The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com

Tuesday, November 24, 2009 - 3

NEWS BRIEFS
LANSING, Mich.
Mich. says flu has
killed 54 in state
since April
Michigan health officials say
influenza has killed 54 people in
the state since April 1 and 44 since
Sept. 1, when swine flu began gain-
ing steam.
The Michigan Community
Health Department said Monday
that 26,868 flu cases were reported
in the state from Nov. 8-14.
Since Sept. 1, officials say 1,530
0 people have been hospitalized in
Michigan for the flu.
The department says in Michi-
gan, authorities have allocated at
least 1.9 million doses of the vac-
cine for the HIN1 virus, which
causes swine flu. That means
medical personnel have received
0 permission to receive that number
of doses.
WASHINGTON
Democrats: Health
care bill saves
money and jobs
Two Democratic senators say
0 the health care overhaul bill now
going to the Senate floor for debate
is a key to saving jobs and reduc-
ing the spiraling American budget
deficit.
Democratic Sen. Debbie Stabe-
now of Michigan says health care
cost reductions for employers will
0 save 3.5 million jobs.
Democratic Sen. Arlen Specter
of Pennsylvania says the health
care measure would save the coun-
try $800 billion over the coming 20
years.
Republican senators aren't buy-
* ing those arguments.
Republican Sen. Lamar Alexan-
der of Tennessee-predicts the mea-
sure will collapse under its own
weight during debate. And Repub-
lican Sen. Kit Bond of Missouri
calls the Democratic-sponsored
measure a "scam."
The senators spoke on "Fox
News Sunday."
WASHINGTON
Obamato receive
visit from India's PM
India has watched with wari-
ness as President Barack Obama's
administration has lavished
attention on rivals Pakistan and
China. Now, Obama is trying to
ease Indian worries by honoring
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh
with the first state visit of his
presidency.
India will receive Tuesday's
*elaborate welcome because the
relationship quietly has become
one of the most important the
United States has. It is seen
as crucial to the U.S.-led fight
against extremists in Pakistan
and Afghanistan, as a counter-
weight to China and as key to
efforts to settle world trade and
climate change deals.
Singh's visit, howevar, comes at
a delicate time. Indians are bris-
tling over a perception that Obama
neglected India during his recent
trip to Asia and seemed to endorse
a stronger role for China in India's

sensitive dealings with Pakistan.
HEGANG, China
Families demand
answers to mine
explosion
Grieving family members
demanded answers Monday from
mining officials about the under-
ground gas explosion that left at
least 104 men dead in northeastern
China.
The massive blast Saturday in
Hegang city in frigid Heilongjiang
province erupted at night when
some 500 miners were working
below ground. Most escaped, but
104 were confirmed dead and an
additional four were missing and
feared dead, the official Xinhua
news agency reported Monday.
The explosion at the Xinxing
coal mine, which belongs to the
state-owned Heilongjiang Long-
mei Mining Holding Group, was
the deadliest in China's mining
industry in two years, and has
highlighted how heavy demand for
9 power-generating coal comes at a
high human cost.
At the gates of the mining com-
pany's offices, family members and
friends confronted mining officials
with questions until some of them
were escorted into an office by
police, security guards and other
officials.
- Compiled from
Daily wire reports

Tax credit
gives big boost
for home sales

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu seen during a Faction meeting of his Likud party, in Jerusalem, yesterday.
Israel, Ham Sas near swap
Of prisoners for soldier

Israel to release
1,000 prisoners if
deal goes through
JERUSALEM (AP) - Hamas
leaders raced to Egypt on Monday
amid signs of progress on a deal
to swap hundreds of Palestinian
prisoners for a captive Israeli sol-
dier held by the Islamic militant
group for more than three years.
The exchange could boost
Hamas at the expense of its key
rival, Western-backed Palestin-
ian President Mahmoud Abbas, in
part because one of the prisoners
to be freed is Marwan Barghouti,
his main challenger.
Officials on both sides cautioned
against exaggerated optimismthat
adealisabouttobeconcluded.Even
so, conditions for a deal appear to
be ripening on both sides.
Israel and Hamas have been
locked in on-again, off-again talks
since Gaza militants tunneled
into Israel and captured Sgt. Gilad
Schalit in a 2006 raid that killed
two other soldiers. Until recently,
the Egyptian-mediated talks had
made little progress.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu is eager for a break-
through. Bringing Schalit home
would give him a huge domestic
boost and provide an important
diplomatic victory at a time when
much of the international commu-
nity is criticizing him fornot doing
enough to promote peace.
Israel's ceremonial president,
Shimon Peres, confirmed prog-
ress in the talks after meeting with
Egypt's president Sunday in Cairo.
Hamas, the Iranian-backed
militant group that controls
Gaza, is also hungry for prog-
ress. Exchanging Schalit for hun-
dreds of prisoners would provide
a swift popularity boost for the
militant group among Palestin-
ians, who see the imprisonment
of thousands of their countrymen
in Israeli jails as one of their main
grievances against Israel.

