ABC News: U.S.: Flight Diverted Over Unattended Camera

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Flight Diverted Over Unattended Camera Aug 1st 2012, 05:15 A United Airlines flight from Newark, N.J., to Geneva was diverted to Boston Tuesday night when a flight attendant discovered a camera in a seat back pocket and could not locate the camera's owner, law enforcement officials and an airline spokesperson said. United Airlines later identified the owner of the camera as it belonged to someone who flew on an earlier flight. Flight 956 took off from Newark at 6 p.m., with 157 passengers and eleven crew members aboard, according to officials and United's website. The plane was escorted to Boston's Logan International Airport by two F-15's at 9:00 p.m. and landed approximately 15 minutes later "as a prudent precaution," according to NORAD. A few hours later, after being met on the ground by the FBI and other law enforcement officials, the plane was back on its way to Switzerland. WABC A United Airlines flight from Newark, N.J.,... View Full Size Smoke on Plane Causes Emergency Landing Watch Video JetBlue Pilot: Passenger Who Brought Him Down Watch Video JetBlue Pilot Had Apparent Panic Attack Watch Video But during the flight into Logan, there was another moment of concern -- one of the fighter escorts lost its avionics, issued an emergency, but NORAD said it was able to land safely at its home base. Cameras are an object of concern for counter terrorism authorities. In one of the post 9-11 airline terror plots, terrorists explored using camera bodies either as devices or as part of the mechanism for triggering a bomb. More recently, ABC News has reported, al Qaeda bombmaker Ibrahim Hassan al-Asiri, who is believed to be behind both underwear bomb plots, was working on new explosives that they hoped would pass an airport security screening. One of those designed reportedly utilized a camera. ABC News' Luis Martinez contributed to this report.

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ABC News: U.S.: Cult May Have Stolen Body of Grandmother, Police Say

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Cult May Have Stolen Body of Grandmother, Police Say Jul 31st 2012, 21:17 A satanic cult could be responsible for breaking into a mausoleum and stealing the remains of a New Jersey grandmother who died 16 years ago, police said today. "Cults are one of the things we will look at," said Capt. Rocky Melendez of the Pleasantville police department. "We're looking into different angles of why someone would take someone's remains." Sometime between the night of July 26 and the early morning of July 27, thieves smashed the windshield-thick glass on the door of the mausoleum at the Atlantic City Cemetery where Pauline Spinelli, three of her children and their spouses are buried. After breaking through the glass and a brass lock, police believe the thieves used a sledge hammer to crack the marble slab that sealed the area where Spinelli was entombed. "They then pushed that slab over, pulled the casket out, pried it open and removed the remains," Melendez said. The only item remaining in the coffin was the blanket used to cover Spinelli, granddaughter Paula Lafollette told ABCNews.com. Courtesy Paula Lafollette Pauline Spinelli is shown in this undated... View Full Size Escort Ads Linked to Dead Women Watch Video Body Found Stuffed in Suitcase Watch Video Colorado Teen's Body Found in Suitcase Watch Video Lafollette said her husband has done research into the theory that a satanic cult took her grandmother's remains for a ritual and believes it's a strong possibility. "We did a lot of research and my husband found a group online that uses bodies in some kind of a ritual and they need the bones for their ritual. The group is called Palo. There were some bodies found in Newark and Woodbridge and Lancaster, Pennsylvania, speculated to have been used by this group," she said. "Who else would want a body?" Palo, a religion that uses black magic and originated in the Caribbean, is highly unlikely to have been the reason why Spinelli's remains were stolen, said cult expert Rick Ross. "The likelihood they would go into a mausoleum and drag out a body seems remote. Usually these hybrid religious groups [including Palo] use chicken and other animal bones," Ross said. "Typically these acts end up being individual perpetrators not linked to an organized group." Lafollette said she doesn't understand why someone would target her family mausoleum, which she said her grandmother built after the death of her first child. "She wanted her family above ground..and a place where she could go and just sit and visit," Lafollette said. Police said they plan to reach out to neighboring communities and states to determine if any similar crimes have taken place. Lafollette said she just wants her "spitfire" grandmother back in her rightful resting place. "She had her own mind," Lafollette said. "Trust me, she is probably torturing whoever stole her body."

