News Stories
Elle Ousfar
Media Performance
Professor: Larry Tung
October 13th, 2008
..Good Afternoon It's Monday October 13th at 3 Oclock and you are listening to WKNJ, 90.3 FM, The sound of Kean University. I am Elle Ousfar with the News.
In Local News...... The holiday season is fast approaching, worried consumers are shunning malls, shopping centers and auto showrooms in the midst of the country's financial meltdown.
The weakness was led by a 3.8 percent drop in auto sales..... Sales dropped below 1 million units as consumers struggle to find financing.
For three consecutive months retail sales are falling.... this is the first time this has occurred on government records since 1992.
The Commerce Department reports that retail sales dropped 1.2 percent approximately double the 0.7 percent drop that had been expected.
This showing significantly increases the risks of a recession because consumer spending accounts for two-thirds of total economic activity.
Economists expect sales to be down as the flood of bad news about the financial system and rising unemployment increase consumers' worries.
Many analysts believe the overall economy is slipping into a recession, triggered by a steep slump in the housing market and the severe credit crisis.
In National News......A city where luck means everything, O.J. Simpson comes out the big loser — and his unlucky number is 13.
The Las vegas Jury deliberated for 13 hours and delivered a guilty verdict on the 13th anniversary of his Los Angeles murder acquittal.
The 61-year-old Hall of Fame football star was convicted of kidnapping, armed robbery and 10 other charges for storming into a Vegas hotel-casino, and held 5 men hostage.
Prosecutors say Simpson's own voice recordings formed the basis of the prosecution's kidnapping charge...... Simpson's voice came through loud and clear: "Don't let nobody out of this room."
Attorney Gloria Allred, who represents the family of his slain ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson. says "Justice was delayed, but not denied. Now he may spend the rest of his life in prison.
Observers say the Las Vegas case paled in comparison to the "trial of the century" in 1995, where Simpson was acquitted of murdering his ex-wife and her friend Ronald Goldman.
Simpson’s lawyer Yale Galanter says, that this was payback and he feels bad for his clients but even worse for Stewart, who got dragged along in a campaign to convict Simpson.
Simpson and Stewart were taken to the Clark County jail, where he will live in a 7-by-14-foot cell, far removed from his ranch-style home in the lush Miami suburbs. It will be his home until Dec. 5, when he and Stewart are scheduled to be sentenced.
In International News.........The military says... that U.S. air-strikes in Afghanistan on Aug. 22 killed 33civilians...... That’s far more than the estimate of five to seven previously acknowledged.
They express regret, but blame the Taliban, for taking fighting positions near civilians.
The Afghan government and U.N. investigators claim that the air strikes were responsible for 90 civilian deaths not 33.
U.S. investigators stand firm and say that they counted eight men, three women and 12 children. The 10 others were undetermined. (Larry I thought maybe I didn't need this sentence, Let me know what you think)
The acting commander of U.S. forces in the Middle East, Lt. Gen. Martin Dempsey, asserted that despite the civilian deaths, U.S. forces involved in the attack in western Herat province acted on credible intelligence.
The issue of civilian deaths has outraged Afghans ….. Afghan President Hamid Karzai warns U.S. and NATO that they must stop killing civilians, and says the deaths undermine his government and the international mission.
NATO's commander Gen. David McKiernan, ordered a second U.S. investigation that concludes 90 Afghan civilians, including 60 children, were killed.
Defense Secretary Robert Gates offers the people of Afghanistan his "personal regrets" over the civilian deaths and says he will try to improve the accuracy of air operations.
U.S. Central Command spokesman Greg Smith says this matter is considered closed and no disciplinary action is contemplated against anyone.
In Entertainment News…….The politics-fueled ratings train of "Saturday Night Live" keeps rolling.
Tina Fey's impersonations of Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin is luring viewers.
Nielsen Media Research says that "SNL" averaged a 7.4 household rating…….making it the highest-rated show since December 14, 2002, when Al Gore and Phish appeared.
While the rest of the late-night shows have struggled to find their footing following the 2007/2008 writers strike, "SNL" is on a roll ever since it took on Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton and Sara Palin.
