Ksl

Gene Kennedy Reporting The FBI has put a wanted Salt Lake City bank robber on its national website. The bureau recently filed two federal charges against 43-year-old Robert Preece. The FBI says Preece robbed the First Utah Bank in Holladay just 10 days ago and they're certain he'll strike again. When he does, the public could be in real danger. So, the bureau is using every resource in its arsenal to catch this man, including the FBI home page. "Preece exhibits some of the classical traits on the escalating violence spectrum," FBI Supervising Agent Rick Rassmussen said. In September, the FBI says Preece robbed First Utah Bank on 3900 South using a knife. Then hit the same bank 10 days ago, but the weapon of choice was a gun. The FBI thinks he could go so far as taking a hostage the next time around. "He poses a real clear and present danger to our community as a whole," Rassmussen said. Because of this, police are warning the public to steer clear of him. "We would advise the public if they do see him, or know where he might be, to please call 911 immediately. Let police handle the situation, do not try to apprehend him or confront him because of the fact that he is armed and dangerous," explained Kenneth Porter, assistant special agent for the FBI. In September, Preece robbed a Quiznos in West Valley City. After the holdup he allegedly carjacked a vehicle and led police on a chase that ended in a crash. Officers arrested him, but he was accidentally let out of jail because the district attorney's office failed to file charges in time. Since he's been on the run, the FBI has developed information that Preece has semiautomatic weapons and wants to die by "suicide-by-cop." "Clearly we have information that he doesn't want to be taken, and rightfully so. He's spent a good deal of his life behind bars and those guys get desperate," Rassmussen said. The U.S. Marshals Service thinks Preece is in California. The FBI thinks he's somewhere along the Wasatch Front. The two agencies are communicating, pursuing multiple angles to get Preece back behind bars no matter which John Hollenhorst Reporting In August, we all learned about the heroism of those who go underground to rescue their fellow miners. Three rescuers died trying to save six men trapped in the Crandall Canyon mine. Now, proposed new rules for rescuers are stirring some opposition. The new rules are meant to upgrade mine rescue teams, but the rescuers themselves have concerns being aired out in hearings today by the Mine Safety & Health Administration(MSHA). The proposed rules probably would not have made a difference at Crandall Canyon. They set out new national standards for rescue teams. Some of it is noncontroversial: new rules on oxygen bottles and gas detection equipment that the rescuers would carry underground. None of that was an issue at Crandall Canyon. New training requirements, though, ran into complaints from mine owners and rescuers who say the rules need to be more flexible. The biggest opposition at the hearing is to a rule that a rescue team should be close enough to every coal mine to respond in one hour. "The one hour travel time requirement is a tremendously burdensome situation for mines in the West, such as this state, and at many times would be completely unfeasible," explained David Litvin of the Utah Mining Association. One of the proposed rules is that rescuers participate in two rescue contests each year. Rescuers KSL News talked to say contests eat up a lot of time better spent on different types of training. Everyone agreed that rescuers are heroic, even noble, in the words of the chairwoman. She said the goal of the new rules is to make them as effective as possible when they risk their lives to help others. By TALI ARBEL and JACKIE FARWELL

AP Business Writers (AP) - UNEXPECTED JOLTS OF JAVA: A morning cup of joe is a workday given, with 57 percent of adult Americans drinking at least one cup every day, according to the National Coffee Association. But when craving coffee's warmth, smell and taste without jittery hands at the keyboard, decaf _ one might think _ is an acceptable alternative. Still feeling that buzz? Caffeine-phobes, beware: A recent Consumer Reports unscientific experiment near its headquarters in Yonkers, N.Y., found that while most of the local coffee-serving chains' decaffeinated offerings were practically caffeine-free, others racked up significant amounts of the stimulant. One Dunkin' Donuts outlet's small cup of decaffeinated coffee delivered 32 milligrams of the energizer. That means two small servings had almost as much caffeine as a normal cup of coffee, which usually has 100 milligrams, according to Consumer Reports. McDonald's, on the other had, did best at keeping decaf caffeine-light, at under 5 milligrams per small-sized cup. The United States Department of Agriculture lists a 12-ounce serving of decaf as having 4 milligrams of caffeine. The experiment, included in the November 2007 issue of Consumer Reports, tested six 10- or 12-ounce cups of decaf coffee each from Yonkers locations of six popular national chains. BEAT THE PLAYGROUND MENTALITY: For many, the modern workplace is another chance to relive the taunting and cruelty of middle school. The bullies may wear business casual now, but in a random phone survey of office workers, 29 percent of respondents said they still deal with rude or unprofessional co-worker behavior. Different troublemakers require individualized coping mechanisms, but directness, confidence and flexibility are essential in any confrontation, said Diane Domeyer, executive director of staffing company OfficeTeam, which conducted the survey. "Recognize that it's not going to change overnight," she said. "Learn to adapt." Meanwhile, avoid chatting with the office gossip lest his reputation damage your standing with colleagues. Defuse a belittler's invective by confidently asserting your position. Don't be afraid to tell her or a supervisor your feelings. "Stand up and be brave," said Domeyer. "If you find over and over again that it's starting to affect your morale and productivity, that will affect your career." OfficeTeam and research company International Communications Research interviewed 532 randomly selected full- or part-time adult office-dwellers in an unscientific August phone survey. VACATION PREPARATION: For anyone planning to squeeze in a vacation before the end of the year, preparation can be the key to a relaxing break _ but that means more than just buying a new swimsuit. Prepping for your departure can spell the difference between a restorative respite and a harried holiday, according to organizing and time management expert Julie Morgenstern. She offers the following tips for unplugging from the office: _Let co-workers know a few weeks ahead of time that you'll be away, and ask if there's any tasks that need to be completed before you leave. That allows your colleagues to gear up for your departure while preventing last-minute projects from getting dumped in your lap. _Visit a resort or stay at a hotel chain you have had enjoyed in the past. If you have only a week or two to unwind, you want to avoid unexpected complications, Morgenstern said. _Consider breaking up your vacation days into several long weekends, rather than a two-week break once a year. You should be able to arrange for full coverage of your duties, which allows you to handle work only in case of an emergency. Plus, returning to the job will be easier without the loss of momentum that often follows a longer vacation. "You can keep your finger on the pulse of things," Morgenstern said.

(Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.) ROME (AP) - Robert Redford hopes his new film, "Lions for Lambs," about U.S. military action in Afghanistan will encourage American youth to "take command of their voice." In the United States, "we have lost lives, we have lost sacred freedoms, we have lost financial stability, we have lost our position of respect on the world stage," the Oscar-winning filmmaker told a news conference Tuesday. "I can only speak for my own country, I cannot speak for other countries _ but I assume it is similar in some countries," Redford, 70, said. "But the future is going to belong to young people and young people have to take command of their voice." "Lions for Lambs," which follows six individuals over the course of an hour, is being shown out of competition at the Rome Film Festival. In the movie, directed and starring Redford, two U.S. soldiers from the military's Special Forces are on a mountain ridge in Afghanistan. Meryl Streep plays a hardbitten journalist who discusses the operation and U.S. government policy with a prominent U.S. senator, played by Tom Cruise. Redford is an aging, idealistic professor who meets with a bright, cynical student. The war on terrorism saga also explores the issue of media freedom versus political power as Streep's character engages in edgy intellectual parrying with Cruise's senator. Cruise said the movie "really ignited a huge flame and a lot of dialogue" at screenings at U.S. colleges, "which is what I think is what this kind of film should do." "Are (American youth) going to become politically active or are they going to move away from it because they are disgusted, they are disillusioned and they don't respect it because there is no morality in leadership so therefore they just move away to other things," Redford said. "If that happens we may have a continuation of what we have had." "Lions for Lambs" will be in U.S. theaters Nov. 9. ___ On the Net: "Lions for Lambs": http://www.lionsforlambsmovie.com/ (Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.) AP) - Rankings for the top 15 programs on cable networks as compiled by Nielsen Media Research for the week of Oct. 15-21. Day and start time (EDT) are in parentheses. 1. NFL Football: Giants vs. Falcons (Monday, 8:30 p.m.), ESPN, 6.45 million homes, 8.48 million viewers. 2. "Hannah Montana" (Friday, 8 p.m.), Disney, 3.84 million homes, 5.35 million viewers. 3. "Law & Order: Criminal Intent" (original), (Thursday, 10 p.m.), USA, 3.65 million homes, 4.54 million viewers. 4. College Football: Auburn vs. LSU (Saturday, 9:03 p.m.), ESPN, 3.61 million homes, 5.07 million viewers. 5. Movie: "Wizards of Waverly Place" (Friday, 8:30 p.m.), Disney, 3.45 million homes, 4.81 million viewers. 6. College Football: South Florida vs. Rutgers (Thursday, 7:30 p.m.), ESPN, 3.27 million homes, 4.20 million viewers. 7. "WWE Raw" (Monday, 10 p.m.), USA, 3.26 million homes, 4.99 million viewers. 8. "Hannah Montana" (Friday, 7 p.m.), Disney, 3.22 million homes, 4.30 million viewers. 9. "Hannah Montana" (Friday, 7:30 p.m.), Disney, 3.17 million homes, 4.34 million viewers. 10. "WWE Raw" (Monday, 9 p.m.), USA, 3.06 million homes, 4.67 million viewers.

