DOD: Reported sexual assaults up at 3 academies (AP)

ANNAPOLIS, Md. ? The number of reported sexual assaults at the nation's three major military academies rose overall in the latest academic year from one year earlier, according to a report released Tuesday by the Pentagon.

The Defense Department's "Annual Report on Sexual Harassment and Violence at the Military Service Academies" for academic year 2010-2011 found there were 65 reports of sexual assault involving cadets and midshipmen at the U.S. Naval Academy, the U.S. Military Academy and the U.S. Air Force Academy. That was up from 41 reports of sexual assaults in the prior academic year.

"This is a leadership issue, first and foremost, so I also expect us to lead with integrity and with energy to eliminate sexual assault and harassment from our culture," Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said in a statement. "I'm confident the steps we are taking are the right ones, but we must continue to improve."

The Pentagon said it could not conclusively identify the reasons for the increases. However, the department has worked to encourage more victims to report sexual assault and the Pentagon says that could explain the higher number of reports.

The annual report was mandated in the 2007 John Warner National Defense Authorization Act. It directed the Pentagon to evaluate the effectiveness of the sexual harassment and sexual violence related policies on an annual basis.

Aiming to eliminate sexual assault and harassment from military culture, the Pentagon also announced two new policies to support abuse victims as it released the findings Tuesday.

Service members who have been the victim of sexual assault and have filed an unrestricted report now have the option to request an expedited transfer from their unit or installation, the Defense Department said. Under the new policy, the service member must receive a response to the transfer from the unit commander within 72 hours. A service member also will be able to request a review of any denied request and receive that response within 72 hours, the Pentagon added.

Another new policy will standardize retention periods for sexual assault records across the military services. Specified documents will be retained for 50 years in unrestricted cases and for five years in restricted cases to give victims longer access to documents related to sexual assault, the Defense Department said.

While the report found that the U.S. Military Academy at West Point is in partial compliance with the department's policies regarding sexual harassment and assault, it concluded the academy was not in compliance with department policy for providing prevention and response training to all cadets.

The Service Women's Action Network, a national human rights organization founded by women veterans, was critical of the increase in sexual abuse reports. Greg Jacob, policy director for the organization, also underscored the noncompliance with Pentagon policy in the report.

"Ending the widespread issue of sexual harassment and sexual assault in the military starts by ending it at the service academies," Jacob said in a statement.

West Point did not immediately return a call seeking comment.

Other academy officials said they believe the increase in reporting indicates a positive step in making cadets and midshipmen feel more comfortable about reporting incidents ? a crucial part of addressing the problem.

"We believe that there's much more trust in our system than maybe we've seen in years past," said Col. Reni Renner, vice commandant culture and climate at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo.

Deborah Goode, a spokeswoman at the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md., said the school includes training for midshipmen throughout all four years to prevent harassment and encourage reporting.

"We believe there is a better understanding by midshipmen of what constitutes sexual harassment and sexual assault, as well as an increased willingness to report incidents, which may account for increased reports of sexual assault cases," Goode said.

The Air Force Academy had 33 reports in the latest academic year, an increase from 20 in the previous year. However, Renner noted that five of this year's reporters were for incidents that occurred prior to military service. The Naval Academy had 22 reported incidents, compared to 11. West Point reported the same number in both years, 10 in each year.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/usmilitary/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111228/ap_on_re_us/us_military_academies_sexual_assault

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Can foreign tourists help US economy? (AP)

LAS VEGAS ? Agustina Ocampo is the kind of foreign traveler businesses salivate over.

The 22-year-old Argentine recently dropped more than $5,000 on food, hotels and clothes in Las Vegas during a trip that also took her to Seattle's Space Needle, Disneyland and the San Diego Zoo. But she doubts she will return soon.

"It is a little bit of a headache," said Ocampo, a student who waited months to find out whether her tourist visa application would be approved.

More than a decade after the federal government strengthened travel requirements after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, foreign visitors say getting a temporary visa remains a daunting and sometimes insurmountable hurdle.

