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Man dies after police jolt him with stun gun

(CNN) — A 20-year-old man died Sunday after being shot with a Taser device during a scuffle with a sheriff’s deputy in Maryland, a spokeswoman for the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office said.

Cpl. Jennifer Bailey said deputies responding to a report of a fight in progress arrived at the location in Frederick, Maryland, just before 5 a.m. ET and found four people fighting.

A deputy used a Taser device on one of the men, who fell unconscious, Bailey said.

The man was taken to Frederick Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. His identity was not immediately released, pending the notification of his family.

The deputy, who has not been identified publicly, has been placed on administrative leave with pay pending the completion of an investigation, Bailey said.

Amnesty International has reported that, since June 2001, more than 150 people have died in the United States after being subdued with a stun gun. The organization has called for police departments to suspend use of the devices pending study of their possible risks.

Few have done so, said Amnesty, which added that more than 7,000 of the nation’s 18,000 law enforcement agencies use the devices.

Last week, an airport security officer in Vancouver International Airport in Canada used a Taser device on a distraught 40-year-old man on his first airplane trip outside Poland. He died.

In a statement released Friday, Taser International cited the Vancouver case and said it appears to follow the pattern of many in-custody deaths or deaths following a confrontation with police. Historically, medical science and forensic analysis has shown that these deaths are attributable to other factors and not the low-energy electrical discharge of the Taser.

A bystander’s video of the Vancouver incident that showed the victim continuing to struggle after being shot with the device is proof that the Taser device was not the cause of his death, the company said on its Web site. Cardiac arrest caused by electrical current would have caused immediate death, it said.

In addition, the video clearly shows symptoms of excited delirium, a potentially fatal condition marked by symptoms of exhaustion and mania such as heavy breathing, profuse sweating, confusion, disorientation and violence toward inanimate objects, the company said.

We are taken aback by the number of media outlets that have irresponsibly published conclusive headlines blaming the Taser device and/or the law enforcement officers involved as the cause of death before completion of the investigation, said Tom Smith, the company’s founder and chairman of the board.

But Amnesty International, noting that coroners have identified Tasers as a contributory factor in more than 30 deaths, said such a link cannot be ruled out.

The devices use compressed nitrogen to shoot two probes — connected to the device by wire — up to 35 feet away at speeds exceeding 100 mph.

An electrical signal transmitted through the wires contacts the body or clothing, resulting in an immediate loss of the person’s neuromuscular control and the ability to perform coordinated action for the duration of the impulse, according to the company.
found here.

Romney: Punish states that let illegal immigrants get licenses

WASHINGTON (CNN) — Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney said this week that if elected president he would punish states that provide illegal immigrants with tuition breaks or those that issue them driver’s licenses.

As president, Romney told Headline News talk show host Glenn Beck, he would reduce federal highway funds to any state that issued driver’s licenses to illegal immigrants.

The former Massachusetts governor got in a dig at GOP rival former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee while explaining his view on tuition breaks for undocumented workers.

If you have a state like Mike Huckabee’s state in Arkansas that fights to give people a tuition break if they’re an illegal in their state, you say, ‘no, you’re not going to do that,’ Romney explained. If you do that, we’re going to cut back on higher education funding.

Huckabee has disputed similar claims. In an interview with CNN’s Wolf Blitzer earlier this month, Huckabee said, You don’t punish a child for the crime of a parent. Huckabee added that the Arkansas tuition program also required illegal immigrants to apply for citizenship.

In a similar vein, Romney repeated his attacks on former Mayor Rudy Giuliani, calling New York City a sanctuary city, and promising as president, he would reduce federal funding to such cities. Watch Headline News’ Glenn Beck interview Mitt Romney.

During the interview, the White House hopeful defended the health care plan he implemented as governor of Massachusetts as anything but the road to socialism.

Romney also promised that as president he would push to have the United States entirely independent of foreign oil within 20 years. That plan includes building more nuclear power plants and using more liquefied coal with sequestered carbon dioxide.

Once we let the world know we’re committed, the worldwide markets are going to change because America is going to be on a pathway to getting itself off of foreign oil, said Romney, a Harvard MBA who was a successful businessman before entering politics

On the economic front, Romney told Beck he would make President Bush’s tax cuts permanent, institute a tax-free savings plan for middle-income Americans, and get rid of the estate tax. Asked about the subprime mortgage mess, Romney explained that the credit crisis is something which could spread throughout our economy, adding, I hope it does not.

Beck declared Romney’s Mormon faith off-limits, starting the interview: I’ve decided that as soon as the rest of the media asks Sen[s.] [Orrin] Hatch [R-Utah] and Harry Reid [D-Nevada] when they’re going to give a speech on Mormonism and how it affects their job, I’ll ask you that question. In the meantime, why don’t we talk actual issues.

Beck, himself Mormon, joined the church and embarked on a career in talk radio following a bout with alcoholism and drug addiction, according to his online bio.
found here.

Peru ties Brazil in World Cup qualifier

LIMA, Peru (AP) — Juan Manuel Vargas scored in the 70th minute to help Peru tie five-time World Cup champion Brazil 1-1 on Sunday at Monumental Stadium in South American qualifying for the 2010 World Cup.

