The Michigan Daily - michiganclaily.com
Friday, January 5, 2007 - 3
The Michigan Daily - michigandailycom Friday, January 5, 2007 - 3
NEWS BRIEFS
WASHINGTON
Bush names retired
admiral to top
intelligence spot
Retired Vice Adm. Mike McCo-
nnell, a veteran of more than 25
years in the intelligence field,
will be named by President Bush
to succeed John Negroponte as
national intelligence director, a
senior administration official said
yesterday.
Negroponte will move to the
State Department to become the
No. 2 to Secretary of State Condo-
leezza Rice.
The nominations of McConnell
and Negroponte are expected to be
announced by Bush today.
MOGADISHU, Somalia
Kenya closes
border, U. S. guards
coast as Somalia
fighting continues
Somali government troops backed
by Ethiopian soldiers battled about
600 Islamic militiamen yesterday
on the southern tip of this Horn of
Africa nation, and U.S. Navy forces
prevented the militants from fleeing
by sea, authorities said.
A U.S. diplomat said she hoped
peacekeepers from the region could
be in place by month's end in Soma-
lia, where the Council of Islamic
Courts militiasawere driven from the
THEY SEE ME ROLLING
Pelosi sworn in as first
female speaker of House
Dingell administers
oath to represenative
from San Franciso
WASHINGTON (AP) - The
spotlight belonged to Nancy Pelosi
on yesterday as she became the first
woman in U.S. history to stand at
the head of the House of Represen-
tatives, second in line to the presi-
dency.
Pelosi, a 66-year-old Democrat,
aimed to introduce herself to Amer-
ica not just as the San Francisco
liberal decried by Republicans, but
also as an Italian-American Catho-
lic, mother of five and native of
gritty Baltimore, where her father
was mayor.
She arrived on the House floor
for the historic event with her six
grandchildren in tow, including
baby Paul Michael Vos, born to
her daughter Alexandra in early
November. She thanked her family
for supporting her journey "from
the kitchen to the Congress."
After her election by a vote of
233-202, the chamber's Democrat-
ic-Republican breakdown, Pelosi
stood holding the sleeping infant -
who did not stir - and shookhands
as she accepted congratulations
from her fellow House members.
Minutes later, cheers erupted in
the chamber as House Republican
leader John Boehner handed her
the speaker's gavel. Pelosi always
has said she wants to be judged
by her abilities, not her gender,
but she happily acknowledged the
importance of her achievement.
Pelosiwas sworn inby Rep. John
Dingell, the longest-serving mem-
ber of the House.
Dingell, a Democrat whose dis-
trict includes Ann Arbor, admin-
istered the same oath to former
Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.),12
years ago when Republicans seized
the House after 40 years of Demo-
cratic control - and the 79-year-
old is set to get back his gavel as
chairman of the House Energy and
Commerce Committee.
"Today I thank my colleagues.
By electing me as speaker you have
brought us closer to the ideal of
equality that is America's heritage
and America's hope," Pelosi said.
"This is an historic moment - for
the Congress, and for the women of
America. It is a moment for which
we have waited more than 200
years. Never losing faith, we waited
through the many years of struggle
to achieve our rights."
"For our daughters and grand-
daughters, today we have broken
the marble ceiling," she said. "For
our daughters and our grand-
daughters now, the sky is the
limit."
Pelosi had entered the chamber
to prolonged cheers from fellow
House members and the packed
visitors' galleries, where onlook-
ers included actor Richard Gere
and singer Tony Bennett, crooner
of "I Left My Heart in San Fran-
cisco."
Pelosi began her history-mak-
ing day at a prayer service with
her husband, Paul, and a daughter
at St. Peter's Catholic Church near
the Capitol. Attending the service
with her were Republican leaders
that her party put into the minority
in the November election: Boehner
and Minority Whip Roy Blunt of
Missouri.
Also there were new House
Majority Leader Steny Hoyer of
Maryland, a one-time Pelosi rival
elected by House Democrats to be
her No. 2 over her protests, and
Democratic Party Chairman How-
ard Dean.
She also attended a ceremonial
swearing-in of the Congressional
Black Caucus, where the incoming
leader of the 42-member group,
Rep. Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick
(D-Mich.) made clear that they
intended to have a voice in the
new Congress. "She must deliver
becauseblack people delivered that
we might have this majority,"Kil-
patrick said of Pelosi.
Sushi Chef Dong-Hun Jang prepares a platter of sushi yesterday at Totoro, a
Japanese restaurant on State Street.
Study: 2007wibe
warmest ye yret
El Nino, greenhouse
gases could cause
uptick in natural
disasters
ocean.
There is a 60 percent chance that
the average global temperature
for 2007 will match or break the
record, Britain's Meteorological
Office said yesterday. The conse-
quences of the high temperatures
could he felt worldwide.
capital of Mogadishu and much of LONDON (AP) - Deepening El Nino, which is now under wa
the south last week. But peacekeep- drought in Australia. Stronger in the Pacific Ocean and is expect
ers could face bloody reprisals from typhoons in Asia. Floods in Latin ed to last until May, occurs irregu
the militias, who want to rule by the America. larly. But when it does, winter
Quran and have vowed to launch an British climate scientists predict in Southeast Asia tend to become
Iraqi-style guerrilla war. that a resurgent El Nino climate milder, summers in Australia ge
Somalia hasn't had an effective trend combined with higher levels drier, and Pacific storms can b
central government in 15 years. of greenhouse gases could touch off more intense. The U.N.'s Food Ai
a fresh round of ecological disas- Organization has warned that ris
WASHINGTON ters - and make 2007 the world's ing temperatures could wreak
hottest year on record. agricultural havoc.
