New NASA Rover to Look Deep into Mars' Past

NASA's Curiosity rover will launch on Saturday (Nov. 26) toward a frigid and dry Mars, but the robot will likely spend much of its time staring deep into the Red Planet's warmer, wetter past, scientists say.

Curiosity, also known as the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL), aims to assess whether Mars is, or ever was, capable of supporting microbial life. The $2.5-billion rover will work hard to reconstruct and investigate ancient environments, because Martian life likely had a better shot at gaining a foothold long ago, researchers said.

"We've learned that Mars is a dynamic planet," Michael Meyer, lead scientist for NASA's Mars exploration program, told reporters today (Nov. 21). "We've learned that it has a history where it was warm and wet at the same time that life started here on Earth."

A changing Mars

Most scientists hunting for signs of life beyond Earth have focused on wet environments, because life on our planet is reliant on water. By this measure, modern Mars would seem a poor candidate, because its surface is mostly cold and dry today (although water ice does lurk beneath the red dirt).

But this was not always so. Many ancient riverbeds snake around the Red Planet's surface, and most scientists think they were carved by liquid water in the distant past. [7 Biggest Mysteries of Mars]

Various Mars orbiters and rovers have also spotted lots of clays on Mars, suggesting that water once persisted on the surface for extended periods of time.

"Clay minerals form from long-term chemical interaction of water with rock," said Bethany Ehlmann of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Caltech in Pasadena, Calif.

This wet period petered out around 3 billion years ago, and Mars became the dry, dusty planet we see today. The MSL team hopes Curiosity can help them understand more about this dramatic transition.

Going to Gale Crater

Curiosity is about the size of a Mini Cooper and weighs 1 ton — five times more than each of its Mars rover predecessors, the golf-cart-size twins Spirit and Opportunity.

The huge rover will use 10 different science instruments to search for organics — the carbon-containing building blocks of life as we know it — and characterize the Red Planet environment and how it has changed over time.

Curiosity is slated to touch down at a 90-mile-wide (150 kilometers) crater called Gale in August 2012. Clays and sulfates, which also betray past water activity, are plentiful at Gale, and a mysterious 3-mile-high (5 km) mountain rises from the crater's center.

The mountain is composed of sedimentary rock, meaning it grew from sediment deposited over billions of years. So Gale should be a great place to investigate Mars' past and present habitability, as well as the transition from wet to dry that occurred so long ago, researchers said.

"In one location, we can drive the rover through all these successive different environments and sample these various periods in the history of Mars," said MSL project scientist John Grotzinger of Caltech.

While Curiosity is tackling the Martian-life issue, MSL is not a life-detection mission. So even if microbial Martians are squirming about in the soils of Gale Crater, the rover is not likely to detect them.

"It can look at organics and characterize them, and make you more interested in Mars and what secrets it might hold," Meyer said. "But unless you're extremely lucky, it's not going to tell you whether or not you found evidence of life."

US to stop providing Russia data on Europe forces

WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States said Tuesday it will stop providing data to Russia on non-nuclear military forces in Europe, a sign the Obama administration is growing frustrated at the pace of arms control negotiations with Moscow.

The move follows failed talks aimed at reviving a treaty that governs the number and position of troops and conventional weapons that are stationed in Europe.

In 2007, Russia suspended its observance of the Conventional Forces in Europe Treaty. But the United States and allies had continued to meet the treaty's obligations by providing Russia with data on their forces.

The United States decided to halt that cooperation because the talks with Russia had dragged on too long. European allies, who are also signatories to the CFE treaty, were also expected to stop sharing data with Russia.

In a statement, U.S. State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said the United States is prepared to resume data exchange with Russia, if Moscow meets itstreaty obligations.

Nuland later said that she hoped the move would spur Russia, four years after suspension of the pact.

"We think it's important to take some countermeasures vis-a-vis Russia and maybe this will crystalize the mind in terms of our ability to get back to the table," she said.