11. "SpongeBob SquarePants" (Sunday, 9:30 a.m.), Nickelodeon, 2.88 million homes, 3.93 million viewers. 12. MLB NLCS: Diamondbacks vs. Rockies, Game 4 (Monday, 10:13 p.m.), TBS, 2.85 million homes, 3.80 million viewers. 13. "Back at the Barnyard" (Sunday, 10 a.m.), Nickelodeon, 2.81 million homes, 3.95 million viewers. 14. Movie: "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" (Friday, 9 p.m.), Disney, 2.80 million homes, 4.14 million viewers. 15. "Hannah Montana" (Friday, 6:30 p.m.), Disney, 2.76 million homes, 3.54 million viewers. ___ ESPN and Disney Channel are owned by The Walt Disney Co. TBS is owned by Time Warner Inc. Nickelodeon is owned by Viacom Inc. USA is owned by General Electric Co.'s NBC Universal. ___ On the Net: Nielsen Media Research: http://www.nielsenmedia.com (AP) - Prime-Time viewership numbers compiled by Nielsen Media Research for Oct. 15-21. Listings include the week's ranking, with viewership for the week and season-to-date rankings in parentheses. An "X" in parentheses denotes a one-timeonly presentation. 1. (1) "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation," CBS, 21.22 million viewers. 2. (2) "Dancing with the Stars" (Monday), ABC, 19.40 million viewers. 3. (X) MLB ALCS Game 7 (Cleveland at Boston), Fox, 19.15 million viewers. 4. (4) "Desperate Housewives," ABC, 18.21 million viewers. 5. (3) "Grey's Anatomy," ABC, 18.04 million viewers. 6. (6) "NCIS," CBS, 17.55 million viewers. 7. (6) "Dancing with the Stars" (Tuesday), ABC, 17.30 million viewers. 8. (9) "CSI: Miami," CBS, 15.59 million viewers. 9. (11) "Criminal Minds," CBS, 15.03 million viewers. 10. (13) "Samantha Who?," ABC, 14.42 million viewers. 11. (12) "Survivor: China," CBS, 14.03 million viewers. 12. (14) "CSI: NY," CBS, 13.99 million viewers. 13. (18) "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition," ABC, 13.73 million viewers. 14. (14) "Two And a Half Men," CBS, 13.69 million viewers. 15. (X) MLB ALCS Game 7-Pre-game, Fox, 13.32 million viewers. 16. (8) "NBC Sunday Night Football" (Pittsburgh at Denver), NBC, 13.29 million viewers. 17. (X) MLB ALCS Game 5 (Boston at Cleveland), Fox, 13.10 million viewers. 18. (31) "The OT," Fox, 12.64 million viewers. 19. (21) "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit," NBC, 12.51 million viewers. 20. (28) "Deal Or No Deal" (Wednesday), NBC, 12.41 million viewers. ___ ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Co. CBS is a division of CBS Corp. Fox is a unit of News Corp. NBC is owned by General Electric Co. By FRAZIER MOORE AP Television Writer NEW YORK (AP) - Mission accomplished! So far, anyhow. Fox Business Network, which signed on last week, has swiftly gotten down to business with a wide-angle vision of business as more than just playing the market. It's also the checkbook in your purse, the price tags in the stores, your dreams of a better job or paying off your plastic. Just as vital to the mission, Fox Business has made a good start in promoting optimism. On its first morning, a glowing anchorwoman noted that on the same date _ October 15 _ back in 1951, a TV institution was born: "I Love Lucy." Good call. Fox's new institution-in-the-making could aptly be nicknamed "I Love Business." This is in shrewd contrast to CNBC, the long-dominant financial network and now

Fox's archrival. At CNBC it's not about love, but money. CNBC has always opted for an Alpha Male (or Female) style, a jackets-off, boilerroom image of urgency (even with the jackets on). On Fox Business, the style is more that of a chummy, overeager Eyewitness News team. Many from this friendly family already are known to viewers, including Fox News vets Neil Cavuto, David Asman and Dagen McDowell. There's also former CNBC star Liz Claman, who last Thursday spent a pleasant hour with folksy uber-investor Warren Buffett in a chat that insistently was touted as newsbreaking. And there's NBC's "Today" alumna Alexis Glick who, on the first day, began with a bang from Times Square interviewing a man who does business as the Naked Cowboy. Accessorized only with boots, hat, tighty-whiteys and guitar, he boasted that by Christmas he expected "over one billion dollars accrued." Glick gamely tried on his cowboy hat. Fox Business also has legitimate reports, as well as analysts and numbers. But nothing too intense. It's easy-listening TV. (Also easy on the eyes: Its women manifest a certain high-gloss look its competition wouldn't dare.) At one point, Fox Business co-anchors showcased an inexpensive gadget that lets you use your phone to make free calls through your computer, while, over on CNBC, the topic at hand was: When, and how, do you fire a CEO? A CNBC anchor pelted a financial expert with wonkish questions about interest rates while Fox Business had a lifestyles-of-the-rich-and-famous interlude with power ties: A fashion expert invited anchor Peter Barnes to swap his red necktie for a blue one that sells for $1,150. Barnes couldn't resist modeling it. Monday, both networks had plenty to say about Apple's huge quarterly profit. But Fox Business couldn't say enough, with correspondent Jenna Lee even posted outside Apple's Fifth Avenue store, where she cooed about the product line and interviewed satisfied customers. But why NOT go crazy? Since everybody has an iPod and thinks Apple is cool, viewer interest in the company reaches far beyond people who will ever own its stock. Bottom line difference between the two networks: CNBC transports you, the ordinary viewer, into the business world, while Fox Business, as it promised from the start, brings the business world to you on your couch somewhere off Main Street. It also does its best to reassure you that business is good (in all senses of the phrase). With that in mind, Fox News boss Roger Ailes was baiting the competition months ago. Last February, he told The New York Times he had often seen things on CNBC "where they are not as friendly to corporations and profits as they should be." As for Team Fox, he added, "We don't get up every morning thinking business is bad." Probably not. But Ailes has made a policy of acting as if he thinks his business _ the news business _ is bad enough. Bad, that is, with the notable exception of his staked-out corner of the media universe, where a handful of righteous players (like newborn Fox Business as well as his bruising Fox News Channel) hold forth against what they decry as the liberal media elite. No less than when Fox News Channel challenged CNN on Oct. 15, 1996, Fox Business reflects a branding strategy straight from the well-thumbed Ailes playbook. Fox Business spent much of last Friday observing the anniversary of 1987's "Black Monday" market crash with recaps, analysis and where-were-you-then recollections. The moral of the story, as framed by the network: Things turned out all right, didn't they? Thank goodness Fox Business is here now to keep spreading the good word. Most media outlets are all too focused on "biz-blasting," as Asman termed it during his interview with a guest who duly echoed the Fox Business gospel. Dan Gainor, director of the Business & Media Institute, came packing research he said proved most media coverage slams the business world. Item: During the market explosion the past few years, the media, instead of "crowing about it," dwelled on

