Man killed, partially eaten by brown bear

ANCHORAGE, Alaska  — The body of a man who had been killed and partially eaten by a bear was discovered over the weekend on an island near the southeast Alaska city of Sitka, local police and state officials said on Monday Only on NBCNews.com More drugs implicated in fungal meningitis outbreak No yearbook memorial for student who committed suicide World matches record for hottest September Voters doubt either candidate can help economy Undocumented hit GED barrier in quest for legal status Packed court as Costa captain hears evidence Texas schools using chips to track students The victim was tentatively identified as 54-year-old Tomas Puerta, who left Sitka for Chichagof Island, west of Juneau, on Thursday afternoon and was reported missing after he hadn't returned by Sunday. The partially consumed body was found later on Sunday on the southern part of the heavily forested island after boaters reported an aggressive sow bear with cubs near an unattended skiff, Sitka police said in a statement. Video: Photographer mauled to death by grizzly bear (on this page) Authorities have sent the body to the state Medical Examiner's Office to get further information, including a confirmed cause of death and positive identification, said Lieutenant Barry Allen of the Sitka Police Department. Grizzly mauls hiker to death at Denali National Park; bear shot Authorities were trying to find the animal or animals responsible to "dispose of those bears involved," he said. In this case, the bear or bears that killed the man are considered to be more likely to repeat the action, he said "Likely, any bear that gets killed would be examined to try and confirm that the right bear was caught," he said. Murderer's corpse dragged from car, eaten by bear in Canada Larsen said state officials do not usually kill bears that maul humans in acts of defense. But bears that are considered predatory or dangerous are killed, he said. Judgments are made on a case-by-case basis, he said. Video: Tranquilized bear mom, cubs fall out of tree (on this page) "If it's just not clear, it tends to be our practice to take the animal, if we have some reasonable assurance that we're dealing with the animal involved," he said. Larsen said the Chichagof Island death was the first fatal bear attack in southeast Alaska since 2000. More content from NBCNews.com: No yearbook memorial for student who committed suicide World matches record for hottest September Report: Ariz. military recruiters shot paintballs at homeless Prank gone wrong? Alabama teen shot in head Undocumented hit GED barrier in quest for legal status Video: Skydiver's edge-of-space dive breaks sound barrier Follow US news from NBCNews.com on Twitter and Facebook (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2012.

Serb leader's genocide trial opens

Former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic appearing in court at the Hague on November 3, 2009. Karadzic is accused in the Srebrenica massacre, which killed about 8,000 Muslims His charges stem from the violence during the breakup of Yugoslavia in the 1990s Karadzic disguised himself and hid in plain sight for more 13 years before his capture He could face life in prison if convicted (CNN) -- Former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic defended himself Tuesday against charges of genocide, taking hostages and unlawful attack on civilians during the violent breakup of Yugoslavia in the 1990s. Karadzic is standing trial the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia. One of his key charges stems from the massacre of about 8,000 Muslim men and boys at Srebrenica. Timeline: From 'president' to accused war criminal Karadzic participated in a "joint criminal enterprise (JCE) to permanently remove Bosnian Muslims and Bosnian Croats from the territories of Bosnia and Herzegovina claimed as Bosnian Serb territory," according to tribunal. The Srebrenica massacre became an emblem for the dissolution of Yugoslavia -- once a multiethnic state of Serbs, Croats, Muslims and others -- into six countries during a bloody and brutal conflict in the early 1990s. The 1992-95 Bosnian conflict was the longest of the wars spawned by the breakup of Yugoslavia. Read more: Genocide count dropped in Karadzic trial Backed by the government of then-Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic, Bosnian Serb forces seized control of more than half the country and launched a campaign against the Muslim and Croat populations. After hiding in plain sight for more than 13 years, Karadzic was captured in Belgrade in 2008. He had adopted an elaborate disguise that included long hair and a full beard, and was practicing alternative medicine in the Serbian capital. Karadzic's former military commander, Ratko Mladic, was captured last year and is also on trial for charges such as genocide. Both men would face life in prison if convicted. The court cannot impose the death penalty.

