National News for May 3 - 16

This is not original reporting. All information has been compiled from the Washington Post and the New York Times. Silver Chips Online posts this news summary to provide readers with a forum for discussion.

May 10 - Barack Obama took the first superdelegate lead over Hilary Clinton for the Democratic Nomination, according to superdelegate counts by the media. Since the nomination race begun, Obama has trailed Clinton in committed superdelegates. The change in alliance by some superdelegates that formerly supported Clinton and the commitment from previously unaligned superdelegates occurred shortly after Obama earned a convincing win in North Carolina and a close loss to Clinton in Indiana; Clinton required huge margins in those primaries to weaken Obama's momentum in the race. Some news outlets reported that Obama's loss in Indiana occurred mostly because of crossover votes from Republicans, signaling that Republicans see Obama as more of a threat to the presidential run of the presumptive Republican candidate, John McCain.

Crawford, TX
May 11 - Jenna Welch Bush, the president's daughter, married Henry Chase Hager, a graduate student and child of John Henry Hager, the former lieutenant governor of Virginia. The two were married on President Bush's Crawford Ranch. The wedding was a relatively small event, since the Bush family tried to keep their privacy. The newlyweds plan to move to Baltimore, Maryland after their honeymoon.

Louisville, KY
May 3 - Horse Eight Belles was put to sleep immediately after fracturing both of its front ankles at the end of the Kentucky Derby. The horse, which won second place, is believed to be the first fatality in Kentucky Derby's history. President of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) Ingrid Newkirk raised controversy after the race, declaring "Attending the Derby is as despicable as attending a dogfight." Most sports commentators disagreed with Newkirk's statements.

Daisetta, TX
May 9 - A large sinkhole developed in Daisetta, Texas after the rim of an underground salt dome, which supported the land above it, collapsed. The resulting break in earth has increased in size to an oval of about 600 by 525 feet that is 150 feet deep as of May 9. For now, the stability of the entire town, located northeast of Houston, is being disputed. Geologists do not know if the sinkhole will stabilize or continue to grow. Two grain trucks, utility poles and pine trees have been fell into the hole. No major infrastructure damage has been done and no lives have been lost.