The tourism industry hopes to change that with a campaign to persuade Congress to overhaul the State Department's tourist visa application process.

"After 9/11, we were all shaken and there was a real concern for security, and I still think that concern exists," said Jim Evans, a former hotel chain CEO heading a national effort to promote foreign travel to the U.S.

At the same time, he said, the U.S. needs "to be more cognizant of the importance of every single traveler."

Tourism leaders said the decline in foreign visitors over the past decade is costing American businesses and workers $859 billion in untapped revenue and at least half a million potential jobs at a time when the slowly recovering economy needs both.

While the State Department has beefed up tourist services in recent years, reducing wait times significantly for would-be visitors will likely be a challenge as officials try to balance terrorist threats and illegal immigration with tight budgets that limit hiring.

"Security is job one for us," said Edward Ramotowski, managing director of the department's visa services. "The reason we have a visa system is to enforce the immigration laws of the United States."

Anti-immigration proponents argue travel to the U.S. is already too accessible and that allowing more visitors would put the nation at greater risk.

"Everybody would like to find a way to admit as many people as possible to visit here providing that they visit and then go home," said Jessica Vaughan, director of policy studies at the Center for Immigration Studies, an anti-immigration group based in Washington, D.C.

"A lot of consular officers underestimate how much people want to come and live here," she said.

Nearly 7.6 million nonimmigrant visas were issued in 2001, compared with fewer than 6.5 million in 2010. The number of visa applicants also dropped sharply after 2001. Those combined forces pushed the U.S. share of global travelers down to 12 percent last year, from 17 percent before 2001.

The proposed immigration overhaul has largely been driven by the U.S. Travel Association, the tourism industry's lobbying giant, and has been endorsed by business titans such as the National Retail Federation, Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, and Walt Disney Parks and Resorts. Republicans and Democrats in Congress are backing the proposed changes through six bills in the House and Senate.

Geoff Freeman, the travel association's chief operating officer, said the State Department should be required to keep visa interview wait times at a maximum of 10 days.

"Every day a person is waiting for that interview is a day a person cannot be here supporting the American economy," he said.

For most foreigners, taking a last-minute business or leisure trip to New York, Los Angeles, Miami or other U.S. travel hubs would be nearly impossible. The average wait time for a visa interview in Rio de Janeiro, for example, was 87 days, according to the State Department.

The Government Accountability Office, a nonpartisan agency that audits federal programs, concluded that wait times are likely much longer than reported because some department employees artificially reduce the wait times by not scheduling interviews during high-demand periods.

The vast majority of visitors enter through the country's visa waiver program, which allows travelers from 36 nations with good relationships with the U.S. to temporarily visit without a visa. Travel proponents want to add nations whose residents are unlikely to illegally move to the U.S., including Argentina, Brazil, Poland and Taiwan.

Tourists from the rest of the world, including India, China, Mexico and other nations with affluent travelers looking to use their passports, must obtain a nonimmigrant visa. The process can be expensive and time-consuming.

People living far from a visa processing center must arrange travel to the interview location, not knowing whether they will be approved. Roughly 78 percent of all tourist visas were approved so far in 2011.

Tourism proponents want the department to embrace videoconferencing as a way to interview more people quickly. The department has no plans to implement videoconferencing interviews because of safety and technological concerns, Ramotowski said.

In-person interviews weren't the norm before 9/11, when consular officials had the authority to approve travelers based on an application alone. Since then, however, screenings have become more strenuous, with fingerprint checks and facial recognition screening of photographs.

The State Department has made moves to boost its tourist services in recent years, transferring employees from underworked offices to bustling embassies and consular posts. Many visa processing centers are also operating under extended hours.

Other proposed changes include granting more multi-entry visas and charging premium fees to tourists who want a visa right away, similar to the premium passport fee charged to Americans with last-minute passport requests. The tourism industry also wants more visa processing officers and to allow travelers to submit applications in their native language.

"We can't afford to treat them in a way that gives them an impression that maybe they aren't welcome," said Rolf Lundberg, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's top lobbyist.

