Sproles left concussed by McClain's violent hit

                 SAN DIEGO -- San Diego fans booed loudly after no penalty was called on a helmet-to-helmet hit that left Chargers RB Darren Sproles with a concussion. But referee John Parry said the no-call was precisely in keeping with the rules.

                 The play occurred late in the second quarter of the Oakland Raiders' 28-13 win over the Chargers Sunday.Sproles was hit by rookie LB Rolando McClain after a 7-yard reception. Sproles was attended to on the field while the fans booed. He got to his feet and walked off, but he did not return to the game.

                 Parry said no penalty was called because Sproles had taken at least three steps after the catch and was no longer considered a "defenseless" receiver."You can't hit helmet-to-helmet on a defenseless player," said Parry. "He was not considered defenseless. He was considered a runner because the act of possession was complete. The minimum of three steps were taken, so he was not deemed to be a runner so helmet-to-helmet is legal."

                 Chargers coach Norv Turner said of the call: "I didn't get a good look at it. The guy (McClain) is playing football, and he came in there. The big emphasis to me is defenseless players. The quick look I had on it … I didn't seem him (Sproles) as being a defenseless player."Sproles' status moving forward?"Darren is going to be fine," said Turner. "He couldn't return in the game, but he's in there now (in the locker room), and he's doing good."

Merck Names Frazier as CEO

NEW YORK, Nov 30 (Reuters) - Merck & Co (MRK.N) president Kenneth Frazier will succeed Richard Clark as the U.S. drugmaker's chief executive officer, effective Jan 1, the company said on Tuesday.

Frazier, 55, initially made his name at Merck as general counsel by steering the company safely through daunting litigation over its withdrawn Vioxx painkiller, and more recently led the company's high-profile global pharmaceuticals division.

His promotion, which also includes a position on the board, has been expected after the company named him president earlier this year. Clark, who in March turns 65, the mandatory company CEO retirement age, will continue as board chairman.

Frazier, who joined Merck in 1992, previously served as president of the company's global pharmaceuticals division starting in 2007 -- an appointment that expanded his responsibilities beyond legal matters.

In this role, according to Merck, Frazier helped design a new sales model and redeployed resources to emerging markets, where the drugmaker is targeting future growth.

Frazier, who also sits on the board of Exxon Mobil Corp (XOM.N), served as the company's general counsel from 1999, a period that included Merck's withdrawal of Vioxx from the market because of an increased risk of heart attack and stroke.

He helped the company fight off thousands of personal injury lawsuits related to the drug's use. Merck eventually settled the litigation for about $4.85 billion, billions less than investors had feared, boosting Frazier's profile within Merck and with Wall Street.

Clark became CEO in 2005, when the company was reeling from the Vioxx withdrawal.

As Merck's head of manufacturing, Clark was a fairly obscure figure when he was picked to replace then-CEO Ray Gilmartin in 2005.

But he emerged as one of the industry's most aggressive CEOs, controlling the Vioxx fallout and leading a cost-cutting and efficiency drive at the drugmaker.

His moves to acquire products outside of Merck's vaunted laboratories culminated in the $41 billion acquisition of rival U.S. drugmaker Schering-Plough Corp last year.

Merck shares were down 6 cents at $34.63 in thin premarket trading.

Marinette High School Hostage Situation – Wisconsin Student Shoots Himself

CHICAGO — A 15-year-old youth took 23 students and a teacher hostage at a high school in a small Wisconsin town before turning the gun on himself, police said.

The youth was hospitalized with a gunshot wound, with no immediate word on his condition, but the captives were unharmed, according to officials in Marinette, Wisconsin, where the drama unfolded Monday.

Marinette police chief Jeff Skorik said earlier reports on social network sites that students had been injured in the attack were incorrect.

Skorik told a late night press conference the student who had held the hostages shot himself as police approached him after officers had heard three gunshots go off in the classroom.

The male gunman, who was not identified, was transported to a local hospital where his condition or the nature of the injuries was not known late Monday.


