire and libraries will have to decide whether to buy a new one."  That's raised concerns among librarians across the country that other publishers will follow suit, potentially putting a dent on the fastest growing sector of public libraries, many of which have seen their budgets decline in recent years.
  10. Say goodbye to the other white meat. The National Pork Board unveiled its new slogan Friday: "Pork: Be inspired."  The board announced plans last year to steer away from the old slogan in an effort to improve sales that have been flat for decades.  In a news release on the board's website, they say the new slogan "shows pork's place in almost any menu, day part, cuisine and lifestyle, based on pork's unique combination of flavor and versatility as the source of kitchen inspiration."  The new ad campaign is rolling out this month and next.
  11. A lot of unpaid bloggers were pretty miffed when the Huffington Post sold to AOL for a nifty $315 million. Most of them were unpaid. Now, ARIANNA HUFFINGTON is laughing off the idea that her site would be harmed if unpaid bloggers decided to go on strike. Speaking alongside AOL chief TIM ARMSTRONG at PaidContent's 2011 conference in New York, Huffington was quick to dismiss the idea that bloggers should be paid, weeks after the site was sold off to AOL for $315 million. A group of writers has called on unpaid bloggers to strike but Huffington was quick to say there are many willing to take their place. She even seemed to encourage them, saying that "no one" would really notice. "Go ahead, go on strike," she said.
  12. People.com says even GARY BUSEY is worried about Charlie. Reporters interviewed Gary at the kick-off party for "Celebrity Apprentice" over the weekend, where Gary said he'd known Charlie for over 30 years and now "he's in a tailspin": "I want Charlie to get up out of the mud and reclaim his life and I'm praying for him," he said.
  13. And, just to put a fine point on everything Charlie, Popeater columnist ROB SHUTER says all the major news organizations have begun preparing obituaries for Charlie, including his "Two and a Half Men" network, CBS. According to one network flack, "No one is wishing the worst but as a news organization for us not to be prepared for one of the biggest stories in a long time would be unprofessional."
  14. Earlier in the weekend, Charlie told "Access Hollywood" that all the accusations of anti-Semitism leveled against him when he slammed producer CHUCK LORRE were unfounded, claiming he was half Jewish.  Charlie, who called Lorre "Chaim Levine," the Hebrew translation of his name, was then slammed by the Anti-Defamation League. But he told "Access Hollywood" that "My mom is Jewish. Here's where it gets confusing --we don't know who her father was. But she is, in fact, Jewish. So, I guess that would make me Jewish, and my children Jewish. And Brooke, my ex-wife is Jewish. So, I guess I should've rolled all that out too." So why didn't he mention it earlier? "I know, I know --stupid me" he said. "I just got caught sleeping. Caught napping. Which is rare for me."
  15. Federal prosecutors announced on Friday that JARED LOUGHNER was indicted on 49 counts for his alleged role in the Tucson shooting that critically injured Arizona Rep GABRIELLE GIFFORDS, and resulted in six other deaths. Loughner previously pleaded not guilty to charges of trying to kill Giffords and two of her aides, but these charges go beyond this; he's been accused him of injuring ten people, and of murdering four at a "federally provided activity," in addition to as two government employees.   Prosecutors used part of a civil rights law ordinarily reserved for hate crimes to charge Loughner in connection to all 19 immediate victims of the attacks --not just the five government employees.  Of the thirteen people injured in the attack, Giffords is the only one who has not yet been released from the hospital.
  16. Weekend Box Office
    5. "Gnomeo and Juliet," $6.9 million,
    4. "Hall Pass," $9 million,
    3. "Beastly," $10.1 million, (debut),
    2. "The Adjustment Bureau," $20.9 million, (debut),
    1. "Rango," $38 million, (debut)
  17. A very sci-fi discovery from the Amazon: A fungus that takes over an ant's brain and then kills the insect after guiding it to a new location where the fungus can grow and spread its spores. Originally thought to be a single species, the fungus is actually four different ones, all of which can "mind control" the zombie ants.  DAVID HUGHES, an entomologist at Penn State University, discovered the fungi after noticing a wide range of fungal growths emerging from ant victims. "This potentially means thousands of zombie fungi in tropical forests across the globe await discovery," said Hughes. "We need to ramp up sampling --especially given the perilous state of the environment."  Ants appear to have developed a warning system to detect infected members of the colony and carry them far away in an effort to reduce exposure. But ants aren't the only insects at risk. Thousands of varieties of this fungus exist, each designed to target a specific species of insect in the same way as the ants. Scientists theorize that this may be a way to control populations so that one insect species doesn't dominate the entire insect chain.
