Terrorism suspects arrested
Three terrorism suspects were arrested Saturday in a house outside of Islamabad, Pakistan. Among the suspects is Kkalid Shaikh Mohammed, who is believed to be the key planner of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. According to Pakistani government officials, the other two men arrested are Ahmed Abdul Qadoos, a Pakistani political leader, and a man of Middle Eastern origin. An American official said the arrest is the most important since the attacks. One American senior government official characterized the man’s involvement by describing him as the Forrest Gump of al Qaeda, referring to a fictional movie character who appeared during critical times in U.S. history. Mohammed was indicted in 1996 for his alleged role in a Philippines-based plot to blow up 12 U.S bound commercial airlines within 48 hours. The U.S. State Department had offered up to $25 million for Mohammed’s arrest. President George W. Bush called the arrest fantastic.
American Red Cross adds second mobile kitchen
In order to dish out 30,000 meals a day, the American Red Cross has added a second mobile kitchen to its disaster response fleet. The first mobile kitchen, introduced in 2000, could only support a third of those meals. Workers with the volunteer organization will now be able to prepare meals in the new vehicle within two hours of arriving at a site. It has a 53-foot-long kitchen, which is equipped with propane, water and electrical systems, two convection ovens, and eight-foot refrigerator and a commercial-size mixer. The newest kitchen on wheels, called the “Spirit of America,” cost $300,000. The money for the vehicle was raised by the Greenwich Chapter of The American Red Cross. It is dedicated to them and two men who died in the World Trade Center, Steven L. Glick and Bryan C. Bennet. Officials say it will be based in the Northeast. The two American Red Cross mobile kitchens were built by Carlin Manufacturing, which also built the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile.
Man arrested on US Airways flight
Richard Perez was arrested Saturday aboard US Airways flight 739. Forty-five minutes after the New Orleans-bound plane left New York’s LaGuardia Airport, Perez walked to the front and yelled, “Majority rules! Turn the plane around!” Crewmembers asked the man from Bay Shore, New York to return to his seat, but he got up again and headed for an exit door. Three passengers and an air marshal intervened and held him down. The plane landed in Charlotte, N.C where an unarmed Perez was arrested and taken to the hospital.
Soundproofing foam in nightclub wasn’t flame-resistant
A foam company said Friday that the owners of The Station nightclub in Rhode Island, where over ninety people were killed in a fire last week, bought soundproofing foam that could withstand heat but was not flame-resistant. Brothers and club owners Jeffrey and Michael Derderian bought the foam typically used to pack gifts and line musical instrument cases for $575. The president of American Foam Corp. said a similar amount of flame-resistant foam would have cost about $1,200. He said flame-resistant foam would not have prevented the fire, but it might have stopped it from spreading so quickly. The band Great White was performing the night of the fire. The group allegedly did not have permission from the club owners to set off the pyrotechnic display that ignited the initial sparks. Two members of the band will testify before a grand jury this week.
Cornell e-mail welcomes rejected applicants
An e-mail sent out Wednesday by a clerical staff member at Cornell University welcomed applicants who had previously been rejected by the school. The message was sent to 1,700 students, including nearly 500 high school students that were discarded by the Ivy League school in December. Someone caught the mistake and a follow-up e-mail was sent out to explain the situation.
FDA to warn public about ephedra
The Food and Drug Administration will soon require warning labels on products that contain ephedra. Ephedra, an herbal dietary supplement, is found in many over-the-counter products designed to help people lose weight or increase their energy. The labels would include warnings of heart attacks, seizures or death. The ingredient is also associated with higher risks of heart palpitations, tremors and insomnia. The warning follows the Feb. 17 death of Baltimore Orioles pitching prospect Steve Bechler, which a Florida medical examiner linked to the supplement. The FDA does not regulate dietary supplements, but it can ban sales of a product that is determined to pose a significant health risk.