Kyl says GOP reaction to tax deal 'positive' - msnbc.com

From NBC's Ken Strickland and Carrie Dann
The top Senate Republican negotiator on a tentative deal to extend all of the Bush tax cuts for two years said Tuesday that the compromise proposal has received “general positive reaction” from his GOP colleagues.

Arizona Sen. Jon Kyl, the chamber's number two Republican, told NBC News that an early-morning closed door meeting to debrief fellow Senate Republicans on the deal was “constructive” and that GOP members agreed that the stalemate over the cuts needed to be resolved.

"Obviously, we don't like the part we think we've had to give," Kyl said of Republican concessions in the negotiations. "On the other hand, it is true that this issue has to be resolved now. And we think it's being resolved -- all else being equal -- in a positive way. So I think, without speaking for all of my colleagues, I can say that there was general positive reaction to the agreement."

Many Senate Democrats object to key provisions in the White House’s deal with GOP negotiators, saying that the president broke a long-standing promise to sunset tax cuts for the most wealthy Americans. “To say that I’m disappointed … is an understatement,” said Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, in a statment yesterday. Even louder cries of protest have come from House Democrats, some of whom have signed on to a letter vowing not to "back down" on the tax debate.

Kyl, who is also the Republican leadership's point man on the START nuclear reduction treaty with Russia, said that passage of the treaty was never part of the tax cut negotiations.

Ratification is one of the White House’s key goals for the lame duck session of Congress.

But Kyl noted that there are still major obstacles that could prevent the treaty from coming to the Senate floor before Christmas, arguing that there is “no way to do justice” to the nuclear security debate in the session’s waning days.

First, he said, the pending tax cut deal can't be passed quickly and will take up valuable floor time before debate and expected passage. The legislation still has to be written and, according to Kyl, key lawmakers still have to sign off on some details.

Secondly, Kyl cited the spending bills that fund all government operations. Some Democrats are pushing for what's called an "omnibus" bill, which bundles all of the spending bills into one large package – likely including a hefty chunk of earmarks. Republicans would prefer to pass a "continuing resolution," which would fund the government at existing levels into the early part of the next session of Congress. If that happens, Republicans will be able to address the budget issue again after the GOP gains control of the House.

"If there is not a pre-agreement on a Continuing Resolution to fund the government and they insist on bringing up an omnibus appropriations bill that will be very divisive and that will take time," Kyl said.

Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has vowed not to allow any legislation to come to the Senate floor until the tax cut and budget impasses are resolved.

Finally, Kyl said, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's continued attempts to pass bills on Reid's "agenda" before addressing government funding and the tax cuts will also take up time on the floor. Kyl specifically mentioned Reid calling for a vote on the Dream Act (an immigration bill) tomorrow, as well as promises to call up the Defense Authorization bill that includes a repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell.

"All of this is why I still believe that there is no way to do justice to a START treaty and all of these other issues prior to Christmas," he said.

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Search continues for Ill. mom who vanished - msnbc.com

The search for an Illinois woman who vanished after her husband was killed in a car accident stretched into a third day on Tuesday.

Volunteers and officers on foot began searching at 9 a.m. and were expected to continue until dark, Keri Myers of the LaSalle County Sheriff's Department told msnbc.com.

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Tanya Shannon, 40, a mother of four, was last seen in a red dress and gray fleece hooded jacket riding home from a holiday party on Sunday with her husband Dale Shannon, 41, behind the wheel, authorities said.

Police found the car near Seneca, about 80 miles from Chicago, at 1:45 a.m. Sunday. They said the car spun out of control and the rear of it hit a utility pole, breaking Dale Shannon's back. He was found dead behind the wheel.

Evidence in the car indicated a second person was in the vehicle at the time of the accident.

Tanya Shannon had disappeared. Footprints that investigators believed belonged to her, as well as a shoe, were found nearby, reported WMAQ TV, NBC's Chicago station.

"Tracks coming from the driver's side door of the crashed vehicle up to the road and a shoe, it was like a slip-on shoe, was recovered," LaSalle County Sheriff Tom Templeton said Monday.

Steve Smith of LaSalle County Search and Rescue told WSPL Radio that searchers on Tuesday were looking in an expanded area and probing snow banks with poles.

Authorities said Tanya Shannon may be dead and her body may be under the snow.

'Taking nothing for granted'
"We're taking nothing for granted," said Templeton said. "As long as we have the resources available, we will continue searching."

"They were having a great time. They were dancing together, laughing and very much in love with each other," said Dale's sister, Donna Shannon, WMAQ reported.

Since Sunday, thermal imaging devices, dogs, All-Terrain Vehicles and planes have been used by dozens of people looking for her.

Investigators told WMAQ they have only two working theories: that she was injured and disoriented as she went for help on the bitter cold, wind-swept road and collapsed somewhere in the snow, or that someone picked her up under the guise of offering assistance.

With repeated searches, they have all but disproved their first theory and have no leads on the second.

"Anything that's even remotely close has been gone over several times," Templeton told the Chicago Tribune.

Shannon's family and friends said they're holding out hope that the woman will be found alive, but with temperatures below freezing, time is of the essence.

Templeton said Shannon was a "dedicated, loving mother" who would have contacted her family if she could. He said the Shannons have four children, ages 3, 7, 10 and 13.

Shannon is described as 5 feet, 2 inches tall and weighing about 125 pounds, with shoulder-length strawberry blonde hair and green eyes.

NBC station WMAQ and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Xbox modding trial on hold after judge berates prosecution - msnbc.com

By Winda Benedetti

The criminal trial against a man accused of modifying, or "modding" Xbox game machines was put on hold Wednesday after the federal judge overseeing the case berated the prosecution and questioned their use of witnesses who may have, themselves, broken the law.

U.S. District Judge Philip Gutierrez told the prosecuting attorneys that he had “serious concerns about the government’s case,” according to a report from Wired.

As we reported earlier, opening statements were scheduled to begin Wednesday morning in the criminal trial of 28-year-old Matthew Crippen of Los Angeles. Crippen — who is accused of modifying Microsoft-made Xbox 360 game consoles for money so the machines could play pirated games and other content — faces time in prison if convicted. (msnbc.com is a joint venture of Microsoft and NBC Universal.)

Authorities arrested Crippen last year on accusations that he violated the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. He was ultimately charged with two counts of trying to circumvent anti-piracy measures. This trial marks the first time a federal prosecution for console-modding has reached a jury trial.

Wired writer David Kravets has been in the courtroom and reports:

Among the judge’s host of complaints against the government was his alarm that prosecutors would put on two witnesses who may have broken the law.

