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May 21, 2010

CELL PHONE SPY DANGERS

A CBS4 I-Team investigation into your safety and security raises troubling questions about your cell phone and how it might be used against you.

By Stephen Stock - Page 10

I-Team: Feds Canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t Track Medicare Fraud

Missing Money: Where And How To Recover It

What Caused The Great Housing Maelstrom?

UM Research Team Unveils Cancer Breakthrough

Bringing Down The Curtain On Beloved Series

Baseball Team Goes To Bat For Cancer Research

Auto Loan Scams Lead To Congressional Scrutiny

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May 21, 2010

I-Team: Feds Can’t Track Medicare Fraud Reporting Stephen Stock MIAMI (CBS4) — President Barack Obama a n d Congressional leaders hope to use money recovered from Medicare fraud to help pay for health care reform. But the CBS4 I-Team has learned that might not be so easy. Why? Because the agency that administers Medicare can’t tell you how much money is spent on improper payments. It’s all part of an I-Team investigation into your tax dollars taken from you in the form of fraudulent Medicare payments. Six months ago, the I-Team first exposed how South Florida is at the center of the nation’s Medicare fraud crisis and how easy Medicare fraud is to accomplish. Now a report from the investigative arm of the US Congress shows the federal government may be moving too fast to reform the system and it could be costing taxpayers even more. I-Team Investigator Stephen Stock followed the federal agents as they try to follow the Medicare money. “This health care debate has been hard on my health,” said President Barack Obama at a health care reform rally in St. Louis earlier in 2010. From the start President Obama made stopping Medicare fraud part of reforming the nation’s health care system and he pointed to the massive amount of money that could be saved and used elsewhere. “It’s estimated that improper payments cost taxpayers almost $100 billion last year alone,” the President told the St. Louis audience. During the health care debate in late 2009 and early 2010, the President and Congressional Democrats consistently argued that saving money by stopping fraud will help foot the bill for the higher costs associated with other parts of health care reform.

And the president made stopping improper Medicare payments one of the top priorities of his new administration. “Sometimes they (improper Medicare payments) are innocent errors,” the President said in St. Louis. “Sometimes they are because nobody is bothering to check to see where the money is going and they are abused by scam artists and fly-by-night operations.” A joint six-month investigation by the CBS4 I-Team and 60 Minutes showed first hand, through undercover video, how easy it can be to buy and sell Medicare numbers and to fraudulently bill Medicare without providing any medical services in return. “It’s a crime that’s just too easy to do right now,” said FBI agent Brian Waterman, a lead investigator on the Medicare fraud task force operating in South Florida.

investigators say they must have to act fast in order to stop all the fraud. “We’re talking millions of dollars in a month,” Waterman said “Thirty, 60, 90 days, that’s as long as these businesses are open.” That means the FBI has to have data and information quickly, within 30 days or less in order to catch the fraudulent Medicare storefronts before they shut down and move on. “(Right now) they (the fraudulent storefronts) simply open up get paid as much as they can,” said Waterman. “When law enforcement gets aware of it in sixty, ninety days they (the fraudulent storefronts) close shop and move on and open up in the next place.”

I-Team

Now a report by the General Accountability Office, the GAO, calls into question whether the feds can ever hope to provide that timely information.

“It’s as simple as going out opening up a medical equipment company and when I say opening up a company I’m not talking about some elaborate building,” said FBI agent Waterman.

The 62 page performance audit from the GAO, the investigative arm of Congress, follows the money trail of Medicare contractors that paid out about $310 Billion dollars in payments from 2004 to 2008.

“I’m talking about renting some space, ten feet by ten feet,” said Waterman. “You get a couple of cabinets and a couple of shelves, a desk, maybe a computer, maybe not. You get yourself an occupational license and you apply to Medicare.”

The GAO audit found CMS can’t determine if hundreds of millions of your tax dollars were spent properly in some cases or improperly in others. And it can’t give a definitive amount of what’s spent on improper payments.

“And you get a couple of other documents and you’re in business (to bill Medicare without providing any medical services),” Waterman said.

The GAO found quote “CMS’s total costs and savings ... for Medicare... reform are uncertain.”

“How easy is it?” asked investigator Stephen Stock.

Despite all the attention from the I-Team and 60 Minutes’ investigation and despite special task forces set up by the federal government around the country to catch Medicare fraud, the CBS4 I-Team has learned the agency that administers Medicare, called “CMS” still cannot say exactly how much, if any money has been saved by what’s passed so far as Medicare reform. In fact, government investigators say CMS still can’t accurately track improper Medicare payments. That lack of tracking ability means the loss of real-time data and information that

And “It (CMS) has not provided information on... major source of savings, (or) reduced improper payments.” The GAO says CMS has made quote “some progress” in monitoring and reducing fraud, waste and abuse” but that some of these new systems have also caused long delays in some Medicare payment cases that are legitimate. “We’re going to double the prison time,” said U.S. Representative Ron Klein of Broward County. Klein was talking about a new bill he’s proposed to get tough on Medicare fraud.

As a result of the I-Team’s investigation, the Democratic Congressman Klein joined with his Republican colleague, U.S. Representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen in cosponsoring the new bill. At a rally in Little Havana, on April 13, 2010, Congressman Klein and Congresswoman Ros-Lehtinen announced that if the bill becomes law it would be a first step towards fixing the disorganization within Medicare that results in massive fraud. “The time is now, health care this is important part of health care debate,” said Representative Klein. But the rough start in reforming Medicare found by this GAO audit poses a frustrating challenge to those on the streets trying to catch and stop actual fraud such as FBI agent Waterman. “At the end of the day we are the people who are paying into the system,” said Waterman. “I pay into it. You pay into it.” “Any American who has a job, (they’re) paying into this system in the hopes that when you turn 62 or you turn 65 that this will be there,” Waterman said. “And I think the big problem is if we allow this (fraud) to continue the way it’s going, it (Medicare) is not going to be there for us (when we retire),” said Waterman. While there has been some progress toward real Medicare reform, the GAO found Medicare’s administrators may have moved TOO quickly trying to create reform in some areas. This, the GAO audit found creates “backlogs” and “claims payment delays” to legitimate Medicare providers and patients. That means those who really need Medicare payments are suffering now because of these latest attempts to stop all this fraud. (© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

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I-Team: Sex Offender Living In Hotel Faces Judge Reporting Michele Gillen M I A M I (CBS4 ITEAM) — A child sex predator appeared to be on the prowl again according to the latest allegations leveled against him; he is one of the men featured by the CBS4 I-Team as living in a Miami hotel amid unsuspecting guests. Friday, the father of his latest alleged victim faced him in court. “Mommy,” a little boy called out and hugged his mother at home while his father tried to emotionally prepare himself to face sex predator Yatwing Chang in a Miami-Dade courtroom Friday. “My heart feels like it is going to explode,” said the dad, who CBS4 interviewed in silhouette to protect the identity of his child. He spoke exclusively to Chief I-Team investigator Michele Gillen outside court Friday awaiting Yatwing Chang to be brought in. Chang was discovered living at Miami’s Homestead Studio Suites Hotel amid other sex offenders and unsuspecting guests traveling with children. His most recent arrest came to light as Wes Bledsoe, Founder of A Perfect Cause, continued his investigation and review of sex offenders and predators living in hotels and motels across America. Chang allegedly sexually assaulted a 4year old boy, as the child was recently out shopping with his mom at a South Florida Winn Dixie. “I am going to try to leave this guy really behind bars, because my son is really traumatized,” says the dad, who CBS4 is calling ‘Robert.’ According to the child’s mom, she was shopping for a candle to pray with as she was facing surgery the next day. When her eyes turned to see her son, he appeared to be in shock and told her the man had grabbed him in his private

parts. She ran through the store and with another customer held onto Chang, who she says was yelling,”Let me go, I am an offender and on probation.” The Good Samaritan would not release Chang until police got there and arrested him. “This gentleman is out there targeting these young kids, innocent young kids,” says Robert. Chang had been living under the Julia Tuttle Bridge until he was placed -- at taxpayer expense -- at the Homestead Studio Suites Hotel. “There was so many offenders, I was just in shock, and it’s our tax dollars. It’s incredible,” the dad told Gillen, saying he had watched her previous investigative report exposing the hidden crisis of sex offenders and predators living at the hotel amid unsuspecting families traveling with children. He continued: “I say it’s a ticking bomb in their head, and if they see their next victim they are going to take that chance.” Chang had been sentenced to 10 years community supervision for attempting to molest another South Florida little boy. That child’s mother turned up in court to give support to the family of Chang’s latest alleged victim. And because this latest alleged crime would be a probation violation, the presiding judge, the Honorable Peter Lopez, will take that matter up first. Without seating a jury, he can decide whether Chang is guilty and deserving of a prison sentence that could run as long as 90 years.That hearing is now set for August. In the meantime, it will be a long, hot and anxious summer for one family that takes solace in knowing that Chang remains in jail without bond and might be sent to prison, for life. (© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.) NEWS POWERED BY

May 21, 2010

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May 21, 2010

I-Team: Dade’s Car Lease Program Is Up For Debate Reporting M i c h a e l Williams MIAMI (CBS4 I-TEAM) — Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Alvarez is in a new hot seat. This one will soon find him behind the wheel of a BMW 550I luxury sedan. He is set to lease it in the coming days under a longstanding county car allowance program. It allows top county executives and commissioners to spend up to $800 per month on car leases. Alvarez’s lease will be north of $1000 per

month; he will pay the difference out of his own pocket. In a time of huge budget and program cuts perception is everything and Alvarez is defending himself. He told CBS4’s Michael Williams, “The big question is not whether I drive a BMW, because I have been driving one for ten years. The bigger question is (whether) this is a benefit that should be continued. I think it is something that needs to be looked at.” In 1992 Miami-Dade began offering the allowance/lease option, but hard times now put everything on the table. “Is it fair? Is it time to change?” Alvarez said. “Those are valid questions but I don’t think the mayor should be singled out as the person doing this because it is just not accurate.”

