Game Film Week 10

Game Film Week 10

From Twitter:

Confusing words sounding the same / makes your publication look lame: http://bit.ly/cljrBl

Be selective / with your adjective

Hunter S. Thompson is purported to have once said: “If it’s weird, write it straight, and if it’s straight, write it weird.”

Examples w/heds:

Burmese python and alligator die after gruesome battle in Everglades

Python, alligator die after epic battle

Exact Numbers:

Unless the context demands exact numbers, round up or down:

An unusual clash between a 5.9 ft. alligator and a 12.8 ft. python has left

An unusual clash between a 6-foot alligator and a 13-foot python has left

Also, give ft. for foot the boot

Attribution:

was quoted as saying by the Associated Press news agency. ß avoid these kinds of awkward constructions. just say “told the Associated Press.”

Invoke the French Poodle Rule

The rangers said the find suggests that non-native Burmese Pythons might

Sequence of Tenses ßclick on this link

He said there had been four known encounters between the two species ß suggestion here was to use “have been.” As it relates to sequence of tenses, what do you think?

See this note form From After Deadline – an NYT Grammar Blog: http://topics.blogs.nytimes.com/tag/after-deadline/

Sequence of Tenses
Several readers were puzzled last week by my criticism of the grammar in this sentence:
On Wednesday, the city of Copenhagen said that Mr. Eliasson will create a bridge there, called Cirkelbroen …

I said it should be “would create,” and indeed, that fix was made for print editions. But some commenters disagreed, thinking that “would” is only appropriate to convey a conditional sense or to indicate uncertainty.

The Times’s style, unlike that of some news organizations, is to adhere to the formal rules on tense sequences. So, for example, a verb that is present tense in a direct quotation shifts to past tense in an indirect quotation after a past-tense verb: I am going to the store becomes He said he was going to the store, not He said he is going to the store.

In such constructions, the future-tense “will” becomes “would” after a past-tense verb. In these cases, “would” is not acting as a conditional (He would go to the store if he needed something) but simply as the past-tense form of “will.”

Cutlines and awkward constructions

In cutlines – as much as possible avoid the such constructions as “is shown” or “is picture” or somesuch à

Former KYW-TV newscaster Alycia Lane is shown leaving the federal courthouse

vs.

Former KYW-TV newscaster Alycia Lane leaves the federal courthouse

AP’s got Religion: The stylebook is a cornucopia of info about religion and style. Check it out if you are not sure.  

A BLishop speaks on a cell phone before mLass

Civil vs. Criminal Court

KYW-TV newscaster Alycia Lane leaves the federal courthouse in Philadelphia.  She sued the station and former news anchor Larry Mendte after Mendte hacked Lane’s e-mail and leaked her personal information to gossip publications. He now faces house arrest and a $5,000 fine. ßcutline implies that she is leaving federal courthouse after suing – but this was a criminal trial brought but government. Her civil suit will come later in civil court.

Cliches and when they work and articles and conjunctions in headlines:

Python bites off more than it can chew

A Burmese python and an alligator fight to the death in the Florida Everglades

Maybe chew a wornout cliché, but maybe it works here – note the dek, however, and use of articles and conjunctions. I am attempting to teach you the conservative mode without such. Later you can break rules.

Echo, Echo, Heck No

First, you do not want to echo lead. Second, you do not want to steal your reporter’s words. à

Head: Burger King gets flak for ‘Whopper virgin’ campaign

Lede: Burger King is catching flak for taking the burger wars to places that don't even have a word for burger.

FYI: See Flak/Flack (this is also in your stylebook)

Web Heds 1

Python tries to make meal of alligator, both die

An SEO web hed might say “eat” rather than “make meal” – though as a writer of grabbie print headlines who likes to have fun with words I like the alliteration on “make meal.” Alas, that is problem with writing for Internet spiders.

Also:

News outlets take over college students’ computers ß fuzzy and obscure – it is really difficult to be cute and grabby in online hed given demands of seo

Web Heds 2

Two bombs found among luggage in train station diffused

Two bombs found in Mumbai train station defused ß this cuts luggage and adds Mumbai (which term do you think folks on Web would search for?

Also:

Ex-anchor under house arrest for hacking e-mail

Former anchor under house arrest for hacking e-mail ßex would not be a search term. Former might.

Also:

Police defuse bombs found at train station

Bombs found at Mumbai train depot defused ß this is why being DWI is important. Uses passive, yes, but gets relevant search terms into headline. Important, too, in print.

