News Flash

Vera WangStephen Sondheim

er. Linus Van Pelt -- Lucy's philosophical, blanket-toting younger brother -- is named after cartoonist Linus Maurer, who lives in Kenwood, Calif. Schulz and Maurer taught cartooning together at Art Instruction Schools in Minneapolis more than 50 years ago. "My nature is to be levelheaded, look for the good in things, like Linus in the strip. It's an honor to have him named after me," Maurer said. Linus Van Pelt became one of the main characters in the "Peanuts" comic strip, which at its peak ran in more than 2,600 newspapers worldwide.

Guest director: Composer Stephen Sondheim will be a guest director at the 30th Telluride Film Festival in Colorado. "Sondheim will compile a special program, a group of films, that will probably be centered on a theme that is important to him or that he enjoys," festival spokeswoman Kathy Jones said Thursday. "He also will have input with the directors of the festival on the program."

Jones said she didn't know what theme Sondheim will choose. The festival won't release the names of the films that will be shown until its Aug. 29 opening day.

Gown maker sued: A Manhattan bridesmaid has filed a lawsuit against gown maker Vera Wang, claiming she was severely injured when she stepped on a needle at the designer's Upper East Side boutique. Melissa Brennan's lawsuit, filed in State Supreme Court in Manhattan Wednesday, seeks $2 million in damages. The 27-year-old claims it was unsafe to walk around in the store because of "pins, needles and other sewing supplies" on the floor when she was being fitted for a dress in November. Brennan's lawyer, Max Leifer, said a needle was lodged in his client's foot for about a week until she underwent surgery to have it removed.

Matrix co-director loaded: New divorce documents freezing some assets of The Matrix Reloaded co-director Larry Wachowski shed light on how much the mysterious filmmaker and his brother, Andy, were paid for the sci-fi sequels. The court papers, which a Los Angeles County Superior Court judge signed May 14, restrained the brothers' company, Anarchos Productions, from disbursing "monies, property or anything of value" to Larry Wachowski. Attorneys for Wachowski's wife, Thea Bloom, made the request. She's divorcing the 37-year-old filmmaker after about nine years of marriage.

Bush Touts Tax Cuts: President Bush says the 10- year, $330 billion tax-cut plan he intends to sign this week will kick-start the economy by encouraging spending and hiring. "By leaving American families with more to spend, more to save and more to invest, these reforms will help boost the nation's economy and create jobs," Bush said Saturday from Crawford, Texas, in his weekly radio address. "When people have extra take-home pay, there's greater demand for goods and services. And employers will need more workers to meet that demand."

Memorial Day Tribute: On Monday, the National D-Day Memorial Foundation will dedicate a special tribute to the men who died on June 6, 1944, as they helped break Adolf Hitler's grasp on Europe in World War II. On Memorial Day in Bedford, Va., the foundation will dedicate the first of what it hopes will be a series of bronze plaques engraved with the men's names. So far, foundation researcher Carol Tuckwiller counts 4,142 servicemen killed. She estimates that 300 more will be added to her list -- a total far lower than the 5,600 to 12,000 typically cited.

Science Project Survives: A group of Utah students has learned that its science experiment aboard the space shuttle Columbia was found in a Texas parking lot and still could produce useful data. The aluminum box of salt crystals, an experiment by students from Moab, was recovered in Nacogdoches, Texas, a day after the Feb. 1 tragedy that killed seven astronauts. Four tiny crystals survived that could allow the students to complete their experiment. They cultivated their own crystals to compare against those sent aboard the Columbia, and hoped to learn how the lack of gravity affected crystal growth.

3 Arrested In Morocco Attacks: Three people who had been in contact with suicide bombers responsible for a series of deadly attacks in Casablanca have been arrested, authorities said Saturday. The three were among nine people sought in the investigation of the May 16 bombings, which killed 31 bystanders. Twelve suicide bombers also died. The death toll in the attacks rose Saturday when a fourth Spaniard died of his injuries, Spain's Efe news agency reported. Joan Alie Macia, 61, was inside the Casa de Espana social club, where at least 20 people died in the deadliest bombing.

