FAMU band director fired after suspected hazing

(AP) ? The longtime director of Florida A&M University's famed marching band was fired Wednesday as the fallout from a drum major's suspected hazing death deepened. Florida's governor said state investigators would join the probe and the college announced an independent review led by a former state attorney general.

Band member Robert Champion, 26, was found unresponsive on a bus parked outside an Orlando hotel on Saturday night after the school's football team lost to rival Bethune-Cookman. Champion, of Atlanta, was vomiting and had complained he couldn't breathe before he collapsed. Investigators believe hazing occurred before 911 was called.

Champion's cause of death wasn't known, and a spokeswoman with the medical examiner's office said it could take up to three months to learn exactly what killed him.

On Tuesday, the university president shuttered the marching band and the rest of the music department's performances as band director Julian White stood by. White, who graduated from the school with a music education degree, didn't comment at the news conference and a telephone message left at his home Wednesday was not immediately returned. He has 10 days to respond to his termination.

White became a faculty member at the school in 1972, according to the university's website, and his bands consistently received superior ratings in marching and concert. The Marching 100 band has performed at several Super Bowls and represented the U.S. in Paris at the 200th anniversary of the French Revolution.

Hazing cases in marching bands have cropped up over the years, particularly at historically black colleges, where a spot in the marching band is coveted and the bands are revered almost as much as the sports teams for which they play. In 2008, two first-year French horn players in Southern University's marching band were beaten so they had to be hospitalized. A year later, 20 members of Jackson State University's band were suspended after being accused of hazing.

One of the worst cases occurred in 2001 and involved former FAMU band member Marcus Parker, who suffered kidney damage because of a beating with a paddle.

Three years earlier, Ivery Luckey, a clarinet player from Ocala, Fla., said he was paddled around 300 times, sending him to the hospital and leaving him physically and emotionally scarred.

Some 20 band members were suspended and Luckey eventually wound up filing a lawsuit against the state Board of Regents. According to reports, Luckey settled for $50,000 for his injuries.

Retired sociology professor and hazing expert Richard Sigal was hired by Luckey's attorneys to testify at the trial. Sigal, who has held anti-hazing workshops at high schools and colleges, told The Associated Press that he previously found an acceptance of hazing at the university.

"There was a hazing subculture that existed, that everyone knew about, and everyone turned away from and didn't do anything about. And that was at the core of what the issue was at A&M," he said.

In the current case, no charges have been filed, but any death involving hazing is a third-degree felony in Florida.

Republican Gov. Rick Scott said he believed Champion's death warranted help from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.

Scott said he wanted investigators "to assure that the circumstances leading to Mr. Champion's death become fully known, and that if there are individuals directly or indirectly responsible for this death, they are appropriately brought to justice and held accountable."

Ammons, the school president, also announced the formation of an independent task force to investigate Champion's death. It will be chaired by former Florida Attorney General Bob Butterworth and former Tallahassee Police Chief Walt McNeil.

___

Armario reported from Miami. Associated Press writer David Fischer in Miami also contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2011-11-23-FAMU%20Student-Dead/id-c8c20bb4b05d47d8a6f945a2ffad5f1b

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Plane with 3 men, 3 children crashes in Arizona

A floodlight illuminates a fire from a small plane crash in the Superstition Mountains in Apache Junction east of Phoenix, Wednesday, Nov. 23, 2011. Authorities said there was no apparent sign of survivors in the small twin-engine plane crash. (AP Photo/The Arizona Republic, Michael Schennum) MARICOPA COUNTY OUT; MAGS OUT; TV OUT; NO SALES

A floodlight illuminates a fire from a small plane crash in the Superstition Mountains in Apache Junction east of Phoenix, Wednesday, Nov. 23, 2011. Authorities said there was no apparent sign of survivors in the small twin-engine plane crash. (AP Photo/The Arizona Republic, Michael Schennum) MARICOPA COUNTY OUT; MAGS OUT; TV OUT; NO SALES

A twin-engine plane crashes into the Superstition Mountains near Phoenix killing six.

