The Senators have signed restricted free- agent forward Bobby Butler to a two- year contract. Terms of the contract were undisclosed.

The Senators have signed restricted free- agent forward Bobby Butler to a two- year contract. Terms of the contract were undisclosed. Butler, 24, split the 2010- 11 season between Ottawa and the team' s AHL affiliate, the Binghamton Senators.

In 36 NHL games, he had 10 goals and 11 assists. He played steadily in the NHL after Feb. 14.

After the Senators' season ended, he was returned to Binghamton for the AHL playoffs. After scoring 33 points in 47 regular- season games, he finished second on the team with 13 goals in 23 games as Binghamton won its first Calder Cup.

Butler was also the MVP of the 2011 AHL All- Star Classic after totaling 1 goal and 3 assists in the Eastern Conference' s 11- 8 victory in Hershey, Pa. , on Jan. 31. Related Links Rookie Tyler Ennis comes up big for Sabres Halak anything but shaky in must- win game Keith: ' I just wanted to play in the NHL' Hornqvist latest key Pred to get hurt in playoffs Laperriere willing to trade pain for victory

Unions were a key piece of ’ s winning campaign puzzle in 2008, but some say they’ ll change their strategy for the 2012 elections. “ We’ ve decided to freeze all contributions to federal candidates, federal committees and federal candidate PACs in order to really refocus on battles we are experiencing in a number of states, ” Harold Schaitberger, president of the International Association of Firefighters, told FOX News.

Analysts say there are a number of reasons unions are shifting their resources, including frustration with the .

Larry Sabato, director of the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia told FOX News that unions and “ the left generally” are showing signs of dissatisfaction with Obama – “ There is no question about that. It’ s a sentiment Schaitberger confirms. “ There is some dismay and disappointment in the administration' s efforts on behalf of workers and American workers and America' s middle class, ” he said.

Unions are also feeling emboldened by what happened in Wisconsin, where Republican Gov. and his efforts to limit public employee collective bargaining power were met with fierce opposition by government worker unions. Labor groups essentially took over the Wisconsin State Capitol for days, drawing in thousands of protestors and emboldening Democratic state lawmakers who fled the Badger State to prevent the state Senate from functioning. “ It really galvanized us and it energized us and it became a rallying point for us to understand that we' ve got to be willing to now fight back, ” Scheitberger said. Even if unions are more concentrated on funneling resources into state fights, Sabato predicts the president will still benefit indirectly as Democratic turnout increases. “ Even if they' re giving to state legislative races, or gubernatorial races, or congressional races, there' s a spillover into the presidential contest, ” Sabato said, describing a “ ripple effect” that winds up helping all Democrats on the ballot. Unions are getting a boost from recent activity by the National Labor Relations Board, the executive- branch agency charged with regulating labor disputes.

Last week, Acting NLRB General Counsel Lafe Solomon, an Obama appointee, issued a complaint against aircraft maker Boeing after the company decided to locate a new plant in South Carolina because it is a “ right to work” state in which workers can’ t be required to join a union as a condition of having a job at a unionized workplace.

In opposing the plans, Solomon said, “ A worker’ s right to strike is a fundamental right. ” Boeing has spent three years preparing to open the $ 2 billion facility that would reportedly create 1, 000 jobs there. South Carolina Governor says she’ ll fight to make sure that doesn’ t change. “ We are not going to get bullied by the unions one more day, ” she told reporters. The NLRB has also set its sights on Arizona and South Dakota.

Solomon says he’ s directed his staff to launch lawsuits against the two states because of recently passed amendments to their state constitutions. Those measures require secret- ballot elections when employees vote to decide whether or not to unionize companies.

That stands in contrast to the so- called “ card- check” method, which simply allows unionization when a majority of employees at a company sign authorization forms allowing a union to represent them. Arizona Attorney General Tom Horne maintains, despite Solomon’ s assertion that the amendments violate the Constitution, that the state provisions are valid. “ Imagine what would happen if the Obama administration told [ Americans] that normal elections would be no longer secret ballot, but they’ d have to sign something that would be open to other people to see how they voted? ” Horne said in an interview with FOX News. He argues voters would be intimidated and feel that one of their most basic rights had been “ violated. ” In committing to fight the Arizona and South Dakota measures, the NLRB has also indicated it is reserving the right to institute lawsuits against two other states with similar provisions: South Carolina and Utah.

Remember in " The " when Dorothy throws water on the witch and she shrivels up and dies, and then everything changes? Killing isn’ t quite the same thing as killing the Wicked Witch of the West, but it could be the pivotal event that winds up changing everything, especially in . I traveled to Afghanistan in April and spent 90 minutes in a one- on- one interview with Gen. . He explained to me how the " surge" strategy was working.

