The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com Tuesday, September 28, 2010 - 3 * The Michigan Daily - michigandailycom Tuesday, September 28, 2010 - 3 NEWS BRIEFS FERNDALE, Mich. * Homeless shelter backs out of move to nearby church. A homeless shelter is backing out of an agreement to relocate to a Ferndale church and is seeking a move to a different part of the Oak- land County city. The Daily Tribune in Royal Oak reports Monday that the South Oakland Shelter wants to move into a commercial building. The shelter defeated a lawsuit by a group of residents who wanted to keep it out of Ferndale First Baptist Church, just north of Detroit. Shelter administrative offices were planned for a church wing, but only 30 homeless persons could have been served there and only during the day. Officials said the shelter would not have those constraints in a commercial building. Executive director Ryan Hertz told the newspaper the shelter needs "the ability to serve up to 100 to 200 people on some days." WASHINGTON U.S. urges Israelis and Palestinians to continue peace talks One of President Barack Obama's chief advisers says the White House is urging the Pales- tinians and Israelis to keep talk- ing despite the impending end of freeze on Israeli settlement con- * David Axelrod tells ABC's "This Week" that there's a "rare" and "unparalleled opportunity" for the two sides to reach an agreement. Axelrod says the parties must remain at the negotiating table. He says "they're having serious discussions, they ought to keep on having those discussions, and we are very eager to see that happen." Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says a curb on new set- tlement construction in the West Bank won't be extended. The Palestinians have threat- ened to walk out of the talks if Netanyahu doesn't extend the mor- atorium that expires at midnight. LOS ANGELES Heat wave breaks record, L.A. temp. * reaches 113 degrees California's blistering fall heat wave sent temperatures to an all- time record high of 113 degrees in downtown Los Angeles yesterday, and many sought refuge at the * beach. Downtown hit 113 degrees for a few minutes at about 12:15 p.m., breaking the old all-time record of 112 degrees set on June 26, 1990, said Stuart Seto, a weather spe- cialist at the National Weather Service office in Oxnard. Temper- ature records for downtown date to 1877. Electrical demand was much higher than normal for this time of year but no problems or shortages were expected on the state grid, said Gregg Fishman, spokesman for the California Independent System Operator, which controls about 80 percent of the grid. KINGSTON, Jamaica Hundreds of health workers strike in call for higher pay O Hundreds of medical techni- cians, nurse's aides and other sup- port staff at Jamaica's major public hospitals went on strike yesterday to demand pay raises and allow- ances they say haven't been paid by the government. The walkout left public hospi- tals and clinics across the Carib- bean island short-handed for such duties as taking X-rays and admin- istering blood tests. Some union- ized ambulance drivers also took part. Clifton Brown, president of the Jamaica Workers' Union, said the strike was for one-day and came after "months of frustration, anger, and promises not kept" by Prime Minister Bruce Golding's * administration. "The government is dragging its feet. This 24-hour strike is send- ing a signal that we need attention now," Brown said. Some strikers contradicted Brown's 24-hour timetable, telling * reporters they would not return to work until the government pro- vided a precise date for payment. - Compiled from Daily wire reports. Obama: Money won't fix public schools Obama appears on NBC to call for more school reforms WASHINGTON (AP) - Presi- dent Barack Obama started the school week with a call for a longer school year, and said the worst- performing teachers have "got to go" if they don't improve quickly. Bemoaning America's decreas- ingglobaleducationalcompetitive- ness, Obama sought in a nationally broadcast interview to reinvigo- rate his education agenda. At the same time, the president acknowl- edgedthatmanypoorschools don't have the money they need and he defended federal aid for them. But Obama also said that money alone won't fix the problems in public schools, saying higher standards must be set and achieved by stu- dents and teachers alike. Asked in an interview if he sup- ported a year-round school year, Obama said: "The idea of a longer school year, I think, makes sense." He did not specify how long that school year should be but said U.S. students attend classes, on average, about amonthless than children in most other advanced countries. On other topics in a live half- hour television interview, Obama said that White House chief of staff Rabn Emanuel has not told him whether he will resign to run for mayor of Chicago, as is widely expected. Obama said he knows Emanuel must decide quickly to mount a serious campaign. The president also sought anew to show that he understands the frustration of millions of people coping with a slow economy - and high joblessness - some 20 months into his term. He said that even if people know he is working hard to fix their problems, what they expect from him is "some- thing concrete" to help them get a job and paytheir bills. Obama appeared on NBC's "Today" show in a live interview that focused on education. Education is primarily the domain of state and local govern- ments. But the federal government has leverage and uses it, for exam- ple, through the strings it attaches to poverty aid that thousands of schools depend upon to support their programming. The president admitted that his own daughters, Malia and Sasha, couldn't get the same quality