A helicopter search light looks over the scene of an aircraft that crashed in the Superstition Mountains in Apache Junction, on Wednesday, Nov. 23, 2011. The small plane with three adults and three children on board crashed into the Superstition Mountains east of Phoenix on Wednesday, and there was no sign of survivors, authorities said. (AP Photo/Tim Hacker East Valley Tribune)

A brush fire burns at the scene of an aircraft that crashed in the Superstition Mountains in Apache Junction, Ariz., on Wednesday, Nov. 23, 2011. The small plane with three adults and three children on board crashed into the Superstition Mountains east of Phoenix on Wednesday, and there was no sign of survivors, authorities said. (AP Photo/Tim Hacker East Valley Tribune)

A helicopter search light looks over the scene of an aircraft that crashed in the Superstition Mountains in Apache Junction, on Wednesday, Nov. 23, 2011. The small plane with three adults and three children on board crashed into the Superstition Mountains east of Phoenix on Wednesday, and there was no sign of survivors, authorities said. [AP Photo/Tim Hacker East Valley Tribune)

(AP) ? A small airplane with three men and three young children onboard crashed Wednesday evening into a sheer cliff in the mile-high mountains east of Phoenix while going around 200 mph, the Pinal County sheriff said.

The body of one child was recovered and "it is not hopeful" there are any survivors because of the nature of the crash and explosion, said Sheriff Paul Babeu.

Ten deputies spent the night on the mountain to keep it secure. They and dozens of volunteers began searching the area at first light, he said, adding that hikers and curiosity seekers should stay away. Video from news helicopters Thursday morning showed the wreckage strewn at the bottom of a blackened cliff.

Some immediate family members are out of the country, so the names of those involved can't yet be released, Babeu said.

The twin-engine aircraft flew from Safford in southeastern Arizona to Mesa's Falcon Field to pick up three children for the Thanksgiving holiday and was headed back to Safford, Babeu said.

KPNX-TV reported the father of the three children, who are ages 5 to 9, lives in Safford. Their mother lives in Mesa.

"Our hearts go out to her at this time," Babeu said.

The aircraft slammed into an area of rugged peaks and outcroppings in the Superstition Mountains, 40 miles east of downtown Phoenix, at about 6:30 p.m. MST Wednesday, authorities said.

Callers reported hearing an explosion near a peak known as the Flat Iron, close to Lost Dutchman State Park, Sheriff's spokeswoman Angelique Graham said.

Witnesses reported a fireball and an explosion.

"I looked up and saw this fireball and it rose up," Dave Dibble told KPHO-TV. "All of a sudden, boom."

Sheriff's spokesman Elias Johnson said the body of one child was recovered late Wednesday night from the crash scene.

Besides the pilot and three children, a mechanic and another adult were also on board, Babeu said.

Rescue personnel used infrared devices to search for bodies but found no sign of movement, according to Johnson.

Rescue crews flown in by helicopter to reach the crash site reported finding two debris fields on fire, suggesting that the plane broke apart on impact.

"The fuselage is stuck down into some of the crevices of this rough terrain," Babeu said late Wednesday. "This is not a flat area, this is jagged peaks, almost like a cliff-type rugged terrain."

Video after the crash showed several fires burning on the mountainside, where heavy brush is common. Flames could still be seen from the suburban communities of Mesa and Apache Junction hours later.

The region is filled with steep canyons, soaring rocky outcroppings and cactus. Treasure hunters who frequent the area have been looking for the legendary Lost Dutchman mine for more than a century.

Some witnesses told Phoenix-area television stations they heard a plane trying to rev its engines to climb higher before apparently hitting the mountains. The elevation is about 5,000 feet at the Superstition Mountains' highest point.