The Obama administration has made improving relations with Russia a priority and has seen some success, including the ratification of a major new nuclear arms control treaty that came into force this year.

The administration had hoped that treaty, known as New Start, would stimulate progress on a more ambitious arms control agenda with Russia. But talks have stalled amid tensions over U.S. missile defense plans in Europe.

The suspension of data exchange is mostly symbolic because the United States and its allies will continue to provide the same information to other signatories of the treaty, including Russia's allies, like Belarus, which could pass it back to Russia.

The treaty, which was signed in 1990, limits the number of tanks, aircraft and other heavy non-nuclear weapons that could be deployed west of the Ural Mountains — the edge of European Russia. A new revised version was signed in 1999, but NATO countries declined to ratify it.

The West had insisted that Russia must honor a promise to pull out its troops from Georgia and the breakaway region of Trans-Dniester in Moldova before they would ratify the new version.

Russia has said the original treaty became obsolete after several former Soviet republics and satellite nations joined NATO. Former President Vladimir Putin, who now serves as a powerful prime minister, has said that the CFE treaty limited the nation's ability to respond to threats on its own territory

Tornado still takes heavy toll on Joplin, six months later

JOPLIN, Mo (Reuters) - New houses, stores and office buildings are popping up from a tornado's ruins, but Rachael Lasley can only see the emptiness.

"I've lived my whole life here and it's not like Joplin anymore," Lasley, 36, said as she shielded her face from a cold wind whipping around a trailer park that is her temporary home. "My childhood memories are gone -- my elementary school, the playground, restaurants."

Joplin, Missouri on Tuesday observes the sixth-month anniversary of the EF-5 tornado May 22 that killed 161 people and destroyed some 900 buildings. The city is sponsoring a memorial service to honor victims and thank hundreds of volunteers who helped clean up the city.

While many in Joplin strike an upbeat tone about recovery, people who lost homes and loved ones still struggle mightily with their emotions and the upheaval in their lives.

Thousands of residents take part in state-sponsored counseling programs, including about one-third of the 7,700 public school students, officials said.

Stresses caused by the tornado, such as cramped or shared living space and financial hardships, have contributed to a 30 percent jump in cases of domestic violence and child abuse since the tornado, compared to a year ago, social service agencies report.

The mental health community is reaching out with billboards that read "Don't Let One Disaster Lead to Another."

Many families have moved multiple times since the tornado.

Christina Lackey, her husband and two small children stayed in a relative's living room, then a hotel and now rent a house outside town while their house is rebuilt. But they worry that ongoing construction delays will prevent them from moving before insurance stops covering their rent in March.

"It's real frustrating because it's going to take so long to get our lives put back together," Lackey said.

She said their 3 1/2 year old daughter still has scary memories of the tornado. On the 4th of July, for instance, fireworks "freaked her out," Lackey said.

Lisa Orem, director of special services for Joplin schools, said even children who did not lose a home in the tornado are shaken by the loss of places they knew so well.

Dannielle Robertson copes with the loss of her home and her mother, Vicki Robertson, 66, who died when the tornado slammed into her duplex. Robertson lives in what residents call "FEMAville," a barracks-like modular home park in a flat, open space in the northern part of Joplin. Homes were built by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

The park has been the scene of several meth lab busts and violent crimes, Robertson said. She is trying to move but rental property is scarce and rent is rising out of the price range of a lot of people, she said.

Only recently, Robertson said, has she been able to drive through once-familiar parts of Joplin without crying. "To see those vast miles of empty space, it's so sad," she said.

Even new buildings are reminders of that awful day. Michael Madl lost a friend, Charlie Gaudsmith, 21, when the tornado tore through Wal-Mart while he was shopping. The new Wal-Mart opened earlier this month.

"I'd like to go there, but emotionally I don't think I could," Robertson said. He has found strength since the tornado by volunteering much of his time helping pack donated supplies for victims.