It could also help ease the
group's deep international isola-
tion and lead to a lifting of a bruis-
ingIsraeli economicblockade.The
embargo, imposed after Hamas
seized control ofGaza in 2007, has
prevented repairs of heavy dam-
age inflicted by an Israeli military
offensive nearly a year ago.
The recent involvement of
German mediators, who enjoy
the trust of both sides, also has
improved the climate.
While previous attempts to
reach a deal have repeatedly bro-
ken down, both sides have sig-
naled they are serious.
Though no official statements
have been made, it appears that
Netanyahu is prepared to release
more hard-core Palestinian mili-
tants than his predecessor, Ehud
Qlmert, fulfilling a key Hamas
demand. He also is believed to
have agreed to include some Israe-
li-Arab prisoners in the deal.
Hamas has shown flexibility on
some important issues, particu-
larly Israel's insistence that some
150 prisoners are expected to be
deported to countries elsewhere
in the Middle East or Europe -
although still to be worked out is
whether these would eventually
be allowed to return to the Pal-
estinian territories. Hamas also
released a video of Schalit last
month, the most solid confirmta-
tion he is alive.
Inasignofitsseriousness,Hamas
said over the weekend that all of
Gaza's militant groups had agreed
to suspend rocket attacks on Israel.
However, the Israeli military said
Palestinians fired a rocket at Israel
after nightfall Monday. Israel has
vowed to retaliate for every rocket
attack, and such an exchange could
unravel the prisoner swap.
A senior Hamas delegation
led by strongman Mahmoud
Zahar and two top members of
the group's armed wing, which
is holding Schalit, crossed into
Egypt from Gaza. Witnesses said
Israeli military helicopters hov-
ered overhead as the delegation

headed to the border, though the
Israeli military said it had no air-
craft in the area at the time.
A member of Hamas' Syrian-
based leadership, Moussa , Abu
Marzouk, said "there is progress"
in the talks but gave no details on
the timing of a possible deal.
Late Monday, the Hamas lead-
ership in Damascus, Syria, issued
a statement charging that Israel
was trying to create pressure
through leaks to the media. The
statement said it was "too early
to speak about certain results or a
close agreement on the deal."
Speaking to members of his
Likud Party, Netanyahu cautioned
it could be some time before an
agreement is completed. He told
lawmakers he would hold a par-
liamentary debate on any deal and
bringitto his Cabinet for approval.
Netanyahu could face some
opposition in his hard-line coali-
tion, but would likely be able to
pass the swap in his Cabinet. The
deal would also be subject to a
48-hour period for opponents to
file legal challenges.
A Palestinian familiar with the
talks said Israel was preparing to
release some 1,000 Palestinian
prisoners in the swap. The Pales-
tinian, who spoke on condition of
anonymity because of the sensi-
tivity of the issue, said the pris-
oners would be released in two
stages.
The initial batch of 450 people is
expected to include many serving
lengthy sentences for deadly attacks
on Israelis. Among them would
be Barghouti, a popular leader of
Hamas rival Fatah, who is serving
five consecutive life terms for his
role in shooting attacks that killed
four Israelis and a Greek monk.
Several Palestinian officials,
who spoke on condition of ano-
nymity because of the sensitivity
of the situation, said the sides had
agreed on the names and num-
bers of prisoners to be freed, and
that only smaller details, such as
logistics and timing, needed to be
ironed out.

