News Briefs

Freedom Tower on the rise

The first two 25-ton steel columns have been put in place for the Freedom Tower in New York City. The crowd in attendance for the raising consisted of architects, politicians, and construction workers. The steel columns were adorned with the signatures of workers, city residents, and relatives of September 11 victims. Twenty seven more columns will be put in place by spring which will bring the height of the steel structure to street level. The columns are some of the largest in the world. When the Freedom Tower is completed in 2011, it will be 1,776 feet tall in symbolism of the year of our country’s independence.



Florida professor confesses Cuban ties

On Tuesday, Carlos Alvarez, a professor in Florida, admitted that he was a spy for the Cuban Intelligence Service. His wife, also a professor, admitted that she knew about his spying as well. Both entered guilty to lesser charges as part of a deal to avoid a trial by jury based on charges of failing to register with the U.S. government. Had the couple been found guilty of spying, they could have faced up to ten years in prison. Alvarez had been spying on Cuban exile groups for the past 30 years until he decided to admit his activities to U.S. counterintelligence agents.



Sony settles rootkit lawsuit

Sony has agreed to pay $1.5 million to customers who purchased their music CDs containing hidden anti-piracy software. Sony has also agreed to pay for customer refunds in lawsuits filed by California and Texas. The software created by Sony, called Mediamax or XCP, quietly installed a rootkit on a user’s PC and was impossible to remove without damaging the operating system. Under Sony’s agreement, they will pay $750,000 to both states. Individual customers in both states can file claim with Sony to receive up to $175 in refunds.