ABC News: U.S.: N.C. Bans Use of Latest Science on Sea-Level Rise

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N.C. Bans Use of Latest Science on Sea-Level Rise Aug 2nd 2012, 18:23 A new law in North Carolina will ban the state from basing coastal policies on the latest scientific predictions of how much the sea level will rise, prompting environmentalists to accuse the state of disrespecting climate science. The law has put the state in the spotlight for what critics have called nearsightedness and climate change denial, but its proponents said the state needed to put a moratorium on predictions of sea level rise until scientific techniques improve. The law was drafted in response to an estimate by the state's Coastal Resources Commission (CRC) that the sea level will rise by 39 inches in the next century, prompting fears of costlier home insurance and accusations of anti-development alarmism among residents and developers in the state's coastal Outer Banks region. Democratic Gov. Bev Perdue had until Thursday to act on the bill known as House Bill 819, but she decided to let it become law by doing nothing. The bill's passage in June triggered nationwide scorn by those who argued that the state was deliberately blinding itself to the effects of climate change. In a segment on the "Colbert Report," comedian Stephen Colbert mocked North Carolina lawmakers' efforts as an attempt to outlaw science. "If your science gives you a result you don't like, pass a law saying the result is illegal. Problem solved," he joked. Logan Mock-Bunting/Getty Images People walk near a house damaged by Tropical... View Full Size The law, which began as a routine regulation on development permits but quickly grew controversial after the sea-level provision was added, restricts all sea-level predictions used to guide state policies for the next four years to those based on "historical data." Tom Thompson, president of NC-20, a coastal development group and a key supporter of the law, said the science used to make the 39-inch prediction was flawed, and added that the resources commission failed to consider the economic consequences of preparing the coast for a one-meter rise in sea level, under which up to 2,000 square miles would be threatened. A projection map showing land along the coast underwater would place the permits of many planned development projects in jeopardy. Numerous new flood zone areas would have to be drawn, new waste treatment plants would have to be built, and roads would have to be elevated. The endeavor would cost the state hundreds of millions of dollars, Thompson said. "I don't want to say they're being dishonest, but they're pulling data out of their hip pocket that ain't working," he said of the commission panel that issued the prediction, the middle in a range of three predictions. Thompson, who denies global warming, said the prediction was based on measurements at a point on the North Carolina coast that is unrepresentative of the rest of the coast. But the costs Thompson decries as wasteful are to the law's opponents a necessary pill the state must swallow if it is going to face up to the challenge of protecting the coast from the effects of climate change. State Rep. Deborah Ross, a forceful critic of the bill, compared it to burying one's "head in the sand." "I go to the doctor every year. If I'm not fine, I'd rather know now than in four years," said Ross, a Democrat who represents inland Greensboro, N.C., but owns property on the coast. "This is like going to the doctor and saying you're not going to get a test on a problem." Its supporters counter that the law does not force the state to close its eyes to reality, but rather to base policy on more than a single model that produced what they believe are extreme results.

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ABC News: U.S.: Chick-fil-A Posts 'Record' Sales on Appreciation Day