The show's success with political satire only got bigger and better in September, when "SNL" opened early with a special appearance by Fey as Palin.
For the third time this season, Tina Fey portrays Palin. and shows that she has cornered the market on Palin impersonations.
ABC News political director David Chalian says that 'Saturday Night Live’ and Tina Fey's spot-on creation of Sarah Palin is now a part of this election season.
In Sports ……The Los Angeles Dodgers clubhouse was understandably quiet late Monday night after Game 4 of the National League Championship Series.
The players spoke in hushed tones, still feeling the sting of Philadelphia's four-run eighth inning and 3-1 series lead.
They had come tantalizingly close to tying the series, only to see it slip away.
left fielder Manny Ramirez says that he out on the field thinking, 'We're going to do this and everybody on his team played their hearts out.
Dodgers third baseman Casey Balke says that we're all in a bit of shock,"
Center fielder Matt Kemp says that we just need to come back fighting, “we can bounce back." As the Dodgers and Phillies head into Game 5 on Wednesday night in Los Angeles, the facts for L.A. are simple and stark: win and play another day; lose and the season is over............And that's this edition of WKNJ news. I am Elle Ousfar and you are listening to WKNJ90.3 FM, the sound of Kean University.
Elle Ousfar
Media Seminar
Professor: Larry Tung
November 18, 2008
..Good Afternoon and Welcome to KUTV News, today is Monday November 24, 2008 and I am Elle Ousfar with the News
In local News……After months of fresh air, smoking is once again allowed inside Atlantic City's 11 casinos.
The City Council had passed a total smoking ban in April, but then the financial meltdown rocked the economy and led to even steeper declines at the casinos.
According to Trump Entertainment Resorts CEO Mark Juliano.... many gamblers and casino operators are pleased. ….. And says that now there's an even playing field with out-of-state slot parlors.
However not everyone is pleased, Casino workers say that they feel betrayed by the council's reversal.
In National News: …..Stocks fall as the fate of automakers hangs in balance.
General Motors Corp., Ford Motor Co. and Chrysler LLC ask lawmakers for a massive infusion of cash to prevent millions of layoffs, stave off bankruptcy and stabilize the companies.
Investors are concerned at the repercussions should any of the three automakers collapse.
Congressional Democrats have proposed using part of the $700 billion dollar financial bailout package to pump into the ailing auto industry, but Republicans oppose such an approach.
In international news……Japan says it has received assurances from Australia that it will seek a diplomatic solution to the emotionally charged dispute on whaling.
Japan kills approximately 1,000 whales a year using a loophole in the 1986 global whaling moratorium, which allows "lethal research" on the ocean giants.
However, Tokyo makes no secret that the meat ends up on dinner tables and accuses Westerners of being insensitive to its whaling culture.
Australian Foreign Minister Stephen Smith says that the Australian government unveiled a $4 million dollar scientific research program aimed at convincing Japan that it is not necessary to kill the mammals to study them.
.And that's this edition of KUTV News. I am Elle Ousfar and Thank you for watching.
Elle Ousfar
WKNJ Newscast #4
Media Journalism
Good Afternoon, It’s Monday May 4 at__________O’clock and you’re listening to 90.3 WKNJ-FM, Union, New Jersey, and I’m__________with the news.
In Local News……….
The nation's oldest nuclear power plant, resumes normal operations after having been shut down due to a failed transformer.
Oyster Creek plant in Lacy Twp, New Jersey was granted a new 20-year operating license last month.
The plant generates 6 hundred and thirty six megawatts of electricity, enough to power 6 hundred-thousand homes a year. It provides 9 percent of New Jersey's electricity.
Power plant engineers also found two small leaks in the underground pipes which are the source of tritium, a weak radioactive substance recently discovered on the plant's property.
After the incident crews manually shut down its reactor, repaired the transformer, replaced pipes and made additional modifications to its power supply.
Plant spokesman David Benson says the outage was extended to allow crews "proactive maintenance" and prepare the plant for summer operations.
An man is killed instantly in Ocean County after a car struck the van he was riding in.
Police say the victim was a passenger in a 2005 Mazda minivan traveling southbound in Jackson Township.