One of the most wrenching deaths that day occurred when the tornado pulled 18-year-old Will Norton out of the sunroof of his destroyed SUV two blocks from his home. His father, Mark Norton, was in the passenger seat but survived.

The Nortons were returning from high school graduation ceremonies when the tornado hit. Will Norton is talked about often, said a friend, Emma Cox. He was a popular kid, but never into cliques, she said.

"He had a Halloween party and invited everybody," Cox said.

Mark Norton said he has taken solace in the kind things people have said about Will, including one woman who said her introverted son decided to be more outgoing and involved in his first year of college because of Will's death.

"He realized life can be short and you can't waste years," Norton said.

The memorial service Tuesday is planned in Cunningham Park, where 161 trees will eventually be planted in memory of each tornado victim. Relatives of all victims have been invited to the service.

Robertson said the tree for each victim will be a symbol of renewal.

"It's part of the rebuilding of Joplin," she said. "A tree will be standing. That's important."

(Writing and reporting by Kevin Murphy; Editing by Mary Wisniewski and Greg McCune)

Wall Street flat on debt worries; Fed minutes on tap

NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks were little changed in a choppy session on Tuesday as markets reacted to headlines about Europe'sdebt crisis and digested data showing the U.S. economy grew more slowly than previously thought.

The U.S. economy grew at a 2 percent annual rate in the third quarter, down from the government's prior estimate of 2.5 percent one month ago.

Stocks rebounded from earlier lows after the International Monetary Fund said it strengthened lending tools and introduced a six-month liquidity line, throwing help to countries at risk from the euro zone crisis.

The Federal Open Market Committee releases minutes from its November 1-2 meeting at 2 p.m. (1900 GMT).

Worries about debt problems in the United States and Europe pushed the benchmark S&P 500 down more than 5 percent over the past week.

"Maybe some things are calming down in Europe. That was the reason for yesterday's selloff. It may be people kind of reassessing their reaction to Europe news and just coming back to basically the U.S. numbers having been pretty decent for about a month now," said Peter Jankovskis, co-chief investment officer at OakBrook Investments LLC in Lisle, Illinois.

"A lot will depend on the FOMC minutes that come out later today."

The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> dropped 2.27 points, or 0.02 percent, to 11,545.04. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.SPX> gained 1.23 points, or 0.10 percent, to 1,194.21. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.IXIC> added 4.03 points, or 0.16 percent, to 2,527.17.

Spain's short-term borrowing costs hit a 14-year high on Tuesday as political uncertainty about a solution to the euro zone's sovereign debt crisis punished another vulnerable southern European country.

Late Monday, the two leaders of a special U.S. congressional committee said the panel failed to reach a deal on reducing government deficits. Investors are worried the stalemate will make it more difficult to pass extensions of measures like payroll tax cuts that could help stimulate the economy.

The S&P has fallen through a key support level at 1,200 but again managed to hold near 1,187, seen as the next technical support, representing the 61.8 percent retracement of the 2011 high to low.

Hewlett-Packard Co dropped 3.3 percent to $25.97 as the worst performer on the Dow after the computer and printer maker gave a 2012 profit outlook that was below consensus late Monday.

Trading volume is likely to be thin this week as global uncertainties and the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday keep many investors on the sidelines.

Campbell Soup Co reported first-quarter earnings that beat expectations while sales were slightly below consensus, sending the stock down 4.5 percent to $32.11.

(Reporting by Chuck Mikolajczak; Editing by Kenneth Barry)

Korean Lawmakers Survive Tear Gas to Pass Bill

SEOUL - South Korea’s parliament ratified a long-stalled, free-trade agreement with the United States today amid brawling and shouting by some members opposing the pact, including a lawmaker who threw a tear gas canister at the speaker’s podium.

After an evacuation of hundreds, the controversial deal passed 151-7, with most opposition members absent. The ruling Grand National Party (GNP) had called a surprise parliamentary session in order to push it through, taking advantage of its majority status.

