When the employment door closes, find an open window

When the employment door closes, find an open window
By Clark Howard

The official unemployment rate inched up three-tenths of a point to 9.7 percent in August. Not good news, obviously; it's dangerously close to the psychologically devastating 10 percent mark.

At the same time, teenage unemployment is at an all-time high with roughly 26 percent of teens going jobless.

Meanwhile, a much broader gauge of unemployment called U6 is edging closer to 17 percent.

When the Bureau of Labor Statistics crunches U6 numbers, they take into account those who are involuntarily working part-time because they can't find full-time work and those who have given up looking for work out of sheer frustration.

Seventeen percent means about one in six Americans who want a traditional full-time job can't find one. But I'm here to tell you that things are not as bad as they seem, and the only thing that is the end of the world is, well, the end of the world.

Without a doubt, the employment thing will be a slow recovery. That's why it's important to remember that jobs are always a lagging indicator of economic recovery. Watch Clark help a caller find the right job.

Think about it: Employers will start laying people off when business contracts. And then when things pick back up again, they'll start with the overtime instead of rehiring new employees. But that approach only works for so long until you exhaust your existing workers. That's when you have to start hiring again.

Yet opportunity comes up in unexpected places. The big, bad federal government has some 270,000 "mission critical" positions that must be filled over the next several years. Medical, intelligence and defense are among the hottest areas of federal hiring. Beyond that, there are more than 300,000 government jobs not considered critical fills, which account for normal turnover and vacancies created by retirement.

USAJobs.gov is the official clearinghouse for federal hiring.

In addition, technological advances will create new types of jobs in the private sector. For example, clean energy -- whether you agree with it or not -- will translate to jobs such as the retrofitting of residential and commercial real estate for new green standards.

While much of the world has embraced alternative forms of energy, we're still playing catch-up in America.

The problem for homeowners has been figuring out how to implement technologies like solar, wind and geothermal. You can't exactly just call around for quotes. That's where the power of the Internet comes in.

Sungevity.com allows you to enter your street address and get a guaranteed quote on installation of a home solar system. The assessment is done by satellite mapping, so no visit to your home is required. However, this service is only available in select areas of the country.

There are now newly revised federal tax credits in place through 2016 to help defray 30 percent of the cost of installing solar panels at your home. The old cap on that tax credit is now gone. That alone should be a real boon to solar energy adoption.

I'm exploring the idea of solar panels at my home. I love the tax incentive, plus the long-term incentive of reducing what I pay to heat hot water.
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So I'm predicting that this could be another employment opportunity for that hard-hit segment of jobless hard hats.

Remember, when one door closes in the employment world, you've got to find an open window -- just make sure it's an energy-efficient window!

Information about how you can install your very own solar panels.
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California Wildfire Doubles in Size

Hot, dry conditions feed California wildfire

Hot, dry weather worked against Southern California firefighters early Thursday as they battled a quickly expanding fire in the rugged terrain of Ventura County.

The blaze had consumed more than 16,000 acres, fire officials said late Wednesday.

The Guiberson fire, named after the road near where it started, had nearly doubled in 24 hours, according to the Ventura County Fire Department. Despite the fire's growth, teams were making progress, gaining about 40 percent containment -- up from 20 percent half a day earlier.

Investigators determined Wednesday that the blaze originated in a mulch pile and were trying to figure out how it started.

Arson is one possible cause of the fire, which is burning in the largely farming and ranching area near Los Angeles, Robert Lewin of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or CalFire, told reporters.

He said fire officials hoped to contain the fire by Saturday. Nearly 1,000 firefighters joined the lines Wednesday, bringing their total to 1,831. Four firefighters had suffered minor smoke- and heat-related injuries.

Lewin urged residents to leave their homes if asked to do so.

"Don't make it hard on the firefighters and law enforcement folks who are out there to protect the citizens," he said. "It's dangerous for us."

The fire began Tuesday morning between the towns of Moorpark and Fillmore, and flames were lapping at the northern edge of Moorpark on Wednesday, fire spokesmen said. Authorities ordered residents to evacuate the area between the two towns.

The fire was growing on its west edge, including the southwest area where Moorpark College is located, Lewin said.

The public community college in the foothills between Moorpark and Simi Valley called off classes Wednesday. The school was scheduled to reopen Thursday, its Web site said early in the morning. But that depended on the fire.

