Fundraiser: Joe the Plumber" will endorse Mayor Steve Lonegan at a major, statewide Republican Rally on Tuesday evening, May 5.

Joe the Plumber


I hope you've heard that America's Taxpayer Hero, "Joe the Plumber" will endorse Mayor Steve Lonegan at a major, statewide Republican Rally on Tuesday evening, May 5. The event will be held at the Deutscher Club of Clark and will begin at 7:00 pm.

Tickets for the general public are available for $50.00, $125.00, $250.00, and $1,000.00. However, as Lonegan Team Volunteers, you have the opportunity to earn upper-level tickets through your Get-Out-the-Vote and Voter Contact volunteer work. By helping Mayor Lonegan identify new supporters and new volunteers, you'll not only ensure that he wins the Primary, but you can earn the chance to meet Joe the Plumber and Mayor Steve Lonegan.

The $50.00 General Admission ticket will include hamburgers, hot dogs, veggie burgers, bratwurst, bauernwurst, grilled chicken, pasta salad, potato salad, baked beans, corn on the cob, and watermelon.

A $125.00 VIP Ticket will also include a book signing by Joe the Plumber and can be earned by Volunteers who make 375 Voter Contact Phone Calls.

A $250.00 Gold Ticket will also include a photo with Joe the Plumber and Mayor Lonegan and can be earned by Volunteers who make 750 Voter Contact Phone Calls.

The $1,000.00 Diamond Ticket will also include admission to a private reception with Joe the Plumber and Mayor Lonegan prior to the Rally and can be earned by Volunteers who make 1,000 Voter Contact Phone Calls.

Register here: http://lonegan.com/Joe_the_Plumber_Rally.aspx

Then, please contact me or your County Captain about this Incentive Program. By supporting our Get-Out-the-Vote effort and attending this historic Republican rally, you can send a message to the State and the Nation: Conservative Change is needed and is coming to New Jersey.

The Deutscher Club of Clark is located 787 Featherbed Lane in Clark. Lawn Signs will be available at this event for Lonegan Team Members to take back to every corner of the State. We look forward to seeing you there!

Shirtless Obama Makes Washingtonian Cover

Finally: a president we can crush on!

Our toned commander-in-chief graces the May 2009 cover of Washingtonian Magazine wearing nothing but swimming trunks and shades. The image was taken from a paparazzi shot of him vacationing in Hawaii last Christmas.

It's Barack Obama at his most natural -- well, almost. One detail has been retouched, and it's not the four-pack (sorry, Mr. President, I can't quite give you six).

According to AOL News, the image was apparently altered to make Obama's swimming trunks red. In the original photo, Obama's trunks are black.



What do you think?

McCain Rips Obama Torture Probe

A group of Republicans known for their bipartisan record, including former Republican presidential nominee Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), urged President Barack Obama on Wednesday not to prosecute government lawyers who crafted the policy in just released “torture memos.” - from here

Harry Smith spoke with Sen. John McCain about the possible prosecution of Bush administration officials that approved inhumane torture methods.



There is debate among high-ranking Washington politicians over President Obamas comments that Bush administration officials may face charges for torture interrogation techniques.

CNN asks Levi Johnston If He Had Sex With Bristol In Sarah Palin’s House

Indiana toddler shot herself to death after finding a gun

Nazi-bred super cows?!

Their meat will not be reaching the Sunday lunch table and nobody would dare get close enough to try to milk them. But a herd of “super cows”, descended from animals bred in Nazi Germany, is making an impressive sight on a farm in south-west England. The animals, Heck cattle, were bred by the brothers Heinz and Lutz Heck, two zoologists who wanted to recreate the aurochs. An extinct European wild ox, the aurochs features as an important beast in Teutonic mythology. Only a few Heck cattle survived after the second world war but now Derek Gow, a farmer and conservation consultant, has shipped 13 bulls and cows from Belgium to the farm in Devon, where they have joined a growing collection of beavers, polecats and water voles. - from Guardian

But this herd of 13 bulls, cows and calves known as Heck cattle is the product of Nazi genetic engineering, an attempt to reintroduce the extinct aurochs, the last of which died of old age in a Polish forest nearly four centuries ago. The cattle have been imported into Britain for the first time by Derek Gow, a conservationist who is also at the forefront of attempts to reintroduce the beaver. Mr Gow said: “They look like the cave paintings of Lascaux and Altamira. It makes you think of the light of a tallow lamp and these huge bulls on these cave paintings leaping out at you from darkened walls.” - from TimesUK