"Emergency rescue personnel on stand-by treated the suspect and transported him to Bay Area Medical Center," a police statement said.

The drama came to an end at 8:03 pm (0103 GMT Tuesday) moments after the gunman had released five students to allow them to use the washrooms.

After hearing gunfire, officers who had been in dialogue with the teacher, immediately entered the room, and saw the boy shoot himself.

"The officers breached the door, entered the classroom and saw the suspect in front of the classroom," Skorik said. "At that time the suspect fired one shot, injured himself with a self-inflicted gunshot wound." Skorik did not say where he was shot.

The hostage-taker, an unidentified student, entered the classroom toward the end of the school day, around 3:00 pm (2000 GMT).

Police had been hoping to resolve the drama without violence. "The game plan all along was to have the situation end peacefully," Skorik said.

The youth, a student at Marinette High School, had entered the classroom with two handguns, a .22 caliber semi-automatic and a 9-mm pistol. Cartridge casings found on the scene revealed both weapons had been used, he added.

The motive for the situation remained unclear according to Skorik, who noted the student was not known to local police. One parent told the Milwauke Journal Sentinel that the situation unfolded during a Western Civilization class.

"We have no idea as far as motivations at this point," he said.

The high school will be closed until further notice and grief counselors will be on hand once the decision is made to re-open, said Superintendent Timothy Baneck.

The district had held a drill last fall to practise what to do if a shooter had entered the school, he added.

Marinette is approximately 80 kilometers (50 miles) north of the city of Green Bay. The school has approximately 700 students.

Police had earlier said there were 20 students and one teacher being held hostage.

Google Investigated by EU Over Online Ads, Search

                 BRUSSELS (AP) — European Union regulators will investigate whether Google Inc. has abused its dominant position in the online search market — the first major probe into the online giant's business practices.

                 The move announced Tuesday follows complaints from rival search engines that Google put them at a disadvantage in both its regular and sponsored search results, by listing links to their sites below references to its own services in an attempt to shut them out of the market.

                  The EU Commission will also see whether Google prevented advertising partners from placing ads from competitors on their sites. Competitors allegedly shut out include computer and software vendors, the commission said.

                 If the Commission finds that Google has abused its market position, the company could be fined up to 10 percent of its revenue — that would put it on the line for a $2.4 billion fine based on 2009 earnings figures.

                 The Commission has shown resolve in confronting U.S. corporations and only last year concluded a long-running antitrust case involving Microsoft Corp. that lead to over $1 billion of fines.

                 Three companies — U.K.-based price-comparison site Foundem, French legal search engine ejustice.fr and Microsoft-owned shopping site Ciao — lodged complaints against Google with the commission in February.

                 The investigation does not imply any wrongdoing by Google, which controls about 90 percent of the online search market in Europe, but shows that the antitrust watchdog is taking the complaints seriously enough to launch an in-depth examination of the company's practices.

                 Google has maintained it is confident that it hasn't done anything wrong.

                 "Since we started Google we have worked hard to do the right thing by our users and our industry — ensuring that ads are always clearly marked, making it easy for users and advertisers to take their data with them when they switch services, and investing heavily in open source projects," Google said in an emailed statement.

                 "But there's always going to be room for improvement, and so we'll be working with the Commission to address any concerns," the company said.

Fire Reported At Overland Park, Kansas Club

             The fire at the Milburn Golf & Country Club is contained, the Overland Park chief said shortly after 6 p.m. “But we’re in a defensive posture” to make sure it does not spread as high winds whip the fire, Chief Bryan Dehner said.

                The large three-alarm fire was reported about 4:30 p.m. Monday.The fire was thought to have started on the clubhouse’s second floor, but authorities said they didn’t know what sparked it.

                 No injuries were reported, but high westerly winds fanned the flames and made the blaze difficult to control. Heavy smoke blanketed a large area of homes east/southeast of the club.A fire occurred in building earlier Monday, and fire officials were working to find out more about it.