Calls to Falcon Field, which mostly serves small, private planes, weren't immediately returned Wednesday night.

Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Allen Kenitzer said the Rockwell AC-69 was registered to Ponderosa Aviation Inc. in Safford. A man who answered the phone Wednesday night at Ponderosa Aviation declined comment.

Kenitzer said the FAA and National Transportation Safety Board would be investigating the cause of the crash.

___

AP writer Michelle Price in Phoenix contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2011-11-24-Arizona%20Plane%20Crash/id-c4ee18ead1004b159fa8b68ab4bffdd8

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Why the Bush and Blair Convictions Will Not Be Recognized (ContributorNetwork)

COMMENTARY | In what's considered by most to be little more than symbolism, former U.S. President George W. Bush and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair have been convicted of war crimes by a Malaysian court for the 2003 invasion of Iraq. The "Kuala Lumpur Foundation to Criminalise War" [sic] charged that both men knowingly ordered the invasion of Iraq, under a false pretext of former dictator Saddam Hussein having stockpiled weapons of mass destruction.

Part of the Malaysian court's ruling stated that both men forged documents intended to support their claims and that during the invasion more than a million Iraqi citizens were killed. The 5-panel war crimes tribunal took a mere four days to come to their verdict. The Malaysian judges also expressed their desire the two leaders names be listed on the war criminal's register, under the Rome Statute.

While most Americans will refuse to accept the convictions as legitimate, even the most staunch conservative must find President Bush joking about the missing WMD, during a Radio and Television Correspondents Dinner in 2007, in bad taste. How he found humor over the topic, which so many soldiers gave their lives for is beyond comprehension. Bad taste? Yes, but criminal? We'd have to let a fair trial work that out.

Neither Bush or Blair will face any sort of imprisonment for their actions here in America or in the United Kingdom, especially when we consider that neither man was present at the trial and allowed to defend themselves. The very idea of a conviction "in absentia" is offensive to civilized people. Even those 24 men serving under Adolf Hitler, whom the Nuremberg Trials convicted of war crimes, were allowed to offer up a defense before the international court. I'm no fan of George Bush or Tony Blair. But I am a huge supporter of the idea of fair trials.

Malaysia seems to be posturing, but for what purpose? What exactly would the goal be in making such a gesture? Will their tin horn justice system be recognized by anyone outside of their nation? It's not likely. It's hard to imagine the U.S. or the U.K. respecting this conviction.

If former President Bush and former PM Blair have any charges to answer to, let those charges be made in a court where the two men have a chance to offer a defense. It's the least anyone else would deserve.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/iraq/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ac/20111123/us_ac/10514263_why_the_bush_and_blair_convictions_will_not_be_recognized

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Edra J. Pollin: My Top Ten List Of What Not To Do In Divorce Court

Getting ready for trial in a divorce or child custody case can be a stressful time as litigants and litigators attempt to condense the details and documents of a relationship into the hours or days of a trial. If you're represented by counsel, it is your attorney's job to prepare you for trial and to deliver a concise and convincing presentation of your case to the court. That said, since judicial determinations are often based upon the behavior a party exhibited in the courtroom rather than the exhibits they offered into evidence, please consider the following helpful hints for your day in divorce or custody court:

1. Do not roll your eyes, mutter under your breath or otherwise gesticulate when your spouse is testifying. Although justice may be blind, most judges are not. To the contrary, they are usually astute observers of body language who rarely appreciate one party's use of facial expressions to mock the other spouse's testimony. If your spouse is misrepresenting facts to the court, pass a few brief written comments to your attorney and patiently await their brilliant cross examination.

2. Do not keep referring to your child as "my" son or "my" daughter. More often than not, a parent who consistently uses the singular possessive pronoun with regard to the children is a parent who is singularly possessive about who should raise them.