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Chick-fil-A Posts 'Record' Sales on Appreciation Day Aug 2nd 2012, 18:30 Chick-fil-A posted "record-setting" sales on Wednesday as thousands of people swarmed the chicken chain for Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day after the chain's chief made anti-gay comments. "While we don't release exact sales numbers, we can confirm reports that it was a record-setting day," Steve Robinson, Chick-fil-A's executive vice president of marketing, said in a statement. At least one location had to close early after nearly selling out of chicken. At others, lines snaked around buildings and patrons waited upwards of two hours to snag their chicken sandwiches and show their support for Chick-fil-A CEO Dan Cathy's comments supporting traditional marriage. "We are very grateful and humbled by the incredible turnout of loyal Chick-fil-A customers on August 1 at Chick-fil-A restaurants around the country," Robinson said. "We congratulate local Chick-fil-A Owner/Operators and their team members for striving to serve each and every customer with genuine hospitality." At the Chick-fil-A in Augusta, Georgia, about 150 miles from the franchise's Atlanta headquarters, the lunch line wait was hours long. And after a day of lines that snaked around the building, the restaurant had to turn away part of the dinner crowd, closing two hours early due to low supplies. Lillian Huber, the Augusta Chick-fil-A's marketing director, told ABC News that employees began directing customers to another location around 8 p.m. so the store would have enough food left to open the next morning. Glenn Baeske/AP Photo The walk-in customer line went outside the... View Full Size Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day Brings Out Fans Watch Video Mayor Bloomberg: Chick-fil-A Ban Is 'Inappropriate' Watch Video Chick-fil-A's Public Relations VP Dies of Heart Attack Watch Video With no Chick-fil-A locations in Maine, Auburn, Maine resident Arthur Langley organized a caravan to cart supporters to the nearest location two hours away. Langley said he and 14 friends and supporters drove the two hours and "happily" waited a "very very long time" to "demonstrate their support for what they believe was very important values in our society." Langley said the Chick-fil-A in a food court in Peabody, Massachusetts was "swamped with people" and felt like a family reunion. "It was people you really don't know but you know they're family so you treat them politely and nicely," he said. Mike Huckabee, who created the Appreciation Day movement on Facebook, said on his radio show yesterday that he was "giddy" about outcome. "People are voting with their feet today," Huckabee, a former Arkansas governor, said. "I guess you could also say they are voting with their faces, they are stuffing them with chicken sandwiches, those lovely Chicken sandwiches from Chick-fil-A." In Fayettville, Ga., CEO Cathy greeted customers waiting in line at the drive-thru and thanked them for their support. One Chick-fil-A goer tweeted this photo of Cathy: The CEO has not spoken publically or agreed to any more interviews following the backlash over comments he made to the Baptist Press supporting "the biblical definition of the family unit." "We are very much supportive of the family," Cathy said. "We are a family-owned business, a family-led business, and we are married to our first wives." After an outpouring of support for Cathy and his company during Wednesday's Appreciation Day, gay activists are taking to the streets, or rather the Chick-fil-A parking lots, around the country for National Same Sex Kiss Day at Chick-fil-A on Friday to protest the chicken chain's opposition to the LGBTQ community. Same-sex couples are being urged to take photos and videos of themselves kissing outside of Chick-fil-A restaurants nationwide. About 11,000 have said on Facebook that they will attend the event. The Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day event had about 55 times that many Facebook attendees. Although the restaurant chain has become a rallying cry for people on both sides of the marriage debate, Chick-fil-A has aimed to stay out of the politics and controversy stemming from its CEO's comments. "The Chick-fil-A culture and service tradition in our restaurants is to treat every person with honor, dignity and respect â€"regardless of their belief, race, creed, sexual orientation or gender," Robinson said in a statement. "We understand from news reports that Friday may present yet another opportunity for us to serve with genuine hospitality, superior service and great food."

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ABC News: U.S.: Nun, 82, Allegedly Splashed Human Blood on Nuke Plant

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Nun, 82, Allegedly Splashed Human Blood on Nuke Plant Aug 2nd 2012, 19:54 Two men and an 82-year-old nun who allegedly broke into the U.S. government's only storage facility for weapons-grade enriched uranium and splashed it with human blood may face additional charges, the U.S. Attorney for Eastern Tennessee told ABC News Thursday. The peace activists, Sister Megan Rice, 82, of Nevada; Michael Walli, 63, of Washington, D.C.; and Greg Boertje-Obed, 57, of Duluth, Minn., were charged with trespassing after allegedly breaking into the Y-12 national security complex in Oak Ridge, Tennessee at 4:30 a.m. Saturday. U.S. Attorney Bill Killian said more charges would be filed against the defendants, but did not say what the charges would be. "Some of the defendants here have prior records involving various facilities through the country," said Killian. "This is a matter of national security and it is a significant case." The protestors, who are members of the "Transform Now Plowshares" movement, allegedly cut through four fences to gain access to the Highly Enriched Uranium Materials Facility, which holds enriched uranium. According to Wyatt, they spray-painted the building and splashed human blood on it, according to Y-12 spokesman Steven Wyatt. They also left banners and read from the Bible. No nuclear materials were ever at risk during the break-in, Wyatt said. The use of blood was meant to "[remind] us of the horrific spilling of blood by nuclear weapons," Plowshares said in statement released via its website Monday. U.S. Marshals Service/AP Anti-nuclear weapons activists Greg... View Full Size Recordings Key in Oregon Wrongful Death Lawsuit Watch Video Random Trust Falls Watch Video 'Three Blind Mice' Leads to Ejection at Minor League Ballgame Watch Video "We come to the Y-12 facility because our very humanity rejects the designs of nuclearism, empire and war," the statement said. "Our faith in love and nonviolence encourages us to believe that our activity here is necessary; that we come to invite transformation, undo the past and present work of Y-12; disarm and end any further efforts to increase the Y-12 capacity for an economy and social structure based upon war-making and empire-building." Before being taken to the Blount County jail, where they're currently being held, Walli, Rice and Boertje-Obed gave bread to the Y-12 security officers. The three were arraigned on federal trespassing charges in district federal court in Knoxville Monday. If convicted, the activists could face up to $100,000 fine and up to a year in prison. Following the break-in, B&W, the management and operating contractor for Y-12, ordered a temporary security stand-down, which is expected to end next week. All nuclear operations will stop during the stand-down and security personnel will undergo training and refresher instruction. "We've just got to do this to make sure we get the answers we need to address what happened and move forward," Wyatt told ABC News. The Department of Energy Inspector General is investigating how the trio broke in. "There's never been anything quite like this before," Wyatt said. The targeted facility was built in 2010, Wyatt said. It is longer than a football field and was built with security in mind. Additionally, Y-12 employs more than 500 security officers. Walli was one of ten activists who were convicted last year of trespassing after they intentionally crossed a blue line separating state and federal property at the Y-12 complex in 2010, Knoxville ABC affiliate WATE reported. "When we spoke with them from jail on Saturday, they were, I have described it as elated, because they did what they wanted to do, they came back," Ellen Barfield, a friend of the activists, told WATE. Click Here for the Blotter Homepage.

