Regret the Error

Fuzzy (stringy?) numbers etc.

In last Sunday's Insight section, the story "Rewinding the laws of time and space" gave two incorrect figures. String theory actually describes 10{+5}{+0}{+0} universes, and UC Santa Cruz researcher Anthony Aguirre created a theoretical "extreme cold Big Bang universe" in which the cosmological constant was 10{+1}{+7} times what it is in our universe.

Shoot, that was easy

From the Tribune of Greeley, Colorado:

Bamboo plants are easy to grow, not difficult. A headline in Thursday's Tribune said the opposite was true.

Fuzzy numbers etc.

In the Jan. 26 feature "Super Hot Skiing," contrary to what was first reported, the total acreage of ski areas in U.S. forests is 190,000 acres, not 190 million; the U.S. Department of Agriculture, not the Department of the Interior, oversees ski area permits; and it is all national parks, not just Yellowstone, Yosemite and the Grand Canyon, that total 84 million acres. The story has been corrected. Link

Fuzzy numbers etc.

An article in yesterday's editions incorrectly reported that almost 12,000 people on dialysis die annually in Maryland. In fact, that figure represents deaths between Jan. 1, 2000, and Aug. 8, 2006, according to the Mid-Atlantic Renal Coalition. Link

Talk to a newspaper, become a drunk

A story Friday about Iona basketball coach Jeff Ruland's past hardships should not have included a reference to a "battle for sobriety." He has faced the loss of his father at age 9 and an NBA career shortened by injuries, but his sobriety has not been questioned. Link

Apology

In an article in our edition of October 15, 2005, under the heading 'Too much heat, not enough light on rip-off lawyer claims' we made certain references to Mr John Twomey which we now accept were untrue.
Mr Twomey has at all relevant times represented survivors of child abuse and acted in their interests.
Our article suggested that Mr Twomey had failed to reveal the fact that his organisation had received funding from the Irish Government and furthermore that the existence of such funding created a material conflict of interest.
The Irish Independent accepts that John Twomey and the London Irish centre has at all times worked with energy and entirely properly in the interest of survivors of child abuse.
We accept that he has indeed furthered the interests of survivors of child abuse.
Any inference to the contrary contained in our article is regretted.
We would like to apologise to Mr John Twomey for the offence caused to him by our article. Link

Photographic consequences

A photograph that accompanied a Jan. 23 article about former Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Reynold Mason and allegations he paid county political leaders for his judgeship depicted Mason administering the oath of office to Brooklyn Assemblyman Nick Perry in 2001. Perry is not mentioned in the article, and the use of this image was not intended to imply either that he was involved in the matters discussed in the article, or that he had knowledge of them. The News regrets any such misconception that may have arisen. Link

Bagged lettuce: An article in Saturday's Section A reported that some scientists and food safety advocates believe that packaging greens might contribute to the spread of a lethal strain of E. coli bacteria and included a photograph of bagged lettuce in a grocery store. The photo showed rows of Fresh Express products; however, that company has not been identified as being associated with any of the recent outbreaks of food-borne illnesses. Link

Bush is quote kryptonite

An article yesterday about Senator Jim Webb of Virginia and his response, for the Democratic Party, to the State of Union address omitted part of a conversation he had with President Bush at a White House reception for new members of Congress in November. President Bush approached Mr. Webb, whose son is a marine serving in Iraq, and asked, “How’s your boy?” Mr. Webb replied, “I’d like to get them out of Iraq, Mr. President.” Mr. Webb did not say at that point in the conversation, “That’s between me and my boy, Mr. President.” Mr. Webb did not make that statement until after Mr. Bush had said of the Iraq comment: “That’s not what I asked you. How’s your boy?”
The article also referred incorrectly to how Mr. Webb’s speech dealt with Democrats’ response to the president’s Iraq strategy. The speech did not mention whether the party will go beyond a symbolic resolution denouncing Mr. Bush’s plan to send more troops to Baghdad. Link

A front-page article yesterday about events surrounding President Bush’s State of the Union speech misquoted his opening remarks. He said, “And tonight I have the high privilege and distinct honor of my own as the first president to begin the State of the Union Message with these words: ‘Madam Speaker.’ ” He did not say, “Tonight, I have the high privilege and distinct honor to begin a speech with the words ‘Madam Speaker.’ Link

Excerpts yesterday from President Bush’s State of the Union address misstated a word from the speech in some copies. Mr. Bush said, “Some in this chamber are new to the House and the Senate, and I congratulate the Democrat majority” — not Democratic majority. Link

What gave it away?

Conductor Arturo Toscanini was misidentified in a photo in yesterday's Daily News. He was the white-haired gentleman holding a baton. Link

Editor's Note

A front-page article on Jan. 5 about the tendency of criminal suspects in New York City to give revealing and usually damaging statements to the police, despite their right to remain silent, included excerpts from the statement of James Barbour, a Broadway actor accused of sexually abusing a 15-year-old girl. According to his statement, Mr. Barbour told the police that he had lain on a bed with the girl and that they had kissed.

But the article should have made it clear that in the statement, Mr. Barbour does not admit or confess to having sexually assaulted the girl, and that he has pleaded not guilty. Link