"downbeat news." Already a viewer can sense this won't be a problem on Fox Business. Here the glass of capitalism is apt to be reassuringly half-full, if not overflowing. Free enterprise won't be blasted by Fox Business, which is busy running interference for it. And encouraging the audience not to get rich, necessarily, but to believe. ___ On the Net: http://www.foxbusiness.com __ EDITOR'S NOTE _ Frazier Moore is a national television columnist for The Associated Press. He can be reached at fmoore(at)ap.org (Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.) College Costs Rise Again, Report Says (AP) The price of college again rose faster than the inflation rate this year, climbing 6.6 percent at four-year public schools and outstripping increases in the financial aid that lowers what most students actually pay. The latest increases, reported Monday by the College Board, bring the average list price of four-year public universities to $6,185 this year, up $381 from 20062007. At four-year private colleges, tuition and fees rose 6.3 percent to $23,712. Public two-year colleges �� which educate about half of American college students �� again got the best marks for keeping a lid on price increases. Their average price rose 4.2 percent to $2,361. Accounting for aid, their average net cost is only $320 per year. "For too long, parents have grimaced and borne the high price of college because they presumed that a higher education is key to their child's success in today's economy," said James Boyle, president of the group College Parents of America, in a statement on the report. "Surely, the day will come �� soon �� when parents say enough is enough." The published price is not the real price for many students, thanks to financial aid, but the net price is rising too. On average, accounting for grants and tax breaks, the net price for full-time students at four-year public universities this year is $2,580. That's about $160 more than last year. At private colleges, net cost this year averages $14,400 �� up $638 from a year ago. To make up the difference, students typically borrow as much as allowed from the federal government, but then turn to private student loans. A decade ago, nonfederal loans accounted for about 6 percent of student aid, but last year they were 24 percent. The rate of growth in private borrowing slowed last year. But that was at least partly because of new rules allowing graduates students to take out PLUS loans from the federal government, reducing their need for private loans. For undergraduates, private borrowing still rose 12 percent to $14.5 billion. Including room and board for students living on campus, charges for public fouryear colleges were $13,589, or 5.9 percent higher than last year. At private fouryear schools, average total charges come to $32,307. George Washington University in Washington, D.C. recently attracted attention for becoming the first major university with a published price, including room and

board, of more than $50,000. However, the percentage of college-goers who pay such large sums is fairly small. Fewer than 10 percent of students even attend colleges with tuition and fees higher than $30,000, according to the College Board, and many of those students receive financial aid. About 56 percent of students at four-year colleges attend schools listing a price under $10,000, and about one-third attend schools charging under $6,000. The College Board's report does not try to explain why prices keep going up, though Sandy Baum, an economist with the group and at Skidmore College, points out that because of rising demand for higher education, more state appropriations have not translated into more money spent on each student. The report comes as Congress is in the early stages of considering a proposal that could require some colleges with large endowments to spend more of their savings to keep tuition down. Colleges call the idea misguided and say it wouldn't solve the underlying economic issues explaining the price increases. For the first time, the College Board report includes the rapidly growing sector of for-profit education, which now caters to about 8 percent of students. Their average prices are also rising rapidly �� to $12,089, up 6.2 percent from last year. Peter McPherson, president of the National Association of State Universities and Land Grant Colleges, issued a statement saying that "leaders of America's public research universities continue to be concerned about the impact that the cost of attending colleges has on students and their families." But, he said, the average net price of $2,600 at four-year schools remains "excellent value." That contention is supported in a recent paper by Mark Kantrowitz, publisher of the financial aid Web site finaid.org. He tried to estimate how much a four-year college degree would have to cost before it would no longer be a good investment, given the $1.2 million increase in expected lifetime earnings that comes with a bachelor's degree. His answer: about $520,000 �� or $130,000 a year. (? 2007 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved Air Traffic Controller Retirements Surge Union Warns Overworked Controllers May Pose Safety Risk WASHINGTON (AP) �D Retirements of veteran air traffic controllers have surged beyond government expectations since the Bush administration imposed a contract on their union on Labor Day last year, new data shows. While air travelers experience record delays, the Federal Aviation Administration regularly proclaims all is well with its work force. But the National Air Traffic Controllers Association equally often warns that controllers are overworked in major centers it considers undermanned and could pose a safety risk. One thing is certain: A veteran force of controllers -- most hired in the early 1980s after President Reagan fired 11,000 members of a predecessor controllers union -- is being replaced by lower-paid, less experienced young controllers. That long-expected transformation is occurring faster than the government anticipated. The Associated Press learned that the bonus of 25 percent of one year's pay retirement two years. FAA spokeswoman drafted in August and since rejected,

