US & World News, Thursday 1/3

US & World Summary --- First Contest Of 2008 Presidential Campaign Is Tonight After months of campaigning, the 2008 Presidential campaign officially begins tonight with the Iowa caucuses. Election watchers in the Hawkeye State say both the Democratic and Republican races are too close to call. The Democratic race is a three-way tussle between Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama and John Edwards, while Mitt Romney and Mike Huckabee are battling for the top spots in the Republican race. After the dust settles tonight, candidates will immediately start gearing up for Tuesdays New Hampshire primary. --- San Francisco Zoo Reopens With Some Modifications (San Francisco, CA) -- Visitors to the San Francisco Zoo will be greeted by new warning signs when the zoo reopens today. Warning signs will remind zoo-goers not to tease the animals or make excessive noise after a 17-year-old boy was mauled to death on Christmas Day. The sites of the attack will remain off-limits but a memorial is being set up at the main entrance for the teen who was killed in the mauling, as well as for the Siberian tiger who was shot by police. --- Striking Writers Not Happy With Huckabee (Burbank, CA) -- Some striking writers arent happy with GOP Presidential candidate Mike Huckabee after the Republican hopeful crossed the writers picket line yesterday afternoon to appear on the "Tonight Show with Jay Leno." Actor John Cryer from CBS "Two and a Half Men" was walking the picket line and said hes disappointed Huckabee chose to cross the line. Cryer said, quote, "this is a guy whos campaigning on his character and this isnt a good way to start." A WGA statement quotes Huckabee as expressing strong support for the writers and urged him not to go on the show. --- Second Victim Recovered Following Avalanche (Excelsior Pass, WA) -- Washington state search and rescue crews have recovered the body of the second snowmobiler who was killed in an avalanche in the Mount Baker Recreation Area. A sheriffs spokesman says the body of 63-year-old Danny Woods was recovered yesterday afternoon. Woods and his partner, 43-year-old Sheila Rowe, were with a group of five snowmobilers when the avalanche began about 53-hundred feet up Church Mountain. The slide swept them several hundred feet down hill. Rowes body was found about one hour after the incident. --- Trial Date Set For Woman Accused Of Bigamy (Miami, FL) -- A Florida woman will go on trial in March on charges that she married ten men without divorcing any of them. Eunice Lopez was arraigned yesterday on nine counts of bigamy. According to federal investigators, the 26-year-old woman married ten illegal immigrants between 2002 and 2006 in a scheme to make money. Lopez denies ever being married and blames her legal troubles on confusion over her somewhat common name. She goes on trial March 24th. --- Judge Judys Son Sworn In As DA (Carmel, NY) -- Judge Judys son is following in his moms footsteps. Adam Levy was sworn in Tuesday as the new district attorney in Putnam County, New York. His mother, Judge Judy Sheindlin, did the honors at the Putnam County, New York Courthouse. Her syndicated "Judge Judy" television program is watched by millions around the world. Levy vows to crack down on drunk drivers, even though he has defended people accused of DWI in private practice over the past 12-years. --- Netflix Makes Deal To Send Movies Straight To TVs (San Francisco, CA) -- Netflix will soon be sending movies directly to customers television sets. According to the "New York Times," the DVD-by-mail company has signed a deal with LG Electronics to stream movies and other programming over the Internet to LGs high-definition television sets or DVD players. Industry analysts say the move could help Netflix move away from its dependence on physical media and the U.S. postal service. Netflix says LG televisions with the new service will begin shipping during the second half of this year, but didnt say which LG devices will have the feature. (Copyright 2008 by Newsroom Solutions) RNS-01-03-08 0744CST