NASA's Charles Bolden Gets Emotional on End of Space Shuttle Program

NASA/Bill Ingalls(WASHINGTON) -- Facing the end of his beloved Space Shuttle program, NASA Administrator Charles Bolden became emotional several times Friday when speaking about the future of the U.S. space program.

The final space shuttle is scheduled to take off July 8. Once the mission is completed, America will have to rely on the Russians to get its astronauts into orbit to the International Space Station.

The head of NASA discussed the future of his agency and U.S. manned spaceflight at a lunch Friday at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. Also in attendance was astronaut Mark Kelly, the commander of the previous shuttle mission and husband of Rep. Gabby Giffords, D-Ariz., who was seriously wounded at an event with constituents in Tucson, Ariz., in January.

Bolden tried to be optimistic.

"Some say that our final shuttle mission marked the end of America's 50-year dominance in human space flight," he said. "As a former astronaut and the current NASA administrator, I am here to tell you that American leadership in space will continue for at least -- at least -- the next half century because we've laid the foundation for success."

Bolden was emphatic.

"For us at NASA, failure is not an option," he said.

The NASA administrator said the Space Station will remain in operation until at least 2020. And he talked about plans for missions to Mars, the Moon and to an asteroid.

"So when I hear people listen to the media reports and they say that the final shuttle flight marks the end of U.S. human space flight, I have to tell you: You all must be living on another planet," he said. "We are not ending human space flight."

Bolden wants to see private companies in the U.S. build and operate the rockets that will carry Americans into space. Bolden became emotional when remembering the shuttle astronauts who gave their lives in tragic accidents.

"We also remember the hard lessons that have helped us to continually improve safety," he said. "We shall always remember the crews of STS 51, Challenger, and STS 107, Columbia, who made the ultimate sacrifice."

Bolden repeatedly vowed to continue the manned space program.

"I spent 14 years at NASA," he said. "Some of the people I respect most in the world are my fellow astronauts. Some of my best friends died flying on the shuttle, and I am not about to let human spaceflight go away on my watch."

The NASA administrator said the end of the shuttle program won't mean the end of the U.S. space agency.

Getting emotional again, he said, "So when that final shuttle landing occurs and the cheers and tears subside, we will keep on moving toward where we want to go next. Your kids and my grandkids, they're going to do things that today we can barely dream of."

Former shuttle commander Mark Kelly announced his retirement from NASA and the Navy last month. Some have speculated he could have political ambitions -- something he joked about at the lunch.

"There has been quite a lot of speculation about what my plans are and if I plan to run for public office," he said. "I will go into more detail about that next week when I visit Iowa and New Hampshire," he added, to laughter.

But Kelly ruled out getting into politics, at least for the immediate future.

"My main focus right now and for the foreseeable future is Gabby's recovery and spending more time with my kids," he said at the lunch. "She is the politician and the family, and I am the space guy, and I see no reason to change that now."

Copyright 2011 ABC News Radio

Casey Anthony Trial: Did Her Mom Lie about Computer Search for Chloroform?

Red Huber-Pool/Getty Images(ORLANDO, Fla.) -- The prosecution in the Casey Anthony murder trial presented evidence that questioned the truthfulness of Cindy Anthony's testimony in her daughter's first degree murder trial.

Earlier in the trial, Cindy Anthony stunned prosecutors when she said she was responsible for searches for chloroform on the family computer in March 2008, months before little Caylee Anthony disappeared.

The prosecution had argued in its opening statement that it was Casey Anthony who had searched for chloroform 84 times as well as "neck breaking" and "household weapons."

The chloroform searches are part of the prosecution's circumstantial case against Casey Anthony who is accused of murdering Caylee and could face the death penalty if convicted. The prosecution argues that Casey Anthony killed her daughter with chloroform and duct tape placed over her nose and mouth.

The computer search allegations are also key to proving premeditation. Casey Anthony cannot be convicted of first degree murder and face the death penalty without proof of premeditation.

