1. Reporters: Blessy and Krupa

2. Work Cited Category Article Title Source Most controversial U.S lifts some restrictions on embryo stem cells http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Science/2009/04/17/9152031-ap.html Most memorable Obama’s Inauguration Is One for the History Books http://www.usnews.com/articles/news/obama/2009/01/20/barack-obamas-inauguration-is-one-for-the-history-books.html Most deadly (own category) Swine flu comes back with a harder punch http://www.newsday.com/news/printedition/longisland/ny-nyhen1712773802may16,0,2861875.column Most deceiving/cunning (own category) FBI: Illinois governor tried to sell Obama's seat http://www.newsday.com/news/printedition/nation/ny-usblag105959225dec10,0,262250.story?page=2 Most outrageous Bernard Madoff heading to jail http://www.newsday.com/services/newspaper/printedition/thursday/business/ny-bzmado1212538905mar12,0,7661518.story Most heroic This hero was born to fly http://www.newsday.com/news/local/newyork/ny-lipilo0116,0,1968474.story

3. Most Controversial U.S. lifts some restrictions on embryo stem cells By Lauran Neergaard, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS WASHINGTON - When President Barack Obama eased limits on taxpayer-funded embryonic stem cell research, the big question became how far scientists could go. Friday, the government answered: They must use cells culled from fertility clinic embryos that otherwise would be thrown away. Draft guidelines released by the National Institutes of Health reflect rules with broad congressional support, excluding more controversial sources such as cells derived from embryos created just for experiments. "We think this will be a huge boost for the science," said acting NIH director Raynard Kington. "This was the right policy for the agency at this point in time." The limit will disappoint some researchers who wanted to use a broader variety of cells. But it still means that perhaps hundreds more stem cell lines will be available for government-funded study soon. "Some groups and scientists have wanted the administration to go further. But we are happy to have this progress after such a long period of limited opportunities to pursue this very important line of research," said Alan Leshner of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. The guidelines are "a reasonable compromise based on where the science stands now," said Dr. Sean Morrison, director of the University of Michigan Center for Stem Cell Biology. "We may need to revisit some of the details down the road depending on how the science develops."

4. Scientists are trying to harness embryonic stem cells - master cells that can morph into any cell of the body - to one day create replacement tissues and better treat, possibly even cure, ailments ranging from diabetes to Parkinson's to spinal cord injury. Culling those stem cells - which can propagate indefinitely in lab dishes - destroys a days-old embryo, a result strongly opposed by many on moral grounds. So the Bush administration had limited taxpayer-supported research to a small number of embryonic stem cell "lines" or groups already in existence as of August 2001. Last month, Obama lifted that restriction, widening the field. But he left it to the NIH to set ethics guidelines determining which cell lines now will qualify for government funding. Federal law forbids using taxpayer money to create or destroy an embryo. At issue here are rules for working with cells that initially were created using private money. Many scientists had hoped the guidelines would allow use of stem cells derived from embryos created just for science, perhaps even using cloning techniques that could make them genetically customized for a potential recipient. But the NIH instead proposed limiting new grants to research using stem cells originally derived from fertility-clinic leftovers, the extra embryos that couples wind up not needing and thus often are thrown out. That's in line with legislation passed by the last Congress but never signed by President George W. Bush. Besides, Kington noted, no one has yet created a stem cell line using cloning techniques.

5. "There's compelling broad support both in the scientific community and the public at large" for the fertility-clinic approach, Kington said. "There is not similar broad support for using other sources at this time." The guidelines also demand that the woman or couple who donate the original embryo give proper informed consent. There are other options for such donors, such as donating the embryo to another infertile woman, and all must be explained. Also, the donation must be voluntary, without pressure from scientists. Those donation practices are standard today, but they weren't just a few years ago - and Michigan's Morrison said some of the old Bush-approved lines may not meet the new standards. That poses a grave question, he said: Can work based on those older lines continue? Friday's guidelines also clearly forbid some types of research using human embryonic stem cells, such as mixing them with embryos from monkeys and other primates. Last year, the NIH funded about $88 million in research using embryonic stem cells, Kington said. It's unclear how much more the agency may spend under the new policy. The NIH will accept public comments on the guidelines for a month, and issue final rules by early July.

