Were we too liberal? Too conservative? Our last 100 editorial stances

The fence on the U.S.-Mexico border was the topic of several recent editorials.

Jan. 21: In an inaugural address reminiscent of JFK’s, President Obama gives Americans hope and a dose of reality.

Jan. 22: Legislators should stop trying to ban photo radar cameras. They save lives.

Jan. 23: In her inaugural address, Gov. Jan Brewer offers no specifics. But there are hopeful signs for schools.

Jan. 24: Good for U.S. Rep. Raúl Grijalva in fighting to prevent mining on about 1 million acres near the Grand Canyon.

Jan. 26: Don’t call it No Child Left Behind. Nearly Every Child Left Behind is a more accurate title for this flawed federal program.

Jan. 27: A needed expansion and unified of the transit system will improve regional service.

Jan. 28: When the Citizen reported on hazing at some local fire stations, fire officials banned tape recorders in training sessions – the wrong way to address the situation.

Jan. 29: Tax credits have helped give schools needed programs, but if necessary, they should be cut to save basics.

Jan. 30: State secrecy on deficit-fix ideas is hurting TUSD’s ability to plan its next budget.

Jan. 31: The state must come up with guidelines to spend federal stimulus money as the feds intended.

Feb. 2: The state of the city is grim, but cheerleading Mayor Bob Walkup says, “We have what it takes.”

Feb. 3: A fix for the fiscal 2009 budget is shameful, unimaginative and harmful to education.

Feb. 4: Three TUSD officials are on leave for bid rigging and conflict-of-interest laws – the latest scandal to hit the district.

Feb. 5: UA cuts to the science center, museums and cooperative extension will hurt the community.

Feb. 6: The Tucson-based Morris K. Udall Foundation may be tripling its workload under the Obama administration.

Feb. 7: One partner in a three-way downtown development plan leaves. But the work must go on.

Feb. 9: The state must do more to inform people about food stamps. Qualified people are not being helped.

Feb. 10: Limitations on child care subsidies will hurt low-income families and keep them from working.

Feb. 11: Legislative Republicans are wrong to cut revenue, then blame the larger deficit on former Gov. Janet Napolitano.

Feb. 12: A City Council move to stimulate the economy turns into a finger-pointing farce and no answers.

Feb. 13: State schools chief Tom Horne says English Language Learning will cost substantially less. How? Show us the numbers.

Feb. 14: Legislative threats to yank millions of dollars in funding from Tucson’s downtown redevelopment are unfair and shortsighted.

Feb. 16: Proposals in the Legislature could reduce reproductive health choices for women – especially in rural areas.

Feb. 17: We support higher taxes, as considered by Gov. Jan Brewer – but only if they are temporary and targeted.

Feb. 18: The city again shoots itself in the foot on Rio Nuevo funding – paying UA invoices without the necessary scrutiny.

Feb. 19: In a misguided budget-butting move, Child Protective Services workers are ordered to take time off.

Feb. 20: A wide variety in state school standards undermines the goals of No Child Left Behind.

Feb. 21: Arizona, which has a sky-high teen pregnancy rate, needs more comprehensive sex education.

Feb. 23: Forget the naysayers. There are things happening downtown and delaying museum construction makes more money available.

Feb. 24: Kudos to Bishop Gerald Kicanas for leading a campaign for more affordable housing.

Feb. 25: Attorney General Terry Goddard should end doubts about the 206 RTA election and recount the ballots.

Feb. 26: The City Council is right to delay layoffs and consider every other possibility to cut expenses.

Feb. 27: The number of illegal immigrants in the U.S. declines – possibly because of increased border violence.

Feb. 28: Gov. Jan Brewer is right to accept federal stimulus money for roads and other projects.

March 2: A legislator is flat wrong when he says education does not create jobs.

March 3: Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio turns law enforcement into a media circus.

March 4: The Legislature’s move to grab open-space funds violates the state Constitution.

March 5: Arizona must step up and join the climate-change fight.

March 6: Gov. Jan Brewer has bold ideas but few specifics in her budget-fix proposals.

March 7: We put walls on the border, but turn a blind eye to guns smuggled into Mexico.

March 9: Compared with other states, Arizona pays too little in unemployment insurance.

March 10: Gov. Jan Brewer should take federal stimulus funds for unemployment compensation.

March 11: The next Tucson police chief should not spend time chasing illegal immigrants.

March 12: The Child Protective Services caseworker staff has been slashed beyond recognition – as a child murder trial is underway in Tucson.

March 13: The botched hunt for the next police chief is costly and embarrassing.

March 14: There isn’t much money, but it’s good that TUSD schools get to set their own spending priorities.

March 16: Arizona teens have big plans for the future, but adults don’t give them the necessary tools.

March 17: Arizona has lots of public information online, but there are continuing fights for access to public documents.

March 18: It’s about time that the feds decide to look for guns and money being smuggled from the U.S. into Mexico.

March 19: It shouldn’t have taken Tucson officials so long to realize that city savings are almost depleted.

March 20: The Legislature should not force school districts to join in their budget-writing procrastination.

March 21: Battered by an unforgiving world economic crisis the likes of which hasn’t been seen for eight decades, Rio Nuevo goes back to its basics.

March 23: Legislators should outlaw “hog dogging” – a vicious and bloody “sport” in which a pit bull is sicced on a wild boar in an arena with no escape.

March 24: The United States has wrongly banned Mexican trucks from U.S. highways, leading to consumer-harming retaliatory tariffs imposed by Mexico.

March 25: Arizona and other states must eliminate the financial incentives for nursing homes to house the mentally ill. The populations must be separated.

March 26: Help for our violence-wracked border with Mexico finally is on the way, thanks to President Obama and, especially, Homeland Security chief Janet Napolitano.

March 27: Gov. Jan Brewer should not engage in a battle with the feds that could cost Arizona $1.6 billion in stimulus money.

March 28: A threat to cut federal stimulus money should persuade the Legislature to restore funding for community colleges and universities.

March 30: We long felt that voucher programs violate the Arizona Constitution – and the state Supreme Court agreed.

March 31: The city of Tucson is drifting toward its worst budget crisis ever, but all the City Council can do is to point fingers.

April 1: A hand count of votes from the 2006 RTA election will erase all doubts about whether the vote was flipped.

April 2: Local taxpayers – who already are enduring cuts in basic government services – should not shell out $125 million to build a third pro stadium for spring training.

April 3: With Christopher Payne sentenced to death for murdering his two young children, it is appropriate to recall the short lives of Ariana and Tyler Payne and remember lessons learned from their tragic deaths.

April 4: It’s the one-year anniversary of the free pass issued to ignore U.S. environmental laws to build a border fence.

April 6: U.S. Rep. Raúl Grijalva is to be commended for requesting a federal probe into the death of the last jaguar known to have lived within the United States.

April 7: School districts must write their budgets without knowing from Gov. Jan Brewer how federal money might be used.

April 8: Not content with botching the hiring of a police chief, the Tucson City Council made a far more grievous error by firing City Manager Mike Hein.

April 9: Republicans, who hold majorities in both houses of the Arizona Legislature, should invite Democrats into the budget-writing process.

April 10: With their unexpected and ill-conceived firing of City Manager Mike Hein, City Council members face a litany of critical issues.