The driver of the van entered the opposite lane, possibly to make a U-turn, and was struck by a Mazda sedan.... After the crash he fled on foot.
Jackson police Lt. Richard Wagner says the victim was sitting in the passenger seat of the van, and it is unknown whether or not he was wearing a seat belt. There was a third passenger in the van who was taken to Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune with a broken collar bone.
The driver of the Mazda sedan was treated at the scene for minor injuries.
The identity of the minivan victims has yet to be released.
The Ocean County Prosecutor's Office along with Police from Jackson and Lakewood, are still searching for the driver of the Van.
14 amazing people made it into the New Jersey Hall of Fame.
Honorees included comedian Jerry Lewis, basketball star Shaquille O'Neal and rock legend Jon Bon Jovi. But out of all the star studded names only one received the longest standing ovation.
The night belonged to hero.... Army 1st Lt. Brian Brennan, who was seriously injured while leading a patrol in Afghanistan last May.
MORE MORE MORE
The audience was shocked when Gen. David Petraeus, the top U.S. commander overseeing troops in Pakistan and Afghanistan stepped on the podium to introduce Brennan.
Brennan walked onto the stage on prosthetic legs to receive the award, he then tells the audience that he accepts the award, “for all the good, hard-working Americans who do not receive honors, I did only what a patriotic American would do."
This is the first time in history that such a huge award was bestowed on a young soldier from Howell.
Created by state law in 2005 ,The New Jersey Hall of Fame, honors Garden State residents who have made outstanding contributions to their home state, the nation and the world.
Gov. Jon Corzine, was the host of this event and went on to say, "We have incredible people that do incredible things in this state."
In National News……………
Three Dallas Cowboys staffers are hospitalized after a major storm.
Dallas Cowboys scouting assistant Rich Behm was permanently paralyzed from the waist down after
his spine was severed during the collapse of the team's practice structure.
A severe storm is to blame for the collapse of the structure that hurt at least a dozen others.
New special teams coach 43 year-old Joe DeCamillis, sustained a fracture to one of his cervical vertebrae.
MORE MORE MORE
Another Dallas Cowboys member, assistant athletic trainer Greg Gaither, 35, is having surgery to repair a fracture to his tibia and fibula in his right leg.
Both DeCamillis and Gaither are expected to be released from the Baylor Regional Medical Center.
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones releases a statement to express his feeling and support for the Behm family and asks all friends and fans of the Dallas Cowboys to join him in prayers for Behm and his family during this difficult time.
National Weather Service officials say that a "microburst" resulted in the dangerous winds which went beyond 70 mph at the top of the structure.
The building was a 100-yard football field with an 80 feet high roof; the equivalent of an eight-story building.
The building was constructed by Summit Structures LLC, the same company that was found negligent by a Pennsylvania court in December 2006 for the design and construction of another building that collapsed in 2003, after a major snowstorm in Philadelphia.
The Associated Press says that the calls they made to Summit Structures LLC, were not returned.
Former Secretary of State Condolezza Rice comes to former President Bush's defense.
Recent disclosures regarding the policies on the interrogation of terrorism suspects have led to calls for investigations of former Bush administration officials.
MORE MORE MORE
Rice says that Bush "was only willing to authorize policies that were legal in order to protect the country.”
However, a Senate Intelligence Committee report implicates Rice as an accomplice.
The report identifies Rice as one of Bush's top advisers and that she approves the CIA's use of
water-boarding.
This torture technique is a form of drowning. The suspected terrorist are held down with their head down and water is poured into their throat in order to make them speak.
Bush administration memos show that the Justice Department officials believe that the practice of water-boarding, sleep deprivation and other coercive practices do not violate U.S. laws against torture.
President Obama bans the use of techniques like water-boarding.
The Obama administration is responsible for releasing the Bush administration memos, showing that the Justice Department officials believe that the practice of water=boarding, sleep deprivation and other coercive practices do not violate U.S. laws against torture.
Rice did not criticize the Obama administration's decision to release these damaging documents, but continues to defend the Bush administration, "I have said many times that the Obama administration is now in power, and he's my president, too. I will not agree with everything that they do or say.”