edu- cation at a Washington, D.C. public school that they currently get at their private school. The Obama girls attend Sidwell Friends School, an elite private school inthe Wash- ington area. "The DC public schools sys- President Barack Obama was interviewed yesterday on NBC's "Today" about the state of education in the United States. tems are struggling," Obama said, though he added that the school district has, "made some impor- tant strides over the last several years to move in the direction of reform." Public schools in Wash- ington have long faced criticism for their low test scores and high dropout rates. Separately yesterday, Obama announced a goal of recruit- ing 10,000 teachers who work in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math - over the next two years. In a statement, Obama said such education is vital to allowing students to compete against their peers in today's econ- omy. In the interview, the president said he wants to work with teach- ers unions, and he embraced the role they play in defending their members. But he said that unions cannot and should not defend a status quo in which one-third of children are dropping out. Pipeline in western Michigan Cancer survivor opened after summer oil spill starts business Federal regulations keeping tabs on the newly repaired pipe LANSING, Mich. (AP) - After a two-month shutdown, oil flowed Monday through a pipeline that leaked more than 800,000 gallons of oil in southern Michigan this summer, with some of it polluting a major river. Enbridge Inc. confirmed the gradual restart of the pipeline running between Griffith, Ind., and Sarnia, Ontario, was under way in a short statement released Monday evening. The pipeline had been shut down since the compa- ny reported a massive oil leak July 26. An estimated 820,000 to 1 mil- lion gallons spilled near Marshall and some reached the Kalamazoo River. Enbridge said the restart is a "staged process" run in accor- dance with a restart plan approved by the federal Pipeline and Haz- ardous Materials Safety Adminis- tration. Monday was the earliest a gradual return to service was per- mitted by federal regulators. The pipeline will restart at lower pressure. An independent third party that reports to federal regulators will help monitor the restart. The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration issued a statement saying it also was keeping tabs on Enbridge dur- ing the restart and had staff locat- ed throughout the pipeline system to oversee it. Enbridge will have to make multiple repairs on the pipeline within 180 days, and it will have one year to replace a section of dented pipe running under the St. Clair River in southeast Michigan. In August, Enbridge estimated cleanup and other costs from the spill could be $300 million to $400 million. The charges include the emergency response, cleanup, repairs, claims by third parties, lost revenue and other items. It excludes possible fines and penal- ties. Insurance is expected to cover most of the cost. About 2,000 workers were involved in the cleanup and related activities at their peak. The company expects more than 500 workers to remain on the job through October. Enbridge had bought eight homes near the spill site as of last week. The company is in the final stages of buying another 14 homes, chief executive officer Patrick Daniel said last week. More than 1,500 oil-damaged birds and animals have been res- cued from the spill site. More than 1,300 turtles, more than 100 Canada geese and several musk- rats, swans, herons, snakes and frogs have been rehabilitated and released into new homes. The restart of the pipeline might not have much influence on oil or gas prices. The line approved for a restart Monday has a capac- ity of roughly 283,000 barrels per day and had moved closer to 190,000 barrels per day - much less than the 670,000 barrel per day Enbridge pipeline between Superior, Wis., and Griffith, Ind., that was shut down from Sept. 9 to 17 because of a spill in Romeoville, Ill. The Illinois spill caused a brief spike in Midwest gas prices. "That was a major feeder to some of the larger refineries in the Midwest," said Phil Flynn, an analyst at PFGBest in Chicago. By comparison, Flynn said, the pipe- line that leaked in Michigan didn't have as big an impact on the mar- ket. Most analysts expect retail gasoline prices to stay steady in October and November, as sup- plies remain plentiful and demand is listless compared with a peak summer driving season. Mich. woman gains entrepreuneurial spirit after cancer HOWELL, Mich. (AP) - It might sound odd, but Judy Hayward believes cancer made her stronger and more willing to take risks. Prior to learning she had breast cancer last year, the 51-year-old Green Oak Township woman felt secure with her life. She was mar- ried and healthy, and had a good job as a chiropractic assistant at Livingston Chiropractic Clinic in Brighton Township. Often, she dreamed about opening her own consignment shop. She'd think about it for a minute and then shelve it. Everything changed in January 2009 after she received the results from what was supposed to be a routine mammogram. Doctors found numerous small dots in her left breast, and more tests revealed it was breast cancer. Within a year, Hayward went through two more mammograms, had her left breast removed and underwent several surgeries to reconstruct her breast. In addition, her hair fell out when she started chemotherapy, which made her vomit and drained all her energy. "Life is too short to sit back," she said. A year later, Hayward begin thinking about what she wanted to do next as she regained her health. She could go back to her old job or do something new. She said surviving cancer turned her into a different person. Her