FAA recently considered offering a cash to top-rated veteran controllers who delay Laura Brown denied that the proposal, was spawned by any difficulty staffing

control centers. "It didn't fit our needs right now because hiring is going so well," she said. "In the future, some retention proposal could come up again." The controllers, on the other hand, "believe the situation is quickly spinning out of control," union president Patrick Forrey told a news conference Monday. "New controllers need years of seasoning to move traffic as quickly as veteran controllers," he said, adding that the way to retain veterans would be to pass a House bill that would force the FAA to reopen negotiations on a contract. The administration opposes that step. Later, acting Federal Aviation Administrator Bobby Sturgell told a separate news conference that "the system is staffed and staffed well." He acknowledged that "a couple facilities" were moving slower with on-the-job training of new hirees than the agency wanted, but added "all the safety data shows the system is safe." A total of 828 controllers retired in the 12 months that ended Sept. 30, the FAA said late Friday. That's 28.8 percent more than the 643 retirements the agency predicted at the beginning of fiscal 2007, though it upped its estimate twice during the year, to 700 and then 800. The union said it found another 24 who confirmed their retirements before Sept. 30 but have not yet shown up in agency retirement records. Union spokesman Doug Church added that only 16 of all the year's retirees had reached 56, the mandatory retirement age. In addition, during September 2006 -- the month before fiscal 2007 -- 97 controllers retired, compared with the 39 the FAA predicted, according to the Transportation Department inspector general, who said the jump "was a result of the breakdown in contract talks." That month began with the FAA ending an impasse in negotiations by imposing a contract with new work rules, including staffing cuts and a dress code, and a 30 percent cut in the pay of starting controllers. The agency tossed out staffing levels negotiated in the 1998 contract, and targeted all 314 control facilities for staff cuts, ranging from 9 percent to 26 percent. "The surge in retirements just shows that the FAA's imposed work rules and pay system have exacerbated an already critical staffing issue," union president Forrey said. "Now we have controllers retiring with five and six years of eligible service left because they can't stand the environment any more, the Draconian work rules, six-day workweeks and forced overtime. They're concerned about making a big mistake due to the fatigue." Meantime, an unpublished survey of 24,000 commercial and private pilots by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration found the pilots reported at least twice as many bird strikes, airborne near-collisions and runway errors as other government monitoring systems show, according to a person familiar with the results who was not authorized to discuss them publicly. The survey completed in 2005 also revealed higher-than-expected numbers of pilots who experienced "inclose approach changes" potentially dangerous, last-minute instructions to alter landing plans. The FAA says it has long known fiscal 2007 would be the peak year for controllers hired in the early 1980s to become eligible for retirement. So it hired 1,815 new controllers during the year bringing the total to 18,874 now. The FAA said that total exceeded the year's target, but conceded it includes more than 3,000

controllers still in training who cannot handle all work stations at their facility. "We're getting a lot of enthusiastic recruits," said the FAA's Sturgell. "Controller hiring, training and staffing is a major priority and we are on track to meet future traffic needs." The FAA's Brown said estimating retirements is tricky, because controllers aren't forced to retire until 56 but are eligible at any age if they have 25 years service. She said the largest group retires once they have put in 25 years. Brown denied the work force transformation compromised safety and noted that fatal accident rates in both commercial and private aviation are at record lows. She said staffing needed to be revised to reflect airline bankruptcies, mergers and flight pattern changes after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. In addition to retirements, hundreds of veteran controllers were promoted to management jobs. Brown said she could not provide that number Friday, three weeks after fiscal year 2007 ended, because the agency was still manually calculating the year's promotions, resignations, firings and deaths. The union, however, said 365 controllers were promoted to management jobs. It said another 337 resigned, were fired or died, but all most all of those were resignations and firings among new hires. Except for experienced controllers hired from the military, most new controllers are trained six to eight months at the FAA academy in Oklahoma City, followed by on-the-job training that can last a couple months to three years before they are fully certified on all work stations at their facility. Brown said the controller totals include more than 3,000 developmental controllers still receiving on-the-job training. She said these are an integral part of the work force because they are qualified to work solo on some stations. But Church said the union's analysis of payroll data showed that about one-third of them had yet to qualify to work any station without a trainer supervising them. (? 2007 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.) Broadway Stagehands Give Union Authority To Strike NEW YORK (CBS) �D Broadway stagehands voted unanimously Sunday to give their union the authority to call a strike against theater producers��further increasing tension in their stalled labor negotiations. The vote does not mean there will be a strike��that would need the approval of the Local One's parent organization.?If there is a strike, it would be Broadway's first work stoppage since musicians walked off the job in 2003. The decision was made by approximately 1,000 union members, who also voted to add $1 million from the union's general fund to its $4.1 million emergency defense fund "specifically to aid other theatrical unions affected by a work stoppage," James J. Claffey Jr., Local One president, said Sunday. The union has been meeting since this summer with the League of American Theatres and Producers in an effort to reach an agreement. Earlier this month, the League presented what it said was its final offer and announced it would implement some portions of that offer on Monday. The two sides have not officially negotiated since then.

