The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com Wednesday, October 13, 2010 - 3A The Michigan Daily - michigandailycomWednesday, Octoher 13, 2010 - 3A NEWS BRIEFS LANSING Granholm vetoes bill to allow Sunday liquor sales Michigan Gov. Jennifer Gran- holm vetoed a bill yesterday that would have allowed Sunday morn- ing liquor sales and another mea- sure spelling out how $316 million in federal money should be spent on public schools. She said the liquor bill could open the state to a costly lawsuit while the schools bill could have jeopardized the federal funding. The vetoes leave lawmakers with more work to be done on the current budget. The Michigan Licensed Beverage Association, which has lobbied to expand liquor sales, called the governor's veto "baffling." The liquor sales bill was approved just before the new budget took effect Oct. 1 and was estimated to bring in more than $500,000 to the general fund. The veto of the education mea- sure doesn't affect the $13 billion school aid budget passed earlier this year, but it could keep school districts from getting the higher per-pupil amounts they were prom- ised until the bill is fixed. SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. Calif. agency pulls stem cell poetry off website An attempt to lighten up the heavy subject of stem cells through poetry has backfired on the Califor- nia agency that manages the state's $3 billion research fund. The California Institute for Regenerative Medicine decided to hold a poetry contest to commemo- rate Stem Cell Awareness Day last Wednesday. But it later pulled the winning entries from its website because of religious language in one of the works. The poem "Stem C." begins, "This is my body/which is given for you," and ends with, "Take this/in remembrance of me." The words echo language used during Holy Communion in many Christian churches. The conservative California Family Council called the poem blasphemous. CAIRO Egypt sets new rules on SMS for upcoming elections Egypt's telecommunications regulator has set new rules for com- panies sending text messages to multiple mobile phones, in a move activists say will stifle efforts to mobilize voters ahead of upcoming parliamentary elections. Reform groups in Egypt, as well as elsewhere in the region such as Iran, have increasingly relied on the internet and mobile phones to organize, mobilize and evade gov- ernment harassment. Mahmoud el-Gweini, adviser to the Egyptian telecommunication minister, told The Associated Press yesterday that companies sending out text messages - known as SMS aggregators - must now obtain licenses. The decision was not meant to curb political activity, he said, but was spurred by concerns that "ran- dom" text messages concerning sensitive issues such as religious tension or the stock market could be sent to consumers. PHILADELPHIA Man arrested after streaking at rally Billionaire Alki David says a man arrested after streaking at President Barack Obama's week- end rally in Philadelphia was try- ing to win a $1 million Internet challenge. Police say 24-year-old Juan J. Rodriguez of New York City was charged with indecent exposure, public lewdness and disorderly conduct on Sunday. Rodriguez was arraigned Monday night and released on a $10,000 signature bond. David recently offered $1 mil- lion to anyone who could streak in front of Obama with the name of David's competition website on his chest. David told The Philadelphia Inquirer and Phila- delphia Daily News that he is an Obama fan but streaking is a time-honored way of getting attention. -Compiled from Daily wire reports Judge calls for immediate halt to 'don't ask, don'It tell' policy Justice department attorneys have 60 days to respond to federal judicial order SAN DIEGO (AP) - A federal judge ordered the military yester- day to immediately stop enforc- ing its ban on openly gay troops, bringing the 17-year "don't ask, don't tell" policy closer than it has ever been to beingabolished. Justice Department attorneys have 60 days to appeal the injunc- tion but did not say what their next step would be. President Barack Obama has backed a Democratic effort in Congress to repeal the law, rather than in an executive order or in court. But U.S. District Judge Vir- ginia Phillips' injunction leaves the administration with a choice: Continue defending a law it opposes with an appeal, or do nothing, let the policy be over- turned, and add an explosive issue to a midterm election with Republicans poised to make major gains. Department of Justice and Pentagon officials were review- ing the judge's decision and said they had no immediate comment. "The whole thing has become a giant game of hot potato," said Diane H. Mazur, a legal expert at the Palm Center, a think tank at the University of California at Santa Barbara that supports a repeal. "There isn't anyone who wants to be responsible, it seems, for actually ending this policy. "The potato has been passed around so manytimes that I think the grown-up in the roomis going to be the federal courts." A federal judge in Tacoma, Wash., ruled in a different case last month that a decorated flight nurse discharged from the Air Force for being gay should be given her job back. Phillips, based in Riverside, Calif., issued a landmark ruling on Sept. 9, declaring the policy unconstitutional and asked both sides to give her input about an injunction. The judge said the policy violates due process rights, freedom of speech and the right to petition the government for redress of grievances guaranteed by the First Amendment. Gay rights groups hailed Phil- lips' latest move, crediting her with what the administration and Washington have not been able to do. "For a single federal judge to tell the government to stop enforcing this policy worldwide, this afternoon, with no time to think about it or