County documents show commissioners are leasing or renting cars - from a Cadillac to a Lexus to an Infiniti and a Honda Pilot for lease prices ranging from $674 a month to more than $950 a month. A frustrated Alvarez said, “We have reduced the budget of the county executive office by upwards of $2 million. Anyone mention that? I mean, two million, and we focus on the mayor’s BMW.” I asked Alvarez if he was ignoring the value of symbolism. He said, “There will always be something for symbolism and I am not willing to live my life like that. I mean, because someone points out something I am supposed to react even though it is not wrong and (the program) has been around 20 years. What will be

next?” What is next includes wrestling with declining property values and an ongoing budget crisis. Tens of millions of dollars are at stake for county programs. Car leases and other perks may be drops in that bucket but they are creating big ripples of discontent at a time when government leaders are preaching austerity. (© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

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Immigration Taking Center Stage In Fla. Politics Reporting M i c h a e l Williams MIAMI (CBS4) — Bill McCollum, Florida’s Republican A t t o r n e y General, wants to be the next governor, so does Rick Scott. He is the former health care executive who is pouring millions of dollars into a statewide ad blitz touting his conservative credentials. It is working for now at least. Scott is climbing in the polls. McCollum has to be worried about trying to cement his current frontrunner status and party base in the August primary. All of that is a preamble to the hot button issue now pushing toward the forefront of Florida politics this year: immigration. Scott backs the new Arizona immigration law—the toughest one in the nation—that allows local police there to question people they suspect may be illegally in the U.S. McCollum opposed the law a few weeks ago, but no more. He says tweaks to the law in Arizona have now earned his support. McCollum said, “I opposed the original Arizona law. They amended that law so now nobody can be stopped, unless there is

some original reason to do that. Nobody can be checked for immigration papers unless there is a stop for some offense, some citation, some crime.” Miami Democratic State Senator Frederica Wilson is running for Congress. Her response Friday to McCollum’s decision speaks volumes about the passions about to pour from all parts of the political spectrum in Florida. Wilson told CBS4’s Michael Williams, “I am disappointed in our head cop. He is the head policeman of the state of Florida. He should know better. He should know people deserve equal rights. I am so disappointed in Bill McCollum.” McCollum is not going to be deterred. He also said, “I said now that it (Arizona law) is amended and changed, if the federal government fails to enforce immigration laws I would consider supporting a law similar to that in Florida.” Let the debate begin. Every Florida candidate—regardless of their position— will now be compelled to wade into one of the biggest political and policy minefields in the nation. On Friday a small group of activists stood outside Sun Life Stadium Friday in a show of solidarity against the new Arizona immigration law. The protesters want

Major League Baseball to pull the 2011 MLB All-Star game out of Phoenix if the law isn’t repealed.

conservative Anglo voter. However, they can’t move too far to the right or they could lose the Hispanic vote completely.

“This reminds me of the days of Nazi Germany of the 1930s and 1940s when people were selected because they didn’t have the proper looks or the proper identification,” said Rabbi Solomon Schiff.

If the Democrats secure the vote of the Hispanic population, it could lead to big gains for the next 20 to 30 years.

Republican Senate candidate Marco Rubio also flip-flopped his opposition to support the Arizona law. It was McCollum who said just two weeks ago that the Arizona law was “far out.” Rubio and McCollum both changed positions after they said amendments were made to theoretically rule out ethnic or racial profiling. The move by McCollum to the right to support the Arizona immigration law could be at his own political peril. Legal experts say McCollum’s likely to lose his much ballyhooed lawsuit over health care. Now, by supporting the Arizona law, he’s putting himself at odds with the state’s heavy Hispanic population. Hispanics in Florida have traditionally supported Republicans, but with 70 percent of Hispanics opposing the Arizona law, it’s putting more pressure on the GOP to take a very precarious position. On the one hand, they have to appeal to the more

But, McCollum hopes voters can look past the flip-flop, see his position now, and hope voters won’t desert him. “I hope they don’t, because I very frankly hope they understand that my position has been the same all along. Arizona has changed its law,” McCollum told CBS4’s Gio Benitez. Florida Chief Financial Officer and Democratic Gubernatorial candidate Alex Sink along with Independent Florida Governor and senate candidate Charlie Crist both oppose the new law. The group of protesters plans to be back out at the stadium next Monday when the Arizona Diamondbacks come to Sun Life Stadium for a series.

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May 21, 2010

I-Team: Cell Phone Spy Dangers Reporting Stephen Stock MIAMI (CBS4) — A CBS4 IT e a m investigation into your safety and security raises troubling questions about your cell phone and how it might be used against you. We’re not talking about how a cell phone and its records could be used in a court of law, although that’s a possibility too, but how it can be used as a tool to spy on your life by people meant to do you harm. What’s worse, the technology is so advanced that experts say people can spy on you using your cell phone and you will have no idea it’s even happening. I-Team investigator Stephen Stock spent the last six months researching how this technology works. Talking, texting and tweeting you see it all the time. If they appear to be everywhere, the US Census bureau says they truly are. In a nation of 309 Million people officials estimate there are as many as 200 million cell phones. The majority of Americans use all these cell phones to talk, text or tweet. But all this high tech communication hides a dark and troubling danger. “I don’t think the general public is aware how insidious this can be,” said private investigator and cell phone spyware expert Tim Wilcox. Wilcox owns and runs one of the premier private investigative companies in the country, International Investigators, Inc. International Investigators does a lot of things. But one the company’s specialties and expertise is uncovering and exposing hidden spy tools like bugs in cell phones and other appliances. “It takes about 90 seconds to download the spyware and you’re in business,” said Wilcox of some versions of this software that can be loaded onto someone’s cell phone. The spyware is a lurking danger that turns your cell phone into a secret listening device, an instrument used to spy against you. Worse yet, you’ll likely never know it is on your phone.

“There could be anywhere from three to five or six million cell phones that are infected with spyware (at any one time),” said Wilcox. This spyware, otherwise called malware, can be found through a simple search on the Internet. The software can be loaded onto your phone in a matter of minutes or even seconds. Once it is on your phone and operating it can turn your cell phone against you. “I put $70 malware onto a phone (for demonstration) through blue tooth and then onto this computer,” said Daniel Smith, an expert in uncovering and defeating this type of spyware. Smith, a recent graduate of Purdue University’s College of Technology, is an expert at finding and getting rid of malware on all kinds of computers and cell phones. Smith works for International Investigators, Inc. And he travels the country investigating complaints of people who believe their cell phones are being used to spy on them. “That’s the file name that’s controlling my phone,” Smith said as he showed the I-Team a small piece of computer code, four short lines, hidden among millions of lines of computer programming language that run his cell phone and all its applicatons. Smith demonstrated for the CBS4 I-Team how easy it can be to install and listen in and how hard it is to detect that the malware is even present. “This is what we’re looking for?” asked ITeam investigator Stephen Stock pointing to the computer screen. “Four lines of code?”

versions of the software the I-Team ran into several glitches. Sometimes the software allowed us to “spy” and sometimes it didn’t. The I-Team discovered this type of spyware doesn’t always work on all cell phones. The older and less sophisticated the phone, apparently the harder it is to use them to “spy.”

To learn more about the risks associated with spyware on your cell phone the I-Team also traveled to Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana, to talk to one of the world’s experts on cyber-security, Richard Mislan.

But once the I-Team got the software working, the capability was scary. The ITeam could read all of Jawan’s e-mails. The I-Team read all of his text messages.

“It (the cell phone) becomes a monitor of you and the use of your phone,” said Mislan, Assistant Professor at Purdue’s College of Technology.

I-Team investigator Stephen Stock also got alerts on his cell phone every time Jawan got a call, an e-mail or a text. That way Stock could monitor Jawan’s incoming communication at all times.

Assistant Professor Mislan also serves on the FBI’s Cyber Crimes Task Force, is Editor of Small Scale Digital Device Forensics Journal and is director of Mobile Forensics World.

And even though Jawan met meeting behind closed doors with news director Cesar Aldama and assistant news director Nick Bourne, even with the blackberry turned off, investigator Stock could still dial in and listen to the conversation while standing several miles away.

Mislan and his students at Purdue’s College of Technology research just about anything you can think of when it comes to cell phones.

And the closed-door meetings’ participants would never have known that Stock was listening had the I-Team not told them. Remember the cell phone was off. Despite that, Stock was able to use the spyware to dial in and listen using the Blackberry’s speaker feature. Experts say that same thing can be done using a cell phone’s camera feature. The spyware also allows someone to listen in on cell phone calls in real time, as they are happening.

“Four lines of code,” said Smith. “That is the file in the computer, the spyware.”

The I-Team also used the spyware to track our expert, Daniel Smith’s, movements in real time. All while he was in Indiana, as the I-Team sat in Miami.

These four lines of instructions hide a program that allows the person who installed it on your phone to take every bit of information from your cell phone, your pictures, your personal addresses, your data, your life.

All of this is illegal in the United States without a court warrant. However, this spyware software is sold on the Internet by offshore companies.

“Now you have a list of everything that’s on my phone,” said Smith as he showed how the spyware quickly downloaded everything from his cell phone for the I-Team to view on another, disconnected computer. To find out exactly how this all works, the CBS4 I-Team bought and installed several versions of spyware on anchor Jawan Strader’s blackberry. We did all of this with his knowledge and participation. During the installation and running of some

“We get three to four every day,” replied Wilcox.

Our experts say as many as 5 to 6% of all cell phones in the US may have once had or now have this spyware on them. “This is a stack of the complaints we get from people worried about their phones being infected with spyware,” said Tim Wilcox as he showed the I-Team a thick folder filled with e-mails and letters from people complaining that someone apparently is spying on them. “And you get three or four of these a week?” asked I-Team investigator Stock.

