Daily News Feed 8.18.08

Williams Sisters Net Gold in Olympic Doubles
Venus and Serena Williams kept up a family tradition Sunday, playing together in the Olympic doubles tournament and walking away with the gold medal. Slugging winners from the baseline and slamming shots at the net, the American sisters overpowered Anabel Medina Garrigues and Virginia Ruano Pascual of Spain 6-2, 6-0. Serena and Venus Williams celebrate Sunday after beating Spain’s Anabel Medina Garrigues and Virginia Ruano Pascual. When Ruano Pascual sent the championship point long, the sisters shrieked in unison. Then they jumped for joy and hugged. “I’m so excited, I can’t even speak,” said the 28-year-old Venus, who has already won seven doubles Grand Slam titles and a gold medal in Sydney alongside younger sister Serena. The pair didn’t enter the doubles competition in Athens four years ago because Serena was hurt at the time. “To share this kind of moment with your sister,” Venus said, “it never grows old.” It doesn’t hurt when your sister is one of the best in the world. “I don’t know anyone out there who would get tired of playing with Venus Williams,” said the 26-year-old Serena, who as a singles player is ranked eighth in the world, three spots behind No. 5 Venus. (Continue Reading…)

Mom, daughter lead Kenyan village in AIDS recovery
Loyce Mbewa-Ong’udi was late. Family and friends milled around her parents’ house in the green hills overlooking Lake Victoria, waiting for the daughter from America to return home. At last the taxi bounced over the ruts and made a sharp turn into the compound of small brick and stucco houses. Loyce sprang out to a shower of greetings in the Luo language, hugs, helping hands for 12 enormous suitcases crammed with anti-AIDS medicines, asthma inhalers, storybooks, pencils and sharpeners, recycled eyeglasses. The supplies were for the Rabuor Village Project, which Loyce runs. In the crowd, she sought the woman who started it all: her mother, Rosemell Ong’udi. (Continue Reading…)

Obama: I Would Not Have Nominated Clarence Thomas
Back on the campaign trail, Sen. Barack Obama declared on Saturday that, had he been president at the time, he would not have nominated Clarence Thomas to the Supreme Court. The crowd of predominantly evangelical voters clapped with approval Speaking at the values forum at the Saddleback Church, the Illinois Democrat raised objections to several of the more conservative Supreme Court Justices and argued specifically that Chief Justice John Roberts (whom he voted against) had been too willing to grant powers to the Executive Branch. Obama’s harshest critique, however, was saved for Thomas. “I would not have nominated Clarence Thomas,” said the presumptive Democratic nominee. “I don’t think that he…” the crowd interrupted with applause. “I don’t think that he was a strong enough jurist or legal thinker at the time for that elevation. Setting aside the fact that I profoundly disagree with his interpretations of a lot of the constitution. I would not have nominated Justice Scalia though I don’t think there is any doubt about his intellectual brilliance. Because he and I just disagree. (Continue Reading…)