(CNN) -- Internet criminals want your computer, your money and your identity. And their tactics are becoming increasingly refined and organized, according to security experts.The prime objective for hackers and online thieves has shifted from largely hitting major corporate networks to gaining control of home desktops, both to steal data and collect processing power."Attackers are increasingly seeking financial gain rather than mere notoriety," said Vincent Weafer, senior director at Symantec Corp. "During the past year we have seen a significant decrease in the number of large scale global virus outbreaks and, instead, are observing that attackers are moving towards smaller, more focused attacks."Symantec this week released its Internet Security Threat Report. The company says it is compiled from data from 500 Symantec customers, 20,000 sensors that monitor network activity around the world and Symantec's database of vulnerabilities, which includes about 11,000 entries.The report echoes what many analysts say is a rise in malicious code for profit; in other words, stealing your sensitive data and selling or using it. The report's authors also worry that with this tempting opportunity to make money, virus writers will find stealthier ways to disable firewalls and other security measures."Criminals today view home computers as resources for committing crimes," writes Jason Milletary, Internet security analyst at the CERT Coordination Center. "One resource is the increasing amounts of information of value that we store on our computers, including user names and passwords for online banks and commerce sites, e-mail addresses, instant message IDs, and software licensing keys. This information can be used directly or sold for monetary gain."Online organized crimeIt's that monetary gain that has many security analysts concerned that the coordination and sophistication behind recent worms and viruses has escalated to the level of organized crime. Gone may be the days when it was mostly about kids experimenting with their newfound hacking skills, though that tendency remains.With the global nature of the Internet, it's difficult to track down offenders who hide behind countless networks and often erase their digital footprints. High-level criminals could be anywhere on the planet and may recruit younger computer hackers half a world away to carry out their plans, each one getting a cut of the action, say law enforcement and security experts.While terms such as "worm" and "spam" have become part of the Internet-user vernacular, people should also become familiar with "bots" and "phishing."Symantec's Weafer explains bot networks as computers controlled by an attacker or attackers to launch harmful activities, such as spam, fraud, extortion and spyware. Symantec's report found that bot network activity has doubled in the past six months, and these bot networks often are used for illegal financial gain and are readily available for third-parties to purchase or rent.Phishing e-mails appear to be from a reputable source or company, complete with logo and language, and often ask for personal data. Symantec found the volume of phishing messages also has doubled in the past several months, from 3 million messages a day to almost 5.7 million. Often, phishers simply are identity thieves looking for victims.And the money can add up.Profits from online scams can range from a few dollars to several thousand and in some cases, much more.In 2004 the average loss to consumers who reported Internet-related fraud to the Internet Crime Complaint Center (a partnership between the FBI and the National White Collar Crime Center) was $240 for credit card fraud and $907.30 for identity theft.In June 2005, two men in the UK were sentenced to four to six years in prison for conspiracy to defraud and conspiracy to launder money. Their operation was connected to phishing scams, which netted them at least $11.8 million over a couple of years.Dan Clements, who runs CardCops.com, a service that helps consumers and companies deal with identity theft, said many phishing e-mails are designed to get people to launch a virus by opening an attachment or clicking on a link.If the hidden program, or Trojan horse, is launched, it could then look for keywords on your computer, such as "password," "username" or "login," and send them to the thief's e-mail account. In some cases the phishing messages contain key-logging software that will enable a thief to record all your keystrokes, Clements said. Your data can then end up for sale online in underground chat rooms.Clements recommends changing passwords and logins every 90 days, and getting new credit cards every four to six months. If you receive an e-mail asking to confirm your personal information, he says do not click on the link in the message. Instead, Clements says to open a new Web browser window and type in the link. And then delete the message.Beyond money, the motivations for hackers or computer criminals can vary. George Spillman is a computer security expert and the event coordinator for ToorCon, an annual gathering that attracts both hackers and security professionals. Spillman said hackers sometimes break in to networks simply because they can; to gain credibility within the hacking community or because they see it as a puzzle or challenge. But many times it's more predatory and profitable.Securing your computer"The most obvious aspect is trying to steal things like your credit card number or your passwords to important accounts or, even more general, just trying to steal 'you' by being able to take your identity," Spillman said. "Most people don't think much about securing their computer. They lock their front door when they leave the house but don't bother to lock their computer."So what's the best defense?Howard Schmidt, former White House cyber security advisor, and president and CEO of R&H Security Consulting, says it's not enough for people to install a few security programs and move on.Schmidt offers these tips:Install security patches and keep security software updated Do not click on unexpected e-mail attachments Secure your wireless networks at home by turning on encryption features Be cautious when using any peer-to-peer products, such as file-sharing networks Educate family members on how to use the Internet safely Be aware of taking a potentially infected laptop between home and work

PRINCETON, New Jersey (AP) -- The students who started one of Princeton University's newest clubs remember the awkward moment when they realized they were in the minority: while watching a play called "Sex on a Saturday Night."The play is put on for incoming freshmen to inform them about sexual health and safety. But to some students, there was just too much talk about sex."I remember sitting there and feeling really uncomfortable because every single character had either engaged in premarital sex or was talking about having engaged in premarital sex," said Christian Sahner, 20, a junior from Maplewood, New Jersey.So about a year ago, the students formed a group promoting chastity. While similar groups exist at other universities, it is a first for the Ivy League. The groups first sprung up in the South, but the idea is catching on nationwide, said Jimmy Hester from "True Love Waits," a Nashville, Tennessee-based group that promotes abstinence."In the early days I would have said it was a Southern, Southeast movement, that's where it caught on the quickest," Hester said. "Now we hear from folks in Washington, Oregon, all over the place."The Princeton group is named after Elizabeth Anscombe, an English philosopher and staunch Roman Catholic who defended the church's teachings on sex, and died in 2001.People who want to take part in the society's activities don't have to sign a pledge or take an oath. Some members may have had sex in the past, and leaders say the group is open to everyone, even those who may just be interested in exploring the idea of chastity intellectually.One of the main reasons the group was created was to let students who don't want to have premarital sex know they're not alone, organizers said. They knew beforehand that sex would be part of college life, but many were surprised at how prevalent it was."My freshman year ... it was really distressing to me to see my peers going out, getting drunk, and having random sex," said Clare Sully, 20, a senior originally from Princeton. "I hadn't yet come to the conclusion that sex was only for marriage ... (but) I was quite certain that sex was way too important to treat so casually."At the University of Colorado at Boulder, Jonathan Butler, 19, and five of his friends are starting the "College Coalition for Relationship Education," a secular group designed to promote abstinence. They reached a similar conclusion."You don't just have sex to have sex. You have to be emotionally ready," said Butler.The Princeton group brings in speakers who talk about issues related to sex and chastity. A recent talk titled "Real Sex: The Truth About Chastity" drew about 120 people. Another speaker from the University of Virginia focused on the effects of the sexual revolution on family and children.The group is not affiliated with a particular religion or political ideology. Most of the group's organizers are Catholic and almost all vote Republican because many in the party oppose abortion. But others affiliated with the group are longtime Democrats, and a few are Jewish and from other religious denominations.Organizers are adamant that Anscombe is open to everyone, although questions have been raised about whether the group is anti-homosexual. An article in the university newspaper last February described the group as opposing homosexual relationships. Organizers say while many members may find homosexuality to be wrong, it's neither a universal belief nor the group's main focus.Members emphasize that they're not anti-sex. They fully intend to have sex, but only with the right person and after they are married. And for the record, they date, and some even have boyfriends and girlfriends."When you do have sex, you form a bond," said Caroline Chopko, 20, a junior from Kennett Square, Pennsylvania. "I'd rather save that for the person that I'm totally in love with and I'm going to marry."Organizers say students respond with a mixture of respect and curiosity. Others acknowledge their choice is a rare one. Chopko said some have a "warped perception" of what it means to practice chastity."It's not like we don't dance or have fun," she said.Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

