Pilot: ‘We’re Going to Be in the Hudson’

Federal officials have released the audio of the conversation the pilot of US Airways Flight 1549 had with air traffic controllers as his plane lost power and he had to make an emergency landing in the Hudson River. (Feb. 5)

See and hear the video here

Anthrax Scare at Ford Field

Scate Seeks Strategic Investors for Web 2.0 Social Media Product Line

FOR RELEASE November 13, 2008:

 

Mature and Stable Products Ready for Full-Scale Global Marketing Program

Scate Technologies, Inc.

(Orion, MI – November 13, 2008)  Scate Technologies, Inc. (Scate) has announced that it is now seeking strategic partners and investors to participate in a full-scale 2009 global marketing campaign for its Scate Ignite 4 software product line.

Scate Ignite 4 and its companion social media site IgniteCAST.com compete in the red hot web 2.0 social media market. Scate Ignite is currently used by thousands of users and in many Fortune 100 companies to create professional presentations that can be used for training, teaching, selling, marketing, sharing and entertaining.

“With the positive response from Ignite’s latest release (version 4.3) we have reached a point where we have a strong, mature portfolio of products and supporting infrastructure that are well equipped to support a global marketing campaign for home and corporate users.” said Stephen Sadler, Scate CEO and President.

Scate is currently entertaining offers from strategic investors to participate in the 2009 Scate Ignite global marketing plan. Scate is offering a significant project share (20-80%) to an investor based on negotiated conditions.  Scate defines “strategic investor” as a company or individual that wishes to profit from the social media technology landscape and desires to actively participate in a strategic marketing and sales campaign. Scate is a self-funded US private company with no debt or other outside investors.

The product portfolio includes three software applications, a social media hosting website, branding, registered trademarks and technology patents, all developed over eight years.  Scate’s web-based sales and support infrastructure complete with a reseller / referral program and existing customer base are all fully in place.  The USA-based development team possesses strong expertise in Web 2.0 social media technology. Product information is available at http://www.scateignite.com and http://www.ignitecast.com.

Direct serious inquiries only to: Stephen Sadler, President and CEO, investors@scateignite.com, 248-371-0315 Ext. 108.

Scate and IgniteCAST are registered service marks of Scate^® Technologies, Inc.  Ignite is a registered trademark of Scate^® Technologies, Inc.  The Ignite Flame logo, “Ignitables”, “Capture, Enhance, Publish, Share” and “You Know – You Show” are trademarks of Scate^® Technologies, Inc.  All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Scate^® Technologies, Inc. – 40 Engelwood Dr. – Suite B – Orion, MI  48359  USA- 248.371.0315 

#.#.#

Emanuel Was Director Of Freddie Mac During Scandal

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New Obama Chief of Staff, Others on Board, Missed “Red Flags” of Alleged Fraud Scheme

President-elect Barack Obama’s newly appointed chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel, served on the board of directors of the federal mortgage firm Freddie Mac at a time when scandal was brewing at the troubled agency and the board failed to spot “red flags,” according to government reports reviewed by ABCNews.com.

President-elect Barack Obama's newly appointed chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel, served on the board of directors of the federal mortgage firm Freddie Mac at a time when scandal was brewing at the troubled agency and the board failed to spot "red flags," according to government reports reviewed by ABCNews.com.

According to a complaint later filed by the Securities and Exchange Commission, Freddie Mac, known formally as the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation, misreported profits by billions of dollars in order to deceive investors between the years 2000 and 2002.

Emanuel was not named in the SEC complaint but the entire board was later accused by the Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight (OFHEO) of having “failed in its duty to follow up on matters brought to its attention.”

In a statement to ABCNews.com, a spokesperson said Emanuel served on the board for “13 months-a relatively short period of time.”

The spokesperson said that while on the board, Emanuel “believed that Freddie Mac needed to address concerns raised by Congressional critics.”

Freddie Mac agreed to pay a $50 million penalty in 2007 to settle the SEC complaint and four top executives of the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation were charged with negligent conduct and, like the company, agreed to settle the case without admitting or denying the allegations.

The actions by Freddie Mac are cited by some economists as the beginning of the country’s economic meltdown.

The federal government this year was forced to take over Freddie Mac and a sister federal mortgage agency, Fannie Mae, pledging at least $200 billion in public funds.

Freddie Mac records have been subpoenaed by the Justice Department as part of its investigation of the suspect accounting procedures.

Emanuel was named to the Freddie Mac board by President Bill Clinton in 2000 and resigned his position when he ran for Congress in May, 2001.

No Criminal Charges Against Spitzer in Prostitution Case

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Federal prosecutors said today they will not bring criminal charges against former New York Governor Eliot Spitzer for his involvement as “client # 9″ of an international prostitution service.

