CCC TO CELEBRATE
CHINESE NEW YEAR
[ See CCC B3]
Mustang Daily
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Toyota
to start
fixing
recalled
cars this
week
By Nick Bunkley
DETROIT — Toyota Motor
on Monday said repairs to
accelerator pedals in millions of
recalled vehicles would begin
later this week as it tried to
reassure customers and show
that it had the situation under
control.
Toyota said many
dealers had extended hours and
some would stay open around
the clock so that the pedals
could be fixed as quickly as
possible.
The president of
Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A.,
James Lentz, maintained
that the pedal repairs, along
with modifications aimed at
preventing the pedal from
getting trapped under the floor
mat, would resolve the problems
with unintended acceleration
that prompted the recalls.
“These two fixes
solve the issues that we know
of,” Mr. Lentz said on a
conference call with reporters.
“It is not an electronics issue.”
Mr. Lentz maintained
that the vehicles under recall
were safe to drive, even before
the repairs were made, unless
drivers experienced signs that
the pedal had become worn and
was more difficult to use.
Toyota Pressroom
“I feel comfortable
having people that are close
to me driving our products,”
he said. “That’s what I tell
my friends and neighbors
when they as me as well. I am
confident that these vehicles are
safe.”
The company said its
engineers had developed and
“rigorously tested” a remedy
that involved reinforcing the
pedal before vehicles leave
the factory to eliminate excess
friction. On cars and trucks that
already have been sold, dealers
will perform what Toyota said
was an “effective and simple”
process that involved installing
a steel reinforcement bar into
the pedal assembly to reduce
the surface tension that could
cause it to stick.
Toyota said that the
parts needed were already on
the way to dealers and that it
had begun training workers
[See TOYOTA D4]
Today’s Weather
Partly Cloudy:
With temperatures
risingtowards the
low 60’s. Winds
light and variable.
60/48
ASI TO TAKE 10%
BUDGET DECREASE
CAL POLY TIMES
Obama pledges to repeal
‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ this year
President promises ban on gays in the military will end this year
By Julian E. Barned and Kate Linthicum
Reporting from Los Angeles and
Washington-- President Obama said
he wanted action this year to abolish
policies that prohibited gays from
openly serving in the military, for the
first time establishing a timetable for
one of his long-held goals.
Obama called for repeal
of the 1993 "don't ask, don't tell" law
near the end of his State of the Union
speech, addressing the issue in a
single, passing mention, but rekindling
the debate between supporters and
opponents of the move.
"This year, I will work
with Congress and our military to
finally repeal the law that denies
gay Americans the right to serve the
country they love because of who they
are," Obama said. "It's the right thing
to do."
During his presidential
campaign, Obama promised to end
"don't ask, don't tell," but has not
pushed the issue as president, to
the disappointment of supporters,
including gays and lesbians.
Some saw his mention of the
issue Wednesday as a reminder to an
important constituency that he remains
on their side. But the lack of a specific
plan or instructions to the military left
supporters of repeal discouraged.
"We wish we had heard him
speak of concrete steps tonight," said
Rea Carey, executive director of the
National Gay and Lesbian Task Force.
82nd Annual Oscar
Nominations
Announded
ABC
By Susan King
"Avatar" and "The Hurt Locker"
have been duking it out all awards
season. Now, the two films face their
final showdown: They enter the 82nd
annual Academy Awards prizefight
with nine nominations apiece.
The films – which,
coincidentally, are by former husband-
and-wife James Cameron and Kathryn
Bigelow – couldn't be more different.
"Avatar" is an eye-popping 3-D
science-fiction studio extravaganza:
It is the most expensive film ever
made and has gone on to be the most
successful film ever, earning more
than $2 billion so far, worldwide.
By contrast, "The Hurt Locker" is a
gritty, low-budget, independent film
about a bomb-disposal unit in the Iraq
War. Though it has earned plenty of
accolades this awards season, it has
yet to crack the $13-million mark at
the box office.
The films are two of the best
picture nominees announced Tuesday
morning by the Academy of Motion
Picture Arts & Sciences, among an
eclectic mix that included another
sci-fi hit, "District 9," another war
film, "Inglourious Basterds" and the
animated hit "Up," which is only the
second animated film ever to receive a
nod in this category.