April 11: The controversial work required for immigration reform has been foiled and put on the back burner again and again.

April 13: You’d think Arizona’s working-poor families had just scored big time, with the arrival of millions of federal child care dollars. You’d think wrong.

April 14: As Tucson leaders debate the future of downtown – and whether it has much of a future at all – a new study on job sprawl provides direction.

April 15: The city’s desperate attempts to fend off legislative tampering with Rio Nuevo are making the operation look even more haphazard.

April 16: The time has come for the Board of Regents to say “no” to another cost increase at the state’s universities.

April 17: One year ago, we were happy to see National Guard members leaving our border with Mexico. With new border violence breaking out, they are needed back.

April 18: Despite promises of an open process that would encourage public input, the state budget is being drawn up in secrecy.

April 20: With the Bush administration gone, the upcoming Earth Day is the first in eight years that engenders hope instead of despair.

April 21: State prison costs can be cut, but it will take time. It is unrealistic to expect quick savings.

April 22: It is embarrassing that the U.S. Supreme Court has been forced to intervene in an English-learning case that Arizonans should have resolved eons ago.

April 23: Pima County voters can breathe easier now that a hand recount has validated the outcome of the 2006 election on the Regional Transportation Plan.

April 24: Give me a campaign donation, and I’ll give you an earmark. That’s the kind of quid pro quo that U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords seeks to block.

April 25: An automated external defibrillator saved the life of a high school student. Every campus must have aty least one AED.

April 27: In adopting a budget, the City Council should look to cut costs, not just generate new revenue.

April 28: Life has become a little better for unemployed Arizonans, but the state still is not doing all it should to help those without a job

April 29: The swine flu outbreak is a serious matter. Caution and concern are merited, full-bore hysteria is not.

April 30: Sheriff Clarence Dupnik’s idea that schools should be able to check citizenship status when students enroll is poppycock.

May 1: As the city examines new revenue sources to balance its budget, Pima County is on much more sound financial footing.

May 2: Gov. Jan Brewer eased a hit on the pocketbooks of university students – but her demand for an overhaul of the higher education system leaves a lot to be desired.

May 4: Where is Gov. Jan Brewer as the Legislature works on a budget that slashes education and other critical state services?

May 5: Pima County’s response to six confirmed cases of swine flu has been sensible, compared with reactions elsewhere.

May 6: In its rush to cut spending, the Legislature is ignoring a voter mandate requiring that funding for education be increased annually.

May 7: The Legislature must let Rio Nuevo live long enough to prove that it can be viable when the economy recovers.

May 8: Good for the the Board of Supervisors for voting to undo an earlier decisions to impose fees on after-school and summer programs and to close some community centers and parks.

May 9: A state budget that can only be described as disastrous is taking shape as Gov. Jan Brewer stands on the sidelines.

May 11: President Obama halts construction of the medieval fence on the Mexican border, bringing to an end a chapter of pointless environmental devastation.

May 12: A legislator threw unsubstantiated and inaccurate allegations at school officials, accusing them of “illegally and secretly stockpiling millions of dollars.”

May 13: Proposed state budget cuts would will deeply affect the lives of developmentally and mentally disabled people.

May 14: TUSD has found that when you ask for ideas on how to save money, people can be creative.

May 15: Several members of the Tucson City Council violated the spirit – and possibly the letter – of the state’s Open Meetings Law.

May 16: Goodbye.

The B-52s will perform June 24 at Centennial Hall as part of UApresents' new season.

Centennial Hall will be transformed into a love shack in June when The B-52s perform there as part of UApresents’ new season, which this year includes two summer shows.

Joining the veteran new wave band on the Summer Fun bill is country star Randy Travis, who performs at UA in August.

“Centennial Hall is very rarely used over the summer and it’s a great place to beat the heat on a hot summer’s day,” said Mario M. Di Vetta, UApresents marketing and publicity manager.

The University of Arizona arts group seems little fazed by a 75 percent cut in state money, which accounts for only 20 percent of its funding. The 2009-10 season has 32 events, down only four from last year.

Among the highlights are a comedy show by Lily Tomlin, a Christmas concert by Mannheim Steamroller and a Broadway tribute by Barbara Cook and Christine Ebersole. Popular performers returning include country singer Kathy Mattea, Celtic band The Chieftains, folk music royalty the Guthrie Family, world music choir Ladysmith Black Mambazo, and baroque ensemble Interpreti Veniziani.

Other acts include bluesman B.B. King, crooner Michael Feinstein and classical pianist Olga Kern, who have all played at different Tucson venues in the past.

UApresents also continues its community outreach with a free production of “The Laramie Project: 10 Years Later . . . An Epilogue.”

The show “is something that UApresents is extremely proud to be working on,” Di Vetta said. “Communities across the United States will hold this special performance on the 11th anniversary of Matthew Shepard’s murder as Tucson begins a dialogue to educate, debate and raise the collective consciousness in matters of civil rights, violence and bigotry.”

Current subscribers can renew their packages beginning Wednesday. New subscriptions go on sale May 18, and individual tickets will be available June 15.

For the B-52s and Randy Travis concerts, tickets go on sale May 4.

For more information, call 621-3341 or visit uapresents.org.

———

UAPRESENTS 2009-2010 SCHEDULE

SUMMER FUN

The B-52s, June 24

Randy Travis, Aug. 22

SEASON OPENER

The Ultimate Doo-Wop Show, Oct. 3

HOLIDAY

The Christmas Music of Mannheim Steamroller, Dec. 6

CLASSICAL

Mozarteum Orchestra of Salzburg, Oct. 25

Olga Kern, Feb. 13

Moscow State Radio Symphony Orchestra, March 8

Interpreti Veneziani, April 15

DANCE

MOMIX: “ReMIX,” Jan. 23

Canada’s Royal Winnipeg Ballet “A Cinderella Story,” Feb. 6

Mark Morris Dance Group, March 12

Aspen Santa Fe Ballet, April 16

JAZZ & BLUES

Joan Osborne, The Holmes Brothers and Paul Thorn, Oct. 24

The Glenn Miller Orchestra, Feb. 28

B.B. King, Nov. 20

The Dave Brubeck Quartet and The Ramsey Lewis Trio, March 26

Monterey Jazz Festival: Kenny Barron Trio, Regina Carter, Kurt Elling and Russell Malone, April 27

WORLD

Tito Puente Jr. and his Orchestra, Oct. 10

TAO: Martial Art of Drumming, Feb. 20

The Chieftains, Feb. 24

Ladysmith Black Mambazo, March 14

CENTER STAGE

Kathy Mattea: “Moving Mountains,” Nov. 7

Michael Feinstein: “The Sinatra Project,” Jan. 30

“The Music of Broadway” with Barbara Cook and Christine Ebersole, Feb. 27

An Evening with Lily Tomlin, March 6

SPOTLIGHT

Ballroom with a Twist hosted by Louis Van Amstel of “Dancing with the Stars,” Nov. 14

Tap Dogs, Sept. 26

“Universe of Dreams” with Neal Conan and Ensemble Galilei, Feb. 12

The Vienna Boys Choir, March 20

Guthrie Family Rides Again, April 9

FAMILY FUN

“A Year With Frog and Toad,” Jan. 24

EDUCATION & OUTREACH

The Laramie Project: “10 Years Later . . . An Epilogue,” Oct. 12

Arizona's Jordan Hill puts up a shot over Cal's Harper Kamp on Thursday at McKale Center. UA lost 83-77.