 

                 One Milburn staff member was at the club when firefighters arrived, and officials have talked to that person, Dehner said. Some construction work was being done at the club. The club reportedly was closed Monday.

                Flames were visible above the roof into the evening. Fire crews extended an aerial bucket over the clubhouse, and firefighters in the bucket poured water on the fire from above.Crews also had to bring water from a long distance because there were no nearby hydrants.

                The club is at 7501 W. 69th St. A fire department spokesman urged drivers to avoid the area.Crews from Overland Park, Johnson County Consolidated No. 2, Shawnee, Merriam and Olathe responded to the fire.

                Jim Crilly, a homeowner on 69th Street who lives three houses away from the club, said a friend told him that he heard a loud popping noise from the clubhouse before the firefighters arrived.Crilly said he went outside upon hearing the sirens and saw smoke that appeared to come from the west side of the clubhouse.

                Smoke blanketed the neighborhoods blocks away from the club Monday night and was visible even against the night sky.

                Milburn Golf & Country Club was founded in 1917, according to club’s website said. The course was regularly used by local golfers trying to qualify for the U.S. Open. The club has a fitness center, banquet facilities and other amenities.

                Bob Fischgrund, the club’s vice president, said he had no doubt that Milburn will rebuild. He said that while there is bound to be a lot of work ahead, the course itself appeared to be undamaged.

                “A club of this nature is about people, and the people are still going to be there,” he said.The club had planned a redecorating project in the clubhouse’s upstairs, including changes to the ballroom.

                One of the club’s earliest mentions in The Kansas City Star was on April 1, 1917, when it opened. The club was described as “Kansas City’s first popular priced golf club” because its initiation fee and annual membership dues — $50 and $50 — were less than those of other clubs.

                Monday’s fire wasn’t the first at Milburn. Flames destroyed the clubhouse in September 1932, the day before the club’s annual stag party. The estimated cost of the building was $60,000. The fire started in the second-floor apartment of the club manager, B.C. Bonnell, The Star reported. Almost all the furniture and equipment — including a grand piano and 225 sets of golf clubs — were saved by caddies and caretakers. Firefighters only had access to one hydrant, which had low pressure.A new building was open by May 1933.

                A smaller fire in April 1960 damaged the club’s kitchen and dining wing, causing $10,000 in damage. The club undertook a $300,000 remodeling project that was mostly completed by that fall.

                Art Parchen, a former member who wrote the club’s history, said Monday that the club had regularly held professional golfing events and was the course of choice for many people.

                “Boy, I tell you, it’s sad to watch this thing collapse in on itself,” Parchen said. “The club had probably one of the best golf courses in the area.”

                Diann McCallum of Mission was among dozens of people who lined Santa Fe Drive on Monday, watching firefighters work to tame the fire. Several people took photos with cell phones or digital cameras.

                “You can see it on TV, but you don’t believe it until you actually see it,” McCallum said.McCallum, who graduated from Shawnee Mission North High in 1980, used to sing at the country club with the school choir every Christmas.

                “It’s a gorgeous building. It’s really sad to see it go down,” McCallum said.Many people watching the fire recalled memories Christmas parties, wedding receptions, playing in the pool and spending afternoons golfing.

                “I grew up being a kid here,” said Brandon McNeely. “It was the thing to do and the place to be.” “Of course I’m biased, but I think it’s the best golf course in Kansas City,” longtime member Frank Kennedy said.

                The Strang Line Interurban Railway ran along the east side of the course and was a main stop. Before people had cars, visitors would ride the line to the golf club to caddy or play golf.

                “It’s certainly been an important fixture in the city’s history,” said Florent Wagner, the president of the Overland Park Historical Society. “Thousands of people have been married there.”

                Wagner said he was confident that Milburn will rebuild again, the same way that businesses in downtown Overland Park rebuilt after a fire in 2006.“This will not be the end of Overland Park,” Wagner said. “They will rise from the ashes and be better than before.”