Though it was no surprise
that "Precious: Based on the Novel
'Push' by Sapphire" and "Up in the Air"
earned best picture nods, there were
some unexpected choices, including
"The Blind Side," "An Education" and
"A Serious Man."
[ See ASI B2]
Mustang Daily
cptimes.com
"The next time the president speaks
about our community, we expect him
to provide a concrete blueprint."
Opponents of letting gays
openly serve criticized Obama for the
stand.
"At a time when our armed
forces are fighting and sacrificing on
the battlefield, now is not the time to
abandon the policy," said Sen. John
McCain (R.-Ariz.), Obama's opponent
in the 2008 presidential election.
Republicans pledged to
block any legislative push for repeal.
But Democrats, citing polls that show
up to 69% of voters support allowing
gays to serve in the military, have
urged the White House to work to
change the law.
"We look forward to
working with him on this issue of
fundamental fairness and supporting
the patriotic Americans who serve
-- and wish to serve -- our country
in uniform," House Speaker Nancy
Pelosi (D- San Francisco) said in a
statement.
Pentagon Press Secretary
Geoff Morrell said Wednesday that
Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates
would elaborate on the administration's
plans in the coming days.
Within the military, there
have been signals that the services
would be more receptive to a shift than
they were in 1993. Articles in military
publications have cast doubt on the
Noticeably missing from
the best picture list was the summer
blockbuster "Star Trek," which some
had thought would have a shot given
the expanded best picture field and its
recent Producers Guild of America
nomination. Still, with "Avatar" and
"District 9" nominations for best film,
a sci-fi flick has its best chance yet of
finally winning Oscar's top award.
The academy's
announcement marked the first time in
66 years that there were 10 nominees
in this marquee category, instead of
the traditional five. The last time the
academy went this route, "Casablanca"
took home Oscar gold as the best
picture of 1943.
Other top nominees Tuesday
morning were "Inglourious Basterds"
with eight, "Precious" and "Up in the
Air" with six apiece, and "Up," which,
in addition to its best picture nod
also earned four other nominations,
including best animated film.
The nominees for best
director were as expected. They
included: Cameron for "Avatar,"
Kathryn Bigelow for "The Hurt
Locker," Lee Daniels for "Precious,"
Quentin Tarantino for "Inglourious
Basterds" and Jason Reitman for "Up
in the Air."
But two of the nominees
were nonetheless noteworthy:
Bigelow, who won the Directors Guild
of America Award over the weekend,
is only the fourth woman to earn a best
director nod. Daniels is just the second
African American filmmaker to earn
LEWIS’ HARD
WORK PAYS OFF
Associated Press
argument that "unit cohesion" would
suffer if gays were allowed to serve
openly.
Gates and Adm. Michael G.
Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs
of Staff, have begun to examine how
to implement a change. They have told
military audiences to expect a change
in the policy.
If gays are allowed to
serve openly, defense officials are
considering measures to limit public
displays of affection on military bases
and to address potential problems such
as ports of call in nations that outlaw
homosexuality.
Some critics called Obama's
comment pandering to the left.
"Civilian activists do not
understand or respect the culture of
the military," said Elaine Donnelly,
president of the Center for Military
Readiness, a think tank that opposes
allowing gays in the military. "I'm
sure the troops will be disheartened by
this."
Opponents of "don't ask,
don't tell" saw Obama's comment as
a sign of possible progress in coming
months.
"Repealing 'don't ask, don't
tell' is a bold move by the president,
but one that is desperately needed to
enhance our military readiness for
our troops in combat," said Jon Soltz,
chairman of VoteVets, which supports
allowing gays to serve openly.
that honor.
In the acting categories,
the academy followed in the footsteps
of the Golden Globes and the Screen
Actors Guild Awards. The only real
surprise was Maggie Gyllenhaal
for best supporting actress for
"Crazy Heart." She had largely been
overlooked this awards season.
The nominees for best
actress included two veterans who
had previously won in this category,
as well as three newcomers to the
fold: Sandra Bullock, earning her first-
ever Oscar nomination for "The Blind
Side," and first-timers Carey Mulligan,
nominated for "An Education," and
Gabourey Sidibe, nominated for
"Precious." They will compete with
Helen Mirren, for "The Last Station,"
and Meryl Streep, for "Julie & Julia."
