Peanut Butter News

Full Story at CNN.com

Santiago, Chile (CNN) — As the sun set in Chile on Saturday, a picture of the immense structural damage wrought by an early morning earthquake had come clearly into focus, with the nation’s president estimating that 2 million people had been affected in some way.

More than 300 people were killed, according to Chile’s Office of Emergency Management, and 15 are missing.

The carnage from the 8.8-magnitude quake didn’t begin to approach that unleashed by January’s earthquake in Haiti, which left 212,000 people dead and more than a million homeless, even though it was considerably less forceful, with a 7.0 magnitude.

Full Story at wciv.com

Colleton County, SC – Authorities say a 21-year-old man was arrested in connection with the shooting death of his brother in Colleton County on Wednesday.

The Colleton County Sheriff’s Office have charged Eric Plant with the death of this 21-year-old brother Joshua Plant.

According to investigators, on Wednesday, police received a call from Eric Plant stating that his brother, Joshua, was shot as they were at a home on Black Creek Road in Colleton County.

Full Story at CNN.com

Orlando, Florida (CNN) — SeaWorld has scheduled a Friday news conference to discuss an accident that left a trainer dead after she was attacked by a whale, a spokesman said.

Dawn Brancheau, 40, died Wednesday from multiple injuries and drowning after a 12,000-pound whale grabbed her ponytail and pulled her underwater in front of shocked onlookers at Shamu Stadium, the Orange County Sheriff’s office said Thursday.

Full Story at CNN.com

Denver, Colorado (CNN) — During emergency drills at Deer Creek Middle School, teacher David Benke used to tell his students that if anything ever happened, he wanted to be able to “do something about it.”

When he saw a man shooting at students as they were leaving the Littleton, Colorado, school on Tuesday, “What was going through my mind,” Benke said, “was that I promised.”

Full Story at CNN.com

Washington (CNN) — The United States has renewed a travel alert to Mexico, citing increased violence in the country.

The alert, issued Sunday by the State Department, is in effect until August 20 and supersedes an alert issued August 20, 2009.

“Recent violent attacks have caused the U.S. Embassy to urge U.S. citizens to delay unnecessary travel to parts of Michoacan, Durango, Coahuila and Chihuahua … and to advise U.S. citizens residing or traveling in those areas to exercise extreme caution,” the alert says.

Full Story at CNN.com

(CNN) — A close relative of a missing Southern California family fears they may have been kidnapped.

“My gut feeling is telling me that they are being held against their will in some way,” said Michael McStay, brother of Joseph McStay. “That’s my personal opinion. That’s what I think.”

Joseph McStay, 40, his wife, Summer, 43, and their two children, Gianna, 4, and Joseph, 3, have not been seen or heard from since February 4. Concerned relatives contacted authorities, who then conducted a welfare check of the family’s home on February 15, the San Diego County Sheriff’s Office said.

Full Story at NBC Olympics.com

VANCOUVER (AP) — That was no way to treat friends.

And neighbors.

Not to mention guys you’ll be back working alongside in less than 10 days.

But that’s exactly what made USA 5, Canada 3 so special. For two hours Sunday, in what the Olympic program listed as just a preliminary-round game, the mercenaries from the NHL forgot about paychecks and played for nothing more tangible than national pride.

Full Story at ABC News.go.com

A suburban Philadelphia school district accused of secretly switching on laptop computer webcams inside students’ homes says it never used webcam images to monitor or discipline students and believes one of its administrators has been “unfairly portrayed and unjustly attacked.”

The Lower Merion School District, in response to a suit filed by a student, has acknowledged that webcams were remotely activated 42 times in the past 14 months, but only to find missing, lost or stolen laptops — which the district noted would include “a loaner computer that, against regulations, might be taken off campus.”

Full Story at CNN.com

Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida (CNN) — In a tightly controlled televised statement, golfer Tiger Woods gave an apology Friday for his “irresponsible and selfish” behavior, which he said included infidelity.

“I know I have bitterly disappointed all of you,” said the golfer, dressed in a blue shirt and a blazer. “For all that I have done, I am so sorry. …

“I had affairs, I cheated. What I did was not acceptable, and I am the only person to blame.”

Read the text and watch the full apology

Full Story atnews.Yahoo.com

AUSTIN, Texas – A software engineer who crashed his plane into a Texas office building containing nearly 200 Internal Revenue Service employees, killing himself and at least one worker, apparently left behind an irate anti-government manifesto but offered little other hint of his intentions before the attack.

The Red Cross said the wife of A. Joseph Stack III planned to contact media and answer questions Friday, a day after law enforcement officials, speaking on condition of anonymity because the investigation was ongoing, said her husband apparently set fire to their house and posted his rambling screed on the Web before launching his suicide attack.

Full Story at msnbc.com

ALBANY, N.Y. – No nuptials at Niagara Falls? Jones Beach off limits on a 90-degree day? The “Grand Canyon of the East” devoid of campers?

New York’s state parks system, the nation’s oldest, is facing another round of funding cuts that is likely to result in the first budget-related closures in the system’s 125-year history. State officials say even popular parks at Niagara Falls and Jones Beach, with attendance figures in the millions, could be closed, along with such destinations as Letchworth, a popular hiking and camping spot ringing the rugged Genesee Gorge south of Rochester.

Full Story at msnbc.com

DALLAS – Gov. Rick Perry and other top Texas officials on Tuesday announced a legal challenge to the federal government’s finding that greenhouse gases are dangerous to people, claiming the ruling was based on flawed science.

The EPA in December issued an “endangerment” finding about carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases, setting the stage for future rules restricting such emissions.

Texas — the which leads the nation in greenhouse gas emissions and is frequently at odds with the EPA — announced it has asked a federal appeals court to review the endangerment finding