NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana (AP) -- Warped wooden floors and ruined desks have been stripped out of Xavier University's main campus building. Its 4,000 students are scattered across the nation. Half the faculty and staff have been laid off.The nation's only historically black and Roman Catholic college, which expected to be celebrating its 180th anniversary this year, was battered to the brink of financial collapse by Hurricane Katrina."If you bottled up all of the problems I've had in 38 years, it would only be half the bottle compared to what Katrina did," said Norman C. Francis, Xavier's president of nearly four decades.Founded in 1825 by the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament, the liberal arts college has built a reputation for black students seeking medical careers. It sends more black undergraduates to medical school than any other university in the nation. It is also tops in graduating black pharmacists.But after Katrina hit New Orleans on August 29, Xavier's midtown campus was flooded with water up to 8 feet deep.Administrators estimate losses at more than $90 million in storm damage and lost tuition and scholarship revenue, a devastating sum for a school whose endowment is only $52 million.Xavier was forced to lay off or place on unpaid leave 396 of its 784 faculty and staff. That included terminating 78 faculty members, a third of Xavier's professors."Those were tough decisions nobody likes to make," Francis said. "You wait in hope that maybe somebody will drop a big bag of money at your doorstep and you can keep them all. But that didn't happen."Chemistry professor Heike Geissler learned of her termination last month at Williams College in Williamstown, Massachusetts, where she has been watching over eight Xavier students who enrolled there after Katrina."I don't want to see Xavier going bankrupt or disappearing from the map, so I'm not mad or sad," said Geissler, who taught there for seven years and was tenured in 2005. "I have to get on with my life. I'm very seriously considering leaving Louisiana."Dillard University, another historically black New Orleans college with 2,155 students, also had to lay off about half its faculty and staff. It estimates its losses at $400 million.Since 2001, more than 350 Xavier graduates have been enrolled in medical schools. Xavier also claims to have graduated one of every four of the nation's black pharmacists.Up to a third of the black students enrolled annually at Emory University Medical School in Atlanta come from Xavier, said Dr. Bill Eley, an Emory associate dean."While we all want to increase the number of African-American doctors, we are constantly searching for qualified applicants. And Xavier has been a key part of meeting that need," Eley said.Both Xavier and Dillard plan to hold classes in January.Dillard's classes will temporarily be held at nearby Tulane University. Finding temporary classrooms and student housing by January, President Marvalene Hughes said, has been "like starting a university all over again."Francis said Xavier plans to hold classes on its own campus, though the water-damaged ground floors of many buildings may have to be sealed off. He expects roughly half the student body to come back for the winter semester.Rene Turner, a 21-year-old Xavier senior in pre-medicine, hopes to be among them. She transferred for the fall to Williams College."I feel like that's my home now," Turner, of Kansas City, Missouri, said of Xavier. "I have a deep connection there and have spent so much time there. I definitely want to graduate from Xavier."Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

DOVER, Pennsylvania (AP) -- Voters came down hard Tuesday on school board members who backed a statement on intelligent design being read in biology class, ousting eight Republicans and replacing them with Democrats who want the concept stripped from the science curriculum.The election unfolded amid a landmark federal trial involving the Dover public schools and the question of whether intelligent design promotes the Bible's view of creation. Eight Dover families sued, saying it violates the constitutional separation of church and state.Dover's school board adopted a policy in October 2004 that requires ninth-graders to hear a prepared statement about intelligent design before learning about evolution in biology class.Eight of the nine school board members were up for election Tuesday. They were challenged by a slate of Democrats who argued that science class was not the appropriate forum for teaching intelligent design."My kids believe in God. I believe in God. But I don't think it belongs in the science curriculum the way the school district is presenting it," said Jill Reiter, 41, a bank teller who joined a group of high school students waving signs supporting the challengers Tuesday.A spokesman for the winning slate of candidates has said they wouldn't act hastily and would consider the outcome of the court case. The judge expects to rule by January; the new school board members will be sworn in December 5.School board member David Napierskie, who lost Tuesday, said the vote wasn't just about ideology."Some people felt intelligent design shouldn't be taught and others were concerned about having tax money spent on the lawsuit," he said.Intelligent design holds that the universe is so complex that it must have been created by some kind of higher force. The statement read to students says Charles Darwin's theory is "not a fact" and has inexplicable "gaps."A similar controversy has erupted in Kansas, where the state Board of Education on Tuesday approved science standards for public schools that cast doubt on the theory of evolution. The 6-4 vote was a victory for intelligent design advocates who helped draft the standards.Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Amtrak's board of directors on Wednesday fired President David Gunn, saying the debt-laden rail carrier needs "a leader with vision and experience."Gunn has struggled to maintain Amtrak service amid a sinking financial picture and a push by the White House and some in Congress to recraft it as a group of regional inter-city companies."Amtrak's future now requires a different type of leader who will aggressively tackle the company's financial, management and operational challenges," Amtrak Chairman David Laney said in a statement."The board approved a strategic plan in April that provides a blueprint for a stronger and more sustainable Amtrak. Now we need a leader with vision and experience to get the job done."Rep. John Mica said Gunn was fired because of a clash over the board's vote in September to authorize splitting off the Northeast Corridor, an idea backed by the Bush administration. The corridor accounts for the largest share of the railroad's ridership."David Gunn bucked that idea, so that was the straw that broke the camel's back," said Mica, R-Florida. "He's a very capable operational manager, but he wasn't willing to go along with the dramatic changes that need to be made."Gunn, who assumed the post in 2002 after having headed transit systems in New York City, Washington and Toronto, could not be reached for comment.Sen. Charles Schumer, D-New York, who has fought against a Bush administration effort to end subsidies for the struggling passenger rail service, praised Gunn as "a brilliant manager."The senator called Gunn's removal "a crushing blow to Amtrak's hopes for success and reform."Other lawmakers said Gunn had become a roadblock to overhauling national rail service."I am hopeful that new leadership can open the door for Amtrak to work closely with Congress to achieve meaningful reforms," said Rep. John Sweeney, R-New York.Amtrak has never made money in its 34-year history and an operating loss of more than $550 million was expected for the fiscal year that ended September 30. The railroad has a debt of more than $3.5 billion.The White House has called for an end to subsidies for Amtrak, but the House has approved an appropriation of nearly $1.2 billion for this budget year.In recent months, Amtrak has been besieged by problems up and down the line, from equipment breakdowns to big-ticket budget woes.Earlier this year, Amtrak suspended all high-speed Acela service between Washington, New York City and Boston, due to cracks discovered in the brakes.A report issued last week by the Government Accountability Office, the auditing arm of Congress, said the company needs to improve the way it monitors performance and oversees its finances in order to reach firm financial footing."The company is likely to need outside help in developing a comprehensive approach to address internal control weaknesses and improve the financial information for management and external stakeholders," the report found.The GAO recommended that the transportation secretary direct the Federal Railroad administrator to: require Amtrak to submit a plan laying out specifically how it will improve its financial operations; provide Amtrak with direction on how to do so; and monitor the railroad's performance and report to Congress on Amtrak's progress.Transportation Secretary Norman Y. Mineta, who also sits on Amtrak's board, called the report "unusual, if not unprecedented, in the scope of its review and the severity of its indictment." He urged the board to "stop and take a fresh look on how to proceed in the face of this nonpartisan, objective report of systemic failure."Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

SHARPSBURG, Maryland (AP) -- The bloodbath near Sharpsburg led to the Emancipation Proclamation, and for many Civil War buffs, that's where the story of the Battle of Antietam ends.But don't try telling Dean Herrin that. He's taking it further by helping restore a 139-year-old wooden church that served in the postwar years as both worship center and school for the town's black residents, many of whom had been slaves."Here, almost on the very battlefield, you have the beginnings after the war of a free African-American community," said Herrin, a National Park Service historian and co-founder of the Catoctin Center for Regional Studies in nearby Frederick. "It's just a wonderful symbol of what many people think the war was about."The building, Tolson's Chapel, is among 18 stops on a new guide to black heritage sites in mostly rural Washington County. The county's tourism office, like many of its counterparts across the Middle Atlantic and the South, sees black history as a magnet for groups and individuals representing one of tourism's fastest-growing market segments.Black tourists spend about $30.5 billion annually, according to the Travel Industry Association of America. It estimates black travel volume increased about 4 percent from 2000 to 2002, compared to 2 percent for overall travel.The tourism office in Washington County, with a black population of about 8 percent, decided to promote local sites after the state published a guide to Maryland black heritage attractions earlier this year."I saw this and said, 'Wow, there's hardly anything in here about Washington County,"' said Tom Riford, president of the Hagerstown-Washington County Convention and Visitors Bureau.The western Maryland county is rich in such resources, starting with the Antietam National Battlefield. More than 23,000 men were reported killed, wounded or missing there on September 17, 1862, as Union and Confederate troops fought to a draw in the bloodiest one-day clash of the war. Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee's failure to push further north at that time gave President Abraham Lincoln the political strength to issue five days later the Emancipation Proclamation, an order to free slaves in the South at the start of the next year.Besides the battlefield and Tolson's Chapel, the pamphlet features the Doleman Black History Museum in Hagerstown and Fort Frederick State Park, once owned by a free black farmer, Nathan Williams, who supplied food to both the Union and the Confederate armies.Williams also helped slaves escape through Maryland, which narrows to less than three miles near Hancock. "Because Washington County was so narrow, escaping slaves often sought to cross through Maryland here en route to freedom in the North," Riford said.Maryland was a Union state but it was a slave state, too, a fact reflected in slave auction blocks in Hagerstown and Sharpsburg.The brochure also tells the story of James W.C. Pennington, a slave held by Frisby Tilghman south of Hagerstown who escaped in 1827 and became an internationally known minister, teacher and abolitionist. The Rev. Ralph Monroe looks over the interior of Tolson's Chapel.Construction of Tolson's Chapel began in 1866, two years after Maryland abolished slavery. It was dedicated the following year as part of the Methodist denomination. Starting in 1868, it also served for 31 years as a schoolhouse under the auspices of the Freedmen's Bureau, a federal agency that established public schools for the children of former slaves and free blacks.Herrin said the timber building, now covered in red asbestos shingles, was among 18 or 19 that the Freedmen's Bureau helped establish in Frederick and Washington counties alone. Closed in 1995, it is one of just two such school buildings that Herrin said still stand in Maryland; the other is in Harford County.The Rev. Ralph Monroe, a retired United Methodist minister from Sharpsburg, recalls attending church in Tolson's Chapel as a boy. He was never pastor there, but Monroe, 80, has helped maintain the building and graveyard, which were acquired by the Save Historic Antietam Foundation in 2002."I think it's good that the historical society wants to preserve it," Monroe said. "It is, in a sense, the preservation of black history."Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

