By the A.M. Costa Rica staff

Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores y Culto photo

By the A.M. Costa Rica staff

By the University of Adelaide news staff

Agents grabbed wrong man
in ricin poison letter case


U.S. federal prosecutors have dropped charges against a Mississippi man suspected of sending poisoned letters to President Barack Obama and to a U.S. senator.

A lawyer for Paul Kevin Curtis say investigators have turned their attention to another suspect whose house they already have searched. The attorney said investigators could find no evidence that Curtis was involved.

Federal agents arrested Curtis last week after letters tainted with the deadly poison ricin turned up at facilities that handle mail for the White House and Congress. One letter was addressed to President Obama and another to Republican Sen. Roger Wicker of Mississippi. A Mississippi state judge also was threatened.

Investigators said they found no trace of ricin or the tools they think could have created it in Curtis's home or car, and no Internet searches for how to make the drug on his computer.

Curtis was released on Tuesday. He told reporters that the past week has been a nightmare. He said he loves his country and respects President Obama.


Economists are bullish
on job market growth


A new survey of U.S. corporate economists shows that their businesses may be set to hire more workers in the coming months.
 
The U.S. government says that American employers hired just 88,000 more workers in March after several months when more than twice that number was added. Last month's figure sparked fears that the labor market in the world's largest economy might be slowing again.
 
But a recent survey by the National Association for Business Economics said that 40 percent of those questioned said their companies plan to increase hiring in the next six months, compared to 9 percent foreseeing more layoffs.
 
The chief economist for the Associated General Contractors of America, Ken Simonson, said the forecast was one of the most favorable in the 30-year history of the survey.
 
"We had a net of 30 percent of the firms saying that they would be expanding hiring in the next six months and that was the best reading in two years, one of the best in the 30-year history of the survey."
 
Simonson said the cumulative effect of an improving U.S. economy could push companies to hire more workers.
 
"It does reflect what they said about the last quarter," he said. "That more firms reported higher sales, higher profit margins, and I think it’s also a cumulative effect of three-and-a-half years of growth in the economy, that now more firms say, well, 'we really can’t get by with just the workforce we have, we have to add more people.'"
 

Fake AP Twitter message
sent stocks into the tank


A false report of explosions at the White House and injuries to President Barack Obama sent U.S. stocks plunging Tuesday before they recovered quickly.

The Associated Press said hackers broke into its Twitter account and wrote: "Breaking: Two explosions in the White House and Barack Obama is injured."

Within minutes, the most widely watched U.S. stock index, the Dow Jones Industrial Average, fell about 130 points, erasing the day's gains.

But the Dow regained the losses just as quickly when it became obvious the reports were a hoax.

A group called the Syrian Electronic Army is claiming responsibility for the cyber attack.  Its claim has not been verified.

The group has claimed similar attacks on other news organizations.


France legalizes gay unions
but court appeals are expected


France became the ninth European country to legalize gay marriage Tuesday when the country's National Assembly passed a bill on same-sex marriages and adoptions, ending months of bitter and sometimes violent debate.
 
As lawmakers cheered, France's lower house adopted the marriage for all legislation on second reading, with 331 lawmakers voting for the bill and 225 against.

Addressing the lower house after the vote, French Justice Minister Christiane Taubira, who described the legislation as beautiful and generous and said she was very emotional, declared that the first same-sex weddings could take place as early as June.
 
Although passage of the gay marriage bill was largely a foregone conclusion, it has drawn surprisingly strong opposition, with protests gathering tens and sometimes hundreds of thousands of people. Many observers believe the demonstrations underscore a broader anger against French President Francois Hollande and his Socialist government.
 
According to police estimates, about 45,000 people attended one of the final anti-gay-marriage rallies in Paris Sunday. Some brought children and many waved pink banners sporting images of heterosexual families.
 
One young woman, who gave only her first name, Virginie, said she particularly opposed same-sex adoptions on the grounds that, in her opinion, it poses double burden for the child.
 
Some of the protests have turned violent in recent weeks and there have been a handful of attacks against gays. Also, the president of the National Assembly received a threatening letter on Monday.
 