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ousing market of North Carolina. "They're not
riding around with me if they need
upturn, overall to go shopping or buy a turkey."
Joey Wilson and her husband
Conomy still made unsuccessful offers on 20
Las Vegas homes starting in mid-
struggles summer before they closed on a
four-bedroom, $136,000 home
INGTON (AP) - First- this month.
yers taking advantage of "It's insane," said Wilson, who
I tax credit gave sales of relocated from Kentucky. "I've
homes their biggest surge never seen a market like this
'ade, raising hopes for a before."
nd in the housingmarket The housing market is being
sing Wall Street. driven by reduced prices and fed-
rising foreclosures and eral programs to lower mortgage
ring jobs still threaten rates and bring more buyers into
eback, there are now bid- the market. The median sales
rs for houses in some cit- price was $173,100 in October,
home sales are nearly 36 down 7 percent from a year earlier
above their low point in and 25 percent below the peak.
Many experts predict prices
sts said the gains in Octo- will hit a new low next spring,
ily reflected the tax credit perhaps falling 5 to 10 percent
8,000 for new homeown- further as more foreclosures spill
ch was due to expire this into the market. The government
efore Congress extended has tried to counter that trend by
pring - and expanded it offering the tax credit and keep-
buyers. ing mortgage rates low.
ales figures Monday from Without the a deadline loom-
onal Association of Real- ing for the tax credit, home sales
vided the juice for a rally are likely to fall over the win-
Street. The Dow Jones ter as buyers hibernate for a few
al average, also. lifted by months. Analysts say the new
ollar, rose more than 130 deadline - buyers have to sign
a purchase agreement by April
sts said the extension of 30 - means sales will surge next
ebuyer tax credit should spring, before dropping back
tain the housing market again later in 2010.
r. Yet the overall economy What happens after that is any-
mably benefit only slightly one's guess.
her home sales. "When we do kick those
because there are still crutches out from under the hous-
y factors weighing down ing market, will it be able to stand
very. Foreclosures are ris- on its own?" said Mark Fleming,
creation is slow. People chief economist with First Ameri-
reluctant to spend. And can CoreLogic. "It's really hard to
'ion of new homes - as tell."
to sales of existing ones The government has also
d in October. helped the housing market by act-
iggest contribution the ing to lower mortgage rates. The
industry makes to eco- Federal Reserve, for example, has
growth is from home pumped $1.25 trillion into mort-
. Commissions and fees gage-backed securities to try to
d from home sales also lower mortgage rates and loosen
t far less than construe- credit. That program is scheduled
to end by March.
uldn't want to bet the If rates go up without the
on housing, really, in government help, homes wuld
the strength of the U.S. he less affordable, which could
7 going forward," said dampen demand.
wonk, chief economist at A disquieting report last week
Financial in Chicago." from the Mortgage Bankers Asso-
ealtors group said resales ciation said more fixed-rate homte
percent to a seasonally loans made to people with good
annual rate of 6.1 mil- credit were sinking into foreclo-
ictober, from 5.5 million sure aslayoffsgoon.Arecord-high
mber. It was the biggest 14 percent of homeowners with a
increase in a decade and mortgage were either behind on
r than what economists payments or in foreclosure at the
I, according to Thomson end of September.
In areas where foreclosures
currentsales pacethere's have hit hard, housing remains
t seven-month supply of depressed, despite low prices, low
ly occupied homes on the mortgage rates and the tax credit.
Sales are still running 16 Yet for homebuyers with cash and
below their peak in 2005, access to credit, falling prices and
estate agents say the pace low mortgage rates have proved
iltely picked up. irresistible.
le who are looking, The Realtors' report on October
serious," said Harrison home sales reflects offers made
an agent with ZipRealty before buyers knew the credit
he Raleigh-Durham area would be extended.

Medical marijuana finds
social outlet in Oregon cafe

As federal officials
decrease regulation,
pot lounges open
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - At
the newly opened Cannabis Cafe,
people sit around taking tokes
from a "vaporizer" - a contrap-
tion with a big plastic bag that
captures the potent vapors of
heated marijuana. Glass jars hold
donations of dried, milky-green
weed, and' the cafe serves up
meals and snacks for the hungry.
It's all perfectly legal and, for
cancer patient Albert Santiste-
van, it's about time.
"It's a very positive atmo-
sphere. We could use more places
like that," the 56-year-old former
jewelry shop bwner said.
A few weeks ago, Santistevan
would have had no place to go. But
with the Obama administration's
decision last month to soften the
federal stance on medical mari-
juana, the Cannabis Cafe and a
lounge across town popped up,
bringing a little bit of pot-friendly
Amsterdam to this working class
corner of Portland.
The idea could catch on in the
roughly dozen other states with
medical marijuana laws. Allen St.
Pierre, spokesman for the Nation-
al Organization for the Reform

of Marijuana Laws, or NORML,
said the organization has already
gotten inquiries from Washing-
ton state, Michigan, Montana
and Maine.
Portland police have not
received any complaints about
the cafe and it is not under any
special scrutiny, officials said.
Jan Clutter lives about a block
fromuthe cafe and knows the own-
ers well. She said many neighbors
would probably prefer it was
somewhere else, but there has
been no push to have it moved.
For some, things could be worse
than having a pot cafe.
"It's better than having a sex
club, a strip joint or a bar full of
drunks open down the street,"
neighbor Claudia Nix said.
Oregon became the second
state to pass a marijuana law
in 1998, following California.
There are nearly 24,000 patients
with medical marijuana cards in
Oregon. Only state residents can
obtain the card after registering
as a patient in the Oregon Medi-
cal Marijuana Program witha
qualifying debilitating medical
condition diagnosed by a doctor.
Even though they have a card,
medical marijuana patients have
had to confine their smoking to
their homes for fear of getting
busted.
"We have no place of our own.

So this is the place," said Madeline
Martinezexecutive director ofthe
Oregon chapter of NORML, which
operates and monitors the cafe.
Volunteers gave a reporter
and a photographer a tour of the
cafe. No marijuana is sold in the
cafe. Patients bring marijuana
grown by themselves or by their
designated caregivers. They
also donate marijuana for other
patrons to use. The cafe has a
pool table and comfy couches.
Martinez demonstrated the
"Volcano," a vaporizer that col-
lects marijuana fumes into a clear
plastic pouch with a valve that
releases the fumes for patients to
inhale.
People who want to use mari-
juana at the cafe can't get inside
until Martinez or other NORML
members check their IDs to
make sure they are patients
registered with the state. The
patients also have to be a mem-
ber of Oregon NORML to use the
cafe, pay a $20 a month fee, and
a $5 coverage charge at the door.
The money goes toward operat-
ing costs.
In another part of the city is
Highway 420 - a number pot users
have used as code for marijuana --
a small lounge in the back room
of Steve Geiger's pipe shop. Rules
for using the lounge are similar to
those at the Cannabis Cafe.

~~' I
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