Old News vs. New News

Burger King launches ‘Whopper virgin’ campaign abroad, angers many

ß this is how keywords help you focus on the new news. Here, the launch is old news – the anger is new – and you need to be clear what you mean by anger. For example:  

Burger King’s ‘Whopper Virgin’ campaign called insensitive to hungry, poor

OR

Burger King’s ‘virgin’ campaign targets hungry villagers

ßThis is old news, the new news is the campaign drawing fire

OR

Bombs defused in train station, victims killed ßVictims killed is old news not new news

Bombs defused in Mumbai train station

or

Bombs found in Mumbai train station defused

Word Inference = Concision

Burger King’s ‘Whopper Virgin’ campaign called insensitive to hungry, poor

Here is what I mean. We all pretty much know what a Whopper is, so you could cut Burger King

or

Burger King ‘virgins’ campaign causes controversy, exploits villagers critics say

Burger King ‘virgins’ campaign exploits villagers, critics say ßCritics implies controversy

or

Former news anchor under

house arrest for hacking

Former anchor under house

arrest for hacking e-mail

There are No Synonyms (this is one of my mantras)

For example: Burger King criticized for asking foreigners to compare burgers

foreigners could include anyone outside U.S. That is not what we mean, right?

Heds as Editorial Opinion (lack of attribution)

Burger King insensitive to Whopper Virgins  

New Burger King Whopper campaign in poor taste  (though I like the taste pun)

Burger King exploits villagers in ‘Whopper Virgins’ ad campaign

Cell phones, Internet threat to soul

The Colon Hed (In a short count this may help. Just don’t overdue them.

Study: College students more focused on world issues

Vatican: cell phones hurt spiritual life

Quotation marks (single quotes in headlines)

Burger King accused of exploiting poor villagers in “Whopper Virgins” campaign

Cell phones and Internet “threaten the soul,” Vatican warns

Burger King’s virgin campaign branded insensitive (here, you need to put quotes around virgin and capitalize it.

Critics call Burger King’s “Whopper virgins” ad campaign “insensitive” à also, insensitive is not in quotes in story so you would not do so in hed

Padding and Bad Splits

Anchorman sentenced for

hacking co-worker’s e-mail

rewrite:

Former anchor who hacked

e-mail gets house arrest

Mendte on house arrest for

hacking Lane’s e-mail

rewrite:

Mendte under house arrest

for hacking Lane’s e-mail

News anchor sentenced to 6

months house arrest

rewrite:

Former anchor who hacked

e-mail gets house arrest

Concreteness

Here: Be more concrete, specific in your headlines – and hey – in all your writing: concreteness = the quality of being concrete (not abstract) wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn

Pope believes

spiritual life

is threatened

Pope says cell

phone, Internet

threaten soul

Keywords Need a Verb

Keywords this is missing the verb sentenced / or / under house arrest or somesuch

1.     news anchor

2.     court

3.     hacking

4.     e-mail

5.     house arrest

6.     sue

7.     gossip publications

8.     personal information

9.     fired

10. job

11. network

Philadelphia

Main hed: Former anchor under house arrest for hacking e-mail

Narrative hed: Former Philadelphia news anchor Larry Mendte

 was sentenced to house arrest for hacking into a

colleague’s e-mail and leaking information to gossip columns. ßso here, no need to repeat sentencing – you could make more DWI by adding colleague lost her job and/or that she has sued him  

Cutline

Former KYW_TV newscaster Alycia Lane leaves the federal courthouse in Philadelphia yesterday. Lane took former colleague Larry Mendte to court after he repeatedly hacked into her e-mail and leaked  information to gossip publications, causing her to lose her job. ß in this case she did not take him to court. This was a criminal trial, which is brought by the government – she will sue in civil court

Social Media Sourcing

Facebook: 

Mike Cronin WDUQ listeners: Was anyone listening when the station signal went down for 30 minutes this morning? Are you nervous about the pending sale of the station? Are you worried that your local NPR station might vanish? Call my desk at 412-320-7884. Thx!

Dave Decker I definitely am worried about it. We've been members for almost four years. We listen every day of the week and losing it would be a serious blow to the media landscape in Pittsburgh.

Richard Gartner Just the latest in a series of steps that makes Duquesne the most embarrassing college in Pittsburgh (they are also cutting most of their arts programs). I'm embarrassed to be a Duquesne grad.

