European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 26, 2007, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 12 stars and stripes thursday april 26 2007 Dow briefly passes 13 by Madlen read the associated press new Dow Jones Industrial average shot past 13000 for the first time wednes Day As  earnings reports streamed in Sug Gesting to investors that corporate America is successfully weathering the Cooling Economy the Stock Market s bes known indicator surged past its latest Milestone shortly after the open ing of trading and continued Ris ing to 1303699 before retracing some of its Steps and hovering below the 13000 Mark the Dow climbed to a new record As Many of the country biggest companies surpassed analysts first Quarter earnings projections among those beating forecasts wednesday soft drink maker Pepsico inc materials manufacturer Corning inc con Sumer products company col Gate palmolive co and Dow component Boeing co Wall Street got an additional lift from the Commerce depart ments report on durable goods last month which showed a gain in orders of business capital goods the data reassured invest tors that demand for us products remains Strong lending sup port to the Economy the depart ment also reported that sales of new Homes rebounded slightly in March the earnings and economic data indicated slow stable Ideal situation for investors who Hope the Federal re serve will abstain from raising in Terest rates to curb inflation the us Economy is in pretty Good shape said Scott Wren equity strategist for a Edwards sons we want slow earnings growth we want slow economic growth it keeps the fed on the sidelines Henny Ray traders talk on the floor of the new York Stock Exchange on wednes Day the Dow Jones Industrial average shot past 13000 wednes Day powered by Betterto unexpected corporate earnings that boosted investors Confidence in the us Economy in the first hour of trading the Dow was up 4274 or 033 per cent at 1299668 the Index typically has retreated after crossing big milestones in the past the broader Standard poors 500 Index was up 587 or 040 per cent at 148628 while the tech nolo dominated Nash a composite Index was up 676 or 027 at 253130 it took the Dow just 129 trading Days since oct 18 to make the trek from 12000 to 13000 far less than the tvs years that the Blue chips took to go from 11000 to 12000 but the swiftness of this latest trip does recall the Days of the Dot Corn Boom when the major indexes were soaring and it took the Dow a Mere 24 Days to barrel from 10000 to 11000 police Cho fired 170plus shots during rampage by Kristen Gelineau the associated press Blacksburg a the massacre inside a chained shut Norris Hall went on for nine min utes As seun Hui Cho fired off 170 rounds killing 30 people be fore shooting himself in the head police revealed wednes Day but they said investigators still dont know Why Cho launched the bloody attack on his fellow students at Virginia tech we talk about possible motives and theories and whatnot but we dont have any evidence to suggest anything said state police superintendent col w Steven Flaherty he said investigators had searched computer files cell phone records and emails and had compiled 500 pieces of Evi Dence from Norris Hall alone yet so far nothing indicated a motive or close link Between the 23yearold loner and his Vic Tims Flaherty said two hours before Cho chained shut three Public entrances to nor Ris Hall and started Bis rampage there he gunned Down his first two victims in a dormitory across Campus in Between a package was mailed to Abc containing chos videotaped tirade and writ ten manifesto about Rich brats and their hedonistic needs Flaherty who is overseeing the investigative team looking at the shootings said police have been unable to answer one of the cases most vexing questions Why the spree began at the West Ambler Johnston dormitory and Why 18yearold freshman Emily Hilscher was the first Vic Tim witnesses place Cho outside West Ambler Johnston shortly before am when he fired the two shots Hiat killed Hilscher and 22yearold senior Ryan Clark a resident assistant at the dorm Flaherty said it is not known How Cho got in police searched Hilscher emails and phone records look ing for a link while Flaherty would not discuss exactly what police found he said neither chos nor Hilscher records have revealed a connection panel oks subpoena for Rice the associated press rapid Suc cession congressional commit tees wednesday ramped up their investigations of the Bush administration by approving a subpoena for Secretary of state Condo Legezza Rice and granting immunity to a former key aide to attorney general Alberto Gonzales by 2110 the House oversight committee voted to Issue a subpoena to Rice to compel her Story on the Bush administrations claim now discredited that Iraq was seeking uranium of from Afri Ca moments earlier in the commit tee chamber next door the House judiciary committee voted 326 to Grant immunity to Monica Goodling Gonzales White House Liaison for her Testi Mony on Why the administration fired eight Federal prosecutors the panel also unanimously approved but did not Issue a subpoena to compel her to appear simultaneously across Capitol Hill the Senate judiciary com Mittee approved but did not Issue a subpoena on the prosecutors matter to Sara Taylor Dep Uty to presidential adviser Karl Rove the House oversight commit tee also issued subpoenas for the Republican National committee for testimony and documents about White House emails on inc accounts that have apparently gone missing in violation of tie Law Frankfurt Florence Berlin Rome Munchen stars fam Fuit Koin Kaiserslautern Heidelberg Berlin Hamburg for Grafe Woehr Hillesheim and Vilseck for More information please Contact Tom at 01726707342 maps of Germany and Italy showing filling stations that accept fuel coupons Roach signs explained emergency services Contact information the Road guide is available for free at vehicle registration offices 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