Crisis Looming In Indonesia: Soldiers guarded trucks carrying fuel and other staples into Indonesia's Aceh province Saturday as the military warned that food was running out in parts of the region. Prices have doubled in some areas because of the dangers of traveling since Jakarta launched an offensive Monday to crush a 27-year-old separatist rebellion. On Thursday, UNICEF warned of a "grave humanitarian crisis" in the province. It said basic health services and programs for assisting poor families and their children had collapsed. Troops were deployed Saturday on the main roads in and out of the province, said Lt. Col. Firdaus Komarno, a military spokesman. Soldiers also were escorting trucks carrying rice and gasoline.

Afghans Protest At Embassy: Angry Afghan demonstrators hurled stones at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul on Saturday to protest this week's shooting deaths of three Afghan soldiers by U.S. Marines outside the heavily guarded compound. Carrying banners saying, "Death to America, Death to (President Hamid) Karzai," about 80 protesters marched through downtown for several hours. On a street near the embassy, they threw rocks at several passing vehicles belonging to the 5,000-strong international peacekeeping force that patrols the city, shattering windows in at least two of them. One peacekeeper was treated at a hospital for slight wounds and then released, said Lt. Col. Paul Kolken, a Dutch spokesman for the multinational force.

Fake Lipitor Recalled: An estimated 100,000 bottles labeled as the cholesterol-lowering medicine Lipitor are being recalled because they contain counterfeit pills, the Food and Drug Administration warned Friday. The FDA said the fake pills were discovered after some health complaints but would not elaborate because a criminal investigation is under way. Lipitor users should check their bottles to see if they have the fake version. The recall covers original 90-pill bottles. To spot the fake version, look for the words "Repackaged by MED-PRO Inc., Lexington, Neb." on the lower left corner of bottles that bear the following lot numbers: 20722V, expiration 09-2004; 04132V, expiration 01-2004; and 16942V, expiration 09-2004. Patients who have those recalled bottles should not take the pills but return them to the pharmacy where they were bought.

News Flash

Vera WangStephen Sondheim

er. Linus Van Pelt -- Lucy's philosophical, blanket-toting younger brother -- is named after cartoonist Linus Maurer, who lives in Kenwood, Calif. Schulz and Maurer taught cartooning together at Art Instruction Schools in Minneapolis more than 50 years ago. "My nature is to be levelheaded, look for the good in things, like Linus in the strip. It's an honor to have him named after me," Maurer said. Linus Van Pelt became one of the main characters in the "Peanuts" comic strip, which at its peak ran in more than 2,600 newspapers worldwide.

Guest director: Composer Stephen Sondheim will be a guest director at the 30th Telluride Film Festival in Colorado. "Sondheim will compile a special program, a group of films, that will probably be centered on a theme that is important to him or that he enjoys," festival spokeswoman Kathy Jones said Thursday. "He also will have input with the directors of the festival on the program."

Jones said she didn't know what theme Sondheim will choose. The festival won't release the names of the films that will be shown until its Aug. 29 opening day.

Gown maker sued: A Manhattan bridesmaid has filed a lawsuit against gown maker Vera Wang, claiming she was severely injured when she stepped on a needle at the designer's Upper East Side boutique. Melissa Brennan's lawsuit, filed in State Supreme Court in Manhattan Wednesday, seeks $2 million in damages. The 27-year-old claims it was unsafe to walk around in the store because of "pins, needles and other sewing supplies" on the floor when she was being fitted for a dress in November. Brennan's lawyer, Max Leifer, said a needle was lodged in his client's foot for about a week until she underwent surgery to have it removed.

Matrix co-director loaded: New divorce documents freezing some assets of The Matrix Reloaded co-director Larry Wachowski shed light on how much the mysterious filmmaker and his brother, Andy, were paid for the sci-fi sequels. The court papers, which a Los Angeles County Superior Court judge signed May 14, restrained the brothers' company, Anarchos Productions, from disbursing "monies, property or anything of value" to Larry Wachowski. Attorneys for Wachowski's wife, Thea Bloom, made the request. She's divorcing the 37-year-old filmmaker after about nine years of marriage.