(SPACE.com) -- Giant clouds of gas and dust harboring embryonic stars rise majestically into space in a new picture from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope.The image, dubbed the Mountains of Creation by astronomers, reveals hotbeds of star formation similar to the iconic Pillars of Creation within the Eagle Nebula, photographed in 1995 by the Hubble Space Telescope. In both cases, the finger-like features are cool clouds of gas and dust that have been sculpted by radiation and fast-moving winds of charged particles from hot, massive stars.Spitzer records heat, or infrared light, which penetrates the dusty clouds and allows a view of the star birth inside. In the largest finger, hundreds of embryonic stars not seen before are revealed. Dozens of stars-to-be are visible in one of the other fingers.The Spitzer image shows the eastern edge of a region known as W5, in the Cassiopeia constellation 7,000 light-years away. A massive star outside the frame lights the scene.The pillars are are more than 10 times the size of those in the Eagle Nebula.Over the past decade, thanks in large part to the 1995 Hubble image and subsequent investigations of the Eagle Nebula and similar stellar cradles, astronomers have learned that intense outflows from massive stars actually help birth more stars. Such appears to be the case in the new Spitzer image."We believe that the star clusters lighting up the tips of the pillars are essentially the offspring of the region's single, massive star," said Lori Allen, lead investigator of the new observations from the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. "It appears that radiation and winds from the massive star triggered new stars to form."Visible-light images of this same region show dark towers outlined by halos of light. They are not as dramatic because the clouds block the light coming from the embryonic stars.The researchers think W5 started out as thick and turbulent clouds of gas and dust. Stars, some more than 10 times the mass of the Sun, were born in groups. Then radiation and winds from these massive stars forced material outward, leaving the dense pillar-shaped clumps.Many astronomers think our Sun was formed in a similar setup, then later migrated away from the clump.The Spitzer picture also reveals blue stars, which are older and sit in cavities within the clouds. They are thought to have been born around the same time as the massive star outside the frame that was responsible for the whole scene."With Spitzer, we can not only see the stars in the pillars, but we can estimate their ages and study how they formed," said Joseph Hora, also from the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics.

DARMSTADT, Germany (AP) -- A European-built probe designed to explore the hot, dense atmosphere of Venus made contact with mission control early Wednesday after blasting off on a five-month journey to Earth's neighbor, scientists said.The European Space Agency's Venus Express probe lifted off at 0333 GMT at the Russian-leased Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, before heading northeast above the desert and into orbit around the earth in a successful launch.Mission control activated the probe's instruments after it left orbit on its trajectory toward Venus about two hours later and immediately picked up a signal to hearty applause in the observation room."Initial checks are ongoing and everything looks good," said Paolo Ferri, deputy flight operations director for Venus Express.Venus Express -- Europe's first mission to Venus -- was originally scheduled to go up October 26. However, the launch was postponed after checks revealed a problem with the thermal insulation in the upper section of the Soyuz-Fregat rocket."We have seen a successful start," said Gaele Winters, director of ESA's operations in Darmstadt on Wednesday."We are always nervous when there is a launch, you can never expect this to be a routine operation, there is always a risk," he said.The mission aims to explore the hot and dense atmosphere around the planet, concentrating on its greenhouse effect and the permanent hurricane force winds that constantly encircle it.Instruments on the probe will try to determine whether Venus' many volcanoes are active and examine how a planet so similar to Earth could have evolved so differently."Venus is still a big mystery," said Gerhard Schwehm, head of planetary missions at ESA.Not only is Venus the nearest planet to Earth within the solar system, the two also share similar mass and density. Both have inner cores of rock and are believed to have been formed at roughly the same time.Despite those similarities, the two have vastly different atmospheres, with Venus' composed almost entirely of carbon dioxide and very little water vapor. It also has the hottest surface of all the planets.It should take 163 days, or roughly five months, for the euro220 million (US$260 million) probe to reach Venus. Venus Express is expected to begin its experiments in early June.Venus Express shares many instruments with Mars Express, a sister probe launched in 2003, and the Rosetta probe, sent last year and bound for a comet.The last mission to Venus was Magellan, launched by NASA in 1989. It completed more than 15,000 orbits around the planet between 1990 and 1994.Using radar, Magellan was able to map virtually all the surface of Venus, revealing towering volcanoes, gigantic rifts and crisp-edged craters.Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

ATLANTA, Georgia (AP) -- Gonorrhea has fallen to the lowest level on record in the United States, while the rates of other sexually transmitted diseases -- syphilis and chlamydia -- are on the rise, federal health officials said Tuesday.The seemingly paradoxical findings can be explained by the cyclical nature of syphilis outbreaks and a rise in risky sexual behavior among gay men, researchers said.The nation's gonorrhea rate fell to 113.5 cases per 100,000 people last year, the lowest level since the government started tracking cases in 1941, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.At the same time, health official saw increases in syphilis, which is far more rare but has been increasing since 2000. The rate of reported early-stage syphilis was 2.7 cases per 100,000 in 2004, up 29 percent since 2000.The chlamydia rate rose to 319.6 cases per 100,000 in 2004, up about 6 percent from the year before. But researchers said it is not clear whether the rise represents a real increase in the prevalence of the disease, or simply reflects better awareness and detection.All three diseases are caused by sexually transmitted bacteria.London researchers reported earlier this year that because of the life cycle of the syphilis bacteria, infections tend to peak at eight- to 11-year intervals. Sexual behavior affects the overall number of people infected, but regular ups and downs are intrinsic to the disease, the researchers said. Gonorrhea does not follow the same pattern, they said, and rates have been gradually falling since the 1980s.Dr. Ronald Valdiserri, acting director of the CDC's National Center for HIV, STD and TB Prevention, said that may be part of the explanation for the rebound in syphilis, but a primary reason appears to be an increase in risky sexual behavior.In 2004, about 64 percent of reported early-stage syphilis infections occurred among men who had sex with men, up from 5 percent in 1999, according to the CDC."It's very clear that for the last four years, when we've seen an increase it's primarily been in men and predominantly in men who have sex with men," Valdiserri said. "We know that's being fueled by increases in high-risk sexual behavior. We have good data to substantiate that."CDC officials are hoping stronger efforts to educate gay men and others about syphilis will help arrest the infection trend, he said.As for chlamydia, a urine screening test is becoming increasingly common, and health officials are working to make chlamydia screening routine in yearly gynecological exams for sexually active young adult women.Chlamydia is the most common of the three diseases. A total of 930,000 cases were reported last year. But health officials believe as many as 2.8 million new cases may actually be occurring each year.About 330,000 cases of gonorrhea -- once known as "the clap" -- were reported in 2004. The CDC said there may really be as many as 700,000 cases of that disease each year.Syphilis, a potentially deadly disease that first shows up as genital sores, has become relatively rare in the United States, with about 8,000 cases reported in 2004. Detection is believed to be much better for that disease, and the total number of annual cases is probably no more than 10,000.Infection rates for all three diseases vary from state to state and city to city. Rates generally are highest in the Southeast _ Mississippi, Louisiana and South Carolina have the highest gonorrhea rates, while Mississippi, Alaska and Louisiana have the highest rates of chlamydia. Among cities, Detroit and St. Louis lead both categories.The CDC does not count cases of herpes and human papilllomavirus, which are believed to be among the most common sexually transmitted diseases.Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Hundreds of AIDS activists from around the country converged Tuesday on the Capitol to push Congress to reauthorize a law funding treatments for the disease."I feel like people have kind of forgotten about HIV because people are not dropping dead as frequently as they used to," Darren Wells, 36, of Providence, Rhode Island, said at an outdoor rally organized by a new coalition, the Campaign to End AIDS. "The perception that it's over is not accurate."The Campaign to End AIDS organized caravans of activists who arrived in Washington by bus and on foot over the weekend. They spent the last several days holding marches and rallies, including a protest outside the White House on Monday. Two dozen activists were arrested after staging a "die-in" and ignoring orders from Park Police to get off the sidewalk.On Tuesday, the activists waved flags from dozens of different states at a rally before fanning out to visit lawmakers.On the agenda, pushing members of Congress to reauthorize the Ryan White CARE Act, which funds care and support services for people with HIV who lack health insurance and other resources.The law, which was funded at $2 billion last year, expired in September. The House and Senate are expected to take up reauthorization bills next year.Some lawmakers were encouraging. "It's life or death for a lot of people in this country," Rep. Mike Honda, D-California, said at a rally. "It's a global issue."The government issued a report earlier this year saying that more than 1 million Americans are believed to be living with HIV/AIDS. In 2003, an estimated 18,000 people died from AIDS.Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