The blaze northwest of Los Angeles threatened 1,000 mostly ranch homes and 20 commercial properties, in addition to more rural areas to the west, county fire officials said late Wednesday. Included in that count were 500 to 600 homes in the Bardsdale and Meridian Hills communities. The town of Somis, south of Moorpark, also was threatened.
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The weather has been hot and dry in Southern California, hampering firefighters. Thursday's forecast had a high temperature around 90, with 30 percent humidity.

Authorities estimate that the fire has cost $2.9 million to battle so far.
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Starbucks Unveils Its First iPhone Apps

Starbucks Unveils Its First iPhone Apps
By Andrew LaVallee

Starbucks is launching a store-finding and menu-information application for the iPhone, and is testing a second app that will let customers use the phone as their Starbucks card. The two apps are the coffee chain’s first for the iPhone and iPod touch. It has previously offered mobile services, such as the ability to send a text message to locate a nearby store, and has worked with Apple to make in-store songs available through iTunes.

The apps resulted from customer feedback it received via social-networking sites and My Starbucks Idea, the online community it launched last year, said Stephen Gillett, its chief information officer. “We think it’s really talking to our customers in new ways.”

Starbucks will be competing with several unofficial iPhone apps, such as iApp’s Find a Starbucks Coffee, Snow Storm’s Expresso Pro and ourLivez’s Sbux Card, and tech blogs have pitched concepts of what a Starbucks iPhone app might look like for a while now.

The first app, myStarbucks, lets customers locate stores and bookmark favorite locations. They can search by additional information, such as hours and amenities, to find, for example, a nearby one that’s open and has a drive-thru window. It also includes a menu and nutritional information for Starbucks’s drinks, food and coffee beans, and a “drink builder” that displays nutritional information based on the selections.

The second app is being tested in 16 stores in Seattle and the Bay Area — due to the high usage rates of both Starbucks cards and Apple products in those regions, a Starbucks spokeswoman said. It lets users check their card balance and transfer more money to it. It also displays a scannable bar code on the cellphone screen, allowing it to be used to pay for purchases, like a Starbucks card, at those stores.

Starbucks will gauge customer feedback during the trial and then decide whether to extend it to other markets, Mr. Gillett said. Both apps are free and don’t contain ads, and there are no plans to charge for them, he added.
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Green Buildings: Affordable, Eco-friendly Modular Homes

Green Buildings: Affordable, Eco-friendly Modular Homes
By Robyn Griggs Lawrence

In the midst of all the gloom, we’re happy to report some good news. Clayton Homes, a subsidiary of Warren Buffet’s Berkshire Hathaway, has announced its line of green modular homes. These 750-square-foot eco homes, dubbed “i-houses,” can be purchased online for less than $75,000.

The green buildings have enough eco-friendly features to achieve the platinum rating from the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program. To achieve LEED certification, homes must incorporate a design that saves energy and water, reduces carbon dioxide emissions, improves indoor environmental quality, and considers the impact of the materials used on natural resources. The platinum rating is LEED’s most prestigious award.

The i-houses include low-flow faucets, low-VOC materials, high-efficiency heat pumps, dual-flush toilets, roofs designed for rainwater harvesting, and insulated walls, roof and floors. Upgrades to bamboo flooring, Energy Star appliances and solar panels are also offered.

Despite the housing crunch, Clayton Homes is putting additional research and development into the i-houses, which CEO and president Kevin Clayton thinks will keep the project thriving.

Exact pricing is determined by several factors, including the model and features that are chosen. You can learn more at Clayton Homes online.
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Calculating Solar Power Potential with PV Watts

Calculating Solar Power Potential with PV Watts
By Megan Phelps

I like solar calculators, and this is an interesting one to explore.

The PV Watts1 calculator from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) is a simple solar calculator that can help you figure out how much electricity you can generate with a PV system at many locations around the world. (Disclaimer here.)

When you use the calculator, it gives you a measurement of solar radiation in kilowatt-hours per square meter, which is also known as peak sun hours. (Here’s a very detailed explanation of that concept from the U.S. Department of Energy.)

I used the calculator to compare peak sun hours and kWh of electricity generated for several different locations. You should know that I used all the default settings on the calculator, so the measurements below assume a 4 kilowatt PV system and a fixed tilt, south-facing PV array.

OK, here we go!