But I left the meeting scratching my head. Even if we were successful in defeating the on the Afghan battlefield, would it matter if the Taliban retained safe havens in ?

Or if the Karzai government remained too incompetent and corrupt to hold Afghanistan together after we left?

What I didn’ t know, and Gen. Petraeus did, was that we had located Usama Bin Laden and were about to take him out. And, if the operation proved successful, the would force Pakistan, Afghanistan and the Taliban to reassess their positions. The deal between the Taliban and was between and Usama bin Laden, not the organizations; they apparently didn’ t see eye- to- eye on much beyond that top level.

With Bin Laden gone, that personal connection is severed. With Al Qaeda weakened and in disarray, it' s the perfect opportunity for the Taliban to sever its ties with the terrorist group. And while the Taliban may have been unwilling to negotiate in the past, they might be willing to reconsider now that their momentum has been reversed, especially in the South.

The Pakistanis need to recalculate, too, especially now that they’ ve been caught red handed double dealing over Bin Laden. & # 160; If the United States can seize the moment, and tell the Pakistanis that they need to either help us with the Taliban or kiss U.

S. aid money goodbye, they might be amenable, especially if we remind them we could always start a closer strategic relationship with their arch- enemy India. Bin Laden’ s death, in and of itself, was significant. But, if we handle this opportunity correctly, his demise could also be crucial to ending the war in Afghanistan. Kathleen Troia " K. T. " Mc.

Farland is a Fox News National Security Analyst and host of Fox. News. com Live' s DEFCON3.

She served in national security posts in the Nixon, Ford and Reagan administrations and wrote Secretary of Defense Weinberger' s November 1984 " Principles of War Speech" , which laid out the Weinberger Doctrine. Be sure to watch " K.

T. " every Wednesday at 2 p. m. ET on Fox. News. com' s " DEFCON3 already one of the Web' s most watched national security programs.

For more, visit .

The visitor center is the logical first stop at Colonial Williamsburg. Here you can park free; buy tickets; see a 35- minute introductory movie, ; and pick up which has a list of regular events and special programs and a map of the historic area.

Tickets . . . On the western edge of Yorktown Battlefield, the Yorktown Victory Center has wonderful exhibits and demonstrations that bring to life the American Revolution. Textual and graphic displays along the open- air Road to Revolution walkway cover the principal . . .

Residents in one Massachusetts community are outraged after the flags marking veterans' graves at a local cemetery were vandalized, apparently by metal thieves after the stakes for their the medallions that hold the flags. The thieves swiped copper or bronze medallions stakes from at least 18 graves at Mount Vernon Cemetery in Abington, Mass, cemetery superintendent John Burnett . “ It’ s all about the money. I know it for a fact, " Burnett told the newspaper, adding that the inscribed bronze medallions weren' t taken, presumably because any metal buyer would know they were stolen. The thefts were discovered by Elaine Harte, who was visiting her husband' s grave site last week.

She alerted authorities. " I think it is terrible to do this to those graves. These men fought for our country, " Harte told the Patriot Ledger, which reported that copper sells for about $ 3 a pound, bronze for about $ 2. 25. William Vegnani, chairman of the Veterans Memorial Trustees Committee, told the newspaper he was " totally livid" at the desecration of the veterans' graves. " I have been taking care of this place for 20 years, and I never took a dime for it, " he said. " Never mind that these veterans were my friends. " He said the cemetery has $ 600 to replace the old stakes with aluminum ones, which should be less attractive to metal thieves. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Dr. Phil on Divorce Whether you' ve been married for one, ten or 25 years, asking for a divorce is a big decision. One i. Mag viewer wrote in to television host, & # 160; on whether or not a divorce is right for her. & # 160; Dear Dr. Phil, My marriage has reached a breaking point and I’ m thinking of asking for a divorce.

What should I do? Dr. Phil: I think we get divorced too quickly in America. I think we sometimes say “ well I’ m not having fun anymore. ” The questions you have to ask yourself are “ Have I done everything I can to rehabilitate this marriage?

Have I looked under every stone? Investigated every potential avenue of rehabilitation? ” And if the answer is “ yes” then you will know because you will have no unfinished emotional business with this person. But if you’ re still angry, resentful or hurtful, then you have unfinished emotional business and you’ re not ready.

Earn your way out of a marriage, don’ t just quit because it’ s not fun anymore. For more relationship advice check out .

' Idol' Cuts 4 but Keeps Irish Crooner, & amp; apos; Idol& amp; apos; spares controversial Irish crooner, but makes 4 cuts in show& amp; apos; s first elimination round ' Idol' Cuts 4 but Keeps Irish Crooner. Friday, February 22, 2008By ERIN CARLSON, Associated Press Writer. E- Mail Print Share: Digg Facebook Stumble. Upon.