Mislan says this spyware technology ability to spy is limited only by your phone’s capabilities. “The phones are getting more advanced,” said Mislan. “And so when that happens obviously there to be had on those phone. And so say we added a video at this point or a video camera option on this phone. Well maybe now there’s an exploit that allows me to say ‘open up that video camera and let me record everything happening right now.’” Mislan’s office is filled with old, used phones used in his research. Some of the old phones date back to the beginning of cell phones. Others are the most advanced, high tech mobile tools on the market. Mislan said he worries that the public and even government regulators don’t realize the safety and security risks this spyware poses to the public. “Eventually something is going to happen for us to really step back (and assess and do something about this),” said Mislan. While he doesn’t like to talk about his clients and said there are things he is prohibited from saying, research papers published by Mislan show he and his team have done work for the CIA, the FBI, the National Security Agency and military intelligence. continued

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I-Team: Cell Phone Spy Dangers and for requiring proof of probable cause.

continued As for the risk to the public posed by this technology, Mislan speaks freely and unequivocally. “The more high profile phones you go, the smarter they are, the more data that can be exploited,” said Mislan. In fact, the federal government is using this technology to check out American citizens without a warrant. The I-Team learned of a half dozen cases across the country in states as varied as New Jersey, West Virginia, Maryland, Texas, New York and Pennsylvania, where federal magistrates were asked to throw out cases because federal agents had tracked people in real time through their cell phone. In these cases this cell phone monitoring took place without a hearing, without a warrant without even legal probable cause. One of the cases has now gone to a Federal Court of Appeals in Pennsylvania. “It’s an incredibly intrusive thing for the government to be able to track you,” said Jay Stanley of the American Civil Liberties Union.

Stanley heads the technology and liberty program at the American Civil Liberties headquarters in Washington, D.C. The ACLU has joined some of the court cases listed above in fighting some of the federal prosecutors’ actions. “It’s not that hard if you’re a bad guy then they can get a warrant on you. If you’re not a bad guy then why do they want to track you?” said Stanley. Stanley, the ACLU and the Electronic Frontier Foundation have joined efforts in at least two federal cases trying to stop this use of spying on citizens through cell phones without a court order. “The government is trying to claim they should be able to get location information about your phone both where you’ve been in the past and also in some cases tracking you in real time without going through the Fourth Amendment,” said Stanley. “And without showing a probable cause that you’re involved in wrongdoing and getting a warrant.” So far, in all but one case the federal magistrates, judges, even an appeals court, have ruled against the federal investigators

“If I told somebody back in 1975, ‘You know what, in 30 years every American practically is going to be carrying a tracking device with them that tells the government everywhere they go live and in real time,’” said Stanley. “That person would have said I guess that means the Soviet Union is going to win the Cold War.” Tim Wilcox’s company, International Investigators Inc., has uncovered more than 500 different types of spyware on cell phones in the last three months alone. So how can you protect yourself? Experts say that first, always use a password to get into your phone and change it regularly. Second, never leave your cell phone out of your site in a public environment, even at work. Third never open e-mail attachments that even seem strange or e-mail that you don’t know the origins of. And if you suspect someone’s listening, take the battery out.

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May 21, 2010

I-Team: Charges Dropped In Miami Corruption Cases Reporting Jim DeFede MIAMI (CBS4 I-TEAM) — One month after Miami Mayor Tomas Regalado declared “the beginning of the end of the culture of corruption in the city of Miami,” with the arrests of eight individuals on a variety of charges; Miami-Dade prosecutors have dropped four of the cases Friday morning, saying no crime had been committed. The decision by State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle to not pursue charges against four employees of two nonprofit groups in the city of Miami was a direct repudiation of both Regalado and Miami Police Chief Miguel Exposito. Prosecutors in Rundle’s office had warned investigators that no crime had been committed, but police went ahead and made the arrests anyway allowing both Regalado and Exposito to hold a highly publicized press conference. The decision to not prosecute, as first CBS4 I-Team reporter Jim DeFede first reported on Thursday night, means all charges were dropped against Johnnie Brown and Vincent Cobham -- who worked for a nonprofit agency, called the Alternative Programs; or Laura and Fernando Gonzalez, who operated Vecinos en Accion – or Neighbors in Action. Police claimed they took money to falsify paperwork for court ordered community service. “It was very sad for me to see my wife handcuffed for nothing that she ever had done,” Fernando Gonzalez said Thursday. He said he was relieved the charges were being dropped. “We are really happy, we want to say thank you to our community for the support,” Fernando said.

In the case of Brown and Cobham, police presented the case to prosecutors last month. Joe Centorino, the head of the State Attorney’s Office Public Corruption Unit, explained to police that they could not prosecute the case.

the case against Laura and Fernando Gonzalez the police didn’t even bother to inform prosecutors about their pending arrest, since they knew the answer from prosecutors would have been the same -don’t arrest them.

“Based on what we saw at the time, we did not believe state law covered it as a crime,” said Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle. “It doesn’t mean we like what they did, but they were not specifically excluded from doing it by state statute.”

Chief Exposito put out a strongly worded statement to emphasize that charges remain against three different public officials. He went on to say, “The Miami Police Department initiated these arrests based upon the premise of ‘Probable Cause’ as required by law. In addition to that, affidavits for the arrests were prepared and presented to a circuit court judge who scrutinized the affidavits and signed them.”

Police claim Brown and Cobham accepted money from an undercover officer rather than complete a courtmandated program. But according to prosecutors the men did not commit theft because the money Brown and Cobham are accused of stealing was given to them by undercover officers. It can’t be theft if the money was freely given. Second, prosecutors said the crimes do not amount to fraud because Brown and Cobham gave the undercover officer exactly what they promised. In return for the money they didn’t have to complete the program. So, prosecutors say, there is no fraud. They also can’t charge the men with bribery because the men are not city employees and bribery – under the law – can only take place if the person receiving the bribe is a government employee. In this case the men worked for a nonprofit organization. Hester Lawrence Brown is Johnny’s mother. “The boy didn’t do anything wrong and they just false [sic] accused him,” Johnny’s mother Hester Lawrence Brown said. “Now, he’s in the hospital. They traumatized him with what they done. [sic] He’s in very bad condition.” And yet knowing that prosecutors could not proceed with the case, Chief Exposito decided to go ahead with the arrests against Brown and Cobham anyway. And since the facts were exactly the same in

Chief Exposito’s most stern comment in the statement said, “Chief Exposito stands firm in that all of the arrests made on April 8, 2010 were legally sound and that the Miami Police Department will continue to root out corruption in the city of Miami through its investigative arm.” (his emphasis added) When Exposito was interviewed last month about the decision to proceed even though Rundle and her prosecutors had warned them against it, Exposito said: “Well, this is her opinion. We got differing opinions from other attorneys.” But in the end, it was Rundle’s opinion that truly mattered.

some sort of bad guy,” he said. “It’s spread all over the news. It’s depressing, kind of.” Thursday afternoon, Miami Mayor Tomas Regalado appeared to distance himself from the actions of the police department. “I did not focus my attention in terms of corruption in the administration in terms of the four non for profit [employees] because after all they don’t work for the city,” Regalado said. “I didn’t know why they were involved in this whole arrest.” Regalado also said he was not aware of the fact that prosecutors had warned Miami police not to proceed with some of the arrests. “The chief said he was very comfortable that all the rules had been followed so we trusted and we still trust the chief of police,” Regalado said. Regalado said he was “surprised” by the arrest of the Laura and Fernando Gonzalez. “I was very surprised, I was very sorry because these people did work for me [in the campaign],” he said. “So it wasn’t about politics. I was taken aback by these arrests but you trust the police, that is what you do.” (© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.) NEWS POWERED BY

Cobham said he was relived the cases were being dropped. “I feel that it is great on my behalf because I know what I didn’t do,” he said. Cobham said the news came too late for Brown, who collapsed within days of being released from jail. “As Mr. Brown he had a stroke and a massive heart attack,” Cobham said, adding it was due to the stress stemming from his arrest. He said Brown remains in the hospital. Cobham said the entire affair was embarrassing. “People from way up north have been calling me saying that I’m

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May 21, 2010

I-Team: School Unprepared For Emergency Reporting Stephen Stock MIAMI (CBS4) — Most of us take for granted that our child’s school will protect and care for the students. But I-Team Investigator Stephen Stock has learned of a case that calls into question how some schools respond to a medical emergency. Throughout her life, from her fourth birthday party to family weddings, Pateesha Clinch exuded an infectious energy to everyone around her. “(She was) always smiling, always dancing, you know jumping around,” said Pateesha’s mother, Meka Clinch, “a very active child.” As a 12 year-old sixth grader at Westview Middle School in Miami-Dade County, Pateesha never missed a day of school. And she already knew what she would be when she grew up. “One of the things she wanted to be was a teacher,” said her father, Daryl Clinch. “She loved school.” But those dreams ended on September 18, 2007, outside a portable classroom at Westview Middle School when Pateesha fell and hit her head against a portable classroom wall, collapsing, unconscious and lifeless to the ground. “It’s hard it’s hard to deal with you know,” said Daryl Clinch. An autopsy later showed Pateesha died of a rare heart defect. But records indicate she might have been saved had her heart been restarted in a timely manner. “That morning when I dropped Pateesha and she said “Bye Daddy” I thought it was going to be to end of school,” Daryl Clinch told the CBS4 I-Team. “I didn’t know it was going to be forever.” But it’s not what happened, but what didn’t happen in Pateehsa’s case that raises questions about school officials’ ability to respond appropriately to emergencies such as this one.