In Friday's testimony, computer use records shown to jurors indicated that Cindy Anthony was at work during the time she claimed to have searched for chloroform from home. Computer records revealed that someone using Cindy Anthony's username was logged on to her computer at the hospital where she worked for nearly nine hours on March 17, 2008 and March 21, 2008, the days computer searches for chloroform were done by someone in the Anthony family home.

Cindy Anthony's one time supervisor at the hospital where she worked as a nurse testified that she oversaw Cindy Anthony's time sheets for their accuracy and would never falsify a time sheet and it would be illegal for Cindy Anthony to have falsified them.

Cindy Anthony previously claimed that she'd searched for chloroform because she suspected her smallest dog might be getting poisoned from eating bamboo leaves in the backyard. Her search started with "chlorophyll" and spiraled to "chloroform," she said.

Computer expert Kevin Stenger from the Orange County Sheriff's office testified today that he found no reference to chlorophyll in searches done on the Anthony family's desktop computer in March 2008. The only reference to dogs was a search for fleas, he said. References to bamboo referred to furniture and a tiki bar.

Testimony in the month-long trial ended Friday and Judge Belvin Perry scheduled summations for Sunday. The jury could begin deliberating Casey Anthony's fate as early as Sunday and are expected to work through the Fourth of July.

Copyright 2011 ABC News Radio

Dominique Strauss-Kahn Released from House Arrest

Harold Cunningham/Getty Images(NEW YORK) -- A smiling Dominique Strauss-Kahn, the former head of the International Monetary Fund, left Manhattan State Supreme Court on Friday, arm in arm with his wife, Anne Sinclair, after he was released on his own recognizance and without bail.

Prosecutors said the case had "substantial credibility issues," ABC News learned Thursday night, and the District Attorney's office told the court Friday that it had reason to "reassess its position about the strength of the case."

The court ruled that the bail order be vacated, as well as the multimillion-dollar cash bond.

Despite the setback, the New York District Attorney's office did not move to dismiss the case and prosecutors noted that the alleged sexual assault was corroborated by forensic evidence. The district attorney's investigators have uncovered significant issues with the account of the maid who alleged that Strauss-Kahn assaulted her in a New York City hotel room.

Meanwhile, Lisa Friel, the chief of the Manhattan district attorney's sex crimes unit, has resigned the post she held for nearly a decade, ABC News has confirmed. Her resignation Wednesday, first reported by The New York Times, comes as one of the office's most high-profile sexual assault cases continues to unravel.

Discoveries that the Sofitel hotel maid considered financial gain, had questionable relationships with at least one alleged drug dealer and other issues in her past prompted prosecutors to present their findings to the defense, according to law enforcement officials and other people familiar with the case.

While prosecutors were initially extremely confident in their case after Strauss-Kahn's May 14 arrest, as soon as they realized it was unraveling, they did what was proper and contacted the defense. Senior prosecutors met with lawyers for Strauss-Kahn and provided details about their findings, ABC confirmed.

Strauss-Kahn, a leading candidate for the French presidency before being accused of sexually assaulting the woman, resigned his powerful position as head of the IMF in the wake of the allegations against him.

Copyright 2011 ABC News Radio

Baboon Seen on the Loose in New Jersey

John Foxx/Thinkstock(JACKSON, N.J.) -- A baboon has been seen on the loose in the Garden State.

There have been at least four sightings, according to Jackson, N.J., police, and officers are still working to track down the primate.

"We do dispatch officers to each of the resident calls, but none of the officers have observed the animal," said Capt. David Newman of the Jackson Police Department. "He's been on the move."

The baboon was first seen along Interstate 195 at 2:10 p.m., Newman said.

The second sighting came from a woman who said a baboon was sitting on her back porch on Jackson.

The animal was last seen at 10:50 a.m. on a residential road called Buttonwood Drive in the town.