Hitler’s Luftwaffe chief Herman Göring led the effort to resurrect the cattle by commissioning the zoologist Heck brothers to “back breed” the most primitive pedigrees of cow available in Europe. The success of the project – part of Göring’s vision to turn conquered Eastern European territories into a primeval Aryan wilderness – is widely disputed. “Most geneticists now believe that it is impossible to recover a lost species by back breeding, but few dispute that Heck cattle resemble the ancient aurochs, at least superficially,” the paper reported. The Times added that Gow, who is also heading the effort to reintroduce the beaver into the British wild, intends to breed calmer examples of the cattle, which he eventually hopes to offer “as grazing animals for nature reserves and ‘rewilding’ projects.” - from The Local

AP Top Stories

Here's the latest news for Thursday, April 23: Freddie Mac CFO found dead; GM to possibly close plants; Death penalty for rapist in South Carolina; Morning-after pill to be available to 17-year-old women

New Jobless Claims Rise to 640K

New claims for unemployment benefits jumped to 640,000 last week. That's 27,000 more people than the previous week. The number of Americans continuing to file claims has now topped 6.1 million. (April 23)

Sound and "Ethical" Fury Against Human Cloning Signifying Nothing

I reported on the media falling for the latest, "I can clone a baby," publicity stunt yesterday. Now "the scientists" are weighing in an sputtering outrage. As usual, their "ethical" opposition to human cloning is much less than it seems.

First, it was the cry to "peer review." From the story:


Alastair Kent, director of the Genetic Interest Group, a charity dedicated to helping families affected with inherited disorders, said that Dr Zavos claimed to have mastered a technology that other scientists had been struggling with for years. "Once again he claims to have used it for purposes widely condemned as unsafe and dangerous. And he has done this in secret, using the hopes of couples desperate to create or to recreate a child as a springboard for his vaulting ambition," he said.
But the real objection is safety:

"For his claims to have credibility, and to prevent the unethical exploitation of grieving or desperate couples Dr Zavos must throw open his work to peer review. He must demonstrate openness and allow scrutiny by experts, not just by the media. If he is as good as he claims then he has nothing to fear. If he is not, then vulnerable women and couples need protection from his activities," Dr Kent said.
Note that this is not the same thing as stating that cloning is wrong. This next quote is more of the same:


Professor Azim Surani of the University of Cambridge said that Dr Zavos had breached the taboo on creating human clones with the intention of transferring them into the wombs of women in order to achieve a pregnancy – a procedure that is a criminal offence in Britain.

"This affair shows a complete lack of responsibility. If true, Zavos has again failed to observe the universally-accepted ban on human cloning, which was agreed because most of the resulting embryos from such animal experiments are abnormal," Professor Surani said.

"This is yet another episode designed to gain maximum publicity without performing rigorous animal experiments or presenting it for peer review in a scientific journal. He has the opportunity to do this for his claim on making animal-human hybrid embryos in culture," he said.
And once again:


"The interesting thing here is that for the first time these cloning attempts appear to have been documented," said Professor Wolf Reik, an expert in reproductive biology at the Babraham Institute in Cambridge, yesterday.

"We have no reason to think that human cloning will not work – it works in primates – but it may take many, many attempts.

"But to say it is substantially safer now, with new technical developments, is nonsense; the available techniques are still very inefficient, and the great majority of embryos die in utero, or are born with abnormalities. This is why, in my opinion, it remains problematical for it to be carried out on humans," Professor Reik added.
Here's the thing: From what I can tell, most scientists and bioethicists don't think reproductive cloning is inherently wrong at all. Heck, Ian Wilmut the administrator of the team that cloned Dolly has said it should be done in some circumstances. Thus, when we hear supposed outrage from "the scientists" about reproductive cloning, it is a lot of sound and fury signifying nothing.

In the next post, I will share from my book Consumer's Guide to a Brave New World, what it would take to make human reproductive cloning "safe." You guessed it, lots and lots of human cloning!
Labels: Human Cloning. Safety Concerns. Utilitarianism. Ethics.


posted by Wesley J. Smith

Does UFC 97 make Silva even more dangerous?