Bush Touts Tax Cuts: President Bush says the 10- year, $330 billion tax-cut plan he intends to sign this week will kick-start the economy by encouraging spending and hiring. "By leaving American families with more to spend, more to save and more to invest, these reforms will help boost the nation's economy and create jobs," Bush said Saturday from Crawford, Texas, in his weekly radio address. "When people have extra take-home pay, there's greater demand for goods and services. And employers will need more workers to meet that demand."

Memorial Day Tribute: On Monday, the National D-Day Memorial Foundation will dedicate a special tribute to the men who died on June 6, 1944, as they helped break Adolf Hitler's grasp on Europe in World War II. On Memorial Day in Bedford, Va., the foundation will dedicate the first of what it hopes will be a series of bronze plaques engraved with the men's names. So far, foundation researcher Carol Tuckwiller counts 4,142 servicemen killed. She estimates that 300 more will be added to her list -- a total far lower than the 5,600 to 12,000 typically cited.

Science Project Survives: A group of Utah students has learned that its science experiment aboard the space shuttle Columbia was found in a Texas parking lot and still could produce useful data. The aluminum box of salt crystals, an experiment by students from Moab, was recovered in Nacogdoches, Texas, a day after the Feb. 1 tragedy that killed seven astronauts. Four tiny crystals survived that could allow the students to complete their experiment. They cultivated their own crystals to compare against those sent aboard the Columbia, and hoped to learn how the lack of gravity affected crystal growth.

3 Arrested In Morocco Attacks: Three people who had been in contact with suicide bombers responsible for a series of deadly attacks in Casablanca have been arrested, authorities said Saturday. The three were among nine people sought in the investigation of the May 16 bombings, which killed 31 bystanders. Twelve suicide bombers also died. The death toll in the attacks rose Saturday when a fourth Spaniard died of his injuries, Spain's Efe news agency reported. Joan Alie Macia, 61, was inside the Casa de Espana social club, where at least 20 people died in the deadliest bombing.

Crisis Looming In Indonesia: Soldiers guarded trucks carrying fuel and other staples into Indonesia's Aceh province Saturday as the military warned that food was running out in parts of the region. Prices have doubled in some areas because of the dangers of traveling since Jakarta launched an offensive Monday to crush a 27-year-old separatist rebellion. On Thursday, UNICEF warned of a "grave humanitarian crisis" in the province. It said basic health services and programs for assisting poor families and their children had collapsed. Troops were deployed Saturday on the main roads in and out of the province, said Lt. Col. Firdaus Komarno, a military spokesman. Soldiers also were escorting trucks carrying rice and gasoline.

Afghans Protest At Embassy: Angry Afghan demonstrators hurled stones at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul on Saturday to protest this week's shooting deaths of three Afghan soldiers by U.S. Marines outside the heavily guarded compound. Carrying banners saying, "Death to America, Death to (President Hamid) Karzai," about 80 protesters marched through downtown for several hours. On a street near the embassy, they threw rocks at several passing vehicles belonging to the 5,000-strong international peacekeeping force that patrols the city, shattering windows in at least two of them. One peacekeeper was treated at a hospital for slight wounds and then released, said Lt. Col. Paul Kolken, a Dutch spokesman for the multinational force.

Fake Lipitor Recalled: An estimated 100,000 bottles labeled as the cholesterol-lowering medicine Lipitor are being recalled because they contain counterfeit pills, the Food and Drug Administration warned Friday. The FDA said the fake pills were discovered after some health complaints but would not elaborate because a criminal investigation is under way. Lipitor users should check their bottles to see if they have the fake version. The recall covers original 90-pill bottles. To spot the fake version, look for the words "Repackaged by MED-PRO Inc., Lexington, Neb." on the lower left corner of bottles that bear the following lot numbers: 20722V, expiration 09-2004; 04132V, expiration 01-2004; and 16942V, expiration 09-2004. Patients who have those recalled bottles should not take the pills but return them to the pharmacy where they were bought.