Maine zumba sex case: John suspect names released

KENNEBUNK, Maine — The first batch of more than 100 men accused of paying a fitness instructor for sex were laying low after police began releasing their names in a small New England town where rumors have run rampant for weeks. Police on Monday released 21 names of men who were issued summons for engaging in prostitution with a 29-year-old Zumba instructor who's charged with turning her dance studio into a brothel in this seaside community and secretly videotaping her encounters. Residents watched the news flash on their local evening TV news, and people could be heard discussing who was on the list as they walked through a supermarket parking lot and stood in line at a convenience store shortly after the names were made public. Maine town rocked by Zumba studio prostitution scandal The rumors are likely to continue in the weeks ahead as police release the names of other accused johns in police activity reports that are issued every other week listing people charged with offenses ranging from allowing dogs to run at large and marijuana possession to driving under the influence. A judge ordered the release of names without ages or addresses, so it was not immediately clear their occupations and roles in the community, if any. The list was released late Monday by local officials and published on seacoastonline.com, the local newspaper, the York County Coast Star. It did not publish further details about the individuals named. Kim Ackley, a local real estate agent, said that disclosure of the names will cause temporary pain for families but it's only fair because others who are charged with embarrassing crimes don't get breaks. "What's fair for one has to be fair for the other," said Ackley, who believes she knows several people on the list. "The door can't swing just one way." Residents had been anxiously awaiting the release of names since 29-year-old Alexis Wright was charged this month with engaging in prostitution in her dance studio and in an office she rented across the street. Police said she kept meticulous records suggesting the sex acts generated $150,000 over 18 months. Wright, from nearby Wells, has pleaded not guilty to 106 counts of prostitution, invasion of privacy and other charges. Her business partner, 57-year-old insurance agent and private investigator Mark Strong Sr., from Thomaston, has pleaded not guilty to 59 misdemeanor charges. Only on NBCNews.com More drugs implicated in fungal meningitis outbreak No yearbook memorial for student who committed suicide World matches record for hottest September Voters doubt either candidate can help economy Undocumented hit GED barrier in quest for legal status Packed court as Costa captain hears evidence Texas schools using chips to track students Video: Accused 'Zumba Madam' pleads not guilty Police said more than 150 people are suspected of being clients and many of them were videotaped without their knowledge. In town, residents heard the list could include lawyers, law enforcement officers and well-known people, heightening their curiosity. The list of names was delayed Friday by legal action by an attorney representing two of the people accused of being johns. The lawyer, Stephen Schwartz, said releasing the names will ruin people's lives, even if they're acquitted of the misdemeanor charges against them. Superior Court Justice Thomas Warren on Monday denied a motion seeking to block disclosure of the names. But he ordered that addresses should be withheld for those people who might have been victims of invasion of privacy when their acts were recorded. The Associated Press reached out Monday evening to men on the list, but it was difficult to confirm their identities without knowing their addresses. Andrew Stanley, of Kennebunk, said the names should've been released sooner. Wright's alleged customers, he said, were mostly people with money or power who attempted to buy their way out of trouble through legal action. "I think the names should have been released the second they were charged," he said. But resident Leonid Temkin had mixed feelings about publicizing the names because it could cause marriages to dissolve and men to lose their jobs. "I think it'll cause a lot of hardship," he said. The prostitution charges and ensuing publicity, which reached across the country and beyond, came as a shock in the small town of about 10,000 residents, which is well-known for its ocean beaches, old sea captains' mansions and the neighboring town of Kennebunkport, home to the Bush family's Walker's Point summer compound. Some people in town said they had their suspicions about Wright, but others were in the dark about the life of the bubbly dance instructor who introduced many local women to the Latin-flavored dance and fitness program. Ackley's daughter, Alison Ackley, who participated in Wright's class four or five times, said she had no inkling of any illegal activity. "She was so young," Alison Ackley said. "She had a lot going for her. It's a shame she was hanging out with these older men and getting money from them." But Kim Ackley said she believes the interest will die down once all the names become public in the coming weeks. "A year from now it won't even be talked about, once it goes through the courts," she said. "You've got to move on and go on with your lives." More content from NBCNews.com: No yearbook memorial for student who committed suicide World matches record for hottest September Report: Ariz. military recruiters shot paintballs at homeless Prank gone wrong? Alabama teen shot in head Undocumented hit GED barrier in quest for legal status Video: Skydiver's edge-of-space dive breaks sound barrier Follow US news from NBCNews.com on Twitter and Facebook Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