Does Anderson Silva’s win over Thales Leites make him a more dangerous fighter? Silva is used to knocking guys out in the first few rounds, but his fight with Leites showed a different dimension to his game. He showed that he wasn’t going to be overly aggressive and that winning is the most important thing to him. That’s not good for any other middleweight.

If he was a little more aggressive, he might be a little more careless. Instead, he comes into a fight with a plan and executes it flawlessly. As his manager, Ed Soares, has said in the press lately, Silva went five rounds and barely broke a sweat and left without a mark.

Coming off a bad showing against Patrick Cote, I thought he might work harder to put on a good show. When Leites kept dropping, it had to be tempting to take the fight to the ground. After all, Silva’s pretty solid on the ground as well. He didn’t, though. He played it smart and picked Leites apart, even knowing the fight would go longer than any of his others.

He could’ve taken Leites lightly because he didn’t have a high-profile resume or he could’ve been aggressive coming off of the Cote performance. But he fought a measured, calculated fight and that type of focus has to make him an even more dangerous opponent.

I know Silva is taking a hit from many fans who are now questioning whether he belongs at the top of the pound-for-pound rankings, but I don’t think he’s any less terrifying as a champion now.

I don’t think we’re going to see a Matt Serra over Georges St. Pierre equivalent for Silva. And when it comes to GSP, it’s rumored he will be the next opponent (potentially) for Silva. Dana White has addressed those rumors several times in the past and if GSP beats Thiago Alves at UFC 100, this fight will come together. Even still, I think GSP will be in trouble as the smaller fighter, so who will be the next great challenge for Silva?

by Mark Chalifoux

2009 NBA Playoffs: Game 2: Miami Heat 108 Atlanta Hawks 93

Analysis: The first thing you need to know about Game 2 of this series is that the Heat drilled 15 threes. If you're the Hawks, there's nothing you can really do about that unless of course they hit most of those threes because of poor rotations on defense. I highly doubt the Heat will hit 15 threes in a game again in this series, so the Hawks shouldn't be too worried about this loss. Of course they will have to win one in Miami now though for sure, which is not going to be easy for a team that struggles on the road. They should really focus on their defense in Game 3 and not let the Heat get off offensively from the start. The Heat will probably win at least one game at home, which could set up what looks to be a 7 game series.

Key Players of The Game

Dwyane Wade: Wade had a much better performance in Game 2 than in Game 1. He finished with 33 points, 5 rebounds, 7 assists, 1 block, and 2 steals, while shooting 11 of 20 from the field and drilling 6 threes.

Daequan Cook: Cook was the other player on the Heat who killed the Hawks from deep. He nailed 6 of his 9 three point attempts and finished with 20 points. The Hawks would be wise to not leave him open so much going forward in this series.

Jermaine O'Neal: After a terrible Game 1 performance, O'Neal was much more solid In Game 2. He finished with 19 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 blocks, while shooting 6 of 9 from the field. Miami needs him to be a strong low post presence in order to give them some balance on offense. Without O'Neal putting up decent numbers, I don't think Miami can win this series.

Josh Smith: Smith was somewhat of a disappointment during the regular season, but he has being playing well in this series so far. He finished with 17 points, 10 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals and 2 blocks.

Joe Johnson: Johnson did not have a strong game and finished with 16 points on just 5 of 13 shooting. He also had zero assists on the night. Johnson needs to be better on the offensive end for the Hawks, who rely on him as their number 1 guy, because he certainly didn't play like one in Game 2.

Jennifer Hudson is Pregnant

Former American Idol star Jennifer Hudson is reportedly pregnant with her first child. Page Six says

It looks like Jennifer Hudson is going to be a mommy. The star… is said to be expecting her first child with her fiancé, former “I Love New York” contestant David “Punk” Otunga.

It looks like she’s going to be a mommy? I don’t know what the hell that’s supposed to prove. She’s looked like she was going to be a mommy for the past six years now. It’s called “viscera abdominal fat in the peritoneal cavity.” Page Six might want to look into that.

Prep basketball star Jeremy Tyler skipping senior year for Europe

Jeremy Tyler wants to go where no other high school basketball player has gone before: He will skip his senior year of high school to play in Europe.