Kim Sun-Dong, a member of the minority Democratic Labor Party who set off the canister, repeatedly shouted “No to FTA (Free Trade Agreement)!” and “GNP, aren’t you afraid of history and the people,” as security guards wrestled him out of the floor. Legislators coughed and wiped tears as they rammed the free-trade deal through.

Sledge hammers, water hoses and electric saws were among the items used by opposition members to protest in the past, but this is the first in history tear gas was detonated.

The deal is expected to boost South Korean exports of automobile-related parts, electronics, and textiles, according to economists. But agriculture, fisheries, and chemicals are among the industries facing future disadvantage.

It is the biggest U.S. trade pact since the 1994 North America Free Trade Agreement and was approved by the U.S. Congress last month.

Seoyoung Cho and Sooyun Yum contributed to this article.

NBA players move legal fight to Minnesota

NEW YORK (AP) — After filing two separate antitrust lawsuits against the league in different states, NBA players are consolidating their efforts and have turned to the courts in Minnesota as their chosen venue.

A group of named plaintiffs including Carmelo Anthony, Steve Nash and Kevin Durant filed an amended federal lawsuit against the league in Minnesota on Monday, hoping the courts there will be as favorable to them as they have been to NFL players in the past.

The locked-out players filed class-action antitrust suits against the league last Tuesday in California and Minnesota. The California complaint was withdrawn Monday.

"The likelihood was we'd get a faster result in Minnesota than California," players' lawyer David Boies said. "I think the result would be the same."

NBA owners locked out the players July 1, and the labor strife between the two sides has forced games to be canceled through Dec. 15.

"This is consistent with Mr. Boies' inappropriate shopping for a forum that he can only hope will be friendlier to his baseless legal claims," Rick Buchanan, NBA executive vice president and general counsel, said in a statement.

Federal court in Minnesota was the venue for all NFL labor disputes that reached the courts for the past two decades. The NFL players enjoyed several victories over the owners there, most recently when U.S. District Judge Susan Richard Nelson issued a temporary injunction this summer that lifted the NFL's owner-imposed lockout. That decision was stayed and eventually overturned on appeal by the 8th Circuit in St. Louis.

Boies insisted the only reason to pick Minnesota was to speed up the process. The first case management conference in California had been scheduled for March 9, although the sides could have requested the date to be moved up. Boies expected a hearing in Minnesota next month.

"The docket is less congested there," he said. "They have a good track record of handling these kind of cases very promptly."

The owners had already filed a lawsuit of their own in the Southern District of New York, a venue that has issued several NBA-friendly rulings over the years, and could file a motion to have the Minnesota case moved there.

After the two sides were unable to reach an accord, the players disbanded the union last week. That set the stage for the increasingly bitter labor dispute to move from the negotiating table to the courtroom, which could jeopardize the entire 2011-12 season.

Disbanding the union allowed the players to file an antitrust lawsuit against the league, a move the NFL players also used. Chauncey Billups, Rajon Rondo, Caron Butler, Baron Davis, Ben Gordon, Kawhi Leonard, Leon Powe, Anthony Randolph, Sebastian Telfair, Anthony Tolliver and Derrick Williams are the other named plaintiffs in the Minnesota lawsuit. The consolidated complaint added some players not in either of the original two, including Nash.

"Although the NBPA made concession after concession, including concessions that would cost its members more than one billion dollars over a six-year period, the NBA essentially refused to negotiate its basic 2007 demands, refusing to back off its demand for large salary reductions and harsh player restraints," the lawsuit alleges.

The NBA must submit its response by Dec. 5. The case has been assigned to U.S. District Judge Patrick J. Schiltz.

Boies said that if there had been time to talk to all the players and lawyers initially, only one lawsuit would have been filed in the first place.

"It was a desire to get things moving. It was not a competition," he said of the two suits. "This was not anything in which people were going different directions."