But polls show the majority of French favor gay marriage, and supporters have also turned out in force at their own rallies, including a counter-demonstration Sunday headed by Paris Mayor Bertrand Delanoe, who announced that he is gay during a 1988 television interview that preceded his mayoral term.
 
With the vote, France becomes the fourteenth country worldwide to legalize same-sex unions. But opponents haven't given up, warning they will challenge the legislation in France's Constitutional Council and continue to protest next month.

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In some countries, people can be put in jail for impersonating political leaders.  But in places where freedom of speech is protected, you may see people mimicking politicians in public or on television.

In the Washington area, Larry Graves, who closely resembles President Barack Obama, entertains people at conferences and other events as an Obama look-alike. 

When Graves spoke at an environmental conference at a hotel in Arlington, Virginia, some people weren’t sure at first if he was President Obama.  The audience smiled and laughed once they realized Graves is an Obama look-alike.
 
“I want to thank the Environmental Information Association for having me here today.  I understand this is your 30th anniversary, so congratulations,” said Graves at the podium.

Mike Farrell, who attended the conference, was taken aback when Graves walked into the room.

“It’s really astonishing how close he actually is: his mannerisms, the way that he speaks, his hair, you know the whole package,” Farrell expressed.

The whole package includes two men playing Secret Service agents protecting the Obama look-alike.  Matt Baldwin has been at Graves' side for five years.

“People have actually come up to me and asked 'Is that really the president?'  I’ve had fun with it and I just didn’t say anything,” Baldwin said.

Many people wanted to have their picture taken with Graves, including Eric Goeller, an environmental consultant from Arizona.

“I sent this picture of myself and Mr. Obama back home and I’ve gotten about 25 text messages regarding my meeting with the president,” said an amused Goeller.

Environmentalist Sean Fitzgerald spoke at length with Graves about the dangers of asbestos, which is known to cause cancer.

“I was thinking what it would be like if this was the real president,” Fitzgerald articulated.

Graves is amazed that people approach him like that, even knowing he’s not the president.

“I find it slightly incredulous that people come up to me with reverence, respect and awe,” Graves said.

Graves says it took time to master Obama’s speech pattern. He uses makeup to enhance his appearance as the president by darkening his eyebrows, deepening his lip color, and adding Obama’s prominent mole.  He also colors his thinning hair and combs it forward to look like the president. 

Besides facial similarities, Graves said he and the president have other things in common.  “We’re both the same body size.  We’re both left-handed and we both like basketball.”

He hasn’t met President Obama but hopes to one day, and to challenge him to a pick-up basketball game. “I don’t think Obama could beat me in a game of basketball,” Graves declared.

Graves began his career as a look-alike during President Obama’s first presidential campaign.  The role supplements his other job as a substitute gym teacher at Fields Road Elementary School in Gaithersburg, Maryland.

A group of fifth grade students didn't know their teacher plays an Obama look-alike until they watched a video of him acting like the president.  At first they thought they were watching the president, but said Graves’ voice gave him away.

“It looked like our gym teacher but it was really hard to tell.  It just looked like Obama,” said Emily Miller.

“It feels like I’m being taught by a famous gym teacher,” a classmate added.

Graves is glad President Obama won a second term, not only because he admires him, but also because he can continue to entertain people as his look-alike. 

“It’s easy for me to just roll with it, and go with whatever they’re into, and have fun with it,” expressed Graves.

Vince Brennan, who came from Vermont to the Environmental Information Association meeting, enjoyed having Larry Graves, the Obama look-alike, stop by.

“It’s great to have the president come down and see us,” he said.

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Comic book conventions, which originally showcased comic books, cartoons, science fiction and related popular arts, have grown into pop culture events in major U.S. cities.  Recently one such convention was held in Washington and drew thousands of visitors.  Some comic fans take the fun seriously.

Acting like superheroes or super-villains, or just showing off, comic fans dressed up as their favorite characters are having a good time at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center.

Some enjoy the fantasy of the comic convention.

Edward Nigma says he and his wife came from Gotham City, the fictional home of Batman.

Many take the fun seriously.  It took more than four months for Dale Harvey to build this costume of a video game character.