Last year, prep player of the year Brandon Jennings, decided to forgo college to play pro basketball in Italy. Jennings, who is averaging 5.1 points per game in the Euroleague, was the first player to bypass college to play pro in Europe. It was "one-and-done" all along for Jennings. It didn't matter if he was in college or in Europe.

Under NBA rules, the minimum age requirement to enter the draft is 19, and for U.S. players, at least one year removed from high school AND 19 years of age (by the end of that calendar year).


Jeremy TylerMany wondered if Jennings' move would spark other high school stars to follow in his footsteps. Now, not only that, Tyler will create some footsteps of his own.

According to Yahoo Sports and The New York Times, Tyler will get his high school diploma online. Tyler said his game stagnated by playing high school basketball. He was often triple- and double-teamed.

Is this a good move for Tyler?
The 6'10 junior to be is considered to be the top player in his class of 2010. He has the athleticism to be something extremely great at his position, and the work ethic to go along with it. Tyler is never afraid to go at the opposing teams best player, rather it be a center, forward, or even a guard at times. Check out Tyler at the All West Camp presented by Fullctpress.net

American Idol Season 8: Top 7 (Again) Elimination Recap

by Gina Scarpa



Last night, there weren't many surprises on American Idol's special double elimination results show but more on that in a minute. The Top 7 took the stage and performed their usual opening number and this week, it was choreographed by Ms. Paula Abdul herself. She may not be able to string an entire sentence together that makes sense, but the woman can still dance! She should choreograph more often for the show, too. What aggravated me about the number was that it was clear none of them were singing live because they were dancing as well. If you can't sing and dance at the same time, then maybe a pop career isn't for you. Last season, the tickets were $80 when the tour came through my state. Considering it's a singing competition (as Simon reminds us 17 times per week), I'm not dropping cash to watch amateur singers lip sync for 3 hours.



Deep breath...



After that, Seacrest asked Lil Rounds to stand up. After saying that it was clear how bad she wanted to be in the competition, and what a strong woman she was, he eliminated her right then and there. I take it no one's jaw was on the floor. The judges have been killing her for weeks and she hasn't delivered a powerful performance since entering the Top 13. Too bad, I had high hopes for her. Next up, some awkward disco performances from singers from the 70s. Obviously, they're past their prime and so are their voices, with the exception of Thelma Houston. Did anyone else cringe over KC (of The Sunshine Band fame) moving about the stage with singers 1/3 of his age?



More results. Kris Allen was safe (woohoo!) as is Adam Lambert and Danny Gokey. Anoop and Matt stand and I was convinced that Ryan would throw them in the bottom, announcing that Allison was safe. No no, my friends, Matt Giraud was safe! Okay, that part did surprise me a little... but in a good way. He made some dumb choices recently but he's talented. Allison and Anoop are left in the bottom but it is Anoop Desai that heads home. Like I said, there's a difference between a good singer and an artist who deserves a recording contract and singing career.



This is a Top 5 I can get down with: Adam, Danny, Kris, Matt, and Allison. I'm hoping they can pick any old song next week but, knowing American Idol, I'll probably be forced to listen to a bunch of songs that don't really fit their style and/or personality. I still think Adam's going all the way and that's been obvious since Day 1. Do you think it's in the bag?



Tune in to American Idol as the Top 5 take the stage, Tuesday at 8pm ET on FOX.

Initial jobless claims rise; continuing claims hit new record

WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) -- The Labor Department reported Thursday that first-time claims for state unemployment benefits rose in the most recent week, as ongoing claims reached yet another record high.

Initial jobless claims rose a seasonally adjusted 27,000 to 640,000 in the week ended April 18. The four-week average of initial claims fell 4,250 to 646,750. The four-week average is considered a better gauge of labor market conditions than the volatile weekly figures because it smoothes out one-time distortions caused by holidays, bad weather or strikes.
While the most recent gain in initial claims may dim hopes among some observers for a sustained trend of sharply falling claims, some analysts see a possible ray of light for the labor market.

