Copyright 2008 The New York Sun Wed, 01 Oct 2008 13:00:28 -0400 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Josh Gerstein :: Stories from The New York Sun http://www.nysun.com/authors/Josh+Gerstein istoll@nysun.com (Ira Stoll) webmaster@nysun.com en-us JOSH GERSTEIN http://www.nysun.com/national/feingold-bill-would-limit-searches-of-travelers/86838/ Tue, 30 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EST Senator Feingold of Wisconsin is offering the most detailed legislative proposal yet to rein in the essentially unfettered authority customs officials have claimed to search laptops, cell phones, and other electronic devices travelers bring into or out of America. Under a 29-page bill Mr. Feingold introduced on Friday, customs agents at airports and borders would need to document a "reasonable suspicion" before inspecting a computer or similar device carried by an American resident and could... JOSH GERSTEIN http://www.nysun.com/new-york/st-hope-board-member-is-suspended/86846/ Tue, 30 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EST A new charter school in Harlem, the St. Hope Leadership Academy, has lost a member of its board who has been suspended from doing business with the federal government. On Wednesday, the board member, Dana Gonzalez, was placed on a government-wide list of people ineligible for federal grants and contracts. The action followed an investigation into alleged misuse of federally funded AmeriCorps members assigned to a Sacramento, Calif.-based organization, St. Hope Academy, which helped set up the... JOSH GERSTEIN http://www.nysun.com/foreign/ex-cia-man-casts-doubt-on-hmong-trial/86752/ Mon, 29 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EST A former CIA operative who advised a venerable Hmong leader, General Vang Pao, on a plan to put military pressure on Laos is expressing doubts that the aging general played a role in a plot against the Laotian regime, as American prosecutors alleged in an indictment last year. "My assessment is he's an old man. There's just no way. He's not full of piss and vinegar," the ex-CIA officer, Michael Spak, told The New York Sun yesterday. "The younger people surrounding him might be a different story... JOSH GERSTEIN http://www.nysun.com/national/hmong-heroes-may-have-acted-for-cia/86605/ Thu, 25 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EST PALO ALTO, Calif. — Evidence is mounting that at least some of the 11 men indicted in California last year for allegedly planning the overthrow of the government of Laos may have believed their plan had the tacit approval or even the outright support of the CIA. Documents filed in federal court in Sacramento last week show that in 2004 a retired CIA employee held detailed discussions about a military intervention in Laos with one of the key defendants in the case, General Vang Pao, an aging... JOSH GERSTEIN http://www.nysun.com/national/ex-nba-star-who-opened-schools-in-imbroglio/86695/ Fri, 26 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EST A former professional basketball player who helped start a charter school in Harlem this year, Kevin Johnson, is on a swing through New York to raise funds for his bid for mayor of Sacramento, Calif., just as his campaign is being rocked by word that he has been barred from doing business with the federal government. The agency that runs the AmeriCorps program, the Corporation for National & Community Service, announced yesterday that Mr. Johnson, a Sacramento community group he founded, St... JOSH GERSTEIN http://www.nysun.com/national/broadened-customs-powers-could-fuel-congressional/86433/ Wed, 24 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EST Without public debate, the federal government recently revoked a two-decade-old policy that limited the ability of customs agents to read and copy documents travelers bring into and out of America, according to newly released memoranda from the Department of Homeland Security. The disclosure could fuel efforts already underway in Congress to rein in the virtually unfettered authority the federal government has claimed to read and copy the contents of laptop computers and electronic devices that... JOSH GERSTEIN http://www.nysun.com/national/economic-turmoil-looms-over-first-presidential/86461/ Wed, 24 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EST The televised debates could have an unusually large impact on the presidential race this year, but organizers and candidates face an immediate challenge of making sure the first session this Friday, which is supposed to cover only foreign policy, does not seem strangely detached from the economic crisis facing America. A statement issued Sunday by the Commission on