• According to this calculator, here in Topeka, Kan., we get an average of 4.95 peak sun hours per day. Over the course of a year that would add up to 5,238 kWh a year, which is worth $403.33 at local electricity prices.
• How about a sunnier location? Well, it looks like Albuquerque, N.M., has 6.48 peak sun hours per day, which produces 6,726 kWh a year for a value of $585.16 in electricity.
• Or, for less sun, we could look at the Northwest. Famously rainy Seattle, Wash., gets 3.76 peak sun hours a day for 3,879 kWh a year, and $248.26 worth of electricity.
• What about outside the United States? Stockholm, Sweden gets 2.98 peak sun hours a day, and generated 3102 kWh a year. Cairo, Egypt gets 5.66 peak sun hours, and generates 5727 kWh a year.

You can take a look at your location and see how it compares. There’s also a PV Watts 2 calculator, which is more complicated to use, but will allow you to select any location in the United States.

More information on how you can use and afford solar power
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It's Almost Time for the 2009 Solar Decathlon

It's Almost Time for the 2009 Solar Decathlon
By Anna Flin

On the morning of Oct. 1, 2009, 20 student teams from universities across the United States and around the world will crowd onto the lawn of the National Mall in Washington, D.C. They will work around the clock for seven days, compete in 10 contests, and, on the ninth day, guide curious tourists and locals through the results of an endeavor the students have been living for the past two years. It is the fourth, biyearly Solar Decathlon, hosted by the U.S. Department of Energy. Student teams apply and prepare at least two years in advance, meticulously constructing their solar-powered homes at their sponsoring universities, then disassembling them, transporting them to D.C. and reassembling them on the National Mall, where they will be judged in the following 10 categories:

• Architecture
• Market Viability
• Engineering
• Lighting Design
• Communications
• Comfort Zone
• Hot Water
• Appliances
• Home Entertainment
• Net Metering

In a recent webinar providing information about the upcoming event and requesting volunteers, Director Richard King shared his enthusiasm about the decathlon, and pointed out that the original motivation for the project was a need to integrate aesthetics with reliable technology. The DOE reached out to architectural universities to develop this possibility. The result is a temporary village consisting of beautiful, structurally sound, energy-efficient homes.

But the vision doesn’t dim when the houses are disassembled on Oct. 21. King noted that the buildings are always placed in a permanent location after the competition, with many being housed on their sponsoring campuses as educational facilities.

The University of Darmstadt, Germany took first place in 2007, with a deceptively box-like structure discovered to be enclosed with tri-fold, floor-to-ceiling doors. It was followed by the University of Maryland in second place, and Santa Clara University in third.

This year, eight teams will return from 2007 and one from 2005. They will be joined by 11 new teams. We’ll be keeping you updated as the teams reach D.C., begin assembly and are judged on the overall quality of their solar-powered homes.
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6 Friends Every Mom Needs (and how to keep 'em)

6 Friends Every Mom Needs (and how to keep 'em)
By Patricia Curtis

Not long ago, frustrated that my 3-month-old refused to sleep in his brand-new crib, I posted the following on Facebook: "Patty is wondering why Will hates his crib so very much."

Almost instantly, my friend Angela, who had a sleepless 2-month-old of her own at home, sent me several suggestions for getting him to sleep in his crib. One of them actually worked (for a night or two anyway).

A few sleep-deprived weeks later, my Facebook status read: "Patty is glad to be home after locking myself and Will out of the house with a dead cell phone."

This time, I got some advice from a friend whose son is about a year older than mine: Put a spare key in my diaper bag, as I was bound to lock myself out at least one more time. (Great advice. Maybe I'll actually remember to do that someday soon.)..............

Having these friends -- one who was going through the same stuff I was and one who had already been through it -- has been a lifesaver to me. I turn to the been-there, done-that gals for parenting advice, my fellow clueless new-mom peers when I need someone to commiserate with, and my pals without kids when I need a night out -- and, let's be real, a cocktail or two. Parenting: Why motherhood hijacks your brain (and why it's OK)

No matter how old our kids are, we moms need our confidantes. These six are lifesavers -- but before you freak out, thinking, "I don't even have six friends," don't worry: One woman might fill several roles, making you one lucky gal.

The mom in the same boat

Why you need her: She gets it.

