The Tuesday Wakeup

Authorities: 'Balloon boy' incident was a hoax

(CNN) -- Three days after the world watched a giant balloon fly through the air as a tearful family expressed fears that their 6-year-old boy could be inside, authorities announced what millions suspected: The whole thing was staged.


The "Aha!" moment that led authorities to realize what had happened was an interview with the family Thursday night on CNN's "Larry King Live," Sheriff Jim Alderden of Larimer County said Sunday. In the interview with Wolf Blitzer, filling in for King, the Heenes asked their son why he had not come out from hiding when they called his name.


"You guys said we did this for the show," the boy responded.
On Sunday, Alderden called the incident a "hoax," adding that investigators believe the evidence indicates that "it was a publicity stunt" by the family in hopes of "better marketing themselves for a reality television show at some point in the future."


http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/10/18/colorado.balloon.investigation/index.html

Back-seat Driver: New laws change California's rules of the road



By Tony Bizjak



Here's your road rules question of the day:
Is it legal to ride a seatless bicycle on the streets of this great state?Not now. But it will be starting Jan. 1. That is among several transportation laws signed in a flurry last week by Gov


http://www.sacbee.com/topstories/story/2262316.html

Europeans find 32 new planets outside solar system


By SETH BORENSTEIN, AP Science Writer


European astronomers have found 32 new planets outside our solar system, adding evidence to the theory that the universe has many places where life could develop. Scientists using the European Southern Observatory telescope didn't find any planets quite the size of Earth or any that seemed habitable or even unusual. But their announcement increased the number of planets discovered outside the solar system to more than 400.
Six of the newly found planets are several times bigger than Earth, increasing the population of so-called super-Earths by more than 30 percent. Most planets discovered so far are far bigger, Jupiter-sized or even larger.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/n/a/2009/10/19/national/w054558D46.DTLhttp://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/n/a/2009/10/19/national/w054558D46.DTL



How Skype Is Changing the Job Interview



Barbara Kiviat


Get ready for a closeup: your next job interview might be on webcam. Looking to save time and money, companies are turning to video-chat software as a cheap, low-hassle way to vet job candidates. That means a growing number of people looking for work are meeting their prospective new bosses not at the office but in the comfort of their own home.
Naturally, the transition from in-person to online isn't without its hiccups. Fuzzy transmissions, dropped calls (especially on wireless networks) and unusual disruptions are all par for the course. Tip No. 1: Get your dog out of barking range before you start the interview. (We'll return to the pointers in a bit.)


http://www.time.com/time/business/article/0,8599,1930838,00.html?cnn=yes


Sac State's time to vent


Inna Gritsak


Vent at the Tent, going on Monday through Thursday this week in the Library Quad, is an opportunity to get voices heard about the recent California State University budget cuts, furloughs and student fee increases.Provided by the California Faculty Association and Coalition of Students for Quality Education, the event encourages students, faculty and staff to write down their complaints in response to the way the budget cuts at Sacramento State have impacted them. People who prefer to vent verbally have the chance to be videotaped.





http://media.www.statehornet.com/media/storage/paper1146/news/2009/10/14/News/Sac-States.Time.To.Vent-3802161.shtml


Pot advocates: Looser guidelines leave questions (AP)



By MARCUS WOHLSEN and LISA LEFF, Associated Press Writer


A new Obama administration policy loosening guidelines on federal prosecution of medical marijuana on Monday signaled to users that they had less to fear from federal agents but still left their suppliers to contend with a tangled mesh of state laws and regulations. The Justice Department told federal prosecutors that targeting people who use or provide medical marijuana in strict compliance with state laws was not a good use of their time. Marijuana advocates and patients called the memo an encouraging step forward from the strict anti-pot policies of the Bush administration. But many worried that the web of laws in the 14 states that allow medical marijuana use could still leave medical marijuana providers vulnerable to prosecution.



http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/n/a/2009/10/18/national/w193042D27.DTL


Experts: Jobs Lost During Recession May Not Return

Washington (AP)- Even with an economic revival, many U.S. jobs lost during the recession may be gone forever and a weak employment market could linger for years.
That could add up to a "new normal" of higher joblessness and lower standards of living for many Americans, some economists are suggesting. The words "it's different this time" are always suspect. But economists and policy makers say the job-creating dynamics of previous recoveries can't be counted on now.


http://cbs13.com/national/lost.jobs.return.2.1257447.html


Facebook, Twitter users beware: Crooks are a mouse click away


By Stephanie Chen


CNN) -- If you're on Facebook, Twitter or any other social networking site, you could be the next victim.
That's because more cyberthieves are targeting increasingly popular social networking sites that provide a gold mine of personal information, according to the FBI. Since 2006, nearly 3,200 account hijacking cases have been reported to the Internet Crime Complaint Center, a partnership between the FBI, the National White Collar Crime Center and the Bureau of Justice Assistance.


http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/10/19/social.networking.crimes/index.html?iref=mpstoryview



Hoarding is coming out of hiding


By Cynthia Hubert


Moira Monahan opened the door of a home in Sacramento's Meadowview neighborhood over the Labor Day weekend and found 130 sets of eyes upon her. Cats lounging on the floor. Cats perched on furniture. Cats prancing across countertops. Cats everywhere.


http://www.sacbee.com/1085/story/2261016.html

Calif nurses may strike over swine flu preparation


By SHAYA TAYEFE MOHAJER Associated Press Writer


A California nurses' union has threatened a one-day strike at 34 hospitals, accusing the providers of poor swine flu preparedness.

As many as 16,000 registered nurses will strike on Oct. 30 if state and federal swine flu protection recommendations aren't written into their contracts, said California Nurses Association spokesman Chuck Idelson.


http://www.sacbee.com/state_wire/story/2264585.html