“Something needs to change if not more kids are going to get hurt and possibly die,” said Meka Clinch. To understand their frustration and why they want to warn parents of other South Florida school children, the CBS4 I-Team investigators went back to the basics of emergency preparedness and CPR. “You’re going to go ahead and push down creating an artificial pulse,” said Miami Firefighter Robert Jorge. Jorge teaches the teachers in CPR. Jorge is an instructor at Miami Dade College who teaches others how to teach basic and advanced CPR and mouth to mouth rescue techniques. His students range from citizens learning the most rudimentary CPR techniques to EMT’s, doctors and others who learn advanced rescue and CPR techniques. “The purpose here (in basic simple CPR) is to buy time until rescue crews arrive,” said Jorge. Jorge says anybody can learn these simple, basic life saving techniques. “It (an emergency requiring CPR) could happen to anybody anywhere,” Jorge said. “And if it can happen to anybody anywhere you can be the difference between saving somebody’s life.” Dr. Joseph Scott is a Voluntary Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine in the Division of Emergency Medicine at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine and a specialist in advanced Hazmat, trauma care and pediatric life support. Dr. Scott chaired the American Heart Association’s Florida emergency cardiovascular care committee. “Do something call 911 if nothing else,” Dr. Scott. “Just doing compressions alone is enough to save someone’s life.” Neither Dr. Scott nor Robert Jorge is associated in any way with Pateesha Clinch’s case. What they do know is that when someone is found lying lifeless on the ground that somebody at the scene needs to do something or the victim dies. “If you don’t know anything else just do compressions,” Dr. Scott.

“It’s very, very critical intervene,” said Jorge.

that

you

And court records filed as part of a lawsuit show that did not happen in the case of Pateesha Clinch. “According to their own witnesses she was quote lifeless for 15 to 20 minutes,” said Schwartz. Clinch family attorney Gregg Schwartz says an official Miami-Dade School incident report, a fire rescue report, and sworn depositions in the case show the principal, an assistant principal and other adults quickly rushed to the scene. But those same reports show no one even bothered to see if Pateesha was breathing, at least for a long period of time. And the records show they apparently didn’t check for a pulse. “They wholly failed to take care of this child in a reasonable fashion,” said Gregg Schwartz. In fact, school incident, fire rescue and 91-1 transcript records show it took at least seven minutes from when Pateesha fell before school officials even called 9-1-1. The initial school incident report said CPR was started after a “short wait” --a short wait that EMS and 9-1-1 transcript records plus sworn court depositions show actually lasted a minimum of 14 minutes and as long as 20 minutes. “That’s a long time,” said Robert Jorge. “It’s going to take a minimum of four or five minutes to get there (after 9-1-1 is called.) Now you’re at twelve minutes without doing anything and the chance of survival is almost zero.” The CBS4 I-Team discovered that all this didn’t happen despite the fact that there was a Critical Incident Response Team at the school. The list of team members posted in the office to assure parents their kids are safe. But the EMS incident reports and later several court depositions show that no one ever called on the critical incident response team to come to the scene for help.

attorney, said. “There were people hovering over her at the school, the principal, several assistant principals, but no first aid was rendered for over 15 minutes. No CPR was given.” “Basically every minute that someone’s down without a pulse without their heart beating there’s a ten percent chance that they’re going to die,” said Dr. Scott. “So every minute (that someone lies there with no attention) that (critical time) increases.” “Do the math,” said Dr. Scott. “After ten minutes there’s almost a hundred percent chance that they are going to die.” Even more troubling, the school had just been given a brand new AED or automatic external defibrillator to restart a stopped heart. An AED that administrators had just been trained on that day. “They (AED’s) are very simple to use,” said Robert Jorge. Yet the records and court depositions show that that AED sat in an assistant principal’s office, never used, never even requested the day Pateesha Clinch lay on the ground, slowly dying. Even more curious, the CBS4 I-Team found documents in the court file as part of the Clinches lawsuit, two different school incident reports. The second report changes several significant events, for instance, the time of the incident is pushed back four minutes later. The reference to the short wait before CPR is erased and the names of two adults on the scene were added. One of those adults later swore in a deposition he was never there at all; he testified that his name was put on the second report by quote “a mistake.” The School Board declined our request for comment citing the pending lawsuit. (© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

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“There were people trained in CPR at the school on the grounds who were not called,” Schwartz, the Clinch family

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May 21, 2010

Deep Sea Oil Plumes, Dispersants Endanger Reefs

NEW ORLEANS (CBS4) — Delicate coral reefs already have been tainted by plumes of crude oil spewing into the Gulf of Mexico, including a sensitive area that federal officials had tried to protect from drilling and other dangers. And marine scientists are worried even more of the deep-sea reefs could be damaged as the thick goo creeps into two powerful Gulf currents. The oil has seeped into areas that are essential to underwater life, and the reefs tend to be an indicator for sea health: when creatures in the reefs thrive, so do other marine life. The loop current could carry oil from the spill east and spread it about 450 miles to the Florida Keys, while the Louisiana coastal current could move the oil as far west as central Texas. The depth of the gushing leaks and the use of more than 560,000 gallons of chemicals to disperse the oil, including unprecedented injections deep in the sea, have helped keep the crude beneath the sea surface. Marine scientists say diffusing and sinking the oil helps protect the surface species and the Gulf Coast shoreline but increases the chance of harming deep-sea reefs. “At first we had a lot of concern about surface animals like turtles, whales and dolphins,” said Paul Montagna, a marine biologist at Texas A&M University Corpus Christi who studies Gulf reefs. “Now we’re concerned about everything.” On Sunday, researchers said computer models show oil has already entered the loop current that could carry the toxic goo toward the Keys, the third-longest barrier reef in the world.

The oil is now over the western edge of a roughly 61-mile expanse of 300-to-500foot-deep reef south of Louisiana known as the Pinnacles, about 25 miles north of where the Deepwater Horizon exploded April 20, killing 11 people and starting the spill that grows by the hour.

and smothering them, he said.

The Pinnacles is one of nine coral banks and hard-bottom areas stretching from Texas to Florida that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration tried in 2008 to get designated a marine sanctuary called Islands in the Stream.

Federal officials who oversee marine sanctuaries and fisheries say it’s too early to tell how reefs and other important habitats may be damaged, said Dr. Jane Lubchenco, NOAA’s undersecretary of commerce for oceans.

This sanctuary would have restricted fishing and oil drilling around the identified reef “islands.” But the plan was put on hold after vehement objections from Republican lawmakers, fishermen and the oil industry.

NOAA, which manages marine sanctuaries, is also responsible for estimating financial costs of the spill on the sea environment and fisheries. The Pinnacles is a significant habitat for sea life vital to commercial fisheries such as red snapper, crab and shrimp.

Scientists have found undersea plumes of oil at the spill as much as 10 miles long, which are an unprecedented danger to the deep sea environment, said Samantha Joye, a professor of marine sciences at the University of Georgia. These plumes are being eaten by microbes thousands of feet deep, which removes oxygen from the water. “Deepwater coral are abundant on the sea floor in this part of the Gulf, and they need oxygen,” said Joye, who was involved in the plume discovery. “Without it, they can’t survive.” Experts say the well’s depth and Friday’s decision by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to allow BP to shoot massive amounts of dispersing chemicals deep underwater may help protect vital marshes and wetlands on the Gulf Coast. But the tradeoff may result in significant effects on more sea life. Oil mixed with the chemical agent can disperse into the water more easily, rather than it staying on the surface, where it could bypass deeper banks like Pinnacles, said Edward Van Vleet, a chemical oceanography professor at the University of South Florida. The downside is that it causes oil to sink, coating corals and other reef organisms

When the dispersed oil is broken into smaller globules, he said they are more easily eaten by smaller reef organisms and can kill them or cause tumors or something else harmful.

The creation of a sanctuary across hundreds of miles of the Gulf would not have blocked oil and gas exploration where the Deepwater Horizon exploded, said Montagna. However, he said it could have resulted in stricter environmental regulation for reefs closest to the spill site, and likely less drilling. “So you can imagine these animals that make a living on rocks, filtering food out of the water, and the dispersants come along and sink the oil; it’s a big concern,” Montagna said.

the warm temperatures of Florida could speed the recovery of damaged reefs there, some problems could be seen for a decade or more. In the deeper reefs in colder water closer to the spill, the damage could last even longer. As the spill increases, the oil oozes toward other reefs that stretch from the blowout site eastward to the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. The Keys exist in relatively shallow water, so the potential exposure to the oil is higher than for deeper reefs, though BP PLC officials say the oil would be more diffused after having broken down during its travel over hundreds of miles. This week, researchers from USF and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection are heading to the loop current to get a “chemical fingerprint” of any oil they find to confirm it is from the leaking well. “We don’t expect the loop current to carry oil onto beaches,” William Hogarth, dean of the University of South Florida’s College of Marine Science, said. “But we do have a great concern for the Keys.” If oil reaches the Keys, it could threaten one of the country’s greatest underwater natural resources as well as its tourism industry.

The area also is breeding ground for sperm whales and bluefin tuna, species not doing well, he said.

Locals throughout the ribbon of islands not only relish their ties to the water but rely on it to help bring in 2 million visitors each year.

Studies published in a 2005 National Academy of Sciences report show that oil mixed with dispersants damaged certain corals’ reproduction and deformed their larvae. The study concluded the federal government needed to study more before using massive amounts of dispersants.

“They’re not going to come if our beaches are tarred and our mangroves have died and it’s a polluted dump,” said Millard McCleary, program director of the Key West-based Reef Relief. “They’ll go to the Bahamas or the Caymans or they’ll go to Mexico.”

Reefs are made up of living creatures that excrete a hard calcium carbonate exoskeleton.

Depending on the oil exposure, they can be smothered by the pollutants or become more susceptible to bleaching, which hinders reproduction and growth. While

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May 21, 2010

Smart Phone Revolution Causing Headaches For Users Reporting Al Sunshine MIAMI (CBS News) — Blackberries, iPhones, PDAs and other smart phones have become so popular that some 295 million of them were sold in the first quarter of 2010 alone. With monthly cellular charges in the hundreds of dollars, it all adds up to more than $1,000 a year for high-speed digital service. But with the popularity increasing, so are the headaches for smart phone users. “I don’t think I’m getting my money’s worth,” said smart phone owner Marisol Lieberman. “I definitely think I’m paying more than what I’m getting here.” While Marisol is still new to the smart phone revolution, she is running into problems that are causing smart phone users to question its worth. Marisol has

trouble using her phone to make a simple phone call or just a quick look on the internet.

also found some connections so slow, it looked like a user was trying to surf the net at 1980’s speed.