Theresa Heroux of Vernon, New Jersey, mom of 4-year-old Julia, spends a lot of time with her friend Erin, who's also a single mom.

"When my married mom friends want to get together, they don't understand why I can't immediately agree. I have to find a babysitter," she says. "They just don't get it. But Erin does. We always have the kids with us when we get together, and even though it's hectic, it's more relaxed because we don't have to worry about finding, paying, and rushing home to relieve a sitter."

How to keep her: Whether the two of you are stay-at-home moms, working moms, or single moms, try to get some one-on-one time without the kids -- and make it fun, says Amy Kovarick, coauthor of "Baby on Board: Becoming a Mother Without Losing Yourself" and a mom of four.

Yes, you're busy with work, the kids, errands, the house, and other craziness, but the more time away from Chuck E. Cheese, the better. Make a date: You both deserve it -- and probably for the exact same reasons!

The no-kids pal

Why you need her: For adult conversation -- and so you can act like you're still cool.

"Mother is my favorite role, but not my only one," says Mary Moore of Austin, Texas, a stay-at-home mom and an author. "It's so hard to get together with other moms because someone's kid always has to nap or go to school or has some other commitment, and we can never easily agree on a time or place to meet," she says. "With my friends who don't have kids yet, that's not an issue."

Another plus: "They're still into the latest restaurants, fashion, and gossip," says Moore. "There are a lot of moms who just say 'Forget it, I'm too crazed,' but that's not me." Parenting: Take a break! Easy ways to pamper yourself

And perhaps best of all, she adds, "They're a respite from all the mom chatter -- like, say, discussing at length the local preschools years before we need to. My single or non-mom friends are testament that there is life outside of 'cookies versus cupcakes.'"

How to keep her: Put aside all the mommy stuff for an hour or two. Take time to find out what's new with her, and be honest with yourself about her reaction to your kid talk. She may eat up your cute stories -- or she may not be so fascinated by the embarrassing thing your 4-year-old said.

As Kovarick puts it, when talking about one of her single friends: "She likes my child and she likes to see him -- kind of like she likes to see my dog."

So when the two meet up, they go halfsies. "I send my son to the babysitter for an hour so we can go for a drink at a restaurant," she says, "then it's back to my house -- with my three-year-old running around." Compromise is key, even if your pal adores your kids.

The been-there, done-that mom

Why you need her: She gets you through your "I don't know what I'm supposed to do next" moments.

For Jen Matlack of Bethel, Connecticut, mom of 3-year-old Mae, this friend is Janet, whose kids are 22 and 20.

"If I have any concerns -- Mae not napping, Mae constipated, Mae not having playdates, or maybe my own parenting worries -- I always check in with Janet. She has offered me a lot of reassuring guidance," says Matlack. "And even though she's my older, wiser parenting friend, she's also a kid at heart, just like me, so when I'm around her, I get the best of both worlds: wisdom but also a wild side."

How to keep her: The good news is that she probably loves giving advice as much as you love getting it.

"Motherhood can seem like a thankless job, so it's great to be recognized and be able to share what you've learned," says Kovarick.

If you've asked for help, try to remember to call and tell her how well her ideas worked out. And even though you may not know yet what it's like to be in her shoes, you can still be a sounding board for her older-kid problems.

The I'll-do-anything-for-you buddy

Why you need her: She'll help you with your garage sale, drive the kids to soccer, and bring over lasagna when you're dealing with a crisis. For Erin Hart of Arlington, Virginia, her husband's best gal pal, Laurie, is this friend.

"When I was pregnant with my second child, we were in the process of redoing our closets, and my baby girl arrived a week early. Let's just say the bag I brought to the hospital was a grocery bag, with a nursing bra, underwear, a toothbrush, and a hairbrush. There wasn't much time."

The day after Erin's daughter Emerson was born, Laurie called a sitter to watch her own two boys, came over, and washed, folded, and organized all the baby's clothes. "It was incredible," says Hart. "She basically dropped everything to come to our rescue. And the first week we were home, she brought over a fully cooked meal. I'll never forget that."

How to keep her: Friendships don't come with vows, like marriages do, says Marla Paul, author of "The Friendship Crisis." It helps to remind your friends that you care.

"So many friendships fall apart because one friend feels neglected," says Paul.

So return the favor. Maybe you don't have the time to drop everything, as she always seems to, but make an effort. When she's going through a tough time (or even having a tough week), instead of cooking the family a homemade meal, as she might, drop off a pizza or a gift certificate for her favorite Chinese takeout.

