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US reaches mortgage settlement with top banks

Reuters — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 16:32:10 +0000

The biggest U.S. banks will provide about $25 billion in relief to distressed homeowners, as state and federal officials hold lenders responsible for taking illegal shortcuts during foreclosures and for other deceptive practices.

The settlement announced on Thursday seals more than a year of negotiations after evidence emerged late in 2010 that banks robosigned thousands of foreclosure documents without properly reviewing paperwork.

The Obama administration hopes the settlement will open a new avenue for housing relief because it will force the banks to write down mortgages at a time when roughly one in four borrowers owe more on their mortgage than their home is worth.

Principal reductions have been done on a voluntary basis by banks, often on a limited basis.

The deal resolves civil government lawsuits over faulty foreclosures and servicing misconduct.

The banks involved in the deal are Bank of America Corp, Wells Fargo & Co, JPMorgan Chase & Co, Citigroup Inc and Ally Financial Inc.

Although the deal with 49 states is the largest joint federal-state settlement ever obtained, the amount is miniscule compared to the declines in home values and the banks still face a host of other mortgage-related lawsuits.

“The bottom line about this settlement, is it’s okay, it’s a step forward, it’s a step in the right direction. But let’s not kid ourselves, there’s a hell of a lot more that needs to be done,” said Ira Rheingold, executive director of the National Association of Consumer Advocates.

The deal does little to ease bank investor fears, industry analysts said.

“We believe any initial euphoria over the deal will quickly fade as investors realize the flood of additional mortgage-related litigation that the major banks face,” said Guggenheim Partners analyst Jaret Seiberg in a note on Thursday.

The U.S. Justice Department, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and a handful of state attorneys general announced the deal at a news conference in Washington. Some large states, such as California and New York, joined at the last minute.

“This historic settlement will provide immediate relief to homeowners - forcing banks to reduce the principal balance on many loans, refinance loans for underwater borrowers, and pay billions of dollars to states and consumers,” said HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan.

Komen exec steps down after Planned Parenthood flap

Reuters — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 18:50:53 +0000

A senior executive of the breast cancer charity Susan G. Komen for the Cure has resigned after a public outcry over the group’s decision to cut funding to women’s health organization Planned Parenthood.

Karen Handel, a Republican who once ran for governor of Georgia on a platform calling for defunding of Planned Parenthood, stepped down from her role as the top U.S. breast cancer charity’s senior vice president for public policy and chief lobbyist, the organization said on Tuesday.

“I have known Karen for many years, and we both share a common commitment to our organization’s lifelong mission, which must always remain our sole focus,” Komen founder Nancy Brinker said in a statement. “I wish her the best in future endeavors.”

Komen’s move last week caused an uproar among supporters who also back Planned Parenthood, a provider of birth control, abortion and other health services. Komen reversed the decision on Friday.

Many had accused Komen of bowing to political pressure from anti-abortion groups. The charity says its move was guided by a new policy to not fund organizations under investigation by U.S. authorities.

“We have made mistakes in how we have handled recent decisions and take full accountability for what has resulted,” Brinker said on Tuesday. “We must learn from what we’ve done right, what we’ve done wrong and achieve our goal for the millions of women who rely on us.”

Planned Parenthood is subject to a probe by Republican Representative Cliff Stearns. Komen funds about $700,000 in breast cancer exams and mammography referrals for poor women provided by Planned Parenthood.

Komen insiders have said Handel spent months pushing the plan to shift the organization’s grant strategy, leading the board to decide to cut off funding for 17 of the 19 Planned Parenthood affiliates in December.

Handel, who was hired last April as Komen’s policy director and chief lobbyist in Washington, maintained that the strategy and the board’s decision did not involve abortion politics.

“I am deeply disappointed by the gross mischaracterizations of the strategy, its rationale, and my involvement in it,” she said in a letter to Brinker, dated February 7.

“I openly acknowledge my role in the matter and continue to believe our decision was the best one for Komen’s future and the women we serve.”

The Komen board’s decision retained $250,000 in funding for Planned Parenthood, including the organization’s three largest grants to the network of women’s health clinics.

Punxsutawney Phil sees six more weeks of winter

Reuters — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 16:53:40 +0000

Punxsutawney Phil, the weather-predicting groundhog, has seen his shadow, promising six more weeks of winter.

The furry animal emerged from his burrow before a crowd of 18,000 people, including Pennsylvania Governor Tom Corbett, who gathered in the town of Punxsutawney in western Pennsylvania for the annual event.