The federal investigation of a New York prostitution ring was triggered by Eliot Spitzer's suspicious money transfers, initially leading agents to believe Spitzer was hiding bribes, according to federal officials.

Spitzer resigned as Governor March 12 after it was revealed he paid for a prostitute, Ashlee Dupree, through the Emperors Club VIP prostitution service in New York.

The Governor’s sex scandal was front page news around the world, as he announced his shame and resignation with his wife, Silda, standing by his side. She remains married to Spitzer and they have been seen walking hand-in-hand in their Upper East Side Manhattan neighborhood.

“I appreciate the impartiality and thoroughness of the investigation by the U.S. Attorney’s Office and I acknowledge and accept responsibility for the conduct it disclosed,” Spitzer said in a statement today. “I resigned my position as Governor because I recognized that conduct was unworthy of an elected official.”

A lawyer for Dupree, Don Buchwald, said, “Ashley is pleased that this matter is behind her.”

The FBI opened its investigation when banks reportedly became suspicious of Spitzer’s wire transfers of money, which initially appeared to be bribe or payoff money. Agents later determined the money was going to the prostitution service through a London account.

Prosecutors had considered bringing charges connected to money laundering, or “structured withdrawals” to hide illegal movement of funds.

Spitzer paid for the young woman to travel to Washington, D.C. where he met her at the Mayflower Hotel, which might have violated laws relating to moving women across state lines for the purpose of prostitution.

“After a thorough investigation, this office has uncovered no evidence of misuse of public or campaign funds,” said U.S. attorney Michael J. Garcia.

“In addition we have determined that there is insufficient evidence to bring charges against Mr. Spitzer for any offense related to the withdraw of funds for, and his payment to, the Emperors’ Club VIP.”

“I once again apologize for my actions,” said Spitzer’s statement, “and for the pain and disappointment those actions caused my family and the many people who supported me during my career in public life.”

The convicted owner of a second prostitution service who says she provided women for Spitzer, Kristin Davis, was outraged at the decision. “It’s completely unfair,” she said.

“As governor he should be held to the highest standard,” said Davis. “He went after numerous people for the same laws that he broke and they end up spending jail time and losing their life’s savings.”

Known as the “Manhattan Madam,” Davis served three months in jail and forfeited almost $1 million in profits after pleading guilty to running a New York prostitution service that catered to businessmen.

The federal prosecutor said Spitzer acknowledged “he was a client of, and made payments to the Emperors Club VIP” but that the decision was in keeping with Justice Department policy “and the longstanding practices of this office” not to bring criminal charges against the customers of prostitution services.

Given “Mr. Spitzer’s acceptance of responsibility for his conduct, we have concluded that the public interest would not be further advanced by filing criminal charges in this matter,” the prosecutor said.

‘Jurassic Park’ author Michael Crichton dies at 66

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By HILLEL ITALIE

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Michael Crichton, the million-selling author who made scientific research terrifying and irresistible in such thrillers as “Jurassic Park,” “Timeline” and “The Andromeda Strain,” has died of cancer, his family said. Crichton died Tuesday in Los Angeles at age 66 after privately battling cancer.

Michael Crichton

“Through his books, Michael Crichton served as an inspiration to students of all ages, challenged scientists in many fields, and illuminated the mysteries of the world in a way we could all understand,” his family said in a statement.

“While the world knew him as a great storyteller that challenged our preconceived notions about the world around us — and entertained us all while doing so — his wife Sherri, daughter Taylor, family and friends knew Michael Crichton as a devoted husband, loving father and generous friend who inspired each of us to strive to see the wonders of our world through new eyes.”

He was an experimenter and popularizer known for his stories of disaster and systematic breakdown, such as the rampant microbe of “The Andromeda Strain” or the dinosaurs running madly in “Jurassic Park.” Many of his books became major Hollywood movies, including “Jurassic Park,” “Rising Sun” and “Disclosure.” Crichton himself directed and wrote “The Great Train Robbery” and he co-wrote the script for the blockbuster “Twister.”

In 1994, he created the award-winning TV hospital series “ER.” He’s even had a dinosaur named for him, Crichton’s ankylosaur.

“Michael’s talent out-scaled even his own dinosaurs of `Jurassic Park,’” said “Jurassic Park” director Steven Spielberg, a friend of Crichton’s for 40 years. “He was the greatest at blending science with big theatrical concepts, which is what gave credibility to dinosaurs again walking the Earth. … Michael was a gentle soul who reserved his flamboyant side for his novels. There is no one in the wings that will ever take his place.”

John Wells, executive producer of “ER” called the author “an extraordinary man. Brilliant, funny, erudite, gracious, exceptionally inquisitive and always thoughtful.