HOUSTON, Texas (AP) -- Far from the French Quarter, children driven from New Orleans by Hurricane Katrina are doing their schoolwork amid reminders of home.At New Orleans West, a charter school set up for storm victims in a small, once-shuttered brick elementary school, the student uniforms are the traditional Mardi Gras colors of purple, green and gold. The school's symbol is a Texas Lone Star with a Louisiana fleur de lis in the middle. And the principal wants to find a Louisiana flag to fly atop the Texas flag.More than 300 youngsters in kindergarten through eighth grade attend the school. The teachers and administrators are also Katrina victims from New Orleans. These efforts to keep New Orleans schoolchildren together and match them with teachers from their hometown are seen as a source of comfort."It soothes me in a real sense to know that I can connect with those students. I am from where they are from. I have lost what they have lost, likely," said teacher Towana Pierre-Floyd, 22.Many of the children are from the impoverished neighborhoods hit hard by Katrina. Many of their homes were flooded, and many still don't know where some of their relatives and friends are. Their belongings are covered with mold, mildew and mud.Like other students, 10-year-old Ceyonne Riley is using donated school supplies and backpacks."I don't want to start over, but now we have to," she said as she took a break from a culture class where students sang "Lean on Me."Ceyonne proudly displayed one of her few possessions -- a digital watch her mother recently bought her. She knows of only one other student from her school in New Orleans who is in Houston with her. Other than that, she does not know where any of her classmates ended up, nor if they are OK.The school 350 miles west of New Orleans tries to get the students to talk about Katrina and confront their anxieties, though the results are not always what teachers had in mind.One teacher encouraged students to debate such issues as the federal government's response to Katrina. "It got out of hand," Principal Gary Robichaux said. "There was too much emotion. Once you opened the bottle, it all came out."Teachers are now using other methods, including putting pictures of the flooded city on large pieces of butcher paper and allowing students to write down the feelings evoked by the images."I feel bad because my home is not the same," one student wrote about a picture of New Orleans under water.Another wrote: "I cry some times.""I feel sad for all the people," scribbled a third.Dr. Britta Ostermeyer, a psychiatrist who directs a Harris County health program, said the school is a good idea for those planning to return to Louisiana."If you put the students with other students from New Orleans and their own teachers, in the short run, they are going to feel more supported and might have a better sense of belonging," she said. "They all feel, 'We are from New Orleans and are going to make it together."'But in the long run, if parents decide to stay in Houston, it would be better for the students to begin getting used to their new surroundings, she said.The principal said many of the students plan to return to New Orleans. But in the meantime: "They feel at home here. We went through the same thing they went through."Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana (AP) -- After the longest break in its 153-year history, Cafe Du Monde will once again fill New Orleans' Jackson Square with the luscious smell of beignets and rich, chicory-laced coffee.The French Quarter landmark known to tourists the world over for its fried dollops of dough dusted with powdered sugar is getting ready to reopen next week, a month and a half after being shut down by Hurricane Katrina.Cafe Du Monde normally stays open 24 hours a day, 364 days a year, closing only on Christmas. But it sold its last order of hot beignets at midnight on August 27, a day and a half before the storm roared in and devastated New Orleans.The cafe had only minor damage from Katrina, but a combination of storm-related problems -- no power, no drinkable water and no electricity for several weeks -- kept it closed.Its owners took advantage of the shutdown to clean and upgrade kitchen appliances and other parts of the business that are constantly in use.The reopening is set for Wednesday at 6 a.m. -- not soon enough for locals and relief workers."My mouth waters every time I walk by there," said French Quarter resident Faye Riley. "I've been having withdrawal symptoms."Beignets are French-style doughnuts made according to a recipe brought to Louisiana by the Acadians. The dark-roast coffee is served either black or au lait -- mixed half and half with hot milk. Dried chicory root adds flavor and intensifies it, too.The menu has not changed much since 1852, when the cafe opened in the French Market. Tourists love to get an authentic taste of New Orleans there. And New Orleans students have made it a tradition to close out prom night with coffee and beignets at Cafe Du Monde."Blowing powdered sugar on your date's tuxedo was a rite of passage in New Orleans," said Kit Wohl, who grew up in the French Quarter.Archie Casbarian, who owns Arnaud's Restaurant, another New Orleans institution, moved to the French Quarter in 1966, and used to go carousing back then. "And I always ended up at Cafe Du Monde for coffee and beignets," he said. "It's a well-known hangover cure."Cafe Du Monde sells so many beignets that it uses up 21/2 to 5 tons of flour every two weeks.On Thursday, workers painted the walls, boiled water in the deep fryers and hauled in new equipment. The tables and chairs that normally fill the patio were still stacked inside the building, and workers cleaned up tree limbs around the area."We've found about 50 of our 150 employees, and the cleanup will be finished by Tuesday," general manager Scott Escara said. "We'll turn the fryers on about 5 Wednesday morning and we should have hot beignets pretty quick after that."Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

PROVIDENCE, Rhode Island (AP) -- Visiting Pendleton House at the Rhode Island School of Design Museum is a little bit like touring New England's many historic estates in just one stop.The museum's treasures boast lineages from around the region. In one room, a desk from Connecticut is paired with two side chairs from New York City. In another room, a tea table from Newport sits near a mahogany easy chair from Boston.Tucked next to the RISD Museum's main gallery, Pendleton House is devoted to American decorative arts. Built in 1906 to replicate the interior of antique collector Charles Pendleton's own home -- which still stands around the corner -- Pendleton House was the country's first exhibit wing dedicated to the decorative arts.It now holds much of RISD's decorative arts collection, which includes antique silver, porcelain and furniture.Items from the collection are not merely displayed on shelves and in cases. Taking advantage of the space they have, curators display the antiques in ways they might have been used. Dining room furniture is displayed next to porcelain dishes. A bedroom is made cozy with a quilt, Oriental rug and large easy chairs.The collection includes multiple pieces from the Newport furniture workshops that flourished during the colonial period, including a desk constructed in the 18th century by renowned furniture-maker John Goddard. Only nine such desks are known to exist, said Jayne Stokes, acting curator of decorative arts at the museum.The museum's silver collection shines in a small exhibit room on the second floor. Much of the display is devoted to a unique silver set made in Providence by the Gorham Company during the 19th century.The 700-piece set includes pieces with two distinctly different styles: Asian-style dishes, which were in vogue at the time, and classic Renaissance-style dishes and serving pieces."They're amazingly intricate," Stokes said. "It is the only one of the great, grand late-19th century service sets that's still intact."The Gorham collection includes a silver, wood and bronze desk that sits at the end of the second-floor hallway.The desk is one-of-a-kind, Stokes said, and was worth $25,000 in 1915, when it was made for the St. Louis World's Fair with almost 10,000 hours of labor.Portraits from the museum's collection hang throughout. Featured artists include notable American painters James Earl, Thomas Sully and John Singleton Copley.Quirky pieces contribute elements of whimsy to the exhibits. In one of the front rooms, Charles Pendleton's felt-covered card table sits, ready for a game; Pendleton was a serious gambler who kept homes near casinos, including one in Newport. On the second floor, a spinning wheel is used as the back of a gleaming wood chair that was made in Hartford, Connecticut.Pendleton willed his collection of English and American antiques to RISD in 1904, but he required that the institution build a fireproof exhibit space for them.Though it was constructed with cement, tile and hard plaster to be a modern and protective home for Pendleton's treasures, the brick building looks like any other historic Benefit Street home from the outside. The exterior was modeled on the 1821 Pickman House in Salem, Massachusetts. Inside, the "house" lacks the bathrooms and kitchen that would make it a livable space, but the Oriental rugs and historic quilts scattered throughout make it seem a place in which Pendleton might have lived.A Rhode Island native, Pendleton studied to be a lawyer, but his true love was antiques, Stokes said. He traveled to workshops around the country first to expand his collection and then on behalf of friends who admired his taste. And while other members of high society were interested only in European antiques, Pendleton focused on American works, unusual at the time."He had a pretty amazing eye," Stokes said.Exhibits of decorative arts are important to understanding history, said Laura Urbanelli, interim director of the RISD Museum."Because they are everyday objects, even if they are special everyday objects, they tell us a lot about the lives of people and the cultures that came before us," Urbanelli said.Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana (AP) -- One New Orleans resident returned home with a thunderous splash.King Midas, a 300-pound sea turtle, slid back into his home Thursday at the New Orleans aquarium, one of a handful of creatures that survived Hurricane Katrina.The Audubon Aquarium of the Americas lost most of its collection -- about 10,000 animals -- because of the hurricane, spokeswoman Melissa Lee said.But Midas, the 19-member penguin colony, two sea otters, an anaconda, the aquarium's bird collection, the tarpon, a few stingrays and a few hundred freshwater fish weathered the storm."It was a beautiful collection and it will be very hard to replace," Lee said. "But we will."The survivors, who were sent to aquariums around the country, will be brought back, Lee said. Midas was only an overnight drive away at Moody Gardens in Galveston, Texas."It's really a sign of hope and rebuilding. It was a big rallying point for our staff, they've gone through so much, losing animals they worked with for 20-plus years," Lee said.After the hurricane, the surviving penguins and sea otters had their own security of sorts for a time. When the aquarium staff moved out in the midst of looting and flooding, New Orleans police officers moved in and set up a command post."Our guys literally, as they were leaving, gave those guys a crash course in how to care for penguins and otters, and they did." Lee said.John Hewitt, the senior vice president and director of husbandry, returned to the aquarium a few days after Katrina. What he saw -- and smelled -- bore no resemblance to the aquatic masterpiece he left behind.The generators were working intermittently, it was about 140 degrees in the Amazon exhibit and the otters were swimming in dirty 90-degree water. The penguins were covered in their own filth, but otherwise seemed OK."Penguins are pretty tough little guys," Hewitt said.Now comes the task of repopulating the aquarium's tanks. Some fish and other animals can be collected from the wild, borrowed from other zoos and aquarium or bought. But some -- like the 9- to 10-foot sharks -- will be hard to find, Lee said.Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