"While it is too soon to say that jobless claims have peaked, the four-week average suggests that claims may have leveled out at very high levels, which suggests that the rate of job losses may be stabilizing (alas, also at very high levels)," wrote analysts at RDQ Economics in a research note.
In the prior weekly data, initial claims fell a revised 47,000. However, some of that drop may be due to Easter-related distortion.
For the week ended April 11, the number of people collecting state unemployment benefits reached yet another new record, rising 93,000 to 6.14 million -- more than double the level in the prior year. Continuing claims have reached new weekly records since late January, signaling that workers are having a tough time finding jobs. The four-week average of continuing claims rose 142,500 to a record 5.94 million.

The insured unemployment rate -- the proportion of covered workers who are receiving benefits -- rose to 4.6% from 4.5%, reaching the highest level since January 1983.
Initial claims represent job destruction, while the level of continuing claims indicates how hard or easy it is for displaced workers to find new jobs. The latest claims report shows that finding a replacement job remains difficult.
Jobless claims a widely tracked indicator because they are close to real time, and are based on actual filings, rather than statistical inference. Escalating levels of initial and continuing claims signal prospects for double-digit unemployment, in the view of many economists.

Typically, state unemployment benefits run out after 26 weeks for those who are eligible. Benefits are generally available for those who lose their full-time job through no fault of their own. Those who exhaust their unemployment benefits are still counted as unemployed if they are actively looking for work.

Iraq says top insurgent captured, bombs kill 54

BAGHDAD (AP) — Iraqi security officials said they captured one of the most wanted leaders of the al-Qaida-linked Sunni insurgency Thursday, an arrest that could deliver a significant blow to an intensified campaign of attacks. Two separate suicide bombings killed at least 54 people.

The officials identified the arrested man as Abu Omar al-Baghdadi who leads the Islamic State of Iraq, an umbrella group of Sunni militant factions that is believed dominated by Al-Qaida in Iraq. However in the past, Iraqi officials have reported al-Baghdadi's arrest or killing, only to later say they were wrong. The U.S. military has even said al-Baghdadi could be a fictitious character used to give an Iraqi face to an organization dominated by foreign al-Qaida fighters.

U.S. officials could not immediately confirm the arrest.

Al-Baghdadi has been a key target for U.S. and Iraqi forces for years. But little is known about his origins or real influence over insurgent groups. The insurgents have staged a series of high-profile attacks in recent weeks, apparently including the two suicide blasts Thursday in Baghdad and north of the capital in Diyala province.

Iraqi state television quoted military spokesman Maj. Gen. Qassim al-Moussawi as saying al-Baghdadi was arrested in Baghdad. Security officials also told The Associated Press that he was captured.

In March, a 17-minute audio message attributed to al-Baghdadi called Washington's announcement of a combat withdrawal timetable from Iraq "recognition of defeat." The statement was carried on militant Web sites.

In Baghdad, a suicide bomber blew himself up among a group of Iraqis collecting humanitarian aid in a mainly Shiite area in Baghdad, killing at least 22 people, the Iraqi military said.

The attack was the latest in a series of high-profile bombings that have raised concern of an uptick in violence as the U.S. military scales back its forces before a planned withdrawal by the end of 2011.

The bombing occurred just after noon as Iraqi police were distributing aid parcels near Tahariyat Square in the central neighborhood of Karradah, according to the office of the main Baghdad military spokesman.

Abbas Ibrahim, a 24-year-old college student, described pools of blood on the ground and the smell of burned flesh in the air.

"We regret that violence has come back to Baghdad," he said.

Issam Salim, 35, was wounded by shrapnel as he was waiting for a bus about 30 yards from the explosion.

"I turned around as I fell to the ground and saw a big fire break out with black smoke," he said from his hospital bed. "Women and children are crying from pain beside me in the hospital. Some of them suffered burns."

Some police were among the 22 people killed and 35 other people were wounded, according the military.

North of Baghdad, a suicide bomber killed at least 32 people in a crowded restaurants, said Sadir Jaafar, the deputy head of the Diyala provincial council. He said 60 were wounded.

Meanwhile, the U.S. military said at least 20 were killed. Conflicting casualty tolls are common.

Military spokesman Derrick Cheng said initial reports showed about 45 people were also wounded when the suicide bomber detonated an explosives vest Thursday in Muqdadiyah, northeast of Baghdad.