“No lunch with Michael lasted less than three hours and no subject was too prosaic or obscure to attract his interest. Sexual politics, medical and scientific ethics, anthropology, archaeology, economics, astronomy, astrology, quantum physics, and molecular biology were all regular topics of conversation.”

In recent years, he was the rare novelist granted a White House meeting with President Bush, perhaps because of his skepticism about global warming, which Crichton addressed in the 2004 novel, “State of Fear.” Crichton’s views were strongly condemned by environmentalists, who alleged that the author was hurting efforts to pass legislation to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide.

If not a literary giant, he was a physical one, standing 6 feet and 9 inches, and ready for battle with the press. In a 2004 interview with The Associated Press, Crichton came with a tape recorder, text books and a pile of graphs and charts as he defended “State of Fear” and his take on global warming.

“I have a lot of trouble with things that don’t seem true to me,” Crichton said at the time, his large, manicured hands gesturing to his graphs. “I’m very uncomfortable just accepting. There’s something in me that wants to pound the table and say, ‘That’s not true.’”

He spoke to few scientists about his questions, convinced that he could interpret the data himself. “If we put everything in the hands of experts and if we say that as intelligent outsiders, we are not qualified to look over the shoulder of anybody, then we’re in some kind of really weird world,” he said.

A new novel by Crichton had been tentatively scheduled to come next month, but publisher HarperCollins said the book was postponed indefinitely because of his illness.

One of four siblings, Crichton was born in Chicago and grew up in Roslyn, Long Island. His father was a journalist and young Michael spent much of his childhood writing extra papers for teachers. In third grade, he wrote a nine-page play that his father typed for him using carbon paper so the other kids would know their parts. He was tall, gangly and awkward, and used writing as a way to escape; Mark Twain and Alfred Hitchcock were his role models.

Figuring he would not be able to make a living as writer, and not good enough at basketball, he decided to become a doctor. He studied anthropology at Harvard College, and later graduated from Harvard Medical School. During medical school, he turned out books under pseudonyms. (One that the tall author used was Jeffrey Hudson, a 17th-century dwarf in the court of King Charles II of England.) He had modest success with his writing and decided to pursue it.

His first hit, “The Andromeda Strain,” was written while he was still in medical school and quickly caught on upon its 1969 release. It was a featured selection of the Book-of-the-Month Club and was sold to Universal in Hollywood for $250,000.

“A few of the teachers feel I’m wasting my time, and that in some ways I have wasted theirs,” he told The New York Times in 1969. “When I asked for a couple of days off to go to California about a movie sale, that raised an eyebrow.”

His books seemed designed to provoke debate, whether the theories of quantum physics in “Timeline,” the reverse sexual discrimination of “Disclosure” or the spectre of Japanese eminence in “Rising Sun.”

“The initial response from the (Japanese) establishment was, ‘You’re a racist,’” he told the AP. “So then, because I’m always trying to deal with data, I went on a tour talking about it and gave a very careful argument, and their response came back, ‘Well you say that but we know you’re a racist.’”

Crichton had a rigid work schedule: rising before dawn and writing from about 6 a.m. to around 3 p.m., breaking only for lunch. He enjoyed being one of the few novelists recognized in public, but he also felt limited by fame.

“Of course, the celebrity is nice. But when I go do research, it’s much more difficult now. The kind of freedom I had 10 years ago is gone,” he told the AP. “You have to have good table manners; you can’t have spaghetti hanging out of your mouth at a restaurant.”

Crichton was married five times and had one child. A private funeral is planned.

Associated Press writer Colleen Long in New York contributed to this story.

IgniteCAST.com Video – Obama’s Victory Speech

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Wednesday, 5 November 2008

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(CNN) — Barack Obama told supporters that “change has come to America” as he claimed victory in a historic presidential election.

“The road ahead will be long. Our climb will be steep. We may not get there in one year or even one term, but America — I have never been more hopeful than I am tonight that we will get there. I promise you — we as a people will get there,” Obama said in Chicago, Illinois, before an estimated crowd of up to 240,000 people.

With Obama’s projected win, he will become the first African-American to win the White House.

Obama had an overwhelming victory over Sen. John McCain, who pledged Tuesday night to help Obama lead. Video Watch Obama pay tribute to McCain »

“Today, I was a candidate for the highest office in the country I love so much, and tonight, I remain her servant,” McCain said.

McCain called Obama to congratulate him, and Obama told the Arizona senator he was eager to sit down and talk about how the two of them can work together.

President Bush also called Obama to offer his congratulations.

Bush told Obama he was about to begin one of the great journeys of his life, and invited him to visit the White House as soon as it could be arranged, according to White House spokeswoman Dana Perino.

Obama will be working with a heavily Democratic Congress. Democrats picked up Senate seats in New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Carolina and Virginia, among others.