Arizona vs. Stanford: Steve Rivera’s breakdown of the game • Wildcat notes • Players to watch

BACKCOURT

Advantage: Arizona

UA’s Nic Wise must step it up in every way. He’s struggled the last couple of weeks with foul trouble, a sign he’s probably trying to do too much when he has the ball. A number of the fouls have been on the offensive end. UA’s Kyle Fogg needs to hit a jumper or two to keep defenses honest. He hasn’t been as effective as he has been. Stanford’s Landry Fields is deceptively good. So is Mitch Johnson. But Wise should be the guy here.

FRONTCOURT

Advantage: Arizona

If Jordan Hill doesn’t score more than 20 points and pull down at least 12 rebounds, it’s a sign he’s tired. UA’s big man played like he wasn’t hurt on Thursday against Cal. Chase Budinger has stepped up his game but he needs to do more in crucial times. Many of his points are coming too late. Still, he’s better than Stanford’s Lawrence Hill and Josh Owens. UA has a big edge here.

DEFENSE

Advantage: Arizona

UA plays defense a bit better than Stanford does. That’s not saying much, but it’s an advantage. Stanford ranks ninth in field goal percentage defense at 47.4 percent. UA is fifth at 43.7. UA mixed a zone and some man-to-man against Cal. I’d expect the same Saturday.

OUTCOME

It’s a must-win game for the Wildcats to keep alive hopes for a 25th straight NCAA Tournament bid. In a season full of drama, UA will get the win but will have to win at least two more in the Pac-10 Tournament to get to the Big Dance.

Prediction: Arizona by 6

UA-STANFORD SERIES AT A GLANCE

All-time meetings: UA leads 48-29

Pac-10 meetings: UA leads 44-22

Longest UA win streak: 15 (1989-95)

Longest Stanford win streak: 5 (1937-58)

Current series streak: Stanford, 4 in a row

Earlier this season: Stanford 76, UA 60 (Jan. 4 in Palo Alto, Calif.)

Last season: Stanford 56, UA 52 (Jan. 17 in Palo Alto); Stanford 67, UA 66 (Feb. 16 in Tucson); Stanford 75, UA 64 (March 13 in Pac-10 Tournament)

First meeting: Stanford 44, UA 28 (1937 in Tucson)

UA BASKETBALL NOTES

Horne gets his chance

Arizona started sophomore Jamelle Horne for the first time since facing UCLA on Jan. 15, and he came through with 13 points and nine rebounds against California in Thursday’s 83-77 loss at McKale Center.

“We just wanted to give him a jump-start,” UA interim coach Russ Pennell said. “I thought he did a good job, especially the first half. Hopefully that will fuel him and get him going.”

With Horne starting, Zane Johnson went to the bench. Johnson played 18 minutes, going 0 for 2 from the floor.

“It was nothing Zane did, but more about Jamelle,” Pennell said.

Pennell said Horne likely would start Saturday against Stanford.

Reporters asked Pennell if he’d start senior forward Fendi Onobun on Senior Day, the final regular season appearance at McKale. Pennell said that won’t happen. Backup guard David Bagga is the other senior.

Against Cal, Pennell said, reserve guard Brendon Lavender played well for the second straight game.

“Brendon gives us a lot of effort and energy when he comes in,” Pennell said.

“He’s not playing a lot of minutes but (he’s playing) meaningful minutes. And that’s what matters.”

Hill update

Despite not practicing all week, UA big man Jordan Hill played against Cal as if he’d never suffered a severely sprained left ankle at Washington a week ago.

“He’s a quick healer,” Pennell said. “I was a little concerned he’d be sore (Friday) but he said he felt great.”

Jamelle

Horne

He rewarded UA coaches, who gave him his first start in nearly two months, with 13 points and nine boards vs. Cal. His defense is still a liability on the perimeter. It's too late for Horne to have a major impact on this season.

Jordan

Hill

You have to feel for Hill, hobbled all last week with an ankle injury, who still had a double-double (24 points, 14 rebounds) vs. Cal. He hasn't been as dominating as earlier in the season, but he's crucial to UA's NCAA hopes.

Lawrence

Hill

The Stanford forward is as steady as they come, not flashy or flamboyant. He ranks 18th in scoring in the league (13.4 ppg), No. 14 in rebounding (5.3 rpg). His ability to shoot the jumper makes him a tough matchup.

Landry

Fields

A decent 3-point shooter, the Stanford guard hits 37.1 percent of his shots. He was a big reason Stanford beat UA in the last meeting, with 19 points on 7-of-8 shooting. He's quick to the basket and not afraid to take a big shot.

———

UP NEXT

Saturday: Stanford (16-11, 5-11) at Arizona, 5:30 p.m. TV: FSNA. Radio: 1290 AM, 107.5 FM

———

How teams match up

Arizona Stanford

71.8 Points per game 72.8

47.2 Field goal % 46.0

67.8 Points allowed per game 67.7

43.1 Foes’ field goal % 47.4

———

Quotable

‘We’re a team that has a chance for the NCAA Tournament. Now everything is in our hands.’

RUSS PENNELL,

UA interim coach, on his team’s postseason chances.

———

PAC-10 STANDINGS

School Conf. Overall

Washington 13-4 22-7

UCLA 12-5 23-7

California 11-6 22-8

Arizona State 10-7 21-8

Arizona 8-9 18-12

USC 8-9 17-12

Washington State 8-9 16-13

Oregon State 7-10 13-15

Stanford 6-11 17-11

Oregon 2-15 8-21

———

PAC-10 SCHEDULE

Thursday’s games: California 83, Arizona 77; Stanford 74, Arizona State 64; USC 80, Oregon 66; UCLA 79, Oregon State 54

Saturday’s games: Stanford at Arizona, 5:30 p.m.; California at Arizona State, noon: Oregon at UCLA, 1:30 p.m.: Washington State at Washington, 3:30 p.m.; Oregon State at USC, 6 p.m.

———

PAC-10 LEADERS

Scoring

1. James Harden, ASU 20.8

2. Jordan Hill, UA 18.4

Rebounding

1. Jon Brockman, Washington 11.3

2. Jordan Hill, UA 11.1

Assists

1. Jerome Randle, California 5.1

6. Nic Wise, UA 4.5

Blocks

1. Taj Gibson, USC 2.8

2. Jordan Hill, UA 1.9

———

SPORTS SOUND-OFF

Montgomery has UA’s number

Re: UA loses to California

Let’s hire Montgomery.

NJ CATS

There is a word that fits this team: crummy.

They played fairly well for an uncoached team that had never heard of a man-to-man defense.

Mike Montgomery has always had Arizona’s number. He showed once again that he is a smarter coach than anybody in Arizona.

They stomped on us, then rubbed our face in it. There is no excuse for allowing an average team to humble us.

SECONDLEFTHAND

On the bright side, at least we’ll get one more crack at ASU if the boys can somehow remember how to win Saturday.