6. Most Controversial “ U.S lifts some restrictions on embryo stem cells”. We chose this article because stem cell research is a very controversial issue. President Obama recently eased the limits on stem cell research. The conflict is whether or not you want to kill embryos that could develop into a baby for research. However, stem cell research will be a huge boost for new science discoveries. By doing this they can morph cells that can morph into any cell of the body. U.S lifts some restrictions on embryo stem cells

7. Most Memorable Barack Obama's Inauguration Is One for the History Books With the theme "a new birth of freedom," Obama has modeled his inauguration after Abraham Lincoln's By Kenneth T. Walsh Posted January 20, 2009 "A New Birth of Freedom" was the theme for Barack Obama's inauguration today—a reference to one of Abraham Lincoln's most memorable lines from the Gettysburg Address. It was part of Obama's sustained effort to link himself with the memory of one of America's greatest leaders and to give Americans reassurance that today, as in Lincoln's time, the country would find its way through any crisis. Obama, the first African-American president, has often emphasized his bonds with Lincoln , who waged war to preserve the Union and end slavery. Obama has pointed out that they both rose to prominence as politicians from Illinois and were considered unlikely successes early in their political careers. Obama even followed Lincoln's 1861 itinerary to Washington for his inauguration, making stops in Philadelphia, Wilmington, Del., and Baltimore. Obama was planning to be sworn in with the Bible that Lincoln used for his oath of office. Obama, the son of a black man from Kenya and a white woman from Kansas, was raised amid the cultural diversity of Hawaii and Indonesia, and he went out of his way to involve many different kinds of people in his inauguration. Nearly every major segment of the population seemed represented in some way—whites and blacks, men and women, straights and gays, the old, the young, the middle-aged.

8. But a review of the history of presidential inaugurations shows that Obama's emphasis on populist sensibility could not match the inauguration of Andrew Jackson in 1829 in terms of sheer drama and cultural change. Jackson campaigned in 1828 on the theme that rich and powerful elites from the East were running the government for their own benefit, and it was time for Washington to promote and protect everyday people. He won 59.5 percent of the popular vote and swept into the White House on a tide of change. On Inauguration Day, Jackson threw open the doors of the White House, and his supporters poured in, pushing and shouting as they celebrated their hero's victory. Many were rough men in muddy boots who climbed on chairs and wolfed down the food and drink, as did hundreds of farmers, laborers, ambassadors, members of Congress , and a number of children. "Several thousand dollars' worth of art glass and china were broken in the attempt to get at the refreshments; punch, lemonade, and other articles were carried out of the house in buckets and pails," wrote a shocked witness. "Women fainted; men were seen with bloody noses; and no police had been placed on duty."

9. Other inaugurations have been intentionally low key. When Franklin Roosevelt was sworn in for his fourth term in 1945, he was too exhausted and sick to do much celebrating after the struggles with the Depression and World War II. He died several weeks later. When Ronald Reagan was inaugurated for his second term in 1985, the weather was so bitterly cold that he canceled the inaugural parade in order to spare marchers and well-wishers frostbite—or worse. William Henry Harrison, the ninth president, wasn't so lucky. On March 4, 1841, Harrison, 68, gave a 90-minute inaugural address in an ice storm, without a hat or overcoat. He caught a cold and died a month later of pneumonia. George Washington set the pace with the first inauguration in 1789 in New York City , the nation's temporary capital. The oath of office he gave, as provided in Article II, Section 1 of the Constitution, was simple and brief, and remains the same today: "I do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States." Washington added the phrase, "so help me God," and nearly every other president has done the same ever since. He followed his oath with an inaugural address, which most of his successors have also done. Thomas Jefferson was the first president to be inaugurated in Washington, D.C., which became the capital in 1801. After his second inauguration, Jefferson rode on horseback from the Capitol to the president's house surrounded by mechanics from the Navy Yard—the forerunner of the inaugural parade.

