THE SHOW: 02/17/2010 - URANIUM A HOT TOPIC / KEVIN EUBANKS LEAVING THE NEST / BUCKLE UP FOR SAFETY / MOVING ON!!

LOCAL NEWS:
"Fire Breaks Out At Senior Independent Living Home"

*MADISON, Tenn. - A fire broke out at the Chippington Towers II on Coreland Drive in Madison, Tennessee around 8:30 a.m. Wednesday. Chippington Towers II is senior independent housing.
According to reports, the fire broke out on the fourth floor of the tower. Smoke was reported on other floors. Many residents were evacuated, and three residents were transported to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries. Sky5 was on the scene and said there was never any visible flames or smoke coming from tower. The fire was put out around 9:15 a.m., and the tower's sprinkler system helped extinguish the fire.

"Driver Falls Asleep Behind The Wheel, Hits Car Head On"

*NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Two people were injured in a head-on collision Wednesday morning.
The driver of a green four-door sedan admitted to falling asleep while driving and hitting a white four-door car head on at Gallatin Pike and Gillock Street in Nashville. Emergency officials said both drivers were transported to local hospitals with non-life threatening injuries. A salt truck was called to the scene to make sure that any ice in the area was treated.

"Car Slams Into Light Pole, Injuring Two"

*NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Alcohol may have contributed to an early morning crash that left two people injured.
A car lost control leaving the Woodland Street Bridge just after 3 a.m. Wednesday. The vehicle ran off the road and slammed into a light pole. At least one of the car's occupants was trapped for a few minutes before rescuers could get him out. The male driver and passenger were taken to Vanderbilt University Medical Center with non-life threatening injuries. Police said they found a weapon inside the car. Toxicology tests were taken to determine if the driver was drinking.

TOP STORIES:
"Iran refuses to stop enrichment in return for isotopes"

*TEHRAN — Iran will not suspend its sensitive high level enrichment in return for radioisotopes as offered in a letter by three world powers to the UN atomic watchdog, the foreign ministry said on Wednesday. "It is not at all rational to say that Iran should not produce (isotopes and uranium) and stop its (enrichment) plant and that they will provide its needed medicine," ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast told ISNA news agency. "We will not examine offers which lead to the shutting down of Tehran reactor," said the spokesman, in an almost word-for-word repetition of a statement he made on February 10. Iran started enriching uranium to 20 percent on February 9 to fuel its Tehran research reactor making medical radioisotopes amid international concern over its atomic ambitions. The move comes as world powers seek to convince Iran to accept a UN-brokered deal to supply Tehran with nuclear fuel for the reactor in exchange for its low-enriched uranium being taken out of the country. The United States, Russia and France on Tuesday said in a letter to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) that Iran's escalation of its uranium enrichment further undermined international trust in its nuclear drive. The three said they "recognise the need in Iran for medical radioisotopes" which are "available on the world market and could be obtained as a responsible, timely and cost effective alternative to the IAEA's proposal." Amid the threat of new sanctions President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Tuesday that negotiations over the IAEA-drafted nuclear fuel exchange were "not closed yet." He expressed readiness to buy the material from abroad, even from Iran's arch-foe the United States. Echoing the president's comments, Mehmanparast said that Iran would "examine the issue of buying 20 percent enriched uranium or even an exchange (of uranium) under conditions desired by our country." "But in the absence of mutually-agreed proposals, we are losing time, the reactor fuel is running out and 850,000 patients await its medical products," the spokesman said. Ahmadinejad indicated Tehran could suspend higher grade enrichment if world powers supplied it the required fuel for the reactor.

"Illinois Republicans see unique chance for victory "

