Terri Schiavo Dies at 41
Terri Schiavo, the severely brain-damaged Florida woman at the heart of an epic legal and political battle that launched a national debate on end-of-life issues, died Thursday morning. The 41-year-old woman died in her Pinellas Park, Fla., hospice at 9:05 a.m. EST, nearly 14 days after doctors removed the feeding tube that had kept her alive for 15 years. Her husband, Michael Schiavo, held her in his arms as she took her final breaths, his attorney said. George Felos declined to describe in detail his client’s wife’s passing but said: “It was evident to everyone around him, the profound emotion and loss for Mr. Schiavo. It was clear to everyone he loved Terri deeply and her passing was a tremendous loss for him.” Felos also disclosed for the first time that Michael Schiavo had been living in the hospice since March 18, when his wife’s feeding tube was removed. He said that Terri Schiavo’s breathing became irregular and her heart became weaker on Wednesday, signaling to doctors that she was “entering the final stages of the death process.” Read the story here.
Minuteman Project gearing up
The first of what organizers hope will be 800 to 100 civilian volunteers arrived today in this one-time silver-mining town prior to beginning a monthlong effort to monitor a section of the Mexican border for illegal crossings. Organizers of the Minuteman Project said their volunteers, many of whom were recruited over the Internet, were to meet Friday for a rally, then fan out next week across 23 miles of the San Pedro Valley to watch the border and report sightings of illegal activity to Border Patrol agents. Minuteman field operations director Chris Simcox described the project as “the nation’s largest neighborhood watch group” and said one of the goals is to make the public aware of how porous the border is. Jim Gilchrist, a retired accountant from Aliso Viejo who organized the project, said that some volunteers will carry handguns, which is allowed under Arizona law, but are being instructed to avoid confrontation, even if shot at. Hispanic and immigrant-rights groups have denounced the project as anti-immigrant and a lure for violent racistsand vigilantes. Read the story here. John & Ken will get updates on the Minuteman Project from KFI News Reporter, Jay Lawrence.