10. Ronald Reagan moved the ceremony from the East Front of the Capitol to the West Front in 1981, seeking to symbolize his connection to the independent spirit of the West and California, where he had been governor . It opened up a magnificent vista that encompassed the Washington Mall, and every president since then has kept that venue. Jimmy Carter was the first president to walk from the Capitol to the White House, in 1977. Reagan, who followed Carter in 1981, stayed in his limousine for the parade. But George H. W. Bush, Bill Clinton , and George W. Bush all emerged from their limousines to greet well-wishers and walk part of the route. Over the years, only a few inaugural addresses have been truly memorable. In 1933, Franklin Roosevelt helped to reassure the country when he said, "This great nation will endure as it has endured, will revive, and will prosper. So, first of all, let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself." And he captured the national mood when he added: "This nation asks for action, and action now. Our greatest primary task is to put people to work. This is no unsolvable problem if we face it wisely and courageously." In 1961, John F. Kennedy had two lines that historians have widely praised. The first was his call to service: "Ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country." And the other was overtly generational: "The torch has been passed to a new generation of Americans—born in this century, tempered by war, disciplined by a hard and bitter peace, proud of our ancient heritage—and unwilling to witness or permit the slow undoing of those human rights to which this nation has always been committed and to which we are committed today at home and around the world." Inauguration Day was originally March 4. But in 1933, it was moved forward to January 20, by constitutional amendment, to hasten the transition from one president to the next.

11. Most Memorable “ Obama’s Inauguration Is One for the History Books.” President Obama’s inauguration was a very memorable event in U.S history. We chose this article because President Obama’s inauguration will always be remembered in the years to come. Obama is the first African American president. Therefore, because of this many people will be encouraged to try their best to achieve there goal ( possibly as a president). Obama’s Inauguration Is One for the History Books

12. Most deadly You see? That's the way it is with these public health situations. The experts can offer guidelines about the precautions worth taking - and the ones that are probably a waste of time. (Yes to the hand-washing, no to the surgical masks.) But whatever the experts and the media say, these infectious diseases have minds of their own. Wait, wasn't the swine flu supposed to be finished? For two solid weeks there, we'd breathed a nice sigh of relief. This pandemic wasn't the pandemic. H1N1 was half a virus of hype. And we were turning our limited attention, as we always do, to fresh, hot fevers in the news - Obama and the Catholics, Benedict and the Jews, Nancy Pelosi and whatever you think just might be the truth. The good news was we weren't getting sick. Well, try telling that to Mitchell Wiener, an assistant middle-school principal in Hollis , Queens. You can tell him just as soon as he gets off his ventilator, which everyone at IS 238 is hoping comes soon. Just when this illness was supposedly over, Wiener is battling a dire case. Now his school is closed for a week at least, as are two others near by, while a swiftly fading virus suddenly pops up again. Swine flu comes back with a harder punch Ellis Henican 4:13 PM EDT, May 16, 2009

13. Finished? Not quite! It's on to Queens - and beyond? One day, when the epidemiologists and the demographers have finished their study, everyone will know. We'll know where this disease was hatched. We'll know how it spread around. We might even know why it was this bad - but not any worse. Until then, we can hope for the healthy, pray for the sick, refuse to stop living and keep washing our hands. Feel better, Mr. W. Feel better soon. TRAGIC TRIPLE PLAY: Not only was he driving drunk, not only did he slam his car into a Suffolk police officer on Commack Road, killing the cop, prosecutors now say Jose Borbon was talking on his cell phone at the time of the crash. Given all that, defense lawyer William Petrillo clearly has his hands full, even if the cop was speeding without his emergency lights. ELLIS' BOOK CLUB: No wonder there's a bridge named in his honor. Thaddeus Kosciuszko planned the Battle of Saratoga, designed the blueprints for West Point , tried to buy and free Thomas Jefferson 's slaves and got ceremonial objects from the chief of the Miami Indians as an early battler for Native American rights. Imagine how famous he'd be if Americans could actually spell his name. With "The Peasant Prince: Thaddeus Kosciuszko and the Age of Revolution" (St. Martin's/Dunne), Alex Storozynski finally gives the colorful Polish general the sweeping biography he deserves. Only George Washington has more statues in his honor across the U.S. , and you still can't get from Queens to Brooklyn on the GWB.