“While the Democratic Party has won a great victory tonight, we do so with a measure of humility and determination to heal the divides that have held back our progress,” Obama said. Video Watch more on the balance of power »

Flanked by American flags, Obama told the roaring crowd, “This is your victory.”

“To those Americans whose support I have yet to earn — I may not have won your vote, but I hear your voices, I need your help, and I will be your president too,” he said. Video Watch Obama tell voters ‘all things are possible’ »

Supporters in Chicago cheering, “Yes, we can” were met with cries of “Yes, we did.”

More than 1,000 people gathered outside of the White House, chanting “Obama, Obama!”

Sen. Hillary Clinton, Obama’s former rival for the Democratic nomination, said in a statement that “we are celebrating an historic victory for the American people.” iReport.com: Share your Election Day reaction with CNN

“This was a long and hard fought campaign but the result was well worth the wait. Together, under the leadership of President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden and a Democratic Congress, we will chart a better course to build a new economy and rebuild our leadership in the world.”

Sen. Ted Kennedy said Americans “spoke loud and clear” in electing Obama.

“They understood his vision of a fairer and more just America and embraced it. They heard his call for a new generation of Americans to participate in government and were inspired. They believed that change is possible and voted to be part of America’s future,” the Massachusetts senator said in a statement.

As results came in Tuesday night, Obama picked up early wins in Pennsylvania and Ohio — states considered must-wins for McCain.

Obama also won Virginia, a state that has not voted for a Democratic president since 1964.

Going into the election, national polls showed Obama with an 8-point lead.

Voters expressed excitement and pride in their country after casting their ballots in the historic election. Poll workers reported high turnout across many parts of the country, and some voters waited hours to cast their ballots.

Tuesday marks the end of the longest presidential campaign season in U.S. history — 21 months.

Obama, 47, will now begin his transition to the White House. He will be sworn in at the 44th president on January 20, 2009.

IgniteCAST.com Video – John McCain’s concession speech

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Wednesday, 5 November 2008

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John McCain addresses the 7,000 supporters who had crammed into the Biltmore Hotel and congratulates Barack Obama on his election victory.

“Senator Obama and I have had and argued our differences,” he said. “No doubt those differences remain. But these are difficult times for our country. And I pledge to him tonight that I will help him lead us through the many challenges that we may face.”

“I urge all Americans to join me in not just congratulating him, but in offering our next president our goodwill and encouragement in finding ways to come together, to find the necessary compromises to settle our differences, to help restore our prosperity, defend our security in a dangerous world and leave our children and grandchildren in a stronger better country than we inherited.”

Watch the whole speech here

Will Democrats Lock Up a Supermajority?

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This is a rush transcript from “Hannity & Colmes,” November 3, 2008. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

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SEAN HANNITY, CO-HOST: The Diageo/Hotline polled voters about the congressional election and found that, as of today, 44 percent plan on voting Democratic. Thirty-nine percent will cast their vote for a Republican. The poll indicating Democrats may be losing some support, as their lead is now only 5 percent as opposed to 8 a week ago.

Mike Huckabee - Will Democrats Lock Up a Supermajority?

Joining us now is the host of the red hot “Huckabee.” By the way, you had Lorne Michaels. You had Bill Maher — who by the way, hates me; I don’t know what it is — on your program. It was a great show this weekend. Mike Huckabee, FOX News contributor, host of “Huckabee” right here on the FOX News Channel.

What do you make of the brand issue, and that is that the Republican brand isn’t as well? But it was like 20 points before, and now it’s down to five. Is that — is that a sign something’s going on? Maybe people not liking Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid?

MIKE HUCKABEE, HOST, “HUCKABEE”: I think when they start thinking about having a Democrat president and then Pelosi and Reid, all being able to virtually do whatever they want to do, I think it gives people pause. What we ought to do is postpone this election for about five more days, and those numbers will get even closer and may surge the other way.

HANNITY: And listen, would you recommend that — that Democrats, by the way, listen to this program to vote Thursday?

HUCKABEE: I think that’s a great idea. What I’ve been trying to tell the Democrats is that the election has been postponed until Thursday or Friday. Tune in to FOX and we’ll tell you exactly where to come.

HANNITY: By the way, the most humorless people that absolutely have zero sense of humor, that is a joke.

HUCKABEE: You know what? I’ve got to tell you something, Sean. When I interviewed Lorne Michaels, he told me that he gets a lot more grief from Democrats and liberals than he ever does from the Republicans and the conservatives. He says the Republicans have a great sense of humor, and this is from a guy who lives off parody and satire. I thought it was a very interesting point.

HANNITY: I thought — I thought that Governor Palin was terrific, on the show. And I thought — I was watching. I thought it was a really good…

HUCKABEE: I thought she did a great job.