With this nod, Streep has earned an
unprecedented 16 Oscar nominations
over the last 31 years. She has received
two Oscars: best supporting actress for
1979's "Kramer vs. Kramer" and best
actress for 1982's "Sophie's Choice."
The best actor nominations
went to Jeff Bridges for "Crazy Heart,"
George Clooney for "Up in the Air,"
Colin Firth for "A Single Man,"
Morgan Freeman for "Invictus" and
Jeremy Renner for "The Hurt Locker."
Freeman and Clooney are previous
Oscar winners, and Bridges has been
nominated four times previously.
Renner and Firth are newcomers.
Joining Gyllenhaal in
the best supporting actress category
[See OSCARS B1]
[ See ASI C2]
Mustang Daily
Rebuilding Haiti
from rubble and
dust
Rebuilding efforts already beginning in
wake of devastating quake
By Karen Allen
Wilmer Blanc sits in the rubble
of what remains of his house,
refusing to move. The former bus
conductor saved all his life to build
this. Now it is a wreck with what
few items of furniture he has been
able to salvage, stacked neatly in a
corner.
"The way things are
now," he says. "It's like we are
waiting to die - I've got nothing
left."
His next-door neighbour
Jerry, a pensioner, feels the same.
He gestures towards a pile of rubble
50m (164ft) away. Deep beneath the
debris are almost certainly buried
his neighbour and her two young
children.
Nearly every Haitian you
meet has a similar story to tell.
These men are among
more than one and half million
Haitians left homeless following the
earthquake.
In Leogane, the epicentre
of the quake, 50km (30 miles)
south-west of the capital, Port-au-
Prince, streets have been reduced to
dust, and many people, like Wilmer,
are not expecting help from the
government.
It is a government that
barely exists now, and which before
the earthquake, was mistrusted by
many because of high levels of
corruption.
“I’m not going
to wait for the
government to help
me.”
Pierre Paul Guerrier
But across the road from these
men, modest rebuilding efforts are
already under way.
Pierre Paul Guerrier used
to run the local brewery. Although
the place has been flattened, along
with two of his other houses, he has
Associated Press
Taliban leader
may be dead
Pakistani group’s chief may
have been hit in a drone strike
WORLD A5
Patience for fat
runs thin
The rising costs related to
obesity ahve slimmer folks fed
up, HEALTH C3
Complete Index...................A2
California.......................A3-A8
Nation..................................A10
World..................................A14
Printed with soy ink
on partially recycled
paper.
Issue 90, Volume 200
sold what furniture he has been
able to salvage and has begun to
rebuild the place.
"I'm not going to wait
for the government to help me.
As you can see I'm rebuilding
the foundations here, to stop any
rainwater from coming in."
In the coming months
Haiti's seasonal rains will begin. So
the drive towards reconstruction is
a race against time.
The Haitian government
needs billions of dollars in
assistance to begin the mammoth
task of rehabilitating the country.
In March a major
conference is scheduled to persuade
the international community to
contribute. Many are hoping this
could be the chance to give the
poorest country in the western
hemisphere, a fresh start.
But few Haitians have
any illusions about the challenges
that lie ahead.
In Port-au-Prince, almost
the entire seat of government has
been destroyed. The government
revenue office is a sea of rubble
and tax forms, and the ministry of
finance is a crumbling wreck.
Miraculously the central
bank seems to have survived
relatively unscathed, but it is
surrounded by twisted metal, cars
mashed between concrete slabs
and huge chunks of stone.
Bulldozers from Haiti's
ministry of public works have
started to shift some of the rubble
in the main business centres, but
if the pace of current progress is
anything to go by it is likely to take
weeks.
The debris is being
taken to a waste site on the edge of
town, ready to be reused when the
reconstruction work begins.
“ Don't be fooled by the fact that
this looks like business as usual ”
Red Cross worker
In the worst hit areas,
crisis teams have been scrambled
[See HAITI A5]
Kobe Bryant
hot when it
counts
Associated Press
In the final seconds of
the game, Bryant, above,
finished up a late Laker run,
allowing the team to over-
take the Celtics, 90-89.
SPORTS C1
50 c