NEW YORK& nbsp; & # 151; & nbsp; Carly Smithson progressed on " American Idol" Thursday amid controversy over her professional past.

Smithson, 24, has made headlines for having a pre- " Idol" career: The Irish crooner recorded a debut album, 2001' s " Ultimate High, " for MCA Records. It flopped _ after the label spent more than $ 2 million trying to sell it. The show' s gimmick has always been to pluck talented young hopefuls from obscurity and make them into recording artists. Besides Smithson, several of this year' s semifinalists are not exactly rookies in the world of music.

Kristy Lee Cook once had a deal with Arista Nashville, and rocker Robbie Carrico was part of the pop group Boyz N Girlz United. " If they hadn' t already tried to make a name for themselves, then they don' t deserve to be in ( the) competition, " said judge Paula Abdul, defending the contestants' real- w. . .

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. & # 8211; & nbsp; scored 25 points and added 22 to lead the to a 116- 109 win over the on Wednesday night. scored a career- high 39 points for New Jersey, which was without star . The point guard was out with an injured right wrist. Lopez nearly made up for his absence, but the Nets settled for outside shots against Detroit' s zone defense late in the game. Stuckey played well in his return after being benched for two games by Detroit coach . Stuckey had eight points for the Pistons during one fourth- quarter stretch, helping them take a 110- 102 advantage. had 20 points and 10 rebounds for Detroit.

The Pistons led 89- 88 after three quarters, but Lopez scored seven of New Jersey' s first nine points of the fourth to give the Nets a 97- 95 lead. He didn' t score again after that, and the Pistons went on a decisive 15- 5 run. That stretch began somewhat ominously for Detroit. After Stuckey scored to tie the game at 97, Lopez drew a foul against a double team by the Pistons, and was immediately called for a technical foul. Wilcox fouled out during the sequence, which came with 9: 07 remaining, but after that, Detroit finally stopped allowing Lopez to catch the ball in position to score near the basket. made a breakaway layup to put the Pistons ahead 99- 98, and added a three- point play on a putback.

Dan Gadzuric made a free throw at the other end for the Nets, but Stuckey scored again to push the lead to five. After a 3- pointer by New Jersey' s , Stuckey made four free throws and a shot from near the top of the key to make it an eight- point game. The Pistons won their 27th game of the season, matching last season' s total. Williams had 21 assists and made a jumper in the final seconds to help New Jersey beat Minnesota 107- 105 Tuesday night, but he said after that game he was planning to see a hand and wrist specialist. It' s not clear if he' ll play again this season.

The team lists his injury as a strained tendon.

The Nets were also without guard , who was out with tendinitis in his left knee, and forward , who had a sprained right ankle and bruised heel. Detroit' s was out with a sore right knee. Notes: Stuckey didn' t start but entered with 3: 58 remaining in the first quarter. . . . The Nets used their 23rd different starting lineup of the season.

The Pistons have used 22. . . . The Pistons made buzzer- beating shots at the end of the second and third quarters & mdash; the first a dunk by Monroe and the second a 3- pointer by Daye.

The National League' s New York Giants became the San Francisco Giants & nbsp; ( AT& amp; T Park, 24 Willie Mays Plaza, between 2nd and 3rd Sts. , So. Ma, 94107.

PHONE: 415/ 972- 2000 or 800/ 734- 4268. sanfrancisco. giants. mlb. com) when they moved to California in 1958, the same year that the Brooklyn Dodgers moved to Los Angeles. Today the beautiful, classic design of the Giants' AT& amp; T Park has created a new legion of fans& # 8212; some more interested in the baseball experience than the Giants, per se.

Still, buy your tickets in advance& # 8212; nearly every game sells out.

The park is small and there are 30, 000 season- ticket holders ( for 43, 000 seats) , so Giants tickets for popular games routinely sell out the day they go on sale, and other games sell out quickly. If tickets aren' t available at Tickets. com, try the Double Play Ticket Window Web site, or even try showing up on game day& # 8212; there are usually plenty of scalpers, some selling at reasonable prices. Tickets. com & nbsp; ( PHONE: 877/ 473- 4849. ) sells game tickets over the phone and charges a per- ticket fee of $ 2- $ 10, plus a per- call processing fee of up to $ 5. The Giants Dugout & nbsp; ( AT& amp; T Park, 24 Willie Mays Plaza, So. Ma, 94107.

PHONE: 415/ 972- 2000 or 800/ 734- 4268. 4 Embarcadero Center, Embarcadero. PHONE: 415/ 951- 8888) sells tickets in any of its stores ( check the Web site, sanfrancisco. giants. mlb. com/ sf/ ballpark/ dugout_ stores. jsp, for all locations) ; a surcharge is added at all but the ballpark store.