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ABC News: U.S.: Home Prices Rise for 2nd Straight Month

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Home Prices Rise for 2nd Straight Month Jul 31st 2012, 13:59 Jul 31, 2012 9:59am   Email Smaller Font Text Larger Text | Print Home prices increased for the second consecutive month, according to the S&P/Case-Shiller Home Price Index. Average monthly home prices increased 2.2 percent in May for the index's 10- and 20-city composites. Since May 2011, home prices fell 1 percent and 0.7 percent for the 10-city and 20-city composite, respectively. "We have observed two consecutive months of increasing home prices and overall improvements in monthly and annual returns," David Blitzer, chairman of the Index Committee at S&P Dow Jones Indices, said in a statement. "However, we need to remember that spring and early summer are seasonally strong buying months so this trend must continue throughout the summer and into the fall." The 10- and 20-city composites had annual rates of decline of 1 percent and 0.7 percent, respectively, compared with May 2011. Only three cities (Boston, Charlotte and Detroit) had annual returns worsen in May. "While still negative, these annual changes are the best we've since in at least 18 months," Blitzer said. Zillow's chief economist, Stan Humphries, said May was "a good month" for housing with existing home sales almost 10 percent higher than year-ago levels, supply shortages in some markets and a declining mix of foreclosure resales that affect the Case-Shiller index. "Moreover, all of the data that has come out in the two months since May indicates that the housing market is continuing to slowly heal," Humphries said. Although he expects the index will show monthly declines in the latter half of the year, Humphries said that was "a function of seasonality" of a rising share of foreclosures in overall sales, which decline in the fall and winter. "Overall, we remain cautiously optimistic that home values are at a bottom nationally," he said, "even while our expectations for price appreciation in the next couple of years are muted." SHOWS: World News   Email Smaller Font Text Larger Text | Print

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ABC News: U.S.: Flags From Apollo Missions Still Standing

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Flags From Apollo Missions Still Standing Jul 31st 2012, 15:47 Jul 31, 2012 11:47am   Email Smaller Font Text Larger Text | Print                                                                              (NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University) American flags planted on the moon by Apollo astronauts are still standing, still casting shadows. NASA sent six crews to land on the moon between 1969 and 1972.  New photos from NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter show all flags standing except the one posted by Apollo 11. That was not a surprise; astronaut Buzz Aldrin had reported he saw the flag blown over by the exhaust from their ship's engine as they left the lunar surface. "Personally I was a bit surprised that the flags survived the harsh ultraviolet light and temperatures of the lunar surface, but they did," Mark Robinson, the principal investigator for the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera (LROC), said in a blog post.  Robinson suggests in his blog that the flags are most likely badly faded. The images taken by the LROC are the sharpest ever taken in space, according to NASA. Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter was launched in  June 2009.  It circles the moon, often from altitudes of less than 20 miles, exploring the moon's environment to prepare for future expeditions.   Email Smaller Font Text Larger Text | Print

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ABC News: U.S.: Peterson Defense Attacks Dead Wife

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Peterson Defense Attacks Dead Wife Jul 31st 2012, 20:25 Drew Peterson's lawyer told the jury in his murder trial today that the woman he is accused of killing was bossy, lied, had a furious temper and went to therapy. Lawyer Joel Brodsky attacked the character of Kathleen Savio, Peterson's third wife, in his opening statement. Brodsky's opening argument was studded with objections from prosecutors, just as the prosecutor's opening statement was marked by objections from Brodsky. The contentious start to the trial foreshadows what is expected to be a battle over the prosecutor's key evidence, which is comments that Savio made to others before she died in 2004, and comments that Peterson's fourth wife Stacy Peterson made to people. Stacy Peterson has been missing since 2007. Brodsky, Peterson's lead defense attorney, told the jury that Savio was on anti-depressants and known to fly into jealous rages during the time that she and Peterson were divorcing in 2004. He described her as bossy, a liar, and would yell so loud that other police officers where Peterson was a sergeant could her hear over the phone. Savio was found dead in her bathtub one Monday morning in February that year, and her death was ruled an accidental fall by state police, Brodsky said. It had nothing to do with Peterson. "This was a household accident," Brodsky said. "Kathy slipped and fell in a household accident, case closed." M. Spencer Green/AP Photo Former Bolingbrook, Ill., police sergeant... View Full Size Drew Peterson Trial: An Easy Case for the Prosecution? Watch Video Drew Peterson Murder Trial: Jury Selection Begins Watch Video Rob Lowe on New Role Playing Drew Peterson Watch Video Peterson, 58, was charged with Savio's murder years later, after his fourth wife,Stacy Peterson, disappeared and Peterson became the focus of media attention and police investigators. Police exhumed the body of Savio as part of the investigation. A new forensic analysis performed on the body in 2007 showed that Savio did not die accidentally, but rather was murdered. Police then charged Peterson. Brodsky said today that the only reason Savio's body was exhumed was because of the media's involvement in the case once Stacy disappeared. She has never been found. Brodsky noted that the defense will present forensic pathologists to testify to the fact that Savio's death was accidental. The prosecution will likely present their own expert witnesses who found that it was homicide. The defense's portrait of Peterson was a stark contrast to that presented by prosecutors just hours earlier, as they explained to the jury that Peterson stood to gain financially from Savio's death, had the police knowledge to stage the crime scene to make it look like an accident. Peterson was a police Sgt. in Bolingbrook, Ill., at the time of Savio's death. "The evidence shows this wasn't an accident," prosecutor James Glasgow told the jury of seven women and five men. He noted that at the time of Savio's death, Peterson was financially supporting her, his girlfriend Stacy Peterson, two homes, and his children. Both of the opening statements were interrupted frequently by objections from attorneys. Legal wrangling over what evidence could be mentioned during opening statements had plagued the trial since its start this morning, when Brodsky called for a mistrial within minutes of the prosecution's opening statement. Brodsky's request was denied. The arguments over what the jury will be allowed to hear are expected to play a pivotal role in the case, as the prosecution tries to prove their murder charge by admitting statements Savio and Stacy Peterson made to acquaintances. Judge Edward Burmilia has said he will rule on each issue as it comes up during trial.

