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National News: AP-AMPrep-Kickers
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MORNING PREP - MORNING PREP - MORNING PREP - MORNING PREP
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! KICKERS !
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POLITICAL PLAY OF THE DAY
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) _ Ever wonder who gets those calls
political pollsters make? Well, Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell
was on the receiving end of one recently. He says it‘s a first for
him in nearly a lifetime in politics. The caller from the
Quinnipiac University Polling Institute wanted Rendell‘s opinions
on the Pennsylvania primary in less than two weeks. He had some
quick answers. After all, Rendell is Hillary Clinton‘s biggest
booster in Pennsylvania. The pollster wanted to know if Governor
Rendell‘s endorsement had any impact in the race. Rendell tells the
Harrisburg Patriot-News that he replied, ``absolutely.‘‘ By they
way, that poll shows Clinton‘s lead over Barack Obama narrowing in
P-A.
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BALLOON BAN
SACRAMENTO (AP) _ California lawmakers want to pop your balloon
-- if it‘s one of those shiny metallic ones. A state legislative
committee has voted unanimously to ban the glistening,
helium-filled party balloons. The lawmakers insist they‘re not
party poopers. Supporters of the bill say the balloons frequently
break free and float into power lines. Pacific Gas and Electric
says the balloons caused more than 200 power outages last year in
its coverage area. But officials of The Balloon Council feel the
lawmakers are full of hot air. Balloon Council lobbyist Barry Broad
says the proposed ban is wacky. The balloon ban would be a first in
the country.
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COSTLY CAMEL
MADINAT ZAYED, United Arab Emirates (AP) _ Dubai‘s crown prince
is shelling out 2.7 million dollars for his new ride. But this
isn‘t a custom Rolls Royce or Mercedes Benz -- it‘s a camel.
State-run media reports the prince 16 bought camels during a desert
festival celebrating Bedouin traditions, including a female which
went for nearly three million bucks. The sale followed a camel
beauty contest, where the animals are judged on things like their
humps, lips and legs. The Dubai crown price is no stranger to
expensive animals. He once paid 16 million dollars for a
thoroughbred colt, at a Florida auction.
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WOMEN IN CHARGE
McLEAN, Texas (AP) _ The good ol‘ boys aren‘t running a Texas
town, but the good ol‘ gals are. Peggy Baer is the mayor of the
Panhandle town of McLean and she leads a five-woman board of
aldermen. Yes, they‘re still officially called aldermen. The city
secretary, justice of the peace and postmaster also are women.
Postmaster Diane Manuel jokes that she knows why women run her
town. She says they have people skills and are -- quote -- ``a lot
better to look at than most guys.‘‘
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SUBWAY GRATE ART
NEW YORK (AP) _ Joshua Allen Harris is turning subway hot air
into artistic fresh air. The New York art student creates plastic
animals out of garbage bags and attaches them to sidewalk subway
grates. The animals inflate when a train passes. It‘s like that
scene in the classic Marilyn Monroe movie ``The Seven Year Itch.‘‘
Her skirt flies up as she‘s standing on a subway air vent. Harris
says the best part of his project is the reaction of usually jaded
New Yorkers.
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RAILROAD RAGE
NEW YORK (AP) _ Retired cop John Clifford doesn‘t like it when
passengers on his commuter train talk too loudly on their cell
phones. He admits he sometimes gets aggressive with rude
passengers. But the ex-cop-now-lawyer has been found innocent on
misdemeanor charges related to a Long Island Rail Road incident. In
a non-jury trial, a New York judge ruled that no crime was
committed when Clifford cussed-out a loud-talking teen. Clifford
has no intention of keeping quiet in the future, either. He says
sometimes it takes an old ex-police sergeant to stand up to public
rudeness.
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by Jamie Friar
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(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
AP-NY-04-09-08 0306EDT<