SMITTY

At last, good old Lute is out the door and headed for some coaching honors he well deserves. I think he waited too long to leave and the program suffered. Now you guys can talk about the good old days. I hope the future is bright for Arizona but it looks doubtful now.

BELIEVE

Arizona played well. Cal’s Randle just played better. Chase attacked the basket. Jordan was Jordan. Nic got into foul trouble again, which always hurts. Nice to see Horne contributing. We needed a bit more from Fogg and Zane, who we know can do it, but overall it was a great battle and Randle wasn’t to be stopped. Let’s beat Stanford and make a run in the Pac-10 Tournament to improve our case.

WILBURROCKS

UA guard Nic Wise is called for an offensive foul against Cal's Theo Robertson in Arizona's 69-55 loss to the Bears on Jan 2. Wise scored 16 points in the game.

Arizona vs. California: Steve Rivera’s breakdown of the game • Wildcat notes • Players to watch

BACKCOURT

Advantage: California

Cal has one of the most underrated backcourts in the West. Who would have thought Jerome Randle and Patrick Christopher would be so good? Together they combine for 35 points, with Randle averaging 18 of those. They’ll be tough to stop in the backcourt. UA will have to extend its defense. But UA’s Nic Wise and Kyle Fogg have played well for Arizona. Not sure, however, if Wise and Fogg can stop Cal’s duo.

FRONTCOURT

Advantage: Arizona

Depending on the health and mobility of Jordan Hill, UA should win this battle. Cal doesn’t have anyone near the basket that can stop a healthy Hill. And Cal plays at a fast enough tempo where Chase Budinger will feel comfortable. Jamal Boykin is the best Cal big man. UA should dominate on the boards.

DEFENSE

Advantage: Arizona

UA’s defense can get aggressive when it wants to, depending on the opponent. Cal is the perfect opponent. But UA will have to extend the zone on the perimeter and not allow penetration to the basket. Cal’s field goal percentage defense (45.2) ranks seventh in the league; UA is at 43.0 – good enough for fourth in the conference.

OUTCOME

This will be a close game for about a half. Cal is unquestionably one of the more improved teams in the league. UA must play like its life depends on a win. UA doesn’t call it a must-win, but I do.

Prediction: UA by 9

UA-CAL SERIES AT A GLANCE

All-time meetings: UA leads 51-26

Pac-10 meetings: UA leads 48-16

Longest UA win streak: 10 (2000-04)

Longest Cal win streak: 5 (1936-58)

Current series streak: Cal, 1 in a row

Earlier this season: Cal 69, UA 55 (Jan. 2 in Berkeley)

Last season: UA 79, Cal 75 (Jan. 19 in Berkeley); UA 83, Cal 73 (Feb. 14 in Tucson)

First meeting: Cal 38, UA 30 (1924 in Oakland)

NOTEBOOK

More honors ahead for Lute

It will be a busy couple of weeks for former Arizona coach Lute Olson. Tonight there’s the UA tribute during halftime of the UA-Cal game. Next week, he will be honored at the Pac-10 Tournament in Los Angeles.

“I’m glad to see they are doing something for him – it’s well deserved,” said Cal coach Mike Montgomery, a longtime friend of Olson’s and a longtime friendly rival while at Stanford from 1986-2004. “He and I go back a long way. I hope everyone appreciates the job he’s done for Arizona basketball.”

Interim coach Russ Pennell agreed, saying he hopes there is more than just the ceremony. And there is. UA will hold a get-together in August with former players for a dinner and ceremony.

“What this guy has done for this university, he deserves it,” Pennell said. “I really believe, as time goes by, people are going to see exactly what he did here, and how special that is.

“Sometimes you can get calloused to greatness. When you look at the history of college basketball, they should build a wing in Springfield, Mass., for UA basketball and what he has done in college basketball.”

ASU’s Pendergraph calls out his teammates

Emotional and angry, senior Arizona State forward Jeff Pendergraph called out his teammates after their overtime loss at Washington State.

“I know what we have to do to win,” Pendergraph said, “and I’m trying to get everybody else to realize it. It’s not like (I was saying) ‘I know what I have to do and I’m fine and my teammates suck.’ . . . We’re just so close to figuring out what that little, itty-bitty piece is that we need to go from being really good to being a great, championship team.”

Thursday night, No. 21 ASU hosts Stanford, which fell to the Sun Devils 90-60 in January, when Pendergraph scored a career-high 31 points.

The Arizona Republic

Jordan

Hill:

I can't remember the last time any Cat played with as much courage as Hill last weekend against Washington after he suffered that left ankle sprain. I believe Hill will play Thursday in a game that UA needs.

Brandon

Lavender:

He got into the game last week against Washington and didn't disappoint. He may get another opportunity Thursday against Cal. UA could use the help off the bench, in fact it could have used help all season.

Jerome

Randle:

Randle is the star of the Bears. Cal doesn't have a lot of stars (that's what makes this team special), but Randle has come out of the blue with quick moves and a rainbow shot. Short in stature (5 foot 10) but long on ability.

Patrick

Christopher:

Last week on ESPN, former coach Bobby Knight raved about Christopher's athleticism and his ability to shoot the fade-away jumper. If he gets going Thursday, UA will find it tough to stop him.

———

UP NEXT

Thursday: California (21-8, 10-6) at Arizona (18-11, 8-8), 8:30 p.m. TV: FSNA. Radio: 1290 AM, 107.5 FM

Saturday: Stanford (16-11, 5-11) at Arizona, 5:30 p.m. TV: FSNA. Radio: 1290 AM, 107.5 FM

———

How teams match up

Arizona Cal

71.6 Points per game 75.1

47.2 Field goal % 49.0

67.3 Points allowed per game 67.2

43.0 Foes’ field goal % 43.7

———

Tickets still available

UA says some tickets are left for Thursday’s 8:30 p.m. game vs. Cal and Saturday’s 5:30 p.m. game vs. Stanford at McKale. Call 621-2287 or go to McKale ticket office from 9 a.m.- 5 p.m.

———

PAC-10 STANDINGS

School Conf. Overall

Washington 13-4 22-7

UCLA 11-5 22-7

Arizona State 10-6 21-7

California 10-6 21-8

Arizona 8-8 18-11

Washington State 8-9 16-13

USC 7-9 16-12

Oregon State 7-9 13-14

Stanford 5-11 16-11

Oregon 2-14 8-20

———

PAC-10 SCHEDULE

Thursday’s games: California at Arizona, 8:30 p.m.; Stanford at Arizona State, 6:30 p.m.; Oregon State at UCLA, 8:30 p.m.; Oregon at USC, 8:30 p.m.