To help make the U.S. appear more welcoming, Congress approved last year a $200 million annual marketing campaign.

In Las Vegas, where travelers to the Strip have traditionally kept Nevada's economy afloat, tourism and government leaders are desperate to keep businesses open and create jobs in a state with the nation's highest unemployment rate.

"The industries affected by tourism are all behind it," said Republican Rep. Joe Heck of southern Nevada, who has sponsored a bill in the House that would require shorter visa interview delays, among other measures. "We need the jobs."

Ocampo, who spent her vacation shopping at upscale boutiques and visiting family in California, said she would be more eager to come back if she knew her business was wanted.

"Everyone wants to visit the Statue of Liberty and Disneyland," she said.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/us/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111228/ap_on_re_us/us_tourist_visas

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Chicago Baseball Report :: Chicago Cubs: Team Adds Former Tampa Bay Rays Pitcher Andy Sonnanstine

The Chicago Cubs signed relief pitcher Andy Sonnanstine, formerly of the Tampa Rays, to a non-guaranteed split contract yesterday. It was also clarified that last week?s signing of former Colorado Rockies pitcher, Manny Corpas, was for a one-year non-guaranteed split contract. This means both pitchers aren?t guaranteed a major league salary if they are optioned to the minor leagues in 2012.

The Cubs are taking fliers on both pitchers, hoping to reinforce their bullpen after dealing away Sean Marshall to the Cincinnati Reds for starting pitcher Travis Wood, and prospects. Sonnanstine was rarely used last year and carries with him a career ERA that is north of 5. Corpas hasn?t pitched since 2010 after having Tommy John surgery on his throwing arm.

It?s business as usual for team president Theo Epstein and the Cubs during their current overhaul of the team. With one unsexy move after the other, Epstein and GM Jed Howry continue to plug in veterans from baseball?s over-the-hill heap, while trying to reload the organization?s farm system.

Andy Sonnanstine?s career numbers (including minor league appearances):

Year	Tm	W	L	ERA	G	GS	IP	H	ER	BB	SO	WHIP	SO/9	SO/BB
2004	TBD-min	5	1	0.78	17	7	57.2	36	5	10	66	0.798	10.3	6.60
2005	TBD-min	14	5	2.99	28	28	180.2	174	60	18	178	1.063	8.9	9.89
2006	TBD-min	15	8	2.67	28	28	185.2	151	55	34	153	0.996	7.4	4.50
2007	TBD-min	6	4	2.66	11	11	71.0	60	21	13	66	1.028	8.4	5.08
2007	TBD	6	10	5.85	22	22	130.2	151	85	26	97	1.355	6.7	3.73
2008	TBR	13	9	4.38	32	32	193.1	212	94	37	124	1.288	5.8	3.35
2009	TBD-min	5	3	4.40	9	9	57.1	68	28	9	36	1.343	5.7	4.00
2009	TBR	6	9	6.77	22	18	99.2	131	75	34	60	1.656	5.4	1.76
2010	TBD-min	0	0	6.75	1	1	1.1	2	1	1	4	2.250	27.0	4.00
2010	TBR	3	1	4.44	41	4	81.0	83	40	27	50	1.358	5.6	1.85
2011	TBD-min	3	6	4.82	10	9	56.0	64	30	15	35	1.411	5.6	2.33
2011	TBR	0	2	5.55	15	4	35.2	40	22	12	12	1.458	3.0	1.00
5 Seasons		28	31	5.26	132	80	540.1	617	316	136	343	1.394	5.7	2.52

The big glaring void at the moment is the Cubs? lack of a major league first baseman. Odds are that they won?t sign Carlos Pena, who despite 28 home runs and an OBP of .357 in 2011 with the Cubs, won?t be returning because he can still demand a salary in the neighborhood of $10 million.

Early trade rumors had Brewers free agent first baseman Prince Fielder possibly coming to Chicago after an offer was reportedly made by the Cubs, but the continued trend of recent moves by the Cubs front office is making that dream not a reality. Fielder has been reportedly looking for a deal similar to Albert Pujols, who signed with the Los Angeles Angels for 10 years, $250 million.