  18. You may think a decline in the honeybee population would have no effect on you, but it's a $212-billion-dollar global business that affects more than just the sweet, sticky stuff packaged inside a squeezable plastic bear.  More than 30-percent of bee colonies in the U-S and more than 20-percent across Europe have disappeared. Fifty-two of the world's 112 leading crops rely on pollination. Everything from apples and soybeans to cocoa and almonds need bees. Researchers aren't sure why the insects are dying off, but according to Reuters, it may be due to blood-feeding parasites, bee viruses, fungi, pesticide exposure and decreased plant diversity causing poor nutrition for honeybees. Researchers are getting closer to finding out why this may be happening, but right now can't seem to find one single thing that has caused this colony collapse disorder (CCD). As the world population continues to grow, many observers fear the bee decline will get even worse and lead to a shortage of crops and soaring food prices.
  19. (CNN) -- U.S. gasoline prices increased nearly 33 cents in two weeks, the second-biggest two-week jump in the history of the gasoline market, according to a new survey of filling stations. The latest Lundberg Survey of cities in the continental United States was conducted Friday. It showed the national average for a price of self-serve unleaded gasoline at $3.51, an increase of 32.7 cents from the last survey two weeks earlier, survey publisher Trilby Lundberg said. The jump was the biggest since a 38-cent hike between August and September 2005. At the time, the price increase was driven by damage caused by Hurricane Katrina.
  20. Is it time to get rid of dollar bills for good and replace them with coins? An analysis by the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) found that doing so could save $5.5 billion over the next 30 years, because of the greater durability of coins. The GAO has recommended switching from dollar bills to coins before, but the agency said past efforts have been hampered in part because $1 bills have remained in circulation. Other countries that use a coin, including the U.K. and Canada, have advised the GAO to pull the bills from circulation to speed up public acceptance. The agency assumed a four-year transition period if a change were to be made, and noted there'd be some upfront costs.
  21. HARVARD WELCOMES BACK ROTC AFTER 'DON'T ASK, DON'T TELL' REPEAL: Harvard University officially welcomed the ROTC back to the school on Friday (March 4th) for the first time since the Vietnam War era, in the wake of the December repeal of the "don't ask, don't tell" ban on gays serving openly in the military. Other elite schools, including Columbia, Yale and Brown, are discussing whether to follow suit. The Reserve Officers' Training Corps first left Harvard and other prominent universities decades ago amid strong anti-Vietnam War sentiment on college campuses, and schools have in recent years kept it off campus because of the military's ban on gays, which the schools considered discriminatory. Harvard is the first elite school to rescind its ban since "don't ask, don't tell's" repeal.
  22. WITCHES NOW UPSET WITH CHARLIE SHEEN: Charlie Sheen's recent rants have been getting widespread media attention for the "you-can't-look-away" car wreck quality about them, but FoxNews.com reports that he's managed to anger an unexpected group of people: witches. In one of his tirades, Sheen described himself as a "Vatican assassin warlock," which has drawn a rebuke from the witch community in Salem, Massachusetts. Christian Day, a practicing warlock -- or male witch -- told Fox that Sheen's statement was, quote, "blatant offense against our ways and teachings." Day said, "If he made that comment against the Christians or Jewish people, there would be outrage. But here we are, a legally-recognized religion and we get slammed by an obviously disturbed actor." According to Day, Sheen gave the impression that warlocks are raging, warlike people, but instead he said, "Warlocks are peaceful and enlightened. They have the ability to communicate with the dead and learn from it. They have nothing to do with aggressiveness and anger." Day held a ritual yesterday (March 6th) with other members of the witch community to send positive spirits in Sheen's direction.
  23. At the request of his lawyers, Charlie Sheen stopped talking to the media over the weekend -- and instead addressed the public directly, through a webcast on Saturday night that he dubbed "Sheen's Korner." He announced the broadcast earlier in the day, tweeting, "My lawyers asked that I stop talking with the press. so, if it's just me, how upset could they possibly be? #Sheen's-Korner." The broadcast -- which lasted just under an hour -- was panned by critics and fans. The Hollywood Reporter called it "cable access at its worse." One viewer tweeted, "Thanks to Charlie Sheen for showing the importance of interviewers, producers and editors in painful real time tonight." Even Charlie admitted that the show was a bomb. He wrote on Sunday, "Fastball; last night was treasonous to the movement. my bad. a video solution coming soon. #SheensKorner." He later warned, "psst, check it, you've been warned. #SheensKorner a violent torpedo of truth. love or hate. do the math. c."