The Giants' Web- only Double Play Ticket Window & nbsp; ( sanfrancisco. giants. mlb. com) allows season- ticket holders to resell their unused tickets. You won' t always find a deal, but you might get a seat at an otherwise sold- out game.

Click the " Tickets" link on the home page.

The size of AT& amp; T Park hits you immediately& # 8212; the field, Mc. Covey Cove, and the Lefty O' Doul drawbridge all look like miniature models. At only 13 acres, the San Francisco Giants' ballpark is one of the country' s smallest.

After Boston' s Fenway, AT& amp; T Park has the shortest distance to the wall; from home plate it' s just 309 feet to the right field. But there' s something endearing about its petite stature& # 8212; not to mention its location, with yacht masts poking up over the outfield and the blue bay sparkling beyond.

From 1960 to 2000 the Giants played at Candlestick Park ( now Monster Park, the home of the NFL' s ' 49ers) . The huge, modern stadium has nice views, but it' s also in one of the coldest, windiest parts of the city. ( Giants' pitcher Stu Miller was famously " blown off the mound" here in 1961. ) In 2000, the Giants played their first game at AT& amp; T Park ( then Pacific Bell Park, later SBC Park& # 8212; in fact, some locals jokingly call it the Phone Company Park) .

All told, $ 357 million was spent on the privately funded park, and it shows in the retro redbrick exterior, the quaint clock tower, handsome bronze statues and murals, above- average food ( pad Thai, anyone? ) , and tiny details like baseball- style lettering on no smoking signs. There isn' t a bad seat in the house, and the park has an unusual level of intimacy and access.

Concourses circle the field on two levels& # 8212; on the field level you can stand inches from players as they exit the locker rooms. On the street level non- ticket- holders can get up close, too, outside a gate behind the visiting team' s dugout. Diehards may miss the grittiness of Candlestick, but it' s hard not to love this park. It' s a new stadium with an old- time aura, already a San Francisco institution.

Locals show up in motorboats and inflatable rafts, with fishing nets ready to scoop up home- run balls that clear the right field wall and land in Mc. Covey Cove. Hitting one into the water isn' t easy: the ball has to clear a 26- foot wall, the elevated walkway, and the promenade outside. Barry Bonds had the first splash hit on May 1, 2000.

Parking is pricey ( $ 25 and up) , and 5, 000 spaces for 43, 000 seats doesn' t add up. Take public transportation. Muni line N ( to Cal. Train/ Mission Bay) stops right in front of the park, and Muni bus lines 10, 15, 30, 42, 45, and 47 stop a block away. Or you can arrive in style& # 8212; take the ferry from Jack London Square in Oakland ( ) .

AT& amp; T Park & nbsp; ( 24 Willie Mays Plaza, So.

Ma, 94107. PHONE: 415/ 972- 2000 or 800/ 734- 4268. ) . Park Tours & nbsp; ( COST: $ 12. 50.

OPEN: Daily at 10: 30 and 12: 30) .

The giant Coca- Cola bottle and mitt you see beyond the outfield are part of a playground & nbsp; . The bottle is a slide and the mitt actually has decent views of the field. It also alongside a mini- version of the park used for minor league tryouts and pee- wee baseball.

Geraldo Rivera is currently host of " Geraldo at Large" on Fox News Channel ( FNC) , which is also nationally syndicated by Twentieth Television. Rivera recently celebrated 40 years in journalism. Most recently, Rivera secured an exclusive interview with Joe Jackson, just after the death of his son Michael Jackson. Prior to that, he secured an exclusive interview with the late Michael Jackson on the evening before his trial for child molestations charges. Rivera also took part in extensive coverage of the Minneapolis bridge collapse and the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina Rivera joined FNC as a war correspondent in November 2001.

In this capacity, he was immediately stationed in Afghanistan to cover Operation Enduring Freedom and later in Bethlehem to cover the Israeli- Palestinian conflict. He also covered the Iraqi elections from Baghdad. Rivera began his career as a reporter for WABC- TV in New York where he presented a series exposing the deplorable conditions at the Willowbrook State School for the mentally ill.

These award- winning reports led to a government investigation and the institution was eventually shut down. Before becoming a member of the original cast of ABC' s " Good Morning America, " Rivera presented the first television broadcast of the infamous Abraham Zapruder film of the assassination of President John Kennedy as host of ABC' s " Good Night America. " He then began an eight- year association with ABC' s " 20/ 20" as an investigative reporter.

One of his hour- long reports, " The Elvis Cover- Up" was for more than two decades " 20/ 20' s" highest rated shows. In 1987, Geraldo began producing and hosting " The Geraldo Rivera Show" for 11 years. In 1998, he hosted a series of investigative specials on NBC.