14. ASKED AND UNANSWERED: Who are the lucky ones? The struggling Long Island Chrysler dealers who are still open for business - or the four whose dealership contracts are being yanked by Detroit? . . . Where would Nassau police be if Nassau criminals weren't so dumb? Would they still be looking for iPhone robbery suspect Michael Compass, who - duh - allegedly left his keys at the crime scene in Uniondale? . . . What does Loch Ness have that the Montauk Monster doesn't? Anything but a bigger PR budget? . . . "Innocent until proven guilty" is the rule at the courthouse, right? Is it also the rule in election booth? Alleged tax evader (and now Nassau Legislature re-election candidate) Roger Corbin will find out the hard way . . . What theory of politics explains this: Bloomberg cuts city services - and watches his approval ratings go UP? . . . What could drag royal party boy Prince Harry to Long Island during his brief New York stay? Whaddaya mean he'll be too busy at the city's gardens and museums? . . . What exactly is the red-light difference between "Erotic Services" and "Adult Services" on Craigslist ? Exactly $10, right? . . . If mob princess Victoria Gotti really does lose her Old Westbury mansion to foreclosure, will its colorful pedigree diminish or increase the bank's asking price? And what - or who - is buried out back? . . . Fifty million dollars for a Sandcastle? Isn't the big pile doomed in a market like this, even with 14 bedrooms, 19 baths and 11 acres in Bridgehampton? . . . Who has a better book title than Charles Grodin 's "How I Got to Be Whoever It Is I Am"? The comic actor and liberal activist - that's who he is - is interviewed by Ray Bertolino on Monday at 12:30 p.m. on WHPC/90.3 . . . The New York Majesty of the Lingerie Football League: serious sporting franchise or cheap publicity stunt? After the Freeport tryouts, some male fans are shouting: "Who cares! Go Majesty!”

15. Most deadly Swine flu comes back with a harder punch The swine flu has recently been ignored in the news and other issues such as the recession and Obama have been focused on. However, even though the issue is not covered by the media with as much vigor initially it was covered in the news. However this doesn’t mean the problem has come to an end. In fact Mitchell Weiner, assistant principals of PS 238 is still on ventilator and has yet to recover from the swine flu. I chose this article as “Most deadly” because swine flu is a contagious disease and can kill you if you are not treated immediately. Many schools have been closed because of this.

16. FBI: Illinois governor tried to sell Obama's seat THE ASSOCIATED PRESS December 10, 2008 CHICAGO - Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich was roused from bed and arrested yesterday after prosecutors said he was caught on wiretaps audaciously scheming to sell Barack Obama 's vacant Senate seat for cash or a plum job for himself in the new administration. "I've got this thing and it's -- golden," the Democrat said of his authority to appoint Obama's replacement, "and I'm just not giving it up for -- nothing. I'm not gonna do it." Prosecutors did not accuse Obama himself of any wrongdoing or even knowing about the matter. The president-elect said: "I had no contact with the governor or his office, and so I was not aware of what was happening." FBI agents arrested the governor before daybreak at his Chicago home and took him away while his family was still asleep, saying the wiretaps convinced them that Blagojevich's "political corruption crime spree" had to be stopped before it was too late. "The Senate seat, as recently as days ago, seemed to be on the verge of being auctioned off," U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald said. "The conduct would make Lincoln roll over in his grave." Federal investigators bugged the governor's campaign offices and tapped his home phone, capturing conversations laced with profanity and tough-guy talk from the governor. Chicago FBI chief Robert Grant said even seasoned investigators were stunned by what they heard, particularly since the governor had known for at least three years he was under investigation for alleged hiring fraud and clearly realized agents might be listening in. The FBI said in court papers that the governor was overheard conspiring to sell the Senate seat for campaign cash or lucrative jobs for himself or his wife, Patricia, a real estate agent. He spoke of using the Senate appointment to land a job with a nonprofit foundation or a union-affiliated group, and even held out hope of getting appointed as Obama's secretary of health and human services or an ambassador. According to court papers, the governor tried to make it known through emissaries, including union officials and fundraisers, that the seat could be had for the right price. Blagojevich allegedly had a salary in mind - $250,000 to $300,000 a year - and also spoke of collecting half-million and million-dollar political contributions. The governor's spokesman had no immediate comment on the charges, but the governor has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing. As recently as Monday, he told reporters: "I don't care whether you tape me privately or publicly. I can tell you that whatever I say is always lawful." The charges do not identify by name any of the political figures under consideration for the Senate seat, referring to them only as "Candidate 1," "Candidate 2," and so on. However, those being considered for the post include Obama confidante Valerie Jarrett ; Reps. Jesse Jackson Jr., Danny Davis , Jan Schakowsky and Luis Gutierrez ; Illinois Senate President Emil Jones ; and Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs Director Tammy Duckworth.