Muqdadiyah is an insurgent hotbed about 60 miles (90 kilometers) northeast of Baghdad

Curry set to fulfill dream

When Aaron Curry left Fayetteville, N.C., to play football at Wake Forest, he weighed 195 pounds. Now he’s a 6-2, 254-pound outside linebacker who is rated as one of the two best prospects in the draft.

On Saturday, Curry isn’t expected to last past the Kansas City Chiefs, who have the third pick in the first round.

“It’s been amazing,” Curry said. “It’s been an uphill climb, a battle I was willing to take on.

“Coming out of high school, I was lightly recruited – East Carolina, Wake Forest, Division I AA and Division 2 schools (were interested). Everybody began to have doubt whether I could fulfill my dream of playing in the NFL.”

On Saturday, Curry’s dream will come true. The first thing he’ll do after he becomes a multimillionaire is to buy his mother a house. She brought up her three sons without the help of Curry’s father — former NFL safety Reggie Pinkney.

At one point, the family was evicted from its house.

“Now she can have any house she wants,” he said.

Butkus a fan
Curry, who can play outside in a 4-3 or a 3-4, won the Butkus Award as the nation’s best linebacker last season. Hall of Fame middle linebacker Dick Butkus was so impressed with Curry that he went to Wake Forest to deliver it in person.

“That feeling is hard to describe,” Curry said. “To play at Wake Forest and even be mentioned with the Butkus Award winners is amazing.

“The day I saw Mr. Butkus at the campus was amazing. It was a day like no other. He seemed so excited to meet me. He was like, ‘I saw this guy on film, and he was making all these great plays, but I wanted to see what kind of person he was.’

“He told me I was just a great person overall. He was glad the committee gave the trophy not just to a great linebacker but to a great person.”

One of the many examples that show what kind of person Curry is can be found in one of his guests at the draft in New York. Bryson Merriweather, 12, a leukemia patient at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, will attend the draft as Curry’s guest.

Curry, who earned a degree in sociology, considered law school but has other post-career plans mapped out.

Coaching aspirations“I realized that coaching college football was what I wanted to do,” he said. “When I’m done playing football, I want to help young men in a pivotal point of their lives and help them get through school and be successful players and people.”

Some people say Curry sounds too good to be true. He’s considered as the safest pick in the draft, which he considers a compliment.

“I believe a safe pick means I can come in instantly and make an impact on anybody’s defense,” he said. “And my versatility as a linebacker, well, you just can’t go wrong.”

Curry takes a lot of pride in being the kind of player he is.

“I want them to know that my personality and my character are contagious,” he said about the team that drafts him. “ Whether it’s the weight room or the field, people know that Aaron Curry’s serious. He’s working hard, and he’s not going to stop until the whistle blows.

“You’re going to have to drag Aaron Curry out of the weight room and the film room. You’re going to have to drag him off the field. You’re going to tell him to chill out with some of the charities because he’s got practice.

“That’s just the type of person I am. I have dreams. Now my dreams are coming true.”

FDA Okays OTC Sales of Emergency Contraception to 17-Year-Olds

WASHINGTON, April 23 -- In a quiet to a years' long struggle, the FDA has agreed to allow 17-year-olds to purchase levonorgestrel (Plan B) birth control pills over-the-counter.

The FDA announcement followed a federal court ruling last month that found that the agency's initial decision to restrict access was based on politics, not science. (See: Court Finds FDA Played Politics with Emergency Contraception)



The FDA said it will not appeal the court's decision, and has informed drug maker Duramed Pharmaceuticals that it will be able to market Plan B to women ages 17 and older pending approval of a marketing application.


On March 23, U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York gave the FDA 30 days to review its 2006 decision approving over-the-counter sales of the drug only for patients ages 18 and up. Women under that age needed a prescription to purchase the drug, the agency mandated.


The court ordered the FDA to allow 17-year-olds to buy the drug without a prescription.


The FDA did not return calls for comment on whether the drug will still be sold behind the counter rather than openly on store shelves.


The 2006 decision had been drawn out over a period of three years as the Bush administration opposed FDA approval of Plan B, citing "safety concerns," even though FDA advisory panels recommended the sale of the drug without age limitations.


In a statement, Cecile Richards, president of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, called the announcement "a strong statement to American women that their health comes before politics."


