The Michigan Daily - michigandailycom
Wednesday, December 13, 2006 - 3
NEWS BRIEFS ALPHA PHI ALPHA
From page 1
WASHINGTON
Bush gives no hint
of new direction for
war in Iraq
President Bush, facing intense
pressure to craft a new blueprint
for the Iraq war, said yesterday
the U.S. is holding fast to its objec-
tives and commitment. The White
House said he knows the general
direction he wants to move U.S.
policy but won't announce it until
next month.
White House press secretary
Tony Snow said the president had
expected to make a speech before
Christmas to announce his new
strategy for Iraq but still had ques-
tions and was not yet ready to
make all the decisions he needed
to make.
"The president generally knows
what direction he wants to move in,
but there are very practical things
that need to be dealt with," Snow
said. "This is not a sign of trouble.
This is a sign of determination on
the part of the president."
IPSWITCH, England
Bodies of two
prostitutes found
The search for a serial killer who
preys on prostitutes in eastern Eng-
land intensified yesterday with the
discovery of two more bodies, and
detectives warned sex workers "to
get off the streets as soon as pos-
sible." -
The two bodies found yesterday
have not been identified, but the
detective leading the investigation
said it was likelythey were those of
Annette Nicholls and Paula Clen-
nell, two prostitutes who had been
missing for days.
Detectives were already investi-
gating the deaths of three women,
whose naked bodies were found
a few miles apart. One body was
foundinastream, another in a pond
and a third in the woods, about 30
yards from a road.
WASHINGTON
Military meets
recruiting goals
Although Americans are increas-
ingly pessimistic about the war in
Iraq,the Pentagon said yesterday it is
havingsuccess enlisting newtroops.
The Navy and Air Force met their
recruiting goals last month while
the Army and Marine Corps exceed-
ed theirs, the Defense Department
announced.
The Army, which is bearing the
brunt of the work in Iraq, did the
best. It signed up 6,485 new recruits
in November compared with its tar-
get of 6,150 - meaning 105 percent
of its goal.
WASHINGTON
Government
appeals mandate to
Members tutor children at the
BethelAfricanMethodist Episcopal
Church every Sunday morning at 9
a.m. Last year, they painted a mural
in Alice Lloyd Residence Hall for
Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
This yearthey plan to revamp the
way they celebrate King's legacy.
"This year we will do something
better," said Alan Crawford, the
campus chapter's vice president.
"We will never be complacent with
what we do, that's the goal."
The fraternity began at Cor-
nell University in 1906 to support
minority students facing racial and
social prejudice. Four years later,
the University of Michigan's chap-
ter was founded. It was the fifth in
the nation.
Fed leaves interest
rates unchanged
RESIGNATION
From page 1
Bealafeld questioned Floyd over
budget issues. In his e-mail, Wil-
liams implied that this was because
Floyd is black. He said Daily Edi-
tor in Chief Donn Fresard went
unscathed. Williams implied that
this was because Fresard is white.
"This attack went on approxi-
mately 20 minutes while the white
male editor went untouched - even
when he had the audacity to request
increases in funds during a discus-
sion of his deficits," Williams wrote
in the second e-mail, which was a
response to a request from Reische
to discuss the issues surrounding
Williams's resignation, which he
declined.
Williams could not be reached
for comment yesterday.
According to several meeting
attendees, the board had plenty of
criticism for Fresard as well.
"Our collective impressions was
that if anything we were much
harder on Donn," Reische said.
"Anyone who would say we weren't
being hard on Donn wasn't paying
attention."
Floyd said that while she couldn't
be sure of Bealafeld's motives,
she didn't think the scrutiny she
received was racially motivated.
She said her race has never made
her feel uncomfortable working
with the board.
"Being business manager and
working with the board, I've never
felt discriminated against," Floyd
said.
WASHINGTON (AP) - The
Federal Reserve kept interest rates
steady yesterday, giving holiday
shoppers a reason for some cheer.
However, the Fed held back an
extra gift Wall Street was hoping
for: a signal that rates might actu-
allybe lowered soon.
Wrapping up their last meeting
of the year, Fed chairman Ben Ber-
nanke and all but one of his central
bank colleagues agreed to leave an
important rate unchanged at 5.25
percent, the fourth straight meet-
ing without budging the rate.
That meant commercial banks'
prime interest rate - for certain
credit cards, home equity lines of
credit and other loans - stayed at
8.25 percent, once again giving a
break to borrowers who until this
summer had endured the pain of
two-plus year of rate increases.
"The Fed is not acting like the Grin-
ch this Christmas. Butitis not putting
presents in anyone's stocking, either,"
said Mark Zandi, chief economist at
Moody's Economy.com.
On Wall Street, stocks dipped
as disappointed investors failed to
get a sign that the Fed was mov-
ing toward cutting rates. The Dow
Jones industrials lost 12.90 points
to close at 12,315.58.
Discussing economic conditions,
Fed policymakers said growth has
slowed over the course of the year,
partly reflecting a "substantial cool-
ing" of the housing market. That
description went beyond the Fed's
previous assessment in late Octo-
ber and suggested a sharper slump
in housing was taking place.