Homonyms

UPI style book  1977
United Press International Stylebook (1977, p. 29):

burro, burrow.  A burro is an ass.  A burrow is a hole in the ground.  As a journalist, you are expected to know the difference.

Parallel Structures - NYT

October 19, 2010 

Parallel Problems

http://topics.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/10/19/parallel-problems/

By PHILIP B. CORBETT

Notes from the newsroom on grammar, usage and style. (Some frequently asked questions are here.)

Bryan A. Garner, in his Modern American Usage, describes parallelism as “the matching of sentence parts for logical balance,” and says it helps satisfy readers’ “innate craving for order and rhythm.”

Lack of parallelism, on the other hand, is like an uneven sidewalk that makes a hurrying reader stumble awkwardly and occasionally crash to the ground.

Several recent variations on the problem:

•••

Dr. deGravelle’s clinic notes say Kyle was hyperactive, prone to tantrums, spoke only three words and “does not interact well with strangers.’’

This, as Garner notes, is one of the most common parallelism problems — “mixing phrases and clauses by introducing a verb late in the game.”

In this case, after the verb “was,” we started what appeared to be a list of parallel adjectives — “hyperactive, prone [to tantrums] …” But then we abruptly switched gears, introducing two new verbs. Perhaps the simplest fix is to use “and” instead of a comma after “hyperactive.” That would make “was hyperactive and prone to tantrums” the first of three parallel verb phrases.

The problem is compounded by the switch to a present-tense verb in the direct quote at the end. Better to paraphrase to avoid the shift in tenses.

•••

According to the listing, the apartment has four bedrooms, 5,425 square feet of space, and is on the 88th floor.

A similar problem. We seem to start a series of noun phrases, all direct objects of “has” — four bedrooms, 5,425 square feet and … — but then abruptly introduce a new verb, breaking the parallel structure. One solution would be to put “and” instead of the comma after “bedrooms.”

•••

“I really didn’t know what I was walking into,” Jim Millstein says about taking one of the biggest jobs of his life: unraveling the taxpayers’ bailout — er, investment — in the American International Group.

Another common problem. If a prepositional phrase modifies two different nouns, the preposition has to work with both, or we need to supply separate prepositions. Here, it’s right to say “investment in,” but not “bailout in.” We needed “bailout of,” or we needed to rephrase.

•••

Add in the competitive political environment, with Republicans ascendant, the Obama administration struggling to break the perception that it is hostile to business, and the resulting stew is potent.

Here, it seems, we simply didn’t have a third element for the series. We needed “and” after “ascendant,” and perhaps dashes to set those two elements off.

•••

F. Scott Fitzgerald wouldn’t have found it hard to understand why the beautiful and damned flocked to Bernard’s large estate, often eager to toil in the most menial tasks. Like Bikram of Beverly Hills, the owner of many Rolls-Royces and Rolexes, and whose client list includes Madonna and Britney Spears, Bernard was especially lucky with his patrons, keeping one of the more flush Vanderbilts on tap for decades.

A different problem here. The two elements describing Bikram are not grammatically parallel, so they should not be linked by the coordinating conjunction “and.” There’s an appositive (“the owner of many …”) and a relative clause (“whose client list includes …”); we can simply delete “and.”

Wire Budget

NEWS FROM THE WIRES

CURRENCY WARS — Fears of an emerging currency war flare as the euro hits $1.40 for the first time in eight months and the U.S. steps up pressure on China to let its currency rise.

HUNGARY-SLUDGE FLOOD

KOLONTAR, Hungary — Red sludge flows into the mighty Danube, threatening a half-dozen nations along one of Europe’s key waterways. Monitors take samples every hour to measure damage from the toxic spill of industrial waste and emergency officials declare one Hungarian tributary dead. There’s also encouraging news: The Danube is apparently absorbing the slurry with no immediate harm. By George Jahn.

AP photos, video.

PAKISTAN

KARACHI, Pakistan (AP) — Two suspected suicide bombers attacked the most beloved Sufi shrine in Pakistan’s largest city Thursday, killing at least 10 people, wounding 65 others, and sending a stark reminder of the threat posed by Islamist militants to this U.S.-allied nation.

AFGHANISTAN

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — Airstrikes and ground operations by NATO and Afghan troops killed dozens of insurgents, including a senior Taliban leader who spearheaded attacks against security forces, the alliance said Thursday as the war in Afghanistan entered its 10th year. Sixteen militants were killed in air raids and ground fighting overnight in the Darqad, Yangi Qala and Khwaja Bahawuddin districts of Takhar province, Gen. Shah Jahan Noori, provincial police chief, told The Associated Press. More than a dozen insurgents were wounded.