The winner of the 2000 Robert F. Kennedy journalism award ( his third) for his NBC News documentary on " Women In Prison, " and the Scripps Howard Foundation national journalism award for " Back to Bedlam, " Rivera has received more than 170 awards for journalism, including the prestigious George Foster Peabody Award, three national and seven local Emmys, two Columbia- Dupont and two additional Scripps Howard Journalism Awards.

Rivera is a veteran foreign correspondent who has been on the frontlines in virtually every international conflict since 1973. He has expertise in the Afghanistan region, covering the international drug wars of tribal territories in both Pakistan and Afghanistan. His vast war experience has spanned the violent coup in Chile and the Yom Kippur War to the civil wars in Guatemala, the Philippines and Nicaragua as well as the ethnic conflicts in Lebanon ( 1980- 83) and Croatia, Bosnia and Kosovo ( 1998- 1999) .

In 2000, he went to Colombia to cover the country' s civil war. Prior to joining Fox News, Rivera served as host of CNBC' s number- one rated prime time show, " Rivera Live, " where his critically- acclaimed coverage of the O. Simpson civil trial verdict set an all- time CNBC ratings record.

Rivera is a graduate of the University of Arizona and Brooklyn Law School and is the author of seven books.

July 19, 2011 Tue, 19 Jul 2011 12: 34: 33 GMT July 19, 2011 Tue, 19 Jul 2011 12: 34: 33 GMT July 18, 2011 Mon, 18 Jul 2011 15: 03: 25 GMT July 18, 2011 Mon, 18 Jul 2011 15: 03: 25 GMT July 18, 2011 Mon, 18 Jul 2011 12: 51: 40 GMT July 18, 2011 Mon, 18 Jul 2011 12: 51: 40 GMT July 15, 2011 Sat, 16 Jul 2011 02: 11: 57 GMT July 15, 2011 Sat, 16 Jul 2011 02: 11: 57 GMT July 15, 2011 Fri, 15 Jul 2011 18: 08: 53 GMT July 15, 2011 Fri, 15 Jul 2011 18: 08: 53 GMT July 15, 2011 Fri, 15 Jul 2011 11: 20: 46 GMT July 15, 2011 Fri, 15 Jul 2011 11: 20: 46 GMT July 14, 2011 Thu, 14 Jul 2011 19: 53: 27 GMT July 14, 2011 Thu, 14 Jul 2011 19: 53: 27 GMT July 14, 2011 Thu, 14 Jul 2011 17: 32: 00 GMT July 14, 2011 Thu, 14 Jul 2011 17: 32: 00 GMT July 14, 2011 Thu, 14 Jul 2011 14: 44: 05 GMT July 14, 2011 Thu, 14 Jul 2011 14: 44: 05 GMT July 13, 2011 Wed, 13 Jul 2011 19: 15: 21 GMT July 13, 2011 Wed, 13 Jul 2011 19: 15: 21 GMT

Like everything in the Disney- created town of Celebration, this 115- room boutique hotel in the middle of the charming village borrows from the best of the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries. As in all Kessler hotels, art is at the heart of the design, and eclecticism rules. A total facelift in 2011 has lightened the lobby and the mood, replacing the dark woods and plantation- inspired furniture with pale, gold- splashed upholstry.

The restaurant is more casual than the name Chop House implies, and food can be served in the bar, on the terrace overlooking the lake, or in your room. Rooms have plasma- screen TVs and high- speed Internet access.

Even though it' s less than 1 mile south of the U. 192 tourist strip in Kissimmee, the hotel' s surroundings are serene, and the restaurants, shops, cinema, and more in downtown Celebration are a pleasant stroll away. in the heart of Celebration village; rental bikes and golf carts make touring town a breeze; free shuttle to Celebration Golf and Fitness Center. daily fee for Internet and parking; shuttle to Disney is $ 25 per family of four, round- trip; need a rental car ( or lots of cab money) to get anwhere other than Celebration. www. celebrationhotel. com. 115 rooms. In- room: Internet, Wi- Fi. In- hotel: restaurant, bar, pool, gym, business center, parking, some pets allowed.

This custom- charter catamaran is one of the best- equipped boats on the island, complete with a VIP lounge for 12 people. The company offers a different approach to a dinner cruise: everything is cooked to order by an onboard chef. The trips are on the pricier side, mainly because the initial cost doesn' t include the meal. But if you' re willing to splurge for a comfy set- up and upscale service, then it can be worth it.

Three- hour dinner sails run from April 1 to December 15 and also include a hula show. Two- hour whale- watching trips fill the calendar gap. www. sailingmaui. com.

