jessica lynch

Merrill Lynch & Co., the third biggest U.S. securities firm, may record losses of as much as $4 billion on fixed-income assets, resulting in the lowest quarterly earnings in almost six years, Goldman Sachs Group Inc. analyst William Tanona said.

Tanona cut his third-quarter earnings estimate to 15 cents a share from $1.95. For the full year, he expects earnings of $6.75 a share, or 25 percent less than his previous prediction. Merrill fell as much as 3 percent in New York trading before rebounding.

The losses would exceed those reported last week by Goldman, Morgan Stanley, Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. and Bear Stearns Cos. New York-based Merrill may have to write down the value of mortgages, corporate loans and collateralized debt obligations, Tanona wrote in a report to clients today.

Merrill ``appears to be caught in the crosshairs,'' Tanona said. The firm's third quarter ends this month.

Jessica Oppenheim, a Merrill Lynch spokeswoman, declined to comment.

Merrill shares fell 37 cents to $71.75 at 4:02 p.m. in New York Stock Exchange composite trading. The stock has declined 23 percent this year.

All five of the biggest U.S. brokerage firms have grappled with declines in the value of asset-backed securities and corporate loans on their books as surging losses on subprime home loans made investors leery of risky investments.

Competing Firms

Bear Stearns said profit in the fiscal third quarter ended Aug. 31 fell by 61 percent from a year earlier, while Lehman's dropped by 3 percent and Morgan Stanley's profit from operations decreased by 7 percent. Goldman's net income increased by 79 percent even after recording a $1.5 billion loss on leveraged loans.

Merrill may report third-quarter net income of $208.9 million, Tanona estimated. Such a result would represent a 93 percent decline from the $3.05 billion reported for the third quarter of 2006.

Credit Suisse analyst Susan Roth Katzke today cut her estimate of Merrill's third-quarter earnings for the second time in a week. She now expects $1.25 a share, down from a Sept. 21 estimate of $1.60 and an earlier forecast of $1.87.

Book review: "The Terror Dream: Fear and Fantasy in Post-9/11 America," By Susan Faludi (Metropolitan Books)

On Sept 11, 2001, Susan Faludi fielded an unusual call from a reporter. What, he asked, would the terrorist attacks do to the American social fabric?

He soon answered his own question, quipping, "Well, this sure pushes feminism off the map!"

The leap seemed bizarre but more queries followed for Faludi, the Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter and author of "Backlash: The Undeclared War Against American Women." Buildings were falling; bodies were burning. What did the tragedy of that day have to do with the status of women?

As it turned out, Faludi posits, quite a bit.

In "The Terror Dream: Fear and Fantasy in Post-9/11 America," Faludi probes the cultural response to Sept. 11 and the familiar American mythology that framed our reaction.

In times of crisis, we reach for comforting fictions. After 9/11, a vulnerable America would do almost anything to feel strong again and Faludi draws a compelling portrait of a nation riveted by comic exaggerations of manly heroes and feminine victims.

The swaggering president repeated lines from Westerns. The defence secretary became a rugged sex symbol, at least in media accounts. Firefighters were lionized as heroes who ran deep into the twin towers knowing they would die - even though they couldn't have known, since their radios weren't working.

While the media proclaimed a return to "manliness," they also concocted trend stories about women "nesting" and opting out of the work force. Faludi shows that those stories had little to do with reality.

At first blush, "The Terror Dream" might sound like a tirade in service of an agenda. But Faludi accumulates the evidence drop by drop, until there is simply too much to be ignored.

Perhaps most emblematic of the post-9/11 myth was the rescue of Pfc. Jessica Lynch, the American soldier who came to be portrayed as a frail young girl, clutching her teddy bear.

Much has been said about the Lynch episode, a time when movie-style theatrics seemed to trump a less dramatic reality. Faludi frames it as a defining fiction of our time: A strong man is nothing without a woman to rescue.

Lynch's story could have been a rewrite of an old Western, or an even older frontier captivity tale starring a fragile woman captured by "savages" and a daring man who saves her. Those stories, Faludi notes, were fictions in their own right: Real stories of captivity by Native Americans feature markedly less brutality from the Natives, less heroism from the white men - and more fight from the women.