The slightly glam girlfriend

Why you need her: For inspiration (it is possible to be a fashionable mom), advice (how does she get out the door looking so great?), and a wardrobe you can borrow.

My friend Mary fits neatly (of course) into this slot for me. Every photo she e-mails me of her and her daughter shows the two of them looking gorgeous, whether in their matching bikinis or out to dinner at a fancy restaurant I couldn't imagine going to with a kid.

How to keep her: You admire your friend's got-it-togetherness, so tell her, says Kovarick. She surely works hard at it and will appreciate the compliment. Watch out for your own jealousy or embarrassment, though.

Most of us feel that way sometimes, but if she's a real friend, she's not trying to make you feel bad about your relative lack of style or organization. She likes you for you -- though if you're still wearing mom jeans, maybe she can help you trade up.

The brutally honest pal

Why you need her: We all need to hear the truth sometimes. It can sting, true, even if you asked for your friend's opinion. But if she cares enough to tell you not just what you want to hear, then she's a keeper.

For many women, sisters play this role; for others, it's a longtime friend, or a particularly outspoken newer one. The trick is distinguishing between someone who's just bossy and someone who actually puts thought about you into her opinions. You'll know the difference (one clue: If she only ever criticizes your choices, she's not helping).

How to keep her: It may take a day or two for you to digest what she's told you, but once you have done so, call your friend and thank her for being honest -- even if you don't agree, says Kovarick.

We don't have to be exactly like our friends -- Twitter would be seriously boring if we were -- as long as we look out for each other, even while we're looking out for our kids.
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45,000 American Deaths Associated with Lack of Insurance

(CNN) -- A freelance cameraman's appendix ruptured and by the time he was admitted to surgery, it was too late. A self-employed mother of two is found dead in bed from undiagnosed heart disease. A 26-year-old aspiring fashion designer collapsed in her bathroom after feeling unusually fatigued for days.

What all three of these people have in common is that they experienced symptoms, but didn't seek care because they were uninsured and they worried about the hospital expense, according to their families. All three died.

Research released this week in the American Journal of Public Health estimates that 45,000 deaths per year in the United States are associated with the lack of health insurance. If a person is uninsured, "it means you're at mortal risk," said one of the authors, Dr. David Himmelstein, an associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School.

The researchers examined government health surveys from more than 9,000 people aged 17 to 64, taken from 1986-1994, and then followed up through 2000. They determined that the uninsured have a 40 percent higher risk of death than those with private health insurance as a result of being unable to obtain necessary medical care. The researchers then extrapolated the results to census data from 2005 and calculated there were 44,789 deaths associated with lack of health insurance.

For years, Paul Hannum didn't have health insurance while he worked as a freelance cameraman in southern California.

One Sunday, Hannum complained of a stomachache which alarmed his pregnant fiancée, Sarah Percy. "He wasn't a complainer," she said. "He's the type of guy who, if he got a cold, he'll power through it. I never had known him to complain about anything."

Hannum thought he had a stomach flu or food poisoning from bad chicken. On Monday, his brother saw him looking ashen and urged him to go to the hospital. "He had a little girl on the way," his older brother Curtis Hannum said. "He didn't want the added burden of an ER visit to hang on their finances. He thought 'I'll just wait,' and he got worse and worse."

By the time Hannum got to the hospital and was admitted to surgery, it was too late.

Paul Hannum, 45, died on Thursday, August 3, 2006, from a ruptured appendix. His daughter, Cameron was born two months later.

Other studies have indicated that the uninsured are at greater risk of mortality than the insured. A 2007 study from The American Cancer Society found that uninsured cancer patients are 1.6 percent more likely to die within five years of their diagnosis than those with private insurance. In 2002, the Institute of Medicine estimated that lack of health insurance.............. caused about 18,000 deaths every year.

The latest findings come amid the fierce debate over health care reform in the U.S.

Two authors of the Harvard study, Himmelstein and Dr. Steffie Woolhandler are co-founders of the Physicians for a National Health Program, which supports government-backed "single-payer" health coverage.

The National Center for Policy Analysis, which backs "free-market" health care reform, calls the Harvard research flawed.