DOVER, Pennsylvania (AP) -- Voters came down hard Tuesday on school board members who backed a statement on intelligent design being read in biology class, ousting eight Republicans and replacing them with Democrats who want the concept stripped from the science curriculum. The election unfolded amid a landmark federal trial involving the Dover public schools and the question of whether intelligent design promotes the Bible's view of creation. Eight Dover families sued, saying it violates the constitutional separation of church and state.Dover's school board adopted a policy in October 2004 that requires ninth-graders to hear a prepared statement about intelligent design before learning about evolution in biology class.Eight of the nine school board members were up for election Tuesday. They were challenged by a slate of Democrats who argued that science class was not the appropriate forum for teaching intelligent design."My kids believe in God. I believe in God. But I don't think it belongs in the science curriculum the way the school district is presenting it," said Jill Reiter, 41, a bank teller who joined a group of high school students waving signs supporting the challengers Tuesday.A spokesman for the winning slate of candidates has said they wouldn't act hastily and would consider the outcome of the court case. The judge expects to rule by January; the new school board members will be sworn in December 5.School board member David Napierskie, who lost Tuesday, said the vote wasn't just about ideology."Some people felt intelligent design shouldn't be taught and others were concerned about having tax money spent on the lawsuit," he said.Intelligent design holds that the universe is so complex that it must have been created by some kind of higher force. The statement read to students says Charles Darwin's theory is "not a fact" and has inexplicable "gaps."A similar controversy has erupted in Kansas, where the state Board of Education on Tuesday approved science standards for public schools that cast doubt on the theory of evolution. The 6-4 vote was a victory for intelligent design advocates who helped draft the standards.Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Top White House officials say they're developing a "campaign-style" strategy in response to increasing Democratic allegations that the Bush administration twisted intelligence to make its case for war.White House aides, who agreed to speak to CNN only on the condition of anonymity, said they hoped to increase what they called their "hit back" in coming days.The officials say they plan to repeatedly make the point -- as they did during the 2004 campaign -- that pre-war intelligence was faulty, it was not manipulated and everyone was working off the same intelligence.They hope to arm GOP officials with more quotes by Democrats making the same pre-war claims as Republicans did about Saddam Hussein's weapons of mass destruction.Democrats have pointed at declassified information they say shows the White House was "deceptive" in pre-war statements.Telegraphing the beginning of a communications effort is a tactic the Bush team has used in the past, especially when it comes to Iraq.The examination into the intelligence used to justify invading Iraq has intensified on the heels of the October 28 indictment of I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, Vice President Dick Cheney's chief of staff, who resigned the day he was indicted. (Full story)Libby has been charged with obstruction of justice, perjury and making false statements to federal agents investigating who revealed the identity of undercover CIA agent Valerie Plame. The agent's name was leaked to reporters after her husband publicly challenged a key element of the administration's case for war. (Wolf Blitzer interviews Plame's husband)White House officials are determined to reverse President Bush's poor poll showings on the topics of Iraq and "honesty and trustworthiness." The White House has been on the defensive about whether Bush's top political adviser, Karl Rove, was involved in publicly identifying Plame. (Poll: Few doubt wrongdoing in CIA leak case)The White House is trying to coordinate a response from administration officials to congressional Republicans.Republicans on Capitol Hill who have criticized the White House for failing to coordinate responses to a host of issues say Bush aides are working noticeably harder to set up meetings and conference calls to arrange a widespread response.Aside from regular White House briefings, it is unclear which administration officials will participate in this "aggressive" response, which senior officials indicate will be unveiled in interviews and other public events.It also is uncertain how much the president will be involved in the information campaign aside from "responding appropriately when asked," a third senior official said.One senior official said Cheney would not participate in the White House response, despite that Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nevada, has accused the vice president of being a key offender in manipulating intelligence. (Read about Democrats closing the Senate to push the war probe)

NEW YORK (AP) -- Pull up for another meal at the Krusty Krab.Nickelodeon has ordered 20 more episodes of "SpongeBob SquarePants."That will make for a total of 100 adventures for the animated sea creature -- or cash cow as they know him at Nickelodeon -- when the new episodes finish airing in 2007."It just doesn't feel like we should stop yet," said Cyma Zarghami, Nickelodeon's chief executive.Nickelodeon stopped making new episodes while the "SpongeBob SquarePants" feature film was in production, and there was some question at the time whether the series would start up again -- then 20 episodes were ordered last year and are airing now.It's the kid-oriented network's most popular show. Last week, for example, the 4.5 million people who watched "SpongeBob" on Saturday morning made it the most popular event on cable after football. Four episodes of the cartoon ranked among Nielsen Media Research's top 15 cable shows."SpongeBob SquarePants" is the most widely seen show in Nickelodeon parent MTV Networks' history; a recent deal to air it in China means it's shown in 25 different languages around the world.It has also generated nearly $4 billion in merchandise sales since its 2000 premiere. Much of that is adult-sized; about a quarter of regular "SpongeBob" viewers are adults, more than double the typical Nickelodeon show, Zarghami said." 'SpongeBob' came at a time when the country was maybe a little bit blue, and SpongeBob was an endlessly optimistic character that came along and gave us a boost," she said, trying to explain its popularity. "And maybe it's just because he's plain funny."Nick is going all out to promote this Friday's special "Where's Gary?" in which SpongeBob's pet snail runs away after feeling neglected. Nick has enlisted skateboard king Tony Hawk in the "search," and more than 700,000 youngsters have already played an online game keyed to the special.The special is "very entertaining and it's also creepy and disturbing -- like all good cartoons should be," said Tom Kenny, the voice actor who portrays the porous yellow creature.Kenny, who said he's delighted that he'll be working for 20 more episodes, has one of entertainment's ultimate undercover jobs, providing a voice that is recognizable to millions yet retaining anonymity when he walks out in public.Not that he hasn't had any fun with that. Kenny occasionally finds himself walking in a park where he'll see a cluster of kids having a "SpongeBob" birthday party, complete with an adult dressed up in the character's costume."It's very tempting to walk by and say, 'Hey, have a great birthday,' " he said, adopting SpongeBob's voice.Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

NEW YORK (AP) -- The story of 50 Cent being shot nine times has been repeated so often it's become pop folklore, told again and again through his hit songs, videos, cameo appearances, recent autobiography -- and now, his new movie.It's the most shocking detail in 50's bullet-ridden bio, which in abbreviated form goes something like this: Crack dealer-turned-rapper gets shot, releases mixtapes on his own, verbally slays competitors with gleeful gangsta bravado and becomes a world-famous superstar, dominating the rap game.But while the film "Get Rich or Die Tryin' " relies heavily on 50's well-publicized exploits, the rapper says it also showcases overlooked aspects of his life."The part that's been pounded on by journalists and other media outlets (is) the shooting part. I think that overshadows my talent to an extent," says 50. "For me, I think when (fans) watch the actual film they get a chance to see more about my experience than I've been able to deliver to the general public through my music."The film chronicles a character named Marcus, who, like the real-life Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson, starts dealing drugs after his mother, also a dealer, is slain. The movie Marcus moves up in the crack organization and finds a mentor in one of the lieutenants. But when Marcus tries to forsake crack for rap to support his newborn son, things get ugly."It's kind of like Greek tragedy," says director Jim Sheridan, who received Oscar nominations for past films such as "In America" and "My Left Foot." "Everybody knows the ending but they're sort of horrified that they know."Elliott Wilson, editor in chief of the hip-hop magazine XXL, says the movie will finally end the glamorization of 50's shooting."That was one factor of his life," Wilson says. "But I think it opens up a whole new chapter."If the shooting chapter has gotten dog-eared due to multiple readings, that's because 50 has recycled it so often. More than just part of his backstory, it's at the forefront of all his work: Sounds of gunshots are almost as prevalent as drumbeats on his records, and when he made his debut, his trademark became his bulletproof vest, highlighting the fact that he considered his life in constant danger. And his beefs with rappers like Ja Rule, whose career 50 largely destroyed with his unrelenting verbal jabs, made him rap's muscular, menacing schoolyard bully.But buried underneath the thug imagery is what kept 50 on top -- his music.'He doesn't take himself too seriously'Even those who grow weary of his shtick and dangerously overexposed image can't resist 50's songs, which are driven by catchy choruses, alluring hooks and clever rhymes that rise above run-of-the-mill gangsta raps. And while his lyrics are dangerous and menacing, they don't alienate the way some other raps do because of the cloak of humor that often envelops them."He's funny, he doesn't take himself too seriously," says Sheridan. "I think that's one of the secrets of his success, that it's a contradictory image."Jimmy Iovine, who has released both of 50's multiplatinum albums as chairman of Interscope Records and has shepherded the careers of rap superstars like Tupac Shakur, Dr. Dre and Eminem, called 50 an "exceptional song writer, like 'Pac was.""He's the Smokey Robinson of the hip-hop era," says Iovine. "People don't realize and always forget that you don't get to where he's gotten without real talent."50, of course, agrees."People say all kinds of things about me ... You know what they don't say? I can't make good music. Because I'm only here based on that," he says. "A lot of rappers, they can put together a punch line ... (but) they can't write a song to save their life."His talents stretch beyond songwriting. He's a deft self-promoter, from the hood to the suburbs to the international audience. He's definitely gangsta, but has an almost genial personality that sets him apart from the typical brooding rapper. In interviews he's engaging and direct."50 is born with something that God gives you called charisma," says Iovine.Sneaker lines and record labels 50 Cent's empire includes a sneaker line, a record label and a video game.His debut album, also called "Get Rich or Die Tryin'," was the top seller of 2003, moving more than eight million copies in the United States alone. "The Massacre," his follow-up, has sold about five million so far and is the top seller of 2005.50 also has his own sneaker line with Reebok; his own record label, G-Unit, featuring popular rappers like Young Buck, Tony Yayo, Mobb Deep and Ma$e; the G-Unit clothing line; and a video game, "Bulletproof," debuting this month.Ubiquity has a downside, though. Even before the movie, there were whispers of overexposure. But 50 isn't worried about becoming another Ja Rule -- a superstar who got taken out by the hungry newcomer."That happens when you don't continue to create quality material. If you leave yourself one dimensional or you don't give them enough of you as an artist, they'll lose interest. You've got to kind of create something new that makes it more exciting."And he knows that he won't be able to rap from the mind-set of the corner hustler forever: "Eventually, it won't make sense for me to write from the same perspective anymore."After all, this is a man worth a reported $50 million who resides in tony Farmington, Connecticut, in a 48,500-square-foot mansion once owned by Mike Tyson.But 50 insists his wealth hasn't isolated him from his fans -- or made him any less hungry."When I wake up every morning, I'm reminded that the man who had it before me made $500 million in his career, and doesn't have it anymore.""This is where my work ethic comes from. I don't think ambition is a learned behavior -- I think it's a part of your character. If I was standing on the corner and I was hustling, I would stay there as long as there was money coming in. So I continue to create new products and release them, as long as I'm in a successful space."Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

