News Bytes

Baggage locks for US travelers
Anyone traveling to the US may lock his suitcase with a so-called TSA lock. In case your baggage needs to be inspected, the US Transportation Security Administration (TSA) can open this lock with a special key. Other locks will be cut open. TSA locks are available with key or dial combination. You may also acquire a TSA luggage strap with integrated combination lock, marked with a red diamond symbol. The locks are available in specialist shops for between €13 and €25.

The fight against illegal immigration
Raids against illegal employment have been conducted in six US states. More than 1,200 workers have been arrested. Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff said, this was a big step in the fight against illegal immigration. The investigations are aimed at finding illegal immigrants who use US citizens' identities to get a work permit. The arrested were of different nationalities. Most of them were from South America. The raids had been preceded by months-long investigations on illegal immigration. The companies involved denied the accusation of having consciously employed illegal immigrants.

World's smallest dog lives in Florida
Chihuahua Brandy lives in Largo, Florida and weighs only two pounds. She is only 15 centimeters long, a fact that got her into the Guinness Book of Records as the world's smallest dog. The dog may only be petted lightly with one finger, otherwise her bones might break. A rather morbid fact: last year a producer of dog food sponsored a trip to Reno, Nevada for Mr. and Mrs. Keller, to have Brandy mating with one of the world's biggest dogs.

Super Bowl founder dies
In the 60s, his father was said to be the richest man on Earth. But Lamar Hunt did not only spend his money on his beloved sports. The owner of the Kansas City football club and founder of the American Football League was a visionary. In 1960, Lamar Hunt - son of H.L. Hunt, a Texas oil tycoon - had founded the American Football League (AFL) as a competitor for the National Football League (NFL) against his father's will. At the same time, he became the owner of the Dallas Chiefs, who moved to Kansas City shortly afterwards. In addition, he was a co-owner of the NBA club Chicago Bulls and the soccer team FC Dallas. With the Super Bowl he initiated one of the greatest sports events worldwide. The annual finals of the American Football Championship (AFC) that determine who qualifies for the Super Bowl, carries his name: they are called "Lamar Hunt Trophy." Lamar died of cancer in Dallas at the age of 74.

10,000 scientists protest against Bush administration
Another chapter has been added to the feud between science and the US government: 10,000 scientists, among them more than 50 Nobel Prize winners and consultants to former US governments, put their signature on a list. This list states several cases in which the White House has influenced or censored science. Over the past years, several cases had been reported of scientists who felt cornered, censored or harassed by the US government. Now, the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) collects all these cases from A-Z on a list similar to the periodic table of the elements. More than 10,000 scientists have signed this list, among them more than 50 Nobel Prize winners. Among them are also scientific consultants of former Democratic and Republican governments, dating back to the Eisenhower administration, Michael Halpen of the UCS tells the British BBC: "They are stating that this is not business as usual and calling for this practice to stop."