3. Make sure that you've disclosed relevant and potentially embarrassing personal facts to your attorney early on in the case. Many years ago when I was a public defender, I represented "Jordan" who was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol. At the first office appointment, Jordan provided me with a detailed description of his performance on the roadside sobriety test, but he neglected to mention that when he exited the vehicle he was wearing a "teddy" negligee and a pair of high heels. Although Jordan's was a criminal case which was resolved without a trial, his story bears repeating for divorcing spouses whose personal habits are relevant to their case.

4. Don't bring your entire extended family and ten of your closest friends to your divorce hearing. During a marriage, most spouses would think twice about sharing their income tax returns or the intimate details of their relationship with third parties. When a marriage is ending, some divorcing spouses abandon this rule of privacy and assume that inquiring minds want to know everything about the divorce. If you need a support system to get you through the trial, pick no more than two people to sit quietly in the bleachers of the courtroom.

5. Don't wear your torn blue jeans, your muscle shirt or your mini skirt to divorce court. Strange but true, months of trial preparation can be undone in an instant by a client who is dressed to tease rather than to testify. A provocative outfit may be great for the weekend after your divorce but it's a fashion disaster for your custody case. When you select your courtroom attire, pretend you're heading for a job interview. In some respects, you are.

6. Do not be rendered speechless if you're asked to describe the positive aspects of your spouse's parenting. A child custody case can be won or lost with the single question, "Can you describe some of the positive aspects of your spouse's parenting skills?" On occasion, this question is followed by a pregnant pause as the witness scrambles to identify one favorable aspect of the other party's parenting. If you can't say anything positive about your spouse to the court, you're probably not saying anything positive about your spouse to the kids.

7. Don't display open hostility toward your spouse's attorney. Your spouse's attorney is probably not on your Christmas list. If you're openly hostile toward opposing counsel during your cross-examination, you're probably scoring more points for the other team than for yours. Keeping your cool on the witness stand is a great way of saying that you have nothing to hide.

8. Don't read or receive text messages during the hearing. If you want the Court to pay full attention to the testimony, make sure that you do the same.

9. In a child custody dispute, don't keep talking about "your" needs and "your" desires. Custody cases are determined based upon "the best interests of the child". At trial, it is a safe assumption that the court doesn't particularly care about you or your spouse, but the court cares deeply about the child(ren) you have created together.

10. Don't tell long winded stories with irrelevant details of your spousal disputes. In divorce court, most judges have full dockets, sore backs and a desire to make it to lunchtime without an emergency hearing. If you're asking the court for a protection order, describe the alleged spousal abuse and avoid the temptation to explain the minute details of the domestic dispute which precipitated the abuse.

Hopefully, my top ten tips will improve your odds at trial although there are no guarantees of success in the world of litigation. Ignore them if you wish but you just might end up seeking out another top ten list entitled, "Top Ten Local Lawyers To File An Appeal."

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/edra-j-pollin/my-top-ten-list-of-what-n_b_1096630.html

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Apple to Allow iOS Subscription Gaming Services in App Store - Mac ...

Bloomberg reports that Apple has opened up a new class of App Store offerings, allowing game publisher Big Fish Games to offer a monthly subscription package that will allow provide users with access to a number of the company's games through a dedicated iPad app.

The setup is similar to Netflix Inc. (NFLX)?s streaming application for the iPad. Subscribers can get unlimited access to games such as ?Mystery Case Files? and the ?Mahjong Towers? series from inside the Big Fish app.

Games played through the subscription service, which are streamed to a user?s iPad from Big Fish?s data centers, will initially require Wi-Fi access to play.

The standard package from Big Fish Games will launch as a $4.99 monthly subscription, increasing to $6.99 per month early next year as more game titles become available for the app. A free ad-supported option limiting play to 30 minutes per day will also be available.

