News Briefs

Elizabeth Smart returns to family

Elizabeth Smart, who was kidnapped at knifepoint from her bedroom June 5, 2002, was returned to her family Wednesday. Police officers found her walking in a suburb of Salt Lake City with Brian David Mitchell, 49, a religious fanatic, and his wife Wanda Ilene Barzee, 59. Mitchell’s father told CNN’s Connie Chung that his son, the “black sheep” of the family, became a zealot after his brother returned from a Mormon mission. He also said Mitchell spent time in juvenile detention for exposing himself to a young girl. Mitchell’s ex-wife told Larry King on Friday that her ex-husband was physically abusive during their marriage. Her daughter said that Mitchell molested her for five years. Mitchell, who calls himself “Emmanuel” after the prophet, and his wife are being held in a Salt Lake City jail. It has been speculated that Smart, 14, was brainwashed by the pair and was therefore unable to call out for help or escape, despite being in plain view much of the time.

Career suicide for the Dixie Chicks

The Dixie Chicks are feeling the aftermath of a detrimental statement made by their lead singer in London last week. The shock resulted when Natalie Maines, who is from Texas, said, “Just so you know, we’re ashamed the President of the United States is from Texas.” In a subsequent statement, she said their tour in Europe exposed the band to a lot of anti-American sentiment. She apologized to the president late Friday night, saying, “As a concerned American citizen, I apologize to President Bush because my remark was disrespectful. I feel whoever holds that office should be treated with the utmost respect.” Country music stations around the country have pulled the Dixie Chicks’ tunes at the request of their listeners. The group is scheduled to begin a three-month U.S. tour May 1.

University of Texas student hacks into school

A University of Texas student is being accused of hacking into the school’s computer system and stealing Social Security numbers and other personal information from more than 55,000 students, faculty and staff members. Christopher Andrew Phillips, 20, turned himself in on Friday morning. The computer science major said he wrote and executed a computer program to access a university Web site that tracks employees who attend training classes, but he had no intention of using the information to harm anyone. If convicted, Phillips could spend up to eight years in prison.

Howard Stern sues ABC

Howard Stern sued ABC and the producers of the reality TV series “Are You Hot?” Thursday. Stern claims the show, which rates contestants solely on their looks, is based on his ideas that aired on his radio program. The shock jock claims the show has ruined his chances for his own TV deal. Some of the alleged similarities between the programs include blunt criticism of contestants and the use of laser pointers to highlight areas of the contestants’ bodies. Before ABC’s show debuted, the suit claims Stern was in talks to develop the series and possibly broadcast it on a pay-cable channel that wouldn’t be subject to censorship. Stern is seeking $100 million in damages.