Another possibility is the San Diego Padres? young first baseman, Anthony Rizzo. With the Padres? recent trade involving Mat Latos going to the Cincinnati Reds, the Padres received prospect Yonder Alonso, a top prospect at first base for the Reds. This could make Rizzo expendable, and seeing as Cubs GM Jed Hoyer brought Rizzo to the Padres during his time there, he might be interested in bringing Rizzo to Chicago.

Whatever happens with the Cubs? first baseman search, it will be fascinating to see what transpires in 2012 for the team. With a patchwork lineup blending with current Cubs veterans and their bloated, no-trade-clause-laden contracts in 2012, will fans come out to Wrigley Field? Will the team enjoy more success than during their miserable 2011 campaign.

The plan has been put into motion by Epstein, and with every signing of a replacement-level veteran, it probably doesn?t get any easier for a portion of Cubs fans. Even though rebuilding is obviously required after the Jim Hendry era, fans have to know that rebuilding can sometimes be ugly, and results won?t be immediate.

-James Kries

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Amid bloodshed, Hamas prepares to leave Syria (AP)

RAMALLAH, West Bank ? Alarmed by bloody unrest in Syria, the Hamas militant group has pulled out many of its lower-level cadres from its Damascus headquarters and made contingency plans to move its leadership to locations across the Middle East, senior Hamas members have told The Associated Press.

The Hamas members say the group remains appreciative of Syrian leader Bashar Assad and there is no immediate intention to abandon their base in Damascus. But they confirmed that dozens of low and midlevel members have already left Syria as the security situation grows increasingly precarious.

"Most of Hamas has left Damascus. We have a plan B for leaving if things deteriorate," said a senior Hamas official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was discussing the inner workings of the secretive group.

Hamas, an Iranian-backed Palestinian group, has been based in Syria for more than a decade. Assad has allowed Hamas, branded a terrorist group by Israel and the West, to use his territory for military training, and provided a valuable headquarters in the heart of the Arab world.

But the uprising in Syria has put Hamas in a difficult place. The U.N. estimates that more than 5,000 people have been killed in violence since March, and Hamas is wary of being associated with the government crackdown.

If Hamas does pull out completely, the move could force it to change the way it operates since the leaders would become dispersed across the region and their new hosts may not give them as much freedom. Hamas' supreme leader, Khaled Mashaal, for instance, is set to go to Qatar, a Gulf state with close ties to the U.S. Other leaders would go to Egypt, another American ally, while others would end up in Lebanon, Turkey or the Hamas-run Gaza Strip.

Fawzi Barhoum, a Hamas leader in the group's Gaza stronghold, says Hamas "hopes that Syria will get out of its difficult internal crisis through a political solution ending further bloodshed in the country." He said there has been "no decision" to leave Damascus.

The plan is the latest sign of change in the Islamic group amid the convulsions of the Arab Spring across the Middle East the past year. The uprisings have been a mixed blessing for Hamas. On one hand, allies like Syria are in trouble. On the other hand, Islamic groups have made strong gains through peaceful elections. While Hamas leaders say they haven't abandoned their dream of destroying Israel, they also seem to be realizing that they can advance their agenda through nonviolent means.

In recent days, Mashaal said Hamas would turn focus on nonviolent protests against Israel, though he refused to renounce violence.

He also signaled that Hamas might be willing to accept a Palestinian state alongside Israel in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, the areas captured by Israel in the 1967 Mideast war. Hamas has in the past endorsed the 1967 lines as the first stage toward eliminating Israel.

Hamas also last week began the process of joining the Palestine Liberation Organization as it reconciles with the rival Fatah movement. The Fatah-dominated PLO has long sought a political settlement with Israel. Joining the PLO could give Hamas a voice, and possibly veto, in future peace efforts.

Israeli officials dismiss any suggestion that Hamas, which has killed hundreds of Israeli civilians in suicide bombings, rocket attacks and other violence, has changed. They cite the hardline speeches delivered at Hamas' 24th anniversary celebrations earlier this month, when speakers proudly called for "armed resistance" and the destruction of Israel.