(CNN) -- NASA managers said Friday that the space agency is working to resume shuttle flights as soon as next May, even as teams of engineers continue to analyze what caused a potentially critical problem during the Discovery's launch."May looks very doable," said NASA Associate Administrator for Space Operations William Gerstenmaier.Shuttle Program Manager Wayne Hale added, "I think we're beginning to have our hands well around the technical problems that we have and to find the fixes that are going to be necessary to fly again."NASA officials briefed reporters on the status of the space shuttle program Friday at the Johnson Space Center in Houston.NASA grounded the shuttle fleet after a chunk of foam fell off of Discovery's external fuel tank during its July 26 launch -- the same problem blamed for the Columbia disaster. Analysis determined that a briefcase-size piece of foam weighing just under a pound broke away from a section of the tank called the PAL ramp shortly after solid rocket booster separation.The foam did not hit the orbiter. But NASA officials said that it could have caused damage if it had.Bill Parsons, who was shuttle program manager at the time, announced the day after launch that the shuttle fleet would not fly again until the latest foam problem was solved.Elimination of large debris is key to the safe resumption of shuttle flights.The underside of a space shuttle is covered with insulating tiles and the edges of the wings are clad with reinforced carbon-carbon panels. Together, they make up the thermal protection system that ensures the shuttle can withstand the intense heat of re-entry.The engineers studying the issue have concluded that no single factor caused the foam to come loose. Rather, they think there were several contributing factors: The technique used to spray the foam onto the tank, engineering issues in the area where the foam broke off, and damage from workers touching and possibly crushing the foam while working on other parts of the tank."I want to make it clear that we found no negligence on the part of the workers," said Richard Gilbrech, leader of the engineers looking at the problem. "They were doing their work per procedure. It's just we really didn't have an appreciation for the significance that this handling damage could have in terms of foam loss."Gilbrech and his team suggested changing the way the foam is applied and how the tank is processed, with the goal of eliminating the shedding of large pieces of foam.Shuttle program managers said they are optimistic that testing will be completed and the modifications implemented in time to launch the shuttle between May 3 and 23.The date could be affected by engineering setbacks and by the impact of Hurricane Katrina on workforce at and infrastructure around Michoud Assembly Facility, which is in New Orleans."We have estimates that basically we will have lost the equivalent of three months worth of work at Michoud based on the effects of the hurricanes," Hale said. "In spite of that, our amazing work force down there is coming back to work. We are making outstanding progress in addressing these issues."With the exception of the one Discovery flight last summer, the shuttle fleet had been grounded since February 1, 2003, when the shuttle Columbia broke apart over Texas while on landing approach to Florida's Kennedy Space Center. All seven astronauts aboard died.Seven months later, the Columbia Accident Investigation Board concluded that a 1.6 pound piece of foam insulation broke off the shuttle's external fuel tank, striking and cracking a panel on the orbiter's wing. When the shuttle re-entered Earth's atmosphere, hot gases seeped into the wing and destroyed the spacecraft.Since the Columbia disaster, NASA engineers have said that it is not possible to eliminate the shedding of foam and ice from the external tank during launch. They did redesign the tank to minimize the size of debris that would come off. Prior to the Discovery launch, NASA managers said the heaviest piece of foam they expected to come loose would be three one-hundredths of a pound, and about the size of a breakfast muffin.Prior to the Columbia disaster, astronauts had no way to inspect the thermal protection system for damage that might have occurred during liftoff or to make repairs. During the Discovery mission, astronauts tested new tools and techniques to do those jobs.The new inspection system worked well, but limited testing of repair procedures confirmed astronauts cannot yet reliably fix a hole. Most NASA engineers say astronauts will never be able to repair a hole the size of the one that doomed Columbia.NASA now plans only 19 more shuttle flights, down from 28, Gerstenmaier confirmed. Eighteen of those missions will include docking with the international space station, with the goal of completing its assembly. The other would service the Hubble Space Telescope.NASA intends to retire the shuttle fleet in 2010. The space agency hopes to launch the next generation manned spacecraft, the Crew Exploration Vehicle, in 2012, with a manned mission to the moon coming in 2018.

NEW YORK (AP) -- The bird flu virus that infected a Vietnamese girl was resistant to the main drug that's being stockpiled in case of a pandemic, a sign that it's important to keep a second drug on hand as well, a researcher said Friday.He said the finding was no reason to panic.The drug in question, Tamiflu, still attacks "the vast majority of the viruses out there," said Yoshihiro Kawaoka of the University of Tokyo and the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The drug, produced by Swiss-based Roche Holding AG, is in short supply as nations around the world try to stock up on it in case of a global flu pandemic.Kawaoka said the case of resistance in the 14-year-old girl is "only one case, and whether that condition was something unique we don't know."He also said it's not surprising to see some resistance to Tamiflu in treated individuals, because resistance has also been seen with human flu.In lab tests, the girl's Tamiflu-resistant virus was susceptible to another drug, Relenza, which is made by GlaxoSmithKline.Kawaoka and colleagues report the case in the October 20 issue of the journal Nature, which released the study Friday. The researchers conclude that it might be useful to stockpile Relenza as well as Tamiflu.Both drugs are being stockpiled by the U.S. government. Doctors have good reason to believe Tamiflu would be effective at combatting a pandemic strain of bird flu, although it's not clear how long people would have to be treated or what doses they'd need, said Dr. John Treanor of the University of Rochester.In adults with mild cases of ordinary flu, Tamiflu speeds up recovery by a day or two, he said. Its effect on severe flu like bird flu isn't clear, he said.The new report, while not surprising, shows scientists must find out more about how people with bird flu respond to Tamiflu and how often they shed drug-resistant virus, he said.The shed virus could become a problem if it is transmitted to other people, he said. He noted that in the new report, as in prior studies, the resistant virus was less able to reproduce itself than normal virus was, which might cut down on the chance of transmission.The girl, who had been caring for an older brother with the disease, had been taking low doses of Tamiflu as a preventive measure when the virus was isolated in late February. She later got sick and was given higher doses. She recovered and left the hospital in March.Kawaoka said it's not clear whether the low preventive dose had encouraged the emergence of drug resistance.Dr. William Schaffner of Vanderbilt University called the report important and said it shows the importance of watching for drug resistance."It is not unusual to find the occasional resistant virus," he said. "It could be just a biological oddity, or we could see this more frequently."This is a blip on the radar screen, and it surely does mean that we have to keep the radar operative," Schaffner said. "We have to keep testing more viruses."Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

TAMPA, Florida (AP) -- A passenger woke up from a nap, raised his fist and punched out the interior pane of an airplane window on a flight from Las Vegas to Florida, authorities said. Ryan J. Marchione, 24, shattered the inner plastic shield covering the glass window and disconnected its frame about 90 minutes into the America West flight, according to an FBI affidavit. The outer window was not damaged and the plane did not depressurize, the airline said. Marchione was arrested when the plane landed Wednesday at Tampa International Airport. He faces up to 20 years in federal prison if convicted of a federal charge of damaging or destroying an aircraft while it was operating. Marchione "woke abruptly from his sleep and turned to the passenger seated in 7B" about 90 minutes into the flight, an FBI affidavit said. He then "raised a clenched fist to his shoulder as if he was going to strike the passenger in 7B, then suddenly turned and struck the exterior window," the affidavit said. "It appears to have come out of nowhere," said Marchione's attorney, Thomas Ostrander. "Perhaps it was some sort of a psychotic episode as a result of drug abuse." Marchione was released on $25,000 bail to home detention with electronic monitoring. Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

(CNN) -- Adam Silvas was riding his all-terrain vehicle through the Pennsylvania woods when he came across a woman acting "really weird," standing near another woman, who was bloody, pregnant and lying on the ground by a car. "I initially thought it was a murder," he told CNN affiliate WTAE in Pittsburgh. Silvas, 17, went and got help. He's being hailed as a hero for saving the lives of Valerie Oskin, 30, and her son, who was born by Caesarean section at a hospital hours after the attack on Wednesday. Oskin's neighbor, Peggy Jo Conner, 38, is charged with attempted homicide, aggravated assault and aggravated assault of an unborn child. She is in jail.Silvas recalled the strange series of events in Armstrong County for WTAE on Friday. (See Silvas on the video -- 3:11)"When I first saw it, I knew it was foul play because it was just very suspicious happening. The lady acted really weird," he said.Conner told him "everything was fine," he said. He said he was going into the woods to ride, and she "smiled and waved at me.""I didn't really say too much because I knew something was wrong. I had seen somebody laying beside the car," he recalled. Instead he said he raced -- heart pounding, a lump in his throat -- back home to get his father, Andrew Silvas. The two rushed back to the site, unsure what they would find. "It was pretty frightening," the father told WTAE. "You just don't know what you're going to get into when you head out for something like that, especially in remote areas like that." When they arrived, he said, the woman who was standing had "an eerie calm about her." He asked her what she was doing. "She said, 'Nothing, nothing.'" She told him she was planning to take the bloodied woman to the hospital. "How come you didn't ask my son for help?" he said he asked. "She replied, 'I don't know.'" The father then told his son to get back to the house and tell his mother to call 911. As they waited for police, Adam Silvas said he saw that Oskin had severe wounds but was conscious. She later identified Conner as her attacker, police said. (Full story)He said he got some blankets when he heard her mumble that she was cold and wanted a warm shower. Conner seemed "spaced out, like she was hollow. She barely said a word," Silvas said. Adam Silvas said he doesn't want to be viewed as a hero, although he's extremely happy that Oskin and her baby are doing well.His father said, "I'm extremely proud of him. He handled himself very well."