News Flash

Vera WangStephen Sondheim

er. Linus Van Pelt -- Lucy's philosophical, blanket-toting younger brother -- is named after cartoonist Linus Maurer, who lives in Kenwood, Calif. Schulz and Maurer taught cartooning together at Art Instruction Schools in Minneapolis more than 50 years ago. "My nature is to be levelheaded, look for the good in things, like Linus in the strip. It's an honor to have him named after me," Maurer said. Linus Van Pelt became one of the main characters in the "Peanuts" comic strip, which at its peak ran in more than 2,600 newspapers worldwide.

Guest director: Composer Stephen Sondheim will be a guest director at the 30th Telluride Film Festival in Colorado. "Sondheim will compile a special program, a group of films, that will probably be centered on a theme that is important to him or that he enjoys," festival spokeswoman Kathy Jones said Thursday. "He also will have input with the directors of the festival on the program."

Jones said she didn't know what theme Sondheim will choose. The festival won't release the names of the films that will be shown until its Aug. 29 opening day.

Gown maker sued: A Manhattan bridesmaid has filed a lawsuit against gown maker Vera Wang, claiming she was severely injured when she stepped on a needle at the designer's Upper East Side boutique. Melissa Brennan's lawsuit, filed in State Supreme Court in Manhattan Wednesday, seeks $2 million in damages. The 27-year-old claims it was unsafe to walk around in the store because of "pins, needles and other sewing supplies" on the floor when she was being fitted for a dress in November. Brennan's lawyer, Max Leifer, said a needle was lodged in his client's foot for about a week until she underwent surgery to have it removed.

Matrix co-director loaded: New divorce documents freezing some assets of The Matrix Reloaded co-director Larry Wachowski shed light on how much the mysterious filmmaker and his brother, Andy, were paid for the sci-fi sequels. The court papers, which a Los Angeles County Superior Court judge signed May 14, restrained the brothers' company, Anarchos Productions, from disbursing "monies, property or anything of value" to Larry Wachowski. Attorneys for Wachowski's wife, Thea Bloom, made the request. She's divorcing the 37-year-old filmmaker after about nine years of marriage.

Bush Touts Tax Cuts: President Bush says the 10- year, $330 billion tax-cut plan he intends to sign this week will kick-start the economy by encouraging spending and hiring. "By leaving American families with more to spend, more to save and more to invest, these reforms will help boost the nation's economy and create jobs," Bush said Saturday from Crawford, Texas, in his weekly radio address. "When people have extra take-home pay, there's greater demand for goods and services. And employers will need more workers to meet that demand."

Memorial Day Tribute: On Monday, the National D-Day Memorial Foundation will dedicate a special tribute to the men who died on June 6, 1944, as they helped break Adolf Hitler's grasp on Europe in World War II. On Memorial Day in Bedford, Va., the foundation will dedicate the first of what it hopes will be a series of bronze plaques engraved with the men's names. So far, foundation researcher Carol Tuckwiller counts 4,142 servicemen killed. She estimates that 300 more will be added to her list -- a total far lower than the 5,600 to 12,000 typically cited.

Science Project Survives: A group of Utah students has learned that its science experiment aboard the space shuttle Columbia was found in a Texas parking lot and still could produce useful data. The aluminum box of salt crystals, an experiment by students from Moab, was recovered in Nacogdoches, Texas, a day after the Feb. 1 tragedy that killed seven astronauts. Four tiny crystals survived that could allow the students to complete their experiment. They cultivated their own crystals to compare against those sent aboard the Columbia, and hoped to learn how the lack of gravity affected crystal growth.

3 Arrested In Morocco Attacks: Three people who had been in contact with suicide bombers responsible for a series of deadly attacks in Casablanca have been arrested, authorities said Saturday. The three were among nine people sought in the investigation of the May 16 bombings, which killed 31 bystanders. Twelve suicide bombers also died. The death toll in the attacks rose Saturday when a fourth Spaniard died of his injuries, Spain's Efe news agency reported. Joan Alie Macia, 61, was inside the Casa de Espana social club, where at least 20 people died in the deadliest bombing.

