Facts about the endangered Tasmanian devil

Some facts about the Tasmanian devil:

_Their ferociousness starts at birth. Females give birth to about 50 young, or joeys, at a time. These then race to the mother's rear pouch to attach themselves to one of four teats. Only one joey in a dozen will survive.

_They're described as the vacuum cleaners of the forest because they eat animals that have already died.

_They grow to only a foot (30 centimeters) high at the shoulder and to weigh 25 pounds (11.3 kilograms), but their powerful jaws enable them to consume entire cattle carcasses, including bones and fur.

_They release a foul odor under stress and …

State labor leader chosen for Latin trip

Illinois AFL-CIO President Robert G. Gibson will be among 10labor leaders from across the nation traveling to Nicaragua and ElSalvador later this week on a fact-finding trip.

The delegation is scheduled to leave Washington, D.C., onSaturday and return in about a week. The trip will be sponsored bythe American Institute for Free Labor Development.

Gibson will be back in Chicago in time for this year's Labor Dayparade, scheduled Sept. 4. Gibson was in …

Drury Stars As Sabres Down Senators 4-3

OTTAWA - The Buffalo Sabres are fine with close games, as long as they keep winning them.

Chris Drury had a goal and an assist and Daniel Briere had two assists to help Buffalo extend its season-opening winning streak to three with a 4-3 victory over the Ottawa Senators on Saturday night.

Jason Pominville, who scored the overtime winner that eliminated Ottawa from the playoffs last season, benefited from Briere's second set up of the night for his second goal of the season with 3:24 left in the third.

That put the Sabres up 4-2, restoring the two-goal lead provided by Drury's unassisted effort earlier in the period.

"They've all been close. It would be …

Britain to back IRA victims' lawsuit against Libya

Britain's surprise decision to support a lawsuit against Libya by Irish Republican Army victims raised hopes Monday that thousands who were maimed or lost loved ones in IRA bombings might receive compensation payments one day from the oil-rich nation.

Libya admits it shipped hundreds of tons of weaponry to the IRA in the mid-1980s, most critically the plastic explosive Semtex at the heart of the outlawed group's biggest and deadliest bombs. Lawyers say they expect the regime of Col. Moammar Gadhafi to pay 10 million pounds ($16 million) to each member on their growing list of IRA victims.

"The fact is, if the Libyans hadn't provided the IRA with the …

Tribune Co. deal could allow exit from bankruptcy this year

The Tribune Co., owner of the Chicago Tribune, announced Thursday that it had agreed with creditors on a plan that will help it exit bankruptcy protection later this year.

The agreement allows for the senior lenders that own the Chicago-based media company's debt to control 91 percent of the reorganized company's …

Breaking Up Is Hard To Do: Legal Aspects of Band Member Departures

The Nature Of The Beast

Being a member of a band can be incredibly rewarding. It can also be incredibly challenging. The highly competitive nature of the music industry brings significant external pressures to bear on musicians, many of whom are merely seeking to achieve the relatively modest goal of earning a living from their music. Internal pressures, such as writing a great song, can be equally testing.

Perhaps one of the greatest challenges in the music industry is keeping a band together. If all band members are not on the same page in terms of their creative direction, personal relations, and business arrangements, then the train can quickly go off the tracks. A …

Spurs-Hornets, Box

SAN ANTONIO (79)

B.Bowen 4-5 0-0 10, Duncan 5-18 0-1 10, Thomas 1-6 0-0 2, Parker 7-14 3-5 18, Ginobili 5-15 7-8 20, Oberto 1-2 0-0 2, Finley 1-6 0-0 2, Horry 0-0 1-2 1, Barry 1-4 1-2 3, Stoudamire 1-1 0-0 2, Udoka 3-6 0-0 9, Vaughn 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 29-77 12-18 79.

NEW ORLEANS (101)

Stojakovic 3-8 2-2 9, West 16-25 6-7 38, Chandler 2-5 0-2 4, Paul 6-18 9-11 22, Peterson 4-9 0-0 12, Ely 0-1 2-2 2, Pargo 2-6 5-5 10, Wells 0-1 0-2 0, Wright 0-2 0-0 0, Armstrong 0-0 1-2 1, R.Bowen 0-0 0-0 0, James 1-1 0-0 3. Totals 34-76 …