(CNN) -- The Dutch government is testing a mobile phone danger alert system that sends text messages to people who could be affected by natural disasters or terrorist attacks.The system, called Cell Broadcast, uses GSM technology to identify cell phone users in a particular area.If a disaster occurs, a message is sent to all phones in the area, warning of the danger.Interior ministry spokesman Frank van Beers told CNN that if successful, the two-year pilot would become common policy throughout the country.He said the Cell Broadcast system will be used in addition to the other warning systems which are currently used if disaster strikes, such as sirens and special emergency broadcasts on radio and television."This is a more instantaneous way of informing people about what is going on right now. It's an extra medium to communicate directly with people during a disaster," he said."If something happens in the center of The Hague, for example, we can select communication points from telecom companies and everyone who is within a few 100 meters can get the information."Other scenarios could include terrorist attacks, fires, explosions and leaks of toxic substances."If there was a toxic leak, we could tell people to stay inside."Van Beers said only those in the area would receive the warning."When you are out of the Hague, if that is where the disaster is, you don't get that information."The government is also investigating sending out the messages in different languages, so that tourists can also be informed, van Beers said.He said the ministry had received interest from other other countries' governments who were interested in adopting a similar service.The pilot is taking place in Zoetermeer, and will soon be extended to the capital Amsterdam and the south-western province of Zeeland.The government is working with mobile phone operators KPN, Vodafone and Telfort, which cover some 85 percent of all Dutch cell phone owners.

LOS ANGELES, California (Reuters) -- Microsoft Corp. on Tuesday said it expects to sell as many as 3 million Xbox 360s in the first three months after its launch -- a strong start in its battle to dominate the market for next-generation gaming consoles.Some big retailers in the United States have stopped accepting early orders for Xbox 360.Microsoft will be the first of the three major companies to launch a new console when the Xbox 360 hits store shelves on November 22. Sony Corp.'s PlayStation 3 and Nintendo Co. Ltd.'s Revolution each are expected sometime later in 2006.Microsoft is aiming to sell 2.75 million to 3 million Xbox 360 units in the first 90 days after the launch date, Xbox Chief Financial Officer Bryan Lee told an investors' conference in New York.The company set that target nearly two weeks after trying to play down industry expectations. At its latest earnings announcement, it warned that initial Xbox sales might not be as high as some in the gaming industry have expected.But analysts said the new 90-day sales figure was probably still low, given that the Xbox 360 will not have a direct competitor this Christmas and that it will be accompanied by a rich line-up of games."The 3-million-unit number that Microsoft quoted today is extremely conservative," said Rochdale Research analyst David Eller.Lee also said that sales of the new consoles, games, peripherals and online gaming subscriptions should total about $1.5 billion in the same period."In GameStop stores, the reservation process is closed," said Chris Olivera, a spokesman for GameStop Corp., the biggest U.S. video game retailer, adding that advance orders at GameStop's recently acquired Electronics Boutique stores were due to close "relatively soon."Best Buy Co. Inc., the No. 1 U.S. electronics chain, said on its Web site that it had stopped taking orders for the Xbox 360.The figures released on Tuesday are "a good signal about the overall health of the business," Microsoft's Lee said in an interview ahead of a presentation at the Harris Nesbitt Media & Entertainment Conference.The 90-day sales target totals more than half of Microsoft's target of selling between 4.5 million and 5.5 million Xbox 360 consoles during the current business year, which ends June 30, 2006.Lee, the CFO of Microsoft's home and entertainment group, declined to say how many consoles would be on retailers' shelves on November 22 when the Xbox 360 launches, saying that Microsoft would have enough machines for a solid release and steady supply thereafter.Microsoft has contracted with three electronics manufacturers to build the Xbox 360: Flextronics International Ltd., Wistron Corp. and Celestica Inc. The Celestica plant is expected to come online in early 2006.Redmond, Washington-based Microsoft's Xbox 360 will debut at least three months before its main rival Sony begins selling the PlayStation 3, the gaming industry leader's next-generation console.Current-generation Xbox sales have slowed ahead of the launch.Microsoft had cautioned on October 27 that early Xbox 360 sales would not be as high as expected.But analysts noted that Microsoft would benefit from avoiding a big sales spike after the launch. Disgruntled customers were a problem for Sony when it launched its best-selling PlayStation 2 console in 2000.Copyright 2005 Reuters. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

GENEVA, Switzerland (Reuters) -- The World Bank said on Wednesday that up to $1 billion would be needed over the next three years to tackle the spread of the deadly H5N1 bird flu virus.On the final day of a three-day meeting at the World Health Organization (WHO), World Bank officials said it was crucial to stamp out the H5N1 disease at source in poultry as well as prepare countries for a potential human flu pandemic.The priority under the bank's package is funding "country-owned programs," mainly for controlling bird flu in poultry through vaccines and improved surveillance.The H5N1 bird flu strain has killed more than 60 people and led to 150 million birds being culled in Asia where it is endemic in many poultry flocks.The virus remains hard for humans to catch. But scientists say that, like all influenza viruses, it is steadily mutating and could acquire the genetic changes that make it easy to pass among humans.The Asian Development Bank (ADB) also said it was making an extra $300 million available to to help fight bird flu in worst affected countries such as Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia.Jim Adams, World Bank vice-president for operations policy and country services, presented what he called a flexible framework that would also link major international agencies."Clearly with this challenge, speed will remain critical.""I can't overemphasize the importance of equipping ourselves to respond quickly and flexibly. As problems spread across countries and if new countries are confronted with the challenge, it will be terribly important that financing can respond to those changes," Adams said.The World Bank has said its package would contain both grants or interest-free loans for countries, while half of the $1 billion will be funded by a trust financed by donors.A donor conference is set for mid-January in China, where countries will present more detailed funding needs, it said.The WHO said it needed $20 million for six months, while the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization and World Animal Health Organization (OIE) said they were seeking $60 million in total.World Bank officials said the $1 billion figure may change."If -- and we all hope we won't have to -- we face human to human transmission, all of these figures would be multiplied by several orders of magnitude," said Fadia Saadah, sector manager for health, nutrition and population at the bank.Many poor Asian nations lack adequate surveillance and reporting mechanisms and cannot compensate farmers for poultry culls. Africa, which many experts believe will be the next front line in the fight against bird flu, faces similar problems.Officials said the estimate did not cover funding for measures in the event of widespread human-to-human transmission leading to a global human pandemic. "Cost of antivirals and vaccine are dealt with separately. Antivirals could be a very big ticket item," Saadah said.The WHO's top pandemic influenza official Margaret Chan said there were no clear figures for what it would cost for stockpiling antiviral drugs or scaling up vaccine production.Kent Hill, head of health for the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), said that the meeting had recognized that a "multi-faceted funding system" was needed. "Interventions will be effective in mitigating not only any H5N1 problem but any other future pandemic. Whether H5N1 hits this year, next year or the year after, these resources would be justified and make all the sense in the world," he declared.Separately, the Manila-based ADB said it had raised the amount of available funds for the region's fight against the virus to $470 million and was ready to raise it further. The ADB has already announced $170 million in grants and loans.Copyright 2005 Reuters. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