*CHICAGO — The last decade was lousy for Illinois Republicans. They lost a Senate seat, their party's last governor went to prison and they were shut out of every statewide office. But the recent surprise win by Scott Brown in the Massachusetts Senate race and a string of setbacks for Illinois Democrats have Republicans giddy about their chances to claim the next big election prizes: President Barack Obama's former Senate seat and ousted Gov. Rod Blagojevich's old job. Republicans have reason to feel confident. This year's races are likely to be fought against the backdrop of Blagojevich's corruption trial — a point Republicans are sure to belabor — and Illinois' finances are in shambles, with the state deficit likely to reach $13 billion this year. "This year the stars seem to be lining up for us," Illinois Republican Party chairman Pat Brady said. If Republicans can't win in Illinois this year, it's hard to imagine when they could be victorious in the state, where Democrats control the governor's mansion, every statewide office and the Legislature. "If the Republicans don't win in November, we're in for a long, long decade," said state Sen. Kirk Dillard, of Hinsdale, who is hoping to be the Republican candidate for governor. The GOP is counting on five-term U.S. Rep. Mark Kirk, a moderate on issues like gun control and abortion, to win Obama's old Senate seat. Kirk, 50, is up against 33-year-old Democrat Alexi Giannoulias, Illinois' first-term state treasurer whose last job was at his family's bank that is now in financial trouble. Sen. Roland Burris, who was appointed to Obama's seat by the scandal-tainted Blagojevich, opted not to run for a full term. In the Illinois governor's race, the Republicans still haven't settled on a nominee — the Feb. 2 primary ended in a virtual tie with state Sen. Bill Brady of Bloomington just a few hundred votes ahead of Dillard. But Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn is vulnerable for several reasons, not least of which because he wants to raise income taxes to help close the whopping budget deficit. Quinn's decision to release some inmates early from prison also turned into a public relations disaster that his Democratic challenger used to nearly win the party's nomination this month. And the party suffered yet another black eye when its nominee for lieutenant governor, Scott Lee Cohen, dropped out after it became widely known that he was accused of abusing his ex-wife and arrested for holding a knife to the throat of an ex-girlfriend. Cohen has denied the allegations, and charges stemming from his arrest were dropped when the girlfriend did not show up in court.

" After Dubai hit, Israelis question Mossad methods"

*JERUSALEM (Reuters) - The quiet assassination of a Hamas commander gets unexpectedly messy. Exposed and forced to atone before angry allies, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders the spymaster responsible to fall on his sword. - World ~ That was in 1997, when the Mossad director resigned after his men botched the poisoning of Khaled Meshaal in Jordan. Now premier a second time, Netanyahu faces a similar crisis over the death of another Hamas figure, Mahmoud al-Mabhouh, in Dubai. Israel's official silence on the January 20 killing has been outpaced, in the popular imagination, by UAE police footage of the suspected assassins and revelations some of them had copied the European passports of actual immigrants to the Jewish state. The idea that the Mossad, having long cultivated a reputation for lethally outwitting Israel's foes abroad, this time tripped up by underestimating Arab counter-espionage capabilities prompted commentators to demand a public reckoning. Special scrutiny was devoted to Mossad director Meir Dagan, an ex-general now in his eighth year of service and praised by Israeli leaders for spearheading a "shadow war" against Hamas, Lebanese Hezbollah guerrillas, and Iran's nuclear program. Amir Oren of the liberal Haaretz daily went as far as to call for Dagan to be fired, describing him as "belligerent, heavy-handed" and predicting a row with Britain, Ireland, France and Germany -- the countries whose passports were used. "Even if whoever carried out the assassination does reach some kind of arrangement with the infuriated Western nations, it still has an obligation to its own citizens," Oren wrote. Several of the foreign-born Israelis who said their identities had been stolen for the Mabhouh assassination voiced fear they could now be vulnerable to murder prosecutions. Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman did not deny Mossad involvement in Mabhouh's death but tried to deflect attention, implying in a radio interview that "some other intelligence service or another country" may have had a role. Israel's allies recognize "that our security activity is conducted according to very clear, cautious and responsible rules of the game," Lieberman asserted.

CELEB DISH:
"TIGER RETURNING TO GOLF, ELIN NOT RETURNING TO TIGER"

*Tiger Woods is reportedly in talks to return to golf. T-M-Z says Tiger met with officials from the Tavistock Cup Monday in the gated community where he lives in Isleworth, Florida. Their sources say after Tavistock he plans to participate in the Masters. But Tiger's wife isn't ready to return to life with her philandering husband. Radar Online says Elin Nordegren has refused to move back in with the disgraced golfer, who recently returned from a stint in sex rehab. A source tells the gossip site, "Tiger wants her to move back home with him, but so far she has said no. She's not ready and she just doesn't trust him."

"KEVIN EUBANKS LEAVING TONIGHT SHOW?"

*Jay Leno's longtime bandleader Kevin Eubanks may be leaving the Tonight Show. Reports have surfaced that Kevin -- who was also the bandleader on the prime-time Jay Leno Show -- wants to pursue other projects. It's not clear when he'll depart the show. According to Extra, it won't happen until after Jay returns to the Tonight Show in March.