NOBEL LITERATURE

NEW YORK — The biggest surprise about Mario Vargas Llosa’s winning the Nobel prize is that it took so long. The 74-year-old author and political activist, a charter member of the Latin American “Boom” of the 1960s, has for decades been regarded as one of the world’s greatest writers, a masterful and provocative mixer of literature and social consciousness in his work and in his life.

NOBEL PEACE PRIZE

OSLO, Norway (AP) — Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo tops speculation for the Nobel Peace Prize — one betting site has already declared him the winner — though some experts expect a more low-key choice on Friday.

Two women are also hot candidates in this year’s Nobel buzz: Afghan women’s rights activist Sima Samar and Russian human rights activist Svetlana Gannushkina.

ISRAEL-PALESTINIANS

JERUSALEM — In the clearest sign that a deal may be emerging to keep the Mideast peace effort alive, a top Palestinian official says his side would accept a U.S. proposal for Israel to avoid new settlement construction for two months. The Israeli prime minister is placating hard-liners with a seemingly unrelated issue — a new loyalty oath to the Jewish state. By Josef Federman.

HONEYBEE QUESTIONS-SHOOTING

LOWELL, Ind. — Each case followed the same pattern: A disheveled man approached people in rural towns and asked nonsensical questions about honeybees — then he started shooting. One person has been killed and two wounded, and authorities have set off on a two-state manhunt to find a gunman some have dubbed “the Honeybee Shooter.” By Tom Coyne.

PHILADELPHIA-FLIGHT HALTED

Transportation security officials removed passengers from a Bermuda-bound flight Thursday at Philadelphia International Airport after reports that someone was helping to load the plane without a security badge.

IRAQ

BAGHDAD (AP) — Back-to-back bombings at a vegetable market south of Baghdad on Thursday afternoon killed at least five people, including a policeman who was searching for explosives, Iraqi security and medical officials said.

GULF OIL SPILL-LUCRATIVE LAWSUITS

MIAMI — More than 100 attorneys are scrapping for a chance to be the superstars representing Gulf of Mexico oil spill victims, seeking leadership roles and more of the money from what could be a multibillion-dollar gusher of litigation against BP and other companies. A judge in the next few days will pick the elite corps of about a dozen lawyers to represent thousands of fishermen, restaurateurs, hotel operators and property owners who say their lives were upended by the spill. By Curt Anderson.

AP photos.

Local Budget

FRIDAY, OCT. 8

MANAGER ON DUTY: META MINTON

NIGHT SUPERVISOR: BRIAN BELL

REPORTERS ON DUTY: KATIE BACKMAN

PHOTOGRAPHERS ON DUTY: PETER TRAVERS

A SECTION

(20 pages; 2 full-page ads)

A FRONT

CENTERPIECE PACKAGE

1. MARCO RUBIO — Nuts and bolts story about his campaign event 4 p.m. Thursday at Barnes and Noble.

SHUMAKER w/ assigned art

2. RUBIO REACTION — I’m going to get crowd reaction at the Rubio rally Thursday at Barnes and Noble/Lake Sumter Landing. FORREST w/ assigned art

3. TEASE to PHOTO ESSAY INSIDE A

BOTTOM READ

ADVANCE ITALIAN FEST GOLF CART DECORATION — I’m going to talk with some people prepping for the Italianfest parades Friday. I’ll also include basic information. SHUMAKER w/ assigned art AND MAPS (NEED TO UPDATE), tease to ITALIAN-AMERICAN CLUB ADVANCE STORY.

A BOTTOM GRAPHIC

1. Ribbon

2. Today’s 5

3. Pop Culture

A INSIDE

BRIEFS PACKAGE — State Government News — DESK

ADVANCE — ITALIAN-AMERICAN CLUB — Talking to members of the club about the upcoming ItalianFest 4:45 p.m. Friday at both Town Squares. Forrest w/file art

• • • • • • 

C SECTION

(8 pages; 1 full-page ads)

FULL-PAGE AD: C8

WEATHER: C2

C1 JUMP PAGE: C3

LOCAL: C4-C5

BUSINESS: C6-C7

C FRONT

CENTERPIECE

FANTASY OF FLIGHT POW — Local WWII veteran Jack Cheppo is going to appear on a panel at Fantasy of Flight Friday and Saturday for the attraction’s Living History Symposium Series. I’m going to talk with him about his story and his participation in this. SHUMAKER w/ assigned art