Saturday’s games: Stanford at Arizona, 5:30 p.m.; California at Arizona State, TBA: Oregon State at USC, TBA: Oregon at UCLA, TBA: Washington State at Washington, TBA

———

PAC-10 LEADERS

Scoring

1. James Harden, ASU 20.8

2. Jordan Hill, UA 18.2

Rebounding

1. Jon Brockman, Washington 11.3

2. Jordan Hill, UA 11.0

Assists

1. Jerome Randle, California 5.1

6. Nic Wise, UA 4.6

Blocks

1. Taj Gibson, USC 2.8

2. Jordan Hill, UA 1.9

———

SPORTS SOUND-OFF

Tucson owes a lot to Olson

Re: Slimmer version, but Lute’s still Lute

• I had the pleasure of working for Coach O and his great staff as a basketball manager from 2003-2007. It was the greatest experience of my life. Now I am working at ESPN in Bristol, thanks to a letter of recommendation from Coach Olson. We all owe so much to the man who put Tucson on the map and gave us something to be proud of. Thank you for all the great memories. DANNYC10

• A strong and competent AD would have stepped in when Olson’s personality change started to become glaringly apparent. . . . Lute Olson has taken a lot of flack over the past few years, from myself included, but he had no control over a stroke and depression. Unfortunately, we had an AD who did not pay attention to warning signs or comments by people like Jim Rosborough, his lead assistant, and Christine Olson, his former wife, who kept saying they did not recognize that Lute Olson. BHEAD89

• There is no way any AD could have “stepped in” when Lute began displaying personality changes. You do realize that Lute had a far longer tenure, and a better reputation with the public than anyone else in the UA athletic department? What would have been the reaction of the public, of the Board of Regents, if Livengood had taken action against Lute based on his own medical “observations” rather than on any firm medical advice from qualified physicians? Hindsight is a wonderful thing, but please try to be a little more realistic. RJW52

FROM LEFT: Roger Daltrey, Pete Townshend, Barbra Streisand and Morgan Freeman, 2008 Kennedy Center honorees, stand at the start of the program Sunday at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.

WASHINGTON – Barbra Streisand got an awkward kiss on the cheek from the president, and yes, she gave him a smooch back.

Streisand, a vocal critic of President George W. Bush, was a guest Sunday at the White House just before one of Washington’s few A-list events: the Kennedy Center Honors.

“Art transcends politics this weekend,” the longtime Democrat said beforehand. Still, she said it would have been “lovely” if she could have received the award while President-elect Barack Obama was in office.

The singer and actress was a recipient of the Kennedy Center Honors, along with actor Morgan Freeman, country singer George Jones, dancer and choreographer Twyla Tharp and musicians Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey of The Who.

The honors recognize individuals who helped define American culture through the performing arts, part of the living memorial to President John F. Kennedy.

The hug and kiss between Bush and Babs – who has previously said Bush’s election wins in 2000 and 2004 were stolen – was replayed later on video at a Kennedy Center gala. The crowd couldn’t help but laugh.

Queen Latifah opened the tribute to Streisand, saying she “threw out the rule book” to chart her own career. “She took to the stage like butter on a bagel,” Latifah added in a video tribute.

Idina Menzel from Broadway’s “Rent” and “Wicked” sang “Don’t Rain on My Parade” from Streisand’s 1964 musical “Funny Girl.” She mixed in some new lyrics – “Hey there, Ms. Streisand, I am your biggest fan.”

Beyonce Knowles rose from the stage floor to sing “The Way We Were.” And the young musical star Ne-Yo grooved to Streisand’s 1965 hit “Lover, Come Back to Me,” with four male dancers.

“Barbra Streisand is the epitome of emotion in music,” Ne-Yo said. “You feel every word, that’s something that artists in my day and age don’t really pay attention to.”

Earlier, another set of stars paid tribute to The Who in front of a neon-lit backdrop of the Union Jack, in honor of the British band.

“The full impact of it is still sinking in,” Townshend said of the honor. “It feels a bit iconic.”

Rock singer Rob Thomas sang “Baba O’Riley,” and the British flag pulled away to reveal a choir of 150 New York policemen and firefighters singing the “teenage wasteland” chorus with Thomas under an American flag. They were thanking The Who for being the first musical group to sign on for an emotional Radio City Music Hall benefit concert after 9/11.

Jones, who earned the nickname “No Show Jones” for performances he missed during his wild drinking days, promised to show up this time. The 77-year-old said “I’m in a daze” about being an honoree.

First lady Laura Bush took the stage to salute Jones, saying “there’s no getting tired of a singer like him.” Jones is a favorite on the president’s iPod, said Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

Garth Brooks, Randy Travis and Alan Jackson gave Jones a tip of the hat with performances of the country legend’s work. Fellow country singer Shelby Lynne sang “Amazing Grace.”

Tickets to the gala sell for as much as $4,000. Last year, the event raised $5 million to support Kennedy Center programs. The show will air Dec. 30 on CBS.

The awards were presented Saturday night at a State Department dinner. Rice addressed each honoree, beginning with Freeman, who once played the president in the movie “Deep Impact.”

“I know that when you played the African-American president of the United States, most people thought that would happen when a comet hit,” Rice said, drawing laughs and cheers. “But wonder of wonders, fiction has become true.”

Freeman, 71, who starred this year in “The Dark Knight,” also made headlines after suffering broken bones in a Mississippi car crash in August. The Oscar-winning actor said he was still recovering from nerve damage in his left hand and wore a glove to control the swelling.

Denzel Washington and Clint Eastwood testified to their success working with Freeman.

“You’re a great good luck charm,” said Eastwood, a 2000 honoree. “Everything you touch is fine by me.”

For Tharp’s presentation, actress Lily Tomlin said Tharp sees dance everywhere she looks: “This is a woman who saw the Beach Boys and made a ballet.”

Christian Bale as Batman.

LOS ANGELES – As the box-office bankroll climbed for “The Dark Knight” last summer, the Hollywood consensus was that a posthumous nomination for Heath Ledger was the Batman blockbuster’s best Academy Awards hope.

Now that critics have gotten a peek at all the last-minute Oscar contenders, “The Dark Knight” has emerged as a solid contender for best picture and best director for Christopher Nolan.

Web sites such as TheEnvelope.com and Awardsdaily.com rank Nolan and Ledger among key Oscar contenders and list “The Dark Knight” alongside best-picture possibilities such as Ron Howard’s “Frost/Nixon,” Gus Van Sant’s “Milk” and David Fincher’s “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.”

“Far be it for me to try and predict, and I think that anybody looks like a (jerk) if you really try to predict what people are going to vote for. But certainly, for me, I think that the serious contenders in this movie in my mind are Heath, Chris for director because he’s done an extraordinary job, and I do believe best picture, as well,” “Dark Knight” star Christian Bale said Wednesday night at a cocktail reception for the filmmakers and critics.

It’s unusual for an action flick to climb into the company of Hollywood’s year-end prestige pictures, with Oscar voters tending toward highbrow literary works rather than comic-book adaptations. Among the action films that made the best-picture cut at the Oscars were the three “Lord of the Rings” movies and “Raiders of the Lost Ark.”

But building on the critical and commercial success of 2005′s “Batman Begins,” the sequel elevated the superhero genre to a new high, with critics ranking “The Dark Knight” as one of the year’s best films.

“It is a genre movie, but I think it goes beyond it with the themes in this movie,” said “Dark Knight” co-star Aaron Eckhart. “It’s an important movie sociologically. I feel like in this day and age, with terrorism and with the cancers of the city and people trying to find a voice within their own city, this is an important film.

“But it’s a Batman film, so it has that going for it. It has that going against it.”

With about $1 billion in worldwide theatrical grosses, “The Dark Knight” arrives on home video Tuesday, two days before the Golden Globe nominations, where the movie could gain some Oscar momentum if it scores well there.