In cultural terms, though, reality is less important to a story than its themes. Faludi draws the thread of those oft-repeated Western narratives through other times of crisis - the years after the Civil War and World War II - and up to our present situation.

By retreating to a comfortable myth, she asserts, the nation essentially closed its eyes.

"By September 12, our culture was already reworking a national tragedy into a national fantasy of virtuous might and triumph," Faludi writes. "No doubt, the fantasy consoled many. But rather than make us any safer, it misled us into danger, damaging the very security the myth was supposed to bolster. There are consequences to living in a dream."

Faludi's portrait of the post-9/11 man as valiant hero, woman as hearth-tending victim is a tableau that could easily be overlooked as we watch a woman run for the White House. If the premise seems exaggerated, Faludi amasses 41 pages of footnotes to make a skeptic wonder how he or she might have missed the billboard.

Of course, every coin has two sides, and Faludi can be adept at ignoring the tail. While Lynch becomes a symbol of the feminine condition, Faludi ignores that other iconic woman soldier: Lynndie England, the grinning face from the Abu Ghraib photos.

At times, Faludi gives too much weight to the fringes - the pundits out for a contrarian sound bite, the hate that fills Internet message boards. But largely, the weight of the evidence falls on Faludi's side, as she finds culprits throughout the media, including NBC, Time, The New York Times and The Associated Press.

Faludi intends "The Terror Dream" not as an indictment but as a revelation. On both counts, she succeeds. PHOENIX (AP) ― A man who agreed to plead guilty in a plot to extort more than $1 million from Tom Cruise for the actor's stolen wedding photos was found dead in his home, authorities said.

Investigators said it appeared David Hans Schmidt, 47, who was under house arrest and faced up to two years in federal prison, had committed suicide.

He was found dead in his townhouse around 3 p.m. Friday after police noticed a tracker placed on him had not moved and he had not checked in, said Lt. Anthony Lopez.

His attorney, Nancy Kardon, said she had spoken to Schmidt earlier this week and was preparing for an Oct. 11 hearing in federal court where he would enter his formal guilty plea to attempted extortion. She said she had planned to ask for probation.

"I was greatly saddened by his loss and I found him to be a very kind man," Kardon said Saturday.

He was arrested in July after federal authorities said a co-defendant obtained photos of Cruise's wedding to Katie Holmes in Italy last year from the event's official photographer, court documents show.

Starting in May, Schmidt had repeated contact with Cruise representatives and threatened to release the photos if he didn't receive between $1.2 and $1.3 million, authorities said.

Schmidt also tried to auction off Paris Hilton's diaries, along with photos of her in various stages of undress and other personal items that had been locked away in a Los Angeles-area storage locker until a few months ago.

He also claimed to have brokered deals to sell a sex video of Dustin Diamond, who played Screech on "Saved by the Bell," and a video of skater Tonya Harding's wedding night, according to published reports. He also claimed to have obtained topless shots of rescued U.S. Army POW Pfc. Jessica Lynch. Newtown Soccer Club

Craig Frigon (Boys U14, In-House), Tim VanderHave (Boys U10, In-House), Lucy Helgren (Girls U10, In-House) and Lauren Cirone (Girls U8, In-House) all recorded hat tricks to help lead their teams during furious youth soccer action this past week.

Here are the results -

TRAVEL

Boys U14

The Newtown Force - made up of players from Newtown and Monroe - captured the Ridgefield Labor Day Tournament with a record of 3-0-1. The Force defeated Brookfield, Ridgefield and Wilton and tied Darien. Team members include Ryan Norado, Thomas Healy, Justin Brophy, Dean Norado, Jimmy Mooney, John Imbimbo, Sean Burson, Trevor Carey, Cameron Clark, Michael Gamse, Francis Afriyie, Tommy Stewart, Peter Ovendorf, Michael Mossbarger, Austin Puleri, Daniel Gallagher, Tarren Horvath, Joey VanVeen and coaches Bob Salvador and Kwabena Afriyie.

Boys U13

Wilton 3, Cobras 0 - Despite a strong effort, the Newtown Cobras lost to Wilton. Yosi Kohrman-Glaser and Matt Rahtelli provided the offensive threat, each with shots on goal. Noah Sock and Pieter Martino fought hard in the midfield while fullbacks Alec Lockhart, Robert Willis and Drew Sullivan were untiring on defense with a number of great tackles.