Crisis Looming In Indonesia: Soldiers guarded trucks carrying fuel and other staples into Indonesia's Aceh province Saturday as the military warned that food was running out in parts of the region. Prices have doubled in some areas because of the dangers of traveling since Jakarta launched an offensive Monday to crush a 27-year-old separatist rebellion. On Thursday, UNICEF warned of a "grave humanitarian crisis" in the province. It said basic health services and programs for assisting poor families and their children had collapsed. Troops were deployed Saturday on the main roads in and out of the province, said Lt. Col. Firdaus Komarno, a military spokesman. Soldiers also were escorting trucks carrying rice and gasoline.

Afghans Protest At Embassy: Angry Afghan demonstrators hurled stones at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul on Saturday to protest this week's shooting deaths of three Afghan soldiers by U.S. Marines outside the heavily guarded compound. Carrying banners saying, "Death to America, Death to (President Hamid) Karzai," about 80 protesters marched through downtown for several hours. On a street near the embassy, they threw rocks at several passing vehicles belonging to the 5,000-strong international peacekeeping force that patrols the city, shattering windows in at least two of them. One peacekeeper was treated at a hospital for slight wounds and then released, said Lt. Col. Paul Kolken, a Dutch spokesman for the multinational force.

Fake Lipitor Recalled: An estimated 100,000 bottles labeled as the cholesterol-lowering medicine Lipitor are being recalled because they contain counterfeit pills, the Food and Drug Administration warned Friday. The FDA said the fake pills were discovered after some health complaints but would not elaborate because a criminal investigation is under way. Lipitor users should check their bottles to see if they have the fake version. The recall covers original 90-pill bottles. To spot the fake version, look for the words "Repackaged by MED-PRO Inc., Lexington, Neb." on the lower left corner of bottles that bear the following lot numbers: 20722V, expiration 09-2004; 04132V, expiration 01-2004; and 16942V, expiration 09-2004. Patients who have those recalled bottles should not take the pills but return them to the pharmacy where they were bought.

News Flash

Vera WangStephen Sondheim

er. Linus Van Pelt -- Lucy's philosophical, blanket-toting younger brother -- is named after cartoonist Linus Maurer, who lives in Kenwood, Calif. Schulz and Maurer taught cartooning together at Art Instruction Schools in Minneapolis more than 50 years ago. "My nature is to be levelheaded, look for the good in things, like Linus in the strip. It's an honor to have him named after me," Maurer said. Linus Van Pelt became one of the main characters in the "Peanuts" comic strip, which at its peak ran in more than 2,600 newspapers worldwide.

Guest director: Composer Stephen Sondheim will be a guest director at the 30th Telluride Film Festival in Colorado. "Sondheim will compile a special program, a group of films, that will probably be centered on a theme that is important to him or that he enjoys," festival spokeswoman Kathy Jones said Thursday. "He also will have input with the directors of the festival on the program."

Jones said she didn't know what theme Sondheim will choose. The festival won't release the names of the films that will be shown until its Aug. 29 opening day.

Gown maker sued: A Manhattan bridesmaid has filed a lawsuit against gown maker Vera Wang, claiming she was severely injured when she stepped on a needle at the designer's Upper East Side boutique. Melissa Brennan's lawsuit, filed in State Supreme Court in Manhattan Wednesday, seeks $2 million in damages. The 27-year-old claims it was unsafe to walk around in the store because of "pins, needles and other sewing supplies" on the floor when she was being fitted for a dress in November. Brennan's lawyer, Max Leifer, said a needle was lodged in his client's foot for about a week until she underwent surgery to have it removed.

Matrix co-director loaded: New divorce documents freezing some assets of The Matrix Reloaded co-director Larry Wachowski shed light on how much the mysterious filmmaker and his brother, Andy, were paid for the sci-fi sequels. The court papers, which a Los Angeles County Superior Court judge signed May 14, restrained the brothers' company, Anarchos Productions, from disbursing "monies, property or anything of value" to Larry Wachowski. Attorneys for Wachowski's wife, Thea Bloom, made the request. She's divorcing the 37-year-old filmmaker after about nine years of marriage.