Ledger, who died in January of an accidental prescription drug overdose, is considered a likely supporting-actor nominee for his diabolical performance as Batman nemesis the Joker. Oscar nominations come out Jan. 22, the one-year anniversary of Ledger’s death.

“I’d like to think he would be very quietly proud of the fact that people really responded to it in the way he’d intended, were moved by the performance,” Nolan said. “As far as Heath goes, any and every validation of the success of his performance is a great source of pride to me and relief to me that I’ve done my end of getting his performance out there.”

WASHINGTON – Show us the plan and we’ll show you the money.

That’s the message the Democratic-led Congress gave Detroit’s Big Three automakers Thursday.

With that, bailout-fatigued lawmakers closed up shop for Thanksgiving, leaving the nation’s once-mighty and now foundering car companies scrambling like scolded schoolchildren to finish an overdue assignment in time to salvage their grade.

Only this time it’s their very industry – and the millions of jobs that depend on it – that’s at stake.

“We want them to get their act together. We want them to come up with something,” said Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev.

The deadline is Dec. 2.

That’s when General Motors Corp., Ford Motor Co. and Chrysler LLC have to give Congress a plan for rebuilding and modernizing their industry that’s convincing enough to persuade skeptical lawmakers that they should get a federal lifeline. If they do, Congress might return the following week to vote on a multimillion-dollar loan package.

Then again, it might not.

“Think of us as a venture capital firm,” suggested Sen. Chris Dodd, D-Conn., the Senate Banking Committee chairman. “And we’re asking them, ‘What are you going to do if you get this investment from us?’ ”

So far, the companies – clobbered by lackluster sales and choked credit – have painted a grim picture of what would happen if they don’t get the aid. GM has said it could go under before year’s end, and Chrysler might not be far behind. Ford has said it can survive through 2009, but it’s unclear how much longer – and if even one company were to collapse, it could cause a cascade and devastate the rest.

The demise of the rescue – at least for now – left the automakers’ fate uncertain, and sent Wall Street spiraling to its lowest level in years. The Dow Jones industrials dropped 445 points, the second straight plunge of more than 400, and hit the lowest point in nearly six years.

Democratic leaders scrapped votes on the auto rescue, postponing until next month a politically tricky decision on whether to approve yet another unpopular bailout at a time of economic peril, or risk being blamed for the implosion of an industry that employs millions and has broad reach into all aspects of the U.S. economy.

GM, Ford and Chrysler quickly issued statements promising to submit the blueprint the Democrats demanded.

For now, however, the Democrats said the aid plan lacked the support to pass Congress and be signed by Bush.

Bush and congressional Republicans had balked at Democrats’ suggestion to draw emergency auto industry loans from the $700 billion Wall Street rescue fund. Most Democrats were unwilling to go along with a separate, bipartisan effort backed by the White House to temporarily divert an existing program to help carmakers produce vehicles that burn less gasoline to cover the companies’ immediate financial needs.

Still, Democratic leaders were unwilling to close up shop for the year and appear to be turning a deaf ear to the industry. So they assigned the carmakers homework and said they might yet get their help.

“We’re saying, ‘OK, we know you must be working on this,’ ” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said. “Have it for us in the next week and a half.”

The White House criticized the delay, saying the plan to let the automakers tap the fuel-efficiency loans for their short-term cash needs should be considered.

The chief executives of the Big Three automakers appealed personally to lawmakers for the loans this week, saying their problem was the economic meltdown that has walloped their industry – not that they were manufacturing unappealing cars.

But whatever support they found sagged when it became known that each of them had flown into Washington aboard multimillion-dollar corporate jets. Reid observed that was “difficult to explain” to taxpayers in his hometown of Searchlight, Nev.

Even if lawmakers return to vote, they are likely to insist on numerous conditions on any loans. Democrats and Republicans alike want the government to get a chance to share in future profits by the auto companies, require them to limit executives’ pay packages and prohibit use of the funds for lobbying or paying shareholders dividends.

Stevens

WASHINGTON – Ted Stevens, an old-style Senate giant and the chamber’s longest-serving Republican, delivered his swan song address and yielded the floor for the final time Thursday. He was saluted by his colleagues as a staunch friend and teacher.

“My mission in life is not completed,” Stevens said in his farewell speech on the Senate floor, as about a quarter of the chamber’s 100 members gathered to hear him in the gallery filled with his friends and family.

Stevens, 85, made only a passing reference to his loss in his bid for a seventh Senate term and his felony convictions on charges of lying about gifts on Senate financial disclosure forms.

“I look only forward and I still see the day when I can remove the cloud that currently surrounds me.”

Family members and aides wept as Stevens recounted his six Senate terms that began not even a decade after his home state, Alaska, achieved statehood.

Stevens was there when President Richard M. Nixon authorized an oil pipeline across Alaska that secured the new state’s economy. He became legendary for bringing federal dollars home to a territory that had yet to be fully settled.

Stevens lost his re-election bid this week to Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich, a Democrat, and is appealing his felony convictions.

He was one of the Senate’s most colorful characters, known for wearing a necktie bearing the Incredible Hulk during appropriations fights and for his efforts to allow gas and oil exploration in the Arctic.

LOS ANGELES – Movie studio executives on Friday presented the best-case scenario for a winter holiday surge in the purchase of high-definition Blu-ray players as their best hope to keep the U.S. home video market’s decline from accelerating past 3 percent to 4 percent this year.

The executives hosted by The Digital Entertainment Group, a consortium of movie studios and electronics manufacturers, forecast that 10.5 million households would be able to play Blu-ray videos by the end of the year, with about 2.5 million stand-alone players and 8 million PlayStation 3 game consoles.

The estimate is much lower than the 14.4 million households that Adams Media Research said in June would be playing Blu-rays by the end of the year. But if it comes true, about 1 million more stand-alone players and 2.3 million more PS3s must be sold through the holidays.

Prices have dropped in recent months, and Blu-ray players can be found online for less than $200, encouraging hope for adoption of the format.

“The only dark cloud is the economy,” David Bishop, president of Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, told a panel. He said the consumer products side of Sony Corp. is “showing no slowdown in the adoption of the PlayStation 3.”

There are 5.7 million PS3s installed in the United States, and Sony and expects to sell 4 million to 5 million more by March.

“We remain pretty confident that we’ll meet our targets for the fiscal year,” said Julie Han, spokeswoman for Sony Computer Entertainment America.

The “early adopters” of video technology are especially important because they tend to buy more movies than consumers who join a trend later.

“These are the heavy buyers, the heavy collectors,” said Craig Kornblau, president of Universal Studios Home Entertainment.

Executives agreed it is still the early days of Blu-ray because it was only February when the high-definition format beat out Toshiba Corp.-backed HD DVD. Last week, the consortium kicked off a $25 million TV ad campaign to push Blu-ray, acknowledging in part that half the people it polled in a recent survey didn’t know the format war was over.

KABUL, Afghanistan – Taliban fighters held a wedding party captive and fired on U.S. forces in an attack designed to draw U.S. airstrikes on civilians and stoke anti-American sentiment, a U.S. official said Friday, citing “firsthand” reports.