Sgt. Edward Bennett said both spottings occurred in the backyards of local residents and police are still uncertain from where the baboon escaped.

There is speculation the baboon could have escaped from the nearby Six Flags Great Adventure's Monkey Jungle. All of the park's baboons are vaccinated and micro-chipped, but are not counted every night because they sleep outside in a large enclosure, Great Adventure spokeswoman Kristin Siebeneicher told the Asbury Park Press.

Monkey Jungle is home to 150 baboons and it would be difficult to tell if one is missing, she said.

Anyone who spots the roaming baboon should call police and not approach the animal, even though baboons are not typically aggressive, officials said.

Copyright 2011 ABC News Radio

Casey Anthony Trial: Angry Judge Reprimands Attorneys

Red Huber-Pool/Getty Images(ORLANDO, Fla.) -- The judge presiding over Casey Anthony's murder trial angrily scolded her lawyer Friday after the attorney made objections that forced an indefinite delay in the trial.

Casey Anthony, 25, is accused of murdering her 2-year-old daughter Caylee and could face the death penalty if convicted. On Thursday, her lawyers rested her case without the Florida mom taking the stand to testify in her own defense.

On Friday, defense attorney Jose Baez objected to witnesses that the prosecution plans to call as part of their rebuttal case, drawing the ire of Judge Belvin Perry.

"They can't decide to ambush the defense after the defense has rested their case with new opinions," Baez told the judge.

Baez argued that the prosecution is presenting new witnesses in their rebuttal case that have not been previously disclosed in reports submitted to the defense.

A frustrated Judge Perry recessed the trial to allow Baez to take depositions of the witnesses.

"We'll be in recess subject to call...remember you all can take as much time as you want, but you got jurors back there and they have been sequestered and there are real problems and there are imaginary problems and I hope this is a real problem and not an imaginary problem," Perry said.

Upon leaving the courtroom, Perry added, "Be prepared to be here late this evening."

Prosecutors plan to call witnesses to rebut testimony by Casey Anthony's mother, Cindy Anthony, and to counter a defense expert who disputed the autopsy of Caylee's remains.

Cindy Anthony dealt a blow to the defense when she testified that she conducted computer searches for chloroform. The prosecution contends that Casey Anthony murdered Caylee with potent chloroform and duct tape over her nose and mouth. The computer searches were meant to show Casey Anthony's premeditation, an element needed for a conviction on the charge of first degree murder.

Prosecutor Linda Drane Burdick said Friday that their computer experts found no searches for the terms Cindy Anthony claimed she searched for during a week in March 2008. Employees from the hospital where Cindy Anthony worked as a nurse are also expected to testify. Cindy Anthony's time sheets show she was at work when she claims to have made those searches from home.

The prosecution also plans to call a witness to dispute the testimony of renowned forensic pathologist Dr. Werner Spitz who claimed that because Caylee's skull was not opened, the autopsy was "shoddy."

The defense argues that Caylee accidentally drowned in the family pool on June 16, 2008. She wasn't reported missing until July 15, 2008.

Perry had planned to give the lawyers Saturday off to prepare their closing arguments but Friday morning, he said everyone would work through the holiday weekend.

"If you're so troubled that you need the additional time to take these depositions, then we will let you take the time and we will work for the balance of the day to a reasonable hour of the night and we will be back here tomorrow and back here Sunday and Monday and Tuesday if necessary," Perry said.

This is not the first time that Perry has reprimanded the attorneys. Earlier in the trial, he accused both Baez and prosecutor Jeff Ashton of engaging in "gamesmanship."

Perry has also previously threatened Baez with contempt of court.

Copyright 2011 ABC News Radio

NY Police Sketch Lookalike Wrongly Jailed for Seven Months

Comstock/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) -- All charges have been dropped against a New York man who was jailed for almost seven months after he was "recognized" from a police sketch and four mugging victims picked him out of a lineup.