RICHMOND, Virginia (AP) -- The Republican candidate for Virginia governor is drawing fire for campaign ads that suggest his Democratic opponent is so averse to the death penalty he would have spared Adolph Hitler from execution.The radio and TV ads feature victims' relatives who tearfully recount the crimes that killed their loved ones and say they don't trust Democrat Tim Kaine to administer the state's death penalty.Kaine, who says his moral objections to capital punishment are rooted in his Roman Catholic faith, responded with an ad pledging to carry out death sentences "because it's the law."One of the ads supporting Jerry Kilgore, Virginia's attorney general, cites a Richmond Times-Dispatch column that said Kaine had "suggested he would not favor sending even Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin or Idi Amin to the gallows."A commercial featuring death penalty proponent Stanley Rosenbluth has him looking into the camera and saying: "Tim Kaine says Adolf Hitler doesn't qualify for the death penalty. This was one of the worst mass murderers in modern times."Some Jewish leaders said Friday that the commercials trivialize the Holocaust and should be withdrawn.Kilgore spokesman Tim Murtaugh defended the ads and said that Rosenbluth spoke from his heart.Kaine, the lieutenant governor, is seeking to succeed Gov. Mark R. Warner, a fellow Democrat who is barred by the state constitution from seeking a second consecutive term this fall.Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The federal deficit hit $319 billion for the budget year that just ended, down significantly from last year's record red ink, although a surge in Katrina-driven spending threatens to drive the shortfall up again.The improvement from the record $412 billion recorded in the 2004 budget year, which the Treasury Department reported on Friday, is largely due to a surge in federal revenues from an improving economy.The figures were released three days before Congress returns from a recess and commences a struggle to cut $35 billion from federal benefit programs over the next five years to help defray hurricane recovery costs. Friday's deficit figures underscored that even if lawmakers agree to such savings, they would have a barely visible effect on the overall red ink figure.Despite the improvement from last year's budget gap, the 2005 shortfall was still the third-highest ever recorded. The government's 2005 budget year ended on Sept. 30.Hurricane recovery costsBecause hurricanes Katrina and Rita hit in August and September, only about $4 billion of the $62 billion in emergency aid provided for the storms was actually spent in fiscal 2005, according to a senior Treasury official. Congressional analysts figure another $30 billion of those funds will be spent in the budget year that began October 1, though more spending is likely to be approved in coming weeks.Republicans emphasized that the figure was an improvement from earlier deficit projections.At the beginning of this year, the White House projected a $427 billion shortfall for 2005, which would have set another record in sheer dollar terms. The Congressional Budget Office forecast a gap of $365 billion, although both lowered their forecasts as the year progressed."Lower taxes and pro-growth economic policies have created millions of jobs and a growing economy that has swelled tax revenues over the past year," said Treasury Secretary John Snow. "While deficits are never welcome, the fact that we finished FY 2005 with a much lower-than-expected deficit is encouraging news."Deficit shrinkingThe White House and most economists say the truest measure of the deficit is relative to the size of the economy. In those terms, the deficit measured 2.6 percent of gross domestic product. The 2004 deficit, by contrast, equaled 3.6 percent of GDP. That is well below the post-World War II worst-ever record, a 6 percent figure set in 1983 under President Reagan.Democrats say that despite the improvement over 2004, the administration's record on the deficit isn't anything to be proud of.Indeed, the deficit picture remains far worse than when President Bush took office in 2001, when both White House and congressional forecasters projected cumulative surpluses of $5.6 trillion over the subsequent decade. Then, the White House forecast a surplus for 2005 of $269 billion.Those earlier estimates assumed the revenue boom fueled by the surging stock market and worker productivity gains would continue. But that bubble burst and a recession and the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist assaults adversely affected the books.Several rounds of tax cuts, including Bush's signature $1.35 trillion, 10-year 2001 tax cut also contributed to the return to deficits three years ago after four years of surpluses.The White House has set a goal of cutting the deficit in half from the $521 billion prediction for 2004 that it issued at the beginning of that year.The administration claims it is still on track to reach that $260 billion goal by the time Bush leaves office. But administration budget projections leave out the long-term costs of occupying Iraq and Afghanistan and have yet to be updated with cost estimates of hurricane relief.Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

ROME, Italy (Reuters) -- Oscar winner Roberto Benigni treated Italians watching Saturday's prime time news show to an impromptu strip tease to mark the release of his new film "The Tiger and the Snow" about the war in Iraq.Benigni, whose poignant Holocaust film "Life is Beautiful" won the 1998 Oscar for best foreign film, left the newscaster on Italy's most watched evening news program open-mouthed when he began unbuttoning his shirt during an interview.A laughing Benigni removed his shirt and draped it over the newscaster's shoulders.Benigni brought a fresh touch to the often stuffy Oscars ceremony when he climbed on the back of his seat and applauded the audience after he was told he had won the Oscar. He went on to also win best actor.Benigni is also a vociferous critic of media tycoon Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and he led a crowd of thousands in Rome on Friday in protest at the center-right government's decision to cut state arts funding by 35 percent.Prior to removing his shirt, Benigni had already hijacked the opening credits of the 8 p.m. (1800 GMT) news, jumping behind the newscaster and announcing: "Berlusconi has resigned."Copyright 2005 Reuters. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Calling computers fun, Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates on Friday urged minority college students to consider careers in computer science.Wrapping up a three-day tour of college campuses at predominantly black Howard University, Gates said computer software writers will be in greater demand than ever in the next decade.Even so, the number of college graduates seeking software jobs is declining -- a trend Gates said his tour is designed to help reverse."These are jobs that pay great," Gates said. "These are fun jobs, and so you'd think right now we'd be having more people applying in them than ever.""But in fact," he added, "somehow we haven't got the word out. We haven't made it clear the steps to get the right skills to get these jobs."Those statistics apply to all races, Gates said, but are particularly true among blacks and other minorities, among whom only a tiny percentage of college graduates pursue computer careers."Getting minorities into those jobs -- we're not doing everything we should be to point out the opportunities," Gates said.Gates' appearance before an enthusiastic crowd of more than 600 at Howard's Blackburn Center was the final stop in a three-day tour that also included visits to the universities of Michigan and Wisconsin, Princeton and Columbia universities and the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada.Microsoft spokeswoman Ginny Terzano said the speeches at all six schools had the same goal: "Getting good young people interested in the technical sciences for great careers in the industry."Abisola Oladapo, a Howard junior from Lagos, Nigeria, said she was impressed with Gates.Oladapo, a student member of the National Society of Black Engineers, said the number of young black engineers is decreasing. Asked how that can be reversed, she said, "Get people like (Gates) who are very intellectual to come to meetings like these and make an impact."Terique Greenfield, a 19-year-old junior from Silver Spring, Maryland, called Gates' appearance a boost for Howard, a historically black university with a strong science and engineering program."I'm glad he recognized the importance of minorities in the work force at Microsoft," Greenfield said. "I thought it was great for Bill Gates to show all the opportunities at Microsoft."Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

