8A
NEWS
THE UNIVERSITY HAIRY KANSAN
FRIDAY, MARCH 6, 2009
REVUE (CONTINUED FROM 1A)
Contributed Photo
John Campbell, center, served as executive producer of the Rock Chalk Reve nearly thirty years ago. His son Kevin, at right, followed in his footsteps by serving in the same position this year.
Matt Bristow/KANSAN
From left; Brian Reynolds, Jessie Bell and Kevin Campbell introduce the 60th annual Rock Chalk Revue Thursday night at the Lied Center. All proceeds will go to the United Way of Douglas County
for the United Way in honor of the show's 60th anniversary.
Two parts have also been added to this year's production. Kaspar said that a group of students made a video showing 60 years of performances and that a new permanent logo for Rock Chalk Revue would be revealed this weekend.
Like Owens, executive producer Kevin Campbell, Leawood senior, is continuing a family tradition with Rock Chalk Revue.
"It shows what a tradition this is at KU, and I'm really proud to be a part of this year's production," Kaspar said.
Campbell's dad, John, was the executive producer nearly 30 years
ago. Kevin's older brother, Scott,
was in the revue when he attended
the University, and his younger
brother, Mark, is on the advisory
board for this year's production.
All of the men have been members
of the Sigma Chi fraternity.
When John was executive producer, the revue was in Hoch Auditorium and live performances occurred between acts, rather than the videos that are used today.
"It's amazing how it's improved, but it hasn't really changed," John said. "It looks and feels very much like what we did back in the '70s and '80s, and I think that's what's so great about it."
Allison's grandparents, Dean and Doris Owens of Lawrence, participated in the Rock Chalk Revue in the early '50s. Dean worked backstage, while Doris, who studied piano at the University, played music during the skits.
Dean remembers one of the skits, "Old Draft Blues," dealing with a very timely topic: the Korean War draft.
This year Doris helped Allison by sewing sequins on costumes for the "Diamond in the Rough" skit. Both Doris and Dean plan on attending performances this weekend.
"It's a wonderful tradition, and I hope it goes on for at least another 60 years," Dean said.
Edited by Justin Leverett
Barbara Bush recovers after surgery
Associated Press
BY MICHAEL GRACZYK
HOUSTON — Former first lady Barbara Bush was in good condition and resting comfortably Thursday following 2½-hour heart surgery to replace her aortic valve, a hospital official said.
Mrs. Bush, 83, was being monitored in the intensive care unit at The Methodist Hospital, hospital spokeswoman Gale Smith said.
Family spokesman Jim McGrath said Mrs. Bush was up and talking Wednesday night in intensive
care hours after the surgery earlier in the day. He said Thursday: "Everything's status quo. She continues to recover, and everybody's pleased with her progress."
The surgery was scheduled last week after Mrs. Bush experienced a shortness of breath, McGrath said. He said doctors determined the aortic valve had started to harden.
Dr. Gerald Lawrie, the heart surgeon at the Methodist Debakey Heart & Vascular Center who performed the surgery, said the operation went "extremely well."
"I expect her to recover fully and soon resume her normal activities," lawrie said.
Former President George H.W. Bush was at the hospital with his wife, McGiath said.
"I am very impressed with and grateful to the wonderful team of doctors and nurses at The Methodist Hospital who have helped Barbara," the former president said. "We have every confidence she is in the best hands."
The hospital said the former first lady was expected to be released in seven to 10 days.
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NATIONAL
U.S. foreclosures multiply One in eight Americans now suffer from housing crisis
A home in Levittown, N.Y., that is facing foreclosure, according to the records of Nassau County. The foreclosure crisis is now being fueled by a spike in defaults in states like Louisiana, New York, Georgia and Texas, where the economies are rapidly deteriorating and thousands are losing their jobs.
BY I.W. F.LPHINSTONE
Associated Press
NEW YORK — Foreclosures are spreading by epidemic proportions, expanding beyond a handful of problem states and now affecting almost one in every eight American homeowners.
Figures released Thursday show that nearly 12 percent of all Americans with a mortgage — a record 5.4 million homeowners — were at least one month late or in foreclosure at the end of last year.
