| Boothroyd seeking remedy
AIDY BOOTHROYD is hoping to bring in two new players this week in a bid to help solve his team's dismal home form. Watford have won just one home game in three months - and that was against a weakened Crystal Palace side in the FA Cup - and are without a home league win since Saturday, October, 20. They have also shipped an alarming 25 goals at Vicarage Road this season. Things hit rock bottom on Saturday when the Hornets were trounced 4-1 by a rampant Wolves side, and Boothroyd knows he needs to address the home form sooner rather than later otherwise Watford can forget about automatic promotion. The manager feels a deep-lying midfielder, who can pull the strings from the centre of the park, could be the answer. Asked if he was alarmed by Watford's home form, Boothroyd replied: "I'd be concerned if I didn't know what to do about it.
Fed slashes key rate 0.75 points
The Fed's reduction in the federal funds rate from 4.25 percent to 3.5 percent marked the biggest cut in that target rate for overnight loans going back to 1990. It marked the first time the Fed has changed the funds rate between meetings since 2001, when the central bank was battling the combined effects of a recession and the terrorist attacks. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben S. Bernanke and his colleagues approved the large rate cut after an emergency video conference Monday night, a day when global markets had been pounded by rising fears that weakness in the world's largest economy was spreading worldwide. Despite the Fed's bold move, stocks plunged at the opening. But the Dow rebounded, finishing the day off 128.11 points at 11,971.19. Analysts said the milder decline at the end of the day after such a rough start showed that the Fed's effort to reassure Wall Street had had an effect.
Capitol Hill slaying has sent many women to self-defense class
Feelings of helplessness and fear resurfaced for many residents of Capitol Hill and other Seattle neighborhoods, where the increasing uncertainty about the killing of Shannon Harps has pushed some to seek ways to defend themselves. Carolyn is a Central Area resident who has taken matters into her own hands: She began scouting self-defense classes for neighborhood block watch members earlier this month. The 71-year-old, who asked that her last name not be used, became more concerned about personal safety after she was assaulted in 2006. She knew the attacker was behind her, but she didn't know what to do about it. After Harps' slaying New Year's Eve on Capitol Hill, she took action. Carolyn's hunt took her to Home Alive, a self-defense group that was started in memory of singer Mia Zapata, 28, who was killed on Capitol Hill nearly 15 years ago.
Editorial: Casting ideas for better count of votes next time
Ten days after the Feb. 5 presidential primary, nearly 1 million votes - about 14 percent of those cast in California - were uncounted. Because Democrat Hillary Clinton and Republican John McCain won their parties' primaries by large margins, there's been no crisis and no outcry. But it could be another matter entirely in November, when an especially long ballot is expected to further delay vote counting. Many counties like Santa Clara probably won't be able to announce conclusive results for 15 to 18 hours after the polls close. It will be weeks before the totals are final - shades of Florida in 2000. By law, the state has a month after an election to certify results. But Secretary of State Debra Bowen must do all within her power and the state budget to cut the wait. The cause of this month's delays was twofold: the forced conversion in two dozen counties from electronic voting to paper ballots, and a substantial increase in voting by mail.
7 qualities you need to be a great parent to a preschooler
What's it really take to parent a preschooler? It's pretty simple, once you realize what kids this age can and can't do (and what sets them off and what keeps them happy!). Here are seven qualities that make it much easier to manage all that, and why they're so crucial when you've got an independent-minded, boundary-testing picky eater on your hands. Resolve .
Makah whaling case postponed; no judge
A trial date was supposed to be set this week for five Makah Indians accused of illegally killing a gray whale last year, but the tribal court had to postpone the hearing because there's no judge to conduct it. Jean Vitalis, the tribe's former chief judge, was expected to hear the case but left the bench after her contract was not renewed. The new top jurist, former Associate Judge Emma Doulik, recused herself, citing "strong emotions" about the case. The tribe asked the Quinault Tribe's chief judge to hear the case, but she declined, citing health reasons. The whalers are charged with violating the tribe's Gray Whale Management Plan, breaking state and federal laws and reckless endangerment for firing a high-powered rifle at the whale.
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