Washington's National Zoo giant panda gives birth

WASHINGTON -

A giant panda at Washington's National Zoo has given birth to a cub, the zoo said on Monday, ending the zoo's seven-year spell without panda offspring.

The panda, Mei Xiang, gave birth late on Sunday at the zoo's panda complex, the zoo said in a statement. She was artificially inseminated in April using thawed frozen sperm from the zoo's other giant panda, Tian Tian, after he failed to impregnate her.

Chief veterinarian Suzan Murray said that despite looking tired, Mei Xiang was sitting up and cuddling the cub more closely whenever it cried out.

"She is the poster child for a perfect panda mom," Murray said in a statement.

The two giant pandas are on loan from China, where as few as 1,600 of the black and white bears live in the wild, and are among Washington's top attractions. Although they have delighted crowds of visitors to their complex, they have produced only two cubs in their 11 years in Washington.

Read: San Diego zoo wants helping naming new panda cub

The pair's last cub, Tai Shan, was born in 2005 and lives in China, where pandas are an endangered species.

Don Moore, the zoo's associate director of animal care, told Washington's WTOP radio that the four-ounce (112-gram) cub would fit in the palm of a hand and could barely be glimpsed as the 250-pound (113-kg) Mei Xiang cuddled it.

The zoo is giving Mei Xiang complete seclusion and will monitor her and the cub via closed-circuit camera about two weeks, Moore said.

The cub may be ready for a live appearance in a couple of months, he said. The link for the pandas' camera is:

• 

  Copyright 2012 by ClickOnDetroit.com. The Associated Press contributed to this report. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

17 Sep, 2012

-
Source: http://www.clickondetroit.com/lifestyle/pets/Washington-s-National-Zoo-giant-panda-gives-birth/-/1718840/16632090/-/xfbhps/-/index.html
--
Manage subscription | Powered by rssforward.com

09.10 | 0 komentar | Read More

Detroit 14-year-old pleads guilty to killing his mother

A 14-year-old Detroit boy pleaded guilty Monday to shooting and killing his mom Feb. 27.

Joshua Smith pleaded guilty to second degree murder and a felony firearm charge in connection to the murder of his mother, 36-year-old Tamiko Robinson.

Robinson was sleeping on a couch at about 3 a.m. when she was shot by her, who used a gun the family had bought for protection.

Robinson's fiancé, Chika Lewis, and her 5-year-old daughter were also in the house at the time of the shooting. Lewis said he grabbed his 5-year-old daughter, broke out a kitchen window and ran for help to a neighbor's house.

The teen was arrested by police a short time later after fleeing in his mother's car.

Smith is expected to be sentenced to 25 to 50 years on the murder charge and a mandatory 2-year sentence for using a gun. He is scheduled to be back in court Oct. 26.

• 

  Copyright 2012 by ClickOnDetroit.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

17 Sep, 2012

-
Source: http://www.clickondetroit.com/news/news/Detroit-14-year-old-pleads-guilty-to-killing-his-mother/-/4714498/16632840/-/onpeda/-/index.html
--
Manage subscription | Powered by rssforward.com

09.10 | 0 komentar | Read More

Bob Bashara denied lower bond request

DETROIT -

A Detroit-area man who authorities say tried to hire a hit man to kill someone charged with his wife's murder has been denied his lesser bond request.

Last week Bob Bashara asked Wayne County Circuit Judge Bruce Morrow to lower his $15 million cash bond.

READ: Bob Bashara denied lesser bond

Lawyer Mark Kriger argued Bashara is strapped financial and is not a flight risk. "A $15 million bond, your honor, is no different than a $200 million bond or a $1 billion bond. I think the idea is to get a bond that he could conceivably post and at the same time assure he remain in the community and abides by the conditions that this court imposes in the bond," Kriger said last Wednesday.

Wayne County Assistant Prosecutor Lisa Lindsey said Bashara needs to stay jailed base on jailhouse conversations he's been having.

Lindsey says as Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy was announcing charges against him in June, Bashara was on a jail phone ordering someone to evict a tenant of his. That tenant is apparently a key witness in the case and is the person Bashara was working with allegedly to have Joe Gentz killed.

Authorities believe Bashara wanted to rub out handyman Joe Gentz because he feared Gentz would identify him in the death of Jane Bashara.

Jane Bashara of Grosse Pointe Park was found dead in her car in a Detroit neighborhood in January. Gentz is charged with strangling her.

Bob Bashara has pleaded not guilty to a charge of solicitation to commit murder. His trial is due to start on Nov. 12.