Set behind hedges and a wide lawn, this B& B is a short walk from the village center. The 1699 inn has preserved its antique wide- board floors and has open- hearth fireplaces ( one with a beehive oven) in the living room, the dining room, and the keeping room. The rooms are toasty, too— all but one have working fireplaces, and the suites have whirlpool tubs.

Antique and country furnishings, Oriental rugs, and glimmers of brass and crystal create an elegant feel. Breakfast is served on the backyard terrace or in the formal dining room. Less than 1 mi to restaurants and shops of Barnstable Village, spacious, authentically decorated rooms, working fireplaces for cooler nights, in- room spa treatments available. Rooms are on 2nd floor, accessed via very steep stairs. www. ashleymanor. net. 2 rooms, 4 suites.

In- room: Wi- Fi. In- hotel: tennis court, some age restrictions. Breakfast.

Five years later, what good came from Hurricane Katrina? Any reminder of that catastrophic situation usually brings nothing to mind but pain for so many. The nation’ s inability to help Americans overwhelmed by the flooding remains a damning political indictment against local and state officials in the Gulf region, the Federal Emergency Management Agency ( FEMA) and the Bush administration. But the raw emotional hurt goes beyond any political blame game. The sight of people, overwhelmingly children, seniors and poor black people, scrambling for survival like third world refugees in one of America’ s major cities, remains a scar on America’ s self- image as a modern, powerful society and a beacon to all the world of the promise of “ justice for all. ” The clogged highways, the racism against people seeking to reach safe ground, the talk show hosts quick to shout “ looting” at desperate people simply seeking food, all made for a very bad time.

Most of the news reports out of New Orleans in the last few weeks have replayed all the hurt and political stupidity that led to that shameful episode. They are ignoring good news. Because while it is easy to be negative it is now also possible, five years later, to say out loud, without appearing insensitive, that a lot of good has come from the devastation that threw people far and wide from their homes, family and culture. For example, one New Orleans resident pushed out by the storm, Josh Levin, wrote in Slate Magazine last week that the storm “ gave New Orleanians an unprecedented opportunity to remake a city that wasn’ t working. ” He described the rise of politicians such as Republican Joe Cao and Democrat Mayor Mitch Landrieu as evidence of a new “ crusade against inertia” that had been the rule of local life and allowed for high poverty rates, high crime rates, bad schools, bad health care and corrupt politicians and even more corrupt police. That is not just one man’ s odd opinion.

A Pew Research Center poll’ s finding show 69 percent of Americans say a lot ( 14 percent) or some ( 55percent) progress has been made in getting New Orleans and the Gulf Coast back on track. There is no political divide here. Pew found close to two- thirds of Democrats saying progress is underway.

And that view is backed up by three- quarters of Republicans and independents. There is no regional split on whether life is better on the Gulf Coast. Three- quarters of Southerners, the highest percentage of people in any region in the nation, say they see a turn for the better in the city and the region today, five years after the hurricane. This emerging positive consensus, which is never featured on major news reports, is backed up by a report released by the Brookings Institution this month. “ The real makeover may be in the new spirit of reform and enhanced self- reliance in the city, ” according to the Brookings survey.

Among the positive developments listed in the think tank’ s report is that the New Orleans metropolitan area now has 90 percent of it people back home and 85 percent of its jobs back in place even as the nation goes through recession.

The authors found more arts groups, better health care, reforms to the criminal justice system, more monitoring of police and even an improved master plan for city development. The new plan does away with walled off poor and dangerous neighborhoods that made a walk beyond the French Quarter a matter of taking your life in your hands. Improved race relations are central to any civic improvements taking place in New Orleans.

So much of the negativity around the future of the city has to do with the rarely mentioned fact that the hurricane blew open the door on the deep and hidden black poverty behind the happy, party town Mardi Gras faade. New Orleans before Katrina was 70 percent black, the city had the highest percentage of black people of any American city. And black families made up 90 percent of the city’ s families living below the poverty line. Close to 40 percent of the city’ s children, mostly black, lived in poverty.

A third of the black people in the city had never finished high school. The result was a heart- breaking black poverty rate in the city of 35 percent, which was higher than the national black poverty rate of about 25 percent. So before the storm, for all the talk of tradition and culture, the reality was that New Orleans represented the nation’ s biggest concentration of rank black poverty. Again, it may sound insensitive to say it out loud but the rarely spoken truth is that breaking up that poverty and all the negatives associated with it – from acceptance of crime, drugs, family breakdown and bad schools – is a good development for anyone, black or white, mired in a dysfunctional society. Change is tough for anyone.

For some people it can be too much. About half of the 1, 464 people who died as a result of the storm were over age 74. And more than a million people in the Gulf Coast region had to leave their homes. No one wants to bear such a burden. But there is something to be said for pulling apart neighborhoods paralyzed by crime and drugs and creating new opportunities by forcing people locked in there by inertia to get out of town.