Source: http://www.macrumors.com/2011/11/22/apple-to-allow-ios-subscription-gaming-services-in-app-store/

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Rev. G. Jude Geiger: Transgender Day of Remembrance: Embracing Our Whole Human Family

It's heartbreaking to read the many reports of teens and young adults considering or committing suicide, or our young people bullied and victimized for being different. Many of these teens are struggling with sexuality and gender identity in a society that's not always accepting. With Transgender Day of Remembrance on November 20th, we remember all those lives who were brutalized or murdered for their difference. Since this is literally a life and death matter, as a religious people we ought to feel compelled to deepen our understanding of the causes of such pain.

Transgender and Gender Queer youth and young adults -- whether gay, lesbian or heterosexual -- are sometimes gripped in a vice that pressures them to conform to both sexuality standards as well as gender norms. This results in far higher than average rates of homelessness and suicide in our young people who identify as Transgender.

Transgender identities often elicit reactions of confusion, judgment and dismissal, even from progressive liberals. We sometimes hear people say that individuals undergoing these sorts of physical changes are dealing more with psychological problems than hormonal. That most of us have clear sexes, so we can have clear genders. That pushing the stereotypes around clothing, work and relationships are one thing, but pushing the boundaries around bodies are another. I will say to this that I have heard all of it before referring to gay and lesbian men and women. I have been told that my love for another man is a psychological problem -- that my hormones are not the real issue.

I imagine that most women may have heard the same sorts of things regarding their lives, their careers, their families. They are willful for seeking that job, or that position, or that relationship. They are disrespecting their family or their culture when they delay marriage, or move in with a lover before marriage, or postpone having children in favor of their career. Although some men certainly do hear the same sorts of critiques, I find that most males have another set of guidelines to live up to. Simply put, the rules are different for different genders. And while the situation is all the more confusing when gender isn't clear, we can choose to go a little deeper and find the commonalities to which each of us can relate.

Every generation has seen the gender line blur and break a little more. It is my hope and prayer that we've pushed against it hard enough that not only have glass ceilings started to crack, but also that our children are starting to grow up knowing that their gender or sex need not determine the scope of their dreams or the breadth of their lives, loves and hopes. Maybe we've finally reached a point where our own actions, responses and inclinations have ceased to place limits on one another.

But that's simply not true. Not yet. I'm not going to appear before my congregation in a skirt and blouse. Not only because it's not my style, but also because it would signal that somehow I'm less, or a freak, or that I've lost power. My ego couldn't handle it. Our identity as a religious community would feel shaken, and most of us still believe women's clothing diminishes men in a way that men's clothing doesn't lessen women but lifts them up. It's a shallow marker but a clear one for the malady that continues to plague us. It's a starting point for understanding why violence against Transgender communities continues.

I believe that American culture has been trumping our religious values of compassion and love. Transgender identity scares us because it suggests that maybe we've got it all wrong. Maybe women are just as good as men. Maybe relationships are defined by the horizon of our love. Maybe people ought to have agency over their own bodies. Maybe the world isn't all that clear right from birth. Maybe the phrase "men and women" is still leaving someone out.

Not fully understanding someone who is different from us isn't an excuse for denigration. My Unitarian Universalist faith tradition values personal human experience and reminds us that every soul has inherent worth and dignity. When we lack an understanding of another, it is a religious practice to seek to deepen our ties. It is a call to stretch our experience, widen our vision, and embrace our whole human family. In so doing, we reflect our own dignity and worth. This discipline speaks directly to the message of all religious scriptures - love is at the core of faith. When we know that cultural practices of dismissal foster environments where our young people feel unsafe and unloved, and we know that many of our youth are dying because of this, we are morally obligated to directly challenge attitudes, words, and actions that denigrate. Faith requires us to prioritize the safety of our young people over our opinions.