MONROVIA, Liberia (AP) -- Early returns from Liberia presidential runoff gave the war-ravaged country's top female politician a strong lead over her millionaire soccer star opponent, who charged the ballot was fraudulent.National Election Commission Chairwoman Frances Johnson-Morris said that with results in from 33 percent of polling stations across the country, including the capital, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf had 60.4 percent of the vote so far. George Weah had 39.6 percent.At a news conference held at the same time Johnson-Morris was speaking to reporters elsewhere in the capital, Weah charged poll workers stuffed the ballot boxes in Johnson-Sirleaf's favor. Weah has repeatedly been critical of the National Election Commission and Johnson-Morris, who is not related to Johnson-Sirleaf."The world is saying this election was free and fair, which was not true," Weah said, displaying 39 ballots marked for Johnson-Sirleaf that he claimed were among the extra ballots with which workers had been supplied. He said a concerned poll worker had handed the ballots over to his party."No Weah! No peace!" supporters chanted at his headquarters.Alan Doss, head of the U.N. Mission in Liberia, had declared the vote "peaceful and transparent," and Johnson-Morris, who is no relation to candidate Johnson-Sirleaf, had praised the vote and urged the candidates and the country to accept the results.Weah, a one-time FIFA player of the year, and Johnson-Sirleaf, a former finance minister, finished first and second in the October 11 first round, which weeded out 20 other candidates, including warlords and rebel leaders. Tuesday's run-off was held because no one won an outright majority in the first round.Weah's ascent from Monrovia's slums to international soccer stardom had earned great appeal in a dirt-poor country short on heroes. He is a high school dropout with no experience in government, but that's seen as a plus by many in a country long-ruled by coup leaders and warlords.Johnson-Sirleaf boasts a master's degree in public administration from Harvard University and has a resume full of top postings in government and the United Nations. But her role in past, failed governments is seen as a drawback by some. If successful, she would become Africa's first elected female president.Late Tuesday, the U.N.'s Doss said the vote "offered the people of Liberia an opportunity to leave behind the conflict that has devastated this country for so long and turned the page on a very dark chapter in their history."About 1.3 million people were registered to vote. Turnout Tuesday appeared lower than the first round, in which Weah took 28 percent to Johnson-Sirleaf's 20 percent. A simple majority had been needed for outright victory.Founded by freed American slaves in the mid-1800s, Africa's first republic was once among its most prosperous, rich in diamonds, ancient forests and rubber.Years of war ended in 2003 when warlord-turned-president Charles Taylor was forced to step down as advancing rebels shelled the capital.A 15,000-strong U.N. force was deployed afterward, and now support a transitional government led by Gyude Bryant.Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

(CNN) -- A Texas court on Wednesday cleared the way for Andrea Yates to be tried a second time for drowning her children in a bathtub.The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, the state's highest criminal court, left intact a lower court's decision that overturned Yates' convictions. Many factors must be considered before another trial begins, including whether Yates is mentally competent to stand trial, her attorney Wendell Odom told CNN. (Watch what Yates' attorney had to say -- 3:05)Harris County District Attorney Charles Rosenthal told CNN he is "disappointed" with the decision, which he said set a "frightening precedent." "We'll be moving toward a new trial," Rosenthal said. "If they want to plead guilty, which I am guessing they will, we will listen to what they have to say." Yates' attorney George Parnham praised the court's decision. "It's a good day," Parnham said. "The whole issue of mental health, specifically women's mental health, has been championed in this decision." Parnham said a new trial is a mixed blessing, because Yates will have to relive the horror of her children's deaths, but added, "She needs to be found not guilty by reason of insanity."Yates mounted an insanity defense at her trial on two counts of capital murder in the deaths of Noah, 7, John, 5, and Mary, 6 months. One of the counts covered the two eldest children. She was not tried for the drownings of Luke, 3, and Paul, 2.Parnham told CNN he would try to strike a plea agreement that would send Yates to a mental health facility rather than prison. "She has been told that she will be retried" and is not looking forward to returning to court, he said. "She would gladly forgo this process," Parnham added "but, you know, the right thing needs to be done here, and we're going to do it." In January, the lower appeals court found that an expert prosecution witness, Dr. Park Dietz, presented false testimony. Dietz told jurors Yates may have been influenced by a "Law & Order" epidsode, but the episode did not exist. Yates is being held in the psychiatric ward of Rusk Penitentiary in Rusk, Texas, about 200 miles north of Houston, Odom said. Yates' attorneys said they did not seek her release after the ruling because she is receiving medical treatment for severe postpartum depression.Yates was convicted of capital murder in March 2002 and sentenced to life in prison.She had a well-documented history of postpartum depression and her attorneys argued that she suffered from postpartum psychosis. Copyright 2005 CNN. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Associated Press contributed to this report.

LOS ANGELES, California (AP) -- A federal grand jury indicted two men Wednesday for allegedly conspiring to smuggle surface-to-air missiles into the United States for use abroad. Such missiles are designed to bring down aircraft.The U.S. attorney's office said the charges marked the first time a 2004 anti-terrorism law has been used. The law calls for a mandatory minimum sentence of 25 years and the possibility of life in prison without parole if convicted.Chao Tung Wu, 51, and Yi Qing Chen, 41, are naturalized U.S. citizens born in China, authorities said. The conspiracy did not involve domestic terrorists, and the two men were told by an undercover agent that the missiles would be sent abroad, said Thom Mrozek, spokesman for the U.S. attorney's office.The indictment specified that bribes, including one for $2 million, were to be paid to certain foreign officials. Authorities declined to identify the countries involved.Gerson Horn, an attorney for Wu, said an undercover agent had tried to buy weapons from Wu and that Chen was allegedly involved in the negotiations. He said the agent "initiated the negotiations and persisted in the negotiations but it never bore fruit ... with either one of them."He said his client was innocent and that the case was "conceived, nurtured and orchestrated by the undercover agent, who worked this case for a number of years."Horn also said no weapons or weapons components changed hands.An attorney for Chen did not immediately return a call for comment.The men have been in custody since August when they were arrested as part of a federal undercover probe into smuggling in Southern California. They were originally charged with conspiring to distribute methamphetamine and Ecstasy and importing millions of counterfeit cigarettes.The men were previously ordered held without bond. An arraignment hearing on the new charges was scheduled for Monday."Today's indictment shows a willingness of the smugglers to acquire practically anything for importation, no matter how dangerous or destructive," U.S. Attorney Debra Wong Yang said in a statement.Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Chances are, you've spent hours punching up and proofreading your r�sum� and just as long formulating the perfect cover letter -- and they're ready to distribute at a moment's notice. But would you be so prepared if an interviewer asked for your references?The best time to start thinking about your references is now -- before your interviewer asks for them, writes Catherine Beck in her book 'It's Your Career -- Take Control!'Fortunately, with a little planning, you can go to any interview with a professional-looking list of people itching to rave about your abilities. To help you along, Beck's book provides answers to some common questions about handling references:1. When do I provide my references? The key is to provide your references only when someone asks for them, Beck writes. That way, you can provide your references with more detailed information about the position and respect their busy schedules.Usually, a potential company checks your references once you become a finalist for the position. But occasionally, the company will ask for references when you submit your r�sum�. In this case, it's up to you whether to comply or let them know you'll provide references at the interview.If you're trying to keep your job search secret from a current boss, explain the situation to your interviewer. Assure the hiring manager you will provide your boss' contact information once an offer is made.2. Who checks my references? The person doing the calling could be a human resources representative, the hiring manager, a designated caller, a recruiter or an independent agency.3. Why are they checking my references?Beck says prospective employers ask for your references to confirm their decision, to verify your work history, to evaluate your working or personality style or to uncover any problems in your past that could result in legal action against them.4. Who do I choose as references?Experts recommend choosing three to five references. Stick with people you have had good working relationships with over the last five to seven years.Most reference lists include a current or previous boss. If you did not get along with your manager, choose a substitute on the same level as your manager with a good day-to-day knowledge of your work. Others on your list could be team members, direct reports, customers, vendors or your supervisor's boss.5. Do I need someone's permission to use them as a reference?It's important to choose references who will give glowing reviews of you, so always ask before you submit their names to an employer. Most people will be happy to help, but if someone seems hesitant when you ask, let them off the hook -- you want your references to be enthusiastic about touting your abilities.6. How do I know what my references will say?Unfortunately, when your employer talks to your reference, it's a one-on-one conversation -- and you're not invited. Although you can't control what your references will say, you can fill them in on all the pertinent information -- for example, what type of position you're seeking or what aspects of your background you're emphasizing -- and provide them with the latest copy of your r�sum�.7. What should my reference sheet look like?Use the same letterhead as your r�sum� to give your materials a consistent look, and be sure your name and contact information are included. Include each person's full name, job title, relationship and contact information including phone number and e-mail address.8. What questions are references asked?Typical questions include:What were Chad's primary responsibilities?What were his top skills? His strengths? What were his limitations or weaknesses? Will you describe Chad's attendance record?Would you hire him again?Some reference checkers will also ask more in-depth questions that will review the skills and characteristics that are critical for the job as well as what you said in the interview. Examples include:This job requires an ability to handle high-stress situations. Give me a couple of examples when Chad was faced with a high-stress situation and how he handled it.Chad described working on the DOLIS Project. As his manager, how would you describe his contribution?What would be three words to describe Chad's management style?How would Chad's co-workers describe his ability to successfully work on a team? Was he well-liked?Laura Morsch is a writer for CareerBuilder.com.