"This decision is commonsense policy that will help reduce the number of unintended pregnancies and protect the health and safety of all women," she said.

'Craigslist' victim, an aspiring model, mourned

Just a week before her death, the masseuse and aspiring model who was killed, police say, by a man answering her Craigslist ad, told her mother that she was going to Boston to meet a young man with a good pedigree.

Julissa Brisman, 26, told her mother, Carmen Guzman, that she had met a guy on the Internet who was a medical student, according to Jenny Guzman, 27, of the Bronx, Brisman's cousin.

"My aunt was like 'You better be careful, because people who are on the Internet are sometimes bad people,' '' she said Wednesday, as she stood outside the Washington Heights funeral home where friends and relatives gathered for Julissa Brisman's wake.

"She was like, 'No, he's a nice guy. He's a medical student,' " Jenny Guzman said.




Philip Markoff, 23, a first-year medical student, has sbeen charged with Brisman's killing at the Marriott Copley Place hotel April 14. He is also charged in the robbery of another woman he allegedly met at another Boston hotel four days earlier.

A law enforcement official who spoke on the condition of anonymity told The Associated Press that police found items belonging to both women in Markoff's apartment in Quincy, south of Boston.

Markoff was arrested on Monday on Interstate 95 in Massachusetts as he and his fiancee drove to Foxwoods Casino. He was arraigned on charges in Boston court Tuesday and is being held without bail.

Friends and family gathered at the Ortiz Funeral Home to remember the aspiring actress. "She was really feisty, she wouldn't let anyone push her around, which is why it didn't surprise me at all that I heard that she fought back," says Carlee, a friend from Brooklyn who withheld her last name.

Inside, Carmen Guzman collapsed into tears as she stood by Brisman's open coffin, her daughter's face covered in a light veil while pictures of her as a child surrounded the coffin.

"The family thinks that we should go to court in Boston and just express ourselves" to Markoff in court, says Daisy Guzman, 20, another cousin of Brisman's. "I would go crazy on him. I would ask him so many questions, like why. . . . Why? She had nothing to do with you."

Rise in jobless claims weighs on stock futures

NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks futures are weakening after weekly unemployment claims rose more than expected.

The Labor Department reported Thursday that new jobless claims rose to 640,000 last week. That was just above analysts' expectations of 635,000.

The total number of workers continuing to file claims for unemployment benefits topped 6.13 million, the 12th straight weekly record.

Stocks futures have been rising as stronger-than-expected earnings from a handful of companies boost hopes that the economy could be stabilizing.

Dow Jones industrial average futures are up 53, or 0.7 percent, at 7,869. They had been up as much as 82 points earlier. Standard & Poor's 500 index futures are up 10 percent to 847 while Nasdaq 100 index futures are up 18.50 to 1,342.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.

NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks are pointing to a higher open Thursday after stronger-than-expected earnings from a handful of companies boosted hopes that the economy could be stabilizing.

Several companies are offering investors nuggets of optimism: Apple Inc.'s 15 percent increase in earnings boosted hopes for technology companies. Defense contractor Raytheon Co. raised its full-year earnings forecast. PNC Financial Services' first-quarter profit of $1.03 a share was well ahead of the 42 cents analysts had been expecting.

Not all numbers were upbeat. Earnings from UPS Inc., the world's largest shipping carrier, fell short of expectations.

The results come ahead of reports on unemployment claims and sales of existing homes.

Government figures are expected to show that new jobless claims increased last week while the total number of people receiving unemployment insurance set a record for the 12th straight week.

A real estate trade group's report is expected to show sales of existing homes declined slightly in March after jumping sharply a month earlier.

Ahead of the readings, Dow Jones industrial average futures rose 67, or 0.9 percent, to 7,883. Standard & Poor's 500 index futures rose 8.50, or 1 percent, to 845.40. Nasdaq 100 index futures rose 22.25, or 1.7 percent, to 1,345.75.

The rise in stock futures comes as stocks ended mostly lower Wednesday amid worries about the health of banks.

Bond prices fell. The yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note, which moves opposite its price, rose to 2.97 percent from 2.94 percent late Wednesday. The yield on the three-month T-bill, considered one of the safest investments, rose to 0.14 percent from 0.13 percent Wednesday.

