Thursday News

• Ellis Henican: Andrew Giuliani files lawsuit against Duke

  Andrew Giuliani has hit a rough patch in his drive to become a pro golfer - being tossed off the Duke University golf team, his lawyers say, over "unfounded accusations" and a coach's "bizarre Lord of the Flies scheme."

• Among LI's military families, worry, fear continue

  THE PHONE CALL came early Monday of last week, while Beth Delli-Pizzi was vacationing in Maine and her soldier husband was deployed in Afghanistan near the lawless Pakistan border.

• DA slams brakes on scam

  A financial scheme operating out of two Lawrence car dealerships - and uncovered during a murder probe - helped drug dealers, pimps and gang members buy luxury cars and keep their names off motor vehicle records, Nassau District Attorney Kathleen Rice said yesterday.

• Focus on cleanup efforts

  ALBANY - To help jump-start redevelopment projects across the state, Gov. David A. Paterson signed a law yesterday that reforms the state's Brownfield Cleanup Program. The legislation caps redevelopment tax credits and increases incentives for the cleanup of affected areas.

• MTA plans call for transit fare hike in 2011, too

  And you thought a potential 8 percent fare hike next summer was bad news.

• Charles Wick, U.S. Information Agency director, dies

  LOS ANGELES - Charles Z. Wick, the long-serving director of the United States Information Agency who raised the agency's profile, doubled its budget and extended its ability to reach foreign audiences through new technology such as satellite television, died of natural causes Sunday at his Los Angeles home. He was 90.

• Medford RV retailer sued, inventory seized

  A Medford company that bills itself as Long Island's top RV dealership is being sued for more than $10 million by two national finance companies that claim the retailer sold vehicles but failed to pass along more than $3 million in payments to the lenders.

• Joye Brown: Training needed on drug to reverse heroin overdose

  There's a way to reverse a heroin overdose. And it's been available to addicts, their families and friends, in New York State, since 2006.

• IN BRIEF

  Stocks advanced for the second straight session yesterday as another decline in oil prices and several upbeat profit reports eased some of Wall Street's concerns about the economy. Crude has retreated as oil investors have worried that high prices and a sluggish economy are reducing demand. Oil is down more than $20 a barrel since hitting a record above $147 just weeks ago. A barrel of light, sweet crude fell $3.98 to settle at $124.44 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Investors also examined a raft of earnings reports that indicated not all corporate profits were suffering because of the slower economy. The Dow rose 29.88 points, or 0.26 percent, to 11,632.38 after rising nearly 100 points early in the session. The Standard & Poor's 500 index rose 5.19, or 0.41 percent, to 1,282.19 and the technology-laden Nasdaq composite index rose 21.92, or 0.95 percent, to 2,325.88.

• Candidates navigate rough waters in 15th district

  Democratic legislative candidate DuWayne Gregory is under attack from opponents for failing to blow the whistle on his old boss, former Legis. Elie Mystal, for no longer living in the district.

• Debit card tied to 401(k) stirs debate, legislation

  Only one financial services company offers the product, which 18,000 people in the nation possess, but debit cards tied to 401(k) plans have touched so many nerves that some in Congress want them outlawed.

• Minnesota's food tracking offers lessons to feds

  WASHINGTON - It was a hot lead for detectives on a cold case. People were getting salmonella at a Minnesota restaurant more than 1,000 miles from the center of the nation's outbreak.

• Arrow Electronics sales rise, but profit drops

  Arrow Electronics Inc., a computer parts and components distributor that is Long Island's largest company in sales, said yesterday profits were lower in the second quarter compared with the same period a year ago, reflecting a "cautious" economy. But sales in the period were higher.

• Mercury declining in Hudson's fish

  Mercury levels in several varieties of Hudson River fish have declined significantly over the past three decades, Stony Brook researchers have found in an analysis that points to dramatically decreasing concentrations of industrial pollution.

• WORLD & NATION UPDATE: ABROAD

  A powerful earthquake rattled parts of northern Japan early today, injuring nearly 100 people, triggering landslides and cutting power to thousands of people, officials said. Japan's Meteorological Agency said the temblor, which had a preliminary magnitude of 6.8, struck shortly after midnight at a depth of about 65 miles near the coast of Iwate, 280 miles northeast of Tokyo. Japan's Meteorological Agency said there was no danger of a tsunami from the temblor. At least 99 people were injured, mainly cuts and bruises from broken glass and falling objects, said National Police Agency official on condition of anonymity, citing department policy. No one had life-threatening injuries.

• Search process begins for next Stony Brook prez

  A wide-ranging group of 21 people - from deep-pocketed donors and distinguished alumni to community leaders and student activists - has been tapped to find the next president of Stony Brook University.

• WORLD & NATION UPDATE: AT HOME

  A 53-year-old Massachusetts wife and mother fatally shot herself shortly after faxing a letter to her mortgage company saying that by the time they foreclosed on her house that day, she would be dead. Police said that Carlene Balderrama used her husband's high-powered rifle to kill herself Tuesday, shortly after faxing the letter at 2:30 p.m. The mortgage company called police, who found Balderrama's body at 3:30 p.m. The auction was scheduled to start at 5 p.m. and interested buyers arrived at the property in Taunton, about 35 miles south of Boston, while Balderrama's body was still inside, according to Taunton police chief Raymond O'Berg. Police did not immediately identify the mortgage company.