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ABC News: U.S.: Pakistani Acid Attack Victim Becomes US Citizen

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Pakistani Acid Attack Victim Becomes US Citizen Jul 31st 2012, 21:36 Julie Aftab's joy masks the scars that cover the right side of her face. She was 16 when she was attacked in Pakistan by a man who was offended by the silver cross she wore around her neck. He threw acid on her face, and poured it down her throat. Her injuries were so severe it would take 31 surgeries over 10 years for her to recover once a family in Houston took her into their home. Aftab today received a precious gift -- a piece of paper declaring her a United States citizen. "This means so much," she said. "For many people this is just a piece of paper, but this paper means I now have opportunity, it means I am free." When Aftab arrived in Texas nearly eight years ago she spoke no English. Lee Ervin remembers the quiet girl who came to his home. "She was so quiet and shy she didn't speak any English, and she barely would look at us." AP Photo Julie Aftab, a Pakistani refugee, and Gloria... View Full Size Sovereign Citizens: Radicals Next Door Watch Video 9/11 Terror Suspects Include US Citizen Watch Video Drew Peterson Trial: Defense Asks for Mistrial Watch Video His wife Gloria said, "We taught her English using a kindergarten book with pictures." Her English is now good enough that she is majoring in accounting at the University of Houston -- and was the keynote speaker at the naturalization ceremony for herself and 2,000 other new citizens. She wrote a speech, practiced it over and over, then decided to leave it at home. "I want to speak from the heart, to thank the people and the country that gave me a home and a future," she said. "I will cry, I know I will cry. This has been an eight-and-a-half-year journey, and now so much is possible. I can serve on a jury now." That's right. Julie Aftab is excited about something most of us dread, a jury summons. She was near tears as she described her life in Pakistan. "All my life I wanted to be accepted. In my house I was not accepted, in my society I was less than others." The Ervins, who accepted her here in the U.S. had smiles to light up the room as they watched her take the oath of allegiance, then bravely walk to the front of this large crowd to tell them what the moment meant to her. Gloria Ervin recalled how shy and quiet she was in the beginning, and laughs to see her now. "It was such an adventure for us, learning how to take care of her and help her recover." Aftab took a deep breath and looked at the crowd. "For me taking the oath is not just words, being a citizen is not just a responsibility, it means this country is truly the land of opportunity. I can now live a free life."

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ABC News: U.S.: Today in History

