THE SHOW: 01/26/2010 - HAITI EFFORTS CONTINUE / PAULA STILL HAS THE MOVES THAT PAY / SEARCH FOR LEBANON CRASH VICTIMS / BUDGET FREEZE??

Local Buzz:
"Parents died trying to save kids in Nashville duplex fire"

*Tedarrell and Stephanie Brooks could've walked right out the back door as flames and smoked consumed their house, but they went back for their children.It was a selfless act that cost them their lives, but one that is in character with the couple their relatives remember. Brothers of Tedarrell Brooks remembered parents who would do anything for their four children.
The 7-year-old survivor of the deadly fire, Jasmine Brooks, told her uncles that all she could see was smoke before her father came in the room and dropped her out of the second-story window of their home on 35th Avenue North Saturday morning. The father, 50, then went looking for his youngest boy, 3-year-old Tedarrell Brooks Jr., and collapsed at the foot of the bed the boy was hiding under as the fire took hold.
"He wasn't going to leave that room without his son," Tedarrell Brooks' brother, Michael True, said. "Their children were their world."
Stephanie Brooks, 32, was found at the back door, with the other two children beside her. The mother and Tedarrica Brooks, 8, and Alexis Brooks, 4, all died at the hospital after CPR attempts failed.
Only Jasmine and 3-year-old Tedarrell Brooks Jr. lived through the fire. Tedarrell Jr. was listed in critical but stable condition Monday in Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt. Jasmine escaped with only scrapes from the fall, but spent the day in the hospital to ensure she was in good health.
The family hasn't pressed Jasmine with questions, instead trying to let her deal with the loss.
"The hardest thing for me is to tell a 7-year-old her whole family has died," Brooks' brother, Antoine Bassham, said. "Jasmine has been so strong, she's going to be the one to really have to handle it. She was there."
Tedarrell Brooks was a stay-at-home father after a back injury put an end to his construction career. Stephanie Brooks, an employee with UPS, was close to a new beginning after finishing her dental assistant degree. The school-age children attended

"Two Charged After Stealing From People At Hospital"
*NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Police said 25-year-old Amanda Dillingham and 22-year-old Justin Carter stole the overnight bags of people sleeping in the St. Thomas hospital waiting area.
Surveillance video showed the pair carrying the stolen items.
This isn't the couple's first encounter with law enforcement. They both have criminal histories that include theft charges.
Carter is facing five counts of theft and one count of burglary. He is being held on a $55,000 bond. Dillingham faces one theft charge. She is being held on a $10,000 bond.

"Nashville Mayor Eyes Plan to Privatize Parking"

*NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Could Nashville end up auctioning off parking meters and other parking spaces to the highest bidder?
Nashville Mayor Karl Dean confirms it's being considered.
He did that after NewsChannel 5 Investigates team obtained an internal document that lays out a controversial proposal to privatize the city's parking.
It comes as Metro leaders prepare for what may be a tough budget battle ahead.
Last week, as Metro Council debated whether to build a new convention center, some members predicted huge budget shortfalls. "I think we are going to have a train wreck of monumental proportions come May," said Michael Craddock.
That's where the city's parking meters and parking lots might become valuable, as Finance Director Rich Riebeling emailed the mayor back in November. (Read the email.)
"We might be able to essentially privatize our parking operations and generate significant upfront cash," Riebeling wrote. "If want to possibly get done for upcoming budget, need to move ASAP."
Dean's response: "Let's talk today."
On Monday, Dean told NewsChannel 5 Investigates, "This is just something that we are just thinking about. We have taken no steps to implement it. No steps to move forward on it."
But in a proposal -- marked "Preliminary & Confidential" -- financial giant Morgan Stanley lays out a plan in which private companies might bid for the city's 2,000 parking meters and another 2,000 parking garage spaces -- paying the city now and keeping income from those spaces for years to come.
The Morgan Stanley report says that the city might also want to consider putting parking at the new convention center up for bids.
"Given the economic constraints that we are operating under, I think we need to look at any serious proposal that is brought forth," Dean said.
After being shown the confidential document, Craddock said. "Here we go looking for ways to come up with cash."
The council member said that while Nashville would get the upfront money now, it would mean the loss of a source of revenue for the future.
"I'm not comfortable with giving any city service over to private enterprise. Then, how do we control the parking rates. Who sets the parking rates? Who answers to problems?"