"JERSEY SHORE "GUIDETTES" AREN'T ITALIAN"

*The boobs and tans are fake -- so it shouldn't come as a surprise that Jersey Shore's J-Woww and Snooki are fake Italians, too. The show has been slammed by Italian-American groups for perpetuating "negative stereotypes," but Jenni "J-Woww" Farley revealed on Fox's Strategy Room yesterday that she's actually Spanish and Irish, and Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi is Chilean. Italian-Americans can now breathe a sigh of relief.
By the way, only one cast member, Sammi "Sweetheart" Giancola, is from New Jersey.

"BETTY WHITE WAITING FOR LORNE MICHAEL'S CALL"

*Betty White says it's "up to Lorne Michaels" whether she hosts Saturday Night Live. There's been a major push on Facebook to get the 88-year-old, whose popularity has soared recently with a Super Bowl commercial and a role in The Proposal, to host the N-B-C show. Betty tells People magazine that if Lorne does call she'll accept the offer, if her schedule permits. Of the Facebook movement, she says, "I don't know where that came from. That just came out of left field. It's ridiculous."

GOOD NEWS:
"Grant will assist small agencies"

*RICHMOND, Ky. (AP) - A central Kentucky nonprofit has received a $500,000 grant to help small human service organizations serve the elderly, at-risk youth and the poor. The Richmond Register reports that the money is going to the Kentucky River Foothills Development Council to use for technical assistance, training and seed grants for faith- and community-based organizations in nine counties. The Foothills agency will serve as a bridge between the federal government and the organizations that are selected to participate. An informational meeting about the grant will be held Feb. 26 in the Foothills central office in Richmond.
Information from: Richmond Register, http://www.richmondregister.com

RELATIONSHIPS:
"Signs You're Not Over Your Ex"
*Breakups can be brutal. According to YourTango.com, here are some signs you're still not over your ex:
1. Everything Reminds You of Him -- Songs, foods, smells ... everything brings back a specific memory. Time to stop lingering on the past and start bonding with people who are actually in your life.
2. You're Overcompensating -- You dress up in the hopes you'll run into him and try to create the impression that your life is really awesome. When you catch yourself in this trap, remove him from the center of your focus.
3. You Compare Everyone to Him -- Every time you meet a new guy, you make a list of all the ways he doesn't measure up to your ex. This, of course, will get you nowhere. Instead, have the discipline to measure every new man you meet on his own merits.
4. You Fantasize If you still harbor a secret fantasy that the two of you have a future together, you're in big trouble. This misguided belief is keeping you from living life, or at least giving someone new a chance. Move on!

HEALTHY MATTERS:

*Eating smart: A keystep towards healthy eating
Healthy eating begins with learning how to “eat smart”. It's not just what you eat, but how you eat. Paying attention to what you eat and choosing foods that are both nourishing and enjoyable helps support an overall healthy diet.
-Take time to chew your food: Chew your food slowly, savoring every bite. We tend to rush though our meals, forgetting to actually taste the flavors and feel the textures of what is in our mouths. Reconnect with the joy of eating.
-Avoid stress while eating: When we are stressed, our digestion can be compromised, causing problems like colitis and heartburn. Avoid eating while working, driving, arguing, or watching TV (especially disturbing programs or the news). Try taking some deep breaths prior to beginning your meal, or light candles and play soothing music to create a relaxing atmosphere.
-Listen to your body: Ask yourself if you are really hungry. You may really be thirsty, so try drinking a glass of water first. During a meal, stop eating before you feel full. It actually takes a few minutes for your brain to tell your body that it has had enough food, so eat slowly. Eating just enough to satisfy your hunger will help you remain alert, relaxed and feeling your best, rather than stuffing yourself into a “food coma”!
-Eat early, eat often: Starting your day with a healthy breakfast can jumpstart your metabolism, and eating the majority of your daily caloric allotment early in the day gives your body time to work those calories off. Also, eating small, healthy meals throughout the day, rather than the standard three large meals, can help keep your metabolism going and ward off snack attacks.

TODAY'S BLACK HISTORY MOMENT:
"Congress readmits Mississippi"

*Congress readmits Mississippi-February 17, 1870 ~ Congress passed resolution readmitting Mississippi on condition that it would never change its constitution to disenfranchise Blacks.

"HOT MESS OF THE DAY: What Would Jesus Do?"

*It's one thing to wear a cross, but we don't think this is what Jesus had in mind when he wanted people to worship.

VERSE OF THE DAY:

"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or sword? No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us." — Romans 8:35-37