long, straight blond hair has been replaced by curly, brown hair that grew in. In an ironic way, she said, can- eer brought her to where she finds herself today: proud owner of her own business, Treasure Corner Consignment Boutique. The shop is at 5841 Whitmore Lake Road, Suite A, just south of the intersection of Grand River Avenue and Whitmore Lake Road. "It just makes you realize life is too short not to do the things you want to do," she said. With the help of her husband, Christopher, and her former boss, chiropractor Guilio Cogo, she opened her consignment shop two months ago. She said the shop is doing well, and she loves being her own boss. It's alot ofwork but she's enjoying it. "When you have a near-death experience, you think, 'What could I have done (in my life)?"' she said. Hayward said she's always taken care ofherself She always exercised and hasn't had any serious illnesses. Although both her parents died of cancer, she said no one in her family has had breast cancer. The results from her annual mammogram revealed tiny dots, and doctors told her those were probably calcium deposits. A few days later, they called her and told her they wanted to do another, mammogram. After the second mammogram, they told her she needed to go to Saint Joseph Mercy Hospital just outside Ann Arbor for a third mammogram. Hayward was upset. She felt it was "ridiculous" and didn't under- stand why she had to keep going back for more mammograms. She said it's not a pleasant test, explain- ing "they press (the breast) down like a pancake." Iraq-Iran border fortified as United States troops prepare exit country Iraqi guards set up along border to fend off possible invasion QUTAIBA BORDER FORT, Iraq (AP) - On any map, this cas- tle-like fort is located in Iran. But war, time and drifting desert sands have blurred the border, and for now, Iraqi guards stoutly defend Qutaiba as theirs. The guards are part of a beefed- up presence onboth sides of a long, porous and ill-defined border. Iraq is building four new border forts in its eastern Wasit province alone, which abuts Iran for 116 miles (186 kilometers). Iran also is add- ing forts, evidenced by half-built structures surrounded byscaffold- ingthat can be seen fromIraq. The increased tension is a result of an Iraqi government in limbo as American troops prepare to leave the country after more than eight years of war. Underscoring the insecure time, Iraqi wariness of Iranian aggression is on the rise, especially after two major Iranian incursions in less than a year. "The region here is like a jungle: the strong eat the weak," said Iraqi Brig. Gen. Sami Wahab, who over- sees the nearby Zurbatiyah port of entry, the largest official pedes- trian land crossing between Iraq and Iran. "If the Iraqi government keeps going backward and reaches the level where you can say it's a weak country,thenthere's agood chance of Iran coming in," Sami said. "But we don't have cannons to respond; we don't have jets to bomb. That's why the Iraqi people are scared." On Sunday, Iranian Gen. Abdol- rasoul Mahmoudabadi said the Revolutionary Guards had pushed into Iraq over the weekend and killed at least 30 members of an armed group involved in an attack last week that Iran had blamed on Kurdish rebels. It was a rare example of Iran openly admitting toa cross-border incursion into Iraq. Iran and Iraq are formerly war- ring neighbors that have settled over the last several years into an uneasy relationship. Few experts expect a full-scale invasion remi- niscent of the eight-year Iran-Iraq war that began in 1980, as both nations have their hands full with domestic turmoil. Shiite-run governments in both Baghdad and Tehran have paved the way toward normalized rela- tions since the 2003 ouster of Sad- dam Hussein, a Sunni, and Iraq has since given greater freedom to Iranian pilgrims to visit holy Shiite shrines in Karbala and Najaf. But even if they are not the pre- cursor to a full-scale invasion, the incursions are a way for Iran to show its dominance in the region and remind Iraq that while the U.S. military is leaving soon, Iran is here to stay. The U.S. for its part calls Iran a serious threat - one that is boost- ing efforts to fund, train, supply and shelter insurgents as the U.S.- led war that began in 2003 winds down. A senior intelligence official in Washington, who spoke anony- mously because he was not autho- rized to talk about the sensitive issue, expressed concern that Iran will supply anyone, terror group or common criminal, with bomb- making parts or other weapons to create the image of instability in Iraq. A political analyst at Tehran's Azad University said that under Saddam Hussein, Iraq portrayed itself as leader of the Arab world, leading to tension with Iran. But if Iraq's government remains weak, Iran will not go on the offensive, he said. "Iran already has a big amount of influence in Iraq," analyst Ahmad Bakhshayesh said in an interview. "So it does not need any offensive measures in theborders." However, Iraqis fiercely protec- tive of its sovereignty, and many officials believe Iran is trying to take advantage of its weakened neighbor. Asked why, Maj. Raad Awad scoffed. "Iran likes to occupy land. They want to keep expanding their country into the Mideast," said Awad at the Saad border fort in northern Wasit. The two Iranian incursions - especially an oil well takeover in Iraq's southern Maysan province - spurred Iraqis to seek U.S. train- ing on how to fend off an invasion or prevent one from occurring in the firstplace. In that first incursion last December, Iranian forces held oil well No. 4 in the al-Fakkah field for days before pulling back with- out much opposition by Iraqi offi- cials. 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