"The findings in this research are based on faulty methodology and the death risk is significantly overstated," said John C. Goodman, the president of the NCPA in a statement. But Goodman did note there is "a genuine crisis of the uninsured in this country."

The lead author of the Harvard study, Dr. Andrew Wilper said he's confident in his and his colleagues' estimates. "It's consistent with the vast body of literature that has found reasonably similar findings," said Wilper, instructor in internal medicine at the University of Washington. "There's broad agreement in the health literature regarding this point."

Wilper said there is often fear from those, including his own grandmother, who don't feel well but avoid the hospital because it could mean financial catastrophe.

For 10 years, Sue Riek suffered from back pain, but couldn't afford medical care.

When a mid-life divorce left her single and without health insurance, Riek started a home-business selling make-up on eBay to support herself and her two daughters.

Riek, who lived in Charlotte, North Carolina, didn't qualify for Medicaid. And she couldn't afford a $5,000 monthly insurance premium, said her eldest daughter, Kaytee Riek.

"I don't know if she felt trapped, but it was a constant in her life -- struggling outside the health care system to exist," her daughter said.

Riek took comfort in her faith and regularly attended church. Then one Sunday, she didn't show up.

The next day, September 3, 2007, her daughter received the call telling her that her 51-year-old mother died from undiagnosed heart disease -- a condition treatable with lifestyle changes, medication and certain medical procedures.

"I feel incredibly strongly that she would still be alive if she had been able to regularly see a doctor," said her daughter.

It has become lethal to be uninsured, said Woolhandler, an associate professor of medicine at Harvard.

"If you can get good primary care for your high blood pressure, your high cholesterol, diabetes -- those don't have to be lethal conditions," she said. "If you fail to get good ongoing primary care, you may end up with complications and even death."

The ranks of the uninsured have grown, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. It says the number of Americans without health insurance rose to 46.3 million last year, up from 45.7 million in 2007. The percentage of the uninsured remained at 15.4 percent.

Young adults are more likely to be uninsured. Elizabeth Machol, 25, told her mother she felt tired. She had just moved into a new apartment in Santa Rosa, California, with her boyfriend and thought the fatigue was from the move and her cat Bert, who would keep her up at night.

Her mother, Marlena Machol told her to go to the doctor's office, but Machol was reluctant. Machol worked at a movie theater and didn't have health insurance. Her parents were still paying her medical bills from a previous condition and she was worried about the cost.

A few days after their phone conversation, Machol collapsed in the bathroom. She never regained consciousness.

One day after her 26th birthday, Machol was declared brain dead.

After signing papers to donate her organs, her parents kissed her face, held her hands and said goodbye to the daughter who had played the violin, organized her own fashion show and taught neighborhood kids how to swim. The coroner's office could not determine the cause of death.

Six years after her death on September 22, 2003, her family wonders if things would've been different had she not feared the cost of going to the hospital.

"Maybe they would've found out what's wrong," her mother said. "I don't know if that would've saved her, but it would've been a chance to. There are people like Elizabeth -- young people who are starting out in life and they don't have options."
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Man sought in 'horrific' slaying of wife, 5 kids

The bodies of Guerline Damas, 32; Michzach, 9; Marven, 6; Maven, 5; Megan, 3; and Morgan, 11 months, were discovered Saturday, Rambosk said.

Authorities have been unable to locate Mesac Damas, who possibly left the country Friday morning and may be in Haiti, Capt. Chris Roberts of the Collier County sheriff's department said Sunday at a news conference.

"We don't see at this point any indication of an individual out in the neighborhoods committing additional crimes or homicides, but certainly we will look at every opportunity," Collier County Sheriff Kevin Rambosk said at an earlier news conference.

There had been a "handful" of domestic disturbance calls to police since 2000 involving the Damas couple, with the latest resulting in the arrest of Mesac Damas in January, Roberts said. Mesac Damas pleaded no contest to the misdemeanor battery against Guerline Damas in June, and Roberts said he does not think Mesac Damas served any jail time for the crime.

"We are still talking to people that knew the family and obviously the ultimate information we need is not so much what happened in the past but what happened when these people died," Roberts said.

The six bodies were found Saturday at about 6:30 p.m., a day after police had visited the home to check on the family, Roberts said.

When a family member had not heard from a resident at the home, the family member asked authorities on Friday to do a welfare check on the house, Roberts said. Responding police knocked on the door but got no answer, he said, but officers saw no indications to arouse their suspicions.