“It’s a little frustrating, basically when I try to connect, just hit connect and work on something else,” Marisol said. “And you wait and you wait? And when I’m done I may get what I’m looking for.”

“If there are many people using the same tower at the same time, obviously you may not be getting the speed you want to get,” Dr. Pissinou said. “You may get your information, get your data, but not at the speed you desire.”

So what is the problem that’s causing 3G high speed internet to run at a snail’s pace? Network researchers say the growing popularity of wireless computers, smart phones, and digital assistants are outstripping the ability of network providers to keep up. “It slows down the network,” said Dr. Niki Pissinou of the FIU School of Engineering. “It’s called network congestion.” For several months, CBS4 Consumer Reporter Al Sunshine has been testing apps and measuring network connections around South Florida. In some cases, the speed has been pretty good. But Sunshine

In fact, network congestion has become so severe across the country the FCC just released its own smart phone application to track the slowdowns nationally. You can measure your network speed and then send the results back to the FCC. So what do some of the country’s biggest cellular providers have to say? Both Verizon and AT&T refused to be interviewed on camera. AT&T said it has invested billions to deliver the nation’s fastest 3G network and strong national voice call retainability scores. Most major carriers are now beefing up their networks and spending billions of

Budget Clock Ticks Down For South Florida Reporting M i c h a e l Williams MIAMI (CBS4) — The clock is ticking and there is no stopping the approach of more budget pain this year across South Florida. Battered property values and depleted government coffers will do that. You hear about financial crises so often that they may begin to elicit a yawn. They shouldn’t. Miami Commissioner Marc Sarnoff said, “If we don’t get city finances under control we have to go bankrupt.” Miami, the Magic City, can’t print money like Washington. Neither can MiamiDade or Broward or…..you get the point. Local governments and cities, coast to

coast, are straining under mounting obligations. Financial experts recruited to provide a snapshot of Miami’s precarious situation illustrated the point Thursday. They told commissioners eight of every ten dollars are spent on city workers—salary, pensions, and other benefits. One snapshot: Between 2000 and 2009 the study shows general fund revenue in Miami rose by $178 million. However the growth in worker costs shot up by $205 million. It is one small example of the problem bedeviling budget planners everywhere. The fixes are painful: either employees have to go, services have to give, taxes have to rise, or a combination of all three and no one wants to raise taxes in the current economic environment.

$60 million in concessions from the unions in terms of compensation and pensions,” Miami Mayor Tomas Regalado said. Unions say they are willing to help the city stay afloat but will not watch their pensions and benefits upended. “What they are asking for us to give up,” said FOP vice president Javier Ortiz, “and what we are putting on the table are two different things.” No one wants to negotiate particulars in public, but the battles will be intense in the months to come. Of the budget crisis, Commissioner Sarnoff said, “I can see us sailing toward Niagara Falls. We may be 20 feet away.” (© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.) NEWS POWERED BY

“This year we are hoping to get at least

dollars to keep up with the growing demand. In the meantime, the only thing smart phone users have to do is complain about the poor connections and wait for technology to catch-up with the demand. (© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.) NEWS POWERED BY

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May 21, 2010

Missing Money: Where and How to Recover It

(CBS) Who doesn’t love finding a little extra cash lying around? As it turns out, there is about $33 billion worth of unclaimed money in state treasuries and other agencies, just waiting to be returned. That’s an average of $280 per unclaimed payment, according to the National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators. CBS News Business and Economics Correspondent Rebecca Jarvis explained Thursday how you can find out if some of that money belongs to you and how you can get it back. Where, exactly, does this money come

from?

records.

Jarvis told “Early Show” co-anchor Harry Smith unclaimed money -- or unclaimed property as it’s often called -- are accounts with financial institutions or companies that have gone inactive or that have lost contact with you. This may occur if you moved or never cashed a check; or it got lost in the mail.

Another website to try is Unclaimed.org, which has a map of the U.S. You click on a state, and it will bring you to the Unclaimed Property search site for that government of that state. Both sites are officially endorsed by the National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators, an association of state unclaimed property programs, maintained by the National Association of State Treasurers.

Jarvis explained some of the most common types of unclaimed funds include savings or checking accounts you never closed; stocks; dividends, uncashed paychecks, insurance payments, refunds, annuities, and customer overpayments. To find out if you have money owed to you, the easiest way Jarvis said you can do some research online. Each state is required to keep track of unclaimed property, she explained. “It’s totally free to search and it takes no time at all,” she said. Forty states participate in a national database Missing Money.com. You just have to type in your name and your state and see if you pop up in their

To claim your money, Jarvis said you follow the instructions on the website. “You’ll need to file a claim with the state government, including your personal information and Social Security number. This can usually be done online. And you’ll need to provide identification. It should take a few weeks to receive the money.” Jarvis suggested these tips for searching: • Search every state you’ve ever lived in. Since most companies are required by law to send notices to your last known address, it could mean that you have funds sitting in a state where you haven’t lived for years.

Florida Tops Nation For Car/Truck Accident Scams Reporting Al Sunshine M I A M I (CBS4) — Chalk up a n o t h e r d u b i o u s distinction for the Sunshine State. Florida now leads the nation when it comes to auto insurance fraud. While it’s not a new problem in the state it has become worse as residents struggle with the recession and high unemployment. The most common scams involve owners dumping their vehicles in canals because they can no longer afford to pay their bills. More recently rings began staging

accidents so they could bill insurance companies for millions of dollars in bogus claims. According to the National Insurance Crime Bureau, from 2007 to 2009 there were 511 staged accidents in Miami, 562 in Tampa and 422 in Orlando. The NICB adds that nearly one out of every four phony car accidents in the U.S. came out of Florida. Staged accidents have become such a problem that the NICB has videos on its website to expose how these carefully choreographed scams work. The financial losses to the insurance companies have been tremendous and the problem is reportedly getting worse. There have been more than two dozen arrests statewide this year alone for scams involving phony accidents and no

• Search under maiden names. • Search for deceased family members. In most cases, claims can be made in perpetuity in most cases, even by heirs. Jarvis also issued a warning that some companies offer searches for unclaimed property for a fee, while others say they have found property in your name and will charge you a fee to obtain in, usually asking you to sign a contract. Jarvis said, “Most of these companies are legit, but there are a lot of scammers out there. The websites we mentioned are free of charge, and you can easily do the search and fill out the claim yourself. A state government office may charge a nominal handling fee to send you a check, but that should be it.” For more information on unclaimed property, visit the National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators. © MMX, CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. NEWS POWERED BY

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May 21, 2010

Facebook Answers Security Critics growing criticism over the way it handles users’ privacy. It has been pushing them to share more about themselves with one another and with the outside world. The security upgrade is a sign the company is working to keep its users’ trust in the way it handles the private data they post, even as it fends of complaints from privacy advocates, users and politicians.

New Features Designed To Combat Spam And Scams On Site NEW YORK (CBS) — Facebook’s millions of users are a lucrative target for Internet criminals looking to steal passwords and more. To combat malicious attacks, phishing scams and spam, the online social network is rolling out new security features. You can ask to be notified by e-mail or text message when your account is accessed from a computer or mobile device you haven’t used before. The login attempt may be legitimate when you’re traveling, but if you haven’t left home in a week, you probably ought to change your password. Facebook is also adding roadblocks when it notices unusual activity, such as simultaneous log-ins from opposite sides of the planet. For example, you might be shown a photo with your friends tagged, and be asked to correctly identify who they are before the second log-in goes through. Users will also be able to check where the latest log-ins have come from. This is similar to a feature Google Inc. offers on its Gmail service, where users can view the date, time and location of the most recent log-ins to their account. Gmail also states whether the account is open on another computer at the same time. Some of these changes are already available, while others are still being tested and will launch over the next few weeks. Facebook typically rolls out changes over several days, if not weeks, so not all users will see them at the same time. The new features come as Facebook faces

The New York Times published a report taking a swipe at Facebook’s privacy policy, pointing out that it’s longer than the U.S. Constitution. A chart on the Times’ website points out the “bewildering tangle of options” in Facebook’s privacy policy. CNet.com’s Caroline McCarthy posted a lengthy list of what she characterized as “Facebook’s Follies,” outlining the social networking giant’s “notorious and not-sonotorious misfires over the years.” Hemanshu Nigam, former chief security officer at Facebook rival MySpace, said Facebook has many incentives to be mindful of privacy complaints. “A little thing like this can turn into a big thing, and could turn into an advertiser saying, ‘Well, I can take my dollars elsewhere,”‘ said Nigam, who now runs online security firm SSP Blue but still consults for MySpace. “The moment a lawsuit or government investigation begins, advertisers get very nervous of that.” Facebook already has automated systems in place that detect when users access the site in a way that “doesn’t make sense,” said Jake Brill, product manager at Facebook. This can include sending out an avalanche of messages or logging in from different countries at the same time. The secondary account verification system that Facebook is rolling out makes sure that when people log in from elsewhere, they are authorized to do so. Many websites try to do this by asking people to type words displayed in an image to prove they are human, rather than a computer seeking automated access. But this only helps keep those software robots out, not people, Brill said. The requirement to enter information that only you would know - such as the identity of your friends - can help stop

unauthorized password compromised.

access should your somehow become

To get notified when someone accesses an account from a new computer or device, you have to turn that feature on. To do this, go to “account settings,” scroll down to “account security,” then click “change.” There, you can choose to be notified of log-ins by e-mail or text message. Facebook is asking users to activate, or “opt-in” to, the security setting, even as it takes an “opt-out” approach with some of its marketing and personalization features. With opt-out, participation is automatic unless the user takes action. Without giving an exact figure, Facebook says only a tiny percentage of its users have their accounts compromised. But a small percentage of 400 million can still be sizable. The site’s users are a good target for cybercriminals because of the implicit trust people place in Facebook. They are

more likely to respond to scams and other messages that appear to come from real friends, but are actually sent by hackers able to game the system. (© 2010 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.) NEWS POWERED BY

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The Adtimes Newspaper - REAL ESTATE

May 21, 2010

What Caused the Great Housing Maelstrom? points between 2000 and 2006 and lower real rates do make housing more affordable. High approval rates did enable many people, who had previously been shut out of the housing market to buy homes.

