Live Blog from the Anchor Desk 09/22/09
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A battle is underway over a tent Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi has put up in New York. He's not getting the welcome mat. Plus, a security alert for sports stadiums and luxury hotels. And, we take you inside the case against the accused Craigslist killer.
Want to know what else we're covering? Read EVENING BUZZ
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Pushing to jumpstart talks, Obama drops demand for settlement freeze
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Elise Labott
CNN State Department Producer
Prodding Israel and the Palestinian Authority to restart talks aimed at a permanent resolution of their decades-old conflict, President Barack Obama dropped a US demand for an Israeli settlement freeze, US, Israeli and Palestinian officials said.
“Simply put, it is past time to talk about starting negotiations. It is time to move forward," Obama told reporters before a meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. "It is time to show the flexibility and common sense and sense of compromise that is necessary to achieve our goals."
Obama met first met separately with Netanyahu and Abbas on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly in what he called "frank and productive" talks. The session was the first among the three leaders since Obama took office in January.
New York town wants Gadhafi's tent taken down
[cnn-photo-caption image=http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2009/US/09/23/new.york.gadhafi.tent/art.tent.wabc.jpg caption="The tent is on property that Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi is renting in New York, WABC reported."]
CNN
The town of Bedford, New York, is not happy with a tent set up as part of Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi's visit to the United States for the United Nations General Assembly, a town attorney said Tuesday.
"I discussed this matter with town officials, and the town building inspector believes that this would constitute a violation of several town zoning and land use laws," Bedford town attorney Joel Sachs said. "I directed the town building inspector to immediately go to the property and issue a stop work order, which would the individuals to cease erecting the tent."
Sachs said if he had to he would take the issue to a higher court to get the tent taken down.
New York state Sen. Vincent Liebell confirmed to CNN affiliate WABC that Gadhafi had rented the property.
"He's not going to have many fans in Bedford or Westchester County, certainly not me," the senator said. "There's not going to be any welcome mat for him in Bedford."
Fertility clinic to couple: You got the wrong embryos
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Stephanie Smith
CNN Medical Producer
On a cold morning in February, 10 days after undergoing in vitro fertilization, Carolyn Savage lay in bed at her Ohio home waiting for the results of her pregnancy test.
Time was moving slowly. It was getting late and the call from the fertility clinic should have come by lunchtime.
"We were waiting and waiting and the call seemed like it would never come," Savage said.
Finally, around 4 p.m., Carolyn's husband, Sean, got the call at work.
"The doctor told me in one sentence, 'Carolyn is pregnant, but we transferred the wrong embryos,'" he said. "I didn't even know that could physically happen. It was a total shock, totally beyond the realm of possibility."
In a tragic mix-up, the Savages say the fertility clinic where Carolyn underwent in vitro fertilization implanted another couple's embryos into Carolyn's uterus.
Evening Buzz: Gadhafi Tent Controversy
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Maureen Miller
AC360° Writer
The mystery appears to be solved. From the air and on the ground, New York media were in hot pursuit today of Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi's tent. He's in town for the United Nations General Assembly. But, where did he put up his tent? The answer may surprise you.
The tent is in Westchester County, New York just north of the city on property owned by the Trump Organization. Yes, as in Donald Trump. The organization said in statement: "We have business partners and associates all over the world. The property was leased on a short-term basis to Middle Eastern partners, who may or may not have a relationship to Mr. Gadhafi. We are looking into the matter."
A lot of people are not happy with Colonel Gadhafi's tent location. "There is no legal way to prevent this, as he is a head of state, despite the fact that he has a long history as a terrorist," County Executive Andy Spano said in a statement. "However, from my point of view, he is not welcome in Westchester."
There are reports his request to pitch his tent in Central Park was denied. And, last month you may recall there was speculation that Gadhafi would put up his tent in Englewood, New Jersey, on the lawn of a home owned by the Libyan government. The residents of the predominately Orthodox Jewish community didn't want a visit from a leader who has made anti-Zionist statements in the past. It's also where dozens of victims of the Pam Am 103 bombing lived. Two suspects charged in the attack were Libyan citizens. One was never convicted. The other was recently released heightening the bitterness toward Gadhafi.
Tonight we'll have the latest developments on the Gadhafi controversy. And, find out why Gadhafi likes to set up tents when he travels. He's done it in France, Italy, Russia and many other places.
