Gunman Saw Nevada Walmart as 'Goliath' Before Shooting

RENO, Nev. -- A disgruntled Walmart employee decided to "take on Goliath" the night before he allegedly shot three of his managers and barricaded himself in the Reno store for six hours, according to court documents released Tuesday.

A probable cause declaration, filed in Reno Justice Court and first reported by the Reno Gazette-Journal, indicated John Gillane believed the Walmart superstore in Reno where he worked for the last nine years as his "Goliath."

According to the document, Gillane intended to use two handguns to confront managers in an office and force them to contact the corporate office so he could have a dialogue about his unspecified grievances.

Gillane, 45, confronted one manager at gunpoint in an office, court records show. He then made the man call over two other managers, the document said.

Police say all three managers were shot Friday as they fled from Gillane in a hallway.

Two victims shot in the torso remained in stable condition at Renown Regional Medical Center in Reno. A third was released from the hospital after treatment Friday. They have requested that their names not be released.

During interviews with police, Gillane said he had personal, financial and work-related problems, the court document said.

He expressed frustration with Walmart management, specifically two of the men he's accused of shooting. The third manager was a man Gillane said he liked, although he shot the man twice.

"Gillane stated that he had almost not followed through with his plan because he realized he would go to jail and not be able to see his daughter and would be fired," the document said. "Nonetheless, Gillane said he determined to carry out his plan and then turn himself into police."

Gillane, who worked in the store's receiving department most recently, remains in the Washoe County jail on three counts of attempted murder and battery. He has declined media interviews until he retains an attorney.

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Illinois Democrats Woo Voters Before Obama Rally

CHICAGO -- Democrats were out early Saturday trying to fire up voters before President Barack Obama's Chicago rally, where he was expected to make another push to fend off Republicans who want to claim his former U.S. Senate seat and the Illinois governor's mansion.

Gov. Pat Quinn and Senate hopeful Alexi Giannoulias, both Democratic candidates on the top of the Illinois ballot, implored people to vote at the Rev. Jesse Jackson's Rainbow PUSH Coalition. That gathering that was televised and broadcast on the radio.

"Please don't waste our votes," Quinn told about 200 people at the PUSH headquarters on Chicago's South Side. "We're running against the right wing that wants to tear down President Obama. They want him to lose the office of governor in his own home state of Illinois."

Quinn and Giannoulias, who's in a tight race for Obama's seat against Republican Congressman Mark Kirk, were gearing up for an Obama get-out-the-vote rally later Saturday evening. It's the president's latest effort to bolster his party ahead of Tuesday's election.

Like the Democrats, Republicans were busy as well on this final weekend before Election Day. Kirk and GOP candidate for governor Bill Brady were making stops around the state before wrapping up with a rally of their own in the Chicago suburb of Northbrook.

More of the same was planned for Sunday, with a GOP rally in Chicago with Massachusetts Sen. Scott Brown, who claimed the late Sen. Edward Kennedy's seat in a special election.

Illinois Republican Party chairman Pat Brady said Republicans in the state have mounted an aggressive get-out-the-vote effort over the past year and have made about 4.4 million outreach calls.

"I think this year we've beaten them at the get-out-the-vote effort," Brady said.

Obama's Chicago visit shows the Democrats are still trying to rally their base with just a few days to go before the election, which Brady said is "not good."

If Kirk wins Obama's old Senate seat it would be an embarrassing loss for Democrats and another big win for Republicans who are trying to shift control of Congress in Tuesday's election.

Giannoulias said he wants to help advance Obama's agenda to move the country forward and blasted Republicans for saying they want to take back America. He said Obama has been unfairly blamed for the country's problems, which Giannoulias said started under Republicans.

"How far back do you want to go? We saw what happened when they were in charge," he said.

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Egypt takes new steps to control media before vote

CAIRO –  Egypt has handed down new media requirements that will effectively put all live broadcasts, including TV talk shows and news bulletins, under the control of state television.

Critics say a sequence of new restrictions on journalists is intended to stifle Egypt's vibrant media landscape a month before parliamentary elections in the authoritarian country.

In the latest measure, the telecommunications regulator is canceling the permits of private companies providing live broadcast services in Egypt, requiring them to get new licenses from state television, several of the companies said Wednesday.

The government measures could be an attempt by authorities to tighten their grip on information and media commentary as Egypt's political scene becomes increasingly tense before the parliamentary vote and a presidential election next year.

There is widespread discontent over increasing poverty and rising food prices. Vocal opposition figures have emerged and inspired young activists to call for democratic reforms. Resistance to the idea that Hosni Mubarak could pass the presidency to his son is also growing.

Several private broadcast service providers said Wednesday that they received letters from the telecom regulator ending their standing permits to offer live broadcast feeds from Egypt starting from Friday.

Nader Gohar, the owner of one of the affected companies, said the steps to acquire new licenses are unclear and are buried in red tape and crippling requirements. Violators could face jail time.

"I've had to cancel booking and broadcasting for news stations during the parliament elections," said Gohar, who runs Cairo News Company.

On Tuesday, the same regulatory body also set new rules for companies sending text messages to multiple mobile phones, a step that activists say will stifle efforts to mobilize voters before the elections, which are to be held in the last week of November.

Last week, the Egyptian Journalists' Union accused the government of cracking down on media critical of authorities, and the leading independent daily Al-Dustour fired its chief editor, outspoken government critic Ibrahim Eissa.

Live broadcasts and other media coverage during the 2005 parliamentary elections were instrumental in exposing some of the widespread violations and violence.

Since then, talk shows and live broadcasting of political developments in Egypt have expanded, and government critics use the programs to air grievances that have left practically no government official untouched.

The head of Egyptian state TV could not be reached for comment Wednesday about the new requirements. Mahmoud el-Gweini, an adviser to the Egyptian telecommunication minister, did not answer repeated telephone calls.

Speaking a day earlier about the SMS controls, he said that decision was not meant to curb political activity.

The owner of another broadcast services company said the new requirements could result in him shutting down his business if his application for a new permit is denied. He also said it is illogical to force companies to ask for permits from state TV because it offers the same service and is a competitor.

He spoke on condition of anonymity because he did not want to draw attention before the new licensing procedures are completed.

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