in cases involving Virginia

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined to decide once and for all whether states can ban gay marriage, a surprise move that will allow gay men and women to marry in five states where same-sex weddings were previously forbidden. By rejecting appeals in cases involving Virginia, Oklahoma, Utah, Wisconsin and Indiana, the court left intact lower-court rulings that had struck down the bans in those states. But the high court's action means there will be no imminent national ruling on the issue, with litigation in states where gay marriage is still banned likely to continue. "Any time same-sex couples are extended marriage equality is something to celebrate, and today is a joyous day for thousands of couples across America who will immediately feel the impact of today’s Supreme Court action," Chad Griffin, president of the gay rights group Human Rights Campaign, said in a statement. Other states under the jurisdiction of appeals courts that have struck down the bans will also be affected by the Supreme Court's decision, meaning the number of states with gay marriage is likely to quickly jump from 19 to 30. The other states would be North Carolina, West Virginia, South Carolina, Wyoming, Kansas and Colorado. automotive 1 automotive 2 automotive 3 automotive 4 automotive 5 automotive 7 automotive 8 automotive 9 automotive 10 automotive 11 It was only as recently as 2004 that Massachusetts became the first state to allow gay marriage following a state court ruling the previous year. In 17 other states, judges have issued rulings in favor of gay marriage - most of which struck down bans - although the prohibitions have remained intact while litigation continues. State officials defending their bans counter that the Constitution does not dictate how states should define marriage and that there is no deeply rooted legal tradition that supports a right to gay marriage.

strong name recognition

As surprising as Neves' rise was the fall from grace of another candidate, former environment minister Marina Silva, who took just 21 percent of the vote. In late August, she held a double-digit lead over Rousseff in polls after being thrust into the race when her Socialist Party's first candidate died in a plane crash. But over the past three weeks, the powerful political machine of Rousseff's Workers' Party eviscerated Silva with what some analysts called the most negative and aggressive campaigning Brazil has seen since returning to democracy nearly 30 years ago. Silva fell hard in polls and could never regain her footing or get her message out. Neves, however, had the backing of the well-organized Social Democracy Party, which held the presidency from 1994 until 2002, a period when Brazil tamed its hyperinflation and turned its economy around. Neves is an economist and former two-term governor of Minas Gerais, Brazil's second-most populous state, where he left office in 2010 with an approval rating above 90 percent. He has strong name recognition in Brazil. Neves began his political career at age 23 as the personal secretary to his grandfather, Tancredo Neves, a widely beloved figure who was chosen to become Brazil's first post-dictatorship president but fell ill and died before taking office. "What I can say, what comes to mind, is what my grandfather Tancredo said 30 years ago when he won the elections for president of the republic: 'We must not get dispersed. We are just in the middle of our path.' And I hope to be able to walk alongside every Brazilian who wants a dignified and efficient government to the end. I am going to fight for that," he said. One year after his grandfather's death, Neves was elected to the first of four terms as congressman. The 54-year-old father of three also served one term as senator.

Doctors at the isolation unit

Levy said the family was travelling from Rhode Island to Nebraska. Doctors at the isolation unit — the largest of four nationwide — would evaluate Mukpo when he arrives before determining how to treat him. They said they will apply the lessons learned while treating American aid worker Rick Sacra in September. Sacra was successfully treated in the Nebraska unit and was allowed to return to his home in Massachusetts after three weeks, on Sept. 25. "Truly, focusing on symptom management is key with these patients," Dr. Rosanna Morris said Friday. Sacra received an experimental Tekmira Pharmaceuticals drug called TKM-Ebola, as well as two blood transfusions from another American aid worker who recovered from Ebola at an Atlanta hospital. The transfusions are believed to help a patient fight off the virus because the survivor's blood carries antibodies for the disease. Sacra also received supportive care, including IV fluids and aggressive electrolyte management. In Dallas, Thomas Eric Duncan was listed in critical condition Sunday. Duncan has been hospitalized at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital for one week. Dr. Tom Frieden, director of the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said he was aware that Duncan's health had "taken a turn for the worse," but he declined to describe Duncan's condition further. Duncan arrived in Dallas from Liberia on Sept. 20 and fell ill a few days later. kitchenware, utensils, flatware, food storage, drawer organizer, cabinet organizer, kitchen cookware, dinnerware, rack organizer, dish racks, bakeware Four members of a family who hosted Duncan in their northeast Dallas apartment are being kept in isolation, though they have not shown symptoms of infection. Ten people definitely had close contact with Duncan and a further 38 may have been around him when he was showing symptoms of the disease, officials said. The virus that causes Ebola is not airborne and can only be spread through direct contact with the bodily fluids — blood, sweat, vomit, feces, urine, saliva or semen — of an infected person who is showing symptoms. Earlier Sunday, authorities found a homeless man who may have had contact with Duncan, Dallas city spokeswoman Sana Syed said. Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins called the man, whom he didn't identify, a "low-risk individual," and said he would be placed in housing that would allow health workers direct access to him daily.

The leading edge

Typhoon Phanfone has also grounded more than 600 flights and forced Japanese authorities to suspend a search for the bodies of those still missing more than a week after a volcano erupted, claiming dozens of lives. The leading edge of the typhoon was whipping rain and strong winds through Tokyo's morning rush hour. The storm system was estimated to be 200 kilometres (124 miles) southwest of the capital at 8:00 am (2300 GMT on Sunday) and moving northeast at 45 kilometres per hour, the weather agency said. The agency warned that landslides, floods, high waves and heavy rains could hit a large swathe of the archipelago, where a relatively wet summer brought numerous landslides, including in Hiroshima where at least 70 people died. Strong typhoon Phanfone made landfall in central Japan on Monday, slamming into the archipelago with winds of 180 kilometres (112 miles) per hour and making a beeline for Tokyo, the country's meteorological agency said. Local governments in many areas issued evacuation advisories to more than 300,000 residents, according to public broadcaster NHK said. The first fatalities of Phanfone had already been recorded. Three US military officials were engulfed by high waves triggered by the storm on the southern island of Okinawa. "Three officials were taking pictures with high waves whipped up by the typhoon in the background," a spokesman at local police said. Diagnostic Tools, Diagnostic Test Tools, Test Tools, Automotive Diagnostic Tools, Automotive Test Tools, Diagnostic Machine, Automotive Tools