• Long Islanders to join SF protest over Michael Savage comments

  Long Island autism activists plan to take part in a San Francisco protest Sunday of radio show host Michael Savage's remarks on autism. Hundreds of activists and parents of autistic children are expected to gather outside Savage's home base radio station, KNEW, to call for his ouster.

• Wantagh boosters ahead of plan on fundraising goal

  Barely a month after launching their fundraising campaign, Wantagh parents and other school boosters say they have collected more than half the record $650,000 sought to save district sports teams and extracurricular activities.

• House OKs $3.9B homeowners' bailout

  WASHINGTON - Rescue legislation sailed through the House yesterday aimed at helping 400,000 strapped homeowners avoid foreclosure and to prevent troubled mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac from collapsing.

• Video conferencing attracts Long Island businesses

  Videoconferencing is becoming such an attractive alternative to the hassles and cost of business travel that companies on Long Island are using the virtual meeting to bridge distances as far as Europe and as close as Manhattan.

• Nassau construction inspector accused of extortion

  A veteran Nassau County construction inspector surrendered to FBI agents yesterday on charges of shaking down a contractor on several large-scale home-building projects.

• Legis. Mejias wants two-year freeze on assessments

  Saying Nassau's property tax assessment system "stinks," a Democratic county legislator yesterday called for a two-year freeze on assessments, finally giving Republicans the support they would need to pass a cap.

• Hurricane Dolly lashes Texas coast but spares levees

  BROWNSVILLE, Texas - Hurricane Dolly barreled into South Texas yesterday, lashing the coast with winds up to 100 mph and dumping heavy rain that threatened to flood low-lying areas but spared levees along the heavily populated Rio Grande Valley.

• Brentwood standoff ends after police Taser fugitive

  Officers used a Taser to end a tense standoff in Brentwood yesterday, arresting a fugitive wanted in two states on kidnapping, weapons and heroin possession charges.

• Sid Craig, cofounder of Jenny Craig Inc., is dead

  SAN DIEGO - Sid Craig, the co-founder of Jenny Craig Inc., who built the weight-loss company with his wife and was a prominent thoroughbred horse owner, has died, the company has said.

• McCain defends comment on the surge in Iraq

  BETHLEHEM, Pa. - Republican John McCain pushed back yesterday against Democratic criticism that he misstated when the troop buildup ordered by President George W. Bush began, saying elements were put in place before Bush announced the strategy early last year.

• Babylon names first Hispanic to town board

  The Babylon Town board made history when it appointed a union organizer who fled war-torn El Salvador in the early 1980s as its first Hispanic American member.

• Freeport man to sue LI hospital over hepatitis diagnosis

  Thomas Robinson thought the worst of his medical woes were finally behind him when he was released from Nassau University Medical Center after 18 days.

• Rockville Centre man accused of killing ex-friend

  David Baez and Carl Perryman were best friends for many years while living in the Old Mill Court housing development in Rockville Centre.

• Grimaldi's Pizzeria shut for hours to settle tax dispute

  Say it ain't dough!

• Bill Gates, Bloomberg to target smoking globally

  Money-strapped smoking cessation programs in developing countries like India and Indonesia are getting a multimillion-dollar boost from Microsoft founder Bill Gates and Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

• Suspect's plans to walk off Rikers Island foiled

  Visitors to Rikers Island leave jail through the front door. Nikholas Dadiani is a different kind of visitor - a prisoner, to be exact, but that didn't stop the accused thief from walking out the same front door.

• Weitzman skirts accused worker's calls for apology

  Nassau County Comptroller Howard Weitzman declined yesterday to directly address demands for an apology by a county worker whom Weitzman had portrayed as a potential abuser of a government gasoline card.

• Obama visits Israel, vowing commitment to its security

  SDEROT, Israel - From the solemnity of a Holocaust museum to a dusty village battered by Hamas rockets, Democratic presidential contender Barack Obama yesterday professed "an unshakable commitment to the security" of Israel, whether the threat comes from terrorists, Iran or elsewhere.

• Relief on way for flood victims in Smithtown

  Help is inching closer for flooding victims in Smithtown.

• THE BUZZ

  DMX INDICTED. Rapper DMX has been indicted on felony charges by a grand jury in Arizona for allegedly trying to get out of paying a hospital bill, The Associated Press reports. Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas says the 37-year-old rapper, whose real name is Earl Simmons, has been charged with one count of theft and one count of taking someone else's identity. Authorities say Simmons went to Scottsdale's Mayo Clinic in April, said his name was "Troy Jones," and received care with the intent of not paying the bill. Simmons' attorney, Cameron Morgan, wasn't immediately available for comment.

• Water main break causes flood on Woodmere street

  As residents along Saddle Ridge Road in Woodmere pumped out hundreds of gallons that poured into their homes from a water main break, officials from the area's private water company said they may never know the cause of the break.