Presidential Debates said the agreement among the panel, the Democratic nominee, Senator Obama of Illinois, and the Republican... JOSH GERSTEIN http://www.nysun.com/national/palin-pick-puts-many-women-on-the-verge/86241/ Fri, 19 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EST Senator McCain's selection of Governor Palin of Alaska as his running mate, which was hailed in some quarters and met with skepticism in others, is sparking intense reactions from some New Yorkers, who report being driven to fits of rage and even all-consuming panic. "All of my women friends, a week ago Monday, were on the verge of throwing themselves out windows," an author and political activist, Nancy Kricorian of Manhattan, said yesterday. "People were flipping out. ... Every woman I know... JOSH GERSTEIN http://www.nysun.com/national/a-nadler-bill-would-legalize-mezuzahs/86223/ Fri, 19 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EST Under legislation just introduced in Congress, residents of condominiums and co-ops would be guaranteed the right to post religious displays, such as the mezuzahs installed by observant Jews, outside apartment doors. The bill, formally proposed on Wednesday by Rep. Jerrold Nadler of New York, would effectively overturn a federal appeals court's ruling in July that a condominium board in Chicago had the right to remove mezuzahs that a building resident repeatedly posted. "This legislation is a... JOSH GERSTEIN http://www.nysun.com/national/alleged-foreclosure-effort-sparks-mich-political/86000/ Wed, 17 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EST The first big legal battle of the 2008 campaign is breaking out in Michigan, where Democrats are asking a federal court to block an alleged Republican plan to disenfranchise voters who lost homes to foreclosure. Republicans, who vehemently deny the existence of any such effort, are vowing to file a libel suit against an online publication, the Michigan Messenger, which quoted a county GOP chairman as saying the party planned to study foreclosure lists to challenge voters at the polls. "There's... JOSH GERSTEIN http://www.nysun.com/national/high-stakes-trial-is-set-against-alleged-hamas-arm/85825/ Mon, 15 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EST Prosecutors are set today to take a second run at convicting officers of a Texas-based charity that the government contends was a Hamas beachhead in America, the Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development. Jury selection in the case against five former Holy Land officials and fund-raisers is set to get under way this morning in federal court in Dallas. The first trial, last year, ended in a muddle of partial acquittals and mistrials when jurors could not reach clear verdicts after hearing... JOSH GERSTEIN http://www.nysun.com/national/funding-terrorism-is-issue-in-chicago-case/85641/ Thu, 11 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EST A federal appeals court that includes some of America's most prominent jurists is wrestling with a case that could set an important precedent about when Americans can be held legally liable for funding groups, such as Hamas and Hezbollah, that carry out terrorist operations and humanitarian aid efforts at the same time. In Chicago, 10 judges who constitute nearly the entire active bench of the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals spent more than an hour hearing lively arguments in a lawsuit brought by... JOSH GERSTEIN http://www.nysun.com/national/defenders-of-wildlife-launch-attack-on-palin/85373/ Mon, 8 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EST Some political groups are readying tough television commercials attacking the Republican vice presidential nominee, Governor Palin of Alaska, even as a robust debate takes place in Democratic circles about whether and how to try to counter the energy and excitement the self-described "hockey mom" has brought to the Republican ticket headed by Senator McCain of Arizona. One of the most hard-hitting attacks to be floated publicly came from Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund, which posted a... JOSH GERSTEIN http://www.nysun.com/national/mccain-i-will-reach-out-my-hand/85273/ Fri, 5 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EST ST. PAUL, Minn. — Senator McCain of Arizona accepted the Republican nomination for president here last night, kicking off the final stretch of the campaign by promising to break the partisan gridlock in Washington, rein in spending, and reinvigorate the economy. "The constant partisan rancor that stops us from solving these problems isn't a cause. It's a symptom. It's what happens when people go to Washington to work for themselves and not for you," Mr. McCain told delegates on the final night... JOSH GERSTEIN http://www.nysun.com/national/abortion-rights-group-sees-discrepancy-in-palin/85239/ Fri, 5 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EST ST. PAUL, Minn. — The New York chapter of a major abortion rights group is arguing that the Republican vice presidential nominee's stance toward teenage pregnancy deserves special scrutiny because one of her teenage daughters is pregnant. Naral Pro-Choice New York, formerly known as the National Abortion Rights Action League, issued a statement yesterday faulting Governor Palin of Alaska for using her line-item veto powers to cut funding the state Legislature passed earlier this year for... JOSH GERSTEIN http://www.nysun.com/national/palin-comes-out-swinging/85195/ Thu, 4 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EST ST. PAUL, Minn. — In a bid to vindicate Senator McCain's unexpected decision to choose her as his running mate, the presumptive Republican nominee for vice president, Governor Palin of Alaska, used her first nationally televised, prime-time speech last night to level charges of elitism at the press and Democrats who have questioned her qualifications to be vice president. "I'm not a member of the permanent political establishment, and I've learned quickly, these last few days, that if you're... JOSH GERSTEIN http://www.nysun.com/national/the-man-we-need-is-john-mccain/85104/ Wed, 3 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EST ST. PAUL, Minn.-- Senator Lieberman of Connecticut is surprising delegates to the Republican National Convention here by offering an unusually combative defense — and even going on the offense — for the party's presumptive presidential nominee, Senator McCain of Arizona. Mr. Lieberman, who caucuses with Democrats but has endorsed Mr. McCain, was widely expected to laud his Republican colleague last night. However, the senator of Connecticut went further, directly attacking the credentials of Mr... JOSH GERSTEIN http://www.nysun.com/national/obama-declares-mccain-doesnt-get-it/84921/ Fri, 29 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EST DENVER — Senator Obama of Illinois is signaling that he will meet the assault head-on and return fire of his own when Republicans and their presumptive presidential nominee, Senator McCain of Arizona, attempt to use their upcoming convention to fuel perceptions that Mr. Obama is out of touch with working Americans and too inexperienced to be trusted with the nation's security. "If John McCain wants to have a debate about who has the temperament and judgment to serve as the next commander in... JOSH GERSTEIN http://www.nysun.com/national/anti-poverty-ad-cost-250k-to-produce/84876/ Fri, 29 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EST A bare-bones anti-poverty television advertisement featuring the face of Matt Damon, along with the voices of Cindy McCain, Michelle Obama, Mayor Bloomberg, and others, cost nearly a quarter of a million dollars to produce, federal records show. A group seeking to build support for greater aid to the developing world, the One Campaign, spent more than $1.5 million for television time and Internet placement for the 30-second spot during the Democratic and Republican conventions, according to the... JOSH GERSTEIN http://www.nysun.com/national/obama-is-the-man-for-this-job/84822/ Thu, 28 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EST DENVER — President Clinton jumped aboard Senator Obama's bandwagon here last night, with a generous speech intended to erase any concerns that lingering bitterness over Senator Clinton's primary defeat might keep the former president from being an enthusiastic warrior in this fall's presidential campaign. "Everything I learned in my eight years as president, and in the work I've done since, in America and across the globe, has convinced me that Barack Obama is the man for this job," Mr. Clinton... JOSH GERSTEIN http://www.nysun.com/national/al-arian-files-habeas-for-release/84744/ Thu, 28 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EST A Palestinian Arab activist and former college professor who has been in federal custody since 2003, Sami Al-Arian, is pressing a new habeas corpus petition arguing that he is being illegally detained by immigration officials. Lawyers for Al-Arian filed the petition for a habeas writ in federal court in Alexandria, Va. on Monday, according to records reviewed by The New York Sun. The pleading represents the newest chapter in a Byzantine series of legal proceedings involving the Kuwaiti-born... JOSH GERSTEIN http://www.nysun.com/national/this-is-a-fight-for-the-future/84726/ Wed, 27 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EST DENVER — Senator Clinton used her high-profile platform at the Democratic National Convention to deliver her most forceful and urgent plea yet to her supporters to get to work for the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, Senator Obama, who defeated her in a bitterly fought primary battle earlier this year. "It is time to take back the country we love and whether you voted for me or you voted for Barack, the time is now to unite as a single party with a single purpose. We are on the same... JOSH GERSTEIN http://www.nysun.com/national/at-denver-forum-biden-swaps-attacks-for-empathy/84731/ Wed, 27 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EST DENVER — The presumptive Democratic nominee for vice president, Senator Biden of Delaware, shed the traditional attack dog role yesterday in favor of a tearful appearance in front of delegates from his home state and an empathetic exchange with women facing economic hardship. "This is a great honor being nominated vice president of the United States," Mr. Biden told Delaware delegates at a breakfast in Littleton, Colo., according to video posted on the Web by ABC News. "I'm proud of it. I don't... JOSH GERSTEIN http://www.nysun.com/national/high-emotions-in-the-mile-high-city/84634/ Tue, 26 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EST DENVER — Democrats used the opening night of their convention here to paint a gauzy, middle-American image of the party's presumptive nominee for president, Senator Obama, and his wife, Michelle. "I come here as a wife who loves my husband and believes he will be an extraordinary president," Mrs. Obama told the assembled delegates. "I come here as a mom whose girls are the heart of my heart and the center of my world — they're the first thing I think about when I wake up in the morning, and the... JOSH GERSTEIN http://www.nysun.com/national/pragmatist-indian-americans-switch-to-obama-from/84579/ Tue, 26 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EST DENVER — Indian Americans, who played a large but little-noted role in funding Senator Clinton's presidential campaign, are getting on Senator Obama's bandwagon faster than other supporters of Mrs. Clinton, though a die-hard element is resisting conversion, Indian-American political activists said here yesterday. "I think 80% of them have already said they are going to work hard for Obama," a former Clinton supporter from Colorado, Sudhir Verma, said. "We have to convince those hard-core... JOSH GERSTEIN http://www.nysun.com/foreign/beijing-being-lost-in-development/84430/ Fri, 22 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EST BEIJING — Walking in one of the many new retail and office complexes that have sprung up here recently, this longtime visitor to Asia developed a sense of déjà vu. Taking in the coffeehouses, shops, and huge series of signs stretching far up the sides of the buildings in a development called Soho, which happened to be the distribution point for Olympic tickets bought by Americans, I got the feeling I had seen the place before. After a few minutes, I realized it felt almost exactly like Hong... JOSH GERSTEIN http://www.nysun.com/foreign/olympic-panel-probes-chinese-gymnasts-age/84414/ Fri, 22 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EST The International Olympic Committee is reportedly investigating the age of one of China's gold-medal-winning gymnasts, He Kexin, after a computer security expert found evidence online that she may be 14 years old and under the minimum age to compete. The Times of London reported that an American computer specialist, Michael Walker, found cached Chinese government documents showing Ms. He's birthdate as January 1, 1994, not January 1, 1992, as China now claims and lists in her passport. An... JOSH GERSTEIN http://www.nysun.com/foreign/gentle-olympic-critique-over-unused-protest-zones/84352/ Thu, 21 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EST The International Olympic Committee is offering a meek, couched critique of China for failing to grant any permits for demonstrations in the so-called protest zones that authorities announced to coincide with the Olympics. "We would, of course, welcome that the areas are genuinely used," a spokeswoman for the IOC, Giselle Davies, told a news conference yesterday, after stressing that the zones were not the responsibility of the local committee organizing the games. China's state-run news... JOSH GERSTEIN http://www.nysun.com/business/china-tv-network-is-big-winner-of-games/84318/ Thu, 21 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EST BEIJING — China's athletes may be raking in the gold medals, but the serious Olympic coin is being brought home by China's state-run broadcaster, China Central Television. CCTV stands to make hundreds of millions of dollars in profit on the Beijing Olympics, thanks to record viewership and a decade-old agreement with the International Olympic Committee that gives the government network the rights to broadcast the games at bargain-basement prices. CCTV is part of an Asian consortium, the Asian... JOSH GERSTEIN http://www.nysun.com/foreign/china-launches-olympic-size-headache/84259/ Wed, 20 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EST BEIJING — By staging the most costly and smoothly executed Olympic Games in history, China has created a big headache for cities planning or aiming to host future Games, but whether the Beijing Olympics alleviate any of China's woes at home or abroad, or perhaps aggravate them, is far from clear. According to official figures, China spent almost $2 billion to build and renovate facilities directly for the Olympics and a staggering $41 billion on related infrastructure projects, including at... JOSH GERSTEIN http://www.nysun.com/foreign/munich-massacre-widows-plead-for-olympic/84131/ Tue, 19 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EST At a memorial service last night in Beijing for Israeli athletes, coaches, and officials killed by Palestinian Arab terrorists at the Munich Olympics in 1972, two widows of the victims pleaded with the International Olympic Committee, including its honorary life president, Juan Antonio Samaranch, to make a formal recognition of the massacre a regular feature of the opening ceremony of the games. "We should have had this memorial in front of all the athletes, sponsored by the IOC. This is not an... JOSH GERSTEIN http://www.nysun.com/sports/brooklyn-native-snags-unexpected-medal-in-fencing/84089/ Mon, 18 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EST Note: Correction appended. BEIJING — Brooklyn native Keeth Smart staged two come-from-behind rallies to secure an unexpected silver medal for the American men's sabre fencing team here, but the third improbable surge he mounted fell short as America lost to France last night in the Olympic gold medal match. In a nerve-racking day of action, the American squad secured the silver by beating formidable teams from Hungary and Russia, each by a razor-thin, 45-44 margin. In both matches, the U.S... JOSH GERSTEIN http://www.nysun.com/foreign/if-you-cant-take-the-heat-call-off-the-briefing/84069/ Mon, 18 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EST International Olympic Committee and Beijing Olympic organizing officials who came under intense pressure from journalists at a news briefing Thursday came up with a way to deflect such attacks over the weekend: They cancelled the sessions. Asked why the "daily" press conferences scheduled for Saturday and Sunday were called off, an IOC spokeswoman said they were unnecessary. "In terms of the Games' operations, everything's been going pretty smoothly," the spokeswoman, Emmanuelle Moreau, said... JOSH GERSTEIN http://www.nysun.com/sports/foreign-press-organizers-clash-in-china/83967/ Fri, 15 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EST BEIJING — Tensions between foreign journalists and Olympic organizers are boiling over here, with the press accusing China of flagrantly breaching its promises not to interfere in news-gathering during the games and of stonewalling basic requests for information. At a combative daily news briefing yesterday, British, American, Australian, Hong Kong, and Japanese journalists browbeat a top Chinese Olympic official and a spokeswoman for the International Olympic Committee about the claims of... JOSH GERSTEIN http://www.nysun.com/foreign/rings-propaganda-points-for-chinese-press/83976/ Fri, 15 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EST A 21-point directive from the Chinese government's propaganda department instructs Chinese news outlets to keep quiet about any "emergencies" at the Olympics, to stay "positive" about security measures, and to ignore pro-independence groups from Xinjiang and Tibet, an Australian newspaper reported yesterday. The Sydney Morning Herald published what it said was the text of the instructions. "The telecast of sports events will be live ... in case of emergencies, no print is allowed to report on... JOSH GERSTEIN http://www.nysun.com/foreign/iranian-swimmer-not-punished-for-failing-to-swim/83885/ Thu, 14 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EST An Iranian swimmer who pulled out of an Olympic race with an Israeli athlete on Saturday will not be punished after International Olympic Committee official credited the Iranian's claim that he withdrew due to illness. Moments before the heats in the men's 100-meter breaststroke on Saturday, Mohammad Alirezaei backed out. He was to face a field that included Tom Be'eri of Israel. A spokeswoman for the IOC, Giselle Davies, initially said Mr. Alirezaei could be disqualified from the Olympics if... JOSH GERSTEIN http://www.nysun.com/foreign/rings-iranian-swimmer-not-punished-for-failing/83886/ Thu, 14 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EST IAn Iranian swimmer who pulled out of an Olympic race with an Israeli athlete on Saturday will not be punished after International Olympic Committee official credited the Iranian's claim that he withdrew due to illness. Moments before the heats in the men's 100-meter breaststroke on Saturday, Mohammad Alirezaei backed out. He was to face a field that included Tom Be'eri of Israel. A spokeswoman for the IOC, Giselle Davies, initially said Mr. Alirezaei could be disqualified from the Olympics if... JOSH GERSTEIN http://www.nysun.com/sports/us-badminton-greeted-by-a-rare-smattering-of-boos/83849/ Thu, 14 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EST BEIJING — The human exodus driven by the misery that followed the Vietnam War has given America some of its most vibrant immigrant communities, but hopes that the wave of refugees from Southeast Asia would help America win Olympic medals were dashed on the badminton court here yesterday, at least for this year. On Tuesday, a Vietnamese-American, Howard Bach, 29, and a Laotian-American, Khankham "Bob" Malaythong, 27, defeated a team from South Africa to win the right to face off against the no... JOSH GERSTEIN http://www.nysun.com/foreign/chinese-campus-meets-an-influx-of-us-athletes/83778/ Wed, 13 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EST BEIJING — Chinese students peer through the fences outside the exclusive American Olympic training center on a university campus here, hoping for a glimpse of Kobe Bryant or another basketball star, but behind the scenes there is grumbling and some intrigue over how the Americans ended up here and how much they paid for the privilege. Beginning in late July, the Americans took over large swaths of Beijing Normal University, also known as Beishida, to give American Olympians extra opportunities... JOSH GERSTEIN http://www.nysun.com/foreign/rings-china-accused-of-theatrical-deception/83751/ Wed, 13 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EST Chinese Olympic organizers were so intent on carrying off a flawless Opening Ceremony Friday night that they resorted to theatrical deception on at least two fronts. A televised sequence of 29-foot-shaped fireworks, which seemed to trudge from downtown Beijing to the new Bird's Nest stadium, included digitally-generated video, officials confirmed yesterday. Concerned that poor visibility might hamper television coverage of the fireworks as they took place, the faked, pre-recorded footage was... JOSH GERSTEIN http://www.nysun.com/sports/gold-and-a-world-record-for-bronx-born-swimmer/83699/ Tue, 12 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EST BEIJING — Seconds before the American men's swimming team won gold by shattering the world record in the 4x100-meter freestyle relay at the Olympics yesterday, the man who swam the third leg, Bronx-born Cullen Jones, was fretting not about his time, or the competition, but simply hauling himself onto the deck. "If you don't get out of the pool by the next swimmer that comes in, you're disqualified. My biggest goal was trying to make it to the ladder, because I was out of breath and I was afraid... JOSH GERSTEIN http://www.nysun.com/sports/a-moment-of-silence-and-then-yanks-taste-victory/83607/ Mon, 11 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EST BEIJING — In its Olympic debut here, the American men's volleyball team barely managed to eke out a victory over Venezuela, playing just one day after the father-in-law of the American head coach was stabbed to death at a popular tourist site near the main Olympic venues. RELATED: Survivor of Stabbing Attack Upgraded to Stable Condition. The unexpectedly difficult match for the American squad yesterday followed the bizarre attack Saturday afternoon on the family of the top coach, Hugh... JOSH GERSTEIN http://www.nysun.com/foreign/some-chinese-bloggers-pan-opening-ceremony/83702/ Mon, 11 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EST BEIJING — China's state-controlled newspapers are overflowing with praise for the lavish Opening Ceremony Olympic organizers staged Friday night, but some Chinese have taken to the Internet to skewer the performance and the film director who oversaw it, Zhang Yimou. Much of the criticism accused Mr. Zhang of relying too much on technology-intensive special effects, such as enormous