17. GOVERNOR'S GAME PLAN Gov. Rod Blagojevich and his chief of staff, John Harris , allegedly attempted to sell the U.S. Senate seat vacated by President-elect Barack Obama - which the governor alone has the power to fill. Prosecutors said they recorded conversations of the governor discussing candidates' abilities to benefit the people as well as the benefits he and his wife might derive. A HARD BARGAIN. On Nov. 3, Blagojevich told Advisor A: "I'm going to keep this Senate option for me a real possibility, you know, and therefore I can drive a hard bargain. You hear what I'm saying. And if I don't get what I want and I'm not satisfied with it, then I'll just take the Senate seat myself." LANDING WELL.On Nov. 5, while discussing his authority to name Obama's replacement, Blagojevich said Obama could use his influence to name the governor to a lucrative spot with a private foundation. Blagojevich told Advisor A: "I've got this thing and it's -- golden, and, uh, uh, I'm just not giving it up for -- nothing. I'm not gonna do it. And, and I can always use it. I can parachute me there." A RESISTANT OBAMA. On Nov. 11, during a conversation with Harris, Blagojevich said he knew Obama wanted Senate Candidate 1 for the open seat but "they're not willing to give me anything except appreciation. -- them." SIGNS OF STRUGGLE. On Nov. 12, during a two-hour telephone conversation with various people, Blagojevich talked about securing high-paying jobs for him and his wife in exchange for the Senate seat. He said he is "struggling" financially and does "not want to be governor for the next two years." Blagojevich said advisers are telling him he has to "suck it up" for two years and give this " -- Obama his senator. -- him. For nothing? -- him." THREE CRITERIA. On Nov. 12, Blagojevich told Harris his decision about the open Senate seat would be based on three criteria in the following order of importance: "Our legal situation, our personal situation, my political situation. This decision, like every other one, needs to be based upon that. Legal. Personal. Political." TALKING OF MONEY. On Thursday, Blagojevich told Fundraiser A that if Senate Candidate 5 wanted to be appointed to Obama's seat, the candidate should follow through on promises to raise money for Blagojevich. "Some of this stuff's gotta start happening now . . . right now . . . and we gotta see it. You understand?" But Blagojevich told Fundraiser A that "you gotta be careful how you express that and assume everybody's listening, the whole world is listening. You hear me?" THE CHARGES Conspiracy to commit fraud: carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison

18. Solicitation to commit bribery: Punishable by up 10 years in prison. Historical 3-peat Three former Illinois governors have gone to prison in the past 35 years. Otto Kerner , a Democrat who was governor from 1961 to 1968, served less than a year of a 3-year sentence after his 1973 conviction on bribery, tax evasion and other counts. He was convicted of arranging favorable horse racing dates as governor in return for getting horse racing association stock at reduced prices. Kerner died in 1976. Dan Walker , a Democrat who was governor from 1973 to 1977, served 1 1/2 years of a seven-year sentence after pleading guilty in 1987 to bank fraud, misapplication of funds and perjury. The charges were not related to his service as governor. George Ryan , a Republican who was governor from 1999 to 2003, was convicted of corruption in 2006 for steering state contracts and leases to political insiders and helping cover up bribes paid in return for truck drivers licenses while he was secretary of state and then governor. He is serving a 6 1/2-year prison term. In addition, William Stratton, Illinois governor from 1953-1961, was later indicted but was acquitted on charges of income tax evasion. - AP Rod R. Blagojevich AGE: Turns 52 today BIRTH DATE: Dec. 10, 1956 HOME: Chicago FAMILY: Wife, Patricia; two daughters EDUCATION: Northwestern University , graduated 1979; Pepperdine University, law degree, 1983 EXPERIENCE: Elected Illinois governor 2002, re-elected 2006; served in the U.S. House of Representatives from Illinois' 5th District 1997-2002; served in the Illinois House from a North Side Chicago district 1992-1996; assistant Cook County state's attorney, prosecuting criminal cases.

19. After being suspected and proved guilty through phone wiretaps, Rod Blagojevich was arrested on December 9 th , 2008 for plotting to sell Barack Obama’s Senate seat for campaign cash or jobs for himself or his wife, Patricia, a real estate agent. He has the authority to appoint a replacement for Obama. Blagojevich said "I've got this thing and it's – golden and I'm just not giving it up for nothing. I'm not gonna do it.” Barack Obama said “I had no contact with the governor or his office, and so I was not aware of what was happening.” the wiretaps convinced the FBI agents that Blagojevich’s scheme must come to an end. Chicago FBI chief Robert Grant said the governor had known for at least three years he was under investigation for alleged hiring fraud and clearly realized agents might be listening in. the salary he had in mind was $250,000 to $300,000 a year and also talked about taking half-million and million dollar political contributions. The charges do not identify by name any of the political figures under consideration for the Senate seat, referring to them only as “Candidate 1,“”Candidate 2,” and so on. Gov. Rod Blagojevich and his chief of staff, John Harris, allegedly attempted to sell the U.S. Senate seat vacated by President-elect Barack Obama - which the governor alone has the power to fill. Prosecutors said they recorded conversations of the governor discussing candidates’ abilities to benefit the people as well as the benefits he and his wife might derive. Nov. 3, Blagojevich told Advisor A “I'm going to keep this Senate option for me a real possibility, you know, and therefore I can drive a hard bargain. You hear what I'm saying. And if I don't get what I want and I'm not satisfied with it, then I'll just take the Senate seat myself.” On Nov. 12, during a two-hour telephone conversation with various people, Blagojevich talked about securing high-paying jobs for him and his wife in exchange for the Senate seat. He said he is “struggling” financially and does “not want to be governor for the next two years.” On Nov. 12, Blagojevich told Harris his decision about the open Senate seat would be based on three criteria in the following order of importance: "Our legal situation, our personal situation, my political situation. This decision, like every other one, needs to be based upon that. Legal. Personal. Political.” Plot to commit fraud gives Blagojevich a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. FBI: Illinois governor tried to sell Obama's seat

20. “ FBI: Illinois governor tried to sell Obama's seat” was something never seen before in history. Selling a seat in office for your own selfish reasons does not make you the right person to be the representative of people’s decisions. This article is most deceiving/cunning because he as a governor of Illinois decided to pick someone who paid him the most money for a job in the Senate. The person he picked could know nothing and would not benefit the state in anyway, and it would be all Blagojevich’s fault. He would rather be selfish than choose the right person worthy of being in Barack Obama’s Senate seat. FBI: Illinois governor tried to sell Obama's seat