One is Entertainment Software Association investigator Tony Rosario, who secretly video-recorded defendant Matthew Crippen allegedly performing the Xbox mod in Crippen’s Los Angeles suburban house. The defense argues that making the recording violates California privacy law. The other witness is Microsoft security employee Ken McGrail, who analyzed the two consoles Crippen allegedly altered. McGrail admitted that he himself had modded Xboxes in college.

“Maybe two of the four government witnesses committed crimes,” the judge said from the bench. “I think it is relevant and the jury is going to hear about it — both crimes.”

Wired reports that opening arguments were put on hold and, after the berating was over, federal prosecutors asked for a recess to determine whether they would offer the defendant a deal, seek dismissal of the case or move forward with it.

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Winda Benedetti writes the Citizen Gamer column for msnbc.com. You can follow her tweets about games and other things right here on Twitter.

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'Pedophile's Guide' gone from Amazon - msnbc.com

Following mounting public protests, a self-published book advocating adult-child sex is no longer available for sale on Amazon.

The book, "The Pedophile's Guide to Love and Pleasure: a Child-lover's Code of Conduct" by Philip R. Greaves II, includes graphic "first person" descriptions of a child's sexual encounters with an adult, "presented as an adult's recollection of his youthful experience," as well as advice to pedophiles afraid of becoming the center of retaliation. The electronic book, which is not illustrated, was available for $4.79 from Amazon.com's Kindle e-reader.

Amazon had initially defended the sale of the book, issuing a public statement that said, "Amazon believes it is censorship not to sell certain books simply because we or others believe their message is objectionable. Amazon does not support or promote hatred or criminal acts, however, we do support the right of every individual to make their own purchasing decisions."

It is not clear if the e-book was removed from the Kindle store by Amazon or the self-publisher. The link to the original "Pedophile's Guide" sale page now returns an error message. Amazon did not immediately respond Thursday to msnbc.com's requests for more information. Adding to the mystery is today's discovery "Our Gardens of Flesh: From the Seeds of Lust Springs the Harvest of Love," another sexually-graphic e-book by the same author, also $4.79, briefly available on the site. The link went dead not long after 6 p.m. ET.

Speaking in a "TODAY" show segment about the "Pedophile's Guide" before it was removed from the site, Greaves said protesters "are free to think whatever they want to think about the book."

"Every time you see (pedophiles) on television, they are either murderers, rapists or kidnappers," he said as reason for writing and publishing the book. And you know, that's just not an accurate presentation of that particular sexuality."

Msnbc.com purchased the "Pedophile's Guide" for purpose of review before it was removed from the site. Greaves' self-published work contains six academically titled chapters in which the author attempts to add cultural context and express sympathy's for his intended audience's cultural plight.

Also included in the e-book are tips for "safe sex" with a child, as well as an emphasis on self-gratification using legal material such as teen magazines. To that end, the two sexually graphic stories "presented as an adult's recollection of his youthful experience" could be interpreted as thinly veiled examples of pedophilic-themed erotica.

Excerpts from "Our Gardens of Flesh" posted on Gawkerreveal text equally graphic and disturbing as that of "Pedophile's Guide."

"Besides an extended defense of pedophilia, (the author) includes a long account of one adolescent boy's sexual encounter with an adult ice-cream man," writes Gawker's Max Read. "The whole book functions as a kind of manifesto, a theory of sexuality and a creepy declaration of principles."

Similarly-themed written erotica, whether couched as fantasy or "an adult's recollection," is readily available on the Internet. When such content does not include imagery, it walks a thin, complicated line in the United States. Federal law defines child pornography as a visual depiction of minor engaging in obscene behavior. Unlike countries such as Canada and Australia, the U.S. does not specifically ban written child pornography.

"You've got issues with respect to fantasy and imagination, and those are core First Amendment issues," pointed out Frederick S. Lane, attorney and author of several books, including " American Privacy: The 400-Year History of Our Most Contested Right."

"On the other hand, child pornography is a real harm to real children," Lane said in a telephone interview. "It's such a thin line to protect kids and prevent harm to them without trampling the First Amendment."

In 2002, Amazon.com cited the First Amendment as justification for offering another book that advocates adult-child sex, "Understanding Loved Boys and Boylovers," by David L. Riegel. (The paperback book is still available on the site.)

At that time, Amazon stated, "Our goal is to support freedom of expression and to provide customers with the broadest selection possible so they can find, discover, and buy any title they might be seeking."

On the slim-to-none chance such content was deemed "obscene" by a jury of 12 individuals, Amazon would be held accountable. That the e-commerce site now allows self-publishing, that opened the doors for "Pedophile's Guide," increases the risk — but not by much. Given the prevalence of such content on the Internet, combined with historical precedent, prosecuters rarely bring obscenity charges to trial, Lane said.

As it stands, Amazon is a private company and has the right to sell whatever it wants as long as it's legal, and as such, offers books that cater to Holocaust deniers and hate groups, as well as graphic dogfighting and cockfighting videos. 

Adult (legal) pornography, while available in book and magazine form, is not permitted in the Kindle e-reader store. This is possibly because of its iTunes partnership with the notoriously porn-free Apple which removed both "Ulysses" and the "Kama Sutra" from its own book store. The Kindle connection may be a reason the "Pedophile's Guide" disappeared from the site, though neither Apple or Amazon have commented.

For whatever reason "Pedophile's Guide" was removed, Amazon's stand to offer the "broadest selection possible" may falter as did the protested policies of two other e-commerce giants, eBay and Craigslist.

In 2001, eBay caved to public ire and changed its policy to disallow the sale of Nazi memorabilia through its site worldwide. Previously, the ban only applied for eBay users in Germany, where the sale of Nazi-related items is against the law.

Earlier this year, Craigslist made several unpopular attempts at compromise before it bent to the will of vocal customers, human rights activists and politicians and completely eliminated the site's Adult Services section.

As with those two entities, the potential for damage isn't so much in a court of law as it is "the courtroom of the commons," Lane said. "It's a public judgement of what the public thinks about what Amazon should or should not sell. And Amazon does care about the next million people who join the 'Boycott Amazon' page on Facebook."

Indeed, there are nearly 12,000 members currently on the most popular "Boycott Amazon," though there are more than 20 new groups on Facebook with the same idea. True, wall posts in the most active group reveal a strong troll element attempting to agitate protesters. But among those jokesters using the Internet character meme " Pedobear" as avatars, there is also a growing contingent who may do damage to the online marketplace behemoth right before the holidays.

