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A California man was charged Monday with operating a ring of illegal test-takers who helped dozens of Middle Eastern nationals obtain U.S. student visas by passing proficiency and college-placement exams for them. Eamonn Daniel Higgins, 46, of Laguna Niguel made an appearance in U.S. District Court in Santa Ana on one count of conspiracy to commit visa fraud as immigration agents arrested 16 of his suspected clients who remained in Southern California... The allegations revealed a potentially dangerous security breach in the country's student visa system and underscored the vulnerability of a tracking process that relies on schools to verify...

28 September 2006 Forum sees threat to U.S. economyISA InTech, September 28, 2006 The U.S.’s huge budget is not good news, said the World Economic Forum. The Wall Street Journal reported the institute’s annual study of global competitiveness said the U.S. economy is the sixth most competitive in the world, slipping from first place in last year’s ranking. The competitiveness study ranks countries according to a range of criteria—including macroeconomic policies, market regulations, technological development, education systems, and public institutions—that the forum believes influence an economy’s level of productivity, and thereby its ability to sustain economic growth over many years....

From ESPN. 2005 Power Rankings: Week 18   RK (LW) TEAM REC COMMENT 1 (1) Colts 14-2-0 Yes, the Colts haven't run the ball very well in their last three games (just 78 yards on 48 carries). But do you think it's a coincidence that the ground struggles started when the Colts wrapped up home field in the AFC? 2 (2) Seahawks 13-3-0 Kudos to Shaun Alexander for the TD record and rushing title. The focus now turns to the real prize -- the Lombardi Trophy. 3 (3) Broncos 13-3-0 Mike Shanahan appears to have his best squad since winning...

From ESPN... 2005 Power Rankings: Week 16   RK (LW) TEAM REC COMMENT 1 (1) Colts 13-1-0 They're still clearly the top team as far as we're concerned. But the Chargers did show that Indy is at least a little vulnerable, when a week ago they looked invincible. 2 (2) Seahawks 12-2-0 Burning question: Does Mike Holmgren play Shaun Alexander (24 TDs) enough to break Priest Holmes' record for most TDs in a season (27)? 3 (3) Broncos 11-3-0 Add Wesley Duke to the list of former college basketball players now catching TDs for AFC West squads. 4 (4) Bengals...

2005 Power Rankings: Week 15   RK (LW) TEAM REC COMMENT 1 (1) Colts 13-0-0 Go for 16-0 or rest? We'll leave it to Tony Dungy to make the right call for his team. 2 (2) Seahawks 11-2-0 It's funny how rapidly things change. This time last year, Mike Holmgren was an 'idiot.' Now, there's sentiment for a contract extension. 3 (3) Broncos 10-3-0 Christmas certainly came early this year. First Kyle Boller gift wraps one, then fellow AFC West foes provide a cushion in the standings. 4 (4) Bengals 10-3-0 Willie Anderson, in his 10th year with the...

2005 Power Rankings: Week 14   RK (LW) TEAM REC COMMENT 1 (1) Colts 12-0-0 Colts can clinch home field this weekend with a win. That means Tony Dungy could have three weekends worth of tough decisions to make regarding how to play his regulars. We hope he goes for 16-0, but couldn't fault him if he decides to rest guys either. 2 (3) Seahawks 10-2-0 People question whether they have a championship-caliber defense. The fact that they only allow 17.3 ppg suggests they might. 3 (2) Broncos 9-3-0 All that MVP talk is quickly being replaced by the...

2005 Power Rankings: Week 13   RK (LW) TEAM REC COMMENT 1 (1) Colts 11-0-0 Didn't take the Colts too long to jump all over the Steelers, did it? We're not saying they're going to go undefeated, but if you look at the Colts' schedule, it's hard to see a loss. 2 (2) Broncos 9-2-0 Mike Shanahan apparently has succeeded in reviving another RB's career (Ron Dayne). 3 (3) Seahawks 9-2-0 Getting the win over the Giants was big, although we're not sure how much it actually says about how good the Seahawks are. 4 (7) Bengals 8-3-0 You...

1. Indianapolis (9-0; unchanged): The Colts face their greatest challenge to date to remaining perfect. 2. Denver (7-2; unchanged): The schedule serves the Broncos another treat with a home game vs. the 2-7 Jets. 3. Pittsburgh (7-2; unchanged): The Steelers probably could get by another game vs. a weaker opponent without Ben Roethlisberger, but they'll feel a whole lot better if he's back this week. 4. Cincinnati (7-2; unchanged): The Bengals have had a nice rest, but is their defense ready for the Colts' seemingly unstoppable Triplets? 5. Carolina (7-2; 6): Even when Steve Smith isn't dominating, the Panthers can...

IN THE HUNT (Teams that look good enough to be among the 12 playoff qualifiers but not based on conference -- listed with record and previous week's ranking) 1. Indianapolis (8-0; unchanged): The Colts have cleared one of their largest hurdles on the way to a perfect season. 2. Denver (6-2; unchanged): With a rested defense and Mike Anderson and Tatum Bell in the backfield, the Broncos should take care of business in Oakland. 3. Pittsburgh (6-2; unchanged): The Steelers are thankful for their exceptional depth at running back. 4. Cincinnati (7-2; unchanged): You're a good team when you win...

1. Indianapolis (7-0; unchanged): The Colts are rested, but are they ready to show the nation they have conquered their Gillette Stadium demons? 2. Denver (6-2; 4): The Broncos enter their bye with the comfort of knowing they have one of the most complete teams in the league. 3. Pittsburgh (5-2; 2): Good teams find a way to win even on a bad night, but Big Ben's health remains a concern. 4. Cincinnati (6-2; 6): Yes, that was a Hall-of-Fame-bound quarterback the Bengals' defense overwhelmed. 5. N.Y. Giants (5-2; 11): After an emotional win for Wellington, the Giants need to...

Oct. 25, 2005) -- This is how the NFL's 32 teams stack up after Week 7: IN THE HUNT (Teams that look good enough to be among the 12 playoff qualifiers but not based on conference -- listed with record and previous week's ranking) 1. Indianapolis (7-0; unchanged): The Colts get an extra week of rest for a prime-time showdown in New England; history suggests they'll need it. 2. Pittsburgh (4-2; 9): The Steelers showed who's boss in the AFC North, and the roll should continue against Baltimore. 3. Tampa Bay (5-1; 4): It's the Buccaneers' turn to beat up...

1. Indianapolis (6-0; unchanged): It doesn't seem fair that the Colts can dominate on both sides of the ball, but that's why they're the best team in the league. 2. Denver (5-1; unchanged): It took five weeks for the Broncos to be reminded that Jake Plummer can be a pretty good quarterback. 3. Cincinnati (5-1; 5): With big-play defense complementing big-time quarterbacking by Carson Palmer, the Bengals are hard to beat. 4. Tampa Bay (5-1; 6): Michael Pittman picked up the slack at running back; now it's up to Chris Simms to do the same at quarterback. 5. Jacksonville (4-2;...