Edward Glaeser: Don’t Blame Low Interest Rates for the Booms and Busts (CBS) Edward Glaeser is Fred and Eleanor Glimp Professor of Economics at Harvard Kennedy School and director of the Taubman Center for State and Local Government. Between 2000 and 2006, real housing prices rose by 74 percent in the 20 cities covered by Case/Shiller Standard and Poor’s repeat sales index. More than one-half of that increase disappeared over the three years after the boom’s peak, as the entire world suffered from America’s real estate meltdown. What caused this great housing market maelstrom? Many analysts-both during the boom and since-have argued that low interest rates and easily available credit can explain the price rise. Real interest rates did fall by 1.3 percentage

If the easy credit hypothesis is correct, then we can take comfort in the thought that we understand the great housing convulsion, and we can start pointing fingers at those institutions, like the Federal Reserve System, that play a role in determining interest rates. But don’t leap to judgment. It was exactly the tendency to accept seemingly plausible theories-like “people will always want homes in Las Vegas”-that lay behind so much buying in the boom. Research that I have done, together with Joseph Gyourko of Wharton and Joshua Gottlieb of Harvard, suggests that neither theory nor evidence supports the view that easy credit can explain the boom or the bust. Over the past 30 years, housing prices have typically increased by 6.8 percent when real interest rates fell by one percentage point. The effect is slightly stronger when interest rates are low, but even in that range, prices only go up by eight percent as interest rates drop by one percent, controlling for the long run upward trend in prices. These estimated effects are well in line with economic theory, at least once one incorporates the pretty ready supply of new housing in many markets and that interest rates change over time.

The variability of interest rates means that people who buy in a low interest rate environment should expect to sell in a higher interest rate environment. If a one percentage point drop in real interest rates is associated with an eight percent rise in price, then the 1.3 percentage point drop in real rates between 2000 and 2006 should have led to a 10.4 percent increase in prices, not a 74 percent increase in prices. Interest Rates and House Prices That moderate predicted effect shouldn’t shock anyone. We’ve certainly had low real rates in the past, and we’ve never seen anything like the past 10 years. Similarly, we can use historic data to calculate the link between mortgage approval rates and prices, and between loanto-value ratios and prices. Across time and across metropolitan areas, easy credit is associated with higher prices but the effects aren’t large enough to explain much of the boom. For example, a five percent increase in loanto-value ratios is associated with a 2.5 percent increase in prices, and loan-to-value ratios rose by less than five percent during the boom. So if credit markets didn’t cause the boom, what did? Economists are coming to better understand the dynamics of bubbles better over time, but we are still far from being able to explain why they show up in particular markets during particular time periods.

For example, we know that the housing bubble was much more severe in places that had severe restrictions on building, either because of regulation or topography. We know that buyers during the boom had unrealistically optimistic expectations about future price growth. However, we don’t know what caused those expectations or why they showed up in some areas during the early years of the last decade, but not in other places and other times. Our research doesn’t exculpate the Federal Reserve System or Fannie Mae or anyone else. Perhaps monetary policy should have been stricter. Perhaps a severe tightening could have nipped the bubble early on. But any policy analysis needs to start by recognizing the limits of our understanding and that the bubble can’t be easily explained by cheap credit. Understanding the great housing market maelstrom will take a more sophisticated theory that probably incorporates plenty of psychology and institutional knowledge. The recent housing market changes can’t be explained by interest rates alone.

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Home Values Remain Underwater, Sales Are Up homeowners underwater, according to CBS4 news partner The Miami Herald. The bad news didn’t stop there. From March 2009 to last March property values fell an additional 10 percent with the median price of all homes hovering around $160,700. Given the numbers it’s no surprise that more than half of all homes sold in South Florida last March sold at a loss. MIAMI (CBS4) — While nearly half of all South Florida homeowners continue to drown in the own home’s underwater property value, there is a little good news for the market – more homes are selling.

The only good news in the report was that homes were actually selling. Last March, home sales were up 48 percent compared to the same time last year.

Web based real estate firm Zillow.com found in the end of March 44 percent of owners of single family homes owed more on the properties than they were worth. That worked out to be nearly 372 thousand homeowners in Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties. The March numbers were also an increase of the previous quarter’s 41 percent of

(© MMX CBS Television Stations. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. CBS4 news partner The Miami Herald contributed material for this report) NEWS POWERED BY

May 21, 2010

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May 21, 2010

UM Research Team Unveils Cancer Breakthrough Reporting J a s m i n e Kripalani MIAMI (CBS4) — Researchers at the University of M i a m i ’ s Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center have developed a breakthrough that could greatly improve the lives of those with cancer. Their new therapy, which has been published in the May 13th issue of the journal Nature, triggers the body’s immune system to fight “even the most aggressive tumors,” according to a UM statement. The body’s immune system normally recognizes bacteria and viruses because the body recognizes them as a foreign invader. But tumor cells are similar to normal cells in the body and they don’t

trigger the foreign invader status (antigens) to the body’s immune system. Therefore, they manage to go undetected by the immune surveillance system and if they grow unchecked they form cancers. “We’re very excited and hopefully everything will go ok for saving lives,” Despina Kolonias told CBS4’s Marybel Rodriguez. However, the team led by Eli Gilboa, Ph.D., Dodson Professor of Microbiology and Immunology and co-leader of the Tumor Immunology Program at Sylvester, has devised a method to force tumor cells to become detected by the body’s immune system, which would trigger a potent immune response. In mice, the therapy eliminated their tumors.

The next step would be to begin clinical trials with people suffering from prostate or breast cancers. Gilboa’s research team also includes Fernando Pastor, Ph.D., post doctoral associate at Sylvester, Kolonias, M.S., senior research associate at Sylvester, and Paloma Giangrande, Ph.D., assistant professor of internal medicine at the University of Iowa. (© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.) NEWS POWERED BY

“We’ve developed what could become an alternative to vaccines,” Gilboa said in a statement. “that would be simpler, broadly applicable, and potentially more effective.”

Look For Our Guide Starting June 4th

New Hybrid Procedure To Treat Back Pain Reporting Cynthia Demos

epidurals. I had nerve blocks done. None of that worked at all,” said Kelley.

F T . LAUDERDALE (CBS4) — Nearly eight out of every ten Americans will have back pain

She was referred to Dr. Jeffrey Cantor at the South Florida Spine Clinic in Fort Lauderdale and learned just what was causing her pain.

at some point in their lives. Treating back pain costs the nation $50 billion a year in medical care and disability payments. Now one local doctor has come up with a way patients can get the best results from back surgery using a hybrid procedure. When Ann Marie Kelley, 43, has any spare time you’ll find her on the golf course, but it wasn’t always that way. Back pain kept her off the fairways for months. “Over the last year it really basically just crippled me. I mean I couldn’t get through a round of golf. I was taking ibuprofen. I got

“Ann Marie had two severely degenerated discs in her back and the pain that she had as a result was quite severe. She was unable to do just about everything she normally does,” Cantor explained. “I kept asking, ‘when can I get back to golf? When can I get back to golf?’ and he said, ‘you need to stop talking about when you’re going to golf and start talking about how you’re going to get through a normal day.’ Because I couldn’t at the time, I couldn’t clean my house,” admitted Kelley. Dr. Cantor suggested a hybrid procedure that would not only relieve her pain but give her flexibility. “A hybrid procedure, what we’ll do is we’ll

fuse one level and at the adjacent level at a more mobile level we’ll put an artificial joint in. What this does is it creates a more normal situation,” Cantor said. The bottom joint where Kelley was having the most pain was fused. The joint above it which needs to be more mobile is where Dr. Cantor placed the artificial disc to maintain mobility. Kelley said she ís amazed that after three years of living in pain her back is now better than ever. “I’m feeling great. I mean I’m playing golf 2 to 3 times a week now. It was definitely worth it,” she said.

To find out more about the hybrid procedure call South Florida Spine Clinic at 954-5671332.

After this type of surgery Dr. Cantor said there is no bending, twisting or lifting for 12 weeks and that’s because patients need to give the fusion time to heal.

Kelley was able to play a full round of golf 6 months after the surgery.

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The Adtimes Newspaper - HEALTH

May 21, 2010

Secret To Healthier Groceries - Shop The Edges Reporting Cynthia Demos BOSTON, Mass. (CBS4) — Making sure you buy healthy food at the grocery store can be a challenge with all the temptations, but there is one way to make it a little easier. A new study found that if 90 percent of the food you buy comes from the periphery of the store, and not the center aisles, you will be on your way to a better diet. Joan Salge Blake, a registered dietician and professor of nutrition at Boston University, said there is some logic to that premise; there are more healthy foods on the periphery of the store. “There are very good foods, such as the produce aisle.” Salge Blake said. “And

there is lean meat and poultry.” Usually you will also find fresh fish and low fat dairy options around the edges of the store. It’s a different story on the shelves inside the store. That is where you find many highly processed foods with long lists of ingredients. Shoppers need to vigilant when shopping in these areas. “You do have the nutrition fact panel which should be your guide, your tip off to the nutrients you are getting per serving,” Salge Blake said. “Also, you have the ingredient list.” One tip is to look for products that have fewer than six ingredients. That is usually an indication that the food is less processed. Also, look for simple healthy foods like beans. They are economical and can be used many different ways.

There are some other good choices in the middle of the store. “Look at all your whole grain breads, your whole grain cereals, brown rice,” Salge Baker said, “and of course, my favorite is the frozen food aisle because of all the frozen fruits and vegetables.” Likewise, not everything on the periphery is healthy. Avoid traps like the bakery and be careful at the deli. “You want low fat and low sodium,” Salge Baker advised. It’s also suggested you limit your number of trips to the store each week. Try to do one big outing, with a list. Then you are less likely to buy expensive, and less healthy, items on impulse. (© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.) NEWS POWERED BY

‘Magnet Therapy’ Helps Erase Signs Of Aging “I have really been noticing more lines appearing around my eyes, crows feet, and my forehead,” said Emily Kline, who was seeking out ways to get rid of the unwanted facial features. “I was looking through some old family photos and I really started to notice that this is something that runs in my family.”