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ABC News: U.S.: Aflac the Goose Adopts Ill. Family

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Aflac the Goose Adopts Ill. Family Aug 2nd 2012, 17:31 A Champaign, Ill., family has welcomed a new member to their brood -- a goose they've named Aflac. Aflac showed up at the Johnson family's home on Saturday morning, and refuses to leave the property. He'll only go if the family goes with him, Aretha Johnson said. "This is a good goose," Johnson said. "He's become a family member now." Johnson said that early Saturday morning she heard someone persistently knocking on her door. When she got out of bed to see who it was, she opened the door and looked down to see a wild goose standing in front of her. "He wanted to come in, and I said, 'Oh no, you can't come in here buddy!" she said. Johnson said when the bird arrived, he appeared to be limping, "like he got a hit by a car." She also said that Aflac's tail looked like it had been clipped. "We thought he couldn't fly at first, but we got him back strong," Johnson said. Johnson said her family took turns walking Aflac three times a day to keep him moving. She also said one of her sons, Jeremy, will put Aflac on his back and make him jump to test how strong his legs are. Johnson, who is 5-foot-2, said Aflac reaches her hip, and weighs somewhere between 10 and 20 pounds. ABC News Jarrell Johson, 26, of Champaign, Ill., said... View Full Size Pet Rooster Ruffles Feathers in Michigan Watch Video Texas Family Wins Fight for Pet Pig Watch Video The Rooster Who Bullied a Dog Watch Video Johnson said the family made a home for the goose in her backyard. They've given Aflac with a pool to sit in and provide him with fresh water two to three times a day, she said. The goose has taken a special liking to Johnson's 26-year-old son Jarrell. "My son will call him, and he'll fly up in his arms," Johnson said. "My son will go down the street, and [Aflac] will flap and chase my son." "I think now he adopted me as his daddy," Jarrell Johnson told ABC affiliate WPIC. Johnson said Aflac even waits at the backdoor for Jarrell to come home from work. Aflac is also protective of his new family, hissing and sticking his tongue out at the dogs that live next door, she said. Johnson said they've been feeding Aflac grass and raw corn, and she's noticed that he's been getting bigger and stronger since he moved into the backyard. Aflac has even brought her neighborhood together, and her neighbors will come over and take turns feeding the goose, Johnson said. "Everybody stayed to themselves until the goose came along," she said. Johnson said she called animal control and police to see if they would come to pick up Aflac, but they could only refer her to other animal wildlife agencies. "He's so domestic, I'm afraid he won't want to go to his natural habitat," Johsnon said. "We're willing to have someone come and look at him." Stephanie Joos, director of Champaign County Animal Control, said that in order for an agency to handle federally protected birds, like geese, they need a license. The Champaign County Animal Control does not have that license, she said. A representative from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, which is licensed to handle federally protected birds, could not be reached for comment.

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ABC News: U.S.: Missouri Mom's Murder Suicide Theory Now in Doubt

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Missouri Mom's Murder Suicide Theory Now in Doubt Aug 2nd 2012, 19:00 The shooting deaths of a Missouri mother and her two children seemed to have all the markings of a murder-suicide. There were no signs of forced entry. Nothing was missing from the home. But police in the town of Glendale, Mo., a suburb of St. Louis, have since moved away from that theory and said it's too early to draw any conclusions about who killed Catherine Murch, 42, and her children Mitchell III, 10, and Mary Claire, 8. Robert Cohen/St. Louis Post-Dispatch/AP Photo Members of the major case squad and a... View Full Size Florida Mom Shoots 4 Kids, Then Herself Watch Video 2 Doctors Dead in New Jersey Murder-Suicide Watch Video Family of 4 Dead in Apparent Murder-Suicide Watch Video Mitchell Murch II said he was reading in the family home when he heard gunshots Monday morning and to find his family dead. But he is not considered a suspect at this time, police said. "We have nothing new so far," said Lt. Tim Fagan of the Major Case Squad of Greater St. Louis. Fagan said there is no suicide note. Murch told police he found the body of Mary Claire on the second floor of the home, while his wife and son were on the first level. When police arrived, Murch was trying to resuscitate his son, Fagan said. Catherine Murch was pronounced dead at the scene, while the Mitchell III and Mary Claire died at the hopspital. Fagan, who is overseeing a team of 20 investigators, said Murch has been cooperative. The family attended the Mary Queen of Peace Catholic Church in Webster Groves, Mo., where their children were also enrolled in Catholic school. A private funeral will be held on Saturday.