Light, sweet crude rose $1.04 to $49.89 per barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

The dollar was mixed against other major currencies, while gold prices rose.

Overseas, Japan's Nikkei stock average rose 0.22 percent. In afternoon trading, Britain's FTSE 100 rose 0.4 percent, Germany's DAX index slipped 0.13 percent, and France's CAC-40 rose 0.2 percent.

Obama to meet credit card executives

WASHINGTON, April 23 (UPI) -- A top adviser to U.S. President Barack Obama said the president would press the case for credit card reforms in a meeting with executives from 14 companies.

Valerie Jarrett said in a release that the president would meet Thursday with the company officials about legislation being considered by Congress to crack down on such practices as "arbitrary" interest rate increases, CNNMoney.com reported.

"We are … working with Congress on legislation that will promote simplicity, require transparency, demand fairness, and ensure accountability so that we can strengthen consumer protections against abusive and deceptive practices," Jarrett said.

CNN said a bill approved this week by the House Financial Services Committee would outlaw interest rate increases, clamp down on "excessive" fees and demand more consumer disclosure. The measure could go before the full House for a vote as soon as next week, analysts said.

The Senate has yet to produce a companion measure. Republican critics of the measure say it's unnecessary because the Federal Reserve Bank has proposed similar credit card reforms that would go into effect next year, the broadcaster said.

Iraqi officials say al-Qaida-linked chief arrested

The suspected leader of an al-Qaida-linked militant network was captured Thursday by Iraqi military forces, security officials said, in what could mark a significant blow against Sunni insurgents as they step up attacks. Two separate suicide bombings, meanwhile, killed at least 42 people.

Abu Omar al-Baghdadi has been a key target for U.S. and Iraqi forces for years as the leader of the Islamic State of Iraq, an umbrella group of Sunni militant factions that is believed dominated by al-Qaida in Iraq.

But little is known about his origins or real influence over insurgent groups, which have staged a series of high-profile attacks in recent weeks, including, apparently, the two suicide blasts Thursday in Baghdad and north of the capital in Diyala province.

The U.S. military has even said al-Baghdadi could be a fictitious character used to give an Iraqi face to an organization dominated by foreign al-Qaida fighters.

But Iraqi security forces said he was in custody.

Iraqi state television quoted military spokesman Maj. Gen. Qassim al-Moussawi as saying al-Baghdadi was arrested in Baghdad. Security officials also told The Associated Press that he was captured. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not allowed to release the information.

No other details were immediately available about the arrest. In the past, Iraqi officials have announced arrests of key militant figures that later proved wrong.

In March, a 17-minute audio message attributed to al-Baghdadi called Washington's announcement of a combat withdrawal timetable from Iraq "recognition of defeat." The statement was carried on militant Web sites.

Although violence is down sharply around Iraq compared with recent years, high-profile attacks blamed on insurgents have been on the rise recently.

In Baghdad, a suicide bomber blew himself up among a group of Iraqis collecting humanitarian aid in a mainly Shiite area in Baghdad, killing at least 22 people, the Iraqi military said.

The attack was the latest in a series of high-profile bombings that have raised concern of an uptick in violence as the U.S. military scales back its forces before a planned withdrawal by the end of 2011.

The bombing occurred just after noon as Iraqi police were distributing aid parcels near Tahariyat Square in the central neighborhood of Karradah, according to the office of the main Baghdad military spokesman.

Abbas Ibrahim, a 24-year-old college student, described pools of blood on the ground and the smell of burned flesh in the air.

"We regret that violence has come back to Baghdad," he said.

Issam Salim, 35, was wounded by shrapnel as he was waiting for a bus about 30 yards from the explosion.

"I turned around as I fell to the ground and saw a big fire break out with black smoke," he said from his hospital bed. "Women and children are crying from pain beside me in the hospital. Some of them suffered burns."

Some police were among the 22 people killed and 35 other people were wounded, according the military.

North of Baghdad, the U.S. military said a suicide bomber killed at least 20 in a crowded restaurant.

Military spokesman Derrick Cheng said initial reports showed about 45 people were also wounded when the suicide bomber detonated an explosives vest Thursday in Muqdadiyah, northeast of Baghdad. Muqdadiyah is an insurgent hotbed about 60 miles (90 kilometers) northeast of Baghdad.