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Today in History Jul 31st 2012, 04:00 Today is Tuesday, July 31, the 213th day of 2012. There are 153 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On July 31, 1942, Oxfam International had its beginnings as the Oxford Committee for Famine Relief was founded in England. On this date: In 1777, the Marquis de Lafayette, a 19-year-old French nobleman, was made a major-general in the American Continental Army. In 1875, the 17th president of the United States, Andrew Johnson, died in Carter County, Tenn., at age 66. In 1912, Nobel Prize-winning American economist Milton Friedman was born in Brooklyn, N.Y. In 1919, Germany's Weimar (VY'-mahr) Constitution was adopted by the republic's National Assembly. In 1930, the radio character "The Shadow" made his debut as narrator of the "Detective Story Hour" on CBS Radio. In 1957, the Distant Early Warning Line, a system of radar stations designed to detect Soviet bombers approaching North America, went into operation. In 1964, the American space probe Ranger 7 reached the moon, transmitting pictures back to Earth before crashing onto the lunar surface. In 1971, Apollo 15 crew members David Scott and James Irwin became the first astronauts to use a lunar rover on the surface of the moon. In 1972, Democratic vice-presidential candidate Thomas Eagleton withdrew from the ticket with George McGovern following disclosures that Eagleton had once undergone psychiatric treatment. In 1989, a pro-Iranian group in Lebanon released a grisly videotape showing the body of American hostage William R. Higgins, a Marine lieutenant-colonel, dangling from a rope. In 1991, President George H.W. Bush and Soviet President Mikhail S. Gorbachev signed the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty in Moscow. In 1992, the former Soviet republic of Georgia was admitted to the United Nations as its 179th member. Thai Airways Flight 311, an Airbus A310, crashed while approaching Tribhuvan International Airport in Nepal; all 113 people aboard died. Ten years ago: A bomb exploded inside a cafeteria at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, killing nine people, including five Americans. Pope John Paul II canonized Juan Diego, the first Indian saint in the Americas, in a Mexico City ceremony. Five years ago: The Army censured retired three-star Lt. Gen. Philip Kensinger for a "perfect storm of mistakes, misjudgments and a failure of leadership" after the 2004 friendly-fire death in Afghanistan of Army Ranger Pat Tillman. The U.N. Security Council unanimously approved a 26,000-strong peacekeeping force for Sudan's Darfur region. One year ago: Ending a perilous stalemate, President Barack Obama and congressional leaders announced a historic agreement on emergency legislation to avert the nation's first-ever financial default. Syrian security forces launched a ferocious assault on defiant cities and towns, killing at least 70 people and possibly many more. Yani Tseng won the Women's British Open for the second straight year, beating Brittany Lang by four strokes. Florida handed the Atlanta Braves their 10,000th loss in franchise history; with the 3-1 loss, the Braves became the second team in big league history with 10,000 losses (the Phillies reached that mark in 2007).

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ABC News: U.S.: APNewsBreak: Ailing Cal Nuke Plant Maps Comeback

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APNewsBreak: Ailing Cal Nuke Plant Maps Comeback Jul 31st 2012, 02:31 Hinting at the future, the operator of California's troubled San Onofre nuclear power plant has estimated that the damaged twin reactors could resume producing electricity by the end of the year, documents obtained by The Associated Press showed Monday. The tentative dates â€" Nov. 18 for the Unit 2 reactor and Dec. 31 for its sister, Unit 3 â€" provide just a glimpse at Southern California Edison's latest timetable to revive the ailing plant that has been shuttered for six months. Edison spokeswoman Jennifer Manfre said the dates were submitted to state power managers for planning, and could be changed. The dates do not represent a request to restart either reactor, which must be submitted to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The federal agency has detailed a series of steps the company must meet before it will consider allowing the reactors to restart. Company documents show that Edison informed the Public Utilities Commission staff of the "return to service" dates in a July 23 briefing. The dates are required for planning by the agency that operates the state's wholesale power system, the California Independent System Operator. On Tuesday, company officials are expected to release three months of financial and technical data on the seaside plant, which could be a steppingstone to seeking NRC approval for a restart later this year. The trouble began to unfold in January, when the Unit 3 reactor was shut down as a precaution after a tube break. Traces of radiation escaped at the time, but officials said there was no danger to workers or neighbors. Unit 2 had been taken offline earlier that month for maintenance, but investigators later found unexpected wear on scores of tubes inside both units. A three-month federal probe blamed a botched computer analysis for generator design flaws that ultimately resulted in excessive wear to scores of alloy tubes. Edison has been trying to determine how to correct the problem, while environmental activists have depicted the plant as a disaster-in-the-making. About 7.4 million Californians live within 50 miles of San Onofre, which can power 1.4 million homes. The generators, which resemble massive steel fire hydrants, are one of the central pieces of equipment in a nuclear plant. At San Onofre, each one stands 65 feet high, weighs 1.3 million pounds, with 9,727 U-shaped tubes inside, each three-quarters of an inch in diameter. If a tube breaks, there is the potential that radioactivity can escape into the atmosphere. Serious leaks also can drain cooling water from a reactor. Gradual wear is common in such tubing, but the rate of erosion at San Onofre startled officials since the equipment is relatively new. The generators were replaced in a $670 million overhaul and began operating in April 2010 in Unit 2 and February 2011 in Unit 3. Tubes must be taken out of service if 35 percent â€" roughly a third â€" of the alloy wall wears away, and each of the four generators at the plant is designed to operate with a maximum of 778 retired tubes. In one generator in Unit 3, 420 tubes have been retired. The records show another 197 tubes in that generator have between 20 percent and 34 percent wear, meaning they are close to reaching the point when they would be at risk of breaking. More than 500 others in that generator have between 10 percent and 19 percent wear in the tube wall. The steam generators were manufactured by Japan-based Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. The design of the generators also is under congressional scrutiny. The plant is owned by SCE, San Diego Gas & Electric and the city of Riverside. The Unit 1 reactor operated from 1968 to 1992, when it was shut down and dismantled.

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ABC News: U.S.: Advertisement:

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