"Unfortunately there is no evidence that Hamas has in any way moderated its extremist agenda," said government spokesman Mark Regev.

Barhoum said the group has not abandoned its ideology. Instead, he said it has merely changed its tactics as it adjusts to the times.

"There is a new environment around us," he said. "That doesn't mean Hamas is giving up its rights and its clear program as a resistance faction."

Hamas began its transformation into a political movement in 2006, when it defeated Fatah in Palestinian legislative elections in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

A brief power-sharing arrangement disintegrated into violence the following year, leaving Hamas in control of Gaza and the Fatah-dominated Palestinian Authority in charge of the West Bank. The sides are now holding reconciliation talks and hope to hold new elections next year.

In Gaza, Hamas on Tuesday marked the third anniversary of an Israeli military offensive in the seaside strip. The offensive, launched in response to months of intense rocket barrages, killed some 1,400 Palestinians, including hundreds of civilians, and caused widespread damage. Thirteen Israelis also died in the fighting.

At memorial ceremonies, speaker after speaker voiced their support for continued armed confrontation with Israel. After suffering heavy losses in the fighting, Hamas has largely maintained a cease-fire with Israel the past three years. Still, it is believed to have restocked its arsenal with more powerful weapons.

But Raed Nearat, a political science professor in the West Bank who is close to Hamas, said that behind the rhetoric, Hamas is in the midst of a significant change.

He said the revolutions across the Middle East, as well as elections that have voted heavily in favor of Islamic movements in Egypt, Tunisia and Morocco, have emboldened Hamas.

"The Arab Spring has made Hamas much more confident, pragmatic and open," he said. "It's much more confident now that it can lead."

This week, the prime minister of the Gaza government, Ismail Haniyeh, left the territory for the first time since the 2007 takeover on an official tour of the Muslim world. His first stop was Egypt, with planned visits to Sudan, Qatar, Bahrain, Tunisia and Turkey.

Hamas officials say the goal of the trip is to improve ties with Muslim countries swept up in the uprisings shaking the Arab world. In Egypt, Haniyeh met with the leader of Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood, the biggest winner in the first parliamentary elections since the Feb. 11 fall of Hosni Mubarak.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mideast/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111228/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_palestinians_changing_hamas

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Nine shot at Tennessee teenagers' party (Reuters)

(Reuters) ? Nine people were shot, though no deaths were reported, after gunfire broke out at a teenagers' party at a nightclub in Chattanooga and another location nearby, Tennessee, a police official said on Sunday.

Police were called to the "teen party" in downtown Chattanooga at around midnight on Saturday following reports of multiple gun shots, the Chattanooga Police Department said in a statement.

Several revelers were struck and wounded by gunfire, including a 17-year-old boy who was hit in the pelvis and underwent surgery at a local hospital, department spokesman Sgt. Jerri Weary said.

An off-duty Chattanooga police officer working at the nightclub where the party was being held, fired at a suspect who pointed a gun at him during the shootings, Weary said. The officer was not hit during the incident.

At the same time, police also responded to a second shooting nearby, although it was not immediately clear if the incidents were related.

"Due to the number of victims and potential number of suspects, details from both incidents are still inconclusive," Weary said.

"We have not had anybody come forward (saying) that they were shot, but people fled the scene ... We are still trying to piece this together," she added.

Weary said no arrests had been made, and that it was unclear if there were one or more suspects involved.

No deaths were reported. All of the victims were taken to local hospitals. Only some were admitted, Weary said.

(Reporting by Eric Johnson; Editing by Tim Gaynor)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/us/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111225/us_nm/us_tennessee_shooting

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After Their Very Business-Like Win Over the Rams on Christmas ...