Bush Touts Tax Cuts: President Bush says the 10- year, $330 billion tax-cut plan he intends to sign this week will kick-start the economy by encouraging spending and hiring. "By leaving American families with more to spend, more to save and more to invest, these reforms will help boost the nation's economy and create jobs," Bush said Saturday from Crawford, Texas, in his weekly radio address. "When people have extra take-home pay, there's greater demand for goods and services. And employers will need more workers to meet that demand."

Memorial Day Tribute: On Monday, the National D-Day Memorial Foundation will dedicate a special tribute to the men who died on June 6, 1944, as they helped break Adolf Hitler's grasp on Europe in World War II. On Memorial Day in Bedford, Va., the foundation will dedicate the first of what it hopes will be a series of bronze plaques engraved with the men's names. So far, foundation researcher Carol Tuckwiller counts 4,142 servicemen killed. She estimates that 300 more will be added to her list -- a total far lower than the 5,600 to 12,000 typically cited.

Science Project Survives: A group of Utah students has learned that its science experiment aboard the space shuttle Columbia was found in a Texas parking lot and still could produce useful data. The aluminum box of salt crystals, an experiment by students from Moab, was recovered in Nacogdoches, Texas, a day after the Feb. 1 tragedy that killed seven astronauts. Four tiny crystals survived that could allow the students to complete their experiment. They cultivated their own crystals to compare against those sent aboard the Columbia, and hoped to learn how the lack of gravity affected crystal growth.

3 Arrested In Morocco Attacks: Three people who had been in contact with suicide bombers responsible for a series of deadly attacks in Casablanca have been arrested, authorities said Saturday. The three were among nine people sought in the investigation of the May 16 bombings, which killed 31 bystanders. Twelve suicide bombers also died. The death toll in the attacks rose Saturday when a fourth Spaniard died of his injuries, Spain's Efe news agency reported. Joan Alie Macia, 61, was inside the Casa de Espana social club, where at least 20 people died in the deadliest bombing.

Crisis Looming In Indonesia: Soldiers guarded trucks carrying fuel and other staples into Indonesia's Aceh province Saturday as the military warned that food was running out in parts of the region. Prices have doubled in some areas because of the dangers of traveling since Jakarta launched an offensive Monday to crush a 27-year-old separatist rebellion. On Thursday, UNICEF warned of a "grave humanitarian crisis" in the province. It said basic health services and programs for assisting poor families and their children had collapsed. Troops were deployed Saturday on the main roads in and out of the province, said Lt. Col. Firdaus Komarno, a military spokesman. Soldiers also were escorting trucks carrying rice and gasoline.

Afghans Protest At Embassy: Angry Afghan demonstrators hurled stones at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul on Saturday to protest this week's shooting deaths of three Afghan soldiers by U.S. Marines outside the heavily guarded compound. Carrying banners saying, "Death to America, Death to (President Hamid) Karzai," about 80 protesters marched through downtown for several hours. On a street near the embassy, they threw rocks at several passing vehicles belonging to the 5,000-strong international peacekeeping force that patrols the city, shattering windows in at least two of them. One peacekeeper was treated at a hospital for slight wounds and then released, said Lt. Col. Paul Kolken, a Dutch spokesman for the multinational force.

Fake Lipitor Recalled: An estimated 100,000 bottles labeled as the cholesterol-lowering medicine Lipitor are being recalled because they contain counterfeit pills, the Food and Drug Administration warned Friday. The FDA said the fake pills were discovered after some health complaints but would not elaborate because a criminal investigation is under way. Lipitor users should check their bottles to see if they have the fake version. The recall covers original 90-pill bottles. To spot the fake version, look for the words "Repackaged by MED-PRO Inc., Lexington, Neb." on the lower left corner of bottles that bear the following lot numbers: 20722V, expiration 09-2004; 04132V, expiration 01-2004; and 16942V, expiration 09-2004. Patients who have those recalled bottles should not take the pills but return them to the pharmacy where they were bought.