"I normally do my Christmas shopping on Amazon," writes one poster. "That will not be happening this year and I am not using my Amazon credit card either. I just activated an other charge card to do my holiday shopping with :) I will not deal with Amazon until they remove ALL their disgusting books condoning pedophilia."

© 2010 msnbc.com Reprints

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Packers pick off Favre, knock off Vikings - msnbc.com

updated 11:31 p.m. ET Oct. 24, 2010 GREEN BAY, Wis. - Some Green Bay Packers fans still can't bear the sight of Brett Favre in a Minnesota Vikings uniform. It probably hurt a little bit less after the Packers finally sent him home with a loss.

Favre threw three second-half interceptions to his former team and the Packers held on to beat the Vikings 28-24 on Sunday night.

Favre appeared to deliver another signature comeback win with an apparent touchdown strike to Percy Harvin with 48 seconds left - but the play was ruled incomplete on a replay review. With one more chance on fourth-and-15 at the 20, Favre threw incomplete out of bounds.

Green Bay (4-3) turned a pair of Favre's third-quarter interceptions into touchdowns that erased the Vikings' halftime lead, including a 32-yard return by linebacker Desmond Bishop. It was the ninth interception that was returned for a touchdown in the league on Sunday.

Aaron Rodgers was 21 of 34 for 295 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions.

"It's huge," Rodgers said. "It's a great night. The crowd was electric, we needed this win. It's a long season, but we had to have this one."

Rodgers threw a pair of costly first-half interceptions - uncharacteristic mistakes for a quarterback known for good decision-making in the red zone.

Adrian Peterson rushed for 131 yards for the Vikings (2-4). Favre was 16 of 29 for 212 yards with a touchdown and the three interceptions.

getCSS("3053751")   Week 7 action
Take a look at some of the best photos from this week in the NFL.NBCSports.com

It was Favre's second trip back to Lambeau Field as a Viking, but the buildup to this year's game wasn't quite as intense as last year's matchups. Favre led the Vikings to a pair of wins over the Packers last year, looking sharp in the process.

But both teams are off to disappointing starts this season, a much bigger concern than the division rivalry or the Favre-driven circus.

Favre has pressing personal concerns as well. He's currently in the middle of an NFL investigation into allegations that he sent lewd photographs and suggestive messages to a female New York Jets employee in 2008. Favre met with an NFL security official during the week but has not publicly addressed the allegations, which were posted on the Deadspin website.

Fans booed Favre again when he took the field. But unlike last season, when Favre beat his former team twice, Favre committed costly mistakes and the Packers made the most of it.

With the Packers leading by four late in the fourth quarter, the Vikings relied heavily on Peterson and the running game on their final drive.

Facing fourth-and-5 at the Green Bay 48 with 1:51 left, Favre found Randy Moss for a 13-yard gain.

Then the Packers finally sacked Favre, with Jarius Wynn hitting Favre for a 6-yard loss.

Favre hit Peterson on a screen pass for 26 yards, giving the Vikings a first down at the Packers 15.

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The Vikings were called for a false start and a facemask penalty, but Favre then appeared to throw a go-ahead touchdown pass to Harvin and the Vikings began celebrating wildly - but the play was reviewed, and officials ruled Harvin's second foot was out of bounds.

Favre then was pressured on the Vikings' last two chances, and his throws were incomplete.

Minnesota led 17-14 at halftime, but Favre threw an interception to A.J. Hawk as he was hit hard by linebacker Brad Jones - leaving Favre limping and the Packers in good field position. Rodgers marched the Packers for a 14-yard touchdown strike to Greg Jennings, giving the Packers a 21-17 lead.

Favre made an even bigger mistake on the Vikings' next possession. Again under pass rush pressure from a team that failed to sack him in either game last season, Favre threw the ball straight to Bishop - and Bishop ran it back to give the Packers a 28-17 lead.

But Favre wasn't finished, hitting on a long gain to Harvin that set up a 4-yard touchdown pass to Moss, cutting the lead to 28-24 with 4:12 left in the third quarter.

Running back John Kuhn converted a fourth-and-1 play to keep the Packers' next possession alive, but the drive stalled when the Packers went for it again on fourth-and-inches and Kuhn came up short.

Favre drove the Vikings deep into Packers territory in the fourth quarter. But on third-and-7 at the Green Bay 35, Packers safety Nick Collins broke on a pass intended for Harvin and picked it off, ending the Vikings' scoring threat until their final drive came up just short.

© 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Shuttle Discovery's final crew is experienced bunch - msnbc.com

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — A tight-knit crew of six veteran astronauts are gearing up to ride the space shuttle Discovery on her last voyage beyond Earth this week.

The space flyers are due to launch on Discovery on Wednesday at 3:52 p.m. EDT (1952 GMT), from Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla.

The five men and one woman slated to lift off on the shuttle are not just crewmates, but friends as well. In fact, five of the six crewmembers were selected into the same astronaut training class. They are flying on the final mission for shuttle Discovery STS-133 as NASA prepares to retire its shuttle fleet next year.

But just who are the people behind the orange spacesuits? Here's a glimpse at each member of the last crew of space shuttle Discovery:

The commander
Steve Lindsey, 50, is the commander of the mission. A native of Temple City, Calif., Lindsey is a retired colonel in the United States Air Force. He was selected as an astronaut candidate by NASA in 1995, and has made four spaceflights, two of those on shuttle Discovery.

"Discovery is a workhorse fleet leader in number of flights," Lindsey said in a preflight briefing. "It's a privilege to be able to fly the last flight of Discovery." [ Gallery: Building Space Shuttle Discovery ]

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The strong but soft-spoken Lindsey said he is excited to lead his fellow crewmembers on the 11-day expedition to the International Space Station.

"Personally, I'm really excited to be flying with this crew," Lindsey said. "They're a fantastic group of people to fly with. Somebody once told me, you'll find as you get more experience, it's less about what you do on a mission, and more about who you get to fly it with. And I think that's really true in this case."

Lindsey is married and has three children.

The pilot
Eric Boe will serve as the pilot of STS-133, Discovery's 39th flight. The 46-year old native of Atlanta, Ga. is a colonel in the United States Air Force, and was selected to join NASA as a pilot in July 2000.

Boe completed his first spaceflight on NASA's STS-126 mission, on the space shuttle Endeavour. At a preflight briefing, Boe reflected on the significance of being part of one of the final flights of NASA's space shuttle program.

"I think all of us are happy to be on another flight," Boe said. "It's a little bittersweet when something comes to an end, but it's a privilege to be able to fly the vehicle."