Bashara also says he had no role in his wife's death.

More: Grosse Pointe Park murder investigation

• 

  Copyright 2012 by ClickOnDetroit.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

17 Sep, 2012

-
Source: http://www.clickondetroit.com/news/investigations/Bob-Bashara-denied-lower-bond-request/-/1719314/16631180/-/lym2avz/-/index.html
--
Manage subscription | Powered by rssforward.com

08.35 | 0 komentar | Read More

Bob Bashara wants lesser bond in hit man case

Bob Bashara wants his bond lowered

DETROIT -

A Detroit-area man who authorities say tried to hire a hit man to kill someone charged with his wife's murder is asking a judge to lower his $15 million cash bond.

Wayne County Circuit Judge Bruce Morrow heard a request Thursday from a lawyer for Bob Bashara.

Lawyer Mark Kriger said Bashara is strapped financial and is not a flight risk.

"A $15 million bond, your honor, is no different than a $200 million bond or a $1 billion bond. I think the idea is to get a bond that he could conceivably post and at the same time assure he remain in the community and abides by the conditions that this court imposes in the bond," Kriger said.

Raw video: Bashara fights bond at hearing

Wayne County Assistant Prosecutor Lisa Lindsey said Bashara needs to stay jailed base on jailhouse conversations he's been having.

Lindsey says as Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy was announcing charges against him in June, Bashara was on a jail phone ordering someone to evict a tenant of his. That tenant is apparently a key witness in the case and is the person Bashara was working with allegedly to have Joe Gentz killed.

Lindsey says once the prosecution shared evidence in the case with Bashara's mother and cousin, the family no longer supported Bashara and "wants nothing to do with him."

Confronted with the evidence again on the jail house phone by his family, Bashara allegedly said "It is what it is." 

Bashara has reportedly been using the jail phone to find a new girlfriend "to do his bidding," according to prosecutors.

Lindsey also said Bashara has been spending time online, making contact with someone using the screen name "Obedient slave."

Prosecutors say Bashara's home is for sale, he's out of work, a property of his is in foreclosure so arguments made that he needs to be out to keep his business interests afloat aren't true.

Morrow said he would consider the request and make a decision by Tuesday.

Authorities believe Bashara wanted to rub out handyman Joe Gentz because he feared Gentz would identify him in the death of Jane Bashara.

Jane Bashara of Grosse Pointe Park was found dead in her car in a Detroit neighborhood in January. Gentz is charged with strangling her.

Bob Bashara has pleaded not guilty to a charge of solicitation to commit murder. His trial is due to start on Nov. 12.

Bashara also says he had no role in his wife's death.

More: Grosse Pointe Park murder investigation

 

• 

  Copyright 2012 by ClickOnDetroit.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

17 Sep, 2012

-
Source: http://www.clickondetroit.com/news/investigations/Bob-Bashara-wants-lesser-bond-in-hit-man-case/-/1719314/16579996/-/12matodz/-/index.html
--
Manage subscription | Powered by rssforward.com

08.35 | 0 komentar | Read More

Violent weekend leaves Flint homicide total at 50

FLINT, Mich. -

Three homicides in as many days have brought Flint's total to 50 for the year.

MLive.com says the latest slaying was a shooting and hit and run that left one man dead. Police say a man was shot around 8 p.m. Sunday before stumbling into the street and collapsing. He was pronounced dead at a hospital.

Police found one man fatally shot in the head in a vehicle on Saturday. A woman who was shot in the leg was treated and released.

Early Friday morning, police found Adrian Ray Key Jr. unresponsive and suffering from gunshot wounds at a home. Police said a home invasion led to the shooting.

MLive says the city about 60 miles northwest of Detroit didn't record its 50th homicide last year until late October.

• Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

17 Sep, 2012

-
Source: http://www.clickondetroit.com/news/news/Violent-weekend-leaves-Flint-homicide-total-at-50/-/4714498/16630218/-/53mpd0/-/index.html
--
Manage subscription | Powered by rssforward.com

07.37 | 0 komentar | Read More

Three charged in Princess Boat shooting

Prosecutor Kym L. Worthy has charged Latoiya Mitchell-Thomas, 28 , and her husband Michael A. Thomas, 32 , of Roseville and LaDon Richard, 45, of Detroit in connection with a shooting incident that occurred on August 6, 2012, in the early morning at approximately 1:00 a.m. at Atwater and Civic Center Drive . It is alleged that while on the Detroit Princes River Boat Mr. Thomas and his wife had a argument with a female that escalated with Mr. Thomas slapping the female on the cheek and throwing a bottle at her head. As a result, a fight erupted on the boat. It is alleged that once the couple were off the boat and in their car Ms. Mitchell-Thomas fired into a crowd wounding several people with a hand gun. It is further alleged that after the shooting by Ms.Mitchell-Thomas had ended and the couple were driving away from the scene, Ms.LaDon Richard, fired a hand gun wounding Mr. Thomas in the back as he sat in the passenger seat.

