Challenges in the news - 02/12/2008

REDMOND, Wash. ( Map ) - REDMOND, Wash., Jan. 1 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Who: MSN Health & Fitness and NBC's "The Biggest Loser" today announced "The Biggest Loser" Million Pound Match-Up, a challenge to America to lose 1 million pounds during the course of the show "The Biggest Loser: Couples."

BRIDGEPORT, Conn. - Sione Hardison, 16, a fashion major at Bullard-Havens Technical High School, can probably design clothing in her sleep. But using paper bags for the material? That was a challenge that called on teamwork and a lot of creativity.

Edwardsville point guard Brandon Hogg liked the challenge of transitioning into a shooting point guard.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - The Gator Bowl matchup was announced Dec. 2, which means University of Virginia football coach Al Groh and his players have spent more than four weeks discussing the challenge presented by the profilic passing game of Texas Tech.

COLUMBUS -- When a co-founder of the popular social networking Web site Facebook joined Barack Obama's presidential campaign staff, it sent a signal that the political world had found its latest tool to address the ongoing challenge of the youth vote.

Some local police are worried the state agency handling almost all of the region's crime scene investigations has become overworked and under-funded. And they fear that will soon make solving serious crimes in a timely manner more of a challenge.

NEW ORLEANS -- Devion Johnson knows what people are saying about No. 10 Hawaii, the latest big-fish-from-a-small-pond to challenge the Bowl Championship Series

Sania Mirza and Rohan Bopanna beat Australia 2-1 in a Group A encounter to keep India afloat in the Hopman Cup here today. Sania overcame a stiff challenge from Alicia Molik to win the women's singles clash 6-2 2-6 6-4 to give India a 1-0 lead.

At the beginning of 2007, we looked ahead with optimism. Statistics told us that jobs and people, in some sectors, had started to return to Louisiana. The challenge for 2008 will be to build on that.

No developers have stepped forward to challenge recent zoning changes in Waterbury that have excluded large condo developments from most of the undeveloped land in the city's outskirts. The deadline to challenge the Zoning Commission's Nov. 29 decision to rezone large areas passed Dec. 21. For more, read the Sunday Republican.

Taslima Nasreen case: A challenge for Indian secularism? Taslima Nasreen is planning to write a book on the treatment meted out to her and her experiences under virtual ''house arrest'' by the government.