21. Bernard Madoff heading to jail After pleading guilty to Ponzi scheme, swindler's bail revoked BY JAMES BERNSTEIN AND ANTHONY M. DESTEFANO | [email_address] 10:27 PM EDT, March 12, 2009 From bail to jail - in just minutes. Swindler Bernard Madoff stood all alone Thursday when he took the heat for carrying out the biggest Ponzi scheme in Wall Street history. "I am so deeply sorry," Madoff told Judge Denny Chin, who revoked bond and ordered him to the federal Metropolitan Correctional Center, in Manhattan , to await sentencing. For close to 10 minutes, the 70-year-old Madoff stood in U.S. District Court in Manhattan, as scores of his cheated investors watched, and described how for years he picked their pockets from the very moment he started his investment adviser business. He implicated no one else in the scam, which he said started in the early '90s. "Your honor, for many years, up until my arrest on Dec. 11, 2008, I operated a Ponzi scheme through the investment advisory side of my business," Madoff told Chin without a trace of emotion. "As I engaged in my fraud, I knew what I was doing was wrong, indeed criminal." Then, in his first public act of contrition, with his family nowhere to be seen, Madoff apologized for his crimes "for which I am so deeply sorry and ashamed." The admissions were a moment of high courtroom drama that would in effect consign Madoff to a life in prison when he is sentenced June 16. Madoff said he believed the scheme would end quickly and that he could pull himself and his clients out from under the self-destructive nature of the fraud, which pays off old investors with money taken from new ones.

22. "However, this proved difficult, and ultimately impossible, and as the years went by I realized that my arrest and this day would inevitably come," said Madoff. Although Madoff's three-month period of luxurious house arrest on a $10-million bond since his December arrest has been without incident, Chin revoked his bail, to the applause of investors. At 11:14 a.m., as lead defense attorney Ira Sorkin watched, U.S. marshals handcuffed Madoff with his wrists behind his back and took him to the correctional center adjacent to the courthouse, said officials. It was the start of what is expected to be a lifetime behind bars. Sorkin said he will appeal the bail revocation. In pleading guilty to 11 charges - which included securities, mail and wire frauds and money laundering - Madoff implicated no one else in the scheme, which investigators believe may be as much as $65 billion. Although prosecutors said there is no plea agreement, a source familiar with the case who asked not to be named said Madoff is prepared to meet with special trustee Irving Picard to help his staff locate assets that could be used to pay back customers. Madoff said his younger brother, Peter, and Madoff's sons, Andrew, 40, and Mark, 42, ran what he said was the "legitimate, profitable and successful" market making operation of his company. However, law enforcement and legal sources have said investigators have focused some attention on Madoff's family, including his wife, Ruth, who has hired former federal prosecutor Peter Chavkin of Manhattan to represent her in civil lawsuits and regulatory matters. Madoff's sons have hired their own lawyer, as has his brother. None of Madoff's relatives have been accused of wrongdoing, but some employees are reportedly being scrutinized by investigators or approached for information. Chin allowed some investors to speak in court and one, George Nierenberg, glared at Madoff, stepped away from the podium and taunted him to turn around and look at the victims. Madoff just stared straight ahead. Chin told Nierenberg to just address the court.

23. "I don't understand why conspiracy is not part of the plea," said Nierenberg. Ronnie Sue Ambrosino, of Arizona, objected to the plea because she said it squandered an opportunity to find out who else was involved in the scheme. Assistant U.S. Attorney Marc Litt told Chin the investigation was continuing and that there was no plea deal or agreement with Madoff, a signal that there is no arrangement to spare anyone. Still, some lawyers were puzzled about why Madoff decided to forgo indictment. Such a move would have allowed him to stay out on bail for many months longer, said Gerald Lefcourt, a Manhattan defense attorney. Jeffrey Lichtman, another Manhattan attorney, said it is possible that Madoff is giving some unofficial cooperation. "Why plead guilty to every single charge unless there is something in place to protect his family?" said Lichtman. "Just because there is no cooperation agreement doesn't mean there hasn't been a proffer (giving of information)." Disgraced financier Bernard Madoff pleads guilty in Wall Street's biggest Ponzi scheme in a federal court in Manhattan. (Getty Images Photo / March 12, 2009)