plan for it, is almost unprecedented," said Richard Socarides, a former Clin- ton White House adviser on gay rights. "This judge was sure. There was nothing in her mind that could justify this even for one more day, one more hour." Gay rights advocates, howev- er, tempered their celebrations, warning service members to avoid revealing their sexuality for fear that the injunction could be tossed out during an appeal and they would be left open to being discharged. If the government does not appeal, the injunction cannot be reversed and would remain in effect. If it does, it can seek a temporary freeze, or stay, of her ruling. An appeal would go to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit. Either side could then take it to the U.S. Supreme Court. The Pentagon did not imme- diately comment, and a Justice Department spokeswoman said the government was reviewing the decision. Meanwhile, a group of 19 Democrat senators signed a letter sent to U.S. Attorney Gen- eral Eric Holder urging him to let the injunction stand. A "don't ask, don't tell" sup- porter said Phillips overstepped her bounds. "The judge ignored the evi- dence to impose her ill-informed and biased opinion on our mili- tary, endangering morale, health and security of our military at a time of war," said Wendy Wright, president of Concerned Women for America, a public policy group. Wright said Phillips should have let Congress continue to investigate the impact of the repeal. Phillips' order goes into effect immediately, said Dan Woods, the attorney who represented the Log Cabin Republicans, the gay rights group that filed the lawsuit in 2004 to stop the ban's enforce- ment. In this photo released by the Chilean government, Chile's Health Minister Jaime Manalich, left, looks at the rescue capsule that will be used to rescue the 33 trapped miners one by one from the collapsed San Jose mine in Copiapo, Chile, on Tuesday Oct. 12, 2010. Escape capsule rescues trapped Chilean miners The 33 miners have been trapped nearly a half mile under- ground for 69 days SAN JOSE MINE, Chile (AP) - To hugs, cheers and tears, res- cuers using a missile-like escape capsule began pulling 33 men one by one to fresh air and freedom at last early today, 69 days after they were trapped in a collapsed mine almost a half-mile underground. Rescued first was Florencio Avalos, who wore a helmet and sunglasses to protect him from the glare of bright lights. He smiled broadly as he emerged and hugged his sobbing 7-year-old son, Bairon, and wife, then got a bearhug from Chilean President Sebastian Pinera shortly after midnight local time. A second miner, Mario Sepulve- da Espina, was pulled to the surface about an hour later - his shouts heard even before the capsule sur- faced. After hugging his wife, Elvi- ra, he jubilantly handed souvenir rocks from his underground prison to laughing rescuers. Then he jumped up and down as if to prove his strength to everyone before the medical team took him into a triage unit. Eachrideuptheshaft wasexpect- ed to take about 20 minutes, and authorities were working to haul up one miner per hour at the site in the chilly Chilean desert. When the last man surfaces, it promises to end a national crisis that began when 700,000 tons of rock collapsed Aug. 5, sealing the men in the lower reaches ofthe mine. The miners captivated the world with their endurance and unity as Chile meticulously pre- pared their rescue. After the first capsule came out of the manhole-sized open- ing, Avalos emerged as bystanders cheered, clapped and broke into a chant of "Chi! Chi! Chi! Le! Le! Le!" - the country's name. Avalos gave a thumbs-up as he was led to an ambulance and medical tests following his more than two months deep below the Chilean desert - the longest any- one has ever been trapped under- ground and survived. Avalos, the 31-year-old sec- ond-in-command of the miners, was chosen to be first because he was in the best condition. He has been so shy that he volunteered to handle the camera rescuers sent down so he wouldn't have to appear on the videos that the min- ers sent up. Pinera later explained that they had not planned for Avalos' fam- ily to join rescuers at the opening of the shaft, but that little Bairon. insisted on being there. "I told Florencio that few times have I ever seen a son show so much love for his father," the president said. "This won't be over until all 33 are out," he added. "Hopefully the spirit of these miners will remain forever with us. ... This country is capable of great things." Minutes earlier, mine rescue expert Manuel Gonzalez of the state copper company Codelco grinned and made the sign of the cross as he was lowered to the trapped' men - apparently with- out incident. He was followed by Roberto Ros, a paramedic with the Chilean navy's special forces. Together they will prepare the miners for their rescue - expect- ed to take as many as 36 hours for all to surface. "We made a promise to never surrender, and we kept it," Pinera said as he waited to greetthe min- ers, whose endurance and unity captivated the world as Chile meticulously prepared their res- cue. The last miner out has been decided: Shift foreman Luis Urzua, whose leadership was credited for helping the men endure 17 days with no out- side contact after the collapse. The men made 48 hours' worth of rations last before rescuers reached them with a narrow borehole to send down more food. Janette Marin, sister-in-law of miner Dario Segovia, said the order of rescue didn't matter. "This won't be a success unless they all get out," she said, echo- ing the solidarity that the min- ers and people across Chile have expressed. The paramedics can change the order of rescue based on a brief medical check once they're in the mine. First out will be those best able to handle any difficul- ties and tell their comrades