Kaka opened the scoring in the 39th minute for Brazil with a clear shot past Peru goalkeeper Diego Penny.

Brazil was sluggish and missed several chances to score, despite the return of Ronaldinho from an ankle injury.

Peru, which tied Paraguay 0-0 and was shut out by Chile in its first two World Cup qualifying matches last month, hasn’t qualified for a World Cup since 1982. Brazil is tied with Colombia for third place in the region with five points.

On Wednesday, Brazil will face Uruguay in Sao Paulo, and Peru will play Ecuador in Quito.
found here.

CNN Student News Learning Activity: Understanding Depression

(CNN Student News) — Students will learn about the causes and symptoms of depression and how it is treated. Also, students will examine how to respond to someone who is depressed or expressing suicidal thoughts.

Procedure

Point out to students that, during our lives, we all experience sadness, anger or stress. These feelings usually go away in time as situations resolve. However, in some cases, people experience feeling of sadness or hopelessness that they just can’t shake. This is known as depression, and it can affect children as well as adults. According the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, About 5 percent of children and adolescents in the general population suffer from depression at any given point in time. Refer students to multimedia resources, including the Web sites listed, to learn about more about the following aspects of depression:

its causes, its symptoms, the potential connection between depression and suicidal thoughts, how depression is treated, ways to prevent it, how it can impact a person’s life and the lives of those around the depressed person, and how to respond to someone who is depressed.

After students share their research findings in class. Then, group students and have each group write an open-ended vignette that depicts a young person struggling with depression or suicidal thoughts. Instruct each group to perform its vignette for the class. After each performance, have group members facilitate a brainstorming session with the rest of the class to come up with different endings for the vignette. The endings should examine both the potential positive and negative outcomes for the lead character and those close to the character.

Correlated Standards

Health

Standard 1. Knows the availability and effective use of health services, products, and information

Level IV [Grade: 9-12]

Benchmark 5. Knows situations that require professional health services in the areas of prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation

Standard 3. Understands the relationship of family health to individual health

Level IV [Grade: 9-12]

Benchmark 1. Understands methods to facilitate the transition from the role of a child to the role of an independent adult in the family

Standard 4. Knows how to maintain mental and emotional health

Level IV [Grade: 9-12]

Benchmark 2. Knows strategies for coping with and overcoming feelings of rejection, social isolation, and other forms of stress

Content Knowledge: A Compendium of Standards and Benchmarks for K-12 Education (Copyright 2000 McREL) is published online by Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning (McREL) (http://www.mcrel.org/standards-benchmarks/), 2550 S. Parker Road, Suite 500, Aurora, CO 80014; Telephone: 303/337-0990.

Keywords

depression, causes, symptoms, treatment, suicide, sadness, hopelessness, vignette E-mail to a friend

found here.

Romney flexes his immigration muscle with Glenn Beck

(CNN) — Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney said this week that if elected president he would punish states that provide illegal immigrants with tuition breaks or those that issue them driver’s licenses.

As president, Romney told Headline News talk show host Glenn Beck, he would reduce federal highway funds to any state that issued driver’s licenses to illegal immigrants.

The former Massachusetts governor got in a dig at GOP rival former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee while explaining his view on tuition breaks for undocumented workers.

If you have a state like Mike Huckabee’s state in Arkansas that fights to give people a tuition break if they’re an illegal in their state, you say, ‘no, you’re not going to do that,’ Romney explained. If you do that, we’re going to cut back on higher education funding.

Huckabee has disputed similar claims. In an interview with CNN’s Wolf Blitzer earlier this month, Huckabee said, You don’t punish a child for the crime of a parent. Huckabee added that the Arkansas tuition program also required illegal immigrants to apply for citizenship.

In a similar vein, Romney repeated his attacks on former Mayor Rudy Giuliani, calling New York City a sanctuary city, and promising as president, he would reduce federal funding to such cities. Watch Headline News’ Glenn Beck interview Mitt Romney.

During the interview, the White House hopeful defended the health care plan he implemented as governor of Massachusetts as anything but the road to socialism.

Romney also promised that as president he would push to have the United States entirely independent of foreign oil within 20 years. That plan includes building more nuclear power plants and using more liquefied coal with sequestered carbon dioxide.

Once we let the world know we’re committed, the worldwide markets are going to change because America is going to be on a pathway to getting itself off of foreign oil, said Romney, a Harvard MBA who was a successful businessman before entering politics

On the economic front, Romney told Beck he would make President Bush’s tax cuts permanent, institute a tax-free savings plan for middle-income Americans, and get rid of the estate tax. Asked about the subprime mortgage mess, Romney explained that the credit crisis is something which could spread throughout our economy, adding, I hope it does not.

Beck declared Romney’s Mormon faith off-limits, starting the interview: I’ve decided that as soon as the rest of the media asks Sen[s.] [Orrin] Hatch [R-Utah] and Harry Reid [D-Nevada] when they’re going to give a speech on Mormonism and how it affects their job, I’ll ask you that question. In the meantime, why don’t we talk actual issues.

Beck, himself Mormon, joined the church and embarked on a career in talk radio following a bout with alcoholism and drug addiction, according to his online bio.
found here.