The following morning, the family member became more concerned and filed a missing persons report, which authorities took, Rambosk said.

Later, authorities requested from property management a key to the house and an authorization to enter.

"When we did, we found the bodies of the individuals," he said.

"I can tell you that in no uncertain terms this is the most horrific and violent event this community has ever experienced. This is the worst of the worst."

He would not release the manner of death.

Rambosk said authorities had recovered Mesac Damas' vehicle at Miami International Airport, and they believe that he left on a flight to Haiti on Friday.

Roberts said collecting and processing evidence can take "several days, if not weeks."
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Colorado Home Searched in Terror Probe Linked to NYC Raids

AURORA, Colo. — Federal agents on Wednesday searched the home of a suburban Denver man identified by law enforcement as having a possible link to Al Qaeda, carting away several boxes of evidence.

The FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force went through the home of Najibullah Zazi, as well as the nearby residence of his aunt, Rabia Zazi, FBI special agent Kathleen Wright said Wednesday.

Zazi denies that he's a central figure in a terrorism investigation that fed fears of a possible bomb plot and led to several police raids in New York City on Monday.

Zazi, 24, was interviewed Wednesday at FBI headquarters in Denver but was not under arrest, according to his attorney, Arthur Folsom. Zazi provided authorities a DNA sample, a fingerprint, handwriting samples and information about his travel history, Folsom said.

"My client is not involved in any terror plot," Folsom declared. "He answered every question they had."

Zazi told the Denver Post after he returned to his home late Wednesday that he was too tired to speak to the media but that he would go back to the FBI on Thursday for more questioning.

James Davis, the special agent in charge of the FBI's Denver office, declined to comment, as did the U.S. Attorney's Office in Denver.

One agent wearing protective clothing escorted a dog belonging to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives into Zazi's apartment. FBI agents left Zazi's apartment with at least six boxes. One box was labeled "swabs," and others were marked "fragile" and "glass."

Agents also escorted three women and a man from the apartment. Two of the women covered their faces with headscarves, and the third used a canvas chair to shield her face. All were driven away in an SUV.

The searches came a day after two law enforcement officials told The Associated Press that a joint FBI-New York Police Department task force had put Zazi under surveillance because of suspected links to Al Qaeda.

The task force also feared Zazi may be involved in a potential plot involving homemade hydrogen peroxide-based explosives like those cited in an intelligence warning issued Monday, said the officials, who spoke on anonymity because they were not authorized to speak about the investigation.

After Zazi traveled to New York City over the weekend, FBI agents and police officers armed with search warrants seeking bomb materials searched three apartments and questioned residents in a predominantly Asian neighborhood in Queens.

Naiz Khan, an Afghan immigrant who grew up with Zazi in New York City, said the FBI questioned him for about two hours about Zazi, whom he said stayed at his apartment last week.

No arrests were announced, and the FBI and NYPD have refused to discuss the case.

New York Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly and FBI Director Robert Mueller said Wednesday there are no specific terrorist threats to the city.

"There are no guarantees. We live in a dangerous world," said Kelly, who called New York the world's best-protected city.

Monday's FBI and Homeland Security intelligence warning, issued to police departments nationwide, listed clues that could tip off police to peroxide-based bombs, such as people with burn marks on their hands, faces or arms; foul odors coming from a room or building; and large industrial fans or multiple window fans.

Colorado elected officials who said they've been briefed on the investigation have said there is no imminent threat.

Zazi's apartment building is very close to a toll road that runs to Denver International Airport, where he picks up and drops off passengers as a driver for ABC Airport Shuttle.

Denver city records show that when Zazi applied for a limousine driver license on Feb. 3, he said he had a permanent residence green card and had been in Denver one month. A limousine license was granted April 15, indicating Zazi passed a Colorado Bureau of Investigation background check and a driving record check.

On Tuesday, Folsom said Zazi contacted him immediately after hearing that friends' homes in New York had been raided.

The lawyer said Zazi drove to New York in a rented car to take care of a problem with the location of a coffee cart that he co-owns with a friend, and to visit friends.

Zazi said he was stopped by police on Sept. 10 on the George Washington Bridge, which connects New Jersey to Manhattan, and that he consented to a random search of his vehicle for drugs. He was allowed to leave.