RAIL-RIGHT-TOP

MEDICARE — Humana’s recent decision to discontinue a popular Medicare plan used by many veterans in The Villages reinforces the message that all Medicare beneficiaries should begin reviewing their health plans during now in advance of the upcoming open enrollment period. CORDER w/breakout box - TEASE to MEDICARE SCAM

RAIL-RIGHT-BOTTOM

ADVANCE - TUSCANY DAY SPA HEAD-SHAVING EVENT — Tuscany Day Spa is hosting a head shaving event on Oct. 30 to raise funds for St. Baldrick’s which supports cancer patients. Patty Bonnie provides details. MOON w/breakout box

RAIL-LEFT

COLUMN - MARTHA MADDOX — “prepared” foods not always ready to eat. No art.

BOTTOM READ

PADDLE TENNIS DEMOS — Professionals from the American Platform Tennis Association will host clinics and demonstrations for Villages residents Wednesday at SeaBreeze Rec Center. I’ll talk with the pros, participants, and audience members about the opportunity to see some of the sport’s top athletes. SHUMAKER w/ assigned art

C BOTTOM GRAPHIC

1. Today in Villages History

2. Villager of the Day

3. Inside Today

C INSIDE

MUST RUNS

must run — OBITS - WILLIAMS - 17”

must run — AAC — The AAC met Wednesday for their regular meeting. I’m going to focus on the performing arts center angle — the developer is donating the Church on the Square/adjacent land to be renovated. SHUMAKER (no art)

must run — MEDICARE SCAM — SHINE officials have notified me of a medicare scam that involves someone posing as a medicare person asking cardholders to get their checkbook because they’ll be getting a special card in the mail. Talk to SHINE and Renico about this scam. BACKMAN w/ tip box

must run —BRIEF- MASTER GARDENER PLANT SALE — The Master Gardeners’ Fall Gathering Plant Sale will be held 8 a.m. to noon Saturday Oct. 9 at the Uf/IFAS office in Ocala. Items for sale include shade trees, fruit trees and more. MOON

LAW ENFORCEMENT NEWS

BRIEF — CPR CLASSES — The Villages District Public Safety Department has some CPR classes coming up. BACKMAN

BRIEF — SPAGHETTI DINNER — Marion County Sheriff’s Office is hosting a spaghetti dinner Oct. 8. The proceeds benefit youth programing. BACKMAN

BRIEF HIT AND RUN — There was a vehicle vs. pedestrian hit and run on Griffin and 441. The pedestrian had minor injuries. BACKMAN

BRIEF CHASE — Florida Highway Patrol made an arrest as the result of a high speed chase that was on I-75 in Marion/Sumter counties. BACKMAN

BUSINESS

RUBY_TUESDAY — Investors apparently anticipated good news from Ruby Tuesday as its stock price increased gradually over the past few days during trading on the New York Stock Exchange. And the Maryville, Tenn.-based restaurant chain, which operates an eatery in Spanish Springs Town Square, met their expectations late Wednesday evening with a positive earnings report. CORDER, with file art moved and Orton graphic

BUS-CALENDAR-DESK

TRI-COUNTY BRIEFS

BRIEF — DISARMING DIABETES - Villages’ resident Kae Borrero, who is also a nurse, will be presenting a 6-week seminar on disarming diabetes starting Nov. 8 at the Villages Public Library. TOLER

TRICOUNTY TODAY — 10”

TRICOUNTY BACKUP — 43”

IF SPACE IS AVAILABLE

BUFFALO PRIDE MEETING — I am covering the Buffalo PRIDE meeting at The Villages Charter Middle School Tuesday night, Oct. 5 at 6 p.m. A speaker will be present to discuss tobacco awareness. MOON w/assigned art

VOLUNTEER APPRECIATION LUNCHEON - The SCSO held a luncheon on 10/6 to honor its local volunteers. STANFORD w/RPT. art

STANDALONE -- Starter shack golf personnel dressed in pink for Breast Cancer Awareness Month -- HORSFORD

Final A Section Budget

FRIDAY, OCT. 8,  20 PAGES, 1 ADs 4 advance

TOP STORIES

A1 - FRONT PAGE

ISRAEL-PALESTINIANS

JERUSALEM - In the clearest sign that a deal may be emerging to keep the Mideast peace effort alive, a top Palestinian official says his side would accept a U.S. proposal for Israel to avoid new settlement construction for two months. The Israeli prime minister is placating hard-liners with a seemingly unrelated issue - a new loyalty oath to the Jewish state. By Josef Federman.