For the upcoming mission, Boe said he is most looking forward to gaining new experiences and working as a team with his other crewmembers.

"When you're up there, things go pretty quick," he said. "I think I'll have a little more time to look around and pay attention to the small details. The biggest overall thing I hope to get out of this is to really absorb some of the small details I might have missed on the first flight."

Boe is married and has two children.

The astronaut dreamer
Discovery's Mission Specialist 1 is Alvin Drew, a recently retired colonel in the U.S. Air Force. During the crew's stay at the space station, Drew will participate in the mission's two spacewalks.

In addition to commemorating the legacy of the space shuttle Discovery, Drew will have another important milestone to celebrate while in space on Nov. 5, he will turn 48-yearsold.

Drew, who was born in Washington, D.C., was selected as a mission specialist by NASA in July 2000, and made his first spaceflight aboard the shuttle Endeavour for STS-118 in 2007. Having grown up dreaming of becoming an astronaut, Drew admitted that his spaceflying career seems almost surreal at times.

"[Becoming an astronaut] was one of the things that was in the back of my mind during my Air Force career, but nothing that I really took that seriously," he explained. "I think depending your career on becoming an astronaut is like planning your pension around winning the lottery. It's something that you can go pursue, but you should have a 'Plan B' in place. I did everything to stack the deck in my favor, but never really expected it would happen."

Drew's spacewalks on Discovery's STS-133 flight will be the first of his career, and he said he's proud to contribute to the future of the orbiting laboratory.

"Hopefully I can come back in 2020 and see the station working and think, I had a small part in keeping it going this long," he said.

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The Army's spacewalker
U.S. Army Col. Tim Kopra will serve as a mission specialist for Discovery's STS-133 spaceflight. The 47-year old native of Austin, Texas, is Discovery's Mission Specialist 2 and will lead the two spacewalks outside the station during the mission.

Kopra was selected to become an astronaut in July 2000 and completed his first spaceflight in 2009. He launched with the STS-127 crew aboard the space shuttle Endeavour in 2009 and logged two months aboard the space station. During his stay, Kopra performed one spacewalk and completed robotic operations and numerous science experiments.

For the upcoming mission, Kopra is especially excited to be reunited with so many of his classmates from the astronaut corps.

"What's really special about this flight is the fact that all the Class of 2000 folks are on it," he said. "We started together, and here it is 10 years later and now we're going to have this opportunity all of us with some spaceflight experience, and being able to share that together. We started out knowing very little to nothing about spaceflight, and all of us have grown in different ways over the years."

As NASA's space shuttle program draws to a close, Kopra and his crewmates recognize the contributions of the many people across the nation that work tirelessly to ensure the safety of the astronauts and the success of the mission.

"We really feel honored to be doing what we're doing," Kopra said. "The vehicle is a representation of a lot of hard work and a group of people who have been working toward a safe flight every single time."

Kopra is married and has two children.

Discovery's space doctor
Michael Barratt joined NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston as a project physician in May 1991 and was subsequently selected for astronaut training in July 2000. Now, the doctor-turned-astronaut will perform duties as Mission Specialist 3 on Discovery's last spaceflight.

In March 2009, Barratt embarked on his first spaceflight, launching on a Russian Soyuz TMA-14 rocket to the International Space Station. During the long-duration mission aboard the orbiting outpost, he logged 199 days in space.

"I was surprised how little free time we had on our station mission," Barratt said in a preflight interview. "After six and a half months, we were still working very long days. I wouldn't call a station mission leisurely in any way, shape or form."

In light of Discovery's final mission, Barratt maintains that a lot of the glory belongs to the people who, over the years, maintained the shuttle between flights.

"The orbiters look great. If you just landed and didn't know the political landscape, you'd never know the program was coming to an end, because the birds are so pristine," Barratt said. "Everybody is incredibly dedicated. They're doing what they're doing for all the same reasons they signed on for years ago."

Barratt, 51, calls Camas, Wash. his hometown. He is married and has five children.

Home again on space station
Nicole Stott is the Mission Specialist 4 for Discovery's upcoming flight. She began working at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in 1988 as an operations engineer in the Orbiter Processing Facility.

Stott, 47, was selected for astronaut training in July 2000 and launched on  her first spaceflight to the International Space Station in 2009, also aboard Discovery. The mission also marked Stott's first long-duration tour of duty on the orbiting station. While living and working on the space station, Stott completed one spacewalk and spent a total of 91 days in space.

Stott's second journey on Discovery will also be the orbiter's last, and in a preflight briefing, she spoke about the prolific shuttle's storied career.

"It's a historic thing that we have such a special vehicle to fly," she said. "The hope, in addition to having a successful mission, is that we'll be celebrating the real significance of the vehicle itself. We have to look at this as a celebration of just how wonderful Discovery has performed."

Additionally, having grown up in Clearwater, Fla., Stott knows firsthand the impact and enduring legacy that NASA's space shuttle program has had on the country.

"There's nothing negative that you can say about it," Stott said. "There are only positives and encouraging things that have come from this program."

Stott is married and has one child.

Follow SPACE.com Staff Writer Denise Chow on Twitter @denisechow as she covers Discovery's final space voyage from Cape Canaveral, Fla. Click here for mission updates, new stories and a link to NASA's live webcast coverage.

© 2010 Space.com. All rights reserved. More from Space.com.

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Rover finds signs of buried Martian water - msnbc.com

NASA's stuck Mars rover Spirit has found more evidence that water trickled beneath the Red Planet's surface in the past perhaps within the last few hundred thousand years.

The sandy spot where Spirit got bogged down last year harbors stratified layers of dirt with different compositions close to the surface, a new study reveals. Researchers suspect these layers were caused by seepage of thin films of water on Mars, perhaps from melting frost or snow.

This seepage could have occurred during cyclical climate changes when Mars was tilted more on its axis, researchers said. The water may have moved down into the sand, carrying soluble minerals deeper than less-soluble ones, they added. [ Most Amazing Mars Rover Discoveries ]

The axis tilt of Mars varies over time scales of hundreds of thousands of years. The fact that Spirit found these layers in the dirt rather than locked away in rock further suggests the water was seeping relatively recently, rather than billions of years ago, researchers said.

"Once you freeze that evidence in a rock, it can stay there for a long time," said Bruce Banerdt, a project scientist for the Mars Exploration Rovers project at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif. "But you don't expect to maintain evidence in loose dirt for long periods of time."

