US & World News, Wednesday 2/27

US & World Summary --- Small Glitch Created Massive Power Outage (Miami, FL) -- The lights are back on in most of Florida after yesterdays massive power outage. Meanwhile, utility officials are still puzzled over how one glitch could have caused the statewide crisis. Florida Power and Light officials believe a switch at a Miami substation malfunctioned and sparked a small fire. That, in turn, created a domino effect across the rest of the system. Utility officials say at its peak the power failure left as many as four-million people without electricity in South Florida, along the Gulf Coast, in the Orlando area and elsewhere around the state. --- Fed Chief Bernanke Heads Back To Capitol Hill (Washington, DC) -- Wall Street is nervously waiting for testimony today from Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke. The Fed chairman will be back on Capitol Hill, appearing before a House Committee hearing examining the economy. Investors are looking for Bernanke to lay out his views on how he intends to jump-start a sputtering economy while dealing with inflation. U.S. stock index futures slipped today fueled by record oil prices, a slumping dollar and several weak data reports about the economy. --- Clinton, Obama Spar On Healthcare, Foreign Policy (Cleveland, OH) -- Senators Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama challenged each others positions on healthcare, NAFTA, the war in Iraq and negative campaigning during last nights MSNBC debate. It was their final meeting before next Tuesdays critical primaries in Texas and Ohio. During the Cleveland debate, Clinton described herself as a "fighter" whos willing to go toe-to-toe with special interests and healthcare providers to establish universal healthcare. Obama said hes for universal healthcare too, but said Clintons plans have mandates with no details on how those mandates would be enforced. --- Writers Guild Officially Ratifies Contract (Los Angeles, CA) -- Members of the Writers Guild of America have ratified a new contract with TV and movie studios. About 94-percent of the TV and movie writers voted for the deal that officially ends their 14-week strike. Guild East President Michael Winship says the three-year deal gives writers the same provisions in new media that are enjoyed by the creators of original TV and motion picture scripts. He says it also covers residuals for the reuse of movies and television programs on the Internet and in other new media. --- Fashion Designer Due In Court On Assault Charges (Los Angeles, CA) -- A fashion designer who allegedly used the Internet to lure women into his business goes on trial today in Los Angeles for allegedly sexually assaulting 20 women. Prosecutors say Anand Jon Alexanders victims ranged in age from 14-years-old to 27-years-old. Jon was first investigated last March after a woman claimed that she had been sexually assaulted in his Beverly Hills apartment. Eventually, more women came forward with similar claims. --- Florida Woman In Coma After Being Booked Into Jail Stealing a nine-dollar cheesesteak sandwich has led to jail and the hospital for a Florida woman who is now in a coma. According to the "St. Petersburg Times," Dorothy Palinchik was booked into jail on the eve of Valentines Day and became gravely ill shortly after arriving. Palinchik was rushed to the hospital where she was diagnosed with a severe case of the staph infection MRSA and pneumonia in both lungs. Palinchiks family and boyfriend claim the jail ignored her condition. --- Vols Fall at Vandy, 72-69 (Nashville, TN) -- It was a short stay at the top for the Tennessee Volunteers mens basketball team. Last night in Nashville, the 14th ranked Vanderbilt Commodores upset the number one Vols, 72-69. Tennessee had risen to the top after knocking off previous number one and unbeaten Memphis last weekend. Vanderbilt has a history of knocking off number one teams at home, including an upset of top-ranked Florida last year. Shan 1/81/8 Shane 3/83/8 Foster led Vandy with 32 points. (Copyright 2008 by Newsroom Solutions) RNS-02-27-08 0846CST