HANNITY: And then Senator McCain did a great job this weekend. We’ve always known that about Senator McCain. He’s come on this program for years. He used to call me. He goes, “You and Colmes are doing pretty good for a bunch of former homeless guys.” You know? So he always had a good sense of humor, as you have.

HUCKABEE: Well, let me talk about something that isn’t funny. It’s not funny to think about the Democrats getting total control of the House, the Senate and the White House.

HANNITY: No, that’s frightening.

HUCKABEE: It really isn’t.

COLMES: Hey, Governor, by the way, Hannity has offered to finally give me a ride in that new hybrid car of his Thursday to the polls.

HANNITY: I bought a new — I bought a new hybrid Escalade this weekend. I’m doing my part for the environment.

COLMES: But you said I could get a ride if I go to the poll to vote on Thursday.

HANNITY: OK. It’s a deal.

COLMES: Governor, look, do you really think when people go to the polls they’re thinking of Harry Reid and they’re thinking of Nancy Pelosi? Or are they thinking of their local commerce (ph) person and senators? They’re not thinking of, “OK, I want Obama, but I hate my” — you know, people are not thinking about divided government when they’re going to the polls. They’re thinking about their local races. Right?

HUCKABEE: They are thinking about that, but let me tell you one of the things that’s hurt the Democrats the last few days. I don’t know if there’s time to catch up.

But the fact that these numbers keep changing. You hear 250, 200. Then it’s 150. Now it’s 100. You know, the fact that all the surrogates and the Obama people can’t settle on where the tax break and where the tax increase is going to come. My gosh, Alan, it sounds like an auction, not a proposal.

And it’s very obvious that what ultimately is going to happen is that most of Americans who make money are going to have to give some up to finance this give-away, new welfare institution to other people.

COLMES: But this is a giveaway by a Republican administration. This is a problem that people perceive.

Obama is outpolling McCain on where — who would be better for the economy right now, according to the new FOX poll out today. And so people don’t want to reward the party that they perceive as having gotten us into the mess.

HUCKABEE: Well, there’s a lot of fault. And you know, if Barney Frank and Maxine Waters and some others would have reined in Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac when they had the opportunity, but they stonewalled.

But this is not unique to the Democrats. Look, I’ve been as harsh on Republicans, especially on the bailout. Nobody beat them up more than I did, because I think it was a dumb idea. But what we’re talking about is a long-term issue of who’s going to be most likely to raise our taxes. And I think that that’s a pretty evident issue here.

COLMES: All right, Governor.

HUCKABEE: Not going to be the Republicans.

COLMES: I know you’re familiar now with hard breaks. You’re a big TV star, so we’re going to take a quick break.

More with Huckabee after the break. Plus, our final thoughts on the candidates, the campaigns, and what we expect to happen on election day, coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HANNITY: Now, just a reminder: our Freedom Concert tickets are back for the summer of 2009. Now, at all eight performances we’re going to have our good friends, musical stars Billy Ray Cyrus, Charlie Daniels. And by the way, I may sing “The Devil Went Down to Georgia.”

COLMES: Please.

HANNITY: Just for charity. Michael W. Smith, Lee Greenwood and much, much more. Colonel North is going to be there.

And as always, the net proceeds will go to the Freedom Alliance Scholarship Fund for the children of slain heroes.

And by the way, our cities are Houston, San Diego, Vegas, Phoenix, Cincinnati, Dayton, Atlanta, and Dallas-Fort Worth, and the New York-New Jersey area.

And Governor Huckabee, by the way, is going to be joining us.

And by the way, we have Christmas gift boxes. The only place to get your tickets is at Hannity.com. And we’re only going to sell it definitely this week. I don’t know if we’re going to sell it beyond this week. And – - because demands are pretty strong.

COLMES: But can I just say one thing? It’s great to raise money, and it’s a great cause, but wouldn’t you raise — wouldn’t you raise more money if you didn’t sing?

HANNITY: Governor — Governor, will you sing “The Devil Went Down to Georgia” with me with Charlie?

HUCKABEE: I won’t sing, but I’ll play bass on it. How’s that?

HANNITY: You’ll play bass on it?

HUCKABEE: I’ve played with Charlie Daniels, and he’s an amazing human being. I would love to be able to do that.

HANNITY: Well, we’ve got another star in here. I don’t know if I’m allowed to say he’s here. Am I allowed to say you’re here?

BRAD PAISLEY, COUNTRY MUSIC STAR: Yes, you can.

HANNITY: Are you sure?

PAISLEY: Yes.

HANNITY: Brad Paisley is sitting out here. He’s a good friend of ours. And hopefully, he’ll come to one of our shows.

But Hannity.com, Freedom Concert, eight cities. Mike Huckabee will be there.