“Summoned from his burrow by a tap from President Bill Deeley, Phil proclaimed as he looked on the crowd at Gobbler’s Knob, many shadows do I see,” said Mike Johnston, vice president of the Groundhog Club, which manages the annual event.

The crowd, some wearing brown fuzzy hats and carrying signs, responded with cheers, claps and chants.

“We haven’t really had a winter yet, so I think we are due,” said Melanie Haintz, a student at Virginia Tech University, who drove up for the event with five friends. “It’s a special event, something different, and we all got our pictures taken with Phil.”

According to tradition if the groundhog comes out of his hole on February 2 and sees his shadow, six more weeks of freezing temperatures and snow are in store. In western Pennsylvania, residents have been watching groundhogs for weather predictions since 1887.

“It’s put Punxsutawney on the map,” said Janine Despines, who grew up in the town but now lives in Pittsburgh

“My mother was a Groundhog Queen in 1962. I don’t remember it being so big when I was a kid, but in the last ten years it has really taken off. It’s the town’s big event and it supports the local economy,” said Despines.

Corbett, who flew in by helicopter for the event, said he had hoped Phil would predict an early Spring so the state government would not have to spend money on salt and snow removal.

“We don’t have the Super Bowl to compete with since the (Pittsburgh) Steelers aren’t in,” said Bill Deeley, president of the Groundhog Club. “It’s a fun tradition that the whole town gets into.”

After Florida win, Mitt Romney stumbles in comments on poor

Reuters — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 17:15:03 +0000

Mitt Romney regained the lead in the Republican presidential nomination race with a big win in Florida, but drew criticism on Wednesday in what should have been his victory lap with remarks suggesting he was indifferent to America’s poor.

Romney rolled to an impressive triumph in Florida, capturing 46 percent of the vote to Newt Gingrich’s 32 percent after pounding his nearest rival with negative advertisements.

The victory restored him to front-runner status in the state-by-state battle for the Republican nomination to run against Democratic President Barack Obama in the Nov. 6 general election.

But the wealthy ex-governor and former private equity executive, who lost the South Carolina primary on Jan. 21 after opponents painted him as a heartless capitalist, gave a reminder of the challenges he will face winning over voters struggling with the economic downturn and high unemployment.

In an interview on CNN, Romney said he was not concerned about the poorest Americans, but that his primary focus was on the middle class.

“I’m not concerned about the very poor, we have a safety net there,” he said, adding, “If it needs repair, I’ll fix it.”

Romney also said he would leave concern for the poor to the Democratic party.

“We will hear from the Democrat party the plight of the poor,” Romney said. “And there’s no question it’s not good being poor and we have a safety net to help those that are very poor. But my campaign is focused on middle Americans.

“You can choose where to focus, you can focus on the rich, that’s not my focus. You can focus on the very poor, that’s not my focus. My focus is on middle income Americans, retirees living on Social Security, people who can’t find work.”

TOUGH PATH AHEAD

Opponents seized on his remarks. Democratic National Committee spokesman Brad Woodhouse emailed them to journalists, with the introduction, “I’m glad he cleared that up.”

U.S. voters have said the sputtering economy is their main concern for the 2012 elections.

Romney has touted his business experience while harshly criticizing Obama and his Republican opponents for their lack of private sector experience.

Romney, who has a personal fortune estimated at some $270 million, came under fire earlier in the campaign for saying that he liked to fire people, although those comments were taken out of context.

After his second-place showing in Florida, Gingrich vowed to battle on, rallying supporters with the reminder that there are 46 more state contests left in the nominating fight. The former speaker of the House of Representatives did not call Romney to congratulate him on his victory.

The next voting will be caucuses on Saturday in Nevada, where Romney is expected to enjoy strong support from a large population of his fellow Mormons. Nevada also has the country’s highest unemployment rate, of 12.6 percent in December.

Nevada is followed next Tuesday by caucuses in Colorado and Minnesota and a primary in Missouri.

Gingrich and Romney will be in Nevada later on Wednesday, Romney after a stop in Minnesota.

Rick Santorum, a former U.S. senator who won in Iowa’s kick-off contest, came in third in Florida at 13 percent, followed by U.S. Representative Ron Paul at 7 percent. They are also continuing their campaigns.

The well-organized and well-financed Romney has now won two of the first four nominating contests, also capturing New Hampshire while coming in second in Iowa and South Carolina.

Romney’s Florida victory got his campaign back on track after the loss to Gingrich in South Carolina 10 days earlier. Gingrich and his supporters ran devastating attack ads in South Carolina portraying Romney as a heartless corporate raider who destroyed businesses and enjoyed firing people.

With Gingrich vowing to fight on for months, there is the potential for a divisive battle that could damