White House: Drone Strikes on Americans 'Legal'

Feb 5, 2013 3:54pm

The White House today defended the use of targeted drone strikes against U.S. citizens abroad suspected of high-level terrorist activity, but declined to detail the criteria for ordering such an attack.

“Sometimes we use remotely piloted aircraft to conduct targeted strikes against specific al Qaeda terrorists in order to prevent attacks on the United States and to save American lives,” White House Press Secretary Jay Carney told reporters.

“We conduct those strikes because they are necessary to mitigate ongoing actual threats, to stop plots, to prevent future attacks and, again, save American lives. These strikes are legal, they are ethical, and they are wise,” he said.

U.S. Air Force

Administration lawyers found it is lawful to kill an American citizen if a “high-level” government official believes the target is an operational leader of al Qaeda who poses “an imminent threat of violent attack against the United States” and if capture is infeasible, according to a newly disclosed Justice Department document.

The 16-page white paper, first obtained by NBC News, finds there “exists no appropriate judicial forum to evaluate these constitutional considerations” and that the administration does not need to present evidence to a court before or after ordering such an attack.

“The condition that an operational leader present an ‘imminent’ threat of violent attack against the United States does not require the United States to have clear evidence that a specific attack on U.S. persons and interests will take place in the immediate future,” the document reads.

Carney repeatedly declined to discuss the details of the white paper.

“I would point you to the ample judicial precedent for the idea that someone who takes up arms against the United States in a war against the United States is an enemy and therefore could be targeted accordingly,” he told ABC News’ Jon Karl.

“[The president] takes his responsibility as commander in chief to protect the United States and its citizens very seriously. He takes the absolute necessity to conduct our war against al Qaeda and its affiliates in a way that’s consistent with the Constitution and our laws very seriously,” he said.

The white paper is believed to be a summary of the reported classified memo that outlined the legal justification for the drone attack that killed American-born radical cleric Anwar al-Awlaki in September 2011.

The American Civil Liberties Union has called the newly discovered document “profoundly disturbing.”

“It’s hard to believe that it was produced in a democracy built on a system of checks and balances. It summarizes in cold legal terms a stunning overreach of executive authority — the claimed power to declare Americans a threat and kill them far from a recognized battlefield and without any judicial involvement before or after the fact,” ACLU National Security Project director Hina Shamsi said in a written statement.

The Obama administration has carried out more than 300 CIA drown strikes in Pakistan, far more than his predecessor, President George W. Bush, according to the Bureau of Investigative Journalism.

Pressure is building from Capitol Hill for the White House to outline its legal authority to kill American citizens in counterterrorism operations.

“It is vitally important… for Congress and the American public to have a full understanding of how the executive branch interprets the limits and boundaries of this authority,” a group of eleven bipartisan Senators wrote in a letter to the president Monday, “so that Congress and the public can decide whether this authority has been properly defined, and whether the President’s power to deliberately kill American citizens is subject to appropriate limitations and safeguards.”

SHOWS: World News

Read More..

"Wild Thing" singer Reg Presley dies at 71

LONDON: Reg Presley, lead singer of British 1960s rock band The Troggs, has died aged 71, a friend said late Monday.

Presley, best known for hits including "Wild Thing" and "Love Is All Around", had announced a year ago that he was battling cancer and would retire from the band.

Veteran music journalist Keith Altham, a close friend of Presley's, wrote on his Facebook page that the singer had died "surrounded by family and friends" on Monday at his home in Andover, southeast England.

"My dear old pal Reg Presley of The Troggs died today," he wrote.

"He was one very real person in a sometimes very unreal world. Our thoughts are with his wife Brenda and the the family and those legion of fans who loved his music and his band. I will miss him hugely."

He added that the singer had suffered a number of recent strokes as well as being diagnosed with cancer.

Presley's daughter Karen told the music website WENN: "He passed away peacefully at home and myself, my brother and our mother were with him. We're absolutely heartbroken."

The singer had announced his retirement in January 2012 after he was taken ill during a gig in Germany the previous month.

"During my stay in hospital tests showed that in fact I have lung cancer," he wrote in a letter posted on the band's website.

"I am receiving chemotherapy treatment and at the moment not feeling too bad.

"However I've had to call time on The Troggs and retire. I would like to take this opportunity to thank you all for the cards and calls and for your love, loyalty and support over the years."

The Troggs' manager did not immediately respond when contacted by AFP.

-AFP/fl

Read More..

Boy safe, suspect dead after Alabama bunker standoff

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• NEW: Mom was whisked away to reunite with child, state legislator says


• FBI says boy was rescued after negotiators felt he was in danger


• Boy has been taken to a hospital in Dothan, another state legislator said


• Witness said he heard explosion followed by gunshots

Midland City, Alabama (CNN) -- A 5-year-old child abducted from a school bus six days ago is safe, and his kidnapper is dead, ending a nearly weeklong ordeal for the little boy, his family and a small Alabama town.

The child appeared to be OK when he was freed, law enforcement officials said. The boy was taken to Flowers Hospital in nearby Dothan, Alabama, state trooper Kevin Cook said.

The child -- identified only by his first name, Ethan -- was to be reunited with his mother and grandmother at the hospital, state Sen. Harri Anne Smith said.

The legislator said she was just arriving for an afternoon visit with Ethan's mother when authorities whisked away the mother and her family. Smith said the woman's smile, and the smiles of others, gave away the good news. The two hugged before authorities drove the mother away.

Ethan, the rescued boy, arrives on stretcher Monday at Flowers Hospital in Dothan, Alabama.

FBI Special Agent in Charge Steve Richardson at the scene said negotiations had broken down with 65-year-old Jimmy Lee Dykes, the child's abductor, and Dykes was "observed holding a gun."

Believing the child to be in imminent danger, an FBI team entered the bunker at 3:12 p.m. CT (4:12 p.m. ET) and rescued the boy, Richardson said, adding that the hostage-taker is dead.

One neighbor said he was outside when he was startled by the sound of an explosion.

"I heard a big boom and then ... I believe I heard rifle shots," said Bryon Martin, who owns a home near the bunker where the boy had been held since Tuesday.

It was a loud noise that "made me jump off the ground," he said.

After the good news spread through the community, travelers on a nearby highway honked their horns as they drove by.

The FBI had borrowed from the U.S. military high-tech detection equipment similar to the technology used to discover homemade bombs in war zones, three Defense Department officials told CNN.

It was unclear whether the equipment, which is not readily available to civilian law enforcement, had been used by the FBI.

One of the defense officials said no members of the military were involved in the rescue. They would have been acting a technical advisers, the official said.

Last Tuesday, police said, Dykes boarded a Dale County school bus and demanded the driver hand over two children.

The driver, Charles Albert Poland Jr., refused, blocking access to the bus's narrow aisle as at least 21 children escaped out of the back emergency door, authorities said.

The gunman killed Poland, then grabbed a kindergartner before barricading himself and the boy inside a nearby bunker he had built.

Smith said Monday that Ethan has siblings, but none of them were on the bus last week.

In the ensuing days, officials said little about what was going on in the bunker or in their strategy, or what -- if anything -- Dykes wanted.

"Based on our discussions with Mr. Dykes, he feels like he has a story that's important to him, although it's very complex," Dale County Sheriff Wally Olson said Monday before the hostage situation ended. He didn't elaborate.

Ethan suffers from Asperger's syndrome and attention deficit disorder, state Rep. Steve Clouse said during the week.

Dykes told authorities that he had blankets and a heater in the bunker, and authorities have previously said the bunker -- built 4 feet underground -- has electricity.

Authorities did not say how they were communicating with Dykes.

Meanwhile, residents and business owners in Midland City put up blue, red and black ribbons in support of the boy and Poland. Blue and red are the local school colors, and black is in honor of the slain bus driver.

The U.S. Navy confirmed Monday that Dykes served in the military from 1964 to 1969.

Naval records list him as an aviation maintenance administrationman third-class who served with units based in California and Atsugi, Japan. The job entails clerical work related to aircraft and aircraft maintenance, according to the Navy's job description.

Neighbors and officials had described Dykes as a survivalist with "anti-government" views.

Even as the hostage situation continued Monday morning, plenty of police were on hand as schools in neighboring Ozark, Alabama, reopened for the first time since the incident began.

Dale County schools remained closed but were to reopen on Tuesday, the district said.

In Ozark, school officials decided to begin strictly enforcing a 15-foot safety zone around school buses required by state law. The law prohibits any unauthorized adults, including parents, from approaching within 15 feet of a school bus stop. If an unauthorized adult gets too close, bus drivers are supposed to close bus doors or drive away, if necessary, school officials said

CNN's Victor Blackwell and Martin Savidge reported from Midland City; Carol Cratty and Barbara Starr contributed from Washington; Michael Pearson and Steve Almasy reported and wrote from Atlanta; and CNN's Vivian Kuo and Larry Shaughnessy also contributed to this report.

Read More..

Crashed bus owner failed one-third of safety inspections

YUCAIPA, Calif. The company linked to a tour bus involved in a deadly crash in Southern California failed more than a third of federal vehicle safety inspections in the last two years.

Play Video

Calif. tour bus crash kills at least 8

17 Photos

Tour bus crashes in Calif.

U.S. government records show that buses operated by the firm Scapadas Magicas of National City, Calif., flunked 36 percent of random inspections on their vehicles — in some cases for brake and tire problems.

That's higher than the national average for similar companies — a 21 percent failure rate.

Records also show the company had no crashes in the past two years.

The California company had an overall "satisfactory" rating from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, but records show three-quarters of similar companies had better safety records.

Lettering on the 1996 bus indicates it was operated by Scapadas Magicas.

At least seven people were killed in Sunday night's crash. More than three dozen people were injured, and at least 17 were still hospitalized, including at least five in critical condition. One is a girl.

Authorities lowered the death count from 8 to 7 on Monday.

The cause of the crash remains under investigation. The National Transportation Safety Board was sending a team to the scene.

CBS Station KCBS reports that the bus, carrying dozens of men, women and children from Tijuana, was on its way back to Mexico Sunday evening after a day in Big Bear when the driver lost control just after 6:30 p.m., about 60 miles east of Los Angeles.

Investigators say the bus flipped and landed on a pickup truck towing a trailer. A black Saturn was also rear-ended.

The crash left State Route 38 littered with body parts and debris, and the bus sideways across both lanes with its windows blown out, front end crushed and part of the roof peeled back like a tin can.

One person in the pickup truck was injured. The fate of the passengers in the car was not clear, but at least two people were in the Saturn, said California Highway Patrol spokesman Mario Lopez.

Investigators will determine if mechanical failure or driver error was to blame. The bus driver, who survived but was injured, told investigators the vehicle had brake problems.

"It appears speed was a factor in this collision," said Lopez.

Crews worked through the night to recover the dead, but one body remained aboard the bus early Monday, said Rocky Shaw, a San Bernardino County coroner's investigator.

Officials hadn't been able to retrieve the body because the front end of the bus was dangling over the edge of the roadside.

1/2

Read More..

Boy Safe, Kidnapper Dead After Hidden Camera Tip

A week-long standoff in Alabama, where a retired trucker held a 5-year-old boy hostage in an underground bunker, has ended with the kidnapper dead and the child safe, according to law enforcement.

Officials had been able to insert a high-tech camera into the bunker to monitor the movements of the suspect, Richard Lee Dykes, and they had become increasingly concerned that he might act out, according to a law enforcement source with direct knowledge.

"FBI agents safely recovered the child who's been held hostage for nearly a week," FBI Special Agent Steve Richardson said at a news conference.

The agent said negotiations with Dykes "deteriorated" in the past 24 hours.

"Mr. Dykes was observed holding a gun," Richardson said. "At this point, the FBI agents, fearing the child was in imminent danger, entered the bunker and rescued the child."

The boy, identified only as Ethan, "appears physically unharmed" and is being treated at a hospital, authorities said.

Joe Songer/AL.com/AP Photo

Alabama Hostage Crisis: Boy Held Captive for 7 Days Watch Video

Hostage Standoff: Drones Fly Over Alabama Bunker Watch Video

Dykes, 65, is dead, but officials have not yet provided details on how he died.

"Right now, FBI special agent bomb technicians are in the process of clearing the property for improvised explosive devices," the FBI said in a written statement. "When it is safe to do so, our evidence response teams, paired with state and local crime scene technicians, will process the scene."

PHOTOS: Worst Hostage Situations

Dykes allegedly shot and killed a school bus driver last week and threatened to kill all the children on the bus before taking the boy, one of the students on the bus said.

"He said he was going to kill us, going to kill us all," Tarrica Singletary, 14, told ABC News.

Dykes had been holed up in his underground bunker near Midland City, Ala., with the abducted boy for a week as police tried to negotiate with him through a PVC pipe. Police had used the talks to send the child comfort items, including a red Hot Wheels car, coloring books, cheese crackers, potato chips and medicine.

Dykes was a decorated Vietnam vet who grew up in the area. He lived in Florida until two years ago, the AP reported, and has an adult daughter, but the two lost touch years ago, neighbor Michael Creel said. When he returned to Alabama, neighbors say he once beat a dog with a lead pipe and had threatened to shoot children who set foot on his property.

Read More..

Bug protects itself by turning its environment to gold

Mythical King Midas was ultimately doomed because everything he touched turned to gold. Now, the reverse has been found in bacteria that owe their survival to a natural Midas touch.

Delftia acidovorans lives in sticky biofilms that form on top of gold deposits, but exposure to dissolved gold ions can kill it. That's because although metallic gold is unreactive, the ions are toxic.

To protect itself, the bacterium has evolved a chemical that detoxifies gold ions by turning them into harmless gold nanoparticles. These accumulate safely outside the bacterial cells.

"This could have potential for gold extraction," says Nathan Magarvey of McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, who led the team that uncovered the bugs' protective trick. "You could use the bug, or the molecules they secrete."

He says the discovery could be used to dissolve gold out of water carrying it, or to design sensors that would identify gold-rich streams and rivers.

The protective chemical is a protein dubbed delftibactin A. The bugs secrete it into the surroundings when they sense gold ions, and it chemically changes the ions into particles of gold 25 to 50 nanometres across. The particles accumulate wherever the bugs grow, creating patches of gold.

Deep purple gold

But don't go scanning streams for golden shimmers: the nanoparticle patches do not reflect light in the same way as bigger chunks of the metal – giving them a deep purple colour.

When Magarvey deliberately snipped out the gene that makes delftibactin A, the bacteria died or struggled to survive exposure to gold chloride. Adding the protein to the petri dish rescued them.

The bacterium Magarvey investigated is one of two species that thrive on gold, both identified a decade or so ago by Frank Reith of the University of Adelaide in Australia. In 2009 Reith discovered that the other species, Cupriavidus metallidurans, survives using the slightly riskier strategy of changing gold ions into gold inside its cells.

"If delftibactin is selective for gold, it might be useful for gold recovery or as a biosensor," says Reith. "But how much dissolved gold is out there is difficult to say."

Journal reference: Nature Chemical Biology, DOI: 10.1038/NCHEMBIO.1179

If you would like to reuse any content from New Scientist, either in print or online, please contact the syndication department first for permission. New Scientist does not own rights to photos, but there are a variety of licensing options available for use of articles and graphics we own the copyright to.

All comments should respect the New Scientist House Rules. If you think a particular comment breaks these rules then please use the "Report" link in that comment to report it to us.

If you are having a technical problem posting a comment, please contact technical support.

Read More..

Afghan and Pakistani presidents in Britain for talks

LONDON: Afghan President Hamid Karzai and his Pakistani counterpart Asif Ali Zardari are set to hold key talks Monday with British Prime Minister David Cameron on the Afghan peace process.

The summit at Cameron's Chequers country retreat near London is aimed at boosting cooperation between Afghanistan and Pakistan, amid growing fears that a civil war could erupt when international troops leave Afghanistan next year.

"This trilateral process sends a very clear message to the Taliban -- now is the time for everyone to participate in a peaceful political process in Afghanistan," a British government spokeswoman said.

Support from Pakistan, which backed Afghanistan's 1996-2001 Taliban regime, is seen as crucial to peace after NATO troops depart -- but relations between the neighbours remain uneasy despite some recent improvements.

Both Kabul and Washington have regularly accused Pakistan of helping to destabilise Afghanistan.

But Afghan peace negotiators have welcomed Pakistan's release of dozens of Taliban prisoners in recent months, a move they believe could help bring militants to the negotiating table.

Cameron hosted a private dinner for Karzai and Zardari at Chequers on Sunday evening, ahead of Monday's in-depth talks between the leaders and their officials.

These are the third trilateral talks in a year following meetings in Kabul in July and New York last September -- but they are the first in which Pakistani and Afghan army and intelligence chiefs will also take part.

In an interview with Britain's Guardian newspaper and ITV television station released late Sunday, Karzai said the biggest threat to peace in Afghanistan was not the Taliban, but meddling from foreign powers.

"Peace will only come when the external elements involved in creating instability and fighting, or lawlessness in Afghanistan, are involved in talks," he said, without naming any particular country.

The president also suggested Western troops had been "fighting in the wrong place" in Afghanistan, saying security in the southern Helmand province was better before British troops arrived there.

A statement released by his office said the talks in Britain would be "focused on ways to accelerate peace process in Afghanistan and further strengthen cooperations between Afghanistan and Pakistan in the fight against terrorism and extremism".

Karzai is also due to meet the heir to the British throne Prince Charles during his three-day trip to Britain, which began on Saturday.

Britain still has around 9,000 troops in Afghanistan ahead of a scheduled withdrawal in 2014.

Afghan soldiers and police are taking on responsibility for battling Taliban militants from the 100,000 NATO troops due to depart by the end of next year.

But more than 60 foreign soldiers were killed in 2012 in "insider attacks" by members of Afghanistan's security forces, which have bred mistrust and threatened to derail the training process.

Afghan forces are also increasingly being targeted by Taliban bombers as they take on a greater security role.

-AFP/ac

Read More..

Former Navy SEAL is shot dead at Texas gun range

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• NEW: The gun range was in a "very remote area" with no witnesses, an official says


• The two men killed, Chris Kyle and Chad Littlefield, worked to help veterans with PTSD


• The suspect confessed to his sister, but not to police, authorities say


• Eddie Ray Routh is held on $3 million bond after being arraigned on murder charges

(CNN) -- A former Navy SEAL known for claiming a record number of sniper killings in Iraq was one of two men shot dead at a Texas gun range, allegedly at the hands of a fellow military veteran, officials say.

Chris Kyle, the author of the best-selling "American Sniper," and Chad Littlefield, also a veteran, were gunned down Saturday afternoon on the grounds of the expansive Rough Creek Lodge and Resort in Glen Rose, Texas, southwest of Fort Worth, law enforcement officials said.

About four hours afterward, and 90 miles from where those two men's bodies were found by a hunting guide, authorities arrested suspect Eddie Ray Routh, 25, on a capital murder warrant.

Routh's family members could not be reached immediately for comment Sunday. No attorney has made a public statement on his behalf.

Eddie Ray Routh, a former Marine, is believed to have left the service in 2010

Erath County Sheriff Tommy Bryant said Sunday that he believes the suspect is in the process of seeking a court-appointed attorney.

While Routh's sister said he had admitted shooting Kyle and Littlefield, he didn't explain to her why he did it, Bryant said. Routh isn't believed to have confessed to local authorities about killing the two men. The motive for the killings is unclear.

"I don't know that we'll ever know," Erath County Sheriff's Capt. Jason Upshaw said Sunday. "(Routh) is the only one that knows that."

Sheriff: Suspect spent four years in Marines

The Rough Creek Lodge is a large facility that draws couples getting married, business people using its conference center and families looking for a getaway. Hunting and shooting sports are some of the many recreational options available on its grounds.

Kyle, Littlefield and Routh were three such visitors, arriving together around 3:15 p.m. (4:15 p.m. ET) Saturday and proceeding to a shooting range within the resort's 11,000 acres, Bryant told reporters Sunday. The range is in a "very remote part" of the sprawling complex, Upshaw explained.

"So there wasn't anybody anywhere close to that," he said, explaining there are no known witnesses.

The first sign something was wrong came when a hunting guide tied to the facility found 38-year-old Kyle and 35-year-old Littlefield -- both unconscious -- around 5 p.m., Bryant said.

He went to the lodge and called 911. Law enforcement officers followed up and found the bodies but no sign of Routh. He had taken off in Kyle's black Ford pickup, the Erath County sheriff said.

Around the time an all-points bulletin went out for that truck, authorities got a call from Routh's sister, who reported that her brother had driven about 65 miles to her home in Midlothian, Texas, and admitted to shooting Kyle and Littlefield.

Routh left his sister's house, and police eventually caught up with him -- and the truck -- shortly before 8 p.m. at his home in Lancaster, a Dallas suburb some 90 miles northeast of the shooting scene. While talking with authorities outside, he'd somehow gotten back in the truck and sped away.

Authorities chased him and finally stopped him, around 9 p.m., after spiking his tires some four to six miles down the road, according to Bryant.

Routh did not struggle with officers as they were arresting him, Bryant said. On Sunday morning, he was arraigned on murder charges and ordered held on $3 million bond.

After that, Routh sat in a jail cell "all by himself," separated from the rest of the inmate population and watched closely by guards, according to Bryant.

So who is Eddie Ray Routh?

The sheriff said that Routh spent four years in the Marines. He is believed to have left the service in 2010, according to a U.S. military official who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the situation. The official did not have information on where Routh served or whether he took part in combat.

Public records show Routh previously lived at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina, though his latest address was in Lancaster, Texas.

At the time of shooting, he was unemployed. Bryant said that Routh's mother, a longtime schoolteacher, "may have reached out to Mr. Kyle to try and help her son."

'He led by example,' Kyle's friend says

Kyle learned to shoot on hunting trips with his father, then went on to serve four combat tours in Iraq with the SEALs, though his official biography notes he also worked with Army and Marine units. He received two Silver Stars and other commendations before leaving the Navy in 2009 -- claiming that, in his years as a sniper, he'd killed more than 150 people, which he called a record for an American.

In the interview with Time magazine (like CNN, a part of Time Warner), Kyle said he did not regret any of his kills. He also said he was "comfortable" with the possibility that that part of his life might be over.

He added, "I'm a better husband and father than I was a killer."

After having worked under the radar for so many years, he became a celebrity with the 2012 release of his book, which became a New York Times best-seller.

Defending his decision to divulge so much detail despite the secretive nature of the SEAL world, Kyle told Time that he was "not trying to glory myself."

"I didn't want to put the number of kills I had in there," he said. "I wanted to get it out about the sacrifices military families have to make."

He said that while killing did not come easy at first, he knew it meant saving lives.

"The first time, you're not even sure you can do it," he said in the interview. "But I'm not over there looking at these people as people. I'm not wondering if he has a family. I'm just trying to keep my guys safe. Every time I kill someone, he can't plant an (improvised explosive device). You don't think twice about it."

At one point, Kyle wrote, he shot a woman who was carrying a grenade while with her toddler. But he did not kill a child in Baghdad's Sadr City area who had a rocket-propelled grenade launcher. "According to the rules of engagement at the time, you could kill anyone with an RPG on sight. That day I just couldn't kill the kid. He'll probably grow up and fight us, but I just didn't want to do it.

He said the American public lives "in a dream world. You have no idea what goes on on the other side of the world. The harsh realities that these people are doing to themselves and then to our guys. And there are certain things that need to be done to take care of them."

After leaving the military, he founded Craft International, a military training company. Kyle also spoke up on current events, including accusing President Barack Obama of being "against the Second Amendment" because of his gun control initiatives, according to a video interview with guns.com.

'Military-style' weapons and the law

The married father of two children established the nonprofit Fitco Cares Foundation to help veterans battling PTSD get access to exercise equipment.

Littlefield, who leaves behind a wife and children, was a friend and another veteran who worked to help people with PTSD, said Fitco Director Travis Cox.

In a statement, the foundation described Kyle as an "American hero" and pledged to carry on his mission.

"What began as a plea for help from Chris looking for in-home fitness equipment for his brothers- and sisters-in-arms" struggling with PTSD turned into an organization that will continue after his death," Cox said in a statement.

"Chris died doing what he filled his heart with passion -- serving soldiers struggling with the fight to overcome PTSD. His service, life and premature death will never be in vain. May God watch over his family and all those who considered Chris a true friend."

His friend, Jason Kos, offered similarly glowing sentiments, telling CNN's "Early Start Weekend" that Kyle was "a man of incredible character."

"He led by example," Kos said. "He always stopped to take time to talk to whoever was around him. Just incredibly humble, very funny as well."

CNN's Susan Candiotti, AnneClaire Stapleton, Barbara Starr, Emily Smith and Nick Valencia contributed to this report.

Read More..

Sandy Hook choir, Hudson delight Super Bowl crowd

NEW ORLEANS As 26 children in white polo shirts excitedly walked to center of the Superdome field and prepared to sing, a packed Super Bowl crowd revved up by a day of partying in the Big Easy fell silent.

The chorus from Sandy Hook Elementary School, nearly two months removed from a deadly shooting rampage, joined Jennifer Hudson to deliver a stirring rendition of "America the Beautiful" on Sunday that had some players on the sideline and countless fans in the stands on the verge of tears.

Judging by the responses on social media, the performance appeared destined to become one of the most poignant memories of the Super Bowl, regardless of what played out in the game.

"Sandy hook elementary chorus singing America the beautiful and Alicia keys national anthem makes me proud to be American," model Kate Upton said on her Twitter page.

22 Photos

Super Bowl XLVII highlights

Gerald Rokoff, standing near a portal in the Superdome's upper deck, turned and said, "Beyond beautiful," when the children finished singing.

Sandy Hook is the school in Newtown, Conn., where 20 first-graders and six adults were killed by a gunman on Dec. 14.

An NFL spokesman said no one with the chorus was available for interviews, but a statement was delivered on behalf of the school.

"We have come to New Orleans to represent the Sandy Hook Family and the community of Newtown, Connecticut," the statement said. "Our wish is to demonstrate to America and the world that, `We are Sandy Hook and We Choose Love."'

The children wore green ribbons on their white shirts, which seemed to symbolize the innocence of youth, and stood in two rows of 13 on the NFL's red, white and blue shield logo for the performance. Many smiled excitedly as they sang the first verse. Then Hudson, wearing a black blouse and long, white skirt, fronted them for a second verse that showcased her sterling voice.

Baltimore Ravens coach John Harbaugh watched with his left arm around daughter, Alison, and his right hand over his heart.

Ravens nose tackle Terrence Cody could be seen on the stadium's video board tilting his head back, appearing to hold back tears.

Fans offered a rousing ovation at the finish, and the chorus then trotted to the 20-yard line and turned, with their hands on their hearts, to watch Alicia Keys sing the national anthem.

Caitlin Hamilton, a 22-year-old English teacher from Dodge City, Kansas, said on Twitter she thought the performance would, without a doubt, be the best part of the Super Bowl.

"It just shows that they're still persevering despite what's happened to them," Hamilton said. "It was a great way to lift up the people of Sandy Hook as well, and to let them know that the people of America support them."

Hamilton said that as a teacher, when she thinks about the shooting she thinks of herself in the same situation. She said Hudson did well leading the song, but the kids were the main event.

"I thought the kids were more inspirational that they could get up there and sing despite everything that had happened to them," she said.

During the season, NFL stars including Victor Cruz of the Giants and Chris Johnson of the Titans honored victims of the Sandy Hook rampage during games by writing the names of the victims' on their shoes.

Read More..

Super Bowl XLVII Live Blog: Lights Out

Matt Slocum/AP Photo

8:54  p.m. ET: The AC is apparently also out at the closed stadium, and people say it’s getting hot in there with such a huge crowd and the lights that are on.

8:51  p.m. ET: Considering the score, the fact that this power outage delay may last as long as 20 minutes, and the fact that the halftime show is over, I wonder how many people are tuning out right about now.

8:51  p.m. ET: Power surge to blame, apparently.

8:48  p.m. ET: “Bring Beyonce Back” trending on Twitter now.

8:45  p.m. ET: Players trying to stay warmed up on the field, and fans sound like they’re getting really antsy.

8:44  p.m. ET: Commercials cost around $4 million for a 30-second spot, and with these extra commercial breaks, some of them might really be getting their money’s worth.

8:40  p.m. ET:  Sideline reporter says half the lights in the stadium are out, including the scoreboard.

8:40  p.m. ET: 100 million people are expected to be watching the game today…a game that is suddenly not happening as the power cut out during the third quarter.

8:38  p.m. ET: Cut to commercial as the power goes out at the stadium. The game just got even stranger.

8:38  p.m. ET: And the power is out at the Super Dome.

8:37  p.m. ET: Kaepernick sacked for a loss of 6. 3rd and 13.

8:35  p.m. ET: 49ers to start their drive at the 13-yard line.

8:34  p.m. ET:  The biggest deficit ever overcome in the Super Bowl is ten points. It’s been done twice.

Ronald Martinez/Getty Images

8:32  p.m. ET: That was fast (11 seconds to be exact) – a 109-yard kickoff return touchdown by Jacoby Jones. An all-time NFL record. 28-6 Ravens.

8:32  p.m. ET: TOUCHDOWN RAVENS.

8:31  p.m. ET: Back to football. Ravens to receive to start off.

8:27  p.m. ET: First Lady Michelle Obama liked the halftime show. She just tweeted “Watching the #SuperBowl with family & friends.@Beyonce was phenomenal! I am so proud of her! -mo” from her FLOTUS twitter account.

8:22  p.m. ET: And Beyonce ends an impressive and energetic halftime performance with “Halo.”

8:19  p.m. ET: Looks like the DC reunion is over – it was fun while it laster!

Gerald Herbert/AP Photo

8:16  p.m. ET: Destiny’s Child reunion for “Bootylicious!”

8:14  p.m. ET: So many Beyonces!

8:12  p.m. ET: For the halftime performance, there are 135 dancers on the field, and 2,000 fans. And really cool visuals on the stage.

8:10  p.m. ET: Beyonce kicks off the halftime show with “Love on Top” followed by “Crazy in Love.”

8:07  p.m. ET: Here’s what the President and First Lady are eating at their Super Bowl party: Chesapeake Crab Cakes and San Francisco Cioppino Stew with Sourdough Toast. There are also wings, and they’re drinking Anchor Steam and Clipper City beers.

8:05  p.m. ET: Still, the 49ers rallied from a 17-0 deficit to make it to the Super Bowl so it’s tough to count them out just halfway through.

8:04  p.m. ET: Ravens dominating so far, and it’s not even really close. While the teams take a breather, Beyonce heads to the field for the half time show.

8:00  p.m. ET: First half ends with a Ray Lewis sack. The likely future Hall of Famer is retiring after this game. Strangely enough, his first NFL sack was of Jim Harbaugh – who is currently coaching the 49ers. Also in that game? Randy Moss, who is currently having a rough game for the 49ers.

7:59  p.m. ET: Field goal is Good. 21-6 Ravens at the half.

7:58  p.m. ET: Really looks like the big game jitters are getting to Kaepernick. Ray Lewis sack brings out Akers for a field goal attempt.

7:55  p.m. ET: Fun Fact – Kaepernick was drafted by the Chicago Cubs as a pitcher in 2009. You can see the pitcher still in him with some of these throws.

7:54  p.m. ET: 49ers back in the red zone after a few big gains. They still have two timeouts with less than one minute left in the second quarter.

7:52  p.m. ET: 15-yard penalty and automatic first down for the 49ers on a roughing the passer call.

7:50  p.m. ET: That’s Flacco’s 11th touchdown pass this postseason.

Dave Martin/AP Photo

7:49  p.m. ET: 21 – 3 Baltimore as incredible throw, catch and run lead to a touchdown for the Ravens. 49ers have A LOT of  work to do in the second half.

7:48  p.m. ET: TOUCHDOWN RAVENS.

7:45  p.m. ET: No flag on what looked like offensive pass interference as Culliver breaks up a Flacco long throw, and we hit the two-minute warning.

7:44  p.m. ET: 2nd and 10 for the Ravens with 2 minutes left in the second quarter. The Ravens will be receiving the ball at the beginning of the second half.

7:41  p.m. ET: Kaepernick, who had been noted for his great decision making calls under pressure, is having a rough game so far. At 25 years old, this start is only the tenth pro start of his career.

7:39  p.m. ET: Awesome 9-year-old girl football player Sam Gordon is in the house!

Obtained by ABC News

7:37  p.m. ET: Volkswagen’s controversial ad just aired – here’s Jamaica’s reaction to it.

Harry How/Getty Images

7:37  p.m. ET: Gutsy fake field goal call considering the Ravens’ rookie kicker is about as sure a thing as there is for points.

7:36  p.m. ET: Tricky – fake field goal by the Ravens, but short of a first down.

7:34  p.m. ET: Almost an interception by the Niners, but it’s just an incomplete pass by Flacco. 3rd and 9.

7:31  p.m. ET: Another first down for the Ravens.

7:30  p.m. ET: Personal fouls by both teams cancel each other out. Ravens first down at 49ers 38.

7:29  p.m. ET: That interception is evidently the first time a 49ers quarterback has ever been intercepted in the Super Bowl (that’s five previous games). And Reed ties the record with his 9th postseason interception.

Jamie Squire/Getty Images

7:28  p.m. ET: Interception by Baltimore but flag is down and teams fighting on the field.

7:24  p.m. ET: After that commercial about sports fans’ superstitions – here’s an interesting article about when those superstitions cross the line into OCD.

7:22  p.m. ET: Penalties and that fumble killing San Francisco so far. 14-3 Ravens. Ten touchdowns and no interceptions so far this postseason for Flacco.

Harry How/Getty Images

7:22  p.m. ET: TOUCHDOWN BALTIMORE.

7:21  p.m. ET: Automatic first and goal for Ravens after another penalty – a personal foul on 49ers’ Whitner.

7:20  p.m. ET: Flacco connects with Dickson, and a flag is down.

7:19  p.m. ET: While they’re on the subject of Patrick Willis, here’s an interesting story about him and his “brother for life,” the Baltimore’s Michael Oher.

7:17  p.m. ET: Another first down for the Ravens. That’s 4/5 third down conversions for the Ravens so far.

7:16  p.m. ET: Major change of momentum, as Ravens get gain of about 5 after 49ers fumble.

7:12  p.m. ET: Fumble recovered by Ravens. First down for Baltimore.

7:12  p.m. ET: Another first down for the Niners.

7:11  p.m. ET: Another first down on gain of eleven with reception by Davis. Another another small scuffle breaks out. Teams clearly (obviously) passionate.

7:10  p.m. ET: Looks like Davis is okay – gain of 29 yards on great throw from Kaepernick.

7:08  p.m. ET: First Harbaugh parent sightings of the night! They’ve said tonight will be really bittersweet for them.

7:08  p.m. ET: They may be brothers, but side-by-side comparison of the Harbaugh brothers’ reactions to last play show totally different styles.

7:05  p.m. ET: Flacco sacked with 12 seconds left in quarter.

7:04  p.m. ET: Incomplete throw by Flacco with 17 seconds left in the 1st quarter.

7:03  p.m. ET: Unbelievable throw and catch by Boldin for 31-yards.

7:02  p.m. ET: 3rd and 7 for Ravens after incomplete pass by Flacco.

7:00  p.m. ET: 9-yard gain for the Ravens. Ed Reed in locker room for evaluation.

6:57  p.m. ET: Jacoby Jones returns kick to the 22-yard line. Ravens’ Ed Reed and 49ers’ Vernon Davis both apparently being checked out after Reed hit Davis on previous drive.

Harry How/Getty Images

6:55  p.m. ET: And to the relief of 49ers fans, David Akers field goal attempt is good. 7-3 Ravens.

6:54  p.m. ET: Kaepernick sacked. 49ers going for field goal.

6:53  p.m. ET: Davis out and being worked on by trainers. Second and goal, incomplete in the end zone, off of Crabtree’s hands.

6:52  p.m. ET: Vernon Davis, a super speedy tight end, with another first down on a 24-yard reception from Kaepernick. 1st and goal.

6:51 p.m. ET: And Gore with another first down.

6:50 p.m. ET: Kaepernick scrambles for a gain of seven, 2nd and 3.

6:50 p.m. ET: Kaepernick, who shocked the league with his legs when he took over from Alex Smith, gets a 1st down and then some.

6:49 p.m. ET: Gore gains nine, after having a rough few carries early.

6:48 p.m. ET: Huge, 19-yard game for Michael Crabtree, who broke out this season once Kaepernick took over the starting QB job.

6:46 p.m. ET: Already looking to be a really physical game as scuffle between players breaks out after 49ers loss of two yards.

6:45 p.m. ET: And here’s the GoDaddy commercial everybody has already been talking about – supermodel makes out with Hollywood’s favorite extra.

6:44 p.m. ET: Penalties already hurting the 49ers – big game jitters?

McNamee/Getty Images

6:41 p.m. ET: And the extra point is good. 7-0 Ravens

6:40 p.m. ET: TOUCHDOWN BALTIMORE. Ravens take an early lead with a reception by Anquan Boldin.

6:39 p.m. ET: On 3rd and 9, same thing happens, but flag is down for defensive offsides – five yard penalty and replay of 3rd down.

6:39 p.m. ET: Given some time, Flacco throws ball beyond end zone for an incompletion on 2nd and 9.

6:38 p.m. ET: Ravens QB, Joe Flacco, known for his exceptionally strong arm, gets the ball to Torrey Jones at the SF 19.

6:37 p.m. ET: And a first down for the Ravens from SF 39.

6:36 p.m. ET: Better start for the Ravens, who pick up eight yards on their first down of the game.

6:36 p.m. ET: And the first drive of the game goes nowhere; Andy Lee punts on 4th down, and Jacoby Jones returns to near the 50-yard line.

6:34 p.m. ET: On first and 15, no gain for 49ers all-time leading rusher, Frank Gore.

6:33 p.m. ET: Five yard penalty for the 49ers for illegal formation.

6:32 p.m. ET: Kaepernick connects with Vernon Davis for a gain of 20, but a flag is down.

6:31 p.m. ET: Here we go – 49ers start the first drive at the 20-yard line.

6:28 p.m. ET: Ravens chose heads, and elected to defer their choice until the second half. 49ers to receive at kickoff.

6:27 p.m. ET: Newest members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame join the team captains for the coin toss.

6:22 p.m. ET: Alicia Keys performs the Star Spangled Banner, wearing a red dress and playing a white piano at the 50-yard line.

6:21 p.m. ET: Joint Armed Forces Color Guard present the flags.

6:20 p.m. ET: Hudson wearing a green ribbon in honor of the victims of the Sandy Hook school shooting while performing with the students.

Jamie Squire/Getty Images

6:19 p.m. ET: In a touching performance, Sandy Hook Elementary School students perform “America the Beautiful,” with Jennifer Hudson.

6:18 p.m. ET: Jason Witten wins the 2012 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award.

6:12 p.m. ET: And out come the 49ers.

6:11 p.m. ET: The Ravens players are introduced in the stadium to a raucous crowd.

6:09 p.m. ET: And another historic first tonight – the two head coaches are brothers, born just 15 months apart. John Harbaugh, 50, is in his fifth season as the Baltimore Ravens head coach, and has won playoff games in each of his previous seasons. Jim Harbaugh, 49, is in his second season as head coach of the San Francisco 49ers, leading his team to the playoffs both seasons.

6:05 p.m. ET: The San Francisco 49ers are going for their 6th Lombardi trophy, which would tie them for the most championships ever with the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Baltimore Ravens are trying for their second Super Bowl victory. Neither team has ever lost a Super Bowl game – and at the end of the night, there will only be one team left in the NFL to have never lost a Super Bowl game.

6:00 p.m. ET: It’s here – the biggest spectacle in American sports, the Super Bowl. We’ll be covering the game, performances and, of course, the commercials right here.

It’s been an incredible season so far, and everything has led up to tonight’s game in New Orleans, where the NFC Champion San Francisco 49ers face the AFC Champion Baltimore Ravens in Super Bowl XLVII. Keep refreshing for the latest updates throughout what promises to be a great game.

Read More..