Departing N.J. governor apologizes for mistakes

Departing N.J. governorapologizes for mistakes
TRENTON, N.J. -- Gov. James E. McGreevey used his farewell address to tout the accomplishments of an administration cut short by scandal, apologizing for "mistakes in my judgment" but not for coming out as a "gay American."
"I am sorry that I have disappointed the citizens of the state of New Jersey who gave me this enormous trust," McGreevey said Monday during the 15-minute address to staff and supporters. "I am not apologizing for being a gay American but rather for having let personal feelings impact my decision-making."
McGreevey resigned over an affair with a man identified as Golan Cipel -- an Israeli hired by the governor in 2002 to head the state's Homeland Security department despite having little experience. Cipel has steadfastly denied any involvement with McGreevey.
Lack of diversity
WASHINGTON -- A glaring lack of racial and cultural diversity among teachers is hurting the chances of success for minority students, a coalition of school groups contends.
A small but growing body of research shows minorities tend to do better in class and face higher expectations when taught by teachers from their racial or ethnic group, says the National Collaborative on Diversity in the Teaching Force, a partnership led by six groups.
About 60 percent of public school students are white, 17 percent are black and 17 percent are Hispanic. Yet 90 percent of teachers are white, 6 percent are black and less than 5 percent are of another race or ethnicity, according to federal figures the coalition cited.
Family medical history
WASHINGTON -- Thanksgiving is an ideal time for families to catalog their medical histories with a new government computer program that officials say can save critical time -- and lives -- for people who might inherit illnesses like breast cancer and heart disease.
"Knowing your family's history can save your life," Surgeon General Richard H. Carmona said Monday. "You'll be amazed at what you learn."
Merely organizing a family's medical history often means power to predict and perhaps head off diseases prevalent in families even before they appear.
Health and genetic experts on Monday announced a free, Internet-based computer program that compiles information about six common diseases that often afflict several generations, such as heart disease, cancer and diabetes.
The software can be downloaded at www.hhs.gov/familyhistory. A print version of "My Family Health Portrait" will be available in English and Spanish at more than 3,600 medical offices nationwide. Print versions also can be obtained from the Federal Citizen Information Center at (888) 878-3256.
Pricey Italian truffle
ROME -- New York restaurateur Francesco Giambelli dished out a record $41,000 for a 2.4-pound prize Italian white truffle, auction organizers said Monday.
The 85-year-old, who owns Giambelli 50th on New York's East Side, beat off an unnamed opponent in Moscow to claim the largest truffle ever to be sold at an auction, auction director Davide Paolini said.
"It was very aggressive," he said. "No one has ever paid this much for a truffle."
Considered a delicacy since Roman times, truffles are a fungus that forms in symbiosis with tree roots. Italy's white truffles sell for around 10 times the price of France's black variety.
The auction was held Sunday evening in a castle in northwestern Italy and restaurants in New York and Moscow, all connected by a satellite link.
Associated Press