NEW YORK (CBS) — Magnets are not just used to hold up refrigerator notes anymore. Now they’re being used to boost the face. It’s sad, but true. As we grow older, facial muscles lose their elasticity. This allows skin to sag, leaving a trail of deepening expression lines and wrinkles. But now experts are harnessing some big electromagnetic energy from tiny magnets to erase the signs of age.

So in an effort to slow down the hands of time, Kline is having a new anti-aging treatment called the “magnetic facial.” It uses creams with magnetic properties and tiny magnets applied to the face.

the skin appear more youthful. “When we were younger our cells divided constantly, but when we age they don’t divide nearly as much as they did when we were younger, so magnets more then triple cell division,” she said. Magnet therapy is also used for other health purposes, such as wound healing or even to boost energy levels. Some believe the benefits come from increasing blood flow to the body’s tissues, but exactly how the magnets work isn’t fully understood.

“They create an energy field so it produces an electrical current within the tissues that increases circulation, prevents skin breakdown, and overall reduces fine lines and wrinkles,” aesthetician Mica Hughes told CBS station WCBS-TV in New York City.

“I can feel slightly the energy between the spaces where they are placed on my face,” said Kline.

Hughes said the magnets help to stimulate skin cell division which makes

Kline has had three treatments so far and the difference is visible in before-and-

Hughes said the magnets she uses are 25 times stronger than a common refrigerator magnet.

after photos. She said it’s made her skin look younger, but most importantly, it’s slowing the process of aging.

“I want to take care of things now so later on it’s not harder,” she said. The magnetic facial takes just 30 minutes for the complete treatment and monthly maintenance is recommended. Overall, it is considered safe, but if you have a pacemaker or cardiac device, you should check with your doctor beforehand. Treatments start at $120. (© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

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The Adtimes Newspaper - HEALTH

May 21, 2010

Study: Quality Child Care Leads To Smarter Teens childcare, the researchers reported. But children who spent the most hours in childcare had a slightly greater tendency toward impulsiveness and risk-taking at age 15 than teens who had spent less time in childcare, the researchers wrote in the journal Child Development. Quality for childcare is usually measured by how much time the provider spends interacting with the children, as well as warmth, support and cognitive stimulation. UNDATED (CBS4) — A first of its kind study finds that the quality of early child care can have a significant impact on behavior and academics into high school. The National Institutes of Health followed more than 13-hundred children from one month into their teens. Researchers found it didn’t matter whether a child was watched at home or at a day care center. If a teen had high quality care, they were less likely to act out and did slightly better on cognitive tests. They were also slightly less likely to act out than peers who were in lower-quality

The ongoing study is meant to inform the policy debate on whether both parents should work when children are young and whether providing childcare is good for the children, their parents and society as a whole. “High quality child care appears to provide a small boost to academic performance, perhaps by fostering the early acquisition of school readiness skills,” said James Griffin of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, the NIH institute that paid for the study.

modest association between early childcare and subsequent academic achievement and behavior seen in earlier study findings persists through childhood and into the teen years.” Deborah Lowe Vandell of the University of California, Irvine, and colleagues tracked 1,364 children who have been studied since they were 1 month old starting in 1991. They measured the quality, hours and type of daycare, collected results of standardized tests and interviewed the teens, their families and their schools. The children were from diverse backgrounds. Vandell’s team found more than 40 percent of the children were given high-quality care and 90 percent spent at least some time in the care of someone other than a parent before age 4. “These results underscore the importance of interaction between children and their daytime caregivers,” she said in a statement. “We’re seeing enduring effects of the quality of staff-child interaction.”

“The current findings reveal that the

FIU Med Schools, Health Dept. To Combine Forces will also include a public health teaching clinic with an environmental laboratory and a nutrition/ breastfeeding program. The $32 million Academic Health Department will be built of the university’s campus.

MIAMI-DADE (CBS4) — Florida International University is joining forces with Miami-Dade’s health department to create the state’s first Academic Health Department. The partnership will not only bring the expertise of FIU’s schools of medicine, nursing, public health and allied health sciences to the public health department, but also new residencies and internships for FIU medical students. The facility

Currently the administrative and program offices of the county’s health department are housed in eight different locations, causing operational difficulties and inefficiencies, as well as logistical challenges, said Lillian Rivera, administrator of the Miami-Dade County Health Department. “Through this partnership, we can cut costs and become a more efficient department,” Rivera said. “We also look forward to playing an important role in preparing students pursuing careers in public health and related professions to meet the 21st century challenges

But too much interaction may be harmful, researchers found in a second study. Megan Gunnar of the University of Minnesota and colleagues studied 150 3and 4-year-olds in 110 different family childcare homes. About 40 percent of the children had elevated levels of a stress hormone called cortisol, they reported in Child Development. Cortisol went up in children whose care providers were intrusive or overcontrolling -- measured by how much free play they had versus structured activities led by the providers that mainly involved rote learning. Girls with larger increases in cortisol acted more anxious and vigilant at child care, while boys acted more angry and aggressive, Gunnar reported.

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The Adtimes Newspaper - ENTERTAINMENT / DINING

May 21, 2010

Bringing Down the Curtain on Beloved Series leave that bloody, tragic war, but not one another - or us. Yet I still haven’t gotten over last year’s ending of “Battlestar Galactica,” that daringly political sci-fi odyssey that suddenly went all gooey and supernatural. The finale wasn’t just bad; it poisoned all that had come before.

Lost Without “Lost”? Is Your Life Lacking (Law &) Order? David Edelstein Hopes They Get Their Signoffs Right (CBS) Producing a finale that does justice to a series can be a delicate business. David Edelstein looks back on the hits . . . and misses:

Along with millions, I’ve got butterflies because “Lost” is ending. Six seasons of cool actors hop-scotching through time, billions of Internet posts dissecting every metaphysical conundrum . . . and it could all disappear down a black hole. A series finale is a heavy responsibility. We live with these surrogate families a long time. We want closure, but not too much, or the wrong kind - nothing to keep us from going back in our minds, or our reruns. The two-and-one-half-hour finale of “M* A*S*H,” the most-watched ever, got it right. Now, the goodbyes did go on, but the show’s bittersweetness was perfectly summed-up, the characters desperate to

The last “Seinfeld,” now that was creepy, as if writer Larry David believed the critics who complained about the characters’ selfishness. He ended with them in jail for being jerks. But to me “Seinfeld” was the most inspiring testament to friendship in TV history, because those people were so awful-crazy-dysfunctional, yet formed a perfect nurturing ecosystem. Now, too-tidy finales leave me cold. “The Fugitive” was a big deal in 1967, when David Janssen caught up with the one-armed man who killed his wife. But it was too neat. The chase was over. Nothing more to think about. Move along. “Newhart” killed with a final joke reaching back to Bob’s previous sitcom. It was a riot, but also kind of slighting, don’t you think, to the series actually finishing? The great finales close the circle, yet remind you that circles have no end. Take “The Mary Tyler Moore Show”: The station bought, almost everyone fired, everyone clinging and trying to

move as one, a metaphor both heartbreaking and hilarious for a TV family in all its clumsiness and joy.

next weeks, leave us with an image so final - and in our imagination’s eye, so ongoing.

The end of “Cheers” harkened beautifully back to its quiet beginning.

Thanks to time-travel, “Star Trek: The Next Generation” assembled three incarnations of its characters: the ones we met seven years earlier, the ones now, and the ones in the future, who’d be there, we believed, long after the show went off the air. “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” didn’t just slay her demons, she passed on her powers to young women everywhere - as the show itself had empowered young women with this vulnerable yet heroic new archetype. “Six Feet Under” closed with a young woman’s mystical vision of her family members’ deaths in decades to come: Risky, but the show was set in a funeral parlor, and it made for a great, lyric, bizarrely hopeful climax. The most controversial finale, of course, was the cut-to-black “Sopranos” nonending. I hated it. The next day I decided I loved it. It was conclusively elusive. For me, that family is still sitting in that New Jersey diner with either a sandwich or a bullet on its way. Let’s hope that “Lost,” “24,” and “Law & Order,” the shows that will end in the

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The Adtimes Newspaper - ENTERTAINMENT / DINING

May 21, 2010

The Forge Forges Ahead With A New Look & Attitude Reporting Lisa Petrillo M I A M I B E A C H (CBS4) — The doors have reopened on a Miami Beach landmark that closed down for almost a year for a complete remodel. The Forge restaurant has a long history as one of Miami Beach’s premiere restaurants; it was a big favorite of one of The Rat Pack back in the day. Now the old classic has been reinvented. About 42 years after The Forge restaurant first opened its doors off 41st Street on Miami Beach under the ownership of Al Malnik, his son Shareef – who has been at the helm for the past 19 years – is showing off his newly renovated jewel. “The question became how we wanted to bring what The Forge came from – which was very creative in its day – and where we wanted to go, which is tomorrow,”

Shareef told CBS4’s Lisa Petrillo.

“Lobster Peanut Butter and Jelly.”

A private board room, complete with an over-sized solid wood table with oversized wing-back chairs is just one of the many eye-opening rooms in the 6,000 square-foot space.

“This is onion marmalade, and we cook it down. So it’s not really jelly,” Losasso admitted.