She goes on to say that she hopes the American people understand that the Bush administration acted on fear of another 9/11 attack.
In International News...
More than a week after the swine flu outbreak rattles the world, cases of infected people are popping-up every second. From Mexico to South Korea, to the United states, a total of eighteen countries and 8 hundred and ninety-eight confirmed cases of the virus, known to scientists as H1N1.
Despite claims by the health secretary of Mexico that the virus "is in its declining phase." The World
Health Organization cautions that the swine flu outbreak could gain momentum in the months ahead.
According to spokesman for epidemic and pandemic diseases Gregory Hartl, the outbreak is only 10
days old, but could be very deadly. He also reminds people about the 1918 Spanish flu
that disappeared in the summer months, but returned in the fall of that same year with a vengeance,
killing 40 million to 50 million people.
Mexican health officials reported 5 hundred and sixty-eight cases and twenty-two fatalities linked to the Swine flu.
Canada confirms seventy cases; the United Kingdom has fifteen; Spain has thirteen; Germany has 6;
New Zealand has 4; Israel has 3; France has 2; and Austria, China, South Korea, Denmark,
Netherlands, Switzerland, Costa Rica and Ireland each have one.
Officials in China have quarantined sixty-eight people.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the United States, there are 2 hundred
and twenty six confirmed cases in 30 states, including the death of one Mexican toddler visiting
relatives in the United States.
New York has the most cases, with sixty-three. Texas has forty; California has twenty-six; Arizona eighteen; South Carolina fifteen; Delaware ten; Massachusetts and New Jersey each have 7; Colorado has 4; Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Virginia, Wisconsin each have 3; Connecticut, Kansas and Michigan each have 2; Alabama, Iowa, Kentucky, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Rhode Island, Tennessee and Utah each have 1.
MORE MORE MORE
Health officials today confirm that North Carolina and Pennsylvania have their first cases with the
In Washington, U.S. Secretary of Health Kathleen Sebelius, appears on CNN's "State of the Union,"
warning people that even if the flu outbreak declines it could come back with great force during the flu season.
Acting CDC Director Richard Besser, says that U.S. health officials are examining whether people who
received flu shots for the swine flu in 1976 may have some level of protection from the current swine
flu.” He goes on to say that this revelation will play a big role in the future cure of the swine pandemic.
In the midst of the Swine Flu pandemic health officials in Cairo, Egypt are slaughtering all pigs.
This act is causing major controversy between police officers and farmers.
The farmers were throwing rocks at the police officers.
The Egyptian government says it is doing this as a precaution against the spread of swine flu.
Gen. Hani Abdel-Latif said 50 to 60 protesters gathered in Cairo's Manshiyet Naser slum because they were upset with the health ministry's decision to slaughter all pigs in the country.
Many people are criticizing the Egyptian government's move, because they have no confirmed cases of the virus.
MORE MORE MORE
But Egyptian officials say that this time they are not taking any chances since the avian flu still exists in the country because, the government did not take proper measures when the disease was first discovered there in 2006.
According to the U.S.-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, humans cannot get the swine flu virus by eating pork. The CDC say that the only way to get infected is from coming in contact with an infection pig or human.
Most Egyptian pig farmers are Coptic Christians, who work in the garbage industry to feed their herds; there are approximately 300,000 pigs in the country.
With the government-mandated slaughter in affect, Egypt's Health Ministry declares that "Egypt is free of the swine flu."
In Sports News…
In Tennis....
Two sisters won the Pittsburgh-area boys doubles tennis championship.
Karli and Tayla Timko defeated Tin Chu and Drew Gallatin of Thomas Jefferson High 6-2, 6-1
winning the Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League doubles title.
The sisters, from Chartiers-Houston High, competed in the boys division because their school dropped
its girls tennis program. The Timkos won the girls doubles title last year.
Their father is Mike Timko, a former West Virginia quarterback in the 1980s. Their mother, Shari
Retton Timko, is a former WVU gymnast and sister of 1984 Olympic all-around champion Mary Lou
Retton. The Timko sisters will compete in the Pennsylvania boys championships May 22-23.