image-bearing scrolls and thousand of performers clad in futuristic jumpsuits that lit up, while paying little... JOSH GERSTEIN http://www.nysun.com/foreign/beijing-nearly-set-for-a-dazzling-opening/83493/ Fri, 8 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EST BEIJING — For its first-ever Olympic Games, China is aiming to stage an opening ceremony on Friday night so elaborate and dazzling that it sweeps aside, at least briefly, persistent concerns about pollution, terrorism, and the wisdom of holding the world's most elite athletic competition in an authoritarian state. The 3 1/2-hour extravaganza at Beijing's newly built "Bird's Nest" stadium will feature 15,000 performers, a release of doves, the traditional march of the athletes, and the lighting... JOSH GERSTEIN http://www.nysun.com/foreign/heat-and-humidity-of-beijing-may-be-athletes/83464/ Fri, 8 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EST BEIJING — Intense attention to Beijing's air pollution has obscured the more basic challenge athletes could face from heat and stifling humidity as the Olympic Games get under way here Saturday. The official temperature in the Chinese capital soared to 96 degrees last weekend and the relative humidity reached 88% at one point. In certain outdoor venues, such the beach volleyball stadium in a park close to the city center, temperatures could surge well past 100 degrees. "That's a huge question... JOSH GERSTEIN http://www.nysun.com/foreign/actress-mia-farrow-seeks-to-cast-pall-over/83389/ Thu, 7 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EST BEIJING — In one of the most jarring acts of counterprogramming ever directed at the Olympic Games, a prominent American actress, Mia Farrow, is seeking to cast a pall over the early pageantry and celebration here by releasing a series of Web videos from African refugee camps that are home to thousands who have fled the genocide in Darfur. "The voices that should be heard at this time are the voices of the people who have suffered most, the people of Darfur," Ms. Farrow told The New York Sun... JOSH GERSTEIN http://www.nysun.com/foreign/new-embassy-is-a-firm-us-flag-in-china/83298/ Wed, 6 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EST BEIJING — A huge new American Embassy complex President Bush is set to dedicate here on Friday takes security requirements many architects might view as an albatross and deftly embraces them as part of a design strongly influenced by Chinese tradition. The $434 million compound, which will provide 600,000 square feet of office space, was designed by the San Francisco office of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, which won the contract in 2003 after a State Department-sponsored competition. Required to... JOSH GERSTEIN http://www.nysun.com/foreign/china-bars-american-gold-medalist-active-on-darfur/83299/ Wed, 6 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EST The Chinese government is barring an American Olympic gold medalist who has criticized China's policies toward Darfur from traveling to Beijing for the Olympics. In a statement sent to reporters via e-mail, the former Olympian, William "Joey" Cheek, said he was scheduled to fly to China today, but an official from the Chinese Embassy in Washington called last evening to advise him that his visa, issued a few weeks ago, had been canceled. Mr. Cheek, who won the gold in speed skating in 2006... JOSH GERSTEIN http://www.nysun.com/foreign/china-praises-solidarity-against-torch-run/83184/ Tue, 5 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EST BEIJING — With the 85,000-mile Olympic torch relay expected to end here tomorrow, China's government is praising Chinese living abroad for fighting against Tibet activists who have "sabotaged" the event. "The Olympic torch relay outside China has been interrupted and sabotaged by a small number of separatists for Tibet independence and they have damaged the image of China and damaged the sanctity of the Olympic flame," a Chinese vice minister for overseas Chinese affairs, Xu Yousheng, said at a... JOSH GERSTEIN http://www.nysun.com/foreign/chinese-press-16-police-killed-in-suspected/83195/ Tue, 5 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EST At least 16 police officers were killed and an equal number of people were injured after two assailants lobbed grenades at a group of police officers jogging in Kashgar in the largely Muslim region of Xinjiang in western China, according to China's state-run news agency, Xinhua. The agency called the incident, which also involved an attempt to ram a truck into the police group, "suspected terrorism." Two suspects were arrested, Xinhua said. Chinese officials have described a Muslim separatist...