Top Stories:
"Budget Freeze Is Proposed"

*WASHINGTON—President Barack Obama intends to propose a three-year freeze in spending that accounts for one-sixth of the federal budget—a move meant to quell rising concern over the deficit but whose practical impact will be muted.
To attack the $1.4 trillion deficit, the White House will propose limits on discretionary spending unrelated to the military, veterans, homeland security and international affairs, according to senior administration officials. Also untouched are big entitlement programs such as Social Security and Medicare.
The freeze would affect $447 billion in spending, or 17% of the total federal budget, and would likely be overtaken by growth in the untouched areas of discretionary spending. It's designed to save $250 billion over the coming decade, compared with what would have been spent had this area been allowed to rise along with inflation.
The administration officials said the cap won't be imposed across the board. Some areas would see cuts while others, including education and investments related to job creation, would realize increases.
Among the areas that may be potentially subject to cuts: the departments of Housing and Urban Development, Justice, Energy, Transportation, Agriculture, and Health and Human Services.
"We're not here to tell you we've solved the deficit, but you have to take steps to put spending under control," a senior administration official said.
The spending freeze, which is expected to be included in Wednesday's State of the Union address and the president's Feb. 1 budget proposal, is one of a series of small-scale initiatives the White House is unrolling as the president adjusts to a more hostile political terrain in his second year. On Monday, the president unveiled a set of proposals aimed at making child care, college and elder care more affordable.
"Given Washington Democrats' unprecedented spending binge, this is like announcing you're going on a diet after winning a pie-eating contest," said Michael Steel, spokesman for House Minority Leader John A. Boehner (R., Ohio). "Will the budget still double the debt over five years and triple it over 10? That's the bottom line."

"Search for Lebanon crash victims "

*International search teams have widened the operation to recover bodies and locate the wreckage of the Ethiopian Airlines jet, which crashed into the Mediterranean Sea off the Lebanese coast.
Searchers were trying to find the jet's "black box" and flight data recorder, which are crucial to determining the cause of the crash. "The teams worked all night to find additional victims and to locate the debris," an army spokesman said on Tuesday, a day after the accident. "They are hoping to find the 'black boxes' which contain the flight data recorder that should provide information as to the cause of the accident." Wogayehu Tefere, an Ethiopian Airlines spokeswoman, said it was very unlikely that any of the 90 people travelling on the airliner would be found alive. "It is very unlikely that we can still recover some survivors. "So far 25 bodies have been recovered and, according to the first report of our team there, there are six Ethiopian bodies among them, and eight Lebanese. But it has to be confirmed," Wogayehu said. The aircraft, which was bound for the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa, crashed in flames just minutes after taking off from Beirut, the Lebanese capital, early on Monday Rescue teams and equipment have been sent from the United Nations and countries including the US and Cyprus.
A Lebanese security official said the recovery teams would widen their search perimeter off the Naameh coast, 10km south of Beirut, after rough seas and high waves hampered them during the night.

"Iraq suicide attack kills at least 17, many police"

* Follows series of attacks on hotels the day before
* Many victims are police, 80 people wounded
* U.S. commander says al Qaeda shifts focus in Iraq
(Adds Baghdad commander death toll, lawmaker injured)
By Saad Shalash-BAGHDAD, Jan 26 (Reuters) - A suicide blast killed at least 17 people at an Interior Ministry office in Baghdad on Tuesday, officials said, the latest attack to raise doubts about Iraq's ability to keep people safe weeks before a national election.
The blast came a day after suicide bombers in vans and SUVs, helped in at least two cases by gunmen with silenced weapons, attacked three Baghdad hotels, killing at least 36 people. Two of the hotels are used by western visitors and media.
An Interior Ministry official said many of those killed or injured in Tuesday's blast, in which the driver of a vehicle detonated explosives outside a forensics office, were police.
About 80 people were wounded, the official said.
The bombings have shattered a seven-week lull in major assaults on government buildings and other supposedly secure targets, stoking tensions before March 7 parliamentary polls.
They are a blow to Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, who is seeking a second term, and other incumbent politicians who hope voters will credit them for a sharp reduction in violence in Iraq over the past two years.
Major General Qassim al-Moussawi, spokesman for Baghdad security operations, put the death toll in Tuesday's bombing at nine and said 68 had been wounded. A Health Ministry official gave the same toll.
Death tolls often vary wildly after bomb blasts in Iraq.
Ambulances and firefighters rushed to the scene. The ministry building, which is surrounded by restaurants and shops, suffered major damage, a Reuters photographer reported.
"I've heard many explosions in the past, but nothing like this," said Hassan al-Saidi, a mechanic who works nearby. He said he saw at least five vehicles in flames and more than a dozen people wounded by flying glass.
Haider al-Jorani, an independent Shi'ite lawmaker, was passing by the building when the blast went off and was sent to the hospital with a head wound, a parliamentary aide said.
The injury was not life-threatening, the aide said.