Charges were dropped on Thursday after cellphone records and activity on his MySpace page during times that the muggings occurred showed he was not near the scenes of the crimes.

Lanell Dowling, 26, was arrested on April 3, 2010 and accused of four counts of robbery for mugging four older women in Brooklyn, N.Y. over the course of two days in March 2010.

After the release of a police sketch of the assailant, a tipster called police to say that the sketch looked like Dowling and police tracked him down.

Dowling was living with his mother Denise Dowling, 47, a Greyhound Bus driver. She said that after arriving home at 4 a.m. from a long shift, police showed up at her house at 6 a.m. looking for her son. She told police that her son was at his girlfriend's house in Queens and gave them the address. When Denise Dowling called her son, he said he would go to the police precinct because he said he had nothing to do with the crime.

Lanell Dowling said that he was "grabbed on the street" by the police on his way to the precinct and taken to a line-up. All four mugging victims picked Dowling out of a line up, but his attorney, Jay Schwitzman, said that his client was the only one in the line-up that looked remotely like the sketch.

The 67th police precinct in Brooklyn said they could not comment on the case unless the New York Police Department's public information office gave them permission. Requests for comment from the NYPD were unanswered.

Copyright 2011 ABC News Radio

Planned Parenthood Fights Defunding Laws

PlannedParenthood [dot] org(WASHINGTON) -- After federal attempts to defund Planned Parenthood as part of Congress' Continuing Resolution spending bill failed in April, pro-life activists took to state legislatures to continue the battle.

Four states have passed laws this year that cut funds to the group and a host of others have passed legislation that places restrictions on abortions, spurring legal backlash from Planned Parenthood.  Many of the new state laws go into effect on Friday.

"There is a huge tidal wave of support sweeping across the country right now to defund Planned Parenthood," said Ciara Matthews, a spokesperson for the Susan B. Anthony List, a pro-life activist group.  "What the states are doing is what the federal government has failed to do, and that is to strip tax dollars from America's abortion giant."

In response to the defunding efforts, Planned Parenthood has filed lawsuits in three states -- Indiana, Kansas and Montana -- with possibly two more to come in North Carolina and Wisconsin.

"It's unprecedented that so many states have enacted legislation to bar public funding for Planned Parenthood," said Tait Sye, a national spokesperson for Planned Parenthood.

Sye said the group has never been involved in this many legal battles simultaneously.

Planned Parented won one such battle Thursday when a South Dakota judge granted the group's injunction, blocking a state abortion law from going into effect Friday.  The state law would have required women seeking abortions to wait three days and receive counseling at a crisis pregnancy center that discourages abortions.

"This law represents a blatant intrusion by politicians into difficult decisions women and families sometimes need to make," said Sarah Stoesz, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota.  "We trust women and families in South Dakota to know and do what is best for them, without being coerced by the government.  And we stand with them in our efforts to overturn this outrageous law."

Copyright 2011 ABC News Radio

Police Deny Calls Made from Missing Nursing Student's Phone

Hayward Police Dept.(HAYWARD, Calif.) -- Police and an investigator for the family of missing California nursing student Michelle Le on Thursday denied a report that calls were made from Le's cellphone following her disappearance in late May.

Le, 26, vanished on her way to the garage at Kaiser Hospital in Hayward in Northern California.  She was studying at Samuel Merritt University in Oakland, combining academic work with clinical training.

A source told ABC News affiliate KGTV in San Diego that several calls were made from Le's cell after her disappearance.  One was made to a phone in Reno and one to somewhere in Arizona, the source said.

But Roger Keener of the Hayward Police Department said in an email that police "are not aware of any phone calls made from Michelle's phone after her disappearance."

Michael Frame, hired by the Le family as a private investigator on the case, called the report "erroneous."

A family member, Krystine Dinh, said in a statement that Michelle's brother Michael did receive a call from a woman in Arizona that he passed on to police, but he did not say that the call "had any significance."