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Follow Rev. G. Jude Geiger on Twitter: www.twitter.com/revjudegeiger

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rev-g-jude-geiger/transgender-day-of-remembrance_b_1097622.html

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UFC 139 postfight: Bonuses, company guys get wins and Faber could get Cruz plus TUF 15 coaching gig

UFC 139 postfight: Bonuses, company guys get wins and Faber could get Cruz plus TUF 15 coaching gigSAN JOSE, Calif. - It was refreshing to see three guys who've had a large part in helping to build mixed martial arts were big winners tonight at UFC 139. Urijah Faber, Stephan Bonnar and Wanderlei Silva all made it to the postfight press conference.

Faber picked up an extra $70,000 Submission of the Night while Silva's explosive tilt against Cung Le got one of the two Fight of Night awards handed out by UFC president Dana White. Dan Henderson and Mauricio "Shogun" Rua also got $70,000 for FON.

- The event drew 13,173 and a live gate of $1.268 million.

- Faber took out Brian Bowles less than six and half minutes to seal the deal on another title shot against UFC bantamweight champ Dominick Cruz. White confirmed that Faber is getting Cruz next, but that the champ is sidelined for a while with his latest hand surgery.

"We've got some ideas we were getting together tonight and talking about," White said. "We've got to talk to Urijah and Cruz first. Cruz just had hand surgery, so he's out for a little bit, but we have an idea. We have a plan."

When Faber made the suggestion that he and Cruz could be the coaches for Season 15 of "Ultimate Fighter," White raised his eyebrows as if to confirm that the pair have been discussed as possible candidates.

- Speaking of champs on the mend, Anderson Silva is working through shoulder issues. When a Brazilian reporter pressed White on reports that the promotion is headed to Sao Paolo, Brazil next June, he seemed shocked and wondered aloud how the news leaked. White didn't confirm or deny the report. When asked a followup question during his media scrum following the presser, White said it's very possible Silva could be held out until June.

- It's official that the UFC on Fox 2 will be in Chicago. White said the show will be two hours long and feature four fights. He would not elaborate on any of the candidates to fill the four main card fights at the United Center.

- UFC 139 Knockout of the Night went to 20-year-old Michael McDonald, who devastated UFC newcomer Alex Soto in just 56 seconds.

It's been quite a year for McDonald. He's 3-0 in 2011. Tonight, he likely made $7,000 to show and $7,000 to win. UFC 139's payday totals $84,000 for McDonald. He made $12,00 at UFC 132 and also won a fight of the Night bonus at Ultimate Fight Night 24 in March good for a total payday of $70,000. The Modesto-native has earned $166,000 this year.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/UFC-139-postfight-Bonuses-company-guys-get-win?urn=mma-wp9821

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Dutch court rules killer whale can be sent to zoo (AP)

AMSTERDAM ? A Dutch court ruled Monday that a dolphin park that rescued a young killer whale named "Morgan" in 2010 can send it to a Spanish amusement park.

The ruling dashes the hopes of conservationists who wanted to reintroduce the animal ? also known as an orca ? into the wild in its native waters off the coast of Norway.

In a written ruling, Judge M. de Rooij said chances of the female whale surviving in the wild were "too unsure."

"Morgan can be transferred to Loro Parque for study and education to benefit the protection or maintenance of the species," she said.

A panel of experts assembled by the commercial dolphinarium in Harderwijk, Netherlands, where Morgan is currently living, argued that releasing the highly social animal would be tantamount to a "death sentence" unless she could be returned to her native pod, or family. They said she would be better off at Loro Parque on Spain's Tenerife island, which has four other orcas.

Opposing experts for the "Free Morgan" group said the dolphinarium was guided by financial interests, rather than concern for the animal's well-being, and that they will continue to seek Morgan's release.

"It's disgusting," marine biologist Ingrid Visser said of the decision.

Visser, who traveled from New Zealand for the ruling, had also laid the groundwork to prepare Morgan for release in the Norwegian town of Stoe.

"We are very satisfied with today's ruling, which is what's best for Morgan," said dolphinarium spokesman Bert van Plateringen. He said the cost of the rescue, upkeep and transfer of Morgan would be "upward of a million euros" (dollars) and that the dolphinarium would not profit from having had her.