“The chairs we designed. We had them manufactured in L.A.; every piece of furniture in the restaurant is designed and custom built,” Shareef explained. Super-sized chandeliers hang over the over-sized bar; in the main dining room, a custom-designed library invites diner to grab a book and a drink, and sit down to relax. “There’s a twist now, and maybe it’s that it is a new classic. I’ll let people describe what they call it,” Shareef said. New twists mean new tastes. In addition to the classic Forge dishes, Executive Chef Dewey Losasso has created a fun menu that includes lighthearted plate like the banana fluffer-nutter dessert and a quirky but tasty appetizer he calls

The new wine bar invites guests to use a pre-paid wine card or debit card to sample 64 wonderful wines; they’re all available at very affordable prices, depending on how many ounces you choose. “Why not try it by the ounce and you can compare ten different wines and you can compare the subtle nuances between the different wines,” Shareef said. The wine cellar – home to more than 30,000 bottles of wine – can be reserved for private dinners. There are bottles there from World Wars I and II. The Forge Restaurant and Wine Bar is a historic eatery, now with a new look and a new attitude. They hope to bring back loyal customers while drawing in a whole new set of diners. The Forge is open seven days a week.

Reservations are highly suggested but if you want to just stop by, you can always dine at the long and welcoming communal table or the beautiful bar. (© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.) NEWS POWERED BY

The Adtimes Newspaper - SPORTS

For information call: 305-477-1699

May 21, 2010

Baseball Team Goes To Bat For Cancer Research Reporting Jorge Estevez MIAMI (CBS4) — There is a new kind of baseball team taking the field in South Florida. The team is proud to be different in more ways than one. Like any good team, they can carry out a play, but the difference with these boys is that they wear pink and go to bat for other people. “I said guys, ‘I want to put you in a pink uniform and raise money,’’ said Dante Paone, a parent with a child on the Falcons baseball team. The team raises money for cancer and they do it in a pink baseball shirt. “I want to see an end to this. I want to see a day in my lifetime when there will be no more cancer,” said Paone to CBS4’s Jorge Estevez as the team practiced in Broward County. Paone lost his father and best

friend to cancer. “I hope he is looking down on me now and smiling. I always told him I would get one for him,” said Paone referring to his father. The team is fighting for their loved ones who are battling the disease or have battled it and survived. They are also fighting for those who have lost their fight against cancer. “My grandma, she has breast cancer. It is something that is really important to me,” said Jack Belk, a team member. “My aunt she just got done surviving breast cancer,” said Sean Otto, a team member. “I lost my grandfather 4 years ago to cancer,” said Colbie O’Donnell, a team member. The team’s effort is a first for their charity partner Susan G. Komen. “If anything, on a small scale, that at least it changes their lives, but I know they are impacting other

U.S. World Cup Bid Includes Draw In Miami Reporting Solange Reyner

U.S. Soccer in a statement on the US Soccer website.

MIAMI (CBS4) — The United States included Miami in its bid to host a future World Cup.

“But it also marks the beginning of the most critical portion of this bid in which we must make a compelling case to the 24-member FIFA Executive Committee that the United States is the right country to host the FIFA World Cup in 2018 or 2022. The support our effort has received from the people and civic leaders of this country has been tremendous and strengthens our faith in our ability to bring the World Cup back to the United States.”

The delegation from the USA bid committee submitted the official bid book to host either the 2018 or 2022 World Cup on Friday in a formal ceremony in Zurich, Switzerland, and proposed holding the draw in Miami ahead of the tournament. Australia, England, and Russia also presented their books. “Submitting the U.S. Bid Book to FIFA is a major milestone in this process and the result of months of planning and hard work,” said Sunil Gulati, Chairman of the USA Bid Committee and President of

people’s lives,” said Katy Meagher of the Susan G. Komen Foundation.

home base to run with an idea that people hope catches on and becomes a big hit.

And when asked how the boys feel about wearing a pink uniform, they didn’t care.

“It is just a great thing that took off. It is an amazing thing that took off,” said Paone. The team has raised 3,000 dollars. They have a golf tournament on June 6th.

“I really didn’t care about it because if someone said anything; I would say we are doing this for breast cancer. It takes a real man to wear pink,” said Otto. These kids are role models. They use their

The Adtimes Newspaper May 21, 2010 Edition

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The Adtimes Newspaper - AUTOMOTIVE

May 21, 2010

Auto Loan Scams Lead to Congressional Scrutiny The scam is called “power booking,” and it added thousands of dollars to the price of the car which Jennifer had to borrow, with the dealer pocketing the profit. “I’m like, ‘How dare you?’” said Howard. “I already knew the car was inflated. How dare you inflate it more.”

Pentagon Fighting Auto Dealers’ Desire For Exemption From New Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CBS) Jennifer Howard thought her loan was a good value. When she was a private in the United States Army, her car dealer tricked her into a loan scam. Like a lot of buyers, she was applying through the dealer for a bank loan, reports CBS News correspondent Wyatt Andrews. Unknown to her, the dealer was telling her bank her basic Suzuki had extra options like alloy wheels and a moonroof -- which it didn’t.

Her story and dozens like it have led to one of the biggest showdowns over finance reform. For most consumers, the first big loan of their lives is for a car. The nation’s auto dealers want Congress to exempt them from the new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau that would be created to regulate lending. The dealers say they typically help buyers get loans but are not the banks that make the loans. “Why would you put another level of red tape on people that don’t do the auto loans?” asked an auto dealer. The auto dealers’ lobby, which has major clout in Congress, was winning the argument to get this exemption until it ran into another very powerful player: the Pentagon.

Both the Under Secretary of Defense and the Army Secretary say new car loan regulation is critical for the military because young soldiers and sailors are “falling victim to predatory practices and prohibitively expensive products.” The controversy has already led to some intense back-room negotiations here in the Senate leading up to a vote next week. The auto dealers say they still deserve this exemption but would support more

protections for the military. Consumer groups respond to that by saying nonsense, that the Senate should be protecting all consumers and telling the auto dealers no. ©MMX, CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. NEWS POWERED BY

The Adtimes Newspaper May 21, 2010 Edition

The Adtimes Newspaper

May 21, 2010

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Put some energy into getting back into shape. Listen to reason. Take part in stimulating debates that will allow you to show off your intelligence. Don’t expect the whole family to be overjoyed. Don’t back down but don’t ignite the situation. Your luckiest events this month will occur on a Friday.

Leo

Virgo

Libra

(July 23-Aug. 23)

(Aug. 24-Sept. 22)

(Sept. 23-Oct. 23)

You can make gains if you look at long-term investments. You can make new connections through friends or relatives. Avoid purchasing expensive items. You will be accident prone if you aren’t careful this month. Your luckiest events this month will occur on a Thursday.

Double check your work and be sure that your boss is in a good mood before you do your presentation.Your self esteem will come back if you take part in organizational functions that allow you to be in the lime light. You haven’t been watching your spending habits and you may have been neglecting your duties. Digestive disorders will be a result of family squabbles. Your luckiest events this month will occur on a Thursday.

Scorpio

Sagittarius

Capricorn

(Oct. 24-Nov. 22)

(Nov. 23-Dec. 21)

Try to join groups of interest such as ballroom dance classes or perhaps an internet organization. Be discreet about your personal life or whereabouts. Be mysterious. Expect temper tantrums on the home front if you haven’t been letting someone have their way. Relatives may be less than easy to deal with.Your luckiest events this month will occur on a Sunday.

Get busy making those changes to your home. You’re best not to get involved in joint financial ventures. Put all your energy into moneymaking ventures. Focus on what’s important rather than spreading yourself too thin and accomplishing little. Your luckiest events this month will occur on a Saturday.

Aquarius

Pisces

Aries

(Jan. 21-Feb. 18)

(Feb. 19-Mar. 20)

(Mar. 21-Apr. 20)

Your ideas may be good, but they aren’t necessarily right for everyone. Be sure to take time for old friends or relatives you don’t get to see that often. If you’ve taken on a lot of work, be sure to leave some time for yourself and family. Get involved in sports events that will benefit your physical appearance.Your luckiest events this month will occur on a Tuesday.

It’s time you let your true feelings out. You can make headway if you share your intentions with someone you care about. You will have some wonderful ideas that should bring you extra money. Empty promises could be likely where work is concerned. Your luckiest events this month will occur on a Sunday.

Complete the grid so each row, column and 3x3 box Iin black borders) contains every digit 1 to 9.

May 7th Solution

7 8 9 2 6 1 3 4 5

(Dec. 22-Jan. 20)

Things at home may be somewhat rocky. Don’t torment yourself. Disharmony in the home will be extremely stressful. You may find that lectures or travel will be highly successful. You need time to think things through. Your luckiest events this month will occur on a Tuesday.

Your emotional state could leave you vulnerable and confused. Residential moves are evident. Do your own research and be prepared. You will get great satisfaction from your efforts. Your luckiest events this month will occur on a Sunday.

5 3 6 9 8 4 2 1 7

(June 22-July 22)

Talk to an older family member you have helped in the past. You can ask for favors and get sound advice from close friends or relatives. You should want to feel good about yourself and your goals. Partnerships with creative people could lead to financial gains. Your luckiest events this month will occur on a Sunday.

You should catch up on correspondence. You may be tired of working for someone else. Don’t overspend on items for your home. Your hypnotic eyes will capture the hearts of those who interest you. Your luckiest events this month will occur on a Friday.

FRANCHISING Tony Gambirazio •

(May 22-June 21)

Changes in your home will be positive. If you’re preoccupied, be careful while operating a vehicle or any kind of equipment or machinery. You may have the day off but your thoughts will be on your work and your cash situation. Major moves will be emotional and not necessarily to your benefit. Your luckiest events this month will occur on a Saturday.

ART DIRECTOR Tammy Kukic DIRECTOR OF SALES Cesar Rodriguez

Gemini

(Apr. 21-May 21)

1 2 4 5 3 7 8 6 9

9 1 3 4 5 2 6 7 8

2 5 7 8 1 6 4 9 3

4 6 8 3 7 9 5 2 1

3 4 1 6 9 5 7 8 2

6 9 5 7 2 8 1 3 4

8 7 2 1 4 3 9 5 6

3 9

2 6 8 8 6 9

1 5 9

1 4

Look For Our Next Edition: JUNE 4, 2010

1 3 7

7 8 6

4 6 6 5

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THE ADTIMES

Cancer

Taurus