  24. The prosecution in Lindsay Lohan's felony grand theft case has reportedly hit a stumbling block. TMZ.com reports that Kamofie & Co., the store that Lindsay allegedly stole a $2,500 necklace from, has sold the surveillance video of Lindsay in the store. Since Lindsay's defense is that the necklace was a loaner -- the store's credibility is a vital part of the prosecution. If it seems as though the owners were using the whole situation to score money and publicity, they're credibility takes a hit, and Lindsay's credibility improves. RadarOnline.com reported that the store sold the tape to multiple outlets, getting various amounts for different rights -- for a grand total of over $35,000.
  25. LADIES, YOU REALLY CAN'T CONTROL YOUR HUNGER: Men have more direct neurological control over their hunger than women do. A brain-imaging study conducted at the Brookhaven National Laboratory demonstrated that men are uniquely able to inhibit the brain's response to food when hungry. Subjects in the experiment were alternatively instructed to try to inhibit their response to food, and given no instructions. When presented with their favorite foods, men and women trying to suppress their hunger both claimed to be less hungry, but only men exhibited any actual changes in the regions of the brain activated by hunger and eating. (AskMen.com)
  26. THEHILL.COM - The number of temporary healthcare reform waivers granted by the Obama administration to organizations climbed to more than 1,000, according to new numbers disclosed by the Department of Health and Human Services. HHS posted 126 new waivers on Friday, bringing the total to 1,040 organizations that have been granted a one-year exemption from a new coverage requirement included in the healthcare reform law enacted almost a year ago. Waivers have become a hot-button issue for Republicans, eager to expose any vulnerabilities in the reform law.
  27. MASHABLE - Rovio CEO Mikael Hed says the immensely popular Angry Birds game is coming to Facebook next month with "completely new aspects to it that just haven't been experienced in any other platform." According to All Facebook, Hed used the word "collaborative" to describe aspects of the game, adding that "the pigs will have a more prominent role." Take a look at the Angry Birds page on Facebook, and you'll see that something is up. If you "like" the page, Rovio promises to keep you posted on all the latest news about the upcoming Angry Birds migration to Facebook.
  28. (Newser) - Phil Collins is quitting music--and he basically thinks the planet's reaction will be good riddance. "I don't think anyone's going to miss me," the former Genesis drummer told FHM magazine, via the Telegraph. Health is a big issue: Among his ailments: ruined hearing in his left ear, a dislocated vertebra in his neck, nerve damage in his hands. He said: "I think of it like air miles--it's all part of the job. I'm not worried about not being able to play the drums again, I'm more worried about being able to cut a loaf of bread safely or building things for my kids."  On being "the pop star that nobody likes": The hatred started "around the time that the music was being played so incessantly people wanted to strangle me. It's hardly surprising that people grew to hate me. I'm sorry that it was all so successful."
  29. (Newser) - Whether you sneeze loudly or softly, quickly or repeatedly, your nose may say a lot about you, a body-language expert has found. Backed by Benadryl execs, she asked some 500 people about their personalities and how they sneezed, and recognized four types, the St. Petersburg Times reports:    * The "get-appreciated:" These folks sneeze loudly and, often, several times in a row. "They're looking for applause at the end of their sneeze," says the researcher. They tend to be likable, vocal leader types who thrive on new experiences and hate being ignored.    * The "get along:" These people keep their sneezes as subtle as possible. They like to help people, stay polite, and keep out of conflict.   * The "get it done:" These sneezers try to keep their sneezes in; those that get out are quick and loud. Such people are independent and "live to get things done," says the researcher. Same goes for the sneeze: "they get it done and move on."    * The "be right:" These guys are focused on covering their mouths. They're neat and like to play by the rules--and they're happy to point out your mistakes.
  30. HUFFPO - DES MOINES, Iowa -- Most Americans haven't heard of Herman Cain, the former head of a chain of pizza restaurants who is considering seeking the Republican presidential nomination. But in Iowa, home to the nation's first presidential caucuses, Cain has caught the attention of conservative activists influenced by the tea party movement who aren't bothered by candidates who have succeeded in business but have never held a public office. "He's creating quite a buzz," said former Iowa Republican Party Chairman Richard Schwarm. "He is someone Iowa caucus-goers are going to take very seriously." Cain, 65, from suburban Atlanta, has visited Iowa several times recently and will return to Des Moines on Monday for a conservative forum. Cain likely will express views similar to other speakers, including former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty and former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum, but he'll offer a vastly different resume.
 
 

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