LOS ANGELES, California (Reuters) -- Podcasting is on the verge of setting off a video revolution and users of Apple's new video iPod can expect a deluge of outspoken commentary, religious sermons and pornography.Podcasting, a term based on the name for Apple's portable media player, allows customers to download audio -- and now video -- segments for free to their computers and portable devices. Radio shows are among the most popular podcasts, but amateurs have helped turn podcasting into an eclectic global phenomenon.Apple's video-enabled iPod models, announced Wednesday, promise to stoke the fervor of home-grown broadcasters."I'm thrilled by the possibilities of combining devices," said 'Soccergirl,' whose opinionated and sexually suggestive program was listed among the 40 most popular podcasts on Apple's iTunes service.The 26-year-old librarian, who chooses not to reveal her real name, already produces short video segments that can play on viewers' computers.The new iPods "will make it easier for many of my listeners to watch my video as easily as they listen to my show," she said.Other early adopters of video podcasting are likely to include clergy of all stripes.San Francisco-area pastor Tim Hohm, whose audio podcast is one of more than 1,400 religious offerings available on iTunes, says the new iPods represent "a fantastic opportunity" and believes video has the potential "to inspire tens of thousands to embrace a message of inspiration and hope."The current crop of audio podcasters also includes entrepreneurial-minded Web journalists, some of whom are struggling to find a workable business model.Media analyst Rafat Ali, whose paidcontent.org Web site focuses on the economics of digital content, forecasts many such start-up projects will fail due to lack of expertise and funding."Producing interesting video content is really hard," he said.Success will depend largely on programmers' resources and ability to grasp the complexities of a medium that is much more complicated than audio, Ali said."It's a matter of how good is the quality and how do they get funded," he added.Historically, pornographers have a strong track record of adapting new imaging devices and formats in a commercially viable way.Mark Kernes, a senior editor at the Adult Video News trade magazine, said the highly-visible video iPod would certainly be used for adult content, but that many consumers might not want to show off their new material in public."Anybody that's got a video iPod is probably going to want to have a couple of porn clips on there, just to have," he said. "But you're not going to be looking at it at the mall." Copyright 2005 Reuters. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (Reuters) -- A fire killed 32 prisoners on Sunday after battling inmates set mattresses aflame and briefly took control of a local jail, in one of Argentina's worst outbreaks of prison violence in recent decades.It was the third and bloodiest such incident since February in Argentina, where problems common to Latin America such as jail overcrowding and gang violence persist.Eduardo Di Rocco, the justice minister in Buenos Aires province, denied initial local media reports that inmates had revolted to have visiting hours extended."It appears the 32 dead perished from carbon monoxide inhalation," Di Rocco told local television station TN, referring to the prison in Magdalena, 75 miles (120 km) southeast of the capital of Buenos Aires.He attributed the incident, which lasted through the night and was quelled on Sunday morning, to inmate infighting.Several family members said they saw corpses "piled on top of one another" when they entered the jail in the early morning hours."This was a total massacre," said one woman, who at midday was anxiously waiting outside the jail along with hundreds of other family members to find out which inmates had died.Six prisoners were injured but none of them seriously, the justice ministry said. Four prison guards suffered burns and two were wounded, including the warden, who was in grave condition after inmates struck his head with a wooden object.Nearly 1,050 prisoners were housed at the Magdalena jail, according to the provincial justice ministry. The fighting broke out in a minimum-security cell block, where prisoners set small fires to keep guards from intervening.The blaze asphyxiated many inmates and spread to a nearby kitchen and crafts workshop. Prisoners in other areas grew agitated, beating on their cell bars and breaking some locks.Smoke was seen rising from the prison compound and inmates were filmed jumping up and down on top of a low building. Guards finally re-established order, penitentiary service officials said.Di Rocco told reporters that officials were working to identify the bodies and inform relatives.Copyright 2005 Reuters. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

JERUSALEM (CNN) -- Palestinian gunmen killed three Israelis and wounded five others in two separate shootings Sunday in the West Bank, Israeli medical services and security sources said.The Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades claimed responsibility for both shootings. The group is a military offshoot of Fatah, the ruling party of the Palestinian Authority. Palestinian officials had no immediate response to the incidents.In the first incident, Palestinian gunmen killed three people and wounded four others, Israeli medical teams said. The attack occurred at a hitchhiking post in Gush Etzion junction, an area of Jewish settlements, officials said.In the other incident, Palestinians shot into a crowd of people walking near the entrance to the Eli settlement, north of Ramallah. One person was critically wounded, Israeli security and medical sources said.Separately, Israeli army troops shot an armed Palestinian during an operation near the city of Jenin in the northern West Bank, Israeli security sources said.Israeli media said the man -- a senior leader of Palestinian Islamic Jihad -- was killed, but Israeli security sources did not immediately confirm the reports.Palestinian Islamic Jihad, which operates from Gaza, is considered to be a terrorist organization by Israel and the United States.

BUCHAREST, Romania (CNN) -- Romanian health officials took steps Sunday to contain a deadly strain of bird flu that has killed at least 60 people in Asia and was confirmed late last week to have spread to Europe.Officials were spraying disinfectant on the tires of vehicles departing Tuleca and Constanza counties -- near the Black Sea, where the H5N1 strain was discovered, said Minister of Agriculture Ghearghe Flutur.Flutur said the situation was under control and that although Romania does not need international help, it will not refuse offers from the European Union and the United States.Results of additional tests on an H5 virus discovered in a bird in the village of Maliuc to determine if it was infected with the H5N1 strain will be announced Monday morning by a laboratory in England, he said.Authorities have killed thousands of birds, including ducks and swans, in an attempt to stop the spread of the disease.In Ceamurlia and Maliuc, in Tuleca County, almost 60 birds have died from avian flu, authorities said.Live birds are no longer available for sale in markets, and approval from a veterinarian is needed to sell even slaughtered chickens.Tourism operators complained that they had been hit hard by the disease, because bird hunting -- a popular sport among international visitors -- has been banned in an attempt to reduce close contact between humans and birds.Officials said they had vaccinated 100,000 Romanians against garden-variety strains of influenza in an attempt to limit the possibility that the virus that causes bird flu might, through "reassortment" with the more common forms, gain the ability to spread easily from person to person.The effectiveness of attempts to stem the spread may be limited, since the existence of H5N1 bird flu in Romania bolsters the theory that the virus may be spread by migratory birds.Despite the fact that 117 people in Asia have been infected by the strain and 60 have died, H5N1 in its current form does not easily infect humans. But officials fear it could mutate into a more easily transmissible strain and result in a global pandemic.The strain found in Romania was tested and confirmed to be H5N1 at a laboratory in Weybridge, England, European Commission spokesman Robert Soltyk said.The Romanian government Saturday confirmed the strain's presence.Soltyk said that before the confirmation the commission had been working under the assumption it was the highly pathogenic type of bird flu, and took all necessary protective measures to halt its spread, including banning the export of live birds and poultry products from Romania.It had done the same for Turkey after bird flu was detected there last weekend and confirmed Thursday to be H5N1.Bird flu normally spreads to humans through contact with infected poultry or contaminated surfaces, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Web site.But it is thought that a few cases of human-to-human spread of H5N1 have occurred.

POINT REYES, California (AP) -- A husband-and-wife team reached the Pacific Ocean on Saturday after a 4,900-mile cross-country hike, becoming the first to backpack the transcontinental American Discovery Trail in one continuous trek.Marcia and Ken Powers started February 27 at Cape Henlopen in Delaware. Nearly eight months later, they looked out over the Pacific Ocean at Point Reyes."We feel great. We're done," Marcia Powers said after reaching the ocean late Saturday afternoon, a day ahead of schedule. "We are a little bit sad that a great adventure is over. It was a fantastic adventure."The couple from Pleasanton, California, traversed cities, desert, mountains and farmland as they crossed 13 states.They overcame deep snow in the East, a quicksand scare in Utah, close lightning strikes in the Midwest and blinding desert sandstorms in the West while averaging 22 miles a day and taking only four days off.But they raved about the French history of St. Louis, the grandeur of the Colorado Rockies, and the kindness of strangers they met along the way. They particularly remember two brothers who put them up in their homes around Chester, Illinois, and a motorcyclist who gave them water in the Utah desert."Americans are truly warm-hearted and wonderful people," said Marcia Powers, who is in her 50s. "We got to meet people that we would never meet in our sphere of daily living at home."We also got to see America up close. We got to touch it with our feet and hands and smell all its scents and hear its wildlife. It's an amazing country."Joyce and Pete Cottrell, of Whitefield, New Hampshire, were the first to backpack the entire official route of the American Discovery Trail, but they hiked segments out of sequence over two calendar years, finishing in 2003.The transcontinental trail starts in Delaware, meandering through Washington, D.C., Cincinnati, St. Louis and other cities, 14 national parks and 16 national forests before hitting the Pacific at Point Reyes.The trail officially opened in 2000, 11 years after it was proposed by hiking enthusiasts as the first coast-to-coast footpath.Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

LAWRENCE, Massachusetts. (AP) -- Gov. Mitt Romney lifted the state of emergency for Massachusetts on Sunday, deactivating the National Guard and sending a signal that the worst of the weather problems is over.Under blue skies near the banks of the swollen Merrimack River, Romney said by and large the state was returning to normal.About 1,000 people were evacuated from their homes on Saturday after driving rains and flooding washed out bridges and roads, flooded basements and pressured dams."The all clear will be sounded on a local basis," Romney said. "Recognize we were ready for something more substantial than hit. We have to be."Romney said the state Emergency Management Agency was still monitoring conditions as high winds were expected throughout the day.In Connecticut, the body of a woman who fell into the rapids of the Natchaug River in Chaplin was found Sunday morning, state police said. Elizabeth Cunningham, 54, of Hampton was pronounced dead at the scene. She had lost her footing while looking at the river Saturday afternoon, authorities said. Hers was the second death in the state attributed to flooding.The statewide state of emergency in New Jersey was lifted Saturday evening."The hard-hit communities throughout New Jersey are not yet back to normal, but every flooding situation is well under control," acting Gov. Richard J. Codey said.In New Hampshire, many of the 1,300 residents evacuated last weekend from Keene returned home Saturday, but a 500-foot mudslide shut down part of Route 123. The southwest part of the state around Keene had been particularly hard-hit a week ago.Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