UK to weigh extraditing hacker

Gary McKinnon has been fighting extradition to the United States for a decade U.S. prosecutors accuse McKinnon of breaking into military, NASA and civilian networks He says he was doing research into U.S. government information on UFOs McKinnon's lawyer and family say extradition would be a breach of his human rights London (CNN) -- UK Home Secretary Theresa May is set to announce Tuesday whether Gary McKinnon, who has admitted to breaking into computers at NASA and the Pentagon, will be extradited to the United States. McKinnon, a British citizen, has admitted breaking the law and intentionally gaining unauthorized access to U.S. government computers but has fought a decade-long battle against extradition. The U.S. government says McKinnon carried out the biggest military computer hacking of all time, accessing 97 computers from his home in London for a year starting in March 2001, and costing the government about $1 million. U.S. authorities want him extradited to face trial in the United States. McKinnon, who has been free on bail in England, has said he was simply doing research to find out whether the U.S. government was covering up the existence of UFOs. His lawyer, Karen Todner, has argued against his extradition on human rights grounds because he has Asperger syndrome. U.S. federal prosecutors accuse McKinnon of breaking into military, NASA and civilian networks, and accessing computers at the Pentagon; Fort Benning, Georgia; Fort Meade, Maryland; the Earle Naval Weapons Station in Colts Neck, New Jersey; and the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, among others. In one case, McKinnon allegedly crashed computers belonging to the Military District of Washington. McKinnon is believed to have acted alone, with no known connection to any terrorist organization, said Paul McNulty, the former U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. A U.S. federal grand jury indicted McKinnon on seven counts of computer fraud and related activity. If convicted, he would face a maximum of 10 years in prison on each count and a $250,000 fine. Todner has previously complained that the United States has never provided evidence to prosecutors or McKinnon's legal team to support their extradition request -- and in fact, under Britain's Extradition Act of 2003, U.S. prosecutors are not required to. McKinnon was on the brink of extradition in August 2008, when the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, France, refused to reconsider the decision to send him to the United States, effectively clearing the way for his transfer. Shortly after that decision, however, McKinnon was diagnosed with Asperger syndrome, and he claims that diagnosis changed the case for extradition. People with Asperger syndrome suffer difficulty in social relationships, communication, and social imagination, according to The National Autistic Society in Britain. Asperger syndrome may often include having special interests and becoming anxious if a routine is broken. Todner and McKinnon's family say extraditing him to the United States would breach his human rights as an Asperger sufferer.

Cuba eases some travel restrictions

Cuban president Raul Castro has pledged to ease the country's travel restrictions. The Cuban government is ditching two travel requirements Getting rid of these documents will save travelers money A traveler will need a passport, but not everyone can have one President Raul Castro has pledged to do away with unnecessary restrictions (CNN) -- Starting next year, Cubans traveling abroad will face fewer hurdles leaving the country. The official news site Granma reported Tuesday that the Cuban government will no longer require a travel permit and a letter of invitation. Until now, Cubans had to pay $150 for an exit visa. A resident in the country that the Cuban wanted to visit would also have to write a letter of invitation. Fees associated with the letter ran as high as $200. That's a steep price in a country where the average monthly income is about $460. Even with the two documents, a traveler could run up against a wall if the government denied an exit visa -- as it has done with many dissidents. Medical professionals are only allowed to leave Cuba to work for the government abroad. But once the new requirements go into effect on January 14, travelers will only have to present a valid passport and an entry visa for the country where they are headed. The move is part of the reforms that President Raul Castro promised when he took office in 2008. At the time, he pledged to do away with unnecessary restrictions. And that year, he lifted prohibitions on Cubans staying in hotels and buying mobile phones. The new change, however, does not mean that anyone wanting to travel will get a passport. "The ordinary passport will be issued to the Cuban citizens who meet the requirements of the Migration Law," which is being modified, according to the report in Granma. While the report does not say how the law will be altered, it does add that the government will fight brain -- and money -- drain "from the aggressive and subversive plans of the US government and its allies." It will do so by leaving in place measures to preserve "human capital created by the Revolution from the theft of talents practiced by the powerful nations." CNNE's Nelson Quinones contributed to this report.

What's fueling Romney's climb up the polls?