• HHS outlines flu-pandemic vaccine scenario

  Essential health care workers would be immunized first if a flu pandemic broke out in the United States, the government said yesterday.

• Sex abuse charges for Selden mosque custodian

  A Long Island mosque employee was arraigned yesterday on charges that he sexually abused a 13-year-old boy at the mosque, police said.

• Federal bill provides for foreclosure counseling

  A $30-million grant program included in yesterday's landmark federal housing bill would help thousands of mortgage holders get face-to-face advice from credit counselors.

• Bill exempts small-boat owners from pollution permit

  A bill that would exempt recreational boat owners from paying the same permits as oil tankers and freight ships was approved in Congress yesterday, Sen. Charles Schumer said.

• Motorists get relief at pumps as oil prices slip

  Motorists are getting a bit of relief at the gas pumps, as prices slip amid reduced demand, higher gasoline supplies and a decline in crude oil futures.

• Cancer doctor sounds cell phone alarm

  PITTSBURGH - The head of a prominent cancer research institute issued an unprecedented warning to his faculty and staff yesterday: Limit cell phone use because of the possible risk of cancer.

• Black doll's head on police car sparks anger in Harlem

  A black doll's head sparked accusations of racial insensitivity among police in Harlem.

• Novak cited after his car strikes pedestrian

  WASHINGTON - Syndicated columnist and TV political pundit Robert Novak said he was issued a $50 citation by D.C. police yesterday morning after he hit a pedestrian while driving his sports car in downtown Washington.

• Pentagon eyes sending hundreds of troops to Afghanistan

  WASHINGTON - Top Pentagon leaders are expected to recommend soon that Defense Secretary Robert Gates order hundreds of additional U.S. troops to Afghanistan over the next month or so, according to a senior military official.

• New details emerge in arrest of Christian Bale

  New details are emerging in the arrest of "The Dark Knight" star Christian Bale.

• Airport diagrams found in trash prompt policy change

  The Town of Islip will now require that contractors return architectural drawings of Long Island MacArthur Airport used to submit construction bids, after airport diagrams were found in a Holtsville deli garbage can.

• Smith and Diaz are top paid actors in Hollywood

  It's been a very good year for Will Smith. The "Hancock" star banked $80 million - making him Hollywood's top money earner last year, according to a new ranking from Forbes.

• THIS DATE IN HISTORY

  1858: Republican senatorial candidate Abraham Lincoln formally challenged Democrat Stephen A. Douglas to a series of political debates; the result was seven face-to-face encounters.

• WAR UPDATE

  Iraq's presidential council yesterday rejected a draft provincial elections law and sent it back to parliament for reworking - a major blow to U.S. hopes that the vote can be held this year. The decision was likely to delay the elections until next year because there would not be sufficient time to make the necessary preparations. U.S. officials have pushed hard for the polls, which had been due by Oct. 1, as a key step toward repairing Iraq's sectarian divisions. The announcement followed stinging criticism by President Jalal Talabani, a Kurd, over the methods used to pass the law. Talabani warned the means could jeopardize national unity and provoke sectarian tensions.

• MTA plans to broadcast CNN at LIRR, subway stations

  The MTA is moving forward with a pilot project to broadcast CNN at Long Island Rail Road or subway stations as early as next year.

• SOUTHAMPTON: Moratoriums on new development

  Southampton's town board has adopted two development moratoriums, one to stop hotels and motels from being converted into condominiums or cooperatives, the other to stop new development on County Road 39 in Shinnecock Hills until the impact of both recent and proposed construction can be studied.

• CAMPAIGN TRAIL

  Democratic hopeful Barack Obama holds a sizable lead over Republican John McCain in New Jersey, according to a poll released yesterday. The Monmouth University/Gannett New Jersey Poll found Obama leading McCain 50 percent to 36 percent among likely voters. It found each candidate backed by 75 percent of his own party members and independent voters supporting Obama 30 percent to 26 percent. New Jersey hasn't backed a Republican presidential candidate since 1988. The state has 15 electoral votes. Obama also has a slight lead nationally over McCain among registered voters, according to the latest Gallup Poll Daily tracking update.

• Southampton adopts tough energy rules for new homes

  The Southampton Town board has adopted what are now Long Island's toughest energy standards for new homes, requiring more energy savings from bigger houses and solar energy for new swimming pools.

• STONY BROOK: Firm's tip-off leads to fireworks arrest

  After a trucking company tipped off police, a Stony Brook man was arrested yesterday at his home on charges of possession of $5,000 worth of illegal fireworks, police said.

• ROOSEVELT: Money set aside for affordable homes

  Six affordable homes will be built in Roosevelt this year with help from state housing funds, Gov. David A. Paterson's office said yesterday.

• More New Yorkers receiving food stamps

  ALBANY - Hard economic times, layoffs and rising food and fuel costs are boosting the number of New Yorkers receiving food stamps to nearly 1 million households.

• SOUTH SHORE: Runoff closes five beaches

  Five South Shore beaches were closed yesterday because of storm-water runoff.