Buried water in Martian history
The relatively insoluble minerals near the surface include what is thought to be hematite, silica and gypsum, according to researchers. Iron-rich ferric sulfates, which are more soluble, appear to have been dissolved and carried down deeper by water, they added.

None of these minerals is exposed at the surface, which is covered by wind-blown sand and dust.

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"The lack of exposures at the surface indicates the preferential dissolution of ferric sulfates must be a relatively recent and ongoing process since wind has been systematically stripping soil and altering landscapes in the region Spirit has been examining," rover deputy principal investigator Ray Arvidson of Washington University in St. Louis, explained in a statement.

The new study, which appears in the Journal of Geophysical Research, is based on observations made by Spirit before it stopped communicating with Earth in March of this year. The findings contribute to an accumulating set of evidence that Mars may harbor small amounts of liquid water at some periods during ongoing climate cycles.

Spirit, its rover twin Opportunity and other NASA Mars missions have found evidence of wet Martian environments billions of years ago that may have been favorable for life. Observations by the Phoenix Mars Lander in 2008 and various orbiters since 2002 have identified buried layers of water ice at high and middle latitudes and frozen water in polar ice caps.

Spirit still sleeping
The twin Mars rovers finished their three-month prime missions in April 2004, then kept exploring in bonus missions. One of Spirit's six wheels quit working in 2006.

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In April 2009, Spirit's left wheels broke through a crust at a site called "Troy" and churned into soft sand. A second wheel stopped working seven months later. Spirit could not maneuver into a position slanting its solar panels toward the sun for the winter, as it had done for previous winters.

Engineers anticipated it would enter a low-power, silent hibernation mode, and the rover stopped communicating March 22 of this year. Spring begins next month at Spirit's site, and NASA is listening to see if the rover reawakens, officials said.

"Most of us have high hopes," Banerdt told SPACE.com. "Our models say she could start communicating any day now. But we also recognize that this is an extremely risky situation for Spirit, and there are so many unknowns that we just can't be sure."

Among those unknowns, according to Banerdt: how much dust blankets Spirit's solar panels, how cold the rover's interior got and the current surface conditions where it bogged down.

Researchers took advantage of Spirit's months at Troy last year to examine in great detail soil layers the wheels had exposed, along with neighboring surfaces. Spirit made 13 inches of progress in its last 10 backward drives before energy levels fell too low for further driving in February.

Those drives exposed a new area of soil for possible examination if Spirit does awaken and its robotic arm is still usable, researchers said.

"With insufficient solar energy during the winter, Spirit goes into a deep-sleep hibernation mode where all rover systems are turned off, including the radio and survival heaters," said rover project manager John Callas of JPL. "All available solar array energy goes into charging the batteries and keeping the mission clock running."

The rover is expected to have experienced temperatures colder than it ever has before, and it may not survive. If Spirit does get back to work, the top priority is a multi-month study that can be done without driving the rover, researchers said.

The study would measure the rotation of Mars through the Doppler signature of the stationary rover's radio signal with enough precision to gain new information about the planet's core. The rover Opportunity has been making steady progress toward a large crater, Endeavour, which is now approximately 5 miles away.

© 2010 Space.com. All rights reserved. More from Space.com.

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Texas A&M gunman alert during Bushes' visit called misunderstanding - msnbc.com

COLLEGE STATION, Texas — Texas A&M University locked down its main campus Thursday after a report that a suspected gunman had been spotted while the Bush family was on campus.

The incident appeared to be a misunderstanding, NBC News reported.

A member of the Texas A&M Corps of Cadets was walking down the street with his rifle about 2 miles from where the Bush family was, NBC said.

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The university's notification system, called "Code Maroon," sent a message at 5:35 p.m.: “All Clear. Person with replica weapon identified. No danger. Resume normal activity.”

Earlier, a campus bus driver was on his route around 4 p.m. when he reported seeing an individual carrying a weapon, possibly a rifle, near a building next to the student union, according to A&M spokesman Lane Stephenson.

The situation at first raised fears of what happened last month when a student opened fire on the University of Texas campus in Austin before he eventually turned the gun on himself in the library.

A&M's emergency notification system sent texts and e-mails telling students, faculty and staff to remain indoors while police looked for the suspected gunman. Students reported seeing police, including SWAT team members, searched all over campus.

About two hours later, students, faculty and staff were notified that there was no danger and they could resume normal activities.

"University officials believe the basis for the report was an individual who had in his possession a 'dummy' rifle — a replica," according to the A&M statement.

The person with the replica rifle had apparently walked through Rudder Tower on his way to the western part of campus, where he got into his car and drove home, A&M officials said.

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The university said no actual weapon had been found.

About two miles away from where the suspected gunman was spotted, the university was to hold an event where former President George H.W. Bush and his wife Barbara were hosting former first lady Laura Bush at the George Bush Presidential Library Center. Stephenson said the Bush event was still planned as scheduled.

The A&M campus, which ranks as the nation's sixth-largest university in enrollment with more than 49,000 students, is 95 miles northwest of Houston.

Copyright 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Fla. pastor wins car for not burning Quran - msnbc.com

CARL QUINTANILLA, co-host: Terry Jones , the pastor of a small church in Gainesville , Florida , planned to mark the anniversary of the 9/11 by burning copies of the Quran . On Thursday, after worldwide condemnation and appeals to stand down, Pastor Jones called it off. Pastor Terry Jones and his assistant pastor , Wayne Sapp , are here this morning. Gentlemen, it's good to see you. Good morning.

Pastor TERRY JONES (Dove World Outreach Center): Thank you.

QUINTANILLA: Lot of people wondering what you're doing in New York today.

Pastor JONES: Yeah, we have come here with the hopes of speaking with the imam. We feel that we have somewhat of a common denominator in the fact that most people do not want the mosque near ground zero . And, of course, I assume all Muslims do not want us to burn the Quran .

QUINTANILLA: So is there a meeting between you two?

Pastor JONES: There is not. We have been trying to set up one.

QUINTANILLA: Trying to set up meeting. There are voice mails exchanged. Is there -- what's the possibility...

Pastor JONES: Yeah, we have -- we have a couple of people who are working on it who are mediating the situation.

QUINTANILLA: But you came to New York in the hopes that a meeting would happen...

Pastor JONES: Right, right.

QUINTANILLA: ...not because a meeting's happen....

Pastor JONES: No, there is no meeting. We just have that hope that one will take place.

QUINTANILLA: The burning was scheduled to happen tonight...

Pastor JONES: Right.

QUINTANILLA: ...right around 6:00.

Pastor JONES: Right.