24. Ponzi scheme= An investment swindle in which high profits are promised from fictitious sources and early investors are paid off with funds raised from later ones. This article fits into the category of “ most outrageous” because Bernie Madoff knew he was in for something very illegal but he still went for the biggest con in years. He gave himself the rest of his life in jail. It is also surprising that he is 70 years old. He stole $65 billion from people from this “investment business.” He possibly could have made more money in a real investment business. Bernard Madoff heading to jail

25. This hero was born to fly Pilot behind the miraculous water landing has always aimed high, earning flying license in high school then becoming Air Force officer BY JENNIFER MALONEY | [email_address] January 19, 2009 Chesley Burnett Sullenberger, the hero pilot of Flight 1549, pictured in his Denison High School yearbook in 1969. Chesley Burnett Sullenberger wanted to fly from the time he was a boy, watching fighter jets roar over his small hometown in Texas. After a long career as a commercial pilot, Air Force fighter pilot, accident investigator and safety expert, Sullenberger, 57, faced his own emergency yesterday, landing US Airways Flight 1549 on the Hudson River. As the last passengers climbed onto ferry boats, Sullenberger walked the entire plane, twice, making sure that no one was left behind, Mayor Michael Bloomberg said at a news conference last night. "I'm not surprised at all," said Doug Hoover, 58, who was a high school classmate of the pilot in Denison, Texas. "This is his first chance to be a hero, but he always had it in him. He would have gone down with the ship, if that's what it took." Denison was home to an Air Force jet training base. "We grew up with jets buzzing around and he was in love with that from the get-go," Hoover said. Sullenberger took private lessons and earned his private pilot's license when he was a junior in high school, said Jim Russell, 57, another classmate who played with Burnett in the junior high and high school marching bands. Most Heroic

26. "Occasionally, he would take me up in a plane," Russell said. "We would fly around and look at everything." Sullenberger, known then as Burnett, was a committed kid with a sharp mind and strong sense of duty, his friends said. He could cut it up with the rest of them, Hoover said, but he remained focused on one thing. "He didn't want to do anything to hurt his chances to get into the Air Force Academy," Hoover said. "He never got into any mischief whatsoever." His father was a dentist and his mother taught elementary school. Both parents encouraged his flying dreams, Hoover said. He passed the academy's rigorous entry requirements in 1969 and headed to Colorado Springs. Commissioned four years later as an Air Force officer, Sullenberger, who now goes by the nickname "Sully," soon developed an interest in accident prevention. A fighter pilot flying F-4 Phantom II jets, he served as a member of the U.S. Air Force mishap investigation board. In 1980, he joined US Airways and began a long civilian career as a pilot, investigator, researcher and entrepreneur, founding Safety Reliability Methods, a company that helps businesses improve their safety. Sullenberger now lives in Danville, Calif., where he is a visiting scholar at the University of California at Berkeley's Center for Catastrophic Risk Management, which studies safety, infrastructure, and preparedness in accidents and natural disasters. Sullenberger was the right person to guide passengers through a crisis, Karlene Roberts, a friend who co-directs the center told the Contra-Costa Times of Walnut Creek, Calif. "I can imagine him being sufficiently in charge to get those people out," Roberts said. "He's got that kind of personality, which is to his credit." A few minutes after takeoff yesterday, Sullenberger told air traffic control that he had experienced a "multiple bird strike," said Bill McLoughlin, a union representative at LaGuardia Airport for the National Air Traffic Controllers Association. Both engines quit.

27. Passengers said Sullenberger told them to brace for impact, then landed on the water. "He was phenomenal," said passenger Joe Hart, 50, of Massapequa. "He landed it. I tell you what - the impact wasn't a whole lot more than a rear-end [collision]. It threw you into the seat ahead of you." While politicians and passengers lauded Sullenberger as a hero yesterday, his wife fielded calls from reporters. Reached by phone, she said simply that she was proud of him.

28. Most Heroic This hero was born to fly Burnett Sullenberger is a hero because instead of getting right out of the slowly sinking plane, he went through the whole entire plane twice to make sure there was no one left behind. He was always focused on one goal and that goal kept him away from all sorts of trouble. He stayed determined and focused and that is what every great hero contains.