Mike, good to see you.

HUCKABEE: Thank you.

HANNITY: Thanks for being with us.

HUCKABEE: Nice to see you, Sean.

HANNITY: Go vote.

HUCKABEE: Alan, take care.

HANNITY: We’ll see you back here tomorrow for special election coverage.

Watch “Hannity & Colmes” weeknights at 9 p.m. ET!

Content and Programming Copyright 2008 FOX News Network, Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Transcription Copyright 2008 ASC LLC (www.ascllc.net), which takes sole responsibility for the accuracy of the transcription. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No license is granted to the user of this material except for the user’s personal or internal use and, in such case, only one copy may be printed, nor shall user use any material for commercial purposes or in any fashion that may infringe upon FOX News Network, Inc.’s and Voxant Inc.’s copyrights or other proprietary rights or interests in the material. This is not a legal transcript for purposes of litigation.

Long lines form early as voters finally decide

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By NEDRA PICKLER and BETH FOUHY –

CHICAGO (AP) — Long lines have formed as polls open in Eastern states. John McCain is counting on a narrow path to an upset victory today while Barack Obama pinned his hopes for becoming the nation’s first black president on a ground organization designed to swell precincts with voters across the country.

“I think these battleground states have now closed up, almost all of them, and I believe there’s a good scenario where we can win,” McCain told CBS’ “The Early Show” in an interview broadcast as the day’s first voters stood in early-morning lines.

“Look, I know I’m still the underdog, I understand that,” the Arizona senator said. “You can’t imagine, you can’t imagine the excitement of an individual to be this close to the most important position in the world, and I’ll enjoy it, enjoy it. I’ll never forget it as long as I live.”

Obama campaign manager David Plouffe said he was confident that new voters and young voters would fuel an enormous turnout to benefit the Illinois senator.

“We just want to make sure people turn out,” Plouffe told “Today” on NBC. “We think we have enough votes around the country.”

Standing in line in one of the battleground states, Ahmed Bowling of Alexandria, Va., said the election “will mark a significant change in the lives of all Americans, and so we do have to come out as early as possible to cast our votes.”

In Brooklyn, N.Y., 49-year-old Venus Kevin said the line at her precinct was “already down the block and around the corner” when she arrived shortly before 6 a.m. EST.

“Obama is the man,” said Kevin, who is black. “His message and his vision has reached a lot of people, not just African-Americans.”

The contest pitted the 47-year-old Obama, a first-term Illinois senator who rocketed to stardom on the power of his oratory and a call for change, against the 72-year-old McCain, a 26-year lawmaker whose mettle was tested during 5 1/2 years as a prisoner of war in Vietnam.

“I’m feeling kind of fired up. I’m feeling like I’m ready to go,” Obama told nearly 100,000 people gathered for his final rally Monday night in Virginia.

“At this defining moment in history, Virginia, you can give this country the change it needs,” Obama said to voters in a state that hasn’t voted for a Democratic presidential nominee in 44 years.

The Illinois senator’s final day of campaigning was bittersweet: He was mourning the loss of his grandmother, Madelyn Dunham, who helped raise him. She died of cancer Sunday night, never to see the results of the historic election.

McCain completed a cross-country trek through seven battleground states before arriving at home in Phoenix early Tuesday morning.

“This momentum, this enthusiasm convinces me we’re going to win tomorrow,” McCain told a raucous evening rally in Henderson, Nev. It was the fifth campaign stop in an 18-hour odyssey that took him across three time zones.

Obama planned a quick campaign stop in Indiana on Election Day before a massive outdoor rally in front of the skyline in his adopted hometown of Chicago. The day’s forecast was for an unseasonably warm 70 degrees.

McCain planned events in Colorado and New Mexico, then a party at the Biltmore Hotel in Phoenix.

Obama urged his supporters to resist overconfidence. “Even if it rains tomorrow, you can’t let that stop you. You’ve got to wait in line. You’ve got to vote,” he said.

Beth Fouhy reported from Phoenix.

Thanksgiving – Pictures, Backgrounds, Banners, Wallpapers, Screensavers, Coloring Pages

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Listen to Quebec comedy duo prank call as Nicolas Sarkozy with Sarah Palin (Audio)

Sarah Palin - Canadian Radio Prank Call

A Quebec comedy duo notorious for pulling prank calls on celebrities have struck again. This time, comedian Marc Antoine Audette and Sebastian Trudel Audette, known as the Masked Avengers, tricked Republican Vice-Presidential candidate Sarah Palin into believing that she was speaking to French President Nicolas Sarkozy.

Click here to watch it.

The duo kept Palin on the line for several minutes and discussed politics and hunting, even making a jab at the current Vice-President’s infamous 2006 incident where he shot a friend in the face.