what to expect. Then, the weakest and the ill - in this case, about 10 suf- fer from hypertension, diabetes, dental and respiratory infections and skin lesions from the mine's oppressive humidity. The last should be people who are both physically fit and strong of char- acter. Fastest-growing U.S. areas show big income drop Census shows Hispanics driving growth in South WASHINGTON (AP) - Call it the migration bust: Many of the fast-growing U.S. areas during the housing boom are now yielding some of the biggest income-drops in the economic downturn. That could have broad impact on the political map in the coming weeks. Voters discontent over the economy and related issues such as immigration head to the polls on Nov. 2 to decide whether to keep Democrats in Congress. Whites and blacks have taken big hits since 2007 in once-torrid Sunbelt regions offering warm climates and open spaces, includ- ing Florida, Colorado, Arizona and Nevada, according to 2009 census data. Hispanics suffered paycheck losses in many "new immigrant" destinations in the interior U.S., which previously offered con- struction jobs and affordable hous- ing, such as Tennessee, Georgia and North Carolina. The few bright spots: Wash- ington, D.C., San Jose, Calif., San Francisco and Boston. Their household incomes remained among the highest in the nation last year partly due to steady demand for government and high- tech work. "As a whole, the income chang- es represent a sharp U-turn from the mid-decade gains," said Wil- liam H. Frey, a demographer at the Brookings Institution who reviewed the household income data. "The last two years have left those who couldn't move stuck in place with lower incomes." In December, the Census Bureau will release 2010 popu- lation counts, which trigger a politically contentious process of divvying up House seats. In all, Southern and Western states are expected to take seats away the Midwest and Northeast. But last- minute shifts could affect a hand- ful of states hanging in the balance, including California, which is hop- ing to avoid losing its first seat ever, and Arizona, which may now gain just one seat rather than two based partly on slowing Hispanic popu- lation growth. The census data show that His- panics, the nation's largest and fastest-growing minority group, are helping drive growth in several Southern states. Five states have seen their num- bers double over the last decade - South Carolina, Tennessee, Alabama and Arkansas in the South and South Dakota in the Upper Midwest. Other big gain- ers include Georgia and North Carolina. Several of those states, South Carolina, Georgia and possibly North Carolina, stand to gain House seatsbased partly on that fast growth. At the same time, the Latino population remains a relatively smaller share of the popula- tion in those states, numbering about 8 percent or less. There, they also tend to be dispropor- tionately low-income workers who lack a high-school educa- tion, speak mostly Spanish and don't vote in elections, which analysts say may be driving some of the tensions over immi- gration and jobs. In recent months, the rheto- ric has ranged from a call for English-only policies in states and localities that wish to mini- mize the use of Spanish and other languages, to a call to strip birthright citizenship for illegal immigrants. "Hispanics' recent growth and sharp disparity with exist- ing white populations may have something to do with the anti- immigrant backlash now being observed in large parts of the country," Frey said. Hispanics had the highest income in metro areas such as Washington, D.C., Baltimore, Dayton, Ohio, and Virginia Beach, where they also were more likely to have a college degree. Lower-edu- cated Hispanics also had strong earnings in San Francisco and San Jose, Calif., two areas with high costs of living where more-afford- able immigrant labor tends to be in greater demand. Nationally, the government reported last month that median household incomes dipped to $49,777, the lowest since 1997, with the sharpest drop-offs in the Midwest and Northeast. Bro- ken down by race, blacks had the biggest income losses, dropping to $32,584. They were followed by non-Hispanic whites, whose income fell to $54,461. Asian incomes remained flat at $65,469. Income among Hispanics edged higher but lagged whites signifi- cantly at $38,039. The findings are part of a broad array of 2009 data released over the past month that have highlighted the impact of the recession - from soaring poverty and a widening gap between rich and poor to record levels of food stamp use. Yesterday, the Census Bureau posted additional 2009 findings. Among them: -Declining home values. Medi- an values for owner-occupied homes dropped 5.8 percent last year to $185,200. They ranged from a high of $638,300 in San Jose, Calif., to a low of $76,100 in McAllen, Texas. In all, five of the 10 highest property values were located in California, with the rest in New York, Washington, D.C., Boston, Seattle and Baltimore. Sschool of C%* information Connect with SI AN INFORMATION SESSION FOR PROSPECTIVE MASTER'S AND PH.D. STUDENTS Noon-4 p.m. Saturday Oct. 23 Great Lakes Room, Palmer Commons RSVP by Monday, Oct. 18 at si.umich.edulrsvp A graduate degree from the School of information prepares you for an exciting array of Information Age careers. Our Ph.D. program prepares you for teaching and research in academia and corporate research labs, ind out how our flexible, multidisciplinary program will benefit you' A Michigan MSI can lead to a career as: Archivist. Librarian, Research Analyst, Web Marketing Manager, Multimedia Consultant, Data Analyst, Usability Engineer, information Architect, Auction Designer/Manager, Computational Linguist, Natural Language Engineer, Policy Advisor; Museum Curator Community Organizer - and many more!