“I get enjoyment out of creating it, building it with my friends, just having a good time seeing people’s reaction to it," said Harvey. "The most awesome thing for me is watching kids, young and old, have a good time seeing a character come to life.”

The event also offers an opportunity to make new friends.

Organizers say the "Awesome Con DC" event drew more than 5,000 visitors for two days.  Ben Penrod is the event coordinator.

“These types of conventions are huge right now," said Penrod. "They have them in every city. This is only a fraction of the size of San Diego every year, or even the one in Baltimore.”

Penrod says mega hit superhero films based on comic books have helped fuel the convention's popularity.

“You had to read comic books to know The Avengers," he said. "Now "The Avengers" is the third highest-grossing film of all time.  And people, everybody knows about it.”

The core of Awesome Con DC is about comics, but it embraces movies, TV and video games. 

Special events include independent filmmakers’ screenings and discussions. 

Celebrity guests like Phil LaMarr, who is best known for his voice acting in animated films, and Ernie Hudson, who was in the blockbuster movie "Ghostbusters," help attract fans.

Fans also get to learn how to draw characters from some famous comic creators.

The costume contest is a big part of the fun.

And the impromptu duel between costumed characters is a bit of surprise entertainment for the spectators.  The organizers and comic fans agree that Awesome Con DC will be an annual event and will grow bigger as other such conventions have in other cities.


Obama plans a round two
to pass controls on guns


After gun control legislation was soundly defeated in the U.S. Senate last week, President Barack Obama said the votes were only round one in the fight to reduce gun violence.  But some Americans are skeptical that there will be a round two.
 
Despite the political setback, White House press secretary Jay Carney told reporters Monday the gun control campaign will go on.

“Well, as I said before, I don't have a legislative strategy to lay out to you today. But there will be a round two and there will be a continued effort by this administration,” Carney said.

No decision has been announced on when or even whether the White House will try again to push gun control legislation through Congress. 

In the House of Representatives, a bipartisan bill requiring stricter background checks for gun buyers has been introduced. Democrat Mike Thompson, chairman of the House Gun Violence Prevention Task Force, sponsored the measure, along with Republican Peter King.

But the Republican-led House is likely to be even less receptive to gun control legislation than the Democratic-controlled Senate, where last week’s bills failed to gain the 60 votes needed for passage.

Thompson said the political realities of the situation were made clear to him when he asked a Republican lawmaker to add his name to the legislation as a co-author.

“He said, ‘I will vote for it, but I do not want to co-author.’  And I asked him, I said, ‘Do you know how many people in your district support this?’  He said, ‘Yeah, I saw the poll.’  He said, ‘93 percent in my district support this.’  I said, ‘And you do not want to co-author it?’  He said, ‘Not one of them have called me,’” Thompson said.

Meanwhile, the National Rifle Association and other gun owners’ groups have spent heavily to defeat gun control initiatives and mobilized their members.

Michael Hammond, legal adviser for the gun rights group Gun Owners of America, says the lobbying effort strikes fear into lawmakers.

“What they have reason to be afraid of is 100,000,000 American gun owners, that when we say, ‘Here is what the situation is,’ that millions of Americans will get on the phones and not get off the phones until they have made it clear to their senators that they value the Second Amendment,” Hammond said.

Hammond says his group has targeted 15 Democratic senators, up for re-election in 2014, who voted for the doomed Senate gun bill.

At the same time, public support for gun control legislation appears to have slipped since the killing of 20 children and six adults at a Connecticut school in December.

A new public opinion poll by USA Today shows that only 49 percent of Americans surveyed favor new gun control laws, and President Obama is considering options outside Capitol Hill.

With the defeat of the legislative package, the president said he will pursue executive actions designed to reduce gun violence.

“Even without Congress, my administration will keep doing everything it can to protect more of our communities.  We are going to address the barriers that prevent states from participating in the existing background check system.  We are going to give law enforcement more information about lost and stolen guns, so it can do its job.  We are going to help to put in place emergency plans to protect our children in their schools,” Obama said.

And as he has done before, Obama is asking Americans to put pressure on their lawmakers to back any future gun violence bills.

Judicial Investigating Organization photo

Three men and a woman
held in home burglaries

By the A.M. Costa Rica staff

By the A.M. Costa Rica staff