Connecticut

TOKYO — Christian Bale skirted questions about the assault allegations against him Tuesday at the Japanese premiere of “The Dark Knight.” British media has reported that Bale’s mother and sister told police he assaulted them at the hotel a day before attending the film’s European premiere. But the Batman star managed to make it through the hugely successful Warner Bros. movie’s premiere in Japan with virtually no comment on his personal problems. “It’s a private matter,” he told a crowded news conference. Last week, in Spain, Bale brushed off reporters with a similar comment. Bale has said through his lawyers that the assault allegations are false. The 34-year-old Welsh actor’s personal drama hasn’t hurt the movie. (Read the full post about ‘Bale Skirts Questions About Allegations’…)

SEBOKENG, South Africa — A former dormitory matron at Oprah Winfrey’s school for poor South African girls has pleaded not guilty to charges that she indecently assaulted and otherwise abused six teenagers at the academy.Tiny Virginia Makopo, 28, looked nervous and sullen at the start of her trial Tuesday. It is expected to last all week. The opening session was public, but the judge has granted the prosecution’s request for the rest of the trial to be held in private while the teenagers testify through closed-circuit television to save them the trauma of confronting their alleged attacker in court. Prosecutor Etienne Venter described the girls as “very scared and very, very emotional.” Winfrey was a victim of child abuse and has promised an overhaul at the school. (Read the full post about ‘Accused Oprah School Abuser’s Trial Begins’…)

LAS VEGAS — A pilot from the Nellis Air Force Base has died following the crash of a U.S. Air Force F-15D Eagle two-seater jet in Nevada, Nellis Air Force Base officials said.

Another pilot from the aircraft was transported to Mike OCallaghan Federal Hospital at about 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, reported KVVU-TV. The second pilot is under observation and in stable condition, officials said.

The crash occurred on the Nevada Test and Training Range about 50 miles east of Goldfield, Nev., said Charles Ramey of Nellis Air Force Base.

He said the crash occurred about 11:30 a.m. (Read the full post about ‘Air Force Jet Crashes In Nevada; 1 Pilot Dead’…)

CHICAGO — The American College of Emergency Physicians is warning of the danger of accidents involving people trying to walk and text at the same time.And it’s not just walking that can be dangerous.In an alert issued this week, the ER doctors cite rising reports from doctors around the country of injuries involving text-messaging pedestrians, bicyclists, Rollerbladers, even motorists.Most involve scrapes, cuts and sprains from texters who walked into lampposts or walls or tripped over curbs. “People are texting and they trip and fall on their faces - usually people in their 20s. We see a lot of face, chin, mouth (and) eye injuries from falls,” said Dr. (Read the full post about ‘ER Docs: Don’t Text And Walk, Skate — Or Cook’…)

NEW ORLEANS — A boy’s arm has been recovered after it was bitten off by an alligator Wednesday.An alligator bit off 11-year-old Devin Funck’s arm Wednesday, according to police, reported WDSU-TV.Officers said the boy and two girls were playing near a body of water at a subdivision near Slidell when the gator attacked and tried to pull the boy under.Relatives tell The Times-Picayune he poked the alligator in the eye and freed himself.The alligator was described as between 10 and 12 feet long.Police said the gator likely swallowed the boy’s arm, and officers were searching for the animal around 5 p.m. Wednesday. (Read the full post about ‘Police Recover Boy’s Arm After Gator Attack’…)

I forgot, she’s coming to host a fundraiser for David Cappiello in Danbury tomorrow.

I have to wonder if having both Bushes headline fundraisers for him will cause him problems later? Says Ken Curran, who is apparently managing Murphy’s re-election campaign:

“While Dave Cappiello continues, over and over, to embrace the Bush legacy, Chris is working hard to erase the damage his administration has done over the past seven years.”

And yet, for a very moderate guy like David Cappiello, that might not actually hurt him too much. Chris Healy says in the article that voters know who Cappiello is, and that the election isn’t about President Bush.

(Read the full post about ‘Right, Laura Bush’…)

Jim Himes sent out an email to supporters today preparing them for the upcoming primary:

Two weeks from today, Democrats in Connecticut’s Fourth District will go to the polls and decide who gets to take on Chris Shays in November.
[…]
According to new numbers released last week, 3.2 new Democrats registered to vote for every 1 new Republican in our district last year, and Democrats widened their registration advantage here by almost 8,000 voters. Chris Shays’ margin of victory in 2006? 6,645.

Because of your hard work and support, I feel more confident than ever that we will be able close that gap on election day.

(Read the full post about ‘Himes Prepares for Primary’…)

A special session may or may not be on.

But top Democratic leaders were somewhat cool to a special session, saying it could be avoided. Senate President Pro Tem Donald Williams said, for example, that the state could avoid the time and expense of a special session by transferring the money to heating assistance programs through the state’s Finance Advisory Committee.

The money will get spent one way or another, it seems, Nancy Wyman’s protests that the state will face a much, much larger deficit next year.

If the state doesn’t act, then the money goes into the rainy day fund and nothing goes towards heating assistance.

(Read the full post about ‘Special Session Under Discussion’…)

LOS ANGELES — Though the Motion Picture Association of America said the rating is “pending appeal,” it’s slapped an NC-17 on Kevin Smith’s next movie because of “some graphic sexuality.”Seth Rogen, who stars with Elizabeth Banks in “Zack and Miri Make a Porno,” recently was asked by AP Radio about the struggle for an R rating.Rogen said the MPAA’s NC-17 rating is “a mystery.”"We live in a world where you can disembowel someone in a youth hostel in Romania, but you can’t show people having sex,” Rogen said in reference to the horror film “Hostel.” Rogen said that he doesn’t know what to do about the rating and he’s “taking suggestions.” Kevin Smith Interview The “Knocked Up” star said that he doesn’t think “Zack and Miri” deserves an NC-17, and said that he and his movie-making pals have “done some dirty stuff and this isn’t anything outside” of what they’ve done before.Rogen, also the co-writer and co-star of “Superbad,” wondered if the MPAA gave Smith’s film an NC-17 rating because of a word in the title.”The word ‘porno’ is in the title and that kind of freaks people out, even though it is like the No. (Read the full post about ‘‘Porno’ By Kevin Smith Slapped With NC-17′…)

LOS ANGELES — Halle Berry said that a paparazzo went too far to get a shot of the actress holding her infant daughter, trespassing onto her private property and snapping them hanging out in the back yard. The Oscar-winning actress was upset when pictures of her holding 4-month-old Nahla Ariela Aubry showed up on the Internet and in two celebrity magazines.In a statement, Berry disputes the notion that the photos were taken when she was “out and about in Los Angeles.” Evan Spiegel, an attorney representing Berry, said that a criminal complaint has been filed and an investigation is under way. (Read the full post about ‘Halle Berry Angry Over Baby Photos’…)