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China
Large Quake
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7.9 Magnitude
A 7.9 magnitude earthquake struck about 60 miles northwest of Chengdu, which is
located in southwest part of China. Earlier reports had
listed the quake as being 7.8. The Richter scale is
a logarithmic scale so this small change translates into
a much larger measured force on the ground.
Offical Chinese sources
are reporting around 9,000 dead others are reported as being buried by the
quake. Authorities believe that the number of dead
will be much higher as communications with impacted areas
are restored.
There is very little information coming out of the stricken
areas due to a combination of the quake and communications
overloads.
Chengdu is the capital of Sichuan province and a sub-provincial
city. Chengdu is also one of the most important economic
centers and transportation and communication hubs in China.
Shaking caused by the quake had people running into the
streets hundreds of miles away in Beijing and Shanghai.
U.S. Geological Survey monitors showed the quake being
centered about 6 miles below the surface. A number of
aftershocks were also monitored.
Estimates of the number of deaths from the quake are
likely to increase greatly as officials make their
way into the hardest hit areas. Reports are now
coming in of collapsed industrial plants as well as
a hospital. One city is reporting as many as 1 person
in 10 either dead or injured.
Death tolls multiply as rescue and aid workers move
outside of urban areas into agricultural villages.
Late reports from Chengdu, the city of 10 million
nearest the quake`s epicenter, are reporting relatively
small amounts of damage.
This quake is the strongest since 1976. Official
death tolls from that disaster placed the loss of
life at around a quarter of a million.
Death Toll Soaring
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Bob Barr - To Run for President in `08
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Former Republican Rep. Bob Barr of Georgia has announced that
he`s running for president as a Libertarian.
His candidacy would be a wild card in the White House race and
many believe it would hurt Republican Sen. John McCain.
Barr made the announcement Monday at a news conference.
The be considered the Libertarian candiate he must win its
party nomination at the national convention that begins May 22.
Party officials consider him a front-runner thanks to the
national profile he developed as a Georgia congressman from 1995
to 2003.
Barr, 59, helped lead Bill Clinton`s impeachment. He quit the
Republican Party two years ago, saying he had grown
disillusioned with its failure to shrink government and its
willingness to scale back civil liberties in fighting terrorism.
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- Storm Pounds Georgia
- Preliminary reports are saying that one person was killed in central Georgia as heavy storms downed trees and power lines as well damaging home and businesses.
- Riverbend Festival Looking for Volunteers
- Volunteers are needed for this years Riverbend festival in
Chattanooga, Tennessee. Orientation days are Tuesday, May 13th
and Thursday, May 15th at 5:30pm, and Saturday, May 17th at 1pm
at Notre Dame High School Auditorium. Volunteers must attend
one of the orientation sessions.
- UGA Grad Wins CBS`s `Survivor`
- UGA fans cheered as Parvati Shallow wore her UGA hat on the
last episode of `Survivor: Micronesia Fans vs. Favorites.` Not
only was she one of the last competitors Shallow won the
game and the million dollar prize.
- Perdue Declares State of Emergency
- Governor Sonny Perdue issued an executive order declaring
a state of emergency in six counties affected by
severe weather. The six counties are Bibb, Carroll,
Douglas, Jefferson, Johnson and Laurens.
- Gov. Perdue Signs Timber-Tax Break
- The pace of raw-land development could slow as a result of
legislation signed last week by Gov. Sonny Perdue. Voters,
though, will have a say in November, though experts say
economics will likely play a large role.
The measure, if approved by voters, would extend a break on
property taxes to the owners of timber tracts larger than 2,000
acres. Owners of smaller parcels have had access to the benefit
since the 1990s.
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News - National
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West Virginia - Will Hillary Hammer Obama?
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Current polls are suggesting that Hillary Clinton will do
something in West Virginia that both candidates have been
struggling to do since January, win big, real big.
Barack Obama is saying, `She is going to do very well in West
Virginia and Kentucky. She will win those states in all
likelihood by significant margins.`
In West Virginia that margin might be as 40 points.
The state only has 28 delegates so even if Clinton takes
75%, it will give her a net gain of around 14. While
estimates vary, Obama currently leads by around 150
delegates.
When the disputed Florida and Michigan delegations are
deducted from the total, that leaves Obama about 175
delegates short of a majority. If Florida and Michigan
are counted, Obama is around 350 delegates short of
victory.
Since Clinton won both the actual elections in those states,
the key to victory will be as more about the big `Mo` in
the mind of the Democratic leadership than delegates.
Clinton also has a 2-1 lead over Obama in current
Kentucky polling.
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- Pirates Take Game 1
- The Pittsburg Pirates blanked the Braves in the first
game of the teams` doubleheader, 5-0.