(CNN) -- The only thing advancing quicker than wireless innovation may be the rudeness of the people using the technology, experts say."The more gadgets there are, the worse things seem to get. People get really wrapped up in their little technological world, and they forget that there are other people out there," said Honore Ervin, co-author of "The Etiquette Grrls: Things You Need to Be Told." "Just because it's there at your disposal, doesn't mean you have to use it 24/7."A recent poll by market research company Synovate showed that 70 percent of 1,000 respondents observed manner-less technology use in others at least on a daily basis.About the same percentage saw the poorest etiquette in cell phone users over other devices. The worst habit? Loud phone conversations in public places, or "cell yell," according to 72 percent of the Americans polled.This world without wires allows technology to ride shotgun throughout daily life, which, for the most part, is a convenient and useful tool. But it's the lack of a politeness protocol that has some up in arms."Cell phones obviously are the big, big thing. People use them anywhere and everywhere," Ervin said. "At the movies -- turn off your cell phone. I don't want to pay $10 to be sitting next to some guy chitchatting to his girlfriend on his cell phone."She also cites the growing complaints by her readers and friends of cell phone use at events such as church services, funerals or school graduations, "and that's just wrong," she said.This rudeness has deteriorated public spaces, according to Lew Friedland, a communications professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He calls the lack of manners a kind of unconscious rudeness, as many people are not aware of what they're doing or the others around them."I think it's really noticeable in any plane, train or bus where you're essentially subjected against your will to someone else's conversation," he said. "You can listen to intimate details of their uncle's illness, relationship problems with their lovers, their breakups and what they're having for dinner."It takes what was a public common space and starts to parcel it out and divide it up into small private space."On his frequent bus rides from Madison to Milwaukee over the years, Friedland said he's watched the arc of cell phone use and rudeness in an informal, but telling, experiment. A short time ago, if cell phone users were politely asked to talk quietly, they would comply with chagrin, he said."Now I'm finding more and more people are essentially treating you like it's your problem, like you don't understand that loud cell phone use is normal in public."But it's not just phones. As Wi-Fi continues to grow in public places, the rules of etiquette for use are up for debate."In general, Wi-Fi is terrific ... but what is troublesome is when people use it in cafes or coffee shops, and they just camp out there forever," Ervin said. "They're doing their taxes there. They'll put together three tables so they'll have room to spread out. That's just not right."If you go to someplace like that, you stay there 20 minutes and then leave. It's not your living room. Public places are not to be abused."And typing on a BlackBerry or other PDAs to stay connected is fine, but just don't use them while talking to someone else, Ervin said. "It makes people feel insignificant."'Like swatting mosquitoes'But what's the proper etiquette for dealing with cell phone faux pas or people who've shunned you for their BlackBerry?A low-tech solution is what Ervin calls the "Etiquette Grrls' Icy Glare," a shooting daggers-evil eye combo."It reminds people of school librarians and mean teachers," she said. "If that doesn't work, turn around and say very quietly, 'Do you mind?' I think most people are not going to be mean about it because they just don't realize what they're doing."As more people reach their boiling points for bad wireless manners, Ervin said she believes society will shift toward less tolerance for inconsiderate behavior and less reasons for the "Icy Glare.""Once the majority of people begin to get annoyed at this sort of thing, there are going to be rules in places like at cafes for a 20-minute limit for using your computer and that sort of thing."Friedland agrees that people have to set the rules but debates whether it will ever happen. "You can pass legislation about talking on cell phones in public, but it's virtually unenforceable," he said.He also said the public has yet to reach its limit for tolerating cell phone abuse. He sees people more or less resigned to it."It's like swatting at mosquitoes essentially," he said. "You can get one or two, but if there's a swarm of them around you, you just kind of give up or get out of the way. I think cell phones' use in public spaces is partly having the same kind of effect."But Ervin said she has faith that courtesy will prevail over bad wireless manners."I don't like to be too cynical," she said. "Maybe I'm wrong, but I hope not."

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Former FEMA chief Michael Brown is no longer on the agency's payroll, the Homeland Security Department said Wednesday, ending nearly two months of compensation after he resigned under fire.Brown stepped down as director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency on September 12 in the wake of the government's sluggish reaction to Hurricane Katrina and questions about his own disaster response experience. He remained on the FEMA payroll until November 2, said Homeland Security spokesman Russ Knocke.Initially, Brown was permitted to continue collecting his $148,000 annual salary for 30 days after he resigned. Last month, Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said he extended Brown's contract for an additional 30 days, until mid-November, to help the agency complete its review of the response to Katrina.But Brown ended his contract early, said Knocke, responding to an inquiry about House Democratic demands to remove Brown from the payroll.In a letter to President Bush on Wednesday, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, a California Democrat, and Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer of Maryland said Brown's contract was "inexplicable and a gross waste of taxpayer dollars.""It is difficult to imagine anyone less qualified to assess FEMA's failed response to Katrina and make recommendations for improving the agency," they wrote.Brown had said in an earlier interview about his extended work that he was "motivated to wrap it up."After he resigned, Brown had no decision-making or management responsibilities at FEMA.Chertoff had defended keeping Brown on for an extended period. "It's important to allow the new people who have the responsibility ... to have access to the information we need to do better," Chertoff said. "We don't want to sacrifice the real ability to get a full picture of Mike's experiences," he said. "We don't want to sacrifice that ability simply in order to make an image point."Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

DETROIT (Reuters) - A company-wide cost-cutting initiative at Ford Motor Co. will not affect its future product programs, including a plan to significantly expand its hybrid vehicle lineup by 2010, a Ford executive said on Wednesday."Cost cutting is really not focused on our product portfolio," Barb Samardzich, vice president of powertrain operations, told reporters after unveiling Ford's new 3.5 liter V-6 engine."None whatsoever," she said, adding that Ford is moving ahead with its plan to develop key components of the hybrid powertrain in house.Ford has initiated a number of belt-tightening measures this year, including eliminating 2,750 white-collar jobs in North America. The auto maker, which posted a $284 million third-quarter loss, is struggling with strong competition, soaring health care and raw material costs, and a slide in U.S. market share.Ford recently said it was planning to boost global production of fuel-sipping hybrid vehicles tenfold to 250,000 annually by 2010. More than half of the company's vehicles are expected to have hybrid capability by then."There is no concern on meeting that commitment," Samardzich said.Ford said the new V-6 engine will be introduced next year in two new crossover sport utility vehicles, the Ford Edge and an all-new Lincoln Aviator.The new engine, which is expected to improve fuel economy by up to 7 percent when combined with a 6-speed transmission, will eventually power one in five Ford vehicles on the road by the end of the decade, Samardzich said.

JACKSBORO, Tennessee (AP) -- A 15-year-old accused of shooting an assistant principal to death and wounding two other administrators should be tried as an adult, the district attorney said Wednesday, adding that the victims performed heroically to keep the shootings from becoming even worse.The suspect was being held without bond in a juvenile detention facility in Knoxville and could have an initial court appearance in the next few days. A judge ultimately will decide whether he should be tried as a juvenile or an adult."It is appropriate that he be tried as an adult and subject to adult penalties," District Attorney Paul Phillips said.Authorities said the shooting Tuesday at the 1,400-student Campbell County Comprehensive High School began after the suspect, a freshman, was called to the office because other students had seen him with a gun on campus.When Principal Gary Seale and Assistant Principals Jim Pierce and Ken Bruce began questioning the boy, he allegedly opened fire. The administrators and an unidentified teacher wrestled the .22-caliber pistol from him.Bruce, 48, was shot in the chest and died at a hospital.Seale, 55, was shot in the lower abdomen and Pierce, 56, was hit in the chest. Both were hospitalized in intensive care, but investigators planned to interview them Wednesday.Their families asked "for privacy as they concentrate on the recovery of their loved ones," hospital spokeswoman Lisa McNeal said.The 15-year-old was wounded in the hand when his gun discharged.Phillips said police and school officials handled the situation well."It could even be said that the specific school officials who were present when this took place were heroic," he said.Schools director Judy Blevins said the toll could have been much worse."The courageous efforts of Gary and Jim and Ken probably saved many other lives and the lives of our students," she said. "So we have to think about what they have done and how they reacted and what they possibly saved this community."The prosecutor refused to talk about a motive, and he asked all law enforcement officers not to speak with reporters about the case.The gun came from the boy's home, Phillips said. "No one else is criminally responsible for the fact that this young man had this gun," he said.Students who brought flowers and memorial posters to the school gates Wednesday said nothing seemed unusual about the suspect before the shooting. Several students and parents, however, said the teen had been in trouble before with Seale.Pam Cannon, a parent who has two sons at the high school, and several students said the boy stabbed Seale in the hand with a pencil when Seale was his middle school principal.The boy's family has refused to comment."The parents of this young man are well known and well liked in this community," Phillips said. "It is a tragedy for them just as it is for everyone else."Authorities were interviewing hundreds of witnesses. The school will remain closed until Monday, though students will be allowed to return briefly Thursday to pick up belongings. Churches in the community planned memorials and the school system was offering grief counseling.Outside the school gates Wednesday, 16-year-old Velissa Ogg fought back tears. "It is just never going to be the same walking into that school."Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