A sign on a fence in Belmont, Massachusetts, shows where at least one voter's loyalties lie. The presidential race tightens three weeks before Election Day Analysts say GOP-leaning voters now commit to Mitt Romney Did the Romney campaign choreograph the comeback? President Barack Obama needs a strong debate performance on Tuesday CNN will offer access to Tuesday's presidential debate coverage starting at 7 p.m. ET on CNN TV, CNN.com and via CNN's apps for iPhone, iPad and Android devices. Web users can become video editors with a new clip-and-share feature that allows them to share favorite debate moments on Facebook and Twitter. Washington (CNN) -- Maybe Mitt Romney's campaign team isn't so bad after all. After months of criticism, much of it from fellow Republicans, the machine managing Romney's presidential bid has him gaining support in the final weeks of the race. The latest polls show Romney catching or slightly passing President Barack Obama in both the overall race and in some of the battleground states still considered up for grabs and therefore vital to both candidates' chances. Some of those polls also show a hike in Romney's favorability rating, indicating more respondents were supporting the former Massachusetts governor instead of simply opposing Obama. The late surge follows a rocky period for Romney following the rugged Republican primary campaign, including an ultimately nondescript GOP convention and some unforced errors, such as his so-called 47% comments that were secretly recorded at a fundraiser. Then, a strong performance in the first presidential debate -- coupled with a lackluster effort by Obama that night -- served as the catalyst for what the Romney campaign insists is a late surge with just over three weeks until the November 6 election. Town hall setting can be troublesome Polling since the October 3 debate in Denver shows Romney moving up. In the latest CNN poll of polls -- an aggregate of all the latest major polls -- Romney was slightly ahead of Obama by 48%-47% and pulled ahead of the president in the crucial state of Florida by 49%-46%. However, Obama maintained his lead in two other key battleground states -- by 50%-47% in Ohio and 48%-47% in Virginia. Most analysts agree that whoever wins two of those three states will almost certainly win the White House. Poll of polls shows tightening race Romney sees a bump in voter enthusiasm Romney tax plan depends on Congress McKinnon: 'Bar is really low' for Obama Rob Reiner on making Romney abortion ad Rich Galen, a conservative commentator who worked in the past for former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, said the rise in Romney's favorability numbers was due partly to support from right-leaning voters who don't like Obama but weren't yet sold on the Republican until the first debate. "I was really struck by that because that is probably the first robin of spring that demonstrates how people are looking differently at Romney," Galen told CNN in an interview on Monday. At the same time, Galen acknowledged such "leaners" and "uncommitted" voters were unlikely to support Obama in any case, and that the new poll results "didn't indicate they changed their minds" from voting for the president. "It is those people who I think saw something in Romney that they just hadn't been prepared for," Galen said, adding that voters such as Republican leaners wanted to be convinced. "It's like going to a movie that everybody else says is a great movie. You have to see it for yourself." Expect Obama to come out swinging To Galen, one reason for the turnaround was a patient strategy by the Romney campaign that waited until the home stretch to unveil a long expected shift toward the middle by the candidate who described himself as "severely conservative" during the primaries to try to appeal to the right-wing base. "They hold their fire, hold their fire, hold their fire, and then they sprint to the finish," Galen said, referring to what he called a "change in what he's saying and how he's saying it." The shift "tells me that they had planned for a late-game surge," he said. Other factors point to such a tactic. For example, Romney could have used the Republican National Convention, when he and the party were the focus of the national political debate, to move toward the middle. Instead, he waited until the first debate, when he also had the full force of campaign funding available after being limited to primary contributions only until after he formally accepted the nomination at the Tampa convention in late August. What the candidates wear and why In the run-up to the first debate, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie -- a key Romney surrogate who delivered the keynote address at the GOP convention -- predicted the initial showdown between Romney and Obama would amount to a restart of the race. Voters would "start tuning in on Wednesday night, and when they do, Gov. Romney will lay out his vision for a better and greater America, for greater opportunity, for all of our citizens," Christie told NBC's "Meet the Press" three days before the debate. "And I think that's when you're going to see this race really start to tighten and then move in Governor Romney's direction." His prescient comments undercut party efforts to minimize expectations for the first debate, but not everyone was ready to credit the Romney team for choreographing the comeback. Ron Brownstein, the National Journal editorial director and CNN senior political analyst, said Obama's poor performance had as much to do with it as Romney's strong showing. The Romney team "kind of reshaped his image at the debate to make him a more moderate figure," Brownstein said, adding it "would have been dangerous to do that earlier." Romney "talked to the voters who are dissatisfied with Obama and reminded them why they were was dissatisfied and helped cross the threshold on why he would do better," while Obama "did nothing to frame the case against Romney" or explain what he would do in a second term to make things better, Brownstein said. Romney opts out of 'The View' Until the first debate, he explained, Obama benefited from "a slice of the electorate who were clearly dissatisfied with his first term, were not sure he deserved a second term, but weren't sure if Romney was a viable alternative," thereby providing the president some margin of comfort. "I think that permanently changed at the first debate," Brownstein said. "It doesn't mean Romney's going to win, but we are in a structurally different race." Obama's approval rating, hovering at 50%, is "just enough to get elected" and the president still leads in Ohio, Brownstein noted, but "the idea of any kind of cushion is what is gone." Colbert: I can't tell the difference New ABC News/Washington Post and Politico/George Washington University national polls showed the rise in Romney's favorability ratings, with the Politico-George Washington survey putting him even with the president on that question. Romney and his campaign have sought to frame the election as a referendum on Obama's presidency, citing high unemployment, slow economic growth from the recession and chronic federal deficits and debt as reasons to deny a second term. For their part, Obama and Democrats have tried to make the election about competing visions for the future, arguing Republican proposals to repeal major legislation such as health care and Wall Street reforms while expanding tax cuts without identifying additional revenue sources would stall a sluggish but steady recovery. Does anyone heed fact checks? To Brownstein, Obama needs to spell out how his plans for a second term would be better for the country than what Romney proposes. "Among the many challenges facing Obama in the next debate, the first among equals is convincing wavering voters that he has a plan to make the next four years better than the last four --something he almost utterly failed to convey at the first debate," Brownstein said. Galen said those who were quick to criticize the Romney campaign during tough stretches in the primaries and recent months may need to reassess. "If things turn around and start looking good," he said, "I think you have to give them credit." CNN Political Editor Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report