The producers have been seeking more flexibility in the number of stagehands hired as well as the number of hours they work. The union wants to preserve jobs. A strike would affect most but not all of the theaters on Broadway. This coming week, though, shows are scheduled to go on as usual. As a precaution, union members also approved a third motion, giving executive board the authority to call for a work stoppage over the implementation of new League work rules. "The membership says it will work under implemented rules because we have a public to think about and we have other unions to think about," Claffey said. "We'll see if the League of American Theatres and Producers invites us to come to the table and make a deal. We are trying to exhaust every single measure in trying to make a deal. That's our priority." "Today's strike authorization vote is a typical part of the bargaining process with Local One," said Charlotte St. Martin, the League's executive director. And time could be running out for meaningful negotiations. As Claffey put it: "No work in December without a deal. "We are giving them (the League) enough time to try to make a deal. It's not beneficial to the membership of Local One to go into December without a deal," he said. "We are prepared to bargain now." "As it has done twice during the two most recent negotiations, Local One has, once again, threatened to strike during the busy holiday season when the harm would be most severe," St. Martin countered. A walkout would not only hurt theatergoers, Martin said, but "hardworking waiters, cab drivers, hotel workers and others who rely on the industry to make a living, the city's economy, and most of all, the actors, musicians and other employees of Broadway." December leading up to Christmas and New Year's Eve is a lucrative time for Broadway��many shows sell out��and there will be increased pressure on the producers to resolve the negotiations before those popular holiday performances arrive. (? 2007 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report Vampires Sink Teeth Into Movie Audiences LOS ANGELES (AP) �D The horror tale "30 Days of Night" had three days of boxoffice bite. The Sony fright flick, with Josh Hartnett leading Alaskans against ravenous vampires that turn up for the prolonged winter darkness, debuted as the weekend's No. 1 movie with $16 million, according to studio estimates Sunday. Audiences continued to choose merriment over misery as the latest crop of sober Academy Awards hopefuls, among them Ben Affleck's "Gone Baby Gone," Reese Witherspoon and Jake Gyllenhaal's "Rendition" and Halle Berry and Benicio Del Toro's "Things We Lost in the Fire," debuted with so-so to dismal numbers. Whether it's the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, deadly news out of Pakistan and Myanmar or Friday's stock market tumble, moviegoers seem disinterested in more bad news at theaters with films about child-kidnapping, torture, widowhood and heroin addiction.

"Fall is the season of the serious movie, and it seems like audiences in a way are resisting the serious movie right now," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of boxoffice tracker Media By Numbers. "Audiences are finding their horror or their intensity in real life, and they're not looking for it in the movies." Other escapist fare joined "30 Days of Night" at the top of the box-office chart. "Tyler Perry's Why Did I Get Married?", the Lionsgate release that was the previous weekend's No. 1 flick, slipped to second place with $12.1 million, raising its total to $38.9 million. Disney's family comedy "The Game Plan" held up well at No. 3 with $8.1 million, lifting its four-week total to $69.2 million. Affleck made his directing debut with Miramax's "Gone Baby Gone," which debuted at No. 5 with $6 million. The critically acclaimed movie stars the filmmaker's brother, Casey Affleck, as a private detective trying to solve a young girl's abduction. Coming in on par with "Gone Baby Gone" was Fox Atomic's "The Comebacks," a lowbrow spoof of sports movies that opened at No. 6 with $5.85 million. New Line's "Rendition," starring Witherspoon and Gyllenhaal in the story of an Egyptian-born man detained and tortured under suspicion of terrorism, premiered at No. 9 with $4.2 million. The DreamWorks-Paramount release "Things We Lost in the Fire," with Berry as a widow who takes in her husband's drug-addicted best friend (Del Toro), opened far outside the top-10 with $1.6 million. Further proof that movie fans want fun over adversity: a 3-D version of Disney's Halloween perennial "Tim Burton's the Nightmare Before Christmas" was No. 8 with $5.1 million and had a better rate of return per-theater than any of the new wide releases. Playing in 564 cinemas, "Nightmare Before Christmas" averaged $9,122, compared to $5,604 in 2,855 locations for "30 Days of Night;" $3,503 in 1,713 sites for "Gone Baby Gone;" $1,856 in 2,250 theaters for "Rendition" and $1,405 in 1,142 cinemas for "Things We Lost in the Fire." "There's just so much serious fare. We have overloaded the marketplace with this highbrow, serious product," said Chris Aronson, senior vice president of distribution for 20th Century Fox. "The audience is saying, `Give me something to have some fun with.'" While fun movies ruled, the overall box office skidded for the fifth-straight weekend. The top-12 movies took in $79.7 million, down 10 percent from the same weekend last year. Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Media By Numbers LLC. Final figures will be released Monday. 1. "30 Days of Night," $16 million. 2. "Tyler Perry's Why Did I Get Married?", $12.1 million. 3. "The Game Plan," $8.1 million.

