Input: US retail sales flat in July
WASHINGTON — US retail sales were essentially flat in July, providing evidence that consumers have yet to shed their doubts about the economy despite recent job gains.

The Commerce Department said Wednesday seasonally adjusted retail sales were unchanged in July compared with June. Total sales rose a statistically insignificant $161 million from $439.6 billion.

Spending dipped at auto dealers and department stores last month. The losses were offset by gains at grocery stores, gasoline stations, restaurants, clothiers, and building material stores.

The figures suggest that Americans are hesitant to spend, which could limit growth for the economy. Retail sales are closely watched because consumer spending accounts for 70 percent of economic activity.

Retail sales have been flat even though employers have added more than 200,000 jobs a month for the past six months. Payrolls increased by 209,000 in July and 298,000 in June.

But those gains have yet to meaningfully boost wage growth above inflation, causing spending to be more restrained.

Retail sales have increased 3.7 percent over the past 12 months, but economists doubt that spending can grow much faster unless incomes rise.
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It's about: WASHINGTON — US retail sales were essentially flat in July, providing evidence that consumers have yet to shed their doubts about the economy despite recent job gains. The Commerce Department said Wednesday that seasonally adjusted retail sales were unchanged in July compared with the prior month. Total sales rose a statistically insignificant $161 million from $439.6 billion in June.


Input: Wiccan witch sex offender wants freedom
A male witch who prostituted and raped teenage girls wants to be free in the community.

Robin Fletcher, 60, who is legally blind, was jailed in 1998 after he used hypnotism and mind-altering techniques to enslave two 15-year-old girls.

He told them it was necessary to fulfil their destiny as "high priestesses of the dark covenant".

He pleaded guilty to one count of prostituting a child, one count of sexual penetration of a child and three of committing an indecent act with a child, and has been subject to extended supervision orders since his release in May 2006.

The state has asked the Victorian Supreme Court to extend Fletcher's supervision order to prevent him repeating the sadistic acts.

The court will make a decision in February.
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It's about: A male witch who was jailed in 1998 for sexually abusing and prostituting teenage girls wants to be released into the community.


Input: Baseball- Dice-K Earns Win, Strikes Out 10 in Debut
Dice-K Earns Win, Strikes Out 10 in Debut

Francona Calls Pitcher's Performance 'Terrific'

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (April 6) - Daisuke Matsuzaka looked about as carefree after his highly anticipated major league debut as he did before taking the mound. In between, he validated the heavy price tag and huge expectations.

Matsuzaka struck out 10 in seven innings, allowed six hits and walked one to lead the Boston Red Sox over the Kansas City Royals 4-1 Thursday before a crowd that appeared to be interested in the Japanese pitcher as it was for the Royals.The 26-year-old right-hander spent the hours leading up to the first pitch lounging on a leather sofa in the clubhouse, occasionally laughing and pointing at an ESPN segment that talked about his mystical, perhaps mythical, gyroball. If the $103 million rookie had any indication the entire baseball world was waiting for his performance, he never let on."For me it didn't quite feel like the very first time," Matsuzaka said through an interpreter. "I was able to approach the game as usual."Matsuzaka mania reached a crescendo in Kansas City when he emerged from the dugout for warmups, a flotilla of fans taking up perches down the left field line.Rick Boudreau and his family stood about six rows up, holding two pieces of cardboard with a picture of dice on one and a large "K" in black marker on the either. Beneath that, scrawled in crude Japanese characters, Boudreau had written "Thanks Japan!""It's amazing. To see all the Japanese media, I think it's great for baseball," said Boudreau, who moved to Kansas City from Boston two years ago. "I can see him being the staff ace this year."He certainly looked like it on a day when the gametime temperature was 36 degrees and a stiff northwest wind had fans and players shivering.No fewer than 19 photographers gathered behind home plate for Dice-K's warmup pitches before the bottom half of the first inning, just part of a media contingent that numbered at least 200.After allowing a base hit to his first batter, David DeJesus, Matsuzaka settled down and allowed only one more runner to reach base before the fifth inning."I thought from the get-go he was sharp with all his pitches, and he had to be," Red Sox manager Terry Francona said. "On a day when it was hard to score, the way the conditions were, we got one early and we added on and he made it stand up. He was terrific."

Dice-K notched his first strikeout on a 94 mph fastball in the second inning, then struck out another in the third before fanning the side in the fourth inning on only 14 pitches."A lot of guys have a good fastball or have good offspeed stuff, but he seems to have both," said the Royals' Ryan Shealy, who went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts. "He's a tough guy. There's a lot of tough guys in the big leagues. But he's good."Matsuzaka appeared to get stronger as the game wore on, his fastball still reaching 95 mph when he struck out two in the seventh inning. With his pitch count at 108 - including 74 strikes - Francona and pitching coach John Farrell decided they had seen enough.Dice-K exited to a resounding ovation in a ballpark 1,500 miles from Fenway and half a world away from Japan."Up to now, given all the expectations that have surrounded me, I've felt happy about those expectations," Matsuzaka said. "At the same time, feeling like perhaps they were a little bit extreme. Speaking for myself and all the fans that have supported me here, it's great that I was able to come out here and record a victory in my first start."It was precisely the performance that Kerry Ratigan and her husband, Kurt Marchl, came all the way from Madison, Wis., to see.The couple held up a sign that read "Good Luck Matsuzaka" in Japanese, as if Matsuzaka needed any on this day."It's pretty exciting to see his first major league game," said Ratigan, who grew up in Boston. "There's no way you can get tickets to Fenway anyway."

Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. All active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.
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It's about:
dice-k, red sox, daisuke matsuzaka