Throughout the interview Audette drops hints that he’s not who he claims to be. He names popular French singer Johnny Hallyday as his advisor on U.S. affairs and Quebec singer Stef Carse was named as Canada’s Prime Minister.

“We have such great respect for you [Sarkozy], John and I,” she gushed.

Later in the interview, Audette, jokes that he and Palin shared an interest in common, hunting.

“We should try hunting by helicopter like you did, I never did that,” Audette said.

Click here to watch it.

“We could have a lot of fun together while we’re getting work done. Kill two birds with one stone,” Palin replied.

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Palin also went on to praise Sarkozy and his wife Carla Bruni. “I look forward to working with you and getting to meet you personally, and your beautiful wife, oh my goodness,” she says.

“You’ve added a lot of energy to your country with that beautiful family of yours.”

Audette responded by joking that Sarkozy’s wife, singer and model Carla Bruni, wrote a song about her.

When Audette said that he saw Palin as President one day, Palin’s response was a diplomatic, “maybe in eight years.”

At the end of the interview, Audette tips his hand and tells Palin that the call is a hoax. “Oh, have we been pranked,” Palin says as she hands the phone to an aide who quickly ended the call.

The call will be airing on Montreal radio station CKOI on Monday, the day before Americans go to the polls.

The Palin campaign has also responded to the prank (from Politico):

“Gov. Palin was mildly amused to learn that she had joined the ranks of heads of state, including President Sarkozy, and other celebrities in being targeted by these pranksters. C’est la vie.”

Click here to watch it.

Scate Releases Ignite 4 Home

Scate Ignite 4 Home

FOR RELEASE October 30, 2008:

Contact: Press Relations
248.371.0315 Ext. 122
sales@scateignite.com
www.scateignite.com

Scate Releases Ignite 4 Home Edition

Create Web Videos, Photo Albums and Media Presentations for YouTube, Facebook, MySpace, iPod, Blogs & More

(Orion, MI – October 30, 2008) Scate Technologies, Inc. (Scate) has released Scate Ignite 4 Home, a personal version of its popular Scate Ignite 4 social media creation software with publishing options for dozens of social media sites and devices. Scate Ignite 4 Home users can now create HD web videos, HD web cam recordings, narrated photo albums and multi-media presentations for iPod, YouTube, podcasts, Facebook, MySpace, Sony PlayStation Portable (PSP), Blackberry, Treo, Windows Media Player, QuickTime and many more. Scate Ignite 4 Home can even be used to create syndicated podcasts from the kitchen table, den or home office!

Scate Ignite 4 Home makes it easier than ever to transform media content, such as screenshots, home movies, PowerPoint slides, digital camera pictures, webcam recordings, text, audio and music into seamless presentations, videos and tutorials and then instantly share them around the world on just about any media sharing site or player. Scate Ignite 4 Home is being offered at an affordable price of $49.97.

Scate Ignite 4 Home includes a free account at Scate’s own media sharing website (IgniteCAST.com) for podcast syndication, blog posting, message board embedding and desktop sidebars. IgniteCAST.com sharing options include iTunes, iTunes Store, iTunes U, iGoogle, WordPress, Blogger, TypePad, Orkut, Friendster, Twitter, Bebo, Tagged, Xanga, Live Spaces, Windows Vista Sidebar, Yahoo Widgets and many others.

“Whether it’s vacation videos, digital photos, resumes, computer how-to’s or simple webcam recordings, people want to be able to easily create and share media over the internet and on mobile devices” said Scate CEO Steve Sadler. “Scate Ignite 4 Home offers world class media publishing capabilities to the home user at a very affordable price” he added.

A free download and more information is available at http://www.scateignite.com

Scate and IgniteCAST are registered service marks of Scate^® Technologies, Inc. Ignite is a registered trademark of Scate^® Technologies, Inc. The Ignite Flame logo, “Ignitables”, “Capture, Enhance, Publish, Share” and “You Know – You Show” are trademarks of Scate^® Technologies, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Scate^® Technologies, Inc. – 40 Engelwood Dr. – Suite B – Orion, MI 48359 – 248.371.0315 – www.scateignite.com

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Police seek clues in slayings of Jennifer Hudson relatives

Jennifer Hudson

With two crime scenes, a suspect in custody and an outraged community, Chicago’s police chief said he is confident investigators will find clues to solve the deaths of Oscar winner Jennifer Hudson’s mother, brother and nephew.

“I suspect we’ll have some evidence that will link us to the killer,” said Police Superintendent Jody Weis, adding that surveillance cameras throughout the city may have captured images that would help the investigation.

Hudson was among seven family members and close friends who cried and held hands as they identified 7-year-old Julian King’s body from a live image on a television screen at the Cook County Medical Examiner’s office Monday afternoon.