There is even more to be said for rewarding people by giving them the chance to take the initiative to build a better life when if they come back. The Brookings report concluded that entrepreneurship in New Orleans, which was lacking before the storm, has now surpassed the national average. And it is no coincidence that the report also finds that average wages are up 14 percent in the last five years and are now equal to the national average - - something not seen in New Orleans since the 1980s. That is why 63 percent of blacks – along with 70 percent of whites, in the Pew poll, agree that a lot or some progress has been made in rebuilding New Orleans and the Gulf Coast in the last five years.

This is a reconstruction project that goes far beyond better levees and floodwalls. This has to do with rebuilding the soul of the region for its neediest residents. And on that score America has a lot to be proud about five years after a natural disaster blew away any pretense of normalcy in New Orleans as well as a lot of convenient lies that cemented poverty and disadvantage.

Juan Williams is NPR Senior Correspondent and Fox News contributor. His most recent book is " Enough: The Phony Leaders, Dead- End Movements, and Culture of Failure That Are Undermining Black America- - and What We Can Do About It. " Fox News Opinion is on Twitter. Follow us @ fxnopinion.

If there' s one thing the Washington Redskins have done right this season, it' s overtime. If there' s one thing the Washington Redskins have done right this season, it' s overtime.

Kevin Barnes intercepted David Garrard' s second pass in overtime, setting up Graham Gano' s 31- yard field goal that gave the Redskins a 20- 17 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars and snapped a four- game losing streak Sunday. Rex Grossman had a touchdown pass early, and Ryan Torain added a 1- yard plunge on fourth down late. But the Redskins ( 6- 9) won this game with defense.

Washington played without several defensive starters, including linebacker Brian Orakpo and safeties Reed Doughty and Kareem Moore, and lost cornerback Carlos Rogers during the game. It didn' t matter. The Redskins stuffed Jacksonville' s running game, pressured Garrard and came up big when it mattered most.

The win was Washington' s third in four overtime games this season. The Jaguars ( 8- 7) have lost two in a row and need help to make the playoffs. They need to win at Houston next week and have Tennessee upset Indianapolis to win the A. . .

Which new albums should you be playing this week? Take a listen, and decide for yourself. Take some time this week to enjoy some new American music, won' t you? After all, it' s not like there' s any other big news event that would bring us together as country & mdash; at least not as big as a new Beastie Boys album.

Nothing brings the country together more than the Beastie Boys. & nbsp; MUST- PLAY PICK OF THE WEEK: Fleet Foxes' " Helplessness Blues" SKIP: Jennifer Lopez , " LOVE? " As " American Idol " hopefuls move closer to the finish line, " American Idol" judges are juicing the machine for their own fame gain. Here comes J. Lo reminding all of her new " Idol" followers that she' s still got game. According to Lopez, " LOVE? " is a deeply personal album.

According to anyone with ears, " LOVE? " is a deeply overbearing, overproduced attempt to fit into a post- Gaga world that has left J. Lo on the side of the dance floor.

Being on " Idol" every week can' t hurt sales, but " LOVE? " is a long way from being everlasting. WATCH the music video for Jennifer Lopez' s song " On the Floor ( featuring Pit Bull) . " SKIP: S. . .

Scotty Mc. Creery is the new " , " defeating fellow country crooner Lauren Alaina. Mc. Creery, a fresh- faced 17- year- old from Garner, N.

C. , with a strikingly deep voice, received more viewer votes than Alaina, a peppy 16- year- old from Rossville, Ga. It was the first all- country finale for the Fox singing contest, now in its 10th season. Mc. Creery' s victory Wednesday continued a recent pattern: He' s the fourth male in a row to win " Idol. " The last female to win was 17- year- old in 2007. Alaina competed in Tuesday' s final sing- off despite a vocal cord injury that required medical treatment.

She received raves from the judges, who said she won the night. But the consistently popular Mc. Creery claimed the title and a record contract. The Fox TV show attracted high- wattage stars including , , Tom Jones and , who performed at the Nokia Theatre with the top- finishing " Idol" contestants. Judge even got into the act.

Draped in a scanty outfit and shaking her famous booty, she took the stage to dance while husband Marc Anthony sang, briefly turning the night into a salsa- flavored family affair. The show remains a hot promotional platform, with Seacrest helping some of the pop stars push either movies ( Black' s new " Kung Fu Panda 2" ) or a Las Vegas show ( ) . , whose new album " Born this Way" is out this week, was another performer. The grandest bid for attention came from Broadway' s troubled " Spider- Man: Turn Off the Dark, " with composers Bono and The Edge performing with the musical' s star, Reeve Carney.