The courts would have consolidated the suits anyway, so doing it now saves time. And with the first month and a half of the season already canceled, time is of the essence.

Boies repeated that the players' side would prefer to reach a settlement instead of taking the litigation to its conclusion. But there was no indication that either side would be contacting the other anytime soon.

"In the face of somebody saying, 'I don't want to talk to you. We've got an offer — take it or leave it. This is an ultimatum. We're going to make no more proposals,' and somebody saying, 'This is baseless; it ought to go away,'" Boies said, "that's a waste of time to make a telephone call."

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AP Sports Writer Jon Krawczynski in Minneapolis contributed to this report.

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Follow Rachel Cohen at http://twitter.com/RachelCohenAP.

Int'l court prosecutor in Libya for trial talks

TRIPOLI, Libya (AP) — The International Criminal Court's prosecutor was in Tripoli for talks Tuesday with Libyan authorities about their plans to put on trial Moammar Gadhafi's son and one-time heir apparent Seif al-Islam Gadhafi.

Revolutionary fighters captured Seif al-Islam Saturday in southern Libya, and he is being held by fighters in the mountain town of Zintan, southwest of the capital. A local spokesman for Libya's new leadership says former intelligence chief Abdullah al-Senoussi also was captured over the weekend and is being held in the southern city of Sabha.

The ICC indicted the two men along with Gadhafi in June for unleashing a campaign of murder and torture to suppress the uprising against the Gadhafi regime that broke out in mid-February. Libya's new leaders have said they will try Seif al-Islam at home and not hand him over to the Hague court.

The court's chief prosecutor, Luis Moreno-Ocampo, said in a statement Tuesday before his arrival in Tripoli that Seif al-Islam and al-Senoussi "must face justice."

Rights groups have called on Libya to hand both men over for trial in The Hague, and Moreno-Ocampo stressed that even if Libyans want to try the two men in Libya they must still cooperate with the world's first permanent war crimes tribunal.

Libya is obliged by a Security Council resolution to work with the court, but that does not necessarily preclude a trial in Libya. If the National Transitional Council can convince judges in The Hague that the country has a functioning legal system that will give Seif al-Islam and al-Senoussi a fair trial on substantially the same charges as Moreno-Ocampo filed, then the ICC could declare Moreno-Ocampo's case inadmissible and turn it over to Libya.

"I will talk to the national authorities and seek information about proposed national proceedings in order to assist us in analyzing the admissibility of the case against Seif Gadhafi and Abdullah al-Senoussi and to understand their plans moving ahead," Moreno-Ocampo said in a statement. "Their arrest is a crucial step in bringing to justice those most responsible for crimes committed in Libya."

The country's new leaders have not yet established a functioning court system, and have been struggling to put together a new transitional government since Gadhafi's fall. Later Tuesday, interim prime minister Abdurrahim el-Keib was expected to announce the members of his new Cabinet.

Seif al-Islam, who was once the face of reform in Libya and who led his father's drive to emerge from pariah status over the last decade, was captured Saturday by fighters from the small western mountain town of Zintan who had tracked him to the desert in the south of the country. He was then flown to Zintan, 85 miles (150 kilometers) southwest of Tripoli, where he remains in a secret location.

In new video footage taken the day of his capture and obtained by The Associated Press, Seif al-Islam warns his captors that Libya's regions that united to oust Gadhafi will turn against each other "in a couple of months or maximum one year," suggesting the country will descend into infighting.

There have been signs in recent months of growing tensions among Libya's powerful regions, and even after Gadhafi's fall in August and after his capture and killing in October, the country's numerous and sometime competing revolutionary factions have refused to disarm, raising fears of new violence and instability. The regions, backed by bands of armed fighters, are able to act autonomously, even on issues of the highest national interest.

In the video, revolutionary fighters stand around Seif al-Islam, who is seated in a green chair. Three of his fingers are heavily bandaged, and he occasionally winces from the pain.