Nine defendants in the 2004 Madrid train bombings trial indicated in court Wednesday that they have begun a hunger strike, joining four other defendants who initiated the hunger strike last Thursday. The thirteen defendants are among eighteen who remain in custody during the trial, while eleven other defendants have been released on bail. Judge Javier Gomez Bermudez warned the defendants that the trial would not be suspended because of the hunger strike, and if necessary, the defendants would be subjected to forced feedings.

The trial of the 29 suspects began in February in the National Court of Spain. The defendants, are charged with 192 counts of murder and upwards of 1,800 counts of attempted murder. Seven defendants are charged with murder and with having belonged to a terrorist organization, while the remaining twenty-two defendants are being charged with collaborating with a terrorist group and the handling of explosives.

Judge Christopher Burns asked Sanchez about each of the three victims. "I strangled her," he said three times, weeping and barely audible.

Sanchez's wife sobbed as he pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in each death. He faces 75 years to life in prison at sentencing Aug. 2.

"It is unimaginable to us that someone we have truly loved and respected for so many years could be capable of such violent acts," his wife, Kathleen Sanchez, and her family said in a statement. "We are sincerely sorry and filled with grief for your tragic losses."

Sanchez admitted killing University at Buffalo student Linda Yalem, who was raped and strangled on a bike path near campus in 1990; Majane Mazur, who was found raped and strangled on a Buffalo street two years later; and Joan Diver, who was strangled along a bike path last fall.

"The case against him in each of the three homicides was overwhelming," Erie County District Attorney Frank Clark said after the pleas.

Defense attorney Andrew LoTempio said Sanchez wanted to spare his family from a trial and decided to plead guilty after reviewing the DNA evidence against him.

Clark said investigators have tied Sanchez to 8 or 9 rapes and suspect him in a dozen more dating back to the late 1970s.

After receiving only two Requests for Proposals for legal services, the Silver Springs Stagecoach Hospital District voted unanimously to retain the law firm of Allison, McKenzie, Russell, Pavlakis, Wright & Fagan.

The Hospital District received one other proposal from Bonnie Drinkwater of Drinkwater Law Offices.

At a previous SSSHD meeting, the Board voted unanimously to retain the Carson City firm and did not specifically name attorney Mike Pavalakis in the motion but discussion was centered on him and his work.

Back in February the SSSHD retained Pavalakis to handle a lease agreement with Eastern Sierra Medical Group and other business transactions the District was facing at that time.

Part of the meeting started out with Board member Vicki Aveiro asking how the board would be evaluating the two attorneys, to which, District General Manager Kari Larson suggested the Board review the two resumes and their qualifications.

The Board then took a five minute break to review each resume.

Once the Board was back on record board member Kay Bennett disclosed that she has had a long standing working relationship with Pavalakis and the firm for many years.

She said, "I was responsible for bringing the firm Allison, MacKenzie to Carson Tahoe Hospital and I use the firm Alice and MacKenzie on other matters for my personal business. I don't feel I have a conflict in how ever I would vote on this issue. I would not have any financial or fiduciary benefit."

Board Chairman Mike Langevin added he did see how Bennett would profit or influence the outcome of the Board's vote and he said of her participation in the vote, "I'd say you're good with us."

He then asked fellow board members if they had a problem with Bennett voting on the matter.

Langevin spoke favorably of Pavalakis and reported when called the Carson City attorney on SSSHD matters, Pavalakis responded within a day or within 1-2 hours. "I know what I've dealt with. I'd like to stay with them (Allison, MacKenzie, et al), and have them represent us our board."

Board member Susan Wells remarked that unlike Pavalakis' proposal, Drinkwater did not list her fees. She noted that Pavalakis included his hourly rate, his associate's hourly rate, paralegal fees and other fees.

"I have been impressed with Mike (Pavalakis). I feel he's a straight forward person. He's knowledgeable and willing to help us," she said.

Larson reported to the Board that Pavalakis has given the district $1,979 in free service and that he did not charge the Board for his attendance at the March meeting, but only charged for his assistant's fee.

During discussion the Board did not disclose Pavalakis' fees or any financial impacts it many have on the budget.

Members of the Ukranian Parliament have requested that the Ukrainian Constitutional Court rule on the legality of President Viktor Yushchenko's dismissal of three judges from its bench, according to the court's information office Tuesday. The request came after last Friday's dismissal of Volodymyr Ivashchenko, the third Constitutional Court judge removed for alleged oath and ethics violations.

The court is currently considering the constitutionality of Yushchenko's April 2 decree dissolving parliament and calling for new elections. He has since issued a second decree, which is also under review by the court, moving the elections to late June. A majority of legislators objected to the initial decree, filing an appeal with the 18-judge Constitutional Court.

Yushchenko has insisted that his dissolution decree was proper under the Ukrainian constitution and has said that officials who refuse to comply with his decree could face criminal prosecution.

California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger submitted a capital punishment proposal Tuesday in an effort to persuade US District Judge Jeremy Fogel to lift a moratorium on executions in the state. The proposal includes the construction of a new execution chamber and a revised protocol on the procedure for lethal injections in the state. Speaking on the plan, Schwarzenegger said that he is "committed to doing whatever it takes to ensure that the lethal injection process is constitutional so the will of the people is upheld."

In December, Schwarzenegger ordered his administration to "correct court-identified deficiencies in California's lethal injection protocol to ensure the death penalty procedure is constitutional" after a federal court issued a memorandum of intended decision concluding that California's lethal injection  procedure creates "an undue and unnecessary risk" of cruel and unusual punishment in violation of the Eighth Amendment of the US Constitution. The memorandum came after the execution of Michael Morales was postponed indefinitely in February 2006 when a court ruling held that medical professionals must monitor executions by lethal injection to be sure that the inmate feels no pain. The ruling imposed a virtual moratorium on executions in California as anesthesiologists refused to take part in the execution.