In New York, Folsom said, Zazi's car was towed because of a parking violation. Police searched both the car and a laptop inside, Folsom said.

"They found nothing, didn't ask him any more questions and sent him on his way," Folsom said. "If they had found anything, he would be in the company of the federal officials in New York."

Zazi's aunt said Tuesday that her nephew recently visited the Peshawar region of Pakistan — where she said his wife lives. Zazi hopes to bring his wife to the United States, the aunt said.

Folsom said Zazi was born in a small town in Afghanistan, moved to Pakistan at age 7 and moved to the United States in 1999. Zazi's aunt said he then lived in Queens until he moved to Colorado several months ago.
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Obama scrapping missile shield for Czech, Poland

PRAGUE – President Barack Obama has decided to scrap plans for a U.S. missile defense shield in the Czech Republic and Poland that had deeply angered Russia, the Czech prime minister confirmed Thursday.

NATO's new chief hailed the move as "a positive step" and a Russian analyst said Obama's decision will increase the chances that Russia will cooperate more closely with the United States in the dispute over Iran's nuclear program.

Premier Jan Fischer told reporters that Obama phoned him overnight to say that "his government is pulling out of plans to build a missile defense radar on Czech territory."

"The same happened with Poland. Poland was informed in the same way about this intention," Fischer said.

He said Obama assured him that the "strategic cooperation" between the Czech Republic and the U.S. would continue, and that Washington considers the Czechs among its closest allies.

In Poland, officials declined to confirm Fischer's remarks, saying they were waiting for a formal announcement from Washington.

The plan, proposed by the Bush administration, aimed to defend the United States and its European allies against a possible missile attack from Iran or elsewhere in the Middle East. In all, 10 interceptor rockets were to have been stationed in Poland and a radar system based in the Czech Republic.

But Russia was livid over the prospect of having U.S. interceptor rockets in countries so close to its territory, and the Obama administration has sought to improve strained ties with the Kremlin.

"The U.S. president's decision is a well-thought (out) and systematic one," said Konstantin Kosachev, head of the foreign affairs committee in the State Duma, the lower house of the Russian parliament. "It reflects understanding that any security measure can't be built entirely on the basis of one nation."

"Now we can talk about restoration of (the) strategic partnership between Russia and the United States," Kosachev added.

Alexei Arbatov, head of the Russian Academy of Science's Center for International Security, told a Moscow radio station on Thursday that the U.S. was giving in on missile defense to get more cooperation from Russia on Iran.

"The United States is reckoning that by rejecting the missile-defense system or putting it off to the far future, Russia will be inclined together with the United States to take a harder line on sanctions against Iran," he said.

Czechs and Poles, along with some other Eastern Europeans, have complained of what many perceive as neglect by the Obama administration.

That, in turn, has prompted a U.S. diplomatic effort to reassure the countries that America — which helped liberate them from decades of communist-era isolation and helped bring them into NATO — still values them as friends and partners.

Fischer said after a review of the missile defense system, the U.S. now considers the threat of an attack using short- and mid-range missiles greater than one using long-range rockets.

"That's what the Americans assessed as the most serious threat," and Obama's decision was based on that, he said.

Obama took office undecided about the European system and said he would study it. His administration never sounded enthusiastic about it, and European allies have been preparing for an announcement that the White House would not complete the shield as designed.

Obama himself had hinted that the U.S. was rethinking the plan. In a major foreign policy speech in April in Prague, he said Washington would proceed with developing the system as long as Iran posed a threat to U.S. and European security.

But a top military leader, Marine Gen. James Cartwright, recently suggested that the U.S. may have underestimated how long it would take Iran to develop long-range missiles.

The Czech government had stood behind the planned radar system despite fierce opposition from the public, which staged numerous protests.

Critics feared the Czech Republic would be targeted by terrorists if it agreed to host the radar system, which was planned for the Brdy military installation 90 kilometers (55 miles) southwest of Prague, the capital.

In Washington, Defense Secretary Robert Gates scheduled a news conference Thursday with Cartwright, the point man on the technical challenge of arraying missiles and interceptors to defend against long-range missiles.

The decision to scrap the plan will have future consequences for U.S. relations with eastern Europe.

"If the administration approaches us in the future with any request, I would be strongly against it," said Jan Vidim, a lawmaker with Czech Republic's conservative Civic Democratic Party, which supported the missile defense plan.
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