Would you be upset if Gadhafi pitched his tent in your town? Sound off below.
Join us for this story and much more starting at 10pm ET.
Stadiums, hotels attract 'terrorist interest,' feds say
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CNN
The Department of Homeland Security and FBI have issued security bulletins to raise awareness regarding "terrorist interest" in attacking sports and entertainment venues as well as luxury hotels.
The bulletins, which were sent to law enforcement Monday, said that authorities did not know of any credible or specific terrorist plots to attack U.S. stadiums, arenas or luxury hotels.
However, it said that terrorist groups such as al Qaeda view crowded stadiums and arenas as potential targets. It said hotels are also attractive targets for terrorists.
Beat 360° 9/22/09
Ready for today's Beat 360°? Everyday we post a picture – and you provide the caption and our staff will join in too. Tune in tonight at 10pm to see if you are our favorite! Here is the 'Beat 360°' pic:
A girl swims in a sphere on a lake, enjoying the autumn weather in a park in Sofia on September 21, 2009.
Have fun with it. We're looking forward to your captions! Make sure to include your name, city, state (or country) so we can post your comment.
UPDATE BEAT 360º WINNERS
Staff:
Chuck Hadad:
"Ok, ok. I’ll take back that whole “terror council” thing if you validate parking."
Viewer:
Daryll,Edmonton, Canada
"Can someone explain to me who are the fashion police??? And why they gave me a ticket???"
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Sources: Edwards asked aide to claim paternity
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Joe Johns | BIO
CNN Correspondent
Former Democratic presidential hopeful John Edwards talked a campaign aide into claiming he fathered a child born to Edwards' onetime mistress, sources familiar with the issue said Monday.
Edwards admitted to his affair with Rielle Hunter in August 2008 after months of denials, but said he could not have been the father of Hunter's daughter, who was born the previous February. Former Edwards staffer Andrew Young has said he was the girl's father - but has recanted and says he made it because he believed in Edwards, lawyers and others familiar with the matter told CNN.
Young was married with children when he claimed to have fathered Hunter's child. He never signed any affidavits or legal papers, however, and reversed his claim after Edwards, as one of the sources put it, dropped Young "like a hot potato."
The news comes as a grand jury in Edwards' home state of North Carolina is investigating payments made to Hunter - who had been hired as a campaign videographer - by the former senator's campaign and supporters. Hunter was photographed entering the courthouse where the grand jury was meeting in August.
Cybercrime investigations
Program Note: Tune in tonight to learn more from Randi Kaye about the investigation into the alleged Craigslist murder. Tonight AC360° at 10 p.m. ET.
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U.S. Department of Justice
The Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS) in the Department of Justice is responsible for implementing the Department's national strategies in combating computer and intellectual property crimes worldwide.
According to the DOJ's website, the Computer Crime Initiative is a comprehensive program designed to combat electronic penetrations, data thefts, and cyberattacks on critical information systems.
CCIPS prevents, investigates, and prosecutes computer crimes by working with other government agencies, the private sector, academic institutions, and foreign counterparts. Section attorneys work to improve the domestic and international infrastructure-legal, technological, and operational-to pursue network criminals most effectively.
To view a list of other cybercrime investigations and to learn how to report cybercrime go here.
Financial Dispatch: House takes up bill to extend unemployment
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Andrew Torgan
CNN Financial News Producer
More than a million people could receive an additional 13 weeks of unemployment benefits under a bill the House is set to take up today.
The measure would extend benefits for those living in states with jobless rates higher than 8.5%. Some 27 states, plus the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, fall into this category. The national unemployment rate hit 9.7% in August, the highest in 26 years.
The extended benefits would apply to an estimated 314,000 people set to exhaust their benefits by month's end and to more than a million who will stop getting checks by the end of the year.
Fed in Focus
The Federal Reserve begins its two-day policy meeting today.
The central bank is widely expected to keep its key benchmark lending rate unchanged at a target range of zero to 0.25%. And overall, analysts are expecting this to be a fairly uneventful meeting.
In addition to leaving rates where they are, the Fed is not likely to say much about winding down its trillions of dollars in lending and bailout programs. Nevertheless, investors will examine the language of the accompanying statement very closely.