AFGHANISTAN

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) - Airstrikes and ground operations by NATO and Afghan troops killed dozens of insurgents, including a senior Taliban leader who spearheaded attacks against security forces, the alliance said Thursday as the war in Afghanistan entered its 10th year. Sixteen militants were killed in air raids and ground fighting overnight in the Darqad, Yangi Qala and Khwaja Bahawuddin districts of Takhar province, Gen. Shah Jahan Noori, provincial police chief, told The Associated Press. More than a dozen insurgents were wounded.

CENTERPIECE PACKAGE

1. MARCO RUBIO — Nuts and bolts story about his campaign event 4 p.m. Thursday at Barnes and Noble.

SHUMAKER w/ assigned art

2. RUBIO REACTION — I’m going to get crowd reaction at the Rubio rally Thursday at Barnes and Noble/Lake Sumter Landing. FORREST w/ assigned art

3. TEASE to PHOTO ESSAY INSIDE A

BOTTOM READ

ADVANCE ITALIAN FEST GOLF CART DECORATION — I’m going to talk with some people prepping for the Italianfest parades Friday. I’ll also include basic information. SHUMAKER w/ assigned art AND MAPS (NEED TO UPDATE), tease to ITALIAN-AMERICAN CLUB ADVANCE STORY.

A2 - NATION/WORLD

BRITAIN TITANIC

Rare Titanic survivor letter to be auctioned

AP Photo LON812, LON811

LONDON (AP) — She heard a terrible rumbling noise, then anguished cries for help as her rowboat pulled away from the sinking ocean liner Titanic that dreadful night in 1912. Now Laura Francatelli’s first person account of the disaster, in the form of a signed affidavit that was given to a British board of inquiry, is set to be auctioned.

JAILED OVER PLEDGE

Miss. judge jails attorney for not reciting pledge WITH MUG

A3 - SECOND FRONT

CLASS SIZE LAWSUIT

Florida class size amendment challenge rejected

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — The Florida Supreme Court has rejected a teachers union’s challenge to a ballot issue that would loosen the state’s class size limits.

HUNGARY-SLUDGE FLOOD

KOLONTAR, Hungary - Red sludge flows into the mighty Danube, threatening a half-dozen nations along one of Europe's key waterways. Monitors take samples every hour to measure damage from the toxic spill of industrial waste and emergency officials declare one Hungarian tributary dead. There's also encouraging news: The Danube is apparently absorbing the slurry with no immediate harm. By George Jahn.

AP photos, video.

PHILADELPHIA-FLIGHT HALTED

Transportation security officials removed passengers from a Bermuda-bound flight Thursday at Philadelphia International Airport after reports that someone was helping to load the plane without a security badge.

BRIEFS

Bush’s book

Chile mine

California budget

A4- C2C

A5 - JUMP

ADVANCE — ITALIAN-AMERICAN CLUB — Talking to members of the club about the upcoming ItalianFest 4:45 p.m. Friday at both Town Squares. Forrest w/file art

A6 - JUMP

ENTERTAINMENT BRIEFS OF YOUR CHOOSING

A7 - JUMP

FLORIDA BRIEFS AS NEEDED

— JURY INSTRUCTIONS — A sharply divided Florida Supreme Court has reversed a criminal conviction because the judge instructed jurors they couldn’t ask to have testimony read back to them.

— BUS STOP SHOOTING — A 13-year-old boy Tampa boy is being treated at a hospital after being shot in the arm at a school bus stop.

— ELDERLY-FATAL BEATING — An 82-year-old man from Delray Beach is being questioned after he told authorities he beat and killed his girlfriend during a fight at their home.

— TROPICAL WEATHER — Otto, which had been a subtropical storm, has transitioned to a tropical storm as it meanders over the Atlantic and could reach hurricane strength.

— SCHOOL SHOOTING — A 17-year-old girl is being treated in the hospital after being struck by a car as she tried to avoid shots that were fired at her Miami Gardens school.

— COURT FEE LAWSUIT — Two lawyers for the state have defended the practice of diverting a portion of court filing fees from a trust fund that helps pay for the judicial system.