Celeb News:
"Operation Phenomenon Takes off From Tampa - John Travolta Pilots Late Night ... "

*WASHINGTON, Jan. 26 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- In continuing efforts to send aid to Haiti, a late night flight piloted by Hollywood celebrity John Travolta took off from Tampa carrying 50 doctors and over 7,000 pounds of medical supplies, the Embassy of Haiti and the Greater Washington Haiti Relief Committee announced today. On the return trip, Travolta brought Haitian-Americans home to the United States to reunite them with their families.
"I would like to thank Mr. John Travolta for the compassion he and his wife are showing to the people of Haiti at this time of great need," said Haitian Ambassador to the U.S. Raymond Joseph. "The donation of his time and skills to pilot the relief supply plane to Haiti was greatly needed, and it is a true example of an individual's willingness to reconnect families which is very honorable and humbling."
Travolta, a well-known pilot, offered the services of his own plane and provided the fuel to fly a supply plane down to Haiti to aid relief efforts following the 7.0 earthquake that struck the island on January 12, 2010. The plane carried 7,000 pounds of medical supplies, all of which were purchased with funds provided by Travolta as a donation to the relief efforts. The plane also carried much needed food and water including 4,500 meals-ready-to-eat. Also onboard were 50 doctors, including surgeons, plastic surgeons, trauma specialists, and cardiologists.
Felix Roger Romane was on the return flight back to Miami. Romane, an 88-year-old with advanced glaucoma and intestinal cancer, was born in Haiti in 1921 but immigrated to the United States more than three decades ago in search of better opportunities for his children. Romane later returned to live in his native land of Haiti to retire.

"Paula Abdul -- 'Dancing' Is Lucrative"

*Paula Abdul has a million reasons to appear on "Dancing with the Stars."
ABC has offered Abdul a $1,000,000 development deal, with one catch -- she has to appear on "DWTS," sources tell TMZ.
ABC has been going after Paula for a few years now, trying to get her on "DWTS."
According to the proposed deal, ABC would allow Paula to do "The X Factor" with Simon Cowell. We're told Simon and Paula met a week ago to discuss the show, and it looks like it will happen.
Paula has to make a quick decision -- we're told the ABC offer is contingent on Paula doing "DWTS" this season, which starts in March. A rep for ABC says they don't comment on prospective cast members.

"Reba Marks Milestone With Latest Number One Hit"

*NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Country superstar Reba McEntire was honored at a party Monday night for her latest number one hit "Consider Me Gone." The song reached the top of the charts earlier this month.
When "Consider Me Gone" hit number one, it stayed there for four consecutive weeks. That is the longest-running number one single of Reba's career.
"After being in it for 34 years, 34th single, 34th album, so it's kind of bizarre, weird. But, oh my gosh, we are so thankful, so grateful," said Reba.
Performing rights organizations ASCAP and BMI handed out the honors to Reba and the writers of the song, Steve Diamond and Marv Green.
Reba's first number one hit was "Can't Even Get the Blues" back in 1983. 27 years later the queen of country music is still going strong, even when the competition is half her age.
Reba admitted the industry is a lot different then it was back in the 80's.
"Everything has changed, from the technology to how we get our music out to the fans. How we tour now, touring all over the country. It's amazing. What's it going to be like five years from now? It's going to be fun to find out," remarked Reba.
"Consider Me Gone" is from Reba's first new studio album in six years, her first album with new record label The Valory Music Co. Reba's next single, "I Keep On Loving You," will be released to country radio this week.

