Watercooler Stories

Monday's Olympic Highlights

ATHENS, Greece, Aug. 16 (UPI) -- Monday's highlights at the Olympics:

-- Australia's Ian Thorpe won his swimming duel with American Michael Phelps in the 200-meter freestyle. Thorpe turned in an Olympic record time while Pieter van den Hoogenband of the Netherlands finished second and Phelps third.

-- China had a huge day with five gold medals in the 14 events contested and seven medals overall. The Chinese have 15 total medals to lead the way, two ahead of the United States and Australia.

-- Despite the disappointment of Phelps' setback, the United States swimming team bounced back with gold in the men's and women's 100 backstroke. The winners were Aaron Piersol and Natalie Coughlin.

-- Japan won gold in men's team gymnastics with the United States a close second.

-- The American women's basketball team rallied to defeat the Czech Republic, 80-61, and the USA women's water polo team won its opener in a 7-6 thriller over Hungary.

-- North Korea, Brazil, Zimbabwe, Austria, Canada, Romania and the host Greeks all won their first medals of these Games. In the first three days of the Olympics, 37 nations have won at least one medal.

Britain to track criminals' children

LONDON, Aug. 16 (UPI) -- The British government has announced plans to track the children of convicted criminals in an effort to avert future criminal behavior.

Policing Minister Hazel Blears told the Independent the program is meant to staunch the growth of the next generation of offenders.

Blears said she has been in discussion with Margaret Hodge, the minister for children about an early intervention scheme to prevent children of burglars, muggers, and gangsters from breaking the law.

"About 125,000 kids have got a dad in prison. That's a huge risk factor," she said. "Something like 65 percent of those kids will end up in prison themselves."

Teenagers with criminal fathers would be monitored and offered extra support at school and by social services as well as being introduced to sport, drama and other after-school activities.

Meanwhile, children up to the age of five will be allowed to live in Scottish prisons with their mothers, the newspaper said.

Canada cracks down on pot growers

CHILLIWACK, British Columbia, Aug. 16 (UPI) -- Officials in Chilliwack, British Columbia, are considering fining landlords $7,650 if they fail to notice marijuana growing on their property.

Some landlords are unhappy with the proposed bylaw, saying it is unfair to penalize them for their renters' illegal actions, the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. reported Monday.

Chilliwack police have been shutting down about two marijuana growing operations a week, but that is hardly a dent in the province's $5 billion industry.

Terry Smith of the Lower Mainland Municipal Association said landlords already have an incentive not to rent to marijuana growing operation.

"If you have a grow-op in one of your rented homes, it may cost you $30,000 or $40,000 to return that to some sort of habitable condition," he said.

Air marshals told to dress Republican

NEW YORK, Aug. 16 (UPI) -- U.S. air marshals working in and out of New York have been told to dress like Republicans during the party's convention, the New York Daily News said.

New York Special Agent-in-Charge Felix Jimenez sent out the order via e-mail that between Aug. 30 and Sept. 2 all air marshals "will be required to wear coat and tie on all domestic missions" to "blend in" with conventioneers.

Not all of the marshals appreciate the directive.

"They (just) want all these people going to the convention to know there are marshals on the flights," said one. "It's just a big public relations stunt."

The marshals have been feuding with management over the practice of wearing "professional attire" even when traveling to vacation cities such as Orlando or Las Vegas. They claim terrorist hijackers will target conspicuous-looking air marshals to get their loaded handguns during a flight.

Jimenez wrote marshals could "revert back to summer dress code" after the Republican convention, although the newspaper said it was unclear what that meant.