Hayward police declared the case a homicide on June 6, citing "compelling evidence."  Le's SUV, found less than a mile from the hospital, had a smattering of blood inside, according to KGTV.

But Frame said the family, which is offering a $65,000 reward for any information, refuses to give up hope.

"They found Jaycee Dugard 18 years later," he said.

Michelle might have had a wound that bled, he pointed out, but could still be alive.

Police have said they have several persons of interest in the case, including Giselle Esteban, who was involved in a dispute with Le over a boyfriend.

Copyright 2011 ABC News Radio

Ex-IMF Chief Strauss-Kahn's Accuser Under Fire

JEWEL SAMAD/AFP/Getty ImagesUPDATE: Dominique Strauss-Kahn has been released without bail. Developing...

(NEW YORK) -- Manhattan District Attorney's investigators have uncovered significant issues with the account of the maid who claimed she was assaulted in a New York City hotel room by the former head of the International Monetary Fund, Dominique Strauss-Kahn, ABC News has learned.

Discoveries that the Sofitel hotel maid considered financial gain, had questionable relationships with at least one alleged drug dealer and other issues in her past prompted prosecutors to present their findings to the defense and represent a backdrop to a bail modification hearing Friday, according to law enforcement officials and other people familiar with the case.

While prosecutors were initially extremely confident in their case after Strauss-Kahn's May 14 arrest, as soon as they realized it was unraveling, they did what was proper and contacted the defense.  Senior prosecutors met with lawyers for Strauss-Kahn and provided details about their findings, ABC confirmed.

It is likely the strict terms of Strauss-Kahn's bail will be relaxed by Judge Michael Obus at Friday's Manhattan State Supreme Court hearing, law enforcement sources said.

The unraveling of the case was first reported Thursday by The New York Times, which noted that the prosecution and defense are engaged in conversations that could result in dismissal of serious charges against Strauss-Kahn.  ABC News subsequently confirmed that information.

The holes in the credibility of the housekeeper led prosecutors to doubt much of what the accuser has told them about the circumstances of the case or about herself, ABC News has confirmed.

The Times noted that among the discoveries, "one of the officials said, are issues involving the asylum application of the 32-year-old housekeeper, who is Guinean, and possible links to criminal activities, including drug dealing and money laundering."

Prosecutors from the office of District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance Jr., plan to tell the court that there are problems with their case, ABC News has learned.  More details are expected to be presented to the judge, two persons involved in the case acknowledged.

According to The Times, "the woman had a phone conversation with an incarcerated man within a day of her encounter with Mr. Strauss Kahn in which she discussed the possible benefits of pursuing the charges against him.  The conversation was recorded."

That man, as The Times reported, had been arrested on charges of possessing 400 pounds of marijuana.  He was among a number of individuals who made multiple cash deposits, into the woman's bank account.

According to The Times, an official told the newspaper that "she told investigators that part of her application for asylum included a previous rape, but there was no such account in the application.  She also told them that she had been subjected to genital mutilation, but her account to the investigators differed from what was contained in the asylum application."

Copyright 2011 ABC News Radio

Man Who Eluded Airport Security Due in Court

Facebook(LOS ANGELES) -- The Nigerian man who flew from New York to Los Angeles with a fake ID and boarding pass last Friday is due in a Los Angeles courtroom Friday.

Olajide Oluwaseun Noibi, 24, faces stowaway charges.  He was arrested in Los Angeles Wednesday after trying to board a Delta flight bound for Atlanta.  FBI agents say they found 10 apparently stolen boarding passes in his bags.

The Transportation Security Administration now admits that Noibi somehow got through security at both New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport and Los Angeles International Airport before he was caught by the FBI.

Joseph Morris, the former federal security director at JFK Airport, said the incident points to a major problem.

"It certainly shows that there's a weakness," Morris said.

The TSA has also confirmed that its security officer in New York never noticed that Noibi's ID and boarding pass were invalid.

Copyright 2011 ABC News Radio