QUINTANILLA: Is it going to happen?

Pastor JONES: We have decided to cancel the burning.

QUINTANILLA: Why?

Pastor JONES: Yeah, we feel -- we feel that whenever we started this out, one of our reasons was to show, to expose that there is an element of Islam that is very dangerous and very radical. I believe that we have definitely accomplished that mission. Even though we have not burned one Quran , we have gotten over 100 death threats , we see what is going around in the whole world even if we do it. We feel a little bit -- if you're familiar with the story of Abraham , we feel a little bit like -- Abraham was also called to do something very crazy. I mean, God told him to go to the mountain and sacrifice his son. Of course, Abraham was much wiser than us. He told no one.

Pastor JONES: Yeah. So he got to the mountain. He started to do it, and God told him to stop. So we feel -- we feel we have accomplished our goal. We were obedient. We feel that God is telling us to stop. And we also hope that with us making this first gesture, not burning the Quran ...

QUINTANILLA: Yes.

Pastor JONES: ...to say, 'No, we're not going to do it'...

QUINTANILLA: Not today, not ever.

Pastor JONES: Not today, not ever. We're not going to go back an do it. It is totally canceled. We hope that through that maybe that will open up a door

to be able to talk to the imanabout -- yeah, about the ground zero mosque.

QUINTANILLA: So there are -- you can guarantee us today that there will never be a burning of the Quran at your church.

Pastor JONES: I can absolutely guarantee you that, yes.

QUINTANILLA: Wayne , is this -- Pastor Jones talks about an element of Islam being radical. Are you now saying that the religion itself is not radical in and of itself?

Associate Pastor WAYNE SAPP (Associate Pastor, Dove World Outreach Center): I believe there are some teachings that are carried on throughout the entire religion. They are as -- as there are in denominations in Christianity -- there are facets in Islam as well that push one element more than others. But that element is still alive and well throughout the entire religion.

QUINTANILLA: We've been criticized in the media, perhaps fairly, that we gave you a microphone and made you basically an international name, well-known in this country certainly, and that that was publicity for your church, that you've been toying with us with these on-again, off-again pronouncements; 'Is he going to burn? Is he not going to burn?' Was it for publicity?

Pastor JONES: Absolutely not. We were 100 convinced -- 100 percent convinced that this was a -- this was a type of a -- of a mission. We believe very much that there is Shariah law , that there is an element that is -- that is very, very radical. I am of the opinion it is much larger than our politicians and our news media would like for to us believe. And I believe that we have -- we have -- we have well, well proved that point by the reaction worldwide.

QUINTANILLA: You arrived at La Guardia last night amid lots of security. The security around here this morning has gotten very intense. You've gotten 100 death threats , you've said. You're a reviled man and you're a wanted man in some places.

Pastor JONES: Right.

QUINTANILLA: How much of that is part of this decision? Did -- were you scared into it?

Pastor JONES: No. No, no, we already -- we definitely did not realize that all of this would take place. Of course not. But we knew that if we went in this direction that our life could be threatened or would be threatened, we could possibly even get killed. I think the fact that we changed this decision -- we felt as though God was telling us to do this. I don't believe that has changed the death threats against us.

QUINTANILLA: Right.

Pastor JONES: I believe that we have already went too far to change that.

QUINTANILLA: If this mosque is still built, which you clearly oppose, you still will not reverse your decision, you still will not burn the Quran ?

Pastor JONES: We will definitely not burn the Quran , no.

QUINTANILLA: Bottom line for the church, Wayne , is this going to create more members for your church or result in fewer members?

Assoc. Pastor SAPP: Well, one of the things I'm hoping that this creates is that there are strong passions in religion, and people really need to get back to the text of the Bible, the text of the Quran . What do they -- what do they actually believe? What is in there? Or are they following an element that probably really God did not want us to follow?

QUINTANILLA: Well, you made some news this morning, gentlemen. We appreciate your time coming in.

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The Most Disruptive iPhone Yet - msnbc.com

Remember when I said Verizonisn't ready for the iPhone? Forget it.

Citing an anonymous source in direct contact with Apple, The New York Times on Friday confirmed that the two companies plan to introduce an iPhone 4 for Verizon's network "early next year."

Crow, meet mouth. Mouth, crow. (Nom nom nom.)

So far, we don't have any of the details of the arrangements between Apple and Verizon. What we do know is that Verizon plans to roll out an initial version of its 4G network, built on a technology known as Long-Term Evolution (LTE), in 38 cities before the end of the year. Denver, where I live and work, is one of those cities.

We also know that AT&T, demonstrating its affection for open relationships, plans to carry Microsoft's new Windows Phone 7. The former Ms. Bell has been carrying handsets based on Google's Android OS for months.

Timing is where this deal gets really interesting. The new iPhone should be out weeks after Verizon officially lights up its LTE network. Apple, in a coup, could have the first smartphone built for that network.

To be fair, it wouldn't be the first 4G smartphone. Samsung and HTC already have smartphones designed for Sprint's 4G WiMAX network, built in concert with Clearwire. But neither Samsung nor HTC has the brand allure of Apple, and neither of its smartphones is built for an LTE network.

We also know from surveys that iPhone users and wannabe buyers crave the opportunity to choose a carrier other than AT&T -- one that lacks a history of dropped calls. Unfair? No doubt. AT&T has made huge improvements, but as often happens in business, perception has become reality. For Apple and Verizon, that's a huge opportunity they'll soon be able to take advantage of.

Now it's your turn to weigh in. Would you pay a premium for an LTE iPhone? Please vote in the poll below, and then leave a comment to explain your thinking.

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Better living through palladium - msnbc.com

Alan Boyle writes:This year's Nobel Prize for chemistry was awarded for decades-old breakthroughs in the use of palladium to help synthesize useful compounds — a process that took the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences 13 pages to explain. The easy way to explain it is to say palladium is a rare metal that acts as a catalyst or "matchmaker," marrying ingredients to produce all sorts of useful things for flat-screen displays, cancer drugs, asthma medicines and more.

"Any undergraduate who's taken chemistry is starting to see this in textbooks as really important chemistry," Joseph Francisco, president of the American Chemical Society, told me today. Francisco is a chemistry professor at Purdue University and hence a colleague of one of the laureates named today, Purdue's Ei-Ichi Negishi.