4. "Michael Clayton," $7.1 million. 5. "Gone Baby Gone," $6 million. 6. "The Comebacks," $5.85 million. 7. "We Own the Night," $5.5 million. 8. "Tim Burton's the Nightmare Before Christmas," $5.1 million. 9. "Rendition," $4.2 million. 10. "The Heartbreak Kid," $3.9 million.? (? 2007 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.) By Tara Lipinsky, wcbstv.com NEW YORK (CBS) �D There were Beauties, and the Geeks. From hardcore gamers and highbrow tech enthusiasts, thousands descended on the Javits Center in September for the annual Digital Life Expo. It was a virtual slice of the hottest in high-tech and digital entertainment. WCBSTV.Com brings you a look at some of the amazing new products featured at the expo. It wouldn't be a tech expo without robots and at this year's show there were plenty to choose from, and one that stands out; WowWee's Roboquad. It walks like a crab-spider hybrid can move around independently and even becomes a watchdog in the dark. It retails for $99.00. Erector's "Spykee" is another stand-out. This robot features a voice-over-I-P phone, digital music player and surveillance webcam. "Spykee is a wi-fi spy robot that you build yourself. It's got a wi-fi card in there so you can control it from your computer locally or through the internet globally." Jim Van den Dyssel, V.P. of Sales for Erector America tells wcbstv.com. "So whatever he sees and he hears, you can see on your computer. So you can be halfway around the world you've got this at home checking on the kids." ? Spykee hits the stores in November and will retail for $300. The most popular droid for over thirty years, R2-D2, is getting more hi-tech, thanks to Nikko America." "R2-D2 is the digital video entertainment system for the whole family." Norm Goldberg of Nikko America tells wcbstv.com. "He's designed to let any room in the house.... become a digital entertainment center." R2-D2 plays all form of digital media --and get this-- you don't need a movie screen to view it, the resolution is so high you can watch your favorite flick on a white wall! If you can't afford the projector, Star Wars fans can still pick up the r2d2 webcam, which retails for around $300. Gamers will love the Novint Falcon, a controller that gives users virtual 3-D touch of texture, vibrations and force feedback. The cost? Nearly 250 dollars. One of my favorite products at this year's Digital Life Expo, is actually, lowtech. Gelaskins are removable protection for all your portable devices. You can get everything skinned from your laptop to i-pod, for $15 to $30. One of the best products for teens, tweens and their parents is the Zipit Wireless. The Zipit Wireless is a portable messaging device that allows kids to

chat with their friends without hogging the family p.c. "We offer support for AOL instant messaging, Microsoft IM, Yahoo IM. We also support an SD card so you can store music and basically it acts like an MP-3 player. You also can store photos on here." Frank Greer of Zipit Wireless tells wcbsvt.com. Watch demos of some of the cool technology on display at Digital Life: Watch demos of some of the cool technology on display at Digital Life: * Video:?Erector Spykee * Video:?Novint Falcon * Video:?WowWee Robquad * Video:?WowWee Robopanda * Video:?Squawkers McCaw * Video:?Zipit Wireless Messenger 2 * Video:?Power Tour Electric Guitar * Video:?Lord Of The Rings Online * Video:?Nero 8 Ultra Edition (? MMVII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.) From Our Partners Coupons: Get free coupons for everyday products Next-Gen Robots Will Be Big For Holidays High-Tech Robotics Come In Toy Packages Gregg Geller, WCBSTV.com NEW YORK (CBS) �D Next generation robots will be a big hit this upcoming holiday season. Robots at this year's Digital Life Expo came in many shapes, sizes and prices, and with varying capabilities. What became clear was that no matter what you budget or desires for a new robotic toy, something is available for everyone. At Digital Life, WowWee showed off its latest offerings, which include an interactive panda; a radio-controlled flying bug from Dreamworks new film, "Bee Movie"; and the Roboquad, which is touted as "a whole new species of robotics."? Robopanda? ?WowWee Robopanda?is cute but not cuddly, though it quickly becomes very endearing. Its sing-song voice and amazing mobility help to create truly interactive play. The Robopanda has 40 possible movements, including walking, crawling and, of course, hugging. The plastic panda responds to several touchpoints, and can tell you how it's feeling, especially when it comes in contact with its plush baby panda (also included in the package). Interactive entertainment cartridges give it a creative edge and extend playtime with stories, jokes and more. Robopanda's "Training" mode helps to teach you interact with it; "Friend" mode starts up a two-way conversation; and "Menu" mode will let you choose stories, games or songs. Setup is relatively simple, but mastering the menu modes can take some time, so work with young panda enthusiasts to help guide them through the process. Robopanda is available now for around $149.95. Roboquad WowWee's agile??Robquad?walks like a crab-spider hybrid, and can move around independently. What's unique about the Roboquad is that he is programmed to be "curious" about his environment, "remembering" where obstacles are as it moves around. This "awareness" comes in handy when he's in security mode.