That's up from 10 percent at the end of the third quarter, and up from 8 percent at the end of 2007. In addition, the numbers now include many once-qualified borrowers who took out fixed-rate loans.
Data from the Mortgage Bankers Association also showed that a stunning 48 percent of homeowners who have subprime, adjustable mortgage are behind on their payments or in foreclosure.
The reckless lending and borrowing practices in states like Florida, California and Nevada that were the epicenter of the problem are no longer driving up the nation's delinquency rate.
Instead, foreclosures are being fueled by a spike in defaults in places such as Louisiana. New York, Georgia and Texas, where
the economy is rapidly deteriorating and unemployment is climbing.
"its jobs. People are losing their jobs left and right," said Houston real estate agent Michael Weaster.
That trend highlights one of the biggest challenges confronting the Obama administration's mortgage-relief plan launched this week. While the $75 billion plan could help change the loan terms or refinance up to 9 million homeowners, unemployed borrowers will have a hard time qualifying.
eowners a little more muscle to negotiate with their lenders, the House on Thursday passed a bill 234-191 that would to give bankruptcy courts the power to reduce mortgage payments.
To give debt-burdened hom-
The legislation would give bankruptcy judges — who now can modify loans for cars and student loans but not for primary residences — new power to cut the interest rate and principle on a home mortgage.
The Senate is expected to take up the measure in a couple of weeks.
GOVERNMENT
ASSOCIATED PRESS
This photo shows the view from the summit ridge of the proposed Yucca Mountain nuclear waste dump near Mercury, Nev., looking west towards California. For two decades, a ridge of volcanic rock 90 miles northwest of Las Vegas known as Yucca Mountain has been the sole focus of government plans to store highly radioactive nuclear waste. Thursday, Energy Secretary Steven Chu told a Senate hearing that the Yucca Mountain site no longer was viewed as an option for storing reactor waste, brushing aside criticism from several Republican lawmakers.
Yucca site funding slashed
Nevada area nixed as viable option for nuclear waste
BY H. JOSEF HEBERT Associated Press
WASHINGTON — For two decades, a ridge of volcanic rock 90 miles northwest of Las Vegas known as Yucca Mountain has been the sole focus of government plans to store highly radioactive nuclear waste.
Despite the $13.5 billion that has been spent on the project, the
Why use this
Not anymore.
And on Thursday, Energy Secretary Steven Chu told a Senate hearing that the Yucca Mountain site no longer was viewed as an option for storing reactor waste, brushing aside criticism from several Republican lawmakers.
Instead, Chu said the Obama administration believes the nearly 60,000 tons of used reactor fuel can remain at nuclear power plants while a new, comprehensive plan for waste disposal is developed.
Chu's remarks touched off a sometimes texte exchange with Sen.
It slashed funding for Yucca Mountain in its recently announced budget.
Obama administration says it's going in a different direction.
When you could use these
At the hearing, McCain and Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, said the decision not to pursue the Yucca Mountain project threatens the expansion of nuclear energy because the government can give no assurance on waste disposal.
Every MONDAY & WEDNESDAY
John McCain, R-Ariz. Obama's rival for the presidency last year, and provided the most definitive signal yet that the government's attempt to address the commercial nuclear waste problem is veering in a dramatically new direction.
"We've spent billions of dollars and many years preparing for Yucca Mountain to be our nation's nuclear waste site," Murkowski said. "Closing Yucca Mountain sends an unmistakable signal to nuclear developers that they might not have a place to store their waste, making them less willing to develop new facilities."
Congress in 1982 declared that the government must assume responsibility for reactor waste from commercial power plants. Courts have upheld what they call a binding contract with the nuclear power industry. With no lawmakers wanting a nuclear waste dump in their state, Congress five years later declared Yucca Mountain in Nevada as the only site to be considered.
Nevada officials openly labeled it the "screw Nevada bill" and the state's political leaders have fought the project ever since, arguing that the Energy Department has not shown it is an ideal — or even safe — site for nuclear storage.
Obama, campaigning last year ahead of the Nevada primary election, said he would review the Yucca project.