Negishi, along with the University of Delaware's Richard Heck and Hokkaido University's Akira Suzuki, were honored for their work in the 1960s and '70s to develop a technique called palladium-catalyzed cross coupling in organic synthesis. That's quite a mouthful, but it simply means they found a way to use palladium atoms to build smaller molecules into larger ones, The atoms act as "marriage brokers," in the words of Inside Science News Service's Steve Miller. Here's what Francisco told Miller:

"Think of palladium as the mutual friend who brings two people together for a handshake," Francisco said. "Palladium brings the right carbon atoms from two molecules together, performs the introduction, and then moves on."

The palladium atoms themselves emerge unchanged by the process, ready to introduce more carbon atoms to each other.

"The beautiful thing about this chemistry is it's very fundamental ... it can create new carbon bonds and certain functional groups that normally would be very difficult to create, in a very easy, very facile, very efficient way," Francisco told me.

Francisco said most chemists knew it was just a matter of time before Heck, Suzuki and Negishi won a Nobel for their work. "At the time, I don't think the Nobel laureates really anticipated just how broadly that chemistry would be applied, but it was," he said.

So what kinds of products have been created through palladium-catalyzed cross coupling?

Pharmaceuticals: Painkillers ranging from synthetic morphine to naproxen (which is marketed under brand names such as Aleve or Midol Extended Relief). Asthma medicines such as montelukast (marketed as Singulair). Anti-cancer drugs such as synthetic Taxol as well as the candidate drug discodermolide (a synthetic version of a poison found in a Caribbean marine sponge) and diazonamide A (which appears to be effective in fighting colon cancer). Potential anti-viral drugs such as dragmacidin F (which affects the herpes virus and HIV). Antibiotics such as modified vancomycin (to fight MRSA infections).

Plastics: Heck developed the chemical reaction that now bears his name in order to create styrene, a major component in polystyrene plastic.

Electronics: Reactions involving palladium are used to optimize the blue light in organic light-emitting diodes, or OLEDs, which have found their way into ultra-thin flat-screen displays. The Heck reaction also comes into play for producing resins used in electronic fabrication (such as Dow Chemical's Cyclotene).

... And more: The Heck reaction is a key step in the production of the herbicide Prosulforon. The Suzuki reaction is used to manufacture a fungicide known as Boscalid. And strangely enough, researchers reported just this year that they put palladium together with graphene, the one-atom-thick form of carbon that earned two other researchers the Nobel Prize in physics this week. Palladium-graphene hybrids could be used as catalysts for the Suzuki reaction, to produce new strains of polymer circuitry and liquid crystals.

"What's exciting about this is it's a case where fundamental chemistry has led to innovations in the chemical and pharmaceutical industries that bring benefit to the general public," Francisco said. "What can be more exciting than using fundamental chemistry to improve the lives of people worldwide? That's cool stuff."

Visit the brand-spanking-new Cosmic Log page on Facebook and hit the "Like" button. You can also follow @boyle on Twitter. And if you really want to be friendly, ask me about "The Case for Pluto."

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Giants' defense batters Cutler, Bears - msnbc.com

updated 11:27 p.m. ET Oct. 3, 2010 EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - The New York Giants' defense delivered a knockout punch that sent Chicago Bears reeling from the unbeaten ranks.

The Giants knocked out Jay Cutler with a nine-sack first half, sent his replacement to the sideline late in the fourth quarter and limited Chicago to 110 total yards in a 17-3 victory on Sunday night.

The win left the NFL with only one undefeated team.

Can you say, or believe the idle Kansas City Chiefs (3-0).

Ahmad Bradshaw rushed for 131 yards and a touchdown against a defense that had allowed 119 yards on the ground in its first three games and Lawrence Tynes kicked a 22-yard field goal as the Giants (2-2) snapped a two-game losing streak and beat the Bears (3-1), who had come into the game as the NFC's last unbeaten team.

Brandon Jacobs, whose fourth-quarter fumble inside his own 30 set up Robbie Gold's 40-yard field goal for Chicago, capped the scoring with a 2-yard touchdown run with 4:31 to play.

On a night the Giants inducted 22 of their greatest players into their new Ring of Honor, including Hall of Famers Lawrence Taylor and Harry Carson, this defense emulated some of the great ones of the Giants' 86-year history.

The Giants' defense performance ranged on spectacular both in appearance and statistically.

New York limited the Bears to six first downs, did not allow a third-down conversion in 13 attempts and forced three turnovers in addition to the 10 sacks.

The sack total was two shy of the league record, which the Giants tied in 2007 in a Sunday night game against Donovan McNabb and the Philadelphia Eagles. Osi Umenyiora had six that night. He had three against Chicago.

Cutler and Todd Collins paid the price. Cutler was sacked nine times in the first half and suffered a concussion and did not return. The veteran Collins took over in the second half and lasted until about four minutes remained in the game.

NFL Week 4 roundup, analysis Michael Heiman / Getty Images  N.Y. knocked Chicago QB Jay Cutler out of the game and rolled to a 17-3 win against the NFC's lone unbeaten team.

That's when he was sent to the sideline after taking a blindside hit from linebacker Michael Boley.

Lovie Smith was forced to send in No. 3 quarterback Caleb Hanie and he got sacked by Justin Tuck for New York's 10th and final sack with about three minutes to play.

The Giants took an early 3-0 lead, driving 76 yards in 11 plays with Tynes hitting the chip-shot field goal.

New York didn't take control until the third quarter when Eli Manning engineered an eight-play 90 yard drive that featured passes of 21 yards to Hakeem Nicks and 25 to tight end Travis Beckum. Bradshaw had runs of 13 and 25 yards before capping the drive with a 3-yard run on which his line seemed to shove him into the end zone.

The Giants led 3-0 at the half and the margin certainly should have been more.

Perry Fewell's defense limited the Bears to 22 yards, two first downs and sacked Cutler an amazing nine times and forced two turnovers that gave the Giants the ball twice inside the Bears 30-yard line.

Tynes missed a 38-yard field goal wide left after an interception by Terrell Thomas gave New York the ball at the Bears 28.

Instead of going for the knockout punch with a 3-0 lead, the Giants called a run by Bradshaw and two Manning passes, the last one on a third-and-2 play to Kevin Boss that would not have gotten a first down.

Early in the second quarter, Umenyiora caught Cutler from the blindside and got his third sack of the half, forcing a fumble that was recovered at the Chicago 29.

Three plays and false start against guard Chris Snee pushed the Giants back to the 34 and New York was forced to punt.

© 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Calif. governor's race upended by immigrant maid - msnbc.com

SANTA MONICA, Calif. — Republican Meg Whitman struggled to steady her campaign for California governor after disclosures about her former housekeeper — an illegal immigrant — threatened to cut into her support among Latinos just weeks before election day.