Good News:
"Cleanup Following Robertson County Tornado"

*SPRINGFIELD, Tenn. - Daylight revealed plenty of damage to homes and businesses following the weekend's weak tornado that touched down in Springfield.
"It was, as everybody describes, a very shrill, eery noise," said Shirlee Wilkins, who lives along Highway 25 where the tornado touched down. "I said 'get the window down, get the window down.' Everything was flying. She [my sister] said 'get on the floor, get on the floor now.'"
The National Weather Service said the EF0 tornado had winds up to 85 miles per hour, and swept through a 3.6 mile area of Springfield.
"It's so odd. We had 65 degree weather, then cold, and that's probably why we had something freak like this happen," said Alex van der Hengst, co-owner of the South Central Growers greenhouse.
The greenhouse employees spent Monday cleaning up 90,000 square feet of destroyed plants.
"We had just billions of little pieces of glass just all over the plants," said van der Hengst.
Back on Highway 25, Wilkins expects a long road ahead as she looks into her yard to see a mangled barn, ripped house foundation and metal scraps wrapped around almost every tree.
"We're just glad nobody was hurt," said Wilkins.
Over the next few days insurance companies will make their way out to survey.

Relationship:
"The Top 5 Male Turnoffs"

*While it's important to know how to light a man's fire, it's equally important to understand what douses his dating flames.In our quest to find, attract, and keep our perfect partner, we often wonder what turns men on. And while it's important to know how to light a man's fire, it's equally important to understand what douses his dating flames. By being clear about what kind of behavior turns men off, we can be better prepared to keep the spark alive from our first encounter to happily ever after. What follows are the top five male turnoffs.
Turnoff #1: Flakiness
Guys report that one of the biggest turnoffs when dating a woman is when she either can't commit to plans or constantly flakes on plans.
Turnoff #2: Poor communication skills
Raise your hand if you've been this girl in your relationship past: your date/boyfriend said or did something you didn't like, but instead of saying anything, you went along with it. You may have even said it was "fine. But then at some point down the road, you got upset. Maybe you even blew up at an inappropriate time, causing an argument that completely took your significant other off guard.
Turnoff #3: Not playing fair
From your initial encounter to your first date and beyond, guys pay attention to whether or not you're playing fair. If, for example, you always expect the guy to come to your side of town, pick you up, open your door, pay the check, drop you off, call you the next day, and in general placate your every need without you so much as lifting a finger, you’re not dating fairly. More important, if there's a disagreement and you don't fight fairly, i.e., you throw things in his face, hold grudges, and insist on winning every argument, you're going to be a very lonely single girl because you're not being fair.
Turnoff #4: Trying to change him
It's almost cliché how often in the media we see, hear, or read about a woman who tries to change her man. Whether it's changing how he dresses, what he watches on TV, his manners, or his friends, the woman at the helm of all this change always comes off as a control freak. Don't be that girl. Just as the guy in your life should accept you warts and all, you, too, should accept him for who he is. And if you can't? Don't date him. It's as simple as that.
Turnoff #5: Ultimatums
Nothing turns a man off more than a woman who gives him an ultimatum. Not only are they not sexy, they're ineffective. Healthy and happy relationships don't need ultimatums. When you're regularly communicating your needs to the person you're in a relationship with, ultimatums are unnecessary. It's when communication breaks down, when one person feels his or her needs aren't being met, or when the relationship isn't going in the direction one had hoped or at the speed one had anticipated, that ultimatums are usually issued. A huge turn-off, ultimatums are a tricky relationship tactic and should be avoided at all costs.

A health note:
"How Many Calories in that Kids Meal?"

*Putting nutrition labels on fast food may lead parents to pick lower-calorie meals for their children, researchers say. In a small study, parents ordered about 20 percent fewer calories for their kids when they chose from a menu with nutrition information on it, Dr. Pooja Tandon of the University of Washington and colleagues reported online in the journal Pediatrics.
"One hundred calories over time and at a population level is actually a significant amount in terms of being able to avert weight gain," Tandon told MedPage Today.
Many fast-food restaurants don't provide nutrition information at the point of purchase. In a recent study, just about half -- 54 percent -- of the largest chains made some nutritional information available on site.

Today in Black History:
"Pioneering Black Women"

*January 26, 1990 - In 1990, Elaine Weddington Steward was named assistant general manager of the Boston Red Sox, making her the first Black woman executive of a professional baseball organization.

Mess of the Day:
"Mint Condition"

*I can’t really think of a reason to not look like a peppermint, so I’m gonna let you slide…-Kentucky

Thought for the day:

Do not measure yourself by what you have accomplished, but by what you should have accomplished with your ability. -John Wooden