The official declined to give further details of the reported events leading to the U.S. bombing Monday in the southern Afghan village of Wech Baghtu, where dozens of civilians and insurgents were killed.

But such a tactic by the Taliban could mean significant complications for U.S. forces and allies – forcing them to break off attacks and pursuit of extremists in populated areas for fear that the Taliban would try to maximum civilian casualties.

Civilian deaths in Afghanistan have become an increasing point of tension between Washington and President Hamid Karzai and could be one of the first major challenges for President-elect Barack Obama.

Afghan officials said Friday that a joint investigation found that 37 civilians and 26 insurgents were killed in Wech Baghtu, a Taliban stronghold in Kandahar province. The U.S. official said the inquiry found that 20 civilians died.

The U.S. assertion Friday represents the first detailed intelligence on an apparent Taliban strategy to bring innocent lives into the crossfire, the official told The Associated Press.

“We have firsthand knowledge that we know this was a deliberate act on the part of the Taliban to draw our forces into a fight and to cause civilian casualties, knowing that a wedding party was going on,” the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

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DAILY DEVELOPMENTS

• Shiite clerics warned the Iraqi government Friday not to sign a security pact that would keep U.S. troops in Iraq until 2012, as the prime minister studied what U.S. officials described as the final draft of the agreement.

• Two Iraqi insurgent groups reportedly called on President-elect Obama to withdraw U.S. troops from Iraq and abandon the war on terrorism.

The Associated Press

MEXICO CITY – A small plane crashed in a wealthy Mexico City neighborhood on Tuesday, killing the nation’s powerful interior secretary and at least seven others, and setting dozens of cars ablaze.

Juan Camilo Mourino, 37, was one of President Felipe Calderon’s closest advisers, but has been embroiled in scandal since taking office in the midst of Mexico’s violent fight against drug cartels. He was in charge of the country’s security.

“With his death, Mexico has lost a great Mexican, intelligent, loyal and committed to his ideals and his country,” Calderon said. “I ask all Mexicans that they don’t allow any event, no matter how difficult or painful, to weaken them in the pursuit of a better Mexico.”

Presidential spokesman Max Cortazar said Mourino and a group of advisers were returning from the city of San Luis Potosi when the plane went down.

Officials say the crash appeared to be an accident, but Calderon said his administration would await the results of a full investigation.

The Learjet 24 set fire to about two dozen vehicles on a street in the posh Lomas de Chapultepec neighborhood in an area filled with tall office buildings. Officials evacuated about 1,800 people from area offices.

Mayor Marcelo Ebrard said all those aboard the plane were killed and that more people may have died on the ground.

Hundreds of police, firefighters and soldiers swarmed the scene, which was littered with the burned-out hulks of vehicles and pieces of what appeared to be bodies.

Eight bodies were recovered and at least 40 people were injured, seven of them seriously.

Civil aviation officials were investigating the cause of the crash. Transportation Secretary Luis Tellez said no distress signal had been registered from the plane.

WASHINGTON – Let the economists debate all they want. This is a recession.

Scared and often broke, Americans stopped buying everything from cars to corn flakes in the July-September quarter, cutting back spending by the largest amount in 28 years and jolting the national economy into what could be the most painful downturn in decades.

Analysts will be studying the figures for months before confirming the meltdown recession of 2008. But the result is no longer in doubt.

With retailers bracing for a grim holiday buying season, the economy isn’t just slowing; it’s actually shrinking, the government said Thursday. It reported that the nation’s gross domestic product, the GDP, declined at an annual rate of 0.3 percent in the year’s third quarter and consumers’ disposable income took its biggest drop on record.

In simpler words, “The train went off the tracks,” said Brian Bethune, economist at IHS global Insight.

Wall Street took comfort in the fact that it wasn’t even worse. The Dow Jones industrials rose 190 points on Thursday.

But it looks as if tougher times are still ahead. Economists believe consumers are cutting back even more right now, and they predict a much larger economic decline – anywhere from a 1 to 2 percent rate – during the current October-December period. That would meet a classic definition of a recession – two straight quarters of shrinking GDP.

Clobbered by pink slips, shrinking nest eggs and falling home values – consumers are holding on ever tighter to their wallets. The new report said Americans’ disposable income fell at an annual rate of 8.7 percent in the quarter, the largest in records dating back to 1947.

The dismal news came just days before the nation picks the next president. Whether Democrat Barack Obama or Republican John McCain wins the White House, he will inherit a deeply troubled economy and a record-high budget deficit that could cramp his spending plans.

Each side said the new figures supported its political case.

“The decline in GDP didn’t happen by accident – it is a direct result of the Bush administration’s trickle down, Wall Street first, Main Street last policies that John McCain has embraced for the last eight years,” Obama said. He pledged to provide tax relief to middle class families and help people facing foreclosure.

Pointing to the economy’s sad state, Doug Holtz-Eakin, senior policy adviser for the McCain campaign, shot back that “Barack Obama would accelerate this dangerous course.” McCain said his tax cuts, free-trade policies and help to struggling homeowners would help turn things around.

More than in recent recessions, consumers – the lifeblood of the economy – are bearing the brunt of the country’s housing, banking and other ailments. The third-quarter decline in their spending was the first in 17 years, and the 3.1 percent annualized cutback was staggering – the most since the spring of 1980 when the country was in the grip of what some call the worst downturn since the Great Depression.

Walloped by such a huge pullback, the economy toppled into negative territory.

The latest reading on GDP, which measures the value of all goods produced within the United States, showed a rapid turn from the 2.8 percent growth rate logged in the second quarter. The new figure was the worst since the 1.4 percent rate of decline in the third quarter of 2001, when the nation was suffering through its most recent recession.

Democrats on Capitol Hill are pushing for another economic stimulus package and are weighing whether to hold a lame duck session before the new president takes office.

Under attack from Democrats and Republicans alike, the White House defended giving billions of bailout dollars to banks that now are rewarding shareholders and executives – or even buying other banks – rather than making loans to consumers and businesses.

Ed Lazear, chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers, said the government is keeping close tabs on banks’ use of the money, but he also said normal activities such as paying performance-related salaries or distributing dividends are allowed under the law Congress passed.

White House press secretary Dana Perino said “not only rich people get dividend payments,” and those dividends can form a significant portion of income for retirees and owners of mutual funds.

A collapse of the housing market and locked-up lending have produced the worst financial crisis in more than 70 years.

To cushion the fallout, the Federal Reserve slashed interest rates on Wednesday by half of a percentage point to 1 percent, a level seen only once before in the last half-century.

Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke has warned that the country’s economic weakness could last for some time – even if the government’s unprecedented $700 billion financial bailout package and other steps succeed in getting financial and credit markets to operate more normally.

“As of now, most forecasts indicate that we will experience a serious recession, perhaps comparable to the recession of the early 1980s, but nothing like the Great Depression,” said Simon Johnson, former chief economist to the International Monetary Fund and senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics. During the 1980-82 recession, unemployment topped 10 percent.

Other analysts, including Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody’s Economy.com, predicts the downturn will be much more severe than the 2001 and 1990-91 recessions but not as bad – in terms of unemployment or lost growth – as the 1980s one.

The unemployment rate, now at 6.1 percent, could hit 8 percent or higher next year.