The boy was found dead earlier Monday in the back of an SUV, ending a frantic search that began after the shooting deaths of Hudson’s mother and brother three days earlier.

Chicago police spokeswoman Monique Bond said the child also had been shot. The medical examiner’s office planned an autopsy on Tuesday.

Weis said a motive remained unclear. Police have characterized the slayings as “domestic related” and authorities have been questioning Julian’s stepfather, who has been estranged from the boy’s mother and is being held on a parole violation. No one has been charged in the slayings.

“It wasn’t a case of a stranger-type homicide,” Weis said.

Julian’s body was found early Monday in the rear seat of the SUV, which was parked on the street in a neighborhood of brownstone homes and apartment buildings about 10 miles from his home. The SUV had been the subject of an Amber Alert issued Friday after Hudson’s mother and brother were found slain.

The Amber Alert had listed William Balfour, the estranged husband of Julia Hudson, Jennifer’s sister, as a suspect in a “double homicide investigation.” He is not the boy’s father.

Balfour, 27, was taken into custody for questioning Friday after the bodies of Hudson’s 57-year-old mother, Darnell Donerson, and 29-year-old brother, Jason Hudson, were found.

Weis said Monday that Balfour “remains a person of interest.”

On Sunday, Balfour was transferred to the Illinois Department of Corrections, where a spokeswoman on Monday declined to discuss his parole violation.

Corrections records show that Balfour spent nearly seven years in prison for attempted murder, vehicular hijacking and possessing a stolen vehicle. He was expected to remain in state custody until the Illinois Prisoner Review Board looked at his case.

Balfour’s mother, Michele Balfour, has said Hudson’s mother kicked Balfour out of the family home last winter. She denied her son had anything to do with the killings.

It was unclear whether Balfour had an attorney.

Lynette Louden, 47, said she called police about the SUV across the street from her home on Chicago’s West Side after her family’s Chihuahua started barking at it early Monday. Some neighbors said they hadn’t seen the vehicle before Monday, but Louden said it had been there since at least Saturday.

“I only hoped the body wasn’t in there,” she said. “When they said that it was, I cried.”

Weis said police were waiting for the autopsy to determine how long the boy had been dead but estimated the vehicle was parked on the street “a couple of days.”

When asked how officers could have missed the SUV during their massive search, Weis noted that Chicago is a big city and that the vehicle was “several miles away from the first crime scene.”

Steve Peterson, head of the department’s Bureau of Investigative Services, said the search for the boy had been centered farther east based on information they had about where Balfour’s current girlfriend lives.

Hudson, 27, who started out on “American Idol” and won an Academy Award for best supporting actress in 2007 for her role in “Dreamgirls,” returned to Chicago to be with her family during the weekend. She also had identified the bodies of her mother and brother.

At a candlelight vigil Monday night, hundreds of people gathered outside the Englewood home where the two bodies were found. They sang, held hands and cried in the cold as they contributed to an expanding memorial of stuffed animals, balloons and flowers.

Many said they could not understand how someone could shoot a little boy.

“It pains all of us to know three lives are gone and we don’t know why,” said Doris Jones, who lives in the neighborhood.

___

Associated Press writers Caryn Rousseau, Don Babwin, Carla K. Johnson and Michael Tarm contributed to this report.

“High School Musical 3″ leads worldwide box office – Trailer

High School Musical 3: Senior Year

“High School Musical 3: Senior Year”, the first big-screen adaptation of Walt Disney Co’s popular TV movie franchise, rocked movie theaters around the world during its first weekend of release, the company said on Sunday.

Click here to watch the trailer

The movie sold $42 million worth of tickets across North America for the three days beginning on Friday, and grossed $40 million internationally. It was No. 1 by both counts, becoming the first worldwide chart-topper since the Batman sequel “The Dark Knight” in July, Disney said.

The “High School Musical” franchise has generated two smash TV movies, two chart-topping albums, and made teen idols out of its stars, Zac Efron, Vanessa Hudgens and Ashley Tisdale. 
 
The plot of the new film brings the cast back to their fictional New Mexico high school, where Troy (Efron) must decide between pursuing a basketball scholarship or his song-and-dance dreams. The usual teen-angst issues ensue.

Elsewhere at the North American box office, “Saw V” came in at No. 2 with $30.5 million, in line with the previous three installments in the horror franchise. The series was released by Lionsgate, a unit of Lions Gate Entertainment Corp.

Last weekend’s champ, the Mark Wahlberg thriller “Max Payne” slipped to No. 3 with $7.6 million, taking its 10-day haul to $29.7 million. The film was released by 20th Century Fox, a unit of News Corp.

Click here to watch the trailer

(Reporting by Dean Goodman; Editing by Bill Trott, yahoo)