Girls U13

Stamford 5, Flash 3 - Lyndsey Pearlman, Lindsay Jossick and Stephanie Roman all scored in a loss to Stamford. Kelly Brooks had an assist and turned in a peak performance on defense. Meaghan Harkins covered the midfield adeptly.

Boys U11

Wilton 7, White Lightning 1 - Clay Gattey scored the lone goal for the White Lightning off an assist from Luca Imbimbo.

Sawyer Conrad had a few breakaways, but was unable to convert, while Patrick Rowley and Constant Gregoire played well in the midfield.

Girls U11

Lightning 5, Ridgefield 3 - Cassie Fischer and Megan Meyer sparked the Lightning with their energetic play in the first half as Newtown defeated Ridgefield. Meyer scored the first two goals of the game, one on a penalty kick. Sarah Lynch also put in two for Newtown and Jessica Keller scored on a penalty kick. Keller and Helene Sorensen played well in the midfield. Kate Fallon, Caroline Tanner and Dale Shearin handled the nets for the Lightning.

IN-HOUSE

Boys U14

Team (#1) 5, The Fives 3 - Craig Frigon scored three goals and Colin Cooper added two to lead Team #1 to the win. Matt Wood and Luca Weibel playing great defense. Dieter Gutbrod, Garrison Buzzanca, and Harry Solaski each scored for the Fives with Matt Banda and James Holcomb playing solid overall.

Vipers 6, AT&T 2 - Josh Branchflower scored two goals while Colin Reilly, Ryan LeMay, Niles Wilson and Tom Giarratano added one apiece to lead the Vipers. William Carr and Mergin Bajraliu scored for AT&T as Will Swain did a great job on defense and Jeff Hoffman played well in the midfield.

Girls U14

Pumas 4, That Team 2 - Samantha Luzietti scored two goals while Marissa Audet and Emily Davis added one apiece to lead the Pumas to the win. For That Team, Jessica Haitz and Isabella Saraceni scored as Michaela Beaudry had an outstanding game on defense.

Mighty Chickens 6, Smithers 2 - Justina Paproski, Rachel Gregoire and Kelly VanVeen scored goals for the Might Chickens while Emily Clark and Jen Davis played very well in goal. For the Smithers, Jessica Lynch and Alexandra Duris each scored goals as Sarah Craig and Katie Burns were tough on defense. Paige Thanasoulis had a great all-around game.

Mighty Chickens 6, Turf Trashers 1 - Justina Paproski, Rachel Gregoire and Kelly VanVeen all scored while Alyse Brautigam played very strongly and assisted on a scoring drive.

That Team 6, Turf Trashers 2 - Kerry Scallon scored twice along with one apiece by Michaela Beaudry, Kaitlyn Vos Winkel, Kristie Vos Winkel and Lauren Sarna to secure the win for That Team. For the Turf Trashers, Emma Iannini scored both goals. Niki Haghpanah was excellent on defense. Rachel Rode and Jamie Duncan were key to midfield.

Boys U10

Strikers 6, Team (#5) 4 - Richard Ciamarra and Greg Thiele scored two goals apiece and Jamie Cochrane and Bobby Katrinak added one apiece to lead the Strikers. Michael Berko and Cooper Buonocore played well. For Team #5, Jacob Harper scored twice as Andrey Masser and Quin Helmig each chipped in a goal. Scott Martin played a good game in the midfield and Akash Ahuja and Boris Kuhlac played solid defense.

Team (#7) 5, Team (#6) 2 - Tim VanderHave scored three goals while Carter Nordman and Kieran Lynch each scored a goal and assisted on another to lead Team #7. Zach Weiland played well. Tony Leonardi scored twice for Team #6. Danny McCarthy was excellent on defense and Chris Blanco played a strong game in goal.

Oskars 6, Stags 2 - Albert Dean scored two goals as Dillon Palumbo, Lukas Palumbo, Tommy Shaker and Spencer Tolson scored one apiece to lead the Oskars. For the Stags, Liam McNichols scored both goals with Korey Brodsky and Evan London-Ayr both playing strong on defense and Alister Sore displaying good goaltending.