OSSEO, Wisconsin (AP) -- A bus carrying high school students home from a band competition crashed into a tractor-trailer that had jackknifed on the interstate early Sunday, killing four adults and an 11-year-old girl, officials said.Twenty-nine others were injured, some seriously, troopers said."It's a terrific tragedy and loss to our school and community," said Chippewa Falls schools superintendent Mike Schoch. "Our community is stunned by it."The semi had gone off the shoulder of Interstate 94 and jackknifed, and was blocking the westbound lane, Wisconsin State Patrol Capt. Douglas Notbohm said."I don't know how much opportunity there was for braking action," he said. The bus slammed into the overturned truck, but it didn't roll or catch fire, patrol spokesman Brent Pickard said.It was the first of four buses carrying about 140 students and 15 to 20 adult chaperones, Schoch said.Tania Richter, 17, a clarinet player in the band, said she was sleeping on the floor toward the back of the bus when it crashed. The impact sent her sliding under a seat."It was terrifying," she said, her right arm in the sling because of what she said was a shoulder bruise.Nearly everyone was sleeping at the time, she said, but at least the bus wasn't full. Most of the windows were knocked out in the crash."We had a lot of seats open, which saved a lot of people," she said.Bus driver Paul Rasmus, 78, of Chippewa Falls, was killed. The identities of the other victims -- two men, ages 48 and 24, a 51-year-old woman and the girl -- were withheld pending notification of their families.The semi driver, employed by Whole Foods Market Group of Munster, Indiana, was en route from Indiana to Minnesota, Notbohm said. The driver was hospitalized with non-life threatening injuries.Officials didn't know why the truck went off the interstate and overturned. The driver told investigators he had not fallen asleep, Notbohm said, and Pickard said the road was dry at the time of the crash.The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating.The students were returning from band competition at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, about 200 miles southeast of Chippewa Falls. he band had placed third in Class AAAA competition in the Wisconsin School Music Association State Marching Band Championships.Chippewa Falls High School, which has about 1,500 students, was opened Sunday for those who wanted to meet with counselors, Schoch said.The school's principal, Jim Sauter, said classes would be held Monday.Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

(CNN) -- In 1987, around one in four women age 50 and older said they'd had a mammogram and breast exam in the past two years. Eleven years later, that number jumped to 69 percent.Despite that progress, breast cancer today remains the most frequently diagnosed cancer among women in the United States, except for skin cancer.As part of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, CNN's Dr. Sanjay Gupta sheds some light on the successes and obstacles in the fight, along with debunking some common breast cancer myths.Q: What progress has been made over the decades in the fight against breast cancer?A: The decline in breast cancer death rates since 1990 has been attributed to improvements in treatment and to early detection. But, while utilization of mammography has been increasing, women below the poverty level are still less likely to have had a mammogram within the past two years than women at or above the poverty level. We need to do a better job of reaching out to the poor and the uninsured to make sure they have access to early detection and the best treatments.Q: What are some other areas of advancement?A: In a September report, the American Cancer Society announced:Progress in early detection and treatment of breast cancer continues to result in a slow, steady drop in mortality rates, a trend that started in 1990. The latest figures show the death rate from breast cancer dropped by 2.3 percent a year since 1990, with the drop most evident in younger women.Between 1987 and 2002, incidence rates increased by 0.3 percent per year overall, with the increase limited to women age 50 and older. Rates actually declined among women 40 to 49, and there has been little change among women under 40 during that same time period.The death rate from breast cancer in women decreased by 2.3 percent per year between 1990 and 2002. Death rates decreased by 3.3 percent per year among women younger than 50, and by 2 percent per year among women 50 and older.Q: What about risk factors? Are some people more likely to be diagnosed with breast cancer?A: We do not yet know exactly what causes breast cancer, but we do know that certain risk factors are linked to the disease. A risk factor is anything that increases a person's chance of getting a disease such as cancer. Different cancers have different risk factors. Some risk factors, such as smoking, can be controlled. Others, like a person's age or family history, can't be changed. But having a risk factor, or even several, doesn't mean that a person will get the disease. Some women who have one or more risk factors never get breast cancer. And most women who do get breast cancer don't have any risk factors.Q: What effect do birth control pills have on breast cancer risk?A: It is still not clear what part birth control pills might play in breast cancer risk. Studies have found that women now using birth control pills have a slightly greater risk of breast cancer. Women who stopped using the pill more than 10 years ago do not seem to have any increased risk. It's a good idea to discuss the risks and benefits of birth control pills with your doctor.Q: What about the relationship between breast-feeding and cancer incidence?A: Some studies have shown that breast-feeding slightly lowers breast cancer risk, especially if the breast-feeding lasts 1� to 2 years. This could be because breast-feeding lowers a woman's total number of menstrual periods, as does pregnancy. One study found that having more children and breast-feeding longer could reduce the risk of breast cancer by half.Q: What are some of the myths surrounding breast cancer causes?A: Internet e-mail rumors have suggested that underarm antiperspirants can cause breast cancer. There is very little evidence to support this idea. Also, there is no evidence to support the idea that underwire bras cause breast cancer.Q: Explain the roles pregnancy and menopause play in a woman's risk of breast cancer?A: Women who began having periods early (before 12 years of age) have a slightly increased risk of breast cancer.Women who went through the change of life (menopause) after the age of 55 have a slightly increased risk of breast cancer.Women who have not had children, or who had their first child after age 30, have a slightly higher risk of breast cancer. Being pregnant more than once and at an early age reduces breast cancer risk.Q: Today, what are the survival rates for women with breast cancer?A: The overall five-year relative survival rate for women diagnosed with breast cancer is 88 percent. The 10-year relative survival rate is 80 percent.Q: How prevalent is breast cancer in the United States?A: In 2002 (the latest year figures are available), nearly 2.3 million women living in the United States had been diagnosed with breast cancer.Breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer in U.S. women (excluding cancers of the skin), with 211,240 cases of invasive breast cancer expected in 2005. This accounts for nearly one out of three cancers diagnosed in U.S. women.As far as cancer deaths are concerned, breast cancer ranks second in U.S. women (after lung cancer), with 40,410 deaths expected in 2005.

UNIONDALE, New York (AP) -- Brother Kenneth M. Hoagland had heard all the stories about prom-night debauchery at his Long Island high school:Students putting down $10,000 to rent a party house in the Hamptons.Pre-prom cocktail parties followed by a trip to the dance in a liquor-loaded limo.Fathers chartering a boat for their children's late-night "booze cruise."Enough was enough, Hoagland said. So the principal of Kellenberg Memorial High School canceled the spring prom in a 2,000-word letter to parents this fall."It is not primarily the sex/booze/drugs that surround this event, as problematic as they might be; it is rather the flaunting of affluence, assuming exaggerated expenses, a pursuit of vanity for vanity's sake -- in a word, financial decadence," Hoagland said, fed up with what he called the "bacchanalian aspects.""Each year it gets worse -- becomes more exaggerated, more expensive, more emotionally traumatic," he said."We are withdrawing from the battle and allowing the parents full responsibility. [Kellenberg] is willing to sponsor a prom, but not an orgy."The move brought a mixed, albeit passionate, reaction from students and parents at the Roman Catholic school, which is owned by the Society of Mary (Marianists), a religious order of priests and brothers."I don't think it's fair, obviously, that they canceled prom," said senior Alyssa Johnson of Westbury. "There are problems with the prom, but I don't think their reasons or the actions they took solved anything."Hoagland began talking about the future of the prom last spring after 46 Kellenberg seniors made a $10,000 down payment on a $20,000 rental in the Hamptons for a post-prom party.When school officials found out, they forced the students to cancel the deal; the kids got their money back and the prom went on as planned.But some parents went ahead and rented a Hamptons house anyway, Hoagland said.Amy Best, an associate professor of sociology and anthropology at George Mason University in Virginia and the author of "Prom Night: Youth, Schools and Popular Culture," said this is the first time she has heard of a school canceling the prom for such reasons."A lot of people have lamented the growing consumption that surrounds the prom," she said, noting it is not uncommon for students to pay $1,000 on the dance and surrounding folderol: expensive dresses, tuxedo rentals, flowers, limousines, pre- and post-prom parties.Best pinned some of the blame for the burgeoning costs on parents, who are often willing to open their wallets for whatever their child demands."It is a huge misperception that the kids themselves are totally driving this," she said.Edward Lawson, the father of a Kellenberg senior, said he and other parents are discussing whether to organize a prom without the sponsorship of the 2,500-student school."This is my fourth child to go through Kellenberg and I don't think they have a right to judge what goes on after the prom," he said. "They put everybody in the category of drinkers and drug addicts. I don't believe that's the right thing to do."Some parents waiting to pick up their children on a recent afternoon said they support Hoagland."The school has excellent values," said Margaret Cameron of Plainview. "We send our children here because we support the values and the administration of the school and I totally back everything they do."Hoagland said in an interview that parents, who pay $6,025 in annual tuition, have expressed appreciation for his stern stand."For some, it [the letter] was an eye-opener," he said. "Others feel relieved that the pressure is off of them."Chris Laine, a senior from Rockville Centre, said the cancellation was "unfortunate, but you can't really argue with the facts they present. ... It's just what it's evolved into. It's not what it was 20, 30 or 40 years ago. It's turned into something it wasn't originally intended to be."Besides, Laine noted, the senior class still has a four-day trip to Disney World scheduled for April."We go to all the parks with our friends," Laine said just before hopping into his jet-black Infiniti and driving off to meet friends for an after-school snack."We fly down together and stay in the same hotel and so it's not like we're totally losing everything."Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