The defeat makes it seven straight road losses. The Braves
have the majors’ best home record and worst road record.
- Braves - Bucs Play Two
- Sunday`s game between Atlanta and Pittsburg was postponed
due to rain. The two teams will play a doubleheader
on Monday starting at 12:35.
- Rome Earns Split in Greenville
- The Rome Braves pounded out a 6-1 victory Saturday night to earn a much-needed road win in Greenville Saturday night.
- Braves Road Woes Continue
- The Atlanta Braves disastrous road performance continued on Saturday as the Pirates defeated the Braves 5-2 Saturday night.
- Shorter College women`s golf receives at-large bid
- The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics released
the qualifiers for the 14th Annual NAIA Women`s Golf National
Championship, with the Shorter College Lady Hawks receiving an
at-large bid. The tournament will be held at Lake San Marcos
Country Club in San Diego, Calif., May 20-23, 2008.
- Area Teams Sweep into Playoffs
- The Rome Wolves joined Cartersville, Calhoun and
Armuchee in sweeping two game sets on Friday to advance
in the Georgia state baseball playoffs.
- Vick Owes Bank $2.5 Million
- U.S. Magistrate Judge F. Bradford Stillman has granted the
Royal Bank of Canada a judgment against Michael Vick
for about $2.5 million.
- Want a No. 2 Jersey?
- After years of Michael Vick`s No. 7 jersey being the most
popular, the Atlanta Falcons are hoping that No. 2 will
be very, very popular. That`s Matt Ryan`s new jersey
number.
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News - Business
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Tax Rebate - Deals to Look For
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Are you still waiting on your little bonus from the government?
Well, if you are one of the lucky few who has gotten your
economic stimulus check here are a few deals that you might
want to know about.
Retailers, and the economy, are hoping you won`t have it for long.
Here are a few deals retailers are offering to win your
tax-rebate biz.
Sears and Kmart:
The Deal: Convert your check to a Sears,
Kmart, or Land`s End gift card and they`ll give you another gift
card worth 10% of that value. For those receiving a full $600,
that`s a free $60. The Catch: The offer runs now
and expires July 18, and is only good for in-store purchases.
Staples
The Deal: $150 off $1,000 of furniture; $40 off purchase
of $300 or more (except computers). The Catch: Expires May 18
Sam`s Club
The Deal: Free membership for non-members or a $40 gift
card for existing members with purchase of selected items. Free
cashing of the stimulus check. The Catch: Runs May 18-31
Kroger
The Deal:$30 bonus on every $300 purchase of store gift
cards. The Catch: Valid May 2 - July 31
RadioShack
The Deal: 10% off purchases over $50, with the balance of
the check put on a Mastercard gift card. The Catch: Valid May 4 - July 12
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News - Health
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Depression - May be Linked to Vitamin D
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Soaking in plenty of sunshine and drinking lots of milk might
help fight off depression in your golden years.
Researchers reporting in the May issue of Archives of General
Psychiatry have linked low blood levels of vitamin D, the
`sunshine vitamin`, and increased parathyroid hormone levels to
depression among older adults.
When the body lacks the proper amount of vitamin D, the
parathyroid produces too much parathyroid hormone. Overactive
parathyroid glands, or hyperparathyroidism, often accompany
symptoms of depression.
Some experts have suggested that vitamin D deficiency may
contribute to depression, but few studies have examined the
link.
For the current study, Witte J. G. Hoogendijk, MD, PhD, and
colleagues at VU University Medical Center at Vrije Universiteit
Amsterdam, Netherlands, screened 1,282 adults aged 65-95 for
depression symptoms and ran blood tests to check their vitamin
D and parathyroid hormone levels.
Diagnostic psychiatric evaluation revealed that 26 of the study
participants had major depression and 169 had minor depression.
The researchers` analysis showed that more than a third of the
men and more than half of the women in the study were vitamin D
deficient. Vitamin D levels were 14% lower among those with
depression then in those who were not depressed.
Individuals with depression had higher levels of parathyroid
hormone when compared to those without the illness. Parathyroid
hormone levels were about 5% higher in the study participants
with minor depression and 33% higher in those with major
depression.
Depression is not a normal part of growing older. Major life
changes later in life, such as chronic illness, retirement,
death of a spouse, and decreased ability to perform everyday
tasks, increase an older adult`s risk of depression. The
findings from this study suggest that some forms of depression
can be treated by consuming more vitamin D and increasing
sensible sunlight exposure. The body makes vitamin D from
sunlight exposure to the skin.
But the study leaves researchers with an unanswered question:
Which came first, the biological changes or the depression?
Hoogendijk`s team encourages additional studies to determine
whether the changes in blood levels of vitamin D and parathyroid
hormone occur before or after a person becomes depressed.
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