Johns named in prostitution scandal

Alexis Wright, 29, pleaded not guilty Tuesday to 106 counts related to alleged prostitution at her fitness studio. Move comes after a court ruled against an order to block the identities from getting out Authorities say clients paid a fitness instructor for sex at her studio in Kennebunk, Maine Alexis Wright, 29, has pleaded not guilty to prostitution-related charges (CNN) -- Police in Kennebunk, Maine, on Monday released the names of close to two dozen people suspected of paying to have sex with a fitness instructor at her Zumba studio. The release came after a court ruled against a temporary restraining order to block the identities from getting out. "The principle that court proceedings are public is essential to public confidence. If persons charged with crimes could withhold their identities, the public would not be able to monitor proceedings to observe whether justice has been done and to observe whether certain defendants may have received favored treatment," Justice Thomas Warren wrote in his decision. A lawyer for at least one of the suspected johns, "John Doe 1," had argued against the release, saying doing so would destroy the families and careers of good men. No addresses or ages were made public. The prostitution case has struck a sensitive chord in Kennebunk, and put many residents of the picturesque town on edge. Prosecutors say 29-year-old fitness instructor Alexis Wright was paid to have sex with customers in her studio. She allegedly got help from her business partner, Mark Strong, a 57-year-old insurance salesman and private investigator. Wright is accused of having sex with dozens of men and videotaping many of the encounters. Strong's lawyer, Dan Lilley, said prosecutors have given him a list of 150 patrons and a computer hard drive with some videos, with erotic titles, that are part of the investigation. Neither Wright -- whose studio is now closed, according to its website -- nor her attorney, Sarah Churchill, returned calls from CNN. The local district attorney declined to comment. Both of the accused pleaded not guilty this month to prostitution-related charges: 106 counts against Wright and 59 counts against Strong. According to Kennebunk Police, authorities were tipped off in September 2011 to illicit activity at the studio. A subsequent investigation, with help from Maine's State Police and the Drug Enforcement Administration, led to the execution of search warrants on February 14. Police arrested Strong on July 10, making the case public for the first time. That was followed by indictments against him and Wright. Police have been handing out summonses to those accused of soliciting a prostitute; all who receive one would then have to appear in court to answer the misdemeanor charges. According to Lilley, the johns included lawyers, accountants and a local TV personality. CNN's Adam Reiss and Deborah Feyerick contributed to this report.