Head of nuclear "Even a moderate (El Nino) In Australia, which is strug
warming event is enough to push gling through its worst drough
agency leaving the global temperatures over the on record, the impact on farmer
top," said Phil Jones, director of the could be devastating. The countr
under pressure over Climatic Research unit at the Uni- has already registered its smalles
versity of East Anglia. wheat harvest in a decade, foo
security lapses The warmest year on record prices are rising, and severe wate
is 1998, when the average global restrictions have put thousands o
Energy Secretary Samuel Bod- temperature was 1.2 degrees Fahr- farmers at risk of bankruptcy.
man yesterday dismissed the chief enheit higher than the long-term In other cases, El Nino's effect
of the country's nuclear weap- average of 57 degrees. Though such are more ambiguous. Rains linked
ons program because of security a change appears small, incremen- to the phenomenon led to bumper
breakdowns at the Los Alamos, tal differences can, for example, crops in Argentina in 1998, bu
N.M., laboratory and other facili- add to the ferocity of storms by floods elsewhere in Latin America
ties. evaporating more steam off the devastated subsistence farmers.
Linton Brooks said he would
leave in two weeks to three weeks
as head of the National Nuclear Death sentences drop to
Security Administration, a post he
held since July2002. lowest level in 30 years
under Brooks, a former ambassador (AP) - The number of death sen- from 128 in 2005, and even lower
and arms control negotiator, had tences handed out in the United than the 137 sentences the year
not adequately fixed security prob- States dropped in 2006 to the lowest after the U.S. Supreme Court rein
lems. "I have decided it is time for level since capital punishment was stated the death penalty in 1976. I
new leadership at the NNSA," Bod- reinstated 30 years ago, reflecting is also down sharply from the high
man said. what some experts say is a growing of 317 in 1996.
fear that the criminal justice system A total of 53 executions were
LANSING will make a tragic and irreversible carried out in 2006, down from
mistake. 60 in 2005. Executions over the
State regional Executions fell, too, to the fewest past three decades peaked at 98 in
in a decade. 1999.
jobless rates went "The death penalty is on the Among the many causes given b
defensive," said Richard Dieter, prosecutors, lawyers and deathpen
up in November director of the Death Penalty altycritics: the passage of more state
Information Center, a Washington laws that allow juries to impose life
Seasonally unadjusted unem- organization that looks at problems without parole; an overall dro
ployment rates in most of Mich- with the capital punishment sys- in violent crime; and a reluctanc
igan's labor markets rose in tem. among some authorities to pursue
November, state officials said yes- Death sentences fell in 2006 to the death penalty because of th
terday. 114 or fewer, according to an esti- high costs of prosecuting a capita
Jobless rates increased in 16 of mate from the group. That is down case.
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United States's next move on Iraq
likely to involve increase in troops
Bush to address the mission is clear and specific and with al-Maliki.
canbe accomplished." Senior gener- The president said he talked
nation next week als have cautioned against sending with the prime minister about the
additional troops unless their role final moments of Saddam's life,
WASHINGTON (AP) - President is defined. when he was taunted before being
Bush said yesterday he wished the Bush and Prime Minister Nouri hanged. An unauthorized video
execution of Saddam Hussein "had al-Maliki spoke on a secure video showed images of Saddam's dan-
gone in a more dignified way." After hookup for nearly two hours -a sign gling body. The White House has
conferring with Iraq's prime min- the president was close to announc- been reluctant to criticize the pro-
ister, Bush also said he will make a ing his new strategy for Iraq. The ceedings, which have been con-
speech next week announcing his White House said it could be their demned by some world leaders as
decisions about how to proceed with last conversationbefore Bush details deplorable.
the nearly four-year-old war. his decisions in a major speech. Bush announced that he would
Considering more troops to deal Bush appeared later with Ger- gobefore the nation next week with
with the rising violence in Baghdad, man Chancellor Angela Merkel and his long-anticipated speech about
Bush said he wants to "make sure recounted some of his discussions the next steps in Iraq.
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Michigan's 17 lahor market regions,
compared with October levels.
State officials said the changes
were typical, such as the loss of
seasonal tourism jobs in northern
Michigan.
The only area with a lower
unadjusted unemployment rate in
November was the Monroe region
in the southeast corner of the state.
The jobless rate there was 5.9 per-
cent in November, down from 6.3
percent.
Ann Arbor's jobless rate rose
from 4.1 percent to 4.2 percent.
- Compiled from
Daily wire reports
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488
Number of cities being put
back on the Georgia high-
way map produced annual-
ly by the state department
of transportation, The
Associated Press reported.
The towns, with names
including Hopeulikit and
Po Biddy Crossroads, had
been removed to make the
map clearer.
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