He said the transfer would take place within several days.

Morgan was found starving and weak in shallow North Sea water off the Dutch coast in June 2010. She was estimated to be about 2 years old, weighing just 400 kilograms (880 pounds). By July of this year she was in good health and had more than doubled her weight.

International treaties prohibit the trade of killer 'whales' ? which are actually classified as oceangoing dolphins ? without difficult-to-obtain exemption permits. Fewer than 50 orcas are held in captivity worldwide and the bulk of them are owned by SeaWorld, a subsidiary of U.S. private equity giant BlackRock.

Orcas are the largest species within the dolphin family and one of the world's most powerful predators, hunting in pods to feast on animals such as seals, sea lions and even whales. The killer whales' distinctive traits include sophisticated problem-solving and communicative abilities, and their formation of complex communities.

A female capable of breeding and introducing new genes into the pool of captive orcas is worth millions of euros, Visser said. Female orcas may live as long as 80 years, giving birth five or more times once they reach maturity.

"It is unfortunate that we continue to be manipulated by the power of economics over clear science and what is best for the welfare of this one individual killer whale," said French environmentalist Jean-Michel Cousteau in a reaction to the ruling.

The Harderwijk Dolphinarium is owned by France's Compagnie des Alpes. Loro Parque, owned by a German businessman, received its four orcas on loan from SeaWorld.

The Harderwijk Dolphinarium, which put Morgan on display after her rescue, has not disclosed financial details of her shipment to Loro Parque.

Past attempts to reintroduce orcas into the wild have a mixed record at best. The most famous case is that of Keiko, the killer whale who starred in the 1993 film "Free Willy."

Keiko was caught at age 2 near Iceland and spent many years in Mexico City. After 20 years in various marine parks, he was flown back to Iceland and released under lengthy supervision. He died in 2003 at age 26, apparently of pneumonia, after surviving two months on his own and swimming about 870 miles (1,400 kilometers) to Norway.

The most successful release was that of a young orca called "Springer," which had a story somewhat similar to that of Morgan. Springer was found off the coast of Washington state in early 2002 and successfully reintroduced to her pod in British Columbia, Canada, later the same year.

Experts agree that the less time the animals are exposed to humans and the quicker they are reunited with family or relatives ? identified by their vocalizations ? the better their chances of survival.

Visser said Morgan's chances are waning, but possibly still as much as "80 percent" with the proper care. She said in any case it was worth the risk to spare Morgan what Visser said would be a miserable life in captivity, forced to perform in daily public shows.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, or PETA, is currently pursuing a long-shot court case in the United States that equates orcas with people and says their working conditions violate the 13th Amendment ban on slavery. SeaWorld says the suit is baseless.

Visser said Morgan's best hopes for release now lie with Spanish courts or the Norwegian government petitioning Spain for her release.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/europe/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111121/ap_on_re_eu/eu_netherlands_orca

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Netflix, Fox ready to resurrect Arrested Development as a streaming exclusive in 2013

The Bluth family has been off of TV since Arrested Development was cancelled by Fox back in 2006, but after many rumors and reports of a bidding war the show is ready to return as a Netflix-exclusive series. New episodes should be available in the first half of 2013 and represent another serious push into original content for Netflix after it signed up House of Cards, which will debut next year. The details are in the press release after the break, including interesting quotes from Fox execs celebrating this "new business model" allowing them to bring back this show, following Family Guy and Futurama making similar trips back from the dead. After a summer of price hikes, cancellations, and Qwikster PR gaffes, this should bring in goodwill at least from fans of this show, and likely intensify campaigns to save other gone-too-soon TV shows. So what's next to get the Flatliners treatment? Firefly? Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles? Dollhouse? Terriers? Community (six seasons and a movie!)?

Continue reading Netflix, Fox ready to resurrect Arrested Development as a streaming exclusive in 2013

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