Roboquad can become a watchdog, even in the dark, and will respond to movement depending up on his state of alert. Be wary of?frightening pets and small children, who might be put off by the robot's aggressive stance. But, since Roboquad is a good dancer, he can still be entertaining for kids of all ages. Roboquad is available now for around $99. For all of WowWee's products, plan on spending at least 90 minutes learning the various programming and interactivity instructions. The robots look simple, but can be quite complicated to operate -- especially at the advanced levels. The included product manuals are helpful, but are somewhat sparse when it comes to providing detailed information. Also, freeing the units from their protective packaging can be quite a challenge. The Roboquad, for example, took about 40 minutes to carefully remove from its box (including the required use of a Philips-head screwdriver, which is noted in a separate instruction sheet). Obviously, the units are filled with sensitive electronics, and all that packing is necessary. That won't matter to a child as they rip open the box, so plan ahead! Erector: Spykee The nuts and bolts of the old Erector construction sets are also now a thing of the past. Erector unveiled??Spykee -- a WiFi surveillance robot that you build yourself. It can be controlled via the Internet anywhere in the world, and features a built-in Voice-Over-I-P phone, webcam and digital music player. Like the Erector sets of old, you put this one together yourself, making for a full-flavored robotic experience. According to the reps over at Erector, the robot should take about an hour to build, and is fully compatible with traditional Erector sets. The Spykee is available in November and is set to retail for around $300 from such catalog merchants as Sharper Image. iRobot Looj & ConnectR ? Handy at home are two new offerings from iRobot -- the company that has brought you the Roomba robot vacuums. The iRobot Looj is designed to fit inside standard house gutters and will clean them for you without all the hassles of a ladder and scoop. A rotating brush clears away any debris. The ConnectR "virtual visiting robot" features a pan-tilt-zoom video camera, microphone and speaker to see and hear what's going on where you are not. The iRobot ConnectR will be available to consumers in 2008 and will be priced under $500. The iRobot Looj is available now for $99. Novint Falcon A cool, new "robotic hand" could make traditional joysticks and gamepads obsolete. The next generation of game controllers looks like something that is more out of "Battlestar Galactica" than from your neighborhood electronics store and offer amazingly realistic sensations. The??Novint Falcon, for one, looks anything like but a computer controller. It

looks like some kind of tabletop robot and when you plug it into your PC, it provides users with realistic, virtual 3-D touches of texture, vibrations and force feedback. That adds a whole new layer to first-person gaming. Touch a wall, and you can feel the texture of the bricks. Fire a weapon and feel the kickback. Touch something slippery and you feel the sensation of the slick surface. With the Falcon, you must "feel your way" around solid objects. Most amazingly, when you touch something viscous, the Falcon translates the sensation of stickiness into real gooey feelings. The Falcon is currently available and sells for around $240. But, wait, there's more! Check out a review of a new "bionic" eye called "EyeClops" that magnifies the world around you.? Watch demos of some of the cool technology on display at Digital Life: NYC Unveils Global Campaign To Draw Visitors 'This Is New York City' Campaign To Showcase Broad Range Of Tourist Possibilities NEW YORK (AP) �D New Yorkers gaze longingly every day at subway ads beckoning them to a lush scene in Mexico. Once home, they are tempted by television spots showcasing the bright colors and stunning vistas of India. Now the nation's largest metropolis will be doing a little luring of its own. New York unveiled its first multi-nation advertising campaign on Wednesday -inserting itself further into the increasingly intense international competition to attract the world's tourists. The "This Is New York City" campaign, meant to showcase the range of activities and experiences available in the city, will be seen on televisions in Spain, Ireland, France and the United Kingdom. Outdoor billboards in Brazil, Portugal, Italy and Spain will also carry the ads, as will newspapers and magazines in countries including South Africa and Germany. NYC & Company, the city's tourism office, has been expanding its international presence, hiring marketing representatives around the world and running small billboard campaigns in the United Kingdom and Ireland. But the new ads are the first to appear on television abroad and the first to send a cohesive message to multiple nations. The effort is meant to help reach Mayor Michael Bloomberg's goal of raising the number of tourists visiting New York each year from 44 million to 50 million by 2015. While tourism officials hope to draw people from all over, they are focusing particularly on overseas visitors, who stay longer and spend more money. Travelers already bring an estimated $24 billion into the city each year. The ad campaign also comes as more foreign tourists are taking advantage of a favorable exchange rate and visiting U.S. destinations like New York. The TV spots will feature a contemporary remix of Ella Fitzgerald singing "Take the A Train," with glimpses of city icons including Times Square, Coney Island and the Staten Island Ferry. Print and outdoor ads will spotlight the city's cultural attractions, shopping and entertainment. The campaign will appear domestically on the History Channel and in cities including Boston, Philadelphia and Miami. It will cost $4.75 million and will make use of bartered advertising space valued at more than $25 million, according to NYC & Company