                Diana Jackson worked several jobs at the country club from 1981 to 1986 including bartending.“It’s really sad,” Jackson said as she watched the fire burn. “I have a lot of great memories from there.”Chris Farrell and his twin brother, Greg, grew up playing junior golf at the club.

                “The pride of all of those that were part of this club will find a way to begin again,” Chris Farrell said. “They truly will.”

Conservatives jump out to strong lead in one byelection and ahead in a second

                 OTTAWA — The Conservatives have taken a clear lead in one of three byelections Monday night and the other two contests are close races.

                In Manitoba’s Dauphin-Swan River-Marquette riding, Tory candidate Robert Sopuck was well ahead of his closest competitors when the first results started coming in around 10 p.m. ET, shortly after the polls closed. He is expected to hold the seat for the Conservatives in what is a stronghold riding for the party.
But in Manitoba’s other byelection in Winnipeg North, the Liberals and the NDP were in the midst of a tough fight. The NDP’s Kevin Chief is considered the front-runner, but Liberal candidate Kevin Lamoureux, a longtime former provincial politician, has a decent shot at taking the riding. As the results came in, Chief was maintaining only a slight lead, just under a two-percentage point of popular vote lead.

           In the hottest of the three races, in Ontario’s Vaughan riding, Conservative star candidate Julian Fantino and Liberal Tony Genco were neck and neck as the early results were reported. By about 10:15 ET, Fantino had pulled ahead of Genco by about 380 votes.

           Although the riding is a Liberal stronghold — held by Maurizio Bevilacqua for the last 22 years — the Conservatives are counting on their high-profile star candidate to steal it away. Fantino, the former head of several municipal police forces and the Ontario Provincial Police, is a well-known figure, particularly in the riding’s Italian-Canadian community.

               Genco also has extensive community experience. The NDP’s candidate Kevin Bordian was nowhere near Fantino and Genco as the votes were tallied.The parties have all campaigned hard in the Vaughan byelection, eager to capture a seat in the Greater Toronto Area.

                Making gains in that region is key for the Tories in their quest for a majority government; traditionally, the Liberals have been able to keep the edge over them.If Fantino pulls off a victory, it will give Prime Minister Stephen Harper a tough-talking spokesman to push his law-and-order agenda.

                 Some have speculated Fantino would be put in cabinet upon his arrival in Ottawa. Harper could easily make some adjustments to the cabinet in the near future, given the recent resignation of his environment minister, former Calgary MP Jim Prentice. Prentice announced a few weeks ago that he had taken a job as vice-chairman of CIBC.

                Despite the long Liberal history in Vaughan, the party says it is not taking the riding for granted and is fighting for every vote.If the Liberals lose the seat, the defeat will be compared to the huge upset they suffered in another byelection in 2007 in Montreal’s Outremont riding. Thomas Mulcair’s victory for the NDP there rattled the Liberal party, which had secured that riding since it was created.All three of Monday’s byelections were triggered by MPs who left Ottawa to run in municipal elections this past fall.

Anderson Cooper Joins Fox

              A few months back we mentioned that Anderson Cooper would be launching a day time talk show set to premiere next fall. Well the show finally has a home and it’s going to be on Fox of all places.

              Three Fox-owned stations in the top markets have already cleared the show, which was unexpected as Fox News rivals Cooper’s CNN show.Warner Bros. Domestic TV Distribution president Ken Werner stated:

"Although the marketplace for fall 2011 has been filled by many returning franchises and the expansion of news programs, there is still a big opportunity across stations.
We are delighted that these major market stations have embraced the opportunity to bring one of America's finest storytellers to daytime and early fringe viewers."

              The show is already being described as one which will "bring to viewers the biggest celebrity and newsmaker interviews, fascinating human interest stories and in-depth coverage of pop culture, social issues, trends and major events." The hour-long show is set to air next September if all goes to plan.
Congrats!