I didn't get a chance to see a lot of Saturday's game between the Steelers and Rams because of work (I plan on watching a replay of it tonight), but when it was 13-0 in the 4th quarter, all I could think about was how crappy it must have been to be a Rams fan watching that game. Even the Rams fan from the NFL commercial who painted his face and wore that fright wig must of had a difficult time sitting through that game. Not only were the Rams 2-12 going into Saturday's contest, but there was little to nothing to cheer about during that game. Even a spectacular blow-out loss would have been preferable to the way the Steelers methodically did away with St. Louis on Christmas Eve.

It made me appreciate being a Steelers fan even more, because like Maryrose has said on numerous occasions, the Steelers haven't played a game when they were out of playoff contention since December 31st, 2006. When you think about that, it's pretty remarkable.

It's almost hard to imagine watching a game with nothing really to play for. Even one of those end-of-season games where your team has everything wrapped up and is just resting its key starters for the postseason is at least a little enjoyable to watch because of the playoffs being on the horizon.

Speaking of playoffs on the horizon, the Steelers still have a shot at the AFC North crown and a bye as we head to the finish line.

Heading into this past weekend's action, the Steelers needed losses by the Ravens and Texans in-order to gain the upper hand in both the AFC North and the race to the bye in the first round of the playoffs provided they took care of business against St. Louis. Unfortunately, like the Steelers, the Ravens and Texans were playing two teams that were out of contention a long time ago. Surprisingly, however, the Texans lost to the 1-13 Colts on Thursday night, and even though the Browns couldn't knock off the Ravens on Saturday, at least the Steelers inched a little closer to a possible bye.

If you ask me, the prospects for a bye are looking a lot better today.

The Steelers may not control all of their playoff destiny, but the Cincinnati Bengals certainly do after they defeated the Cardinals on Saturday and the Jets lost at "home" to the Giants.

Before this past weekend, the Bengals and Jets had identical 8-6 records, but the Jets held the tiebreaker over Cincy. Now, at 9-6, Cincinnati only needs to defeat Baltimore at home in-order to clinch the final playoff spot in the AFC.

We'll get to see who is a more desperate football team on Sunday: A Bengals team with their playoff lives on the line or a Ravens team with a chance to earn their first division title since 2006 and the bye that would accompany it. One might automatically assume that the Bengals would be the more desperate of the two, but the Ravens are only 3-4 on the road this year and would fall from the 2nd seed, a bye and at least one home playoff game all the way down to the 5th spot and road games throughout the postseason if they can't win their division. Also, Baltimore went 8-0 at home this year and may have the best homefield advantage in the AFC right now. Besides that, Ray Lewis and Company are a prideful bunch, and the last thing they'd want to see happen is the Steelers celebrating another AFC North crown after losing to the Ravens twice this year.

And I wouldn't put it past the Bengals to choke. The last time the Bengals were in this exact situation, it was that same day the Steelers played their last game out of playoff contention--December 31st, 2006--and Pittsburgh knocked off the Bengals in overtime, and Cincinnatie missed the playoffs.

If the Bengals were to win, it would only help the Steelers if they won their last game in Cleveland.

I'm not too worried about that part of the equation. I know a lot of Steelers fans are going to be concerned with the Browns wanting to cripple Pittsburgh's Super Bowl chances, but the fans were worried about the exact same thing last year when Pittsburgh had to travel to Cleveland for the final week with a division title and bye on the line. But the Browns must have been more interested in their offseason plans than sabotaging the Steelers season, because Pittsburgh made short work of the Brownies, 41-9.

I see the same thing happening this year. Maybe not a 41-9 win (still a question as to whether or not Ben Roethlisberger will play in the final week), but I don't see this veteran Super Bowl team letting the Browns stand in the way of them and a possible better playoff seed.

My brother informed me last night that the NFL moved the Steelers/Browns game to 4:15. I was hoping the Bengals/Ravens game was played at 1pm so Mike Tomlin could know his team's fate before the game and act accordingly, but he won't get that luxury since that game will also be played at 4:15.

In any event, I'd say the Steelers are still very much in the mix for a bye as we head to the regular season finale

Source: http://www.behindthesteelcurtain.com/2011/12/26/2661642/after-their-very-business-like-win-over-the-rams-on-christmas-even

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