PARIS, France (CNN) -- Unrest simmered again in France for the 14th straight night, when vandals pushed a car into a school courtyard in Toulouse and set it on fire.Local officials in the southwestern city said it was one of four cars that had been torched so far Wednesday night.Firefighters put out the blazing car in the kindergarten courtyard around 7 p.m. (6 p.m. GMT) and told CNN no one was injured.Monday night in Toulouse, young people ordered passengers off a bus and then set it ablaze.Local officials said the city elected not to impose restrictions on the movement of young people there as it was authorized to do by the government Tuesday after nightly rioting raged in several cities across the country for nearly two weeks.The violence overnight Tuesday into Wednesday was less severe than previous nights, with fewer than 600 vehicles being burned in France, French state radio reported.That was a marked decrease from Saturday, when more than 1,400 were burned. In addition, there were fewer clashes between police and rioters.But rioting still flared violently in many areas. Lyon's subway system -- the second largest in the country -- had to be shut down after a gasoline bomb was thrown in a train station, according to French media reports.A number of cities had established restrictions on unaccompanied minors being in the streets at night in an effort to quell the violence, and some banned the sale of gasoline to minors, as the majority of the rioters were thought to be youth.The restrictions on movement will allow police to jail rioters for up to two months.On Wednesday, the French government said it would allow local governments to decide whether to continue the restrictions.The government of the Alpes-Maritimes department announced Wednesday that minors unaccompanied by adults may not be out or gather in public places between the hours of 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. in the cities of Nice, Cannes, Antibes and several others.In the cities of Nice and Saint-Laurent-du-Var, cafes and bars must close during those hours as well, until November 19, according to a statement from the departmental government.The unrest broke out following the October 27 deaths of two young men of North African descent, who were electrocuted when they hid from police in an electricity sub-station in the Paris suburb of Clichy-sous-Bois.During a discussion Wednesday in the National Assembly, Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy said he had told local officials that they could decide whether to expel from the country 120 foreigners who had been arrested and convicted in connection with the rioting.De Villepin reactsOn Tuesday, French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin announced a sweeping package of reforms aimed at stopping the violence, as well as treating the social ills it stems from.De Villepin said the rioting was the result of France's failure to provide hope to thousands of youths, most French citizens and the children of Muslim immigrants from northern Africa. (Full story)In addition, de Villepin said the government would take a firm hand in stopping the rioting, which has spread to more than 200 French towns and cities. De Villepin said 9,500 police, including reserves, had been called up to deal with the unrest. Of the 1,500 people arrested, 600 have been placed in temporary detention and 100 have been jailed, he said.Some of the rioting had been organized through Internet blogs that have now been shut down, de Villepin said. More is being done to strengthen the intelligence-gathering capability of French authorities.In order for French society to provide the same changes and opportunities to all its citizens, said de Villepin, 30 billion euros ($35.28 billion) will be spent in France's riot zones, with the focus primarily on helping young people. The French employment agency will focus on 239 hot zones, he said, to help provide jobs for 1.5 million people.Although France's national unemployment rate is about 10 percent, in areas hit by rioting the level is nearer 40 percent.France has no affirmative action; an official French study found that youths with Arab-sounding names have their job applications rejected up to five times as often as those with traditional French names.Fears growFears also were growing that the unrest could take hold elsewhere in Europe. Cars have been torched in both Brussels and Berlin, and police said they were investigating if they were copycat attacks. (Full story)The spreading violence has shocked national leaders and community residents into action, with mediators and religious leaders talking to the youths in an effort to stop the violence.French Muslim groups also issued a fatwa against the violence, Reuters reported. (Full story)The Union of French Islamic Organizations condemned the disorder and destruction the riots had caused.Australia, Austria, Britain, Germany and Hungary advised their citizens to exercise care in France, joining the United States and Russia in warning tourists to stay away from violence-hit areas.CNN Chief International Correspondent Christiane Amanpour, Berlin Bureau Chief Chris Burns and Correspondent Jim Bittermann contributed to this reportCopyright 2005 CNN. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Associated Press contributed to this report.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -- The United States will not seek the death penalty against any of the five Guantanamo Bay prisoners charged this week, including a Canadian teenager accused of tossing a grenade that killed an American medic in Afghanistan, the Pentagon said on Wednesday.The charges announced on Monday against Canadian Omar Ahmed Khadr, Saudis Ghassan Abdullah al-Sharbi and Jabran Said bin al-Qahtani, Algerian Sufyian Barhoumi and Ethiopian Binyam Ahmed Muhammed brought to nine the number of foreign terrorism suspects at the U.S. naval base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, formally accused of crimes."None of the five will be referred as capital cases," said Air Force Maj. Jane Boomer, a Pentagon spokeswoman.The United States also did not seek the death penalty against any of the first four Guantanamo prisoners who were charged.Boomer did not explain the reasoning behind the decision not to seek the death penalty in any of the cases.She said the process involved recommendations from military prosecutors and Air Force Brig. Gen. Thomas Hemingway, legal adviser in the trial process, and a final decision by John Altenburg, a retired Army major general overseeing the trial process.The nine cases are scheduled to be decided by a panel of military officers, called a commission, in the first such U.S. war crimes trials since World War Two.Human rights activists and military defense lawyers have criticized the commission rules, saying they favor prosecutors, allow evidence obtained through torture and hearsay and permit no independent judicial review.The United States holds about 500 prisoners at Guantanamo, with only nine charged. Human rights groups and others have criticized Washington for the indefinite detentions at Guantanamo and denial of legal rights. The United States has defended its treatment of the detainees and has asserted the legal right to hold them "in perpetuity."Murder chargeKhadr, a Canadian citizen who recently turned 19, was 15 when he was sent to Guantanamo. He is charged with murder in the killing of a U.S. soldier, Sgt. 1st Class Christopher Speer, with a grenade near Khost, Afghanistan.His lawyers have asserted he has been abused in U.S. custody and that his capture and detention at age 15 violated American responsibilities under accords regarding treatment of young people during war.The other four detainees were charged with conspiracy to commit murder, attacks on innocent civilians, destruction of property and terrorism.The charges were announced on Monday just hours after the U.S. Supreme Court said it would decide whether President Bush possessed the power to create the military tribunals to put Guantanamo prisoners on trial for war crimes. The case marks an important test of the Bush administration's policy in the war on terrorism.The four men previously charged were: Australian David Hicks, Yemenis Salim Ahmed Hamdan and Ali Hamza Ahmed Sulayman al Bahlul, and Sudanese Ibrahim Ahmed Mahmoud al Qosi. Those cases have been on hold because of a federal court ruling last year, although the Pentagon moved in September to revive the proceedings in the Hicks case and scheduled a hearing for November 18.Copyright 2005 Reuters. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

NEW YORK (CNN) -- New York Times reporter Judith Miller, who went to jail for refusing to reveal her source during an investigation into the 2003 outing of a CIA operative, has retired from "the old gray lady," the newspaper announced Wednesday.Her retirement takes effect immediately, according to the statement.There was no immediate comment from Miller, but in a letter to the newspaper -- scheduled for publication in Thursday's editions -- she said she was quitting because "I have become the news, something a New York Times reporter never wants to be."The 28-year veteran of the paper spent 85 days in jail for refusing to testify before a grand jury investigating who revealed the identity of CIA agent Valerie Plame. The agent's husband, Joseph Wilson, is an outspoken critic of the Bush administration. Plame's identity was leaked after Wilson, in a Times op-ed piece, challenged a key element of the administration's case for war -- that Iraq had sought uranium from Niger for a nuclear weapons program. (Read Wilson's reaction to leak investigation)Miller, 57, was released from jail in September after her source signed a waiver allowing her to testify.Her source, I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, Vice President Dick Cheney's then-chief of staff, was indicted October 28 on charges of perjury, obstruction of justice and making false statements to federal authorities investigating how Plame's name was leaked. (Full story)Miller was part of the team that won a 2002 Pulitzer Prize for its reporting on the al Qaeda terrorist network. However, her reporting on Iraq's weapons programs was widely criticized when no such programs emerged after the fall of Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein.The paper's executive editor, Bill Keller, was complimentary of Miller in a Wednesday memo to his staff. "She displayed fierce determination and personal courage both in pursuit of the news and in resisting assaults on the freedom of news organizations to report," states the memo posted on the Times Web site. Likewise, Times Publisher Arthur Sulzberger Jr. praised Miller's "significant personal sacrifice to defend an important journalistic principle." But Keller also points out in the Wednesday memo that Miller was "distressed" by a reference in an earlier memo to her "entanglement" with Libby and another reference stating she "seems to have misled" a Times editor. Keller clarified in his Wednesday memo that he was not implying her relationship with Libby was improper and that he was not contending she misled anyone.Miller's lawyer, Matthew Mallow, told CNN the war of words was trivial compared to his client's devotion to the First Amendment. "That's what Judy did with great courage, spending 85 days in jail. That is lost in all of the discussions of the internal workings of the paper," he said, adding that Miller left the paper "on an amicable basis."Miller said in her farewell letter to the Times that she was leaving with "mixed feelings."Mallow said he would neither comment on the terms of her departure, nor on discussions he and Miller's other representatives had with the Times about her decision to leave.

BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Seven Iraqis were killed and four others injured Wednesday when a suicide car bomb exploded in Baquba, north of Baghdad.Four police officers were among the dead in a bombing apparently targeting an Iraqi police patrol in the city, located about 40 miles (64 kilometers) north of the capital. Baquba often has been the scene of sectarian violence and attacks on Iraqi security forces.In other deadly violence Wednesday, two car bombs killed at least five Iraqi civilians and wounded 25 others, the U.S. military said. The blasts went off near the Al Shab police station and the next-door Al Sharoofi Mosque in the Adhamiya district. Neither building was damaged, the military said. Meanwhile, a driver for an Education Ministry official was gunned down in Baghdad's Shula neighborhood, Iraqi police said.A Sudanese administrative attach� for the Sudanese Embassy also was shot dead while driving his car Wednesday morning in Baghdad, Iraqi emergency police said. Earlier Wednesday, a U.S.-led airstrike in western Iraq destroyed what was believed to be an al Qaeda in Iraq terrorist weapons cache in a village near Qaim along the Syrian border, the military said. Also Wednesday, a U.S. Marine died from wounds he received earlier this week in a roadside bomb attack in Anbar province west of Baghdad, a military statement said.The number of U.S. troops killed in the Iraq war stands at 2,058.Operation in western Iraq nears endOperation Steel Curtain began to wind down in Husayba, a town in the northwestern corner of Anbar province, while Iraqis furiously complained about U.S. airstrikes they said killed at least 24 civilians.U.S. Marines and Iraqi soldiers pushed eastward Wednesday, battling insurgents and foreign fighters who they say sneak into the country from Syria just miles away.Col. Stephen Davis, a Marines spokesman, said the worst fighting had been in the southern part of the city. In that section of town, some residents admitted their neighborhoods had been havens for insurgents.The Iraqis were bitter, though, that the U.S. military used warplanes to drop bombs on homes. They said civilians died in at least two houses that took direct hits.A CNN crew saw seven bodies in one home and was told another house had 17 deaths from three related families. According to a U.S. military news release, before the airstrikes, a man told Marines and Iraqi soldiers that insurgents had broken into a home, killed two occupants and held the others hostage while launching attacks against the coalition forces. "Subsequently, the house was destroyed by coalition aircraft," the statement said. "The soldiers and Marines had no knowledge of the civilians being held hostage in the home at the time of the attack." The statement also said Marines rescued two people after the bombings.Marines and the Iraqi army remained in Husayba, conducting "back clearing" -- returning to areas already swept to conduct patrols, execute fresh searches and talk with residents. U.S. troops are still finding roadside bombs as they patrol the town, Davis said.Other developmentsIraqi Deputy Prime Minister Ahmed Chalabi said Wednesday in Washington that he did not supply false information to the Bush administration about Saddam Hussein having weapons of mass destruction in the run-up to the Iraq war. White House spokesman Scott McClellan defended Chalabi's visit, telling reporters President Bush believes it is important to work closely with the Iraqi government and their leaders to advance democracy. U.S. intelligence officials accused Chalabi in 2004 of leaking top-secret information about American code-breaking capabilities to Iran. He has denied any wrongdoing, but U.S. officials said that an FBI probe is ongoing. (Full story)Saddam Hussein defense attorney Khalil al-Dulaimi reiterated Wednesday his demand for better protection for his colleagues and insisted the team would not participate in the trial until a solution is found. A source close to Saddam's defense team told CNN that al-Dulaimi sent a letter to the tribunal after the slaying of fellow defense attorney Sadoon al-Janabi last month. Al-Dulaimi repeated his demand after gunmen opened fire Tuesday on a vehicle carrying two other attorneys. Adil Muhammed, who was representing former Iraqi Vice President Taha Yusef Ramadan, was killed, and Thamir Mahmoud was wounded. The proceedings are scheduled to resume November 28. The U.N. Security Council voted unanimously Tuesday to extend for another year the U.N. authorization of U.S. and other foreign troops in Iraq, which number about 180,000. The present mandate expires December 31. The adoption extends the multinational force's presence until December 31, 2006, but it will be reviewed in six months. CNN's Arwa Damon and David Ensor contributed to this report.

LONDON, England (CNN) -- British Prime Minister Tony Blair has suffered his first major parliamentary defeat, losing a key vote on new anti-terror laws.The House of Commons voted 322 to 291 against a measure to allow authorities to hold terror suspects for up to 90 days without charge -- an increase from the current 14 days.It was the first major vote against the government since Blair and his Labour Party came to power in May 1997.CNN's European Political Editor Robin Oakley said Blair had invested his full political weight in getting the law passed, adding to the political drama.A tense Blair was in the chamber to hear the result, shaking his head as the numbers were revealed. Blair was uncontrite following the defeat, saying he brought the bill to the Commons because police had said they needed the longer detention period. "It was better to lose doing the right thing, than to win doing the wrong thing," he added.The prime minister had earlier made an impassioned plea for a "yes" vote."We are not living in a police state ... but we are living in a country that faces a real and serious threat of terrorism," he told the Commons.At least 41 members of his own party joined the opposition in Britain's lower house of parliament to reject the measure.The Commons later approved an amended measure to allow suspects to be held for up to 28 days without charge, but that may yet face a challenge.Defeat was a humiliating blow to the prime minister, and CNN's Oakley said it raised serious questions about his grip on power. Opposition leader Michael Howard said Blair, who has said he will not fight another general election, should now consider resigning as prime minister.Howard, leader of the Conservative Party, said Blair's authority was "diminished almost to vanishing point. This vote shows he is no longer able to carry his own party with him. He must now consider his position."The terrorism bill was drafted following the July 7 suicide bombings on London's transport system that killed 52 commuters and the four suspected bombers, and failed attacks two weeks later.Designed to tackle Islamic extremism, the bill aimed to outlaw training in terrorist camps, encouraging acts of violence and glorifying terrorism.Many lawmakers feared a glorification clause could criminalize people supporting independence movements around the world.But police and prosecutors argued more time was needed in complex cases in which suspects often have multiple aliases and store information on mobile phones and on encrypted computers, and in which cooperation of foreign agencies was needed.Critics claimed holding people for three months without charge would erode civil rights.But Blair refused to back down and made the issue political, claiming the opposition Conservatives -- long regarded as the natural champions of law and order -- were soft on terrorism.During stormy exchanges at Prime Minister's Questions earlier Wednesday, Blair urged MPs of all parties to be "responsible" in backing the measures put forward by police."When those charged with protecting our country provide, as they have, a compelling case for action, I know what my duty is."My duty is to support them, and so is the duty -- in my view -- of every member of this house."His resolve was stiffened by the belief that a majority of Britons supported the measure.Copyright 2005 CNN. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Associated Press contributed to this report.

AMMAN, Jordan (CNN) -- Dozens of people were killed and more than 150 wounded in three suspected suicide blasts Wednesday night in or near downtown hotels, all of which were part of U.S.-based chains, officials said.Journalist Kristen Gillespie is a reporter in Amman and was close to one of the hotels when the nearly simultaneous blasts occurred. She tells CNN's Kyra Phillips that the attacks came in an area popular with both locals and foreigners. GILLESPIE: I got to the Grand Hyatt in downtown Amman a few minutes after the explosion. The authorities hadn't yet had the chance to seal off the scene. Ambulances -- dozens of ambulances -- were rushing to the scene, were removing bodies that had been moved from inside the lobby to outside the lobby.PHILLIPS: Which hotel were you staying in, Kristen?GILLESPIE: Near the Grand Hyatt, which is in downtown Amman. There's a center -- there's a part of Amman that has a lot of hotels where foreigners and contractors and Jordanians go to eat and to stay. And I went to the scene and saw them. The explosion had been inside the lobby, not outside.PHILLIPS: Now, do you feel safe where you are? What are security officials telling you? What are people around you telling you as a journalist, as an American about what to do right now?GILLESPIE: Right now, everybody seems to be in shock. This is the first time that anything like this has happened in Jordan. It's a country noted for its stability. The guests who were staying in the Hyatt seem to be completely bewildered by what had happened. They didn't know what had happened. They heard an explosion. They went outside.... At least five were killed.PHILLIPS: Are you getting information as we're talking right now, or you have other co-workers there able to bring you updated numbers and details?GILLESPIE: Right now what we're getting is a smattering of eyewitness accounts. One person said that dozens had been wounded in the lobby, that the lobby was full. It was about 9 at night here, and it's prime time for people to be having dinner and milling around. Others are saying scores were wounded in the other explosions, as well. What I can say for sure is I saw at least five bodies being removed from the Hyatt who -- that were probably killed in the explosion. (Watch witness accounts of the explosions -- 2:46)PHILLIPS: Now, Kristen, getting mixed reports from various people that have worked and lived in this area. Some saying it's always been a very safe area. Others saying, no, you're always looking over your shoulder when you're working and living within that area due to the threat of terrorism nowadays, especially that part of the country. I mean, you have been working there. I don't know how long you've been in the region. Maybe you can tell me that. And tell me, you know, is this something that you worried about on a regular basis?GILLESPIE: Well, I've been here on and off for about five years in Jordan. And it's always been in the back of my mind, because Jordan is a country that borders Syria, Saudi Arabia, the West Bank, Israel and Iraq. So it's definitely in a complicated place geographically. At the same time, the government has always worked hard to clamp down on any potential dissent or al Qaeda or militants. And up until today, they had done a pretty good job. But I really think that it was inevitable that something like this happened at some point in Jordan.

(CNN) -- Wednesday's deadly explosions in Amman, Jordan, drew swift condemnation in Washington and at the United Nations.Three nearly simultaneous explosions occurred Wednesday night at hotels frequented by westerners in downtown Amman, killing dozens and wounding more than 150 others. (Full story)United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan "strongly condemned" the attacks at the three hotels in the Jordanian capital and has delayed a planned visit to Jordan, U.N. officials said."We do not want to be a burden on the Jordanian authorities 12 hours after they've had this massive bombing," said spokesman Stephane Dujarric.U.N. officials on Thursday are to reassess a possible stop in Jordan, including security for Annan, Dujarric said.Jordan was a last-minute addition to Annan's current round of visits that began in Paris and took him to Egypt and Saudi Arabia. In addition to the possible Jordan stop, Annan was expected to visit Tunis, Tunisia, before returning to New York."During his current tour of the Middle East, the secretary-general has taken every opportunity to underscore the need for collective action against terrorism," a U.N. spokesman said in a statement. "In meetings today and yesterday with Saudi and Egyptian authorities, the secretary-general stressed the need for member states to adopt a comprehensive convention against terrorism as soon as possible."U.S. President George W. Bush released a statement Wednesday condemning "in the strongest possible terms the vicious terrorist attacks against innocent civilians in Amman, Jordan." "We hope for the recovery of those wounded in these attacks, and offer our prayers for the victims and their families," White House spokesman Scott McClellan said.The State Department issued a statement, saying:"Such wanton acts of murder against innocent people violate every faith and creed.""The United States has had no closer ally than Jordan in the war on terror, and Jordan will find no better friend than the United States at this difficult hour.""Once again we are reminded that the world is in a global war against terror," said U.S. Rep. Pete Hoekstra, R-Michigan, House Intelligence Committee chairman. "It is a war in which the terrorists seemingly know no bounds and place no value on human life."The blasts occurred at the Radisson, the Days Inn Hotel and the Grand Hyatt Hotel between 9 p.m. and 10 p.m. (2 p.m. and 3 p.m. ET). The three hotels are within a few hundred yards of each other.