In The NFL……
Boston Red Sox executive Michael Dee has been hired as chief executive of the Miami Dolphins and
Dolphin Stadium.
In The NBA……
The Hawks beat the Heats 91 to 78
The Nuggets beat the Mavericks 109 to 95
In The NHL…..
The Ducks beat the Red Wings 4 to 3
And the Hurricanes beat the Bruins 3 to 0
WKNJ Newscast
February 13, 2009
Good Afternoon, It’s Friday February 13th at__________O’clock and you’re listening to 90.3 WKNJ-FM, Union, New Jersey, and I’m__________with the news.
In Local News……….
Friday the 13th proved to be a fatal day for 50 people near Buffalo, New York.
Continental 3407 a 74-seat commuter plane, flying from Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey to Buffalo Niagara International Airport crashes into a Buffalo-area home while coming in for landing.
There are no survivors.. The crash killed all 49 people on board.
Buffalo News reports… that one person on the ground was also killed.
He was one of the residents of the home that was struck by the plane.
The 2 other residents in the home, were able to escape with minor injuries. The survivors are identified as 57 year-old Karen Wielinski, and her daughter 22 year-old Jill.
Erie County Executive Chris Collins says the plane was carrying 5,000 pounds of fuel and exploded on impact.
Recorded Audio communication between the female pilot on flight Continental Flight 3407 and traffic controllers… does not indicate that there was any trouble prior to landing.
MORE MORE MORE
Police officials are not confirming that bad weather had anything to do with the crash,…
Although two other pilots in the area say that they picked-up ice on their wings.
Local residents say that they are used to planes rumbling overhead, but this was different. They say that the crash sounded like a mini earthquake.
FBI spokesman Richard Kolko says that they are still investigating the cause of the plane. But do not suspect any security related issue.
What seemed like a beautiful spring Morning resulted in two fatalities.
Thursday’s violent wind guts not only caused havoc on traffic, power lines and homes, it shattered the lives of two New Jersey families.
Falling trees caused the death of two women.
61-year-old Maureen Carse was struck by a tree while driving on route 22.
She was killed instantly.
Mountainside Police Chief.. James Debbie… says that the strong winds impaled Carse, and they had to remove the vehicle with the body still in it.
Carse’s husband is in shock and tells CBS 2 that his wife was "the best person you'd ever want to meet," Mourning her loss are two daughters and five grandchildren.
Police say the other incident involves an unidentified Hispanic woman who was also
struck by a tree.
MORE MORE MORE
The women was walking home from a local supermarket when a tree limb fell on her head…Killing her instantly.
Many witnesses are thankful that this predicament didn’t happen to them.. ..they believe that these unforeseeable accidents could happen to anyone at any time.
The police force is shrinking in one of American's most crime-ridden city.
Camden, NJ government officials deny requests to hire more officers due to the city’s budget crisis.
Police Chief Scott Thomson says that Camden lost more than 10 percent of his officers.
Last year the city had 53 homicides, the second-highest on record.
To battle the high crime statistics, a reorganization is putting officers with desk jobs on the streets.
However, city officials fear that this is not enough and worry that not hiring additional officers could increase the crime rate in Camden.
In National News……………
Republican Sen. Judd Gregg drops out of the running for the Commerce Secretary position under President Obama‘s Cabinet.
Gregg says in a written statement that he disagrees with President Obama’s stimulus package.
The majority of Republicans oppose the $789 billion dollar economic stimulus because they claim that it won’t create enough jobs… and turn the economy around.
Gregg confirms that he was the one who first approached President Obama about the commerce secretary position.
But tells reporters that he made a mistake when he told Obama that he would support his agenda.
White House press secretary Robert Gibbs says that Gregg’s views are too different and that he could not support Obama's "key economic priorities."
Obama calls Gregg's withdrawal "something of a surprise, and …A statement released by the White House… says that it regrets Gregg's "change of heart."
In the midst of the tragedy facing the family of little 3year-old murdered victim Cayley Anthony…..another little girl goes missing.
5-year-old Haleigh Cummings of Satsuma, Fla disappears into thin air.
MORE MORE MORE
Police say she was sharing a bed with her four year-old little brother and her father…Ronald Cummings 17 year-old girlfriend.