— SOLDIER DEATH — A Fort Campbell soldier who twice enlisted in the Army died this week when he was hit by an improvised explosive device while patrolling on foot in southern Afghanistan.AP Photo.

— MAYORAL RECALL — A Miami businessman has been given the go ahead to begin collecting signatures for a ballot initiative to oust Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Alvarez.

— FATAL CAR BURGLARY — Authorities say a Florida Gulf Coast man is dead after confronting several suspects who were breaking into cars outside his apartment building.

— UNIVERSITY TRUSTEES — A Board of Governors panel is seeking applicants for openings at boards of trustees at all 11 of Florida’s public universities.

— HELICOPTER-EMERGENCY LANDING — A helicopter landed safely in the median of a Brevard County expressway after a bird struck its blades.

— SMOKING TRIAL — A jury decided that several tobacco companies are not responsible for causing a mans laryngeal cancer after he smoked cigarettes for about 37 years.

— DRUG TRAFFICKING-BOATS — A Colombian native faces at least 10 years in federal prison after admitting that he sold and outfitted “go-fast” boats for drug dealers.

— BEAR ATTACKS GOAT — Wildlife officials are warning against leaving food outdoors after a bear attacked a family’s goat in central Florida.

— ARMS TRAFFICKERS — Two men have pleaded guilty in a Florida federal court to an illegal plot to ship AK-47 assault rifles to Somalia.

A8 - STATE/JUMP

GULF OIL SPILL-LUCRATIVE LAWSUITS

MIAMI — About a dozen attorneys will be given a giant task and the promise of a huge payoff when a judge picks from more than 100 lawyers seeking leadership roles in the gusher of litigation against BP PLC and other companies involved in the Gulf of Mexico oil spill. By Curt Anderson.

STATE GOVERNMENT BRIEFS

A9 - WASHINGTON

CURRENCY WARS - Fears of an emerging currency war flare as the euro hits $1.40 for the first time in eight months and the U.S. steps up pressure on China to let its currency rise. (with art, but not good art)

STIMULUS CHECKS

WASHINGTON (AP) — A government investigator says 89,000 stimulus payments of $250 each went to people who were either dead or in prison.

OBAMA INTELLIGENCE

WITH SHADED BOX: Obama veto

A10 - RUBIO PHOTO PAGE

A11 - NATION

HONEYBEE QUESTIONS-SHOOTING

LOWELL, Ind. - Each case followed the same pattern: A disheveled man approached people in rural towns and asked nonsensical questions about honeybees - then he started shooting. One person has been killed and two wounded, and authorities have set off on a two-state manhunt to find a gunman some have dubbed “the Honeybee Shooter.” By Tom Coyne.

WITH PHOTO and Sketch of suspect being sought

A thick waist figures big in onset of diabetes, study finds

MED-DIABETES:LA—Although Americans and Brits have similar rates of many diseases, middle-aged and older American men and women have almost twice the rate of diabetes. Americans’ large waists appear to explain much of this difference, according to a new study.

Researchers at Rand Corp. along with British scientists analyzed various risk factors for diabetes and compared these characteristics with diabetes rates in the United States and England. The diabetes rate among American men is 16 percent compared with 11 percent for British men. U.S. women have a rate of 14 percent compared with 7 percent for British women.

The conventional factors related to diabetes risk — age, smoking, socioeconomic status and body mass index — were similar among the Americans and Brits. But the one factor that differed was waist circumference, researchers reported.300 by Shari Roan in Los Angeles.

BRIEFS

City hall shooting

Nevada senate angle with mug

US Obama

Trans hudson tunnel

A12- NATION/WORLD

NOBEL LITERATURE

NEW YORK - The biggest surprise about Mario Vargas Llosa's winning the Nobel prize is that it took so long. The 74-year-old author and political activist, a charter member of the Latin American “Boom” of the 1960s, has for decades been regarded as one of the world's greatest writers, a masterful and provocative mixer of literature and social consciousness in his work and in his life.

NOBEL PEACE PRIZE

OSLO, Norway (AP) - Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo tops speculation for the Nobel Peace Prize - one betting site has already declared him the winner - though some experts expect a more low-key choice on Friday.

Two women are also hot candidates in this year's Nobel buzz: Afghan women's rights activist Sima Samar and Russian human rights activist Svetlana Gannushkina.

