Illinois woman who killed her kids seeks clemency

Illinois woman who killedher kids seeks clemency
DWIGHT, Ill. -- Debra Gindorf has spent the past 18 years in prison for killing her babies, a boy and a girl. Now, Gindorf is asking to be set free, saying the reason was postpartum depression -- a temporary disorder that wasn't officially recognized by the psychiatric community until several years later.
Since 1989, Gindorf has asked for clemency three times. Her latest petition, before Gov. Rod Blagojevich, might be her best chance at a life outside bars.
Blagojevich has twice declared May "postpartum depression month," and his proclamation acknowledges the postpartum psychosis that some women can suffer.
The governor's spokeswoman Rebecca Rausch would only say that Blagojevich has received Gindorf's petition and that "it is in his hands to review." There is no deadline.
"What I would like to see out of him is that he stands up and speaks on it and can differentiate ... between a baby killer and me," Gindorf said in a prison interview.
Gindorf has supporters, including Ronald Baron, the psychiatrist who testified for the state at her trial.
More SARS cases in China
BEIJING -- China upgraded two suspected SARS patients to confirmed cases of the virus today, doubling the number of infected people linked to a Beijing laboratory believed responsible for the latest small outbreak of the disease.
The mother and aunt of an infected nurse were the latest cases, according to China's Ministry of Health. One was listed as critically ill, though it was unclear which. The new announcement brought the number of cases on the mainland to four confirmed and five suspected.
In Taiwan, meanwhile, a 78-year-old man was quarantined and being tested for SARS today after he returned from the mainland and developed a high fever and other flu-like symptoms. The man traveled for two weeks in China before returning Saturday, authorities said.
Potential threat to mall
LOS ANGELES -- A terrorism task force was investigating an "uncorroborated" threat to a Los Angeles area shopping mall where federal officials say an attack may have been planned for today.
"As of now, the information is uncorroborated and the credibility of the source is unknown," the LAPD said in a statement.
No specific shopping mall was named, but the warning indicated a mall near the Federal Building in West Los Angeles could be targeted.
The LAPD will increase patrols at shopping malls in the city and asked mall operators to beef up security while a joint terrorism task force investigates. The department said it would have no further comment beyond the statement issued late Wednesday.
hCat, owner reunitedafter seven years apart
SAN FRANCISCO -- Cheyenne, a cat that vanished in Florida seven years ago and was recently found wandering the streets of San Francisco, is reunited with her owner, Pamela Edwards, at the San Francisco Animal Shelter.
Edwards was flown to San Francisco on Wednesday at Ellen DeGeneres' expense to pick up her pet. Edwards and her daughter then went to Los Angeles to tape a future episode of DeGeneres' show.
Edwards adopted the black short-haired cat from an animal shelter in Bradenton, Fla., in 1997. The cat disappeared a few months later.
Earlier this month, Edwards got a call from San Francisco, where city workers had scanned Cheyenne's implanted microchip and learned she belonged to Edwards, 2,800 miles away in Florida.
How did the cat make such a journey?
"Possibly, someone found her in Florida," said Deb Campbell, spokeswoman for Animal Care and Control. "Or sometimes cats get stuck in moving vans. We know she didn't walk here -- her feet looked pretty good."
Associated Press