LOS ANGELES, California (AP) -- The crowds were not quite as thick as pea soup, but the horror remake "The Fog" pulled in enough fans to win a close race at the weekend box office with a $12.2 million debut.Finishing second was the previous weekend's No. 1 movie, the animated adventure "Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit," which took in $11.7 million to lift its total to $33.3 million, according to studio estimates Sunday.Cameron Crowe's quirky romance "Elizabethtown," starring Orlando Bloom and Kirsten Dunst, overcame poor reviews to open at No. 3 with $11 million.The weekend's other new wide release -- Tony Scott's action thriller "Domino," with Keira Knightley -- flopped with $4.7 million, coming in sixth.Hollywood's business continued to slump, with the top 12 movies taking in $72.2 million, down 18 percent from the same weekend in 2004. Theater revenues are running about 7 percent behind last year's, even with higher ticket prices. Admissions are down 10 percent.The Major League Baseball playoffs probably undermined movie business as fans stayed home to watch the games, said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box-office tracker Exhibitor Relations."This was not a weekend destined to be a blockbuster weekend. Really, really slow," Dergarabedian said. "Audiences seemed somewhat indifferent again. That's the scary part for the industry. It really takes a lot to get them out there to see a movie. It seems like any competition, like baseball, really cuts in big-time.""The Fog" did not screen in advance for critics, generally a sign the studio knows the movie will get bad reviews. Yet the movie, a remake of John Carpenter's 1970s ghost story of dead sailors terrorizing a town, drew in steadfast horror crowds that generally flock to fright flicks over opening weekend.An attractive young cast led by Tom Welling, who plays Clark Kent on "Smallville," and Maggie Grace of "Lost" also helped lift "The Fog." Viewers 25 and younger accounted for 61 percent of the movie's audience, according to distributor Sony."I think 'The Fog' had a lot of really cool elements in the sense it's a remake of a classic film of John Carpenter's and had a hot cast," said Rory Bruer, head of distribution for Sony."Elizabethtown" is writer-director Crowe's tale of a shoe designer (Bloom) at the center of a colossal business failure who stumbles into an unlikely romance with a flight attendant after he returns to his family's old haunts in Kentucky to retrieve the body of his dad, who died suddenly. Critics generally disliked "Elizabethtown," some calling it meandering and unfocused.Director Scott's "Domino" fared worse among critics, who found it loud, frenetic and shallow. The movie stars Knightley as the daughter of actor Laurence Harvey, who left her career in modeling to become a bounty hunter.In limited release, George Clooney's "Good Night, and Good Luck" continued to pull in big crowds. A portrait of journalist Edward R. Murrow (David Strathairn) in his campaign against Sen. Joseph McCarthy's communist witch hunt of the 1950s, the acclaimed film expanded to 68 theaters, up from 11 the previous weekend, and took in $1.37 million."Good Night, and Good Luck" expands to more theaters in the next few weeks.Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

LAFAYETTE, California (AP) -- The wife of prominent defense attorney and TV legal analyst Daniel Horowitz was found slain in the entryway of the couple's San Francisco Bay area home, authorities said Sunday.Horowitz, currently leading the defense in a sensational murder trial, called 911 Saturday evening to report that he found his wife, Pamela Vitale, dead in their home, police said.Contra Costa County sheriff's deputies said Sunday that the death was being investigated as a homicide. An autopsy was planned Monday to determine how she was killed."We talked to a number of people last night, but there's nobody in custody. We're still trying to establish a motive," said spokesman Jimmy Lee.As a lawyer who defended drug dealers, death row inmates and other serious criminals, Horowitz was concerned for his safety, said attorney Ivan Golde, a longtime friend and co-counsel in his current trial.He had a gun and a surveillance camera on the property, he said."It's only normal to have in the back of your mind, especially when you're dealing with true-caliber criminals," Golde said. "A lot of these people, that's the way they are, they threaten people."About 20 officers and investigators from the Lafayette Police Department and the county sheriff's department were at the home Sunday morning. A deputy was posted at the bottom of a steep driveway leading to the home and a canopy of trees blocked views of the property, situateed on a sprawling hillside estate about 20 miles east of San Francisco.The couple had been married for a decade and were living in a trailer on the property while their dream home was being built, Golde said."The two were so intertwined with each other," Golde said. "They were perfect for each other and it was a great marriage. We're all just in total shock."Horowitz did not answer calls Sunday by The Associated Press. He told the San Francisco Chronicle on Saturday that he couldn't talk."It's beyond words," he said.Vitale, 52, a former high-tech marketing executive, worked at her husband's law practice, creating and managing databases.Horowitz, 50, is a regular television legal analyst who appears frequently on CNN, MSNBC and Fox News and was a frequent commentator during the Laci Peterson murder trial.He is also a successful criminal defense attorney known for handling high-profile cases.Horowitz was the lawyer for former Ukrainian Prime Minister Pavlo Lazarenko in a multicount money-laundering and fraud trial.In May, a judge threw out half of the convictions against Lazarenko, who is under house arrest at an undisclosed location in the Bay Area.Currently, he is defending Susan Polk, accused of murder in the 2002 stabbing death of her psychologist husband in the pool house of their Orinda home, a trial that has gained national media attention. (Full story)Polk's husband was her therapist when she was a teenager, and she claims she killed him in self-defense.Horowitz also represented Steve Williams, the man who snagged Barry Bonds' 700th home run ball, in a lawsuit to determine who could keep the ball.Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

