Aid groups say reaching the areas hardest hit by the cyclone in Myanmar will be difficult. But some assistance is starting to trickle in. Myanmar state radio now says more than 22,000 people have been killed by the storm. 41,000 are still missing.
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Oil futures have risen to an all time high near $121 a barrel on new concerns about a supply threat and a weak dollar. Prices are also fueled by speculation that the U.S. economic slowdown may not be deep as initially thought.
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The Norfolk City Council has approved a zoning change that will pave the way for a new strip mall at the corner of 13th Street and Taylor Avenue. Kent McCallum told the Council Monday night, there isn't enough room at the Sunset Plaza Mall to expand their barbershop and salon. He says 13th and Taylor is a "perfect spot" for his new strip mall, which will allow for two other tenants. By changing the zoning from Office District to C-3 Service Commercial, McCallum will be allowed to expand parking at the location. The Council gave unanimous approval to the project.
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An Omaha man who left his dog unattended for a week in February is believed to be the first Nebraskan charged under a new state animal abandonment law. Keion Shelton said he left town on a business trip. Prosecutors say that during that time, Shelton left his pit bull tied to a utility pole. The dog died of hypothermia and starvation.
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Omaha billionaire Warren Buffett is lauding the Federal Reserve's decision to bail out Bear Stearns, saying a collapse of that investment bank could have led to widespread problems. But Buffett says not every business or investment bank should be rescued, because failure is an important part of capitalism.
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A 22-year-old polar bear who lived at Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo in the 1980s has died at the Denver Zoo. Veterinarians discovered terminal liver cancer in Olaf, and he was euthanized Saturday. Olaf arrived in Denver from the Omaha zoo in 1987. He fathered four cubs. Polar bears have a life span of 20 to 25 years.