Alaina, 16, and Mc. Creery, 17, represent the first all- country finale and the youngest duo ever to compete on " Idol. " Last year, by contrast, Fox didn' t announce the total in the much lower- key contest between winner Lee De.

Wyze and runner- up Crystal Bowersox. When winner and duked it out in 2009, more than 100 million votes were cast. The season' s vote total was more than three- quarters- of- a- billion, Seacrest announced as the show got under way. For Fox, it' s affirmation there' s still life in the series that' s had a long ratings reign as No.

There was drama during Tuesday' s performance show when Alaina of Rossville, Ga. , required medical treatment for a vocal cord injury suffered during rehearsals for Tuesday' s performance show.

She soldiered on with three tunes, drawing high praise from the Fox TV show' s judges. " This is a very tight race tonight, but Lauren, with that song, you may have just won, " Lopez said after Alaina sang an emotional " Like My Mother Does, " the last of her trio of tunes. But it was up to viewers to choose between Alaina and Mc.

Creery of Garner, N. C. , an equally fresh- faced performer but one with a strikingly mature voice. said backstage Tuesday he thought Alaina' s performance, not her vocal problem and a possible sympathy reaction, would count in the voting. " I think she sang brilliantly tonight, " said Jackson, who thought she outsang Mc. Creery on two songs. But the judge stopped short of predicting her victory. " Going into tonight, Scotty definitely had an edge and he may still have a slight edge, " Jackson said.

But Alaina " was the best tonight. " Both are impressive singers for the show' s " first- ever, all- country final, " he said. " These kids are so young . . .

I just go, ` Wow. ' They embody what this whole show is about. " Alaina' s other tunes were Carrie Underwood' s " Flat on the Floor" and Pam Tillis' " Maybe It was Memphis, " which was selected by former " Idol" winner Underwood. Mc. Creery sang his own possible future single, " I Love You This Big, " Montgomery Gentry' s " Gone" and George Strait' s " Check Yes or No, " Strait' s pick for the teenager.

After the show, Alaina gave reporters the silent treatment to protect her voice, with Mc. Creery offering his services as spokesman while she scribbled answers on a memo pad or whispered to him. When Alaina was asked if her finale performance had been at risk, he replied, " She says, ` Yes. " ' Judge said it' s not unusual for steroids to be used for a vocal cord injury. " You pay for it dearly the next day, " he said, adding that Alaina shouldn' t be affected because she was on stage briefly Tuesday. The show started with host bringing Dr.

Shawn Nasseri on stage to explain that Alaina blew out one of her vocal cords but had been given " a lot of medicine" to be able to sing during the finale.

Public recognition is not a useful thing when your job is clandestine operations. That& rsquo; s not tough to figure out.

With everything else going on here in the U.

S. and around the globe, it& rsquo; s possible you may have missed this little gem of a story. Let me try to succinctly set the stage while you pour yourself a drink and prepare to smack yourself in the forehead with amazement. Or disgust. I& rsquo; ll preface by saying that the takedown of Al Qaeda' s terror mastermind Usama bin Laden was a painstaking, labor intensive decade- long effort involving dedicated folks from numerous agencies and organizations. These people toiled for years trying to piece together countless bits of information& hellip; sifting for any credible lead, chasing down potential sources, carrying out surveillance, interviewing and analyzing every word from detainees, working every angle and never giving up.

All that work is what allowed the Navy SEALs to do what they do best and close the deal. The men and women of the CIA, FBI , NSA and other shops carried out the operations, the analysis, the surveillance, the interrogations and the investigatio. . .

A magnitude- 6. 7 earthquake rattled northeast Japan early Thursday in the same area where a massive quake triggered a deadly tsunami in March, but there were no immediate reports of injuries or damage. The Japan Meteorological Agency issued a tsunami warning for the region after the quake, but canceled it about an hour later. The temblor struck the region of the Pacific where a magnitude- 9.

0 quake hit on March 11, triggering a huge tsunami. At least 23, 000 people were killed or left missing in those disasters, which destroyed hundreds of homes, offices and factories in northeastern Japan. Thursday' s quake hit about 30 miles off the shore of Iwate prefecture at 6: 51 a. m. , the Japan Meteorological Agency said.

Much of the coast in the area is still heavily damaged from March' s disasters. The U. Pacific Tsunami warning center said it did not expect a destructive Pacific- wide tsunami.

The quake, 19. 9 miles deep, caused tremors across the northern half of the country, including Tokyo, which is about 325 miles to the southwest.

It was followed by several smaller aftershocks, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency. Japan is located on the Ring of Fire, an arc of volcanoes and fault lines spanning the Pacific Basin, and is regularly hit by earthquakes.