The campaign that for months was dominated by talk of schools, the state's $19 billion deficit and jobs has become a swirl of accusations pitting the word of Whitman, the billionaire former eBay chief executive, against a 39-year-old maid who worked in her home for nearly a decade.

Whitman says the woman provided what appeared to be a valid Social Security card and driver's license when she was hired through an employment agency in 2000. At issue is whether Whitman knew about a 2003 letter from the Social Security Administration that raised discrepancies about her housekeeper's documents — a possible tip-off that she could be in the United States illegally.

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The letter is at the center of claims by Nicky Diaz Santillan that Whitman and her husband knew for years about her legal status, but kept her on the job anyway at their Silicon Valley home.

Seeking to quiet the uproar, Whitman tried to turn the discussion in another direction. "This is a distraction on what I think Californians really care about," she said, referring to unemployment and public schools.

Video: Meg Whitman’s ‘illegal’ problem? (on this page)

But damage might already be done.

"When news headlines are saying 'Whitman hired an illegal alien,' you have a problem," said Jack Pitney, a political scientist at Claremont-McKenna College in Claremont, Calif. "A Republican in California has a tough sell among Latinos to begin with. This makes it tougher for her."

'Please check this'
On Thursday, Whitman disclosed that her husband might have seen the 2003 letter and jotted a note on it telling the housekeeper to "please check this."

For two days, Whitman forcefully denied receiving any such letter and said she fired the $23-an-hour housekeeper last year immediately after learning she was illegal.

But Whitman's husband changed course Thursday after a letter surfaced with what appeared to be his handwriting, forcing him to say he may have been aware of the correspondence back in 2003.

Whitman has denounced the allegations as a "baseless smear attack" by Democratic challenger Jerry Brown in what has become a dead-heat race to run the nation's most populous state. Hispanics are projected to comprise just 15 percent of voters in the Nov. 2 general election, but both sides have aggressively targeted them as potential swing votes.

Spanish-language ad slams Whitman for housekeeper

Now, the focus is on whether the billionaire GOP nominee for governor will take a polygraph test to respond to allegations brought by a celebrity-seeking attorney and her mysterious housekeeper client. The Los Angeles Times reported that Whitman said she would be willing to undergo such a test.

Accusations of hypocrisy
Revelations about the illegal housekeeper have also thrown Whitman's carefully managed campaign completely off track and opened the door for Democrats to accuse her of hypocrisy.

Whitman has called for tougher sanctions against employers who hire illegal workers, and the fact that she employed an illegal immigrant maid from Mexico for nine years could undermine her credibility. She has also spent millions courting Latino voters, who could play a key role in determining the outcome of the race.

After Whitman's denials, the housekeeper and lawyer Gloria Allred produced a copy of the letter Thursday that they say shows Whitman's husband, Dr. Griffith Harsh III, partially filled it out.

Allred said the housekeeper recognized the writing as belonging to Whitman's husband, and a handwriting specialist may be brought in to analyze her husband's penmanship. She claims it could prove that Whitman and her husband knew years earlier that Diaz Santillan was not a U.S. citizen.

In a statement released by the campaign, Harsh said he did not recall receiving the letter, although it's possible he scratched out a note asking Diaz Santillan to follow up. He noted, however, that the letter does not say Diaz Santillan is illegal, it merely asks for more information.

"The essential fact remains the same, neither Meg nor I believed there was a problem with Nicky's legal status," the husband said. "The facts of this matter are very clear: Ms. Diaz broke the law and lied to us and to the employment agency."

Campaign adviser Rob Stutzman said "it's reasonable" the letter could be authentic, but added the campaign has questions about its whereabouts for seven years and if it is legitimate. At one point Thursday, the campaign said that Diaz Santillan may have intercepted the letter since she was in charge of the mail at the house.

The story has consumed two full days of news cycles just as Whitman and Brown are preparing for a Saturday Spanish-language debate that will include questions of importance to the Hispanic community.

One of the state's largest public employee unions immediately released a Spanish-language attack ad accusing Whitman of a double standard on illegal immigration.

Whitman: 'I'm just getting used to the smear politics'
Whitman, who has revealed few details about her personal life since announcing her first run for office last year, was forced to spend 45 minutes answering questions from reporters about what she knew and when she knew it, her husband standing awkwardly by throughout.

"You know, I've only been in politics for two years. I'm just getting used to the smear politics, I'm just getting used to the politics of personal destruction," she told dozens of reporters hastily gathered at a hotel in Santa Monica.

Whitman has spent a record $119 million of her own money on the race, and her campaign has been marked by its uncanny ability to stay on message. That marks a notable contrast with Brown, the state's attorney general and a former governor known for talking off-the-cuff, sometimes too much.

The timing of the allegations so close to the Spanish-speaking debate, the lack of extensive documentation, and Allred's Democratic ties left her open to questions about motive. Allred once gave money to Brown, and she was a Hillary Rodham Clinton delegate at the Democratic National Convention in 2008.

Allred, who is well-known for orchestrating media stunts, has not permitted Diaz Santillan to answer a single question from reporters over two days of news conferences. The former housekeeper read a brief, prepared statement Wednesday that alleged brusque treatment during her nine-year tenure. Whitman said it was "not the Nicky I know."

Allred said Thursday she is not providing any financial support to her client and added her involvement with Diaz Santillan started "within the last week."

Housekeeper remains mystery
Two days after she made the allegations that reordered the race for governor, Diaz Santillan remains a mystery. Virtually nothing is known about her activities or whereabouts from the time Whitman fired her in June 2009 until she appeared Wednesday with Allred at her Los Angeles law office.

In her 2000 employment application, Diaz Santillan revealed she went to high school and college in Mexico City and says she would like to go back to school to take computer administration. The mother of three said she has 11 brothers and sisters, eight of them living in the San Francisco Bay area. Whitman's campaign says Diaz Santillan used her sister's documents in her fraudulent application.

Whitman was repeatedly asked why she didn't just own up to this huge political liability earlier to avoid a late election-cycle surprise such as this, particularly since she has repeatedly stressed the need to hold employers accountable for hiring illegal workers.

She said she didn't want to subject Diaz Santillan to the scrutiny — and left unsaid, deportation — that could have resulted from her reporting it. Whitman also noted that in California, employers bear no responsibility to report illegal worker, only to not knowingly hire and employ them.

"Because Nicky had worked for us for 10 years, I was very fond of Nicky and I didn't want to make an example of her. It's not an obligation of the employer to turn in illegal employees," she said.

Copyright 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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