The little girl was reported missing by Haleigh’s by the seventeen year-old girlfriend.
She tells police that she discovered Haleigh was missing at about 3 a.m..she also found the back door to the home opened.
Haleigh is described as 3 feet tall with blond hair and brown eyes. She was last seen wearing a pink shirt
Special Agent Steve Donaway of the Florida Dept of Law Enforcement says that The girlfriend and the father are cooperating with police.
They are also questioning registered sex offenders that live in the vicinity of the missing girl's home.
Donaway say’s that Local and state authorities and the FBI
search teams continue to look for the child by air, by land and by water.
They urge Anyone with information about Haleighl to contact the Putnam County Sheriff's Office at (386) 329-0800 or 911.
MORE NEWS, SPORTS< AND WEATHER COMING UP
(PLAY PSA #1 HERE.)
In International News……………..
The US-Mexican border has been a part of huge controversy for past decades.
While drug cartels continue to terrorize and Kill the people of Mexico,
Texas officials are fearing the worst.
Spokeswoman for Texas Gov. Rick Perry….Katherine Cesinger, says that a Large plan is being developed …which will focus on law enforcement issues, should thousands of Mexicans decide to seek refuge in the United States.
However, spokesman for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees… Tim Irwin, says that he was unaware of any plans for Texas to prepare for an influx of Mexicans. He also states that he needs more proof from Texas officials before he can get involved.
Dutch politician Geert Wilders lands at Heathrow Airport in Great Britain despite being banned from entering the U.K.
Immediately after landing, Wilders was presented with a letter from Britain's Home Office and sent back to the Netherlands.
The letter states that Wilders opinions in the Film threaten the country’s security.
British Foreign Secretary David Miliband tells BBC that Wilders was guilty of "extreme anti-Muslim hate”
MORE MORE MORE
Wilder was invited by Parliament member Lord Malcolm Pearson, to show his anti-Islam movie "Fitna," The Film calls the Koran a "fascist" book and accuses Islam of being a violent religion.
Britain's Home Office says that it "opposes extremism in all its forms" and will stop
anyone work who spreads extremism, hatred or violent messages from coming to their country.
Lord Malcolm Pearson, tells the Daily Mail newspaper that he still plans to show the film even with Wilders absence.
In Sports News…
In The NFL……
Jets Quarterback Brett Favre has retired after 18 NFL seasons.
Jets chairman Woody Johnson say’s that Favre’s performance last season was extraordinary.
In The NBA……
The Warriors beat the Trail Blazers 105 to 98
The Celtics beat the Mavericks 99 to 92
And a close call between the Heats who beat the Bulls 95 to 93
In The NHL…..
The Senators beat the Flyers 9to 2
The Lightning beat the Maple leafs 6 to 4
The Blues beat the predators 4 to 3
The Flames beat the kings 2 to 0
The Panthers beat the Hurricanes 5 to 0
The Red Wings beat the Wilds 4 to 2
And the Canucks beat the Coyotes 4 to 3
Today’s Weather……
Today’s weather is looking good overall, although we will have some wind, it is nothing like the strong wind guts we experienced yesterday .
Today will reach a high of 44 degrees but will feel more like 35 degrees.
The skies will be clear, but still watch out for the Wind at 23 miles per hour.
IN Entertainment News…
Miley Cyrus is once again in hot water over controversial pictures. Unfortunately
This time it might cost her more than just an apology.
Miley posts a picture of herself with a group of friends on her website.
MORE MORE MORE
The picture shows Miley and her friends pulling their eyes to the side.
Many people believe that this gesture is insensitive to the Asian community.
Including a Los Angeles woman, Lucie J. Kim, who filed a class action lawsuit on behalf of all Asian Pacific Islanders living in Los Angeles County.
She accuses Miley of a Civil rights violation and seeks $4 billion dollars in damages.
Miley say’s that she did not mean to offend anyone by the eye gesture.. And was simply making "goofy faces" with her friends.
That’s if for your News. You’re listening to 90.3 WKNJ-FM, Union, New Jersey. I’m _______________and we’ll be right back after this.
(PLAY PSA #2 HERE.)