The Labor Department said Thursday that new claims for unemployment benefits last week held steady at 479,000, an elevated figure that continued to point to troubles in the job market.

In the third quarter, consumers cut back on purchases of cars, furniture, household appliances, clothes and almost everything else.

Businesses cut back, too, trimming spending on equipment and software at a 5.5 percent pace, the most since the first quarter of 2002. And homebuilders slashed spending at a 19.1 percent pace, marking the 11th straight quarterly cutback.

Slower growth for U.S. exports – reflecting less demand from overseas buyers who are coping with their own economic problems – also factored into the weak GDP report. Exports grew at a 5.9 percent pace in the third quarter, less than half the second quarter’s 12.3 percent rate.

CHICAGO – The mother and brother of Jennifer Hudson were found shot dead Friday at a South Side home, and police were seeking a missing child who is the nephew of the singer and Oscar-winning actress.

“We can confirm that there is an ongoing investigation concerning the deaths of Jennifer Hudson’s mother, Darnell Donerson, and her brother, Jason Hudson,” Hudson’s personal publicist, Lisa Kasteler, said in a statement. “No further comment will be made and the family has asked that their privacy be respected at this difficult time.”

Police spokeswoman Monique Bond said the deaths appeared to be the result of domestic abuse.

Deputy Chief Joseph Patterson said a family member entered the home around 3 p.m. Friday, found a woman shot on the living room floor and left to notify authorities. Responding officers found a man shot in the bedroom, Patterson said. There was no sign of forced entry.

Police tape blocked access to the large, white house, where a crowd gathered outside.

Authorities issued an Amber Alert for 7-year-old Julian King, and were seeking a 1994 white Chevrolet Suburban. The child was the grandson of the dead woman, Patterson said.

The alert said the child was possibly abducted, and could be accompanied by a man named William Balfour – considered armed and dangerous – who was a suspect in the double homicide investigation. Records with the Illinois Department of Corrections show Balfour, 27, who has not been charged with a crime, is on parole and spent nearly seven years in prison for attempted murder, vehicular hijacking and possessing a stolen vehicle.

The two could also be in a teal or green Chrysler Concord with a temporary license plate, a left front headlight hanging out and scratches on the left side of the vehicle, police said.

The tragedy comes as Hudson, who grew up in Chicago, reaches new heights in her career. Her song “Spotlight” is No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop charts and her recently released, self-tiled album debut and has been a top seller. She was featured in this year’s blockbuster “Sex and the City” and is also starring in hit movie “The Secret Life of Bees.”

She won an Academy Award for best supporting actress in 2007 for her role in “Dreamgirls.” In an interview last year with Vogue, Hudson credited her mother with encouraging her to audition for “American Idol,” which launched her career.

The singer, whose father died when she was a teenager, described herself as very close to her family. In a recent interview, she said her family, which includes older siblings Julia and Jason, helped keep her grounded.

“My faith in God and my family, they’re very realistic and very normal, they’re not into the whole limelight kind of thing, so when I go home to Chicago that’s just another place that’s home,” she said. “I stand in line with everybody else, or, when I go home to my mom I’m just Jennifer, (so she says), ‘You get up and you take care of your own stuff.’ And I love that; I don’t like when people tell you everything you want to hear, I want to hear the truth, you know what I mean.”

People skittish, but expect better times in a year Citizens expect things to get better eventually

WASHINGTON – People are skittish about the economy’s immediate future. Ask how things will be in a year and you hear a different story – and a remarkable show of optimism despite economists’ widespread expectations that a serious recession is brewing.

Most expect the economy to generally be better and the stock market to be rising three months from now, according to an Associated Press-GfK poll released Thursday.

Majorities also doubt that unemployment will fall or home values will rise by then, and people are split over whether their personal finances will improve.

Extend the timeline to a year and the public’s mood about the economy grows cheerier. Most say they expect more jobs and higher real estate values. They also think their own financial situations will be better a year from now, the survey shows.

“A year from now, it may improve,” said Claudette Davis, 61, a retiree from Alpharetta, Ga. “And maybe the new president will have some input.”

Forty-four percent in the survey said they think the economy will improve if Democrat Barack Obama is elected, while 34 percent said it would get better if Republican John McCain wins.

By a 58 percent to 38 percent majority, people said this was a bad time to invest in stocks. However, by 53 percent to 43 percent, most said this is a good time to buy real estate.

About three quarters of active investors – people who changed their investment mix at least five times in the past year – said this is a good time to buy real estate and stocks.

Two-thirds of people earning at least $100,000 a year also said so. But fewer than half of those making less than $50,000 agreed.

The poll involved phone interviews with 1,101 randomly chosen adults. The margin of error is plus or minus 3 percentage points, larger for subgroups.

———

BY THE NUMBERS

• 53 percent said the economy would be better in three months; 75 percent said it would improve in a year.

• Two-thirds expect even lower gas costs in three months. Fewer said they will still be declining in a year.

• Three in 10 expect the costs of everyday stuff to be lower in three months; that figure grows to 4 in 10 in a year.

• Black Americans were more optimistic than whites that home prices will rise in the short and long term and that the economy will improve in a year.

The Associated Press

BAGHDAD – American soldiers might stop patrolling the streets and head back to their barracks. Help to the Iraqi army – not to mention raids on al-Qaida fighters and Shiite extremists – could suddenly cease.

U.S. and Iraqi officials would scramble for options to salvage their mission here if Iraq’s parliament rejects a new security agreement with the U.S. before year’s end. That date – Dec. 31 – is when a U.N. mandate expires – and, with it, the legal basis for U.S. troops to operate inside Iraq.

No one knows for sure what will happen if that D-Day comes and passes with no done deal and U.S. forces find themselves with no legal authority to operate in Iraq.

Would Iraq’s army and police, in the blink of an eye, be left on their own to maintain security in a country still reeling from the savagery of the last five years? Would security gains won by the sacrifice of more than 4,100 Americans be at risk?

Without American support, “security may deteriorate . . . al-Qaida and the armed groups might resume their activities, and the militias might return to the streets,” Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari said Thursday.

Iraq may decide to approve the deal, especially if the U.S. agrees to changes. The pact would remove American forces from Iraqi cities by June 2009, with all U.S. troops out of the country by the end of 2011, unless both sides agreed to an extension.

Iraqi leaders are torn between a desire for continued U.S. help and the yearning of many Iraqis for an end to what they consider foreign military occupation.

America’s top commander, Adm. Michael Mullen, warned this week that time is running out and that Iraqi officials may not fully appreciate the situation’s seriousness.

If the agreement appears doomed, Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell says, the U.S. plans to ask the U.N. Security Council to extend the mandate authorizing military operations in Iraq.

Without a legal framework, U.S. commanders in Iraq would probably keep soldiers on bases while diplomats and legal experts figured out what to do.

———

DAILY DEVELOPMENTS

• Iraq’s labor minister escaped assassination when a suicide bomber rammed an explosives-laden SUV into his convoy, killing at least nine people in Baghdad.

• Suspected U.S. missiles struck a school linked to the Taliban, killing nine people.

• A roadside bomb killed three U.S. coalition members in Afghanistan, while 18 Taliban fighters died in clashes elsewhere in the country, officials said.

The Associated Press