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IRAQ

BAGHDAD (AP) - Back-to-back bombings at a vegetable market south of Baghdad on Thursday afternoon killed at least five people, including a policeman who was searching for explosives, Iraqi security and medical officials said.

PAKISTAN

KARACHI, Pakistan (AP) - Two suspected suicide bombers attacked the most beloved Sufi shrine in Pakistan's largest city Thursday, killing at least 10 people, wounding 65 others, and sending a stark reminder of the threat posed by Islamist militants to this U.S.-allied nation.

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AR A15 - NATION

Falling through the cracks of the military’s disability system

DISABLEDVETERANS:SL—Army Reserve Spc. Michael Pyatt mounted a machine gun on the turret of his Humvee in August 2005 for another mission into the volatile city of Hillah, Iraq. As he stepped off the bumper, he landed awkwardly, injuring his hip and back, and leaving him crippled.

Back home, he asked for a medical discharge.

In July 2007, his unit tried to deploy him a second time, even though he wore a knee brace and used a cane.

Just months later, the Department of Veterans Affairs declared Pyatt permanently and totally disabled. Yet today, more than five years after he was hurt, the Army still has not declared Pyatt unfit for duty, which would make him eligible for disability retirement pay and medical insurance for his wife and daughter.

Pyatt’s story is an example of a military disability system that Congress and others contend is woefully unprepared to deal with the hundreds of thousands of troops injured while serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.

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AR A16 NATION

Feds get help translating Ebonics, reigniting debate

DEA-EBONICS:RA—The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s decision to hire nine Ebonics translators for the Southeast region briefly reignited a 40-year debate over whether African-American speech constitutes a separate language.

The translators are expected to help the agency decipher wiretapped telephone conversations of suspected drug dealers who speak in the African-American vernacular, which some people think of as little more than slang.

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Administration criticized for offering too much to keep Mideast talks going

USMIDEAST:TBW—Only a month into a new round of peace talks, the Obama administration is drawing criticism from allies and veteran diplomats that it is giving away too much just to keep negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians from collapsing.

Administration officials have offered an assortment of inducements to persuade Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to extend a freeze on Jewish construction in the West Bank for two months. Palestinian officials have threatened to break off the talks, perhaps as early as this week, unless Israel extends the freeze that expired Sept. 26.

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Notorious Tijuana jail to be just a dark memory

TIJUANA-JAIL:LA—If the walls of this Mexican jail could talk, they would curse in Spanish, and English.

Decades ago, when Americans visited this border city in hard-partying hordes, more than a few drunk sailors and brawling bar patrons ended up in one of these dank, fetid cages. They would share cellblocks with drug kingpins, assassins, child molesters and thieves.

There were escapes and riots, fights and bribes.

But Tijuana will soon close the jail and adjoining police headquarters, eager to slam the door on a dark chapter in the city’s history.

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A18 SCIENCE

Scientists find more efficient, safer way to reprogram cells

SCI-CELLS:MW—Almost three years after the first scientists reprogrammed human cells in Madison, Wis., and Kyoto, Japan, researchers in Boston have developed a new process that appears to eliminate one of the major safety concerns while dramatically increasing the efficiency of the process.

The method, which uses RNA rather than inserted genes, was not only successful in returning adult human cells to the embryonic state, but also in guiding these powerful cells to different fates and even in changing skin cells to muscle cells directly. Such a technology, if proven completely safe, could provide an alternative to embryonic stem cells, allowing scientists to create and bank different cells for therapies, drug testing and the study of diseases.

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SCI BEE DISEASE

Report: Virus, fungus new suspects in bee disease

WASHINGTON (AP) — Researchers have a pair of new suspects in the mysterious collapse of honey bee colonies across the country.

The widespread damage to the bees has caused concern because the insects are needed to pollinate scores of crops.

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CENTERPIECE

RUBY_TUESDAY — Investors apparently anticipated good news from Ruby Tuesday as its stock price increased gradually over the past few days during trading on the New York Stock Exchange. And the Maryville, Tenn.-based restaurant chain, which operates an eatery in Spanish Springs Town Square, met their expectations late Wednesday evening with a positive earnings report. CORDER, with file art moved and Orton graphic

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ECONOMY

WASHINGTON — Companies are laying off fewer workers and advertising more job openings. Both are encouraging signs a day before the government issues the September jobs report. But economists say employers aren’t ramping up hiring quickly enough to reduce the unemployment rate, which is forecast to rise to 9.7 percent. By Economics Writer Christopher S. Rugaber.

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