Girls U10

Turf Devils 4, Blazing Monkeys 1 - Lucy Helgren had a hat trick and Denise Kuban scored a goal to lead the Devils. Emily Campbell and Anita Luxkaranayagam were strong on defense. For the Blazing Monkeys, Christina DeBartolomeo had an outstanding game in goal and Kate Laaksonen scored a goal with an assist from Sophia DeVivo. Maren Brady was solid on defense.

Galaxy 2, Sharpshooters 2 - Megan Grimes scored two goals to lift the Galaxy. Jesse Sailer was strong in goal in the second half as Alexandra Dittrich and Cristina Cistulli played well. For the Sharpshooters, Stephanie Devaney and Danielle Agugliaro scored. Alexis Tucker led the defense as Stephanie Haas supported the offense.

Torpedoes 3, Funky Monkeys 2 - Amanda Mele, Amanda Martinez and Emma Burns each scored to lift the Torpedoes in a back-and-forth game. Emma DeFlumeri and Tessa Leon-Gambetta had great all-around games. For the Monkeys, Lauren Beier and Victoria Kirkman scored while Danielle Mola put in a great effort in goal. Margaret Elkins had a solid game on defense, moving the ball out of the zone and back down the field.

Rockets 4, Bulldogs 0 - Hannah Booth and Caitlyn Linden scored to lift the Rockets. There were strong overall performances by Emily Jerris and Makenzie Casey. For the Bulldogs, good goalie performances were given by Anna Buzzanca and Megan Milano. Eliza Eggleston and Emily McCoy were strong in offense.

Girls U8

Mustangs 2, Wolverines 1 - Nevan Gattey scored two goals and Lauren King had an assist to lead the Mustangs. Jenna Ehnot and Alexandra Watson played well on D. For the Wolverines, Jessica Maturo scored as Mary Hufziger (great shots, including one that rebounded off goal post), Katie Elkins and keeper Maya Neuhoff played well.

American Eagles 2, Team (#10) 2 - Meghan Doyle led the American Eagles with two key goals in this tightly contested match. Emily Neave, Julia Sughrue and Erin Burns played terrific all-around games. Lauren Russo and Samantha Crespo scored on breakaways for Team #10 while goalkeeper Sarah Brittin made several impressive saves.

Fighting Irish 5, Blue Champions 0 - Caroline Caporale, Grace Corcoran, Megan Kelleher, Alexandra Manoni and Jillian Pieretti all scored to lead the Irish to the win. For the Blue Champions, Lizzie Chamiec-Case and Gracie Lauren played great offensive games as Keira Veillette and Dylan Zahansky were fantastic on defense.

Smelly Skunks 2, American Eagles 2 - Lindsay Tienken and Colleen McCarthy scored goals with assists from Madison Findley and Danielle Otero to lead the Skunks. Allie Paynter was a force on defense. For the Eagles, Meghan Doyle and Julia Sughrue scored as Olivia Butler played an excellent defensive game. Cecilia Schoeni hit the post with a powerful shot and played two shutout quarters in goal to preserve the tie for the Eagles.

Cheetahs 5, Wildcats 1 - Lauren Cirone had a hat trick to lead the Cheetahs to the win. Julia Haskins and Mallory Lobuglio also scored and Isabella Jimenez played great defense. Samantha Crespo scored for the Wildcats as Haley Taylor, Alexa Bedini and Lauren Russo all played well.

Boys U8

United 6, Powerhouse 1 - Dylan Kretz, Matt Bucci and Jacob Muller all scored goals for the United as Hunter Procaccini and Danny Gruber were offensive and defensive dynamos. CJ Shambelan scored a goal and displayed relentless hustle for Powerhouse. Ryan Kost and Robert Murray also played well both on offense and defense.

Barracudas 1, Great Whites 0 - Mark Hall scored the lone goal with Elliot Bennett, Henry Patrillo and Graham Dowd having strong games for the Barracudas. Alexander Wong, Thomas Briscoe and Justin Gillespie played well for the Great Whites.

Blue Sharks 2, Team (#10) 0 - Andrew Lee and Joseph Cistulli scored to lift the Sharks to the win. Jack Hanley played goalie and stopped five aggressive shots. Christian Adam played great defense. For Team #10, Jack Bittman and Shane Maksel played sparkling defense as Dylan Sock and Sterling Radesci played well on offense.