Nonetheless, policymakers stuck
with their previous judgment that
the economy probably will expand
at a moderate pace in coming quar-
ters. This time they hedged their
assessment a bit and noted that
recent economic barometers have
been mixed.
Analysts viewed the Fed's charac-
terization of the economy's growth
prospects as slightly weaker than at
the previous meeting in late October.
Still, the Fed didn't hint that it
would actually cut rates any time
soon as some Wall Street investors
would like.
Instead, it once again kept open
the possibility of a rate increase
if inflation should show signs of
flaring up. "Some inflation risks
remain," policymakers said. "The
extent and timing of any addition-
al firming that may be needed" to
address these risks would hinge on
economic reports, they said.
For the fourth meeting in a row,
Jeffrey Lacker, president of the
Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond,
Va., was the lone dissenter. Lacker
said he would have preferred that
the Fed boost interest rates by one-
quarter percentage point.
Looking ahead, few economists
believe the Federal Reserve will
boost rates. The Fed itself is betting
that slower economic growth will
eventually lessen inflation pres-
sures..
ORIENTATION
From page 1
not have authority over the direc-
tion of our organization."
The rift between Acosta and the
MESA stems mainly from what
Acosta says is a misunderstanding
over an e-mail he sent to Lopez ear-
lier this month.
On Dec. 4, Lopez included a link
to the MESA website in an e-mail
about recruiting ALMA volunteers.
Two days later, she received a
response from Acosta asking her to
remove MESA's name from ALMA
program announcements, publica-
tions and information sheets.
ALMA members said they felt
insulted by the e-mail and con-
sidered in an attempt by Acosta to
break ties between the two organi-
zations.
But Acosta said he only intended
to inform Lopez that her original e-
mail was not authorized by MESA
and misled people into believing
that his office was hiring.
"As a Latino person, I'm happy
ALMA runs and I'm happy with the
work they've done," Acosta said. "I
want to continue to work with the
Latino community."
In aftermath of Proposal 2's pas-
sage, Acosta has had to deal with
student groups anxious about the
future of minority communities at
the University.
After Proposal 2 passed last
month, Acosta sent ane-mail assur-
ing multi-ethnic communities on
campus that MESA would continue
to serve all students.
But LSA senior Franco Muzzio,
a former ALMA coordinator, said
Acosta's actions haven't matched
his words.
"On the heels of Proposal 2's
passing, the Multi-Ethnic Student
Affairs Office - an office put in
place to serve and support Univer-
sity students - should be comfort-
ing and supporting the University's
minority communities," Muzzio
said in ane-mail interview.
Senate passes bill JOIN THEDALY'S
ONLINE STAFF.
to expand Taser use E-MAIL DOKAS@
MICHIGANDAILY.COM.
some question Taser-related
deaths and worry the technology
is used too routinely, not as a last As Usnversir© fMichigarrAtrunsri,
resort. We've been supporting the
"I'm not convinced they're so U .
benign," says Sen. Liz Brater, an UM Commoniy since 1939
Ann Arbor Democrat who voted Now Come Support Us!!
against the bill along with five
other Democrats and a Republi-
can. "They're being presented as Dfsco L i r
if they're some kind of water pistol
or something. That's not what they 3041/2S. STATE ST
are." 2nd FLOOR
The bill's sponsor, Republican 734668 9329
Rep. Rick Jones of Grand Ledge,
responds that Tasers are a safer
and better alternative to firing a
gun. He says he could even sup-
port letting civilians carry Tasers
if they have a concealed weapons WWW.DASCOLABAIBERS.COM
permit. WA I- I.N AdW MEf
Student shoots self in Pa. school
ERDENHEIM, Pa. (AP) - An
11th-grader despondent that poor
grades would lead his parents to
curtail his after-school activities
brought a rifle to school and killed
himself between classes ina school
hallway yesterday, authorities said.
No one else was injured and the
gunman, Shane Joseph Halligan,
had no intention of hurting anyone
else when he opened fire at Spring-
field Township High School just
after 9 a.m., Montgomery County
District Attorney Bruce L. Castor
Jr. said.
Halligan, 16, was an Eagle scout
and volunteer firefighter who
planned a career in the military.
But the poor grades he brought
home on his report card Monday
led his parents to warn him he had
to focus on school.
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redesign currency
The Bush administration yester-
day asked an appeals court to over-
turn a ruling that could require a
redesign of the nation's currency to
help the blind.
Justice Department lawyers filed
the appeal with the U.S. Court of
Appeals for the District of Colum-
bia Circuit on behalf of Treasury
Secretary Henry Paulson.
The appeal seeks to overturn
a ruling last month by U.S. Dis-
trict Judge James Robertson, who
ordered Treasury to come up with
ways for the blind to recognize the
different denominations of paper
currency.
Robertson had ruled in a lawsuit
brought by the American Council
of the Blind. The council proposed
several options for changes, includ-
ing printing different size bills or
changing the texture by adding
embossed dots or foil.
- Compiled from
Daily wire reports
calr yorure account execstveat 73461515tforths excitin.nwofer nthrdas
1
34
Years until global warm-
ing prevents the Arctic Sea
from freezing, according to
a study released yesterday
by the University of Wash-
ington, McGill University
and the National Central for
Atmospheric Research.