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ABC News: U.S.: Report: 3 Jets Avoid Midair Collision Near DC

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Report: 3 Jets Avoid Midair Collision Near DC Aug 2nd 2012, 04:05 US Airways said late Wednesday that it is working with federal officials to investigate a newspaper report that three commuter jets narrowly averted a midair collision near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport outside the nation's capital. The Washington Post is reporting ( http://wapo.st/M4SGOO ) that three US Airways jets carrying 192 passengers and crew members came within seconds of a midair collision on Tuesday afternoon. The newspaper cites federal officials with direct knowledge of the incident. The newspaper reported that air traffic controllers cleared two outbound flights to head in the direction of an incoming plane. Controllers were reversing the path of planes coming into the airport in response to an approaching storm, but the paper reports that the information wasn't fully relayed. The planes all reached their destinations safely. The Post reports that the FAA issued a statement saying it is investigating the matter and would address the communication lapse. An FAA representative couldn't immediately be reached for comment late Wednesday night by The Associated Press. USAirways spokesman Todd Lehmacher said in an email that the airline is "currently investigating and working with the FAA to determine what occurred. The safety of our customers and employees is always our top priority." He had no other details.

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ABC News: U.S.: Today in History

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Today in History Aug 2nd 2012, 04:02 Today is Thursday, Aug. 2, the 215th day of 2012. There are 151 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On Aug. 2, 1862, the Ambulance Corps for the Army of the Potomac was created at the order of Maj. Gen. George McClellan during the Civil War. On this date: In 216 B.C., during the Second Punic War, Carthaginian forces led by Hannibal defeated the Roman army in the Battle of Cannae. In 1776, members of the Continental Congress began attaching their signatures to the Declaration of Independence. In 1876, frontiersman "Wild Bill" Hickok was shot and killed while playing poker at a saloon in Deadwood, Dakota Territory, by Jack McCall, who was later hanged. In 1909, the original Lincoln "wheat" penny first went into circulation, replacing the "Indian Head" cent. In 1922, Alexander Graham Bell, generally regarded as the inventor of the telephone, died in Nova Scotia, Canada, at age 75. In 1923, the 29th president of the United States, Warren G. Harding, died in San Francisco; Vice President Calvin Coolidge became president. In 1934, German President Paul von Hindenburg died, paving the way for Adolf Hitler's complete takeover. In 1943, during World War II, Navy boat PT-109, commanded by Lt. John F. Kennedy, sank after being rammed by the Japanese destroyer Amagiri off the Solomon Islands. In 1964, the destroyer USS Maddox suffered light damage from North Vietnamese patrol torpedo boats in the Gulf of Tonkin. In 1974, former White House counsel John W. Dean III was sentenced to one to four years in prison for obstruction of justice in the Watergate coverup. (Dean ended up serving four months.) In 1985, 135 people were killed when a Delta Air Lines jetliner crashed while attempting to land at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport. In 1990, Iraq invaded Kuwait, seizing control of the oil-rich emirate. (The Iraqis were later driven out in Operation Desert Storm.) Ten years ago: A federal judge ruled the U.S. government had to reveal the names of people detained in the investigation of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks (an appeals court later sided with federal authorities). Pope John Paul II returned to Rome after ending an 11-day pilgrimage to Canada, Guatemala and Mexico. Five years ago: Mattel apologized to customers as it recalled nearly a million Chinese-made toys from its Fisher-Price division that were found to have excessive amounts of lead. A Marine Corps squad leader was convicted at Camp Pendleton, Calif., of murdering an Iraqi man during a frustrated search for an insurgent. (Sgt. Lawrence G. Hutchins III was sentenced to 15 years in prison; he spent four years behind bars before his conviction was overturned on grounds he hadn't received a fair trial.) Two small Russian submarines completed a voyage below the North Pole where they planted the country's flag on the Arctic Ocean floor. One year ago: The Senate passed, and President Barack Obama signed, legislation to avoid an unprecedented national default. New York Yankees first baseman Mark Teixeira set a major league record when he homered from both sides of the plate for the 12th time in his career during a 6-0 win over the Chicago White Sox.

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