Charges against Latoiya Mitchell- Thomas

Latoiya Mitchell- Thomas is charged with 6 counts of Assault with Intent to Murder, 6 counts of Assault with Intent to do Great Bodily Harm, 6 counts of Felonious Assault, Carrying a Concealed Weapon, and Felony Firearm.

Charges against Michael A. Thomas

Michael A. Thomas is charged with Felonious Assault and Assault and Battery.

Charges against LaDon Richard

LaDon Richard is charged with 2 counts of Assault with Intent to Murder, 2 counts of Assault with Intent to do Great Bodily Harm, 2 counts of Felonious Assault , Careless Reckless Discharge Causing Injury and Felony Firearm.

" Real life cases with real life consequences are not wrapped up in 44 minute crime episodes. .After a thorough examination of the case, we have charged three people with a total of 30 criminal counts," said Prosecutor Worthy.

Defendants Latoiya Mitchell- Thomas and LaDon Richard are expected to be arraigned in 36th District Court Monday. An arraignment date has not been set for Michael Thomas.

• 

  Copyright 2012 by ClickOnDetroit.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

17 Sep, 2012

-
Source: http://www.clickondetroit.com/news/news/Three-charged-in-Princess-Boat-shooting/-/4714498/16630426/-/deulwbz/-/index.html
--
Manage subscription | Powered by rssforward.com

07.37 | 0 komentar | Read More

Canada auto union optimistic deals can be reached

TORONTO -

The Canadian Auto Workers union told its members they are optimistic strikes can be averted with the Detroit three automakers after the union decided to focus their talks on reaching a deal with Ford, but warned a midnight Monday strike could still happen at any or all three.

The CAW said in a letter to members that they are upbeat after focusing on Ford who they say recognizes that the union won't accept a permanent two-tier wage structure. The union said a possible deal with Ford would set a framework of an agreement with General Motors and Chrysler.

The union said Ford emerged as most likely to reach an agreement ahead of a strike deadline looming Monday night. Its contracts with all three automakers expire at midnight.

"We do not yet have a deal with Ford, there are many details still to be worked out, but our hope is to establish a framework that we will then take to General Motors and Chrysler. Even at this late stage, negotiations are fluid and it is still possible that talks with Ford could fall apart," the union wrote in the letter.

A strike at all three automakers would affect about 20,000 workers and about 16 percent of North American auto production. The CAW represents about 4,500 workers at Ford, 8,000 workers at GM and another 8,000 at Chrysler.

The union has focused talks in the past on one of the automakers with the idea of setting a template deal for all three. If the CAW reaches a deal with Ford it could extend the strike deadline for GM and Chrysler. After learning the union would focus talks on them, Ford said in a statement Sunday that it has a strong track record of working collaboratively with the CAW and that they are confident they can work together to ensure the future of their Canadian operations.

At issue is the future of Canada's auto industry.

The auto companies say Canada is the most expensive place in the world to make cars and trucks, and they could move production south if the CAW doesn't cut costs. Wages are a key issue in the talks and the union is proposing that new employees earn less only when they are first hired and then take longer to reach the top end of the wage scale.

The automakers have been pushing for a permanent wage reduction for new employees, similar to a deal the companies reached in the U.S.

Canada's advantages in the past, a weaker Canadian dollar and government health care, have all but vanished. In addition, the United Auto Workers union in the U.S. has agreed to steeper concessions than the CAW, making U.S. labor costs cheaper.

The federal Canadian and Ontario province governments worked in tandem with the U.S. government on auto bailouts in 2009 to maintain Canada's share of North American auto production. Canada's share peaked at 3.2 million cars in 1999, about 17.4 percent of North American production. In 2011, Canada produced 2.1 million vehicles, or about 16 percent.

• 

  Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

17 Sep, 2012

-
Source: http://www.clickondetroit.com/news/Canada-auto-union-optimistic-deals-can-be-reached/-/1719418/16624244/-/o0okbfz/-/index.html
--
Manage subscription | Powered by rssforward.com

07.37 | 0 komentar | Read More