TOLEDO, Ohio (AP) -- Police began receiving word midweek that gangs were going to descend on a neighborhood where a riot erupted over a planned march by a white supremacist group, but the resulting disturbance was worse than expected, the police chief said Sunday.The riot broke out Saturday when protesters confronted members of the National Socialist Movement who had gathered at a city park.Rioters threw baseball-sized rocks at police, vandalized vehicles and stores, and set fire to a neighborhood bar, authorities said. More than 100 people were arrested and one officer was seriously injured.Officers who work in the area reported that gang members were planning to turn out in force, and authorities made plans to handle any disturbances, Police Chief Mike Navarre said at a news conference Sunday morning."We knew during the preparation that it was going to be a tremendous challenge," Navarre said. "Anyone who would accuse us of being underprepared I would take exception with that."However, he added the protest lasted longer and was more intense than expected.About two dozen members of the supremacist group, which calls itself "America's Nazi Party," had gathered at a city park just before noon Saturday to march under police protection. The march was called off after rioting started.Authorities want to determine why protesters turned their anger toward police after the Nazi group left, Lucas County Sheriff James Telb said. Officers wearing gas masks fired tear gas canisters and flash-bang devices designed to stun suspects, only to see the groups reform and resume throwing rocks.People were "highly angry over the idea that someone from outside the community could come in and insult them" in their neighborhood, Mayor Jack Ford said.Twelve officers were injured, including an officer riding in her cruiser who suffered a concussion when a brick came through a side window and hit her in the head, Lt. Ron Pfeifer said Sunday.A state of emergency remained in effect through the weekend. About 200 officers patrolled the neighborhood overnight, Navarre said, and police reported no problems. Another overnight curfew was to be in effect starting at 8 p.m. Sunday.City officials stressed the disturbances were confined to a 1-square-mile area. Police arrested 114 people on charges including assault, vandalism, failure to obey police, failure to disperse and overnight curfew violations.The neighborhood northwest of downtown, full of tree-lined streets and well-kept brick homes, once was a thriving Polish community. But within the last decade it's become home to poorer residents.A spokesman for the National Socialist Movement blamed police for losing control of the situation.The neo-Nazi group became interested in the neighborhood because of a white resident's complaints to police about gang violence, Bill White, a group spokesman, said earlier this month.WilliAnn Moore, president of the Toledo NAACP chapter, had said she worried the march would exacerbate an already tense situation, and urged black youths to ignore the demonstrators. Local leaders were taking steps "so this doesn't turn into some kind of race war," she said.Only a few people were out Sunday morning raking leaves, walking dogs in a park or going to church."This never should have happened," 80-year-old Ed Kusina, who has lived in the neighborhood nearly all his life, said Sunday. "They should have never let them march here."Rioters set fire to 86-year-old Louis Ratajski's neighborhood pub, Jim & Lou's Bar, but he and his nephew, Terry Rybczynski, escaped the flames."I was shaking. I feared for my life," said Rybczynski said.Keith White criticized city officials for allowing the march: "They let them come here and expect this not to happen?" said White, 29.Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- As election workers in Iraq counted millions of paper ballots cast in the constitutional referendum, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Sunday the measure "had probably passed" but cautioned she didn't know the final outcome.Rice told reporters traveling with her in London that she had spoken Sunday with U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Zalmay Khalilzad and her comments were based on "the assessment of people on the ground." "There is a belief that it has probably passed," Rice said. But minutes after Rice made the comments, a State Department spokesman said Rice also wanted to emphasize that "we don't know" how the referendum will turn out.Spokesman Sean McCormack said Rice had talked to Khalilzad after the press briefing, and her later clarification that the final outcome was unknown was not backtracking from her earlier assessment.Khalilzad told CNN's "Late Edition" Sunday that it was too early to predict the outcome."We'll find out tomorrow," he said from Baghdad.Meanwhile, the U.S. military reported that a roadside bomb Saturday killed five U.S. soldiers near Ramadi, west of Baghdad in Anbar province.The soldiers were assigned to the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward).In another incident, a homemade bomb killed a U.S. Marine on Saturday in Saqlawiya, northwest of Falluja, the U.S. military said. The U.S. death toll in the Iraq war now stands at 1,980.The body of a British officer was found Saturday where he had been based in Basra, a Ministry of Defense statement said. Capt. Ken Masters was commanding officer of the special investigation branch of the Royal Military Police responsible for investigating serious war-zone incidents. No cause of death was cited.Count to take daysThe vote-tallying, which involved more than 5,800 polling stations, is expected to take days and results aren't expected until next week.(See the view from the day after the vote)The referendum was being hailed as a success, because turnout appeared to be high enough to legitimize the outcome and there was little violence. (Watch how people voted -- 2:33)"The draft constitution was voted yesterday by the overall majority of the Iraqi people," Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari told CNN. "And all the indications we are getting, even from those provinces where the vote may swing, are encouraging and positive -- as for a 'yes' vote for this constitution." About 15.5 million of Iraq's 26 million people were registered to vote. (A look at what's at stake -- 3:08)Although she said several times that the referendum had "probably passed, Rice also said Sunday that it would not be a crisis if the constitution failed. "It's not a setback for the Iraqis if they exercise that right one way or another," she said. "It is a process that is alive and well." Sunnis came outA spokesman for the Iraqi electoral commission said Saturday initial figures showed more than two-thirds of eligible voters cast ballots in Baghdad and seven other provinces and in eight others turnout ranged between 33 percent and 66 percent.Election officials had no information about Anbar province in western Iraq, which has been a hotbed of insurgent violence. Turnout in the southern province of Qadisiya was projected to be less than 33 percent, said Fareed Ayar, a spokesman for Iraq's Independent Electoral Commission. In January, when Iraqis elected an 275-member interim National Assembly, about 60 percent of the registered voters turned out nationwide. Sunni Arab leaders actively boycotted that vote and found themselves with little voice in government. By contrast, strong participation was reported Saturday in some of the Sunni Arab areas where voters were scarce in January."It's very important to focus now on the success that was achieved yesterday, with the participation of the Sunnis," Khalilzad said. "Now, it is clear that the Sunnis have confidence in the process -- and that's demonstrated by their participation." Bush reaction to the votePresident Bush hailed the Iraqi referendum vote, saying Sunday the apparently strong turnout and decrease in violence from the last election were signs of "progress toward peace.""This is a very positive day for the Iraqis and as well for world peace," he said. "Democracies are peaceful countries."Bush said the referendum "stands in stark contrast to the attitudes and philosophy and strategy of al Qaeda and its terrorist friends and killers."Election workers abductedIraqi soldiers and police had protected voting sites, while U.S. and coalition forces were on standby. Vehicles were barred from the streets, so voters walked to the polls. (Watch last-minute preparations -- 2:24)Despite the security, 10 election workers were kidnapped from two towns in Anbar province Saturday morning, an election official announced Sunday. Tribal leaders are mediating the negotiations for the workers, who were abducted in Khalidiya and Jazira, Ayar said.Iraqi police said a sniper killed a civilian at a western Baghdad polling station. The sniper, who may have been targeting police, escaped. A roadside bomb wounded two Iraqi police officers near a polling station in Baghdad shortly after voting started, a police official said. And 11 gunmen stole five ballot boxes from a Baghdad polling place a half hour after polls closed at 5 p.m. Police said it was unclear how many ballots were stolen.How the vote must goThe draft constitution -- hammered out after months of contentious, painstaking negotiations by the National Assembly -- must be approved by a majority of Iraq's voters.However, the constitution would fail if it is rejected by at least two-thirds of the voters in at least three of the country's 18 provinces. With many Sunni Arab groups opposing the document, rejection was considered possible in four provinces where Sunnis predominate. (Full story)If the constitution is approved, Iraqis would vote in December for a permanent government.If constitution is rejected the transitional assembly would be dissolved and the constitution process would begin anew after the December elections.CNN's Christiane Amanpour, Dana Bash, Arwa Damon, Kevin Flower, Andrea Koppel, Octavia Nasr, Aneesh Raman, Nic Robertson and Mohammed Tawfeeq contributed to this report.

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (CNN) -- Torrential rains caused authorities to temporarily ground relief flights Sunday following the crash of a Pakistani army helicopter that killed six people. The MI-17 transport helicopter was returning home after dropping off relief workers in Bagh, army spokesman Maj. Gen. Shaukat Sultan told The Associated Press on Sunday. All those killed were military personnel.Bad weather or a technical malfunction were suspected to have caused the crash earlier in the day, he said.Also Sunday, the Pakistani military offered conflicting reports of a dramatic rescue from a collapsed mountaintop home near Balakot, and subsequent interviews with the children involved discounted the military's accounts of the incident.Meanwhile, soldiers were working in the rain to cover up aid supplies delivered by helicopters in previous days. Because of the weather, few relief helicopters took off Sunday and the U.S. military said it had suspended flights. Pakistan's army said cold, wet conditions would probably cause casualties among the homeless survivors. "There are bound to be casualties because of bad weather. How much, I don't know," Maj. Gen. Farooq Ahmed Khan, the country's relief commissioner, was reported by the AP as saying Sunday. The October 8 quake's epicenter was near Balakot, a city of about 250,000 in Pakistan's North-West Frontier province, 145 kilometers (90 miles) north-northeast of Islamabad.Pakistani Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz's office said Saturday it killed at least 38,000 people in Pakistan and injured 62,000. Another 1,300 deaths were reported in India, most of them in Indian-controlled Kashmir.More than 40,000 Pakistani troops are taking part in rescue and relief efforts, focusing on North-West Frontier province and Pakistani-controlled Kashmir.Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf said nearly 2.5 million people are believed to be homeless as a result of the quake.Officials said 4,000 injured people have been admitted to hospitals in the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi.Pakistani rangers have secured all roads leading to Muzaffarabad, one of the hardest-hit towns, and other affected areas, officials said.Hundreds of rangers are deployed along the routes to stop the looting of trucks carrying relief supplies to the most affected areas, said a rangers official.Roads to many areas were clogged with traffic, slowing ground efforts to reach the most vulnerable.Meanwhile, Saudi King Abdullah II donated $133 million for victims of the quake, said Ali Asseri, Saudi Arabia's ambassador in Pakistan.The money will be used to construct schools, hospitals and roads in the region, and will be available to the Pakistani government immediately, Asseri told CNN.The king has also ordered the dispatch of a daily fleet of 10 cargo planes filled with relief supplies to Pakistan until the country's need for goods, medicines, tents and food for victims is fulfilled.The first C-130s, carrying food, tents and medicine, began arriving Friday is Islamabad.Aziz said Saturday the quake had caused an estimated loss of $5 billion in his country.Saudi Arabia has already set up a high-tech field hospital in Balakot, near where the quake struck last Saturday. Dozens of Saudi doctors are caring for victims of the quake.Musharraf said Saturday that tents were desperately needed to help shelter the homeless survivors ahead of the harsh Himalayan winter."The main thing we need is tents," said the president. "We are asking everyone to give us tents."The quake has prompted rival nations to put aside their differences -- at least for the moment -- to help the tens of thousands of people left homeless. India, which has fought three wars with Pakistan since 1947, sent a plane loaded with humanitarian supplies on Friday to Lahore.It was the second shipment to its nuclear rival.When an Iranian plane arrived at Chakalala air base in Pakistan, it sought help with unloading the cargo from U.S. military personnel already on site."I said, 'Certainly, no question about it,' " said Col. Richard Walberg of the U.S. Air Force. "I sent my team over behind the airplane with our loaders, and they brought some equipment off." (Watch efforts to get aid to hard-hit areas -- 2:40)The quake, however, has not ceased violence in the region. Militants in Indian-controlled Kashmir killed two Indian army soldiers and wounded six others early Saturday at an Indian army camp in the town of Kathua, according to state police sources.CNN's Becky Anderson, Satinder Bindra, Ram Ramgopal and Syed Mohsin Naqvi contributed to this report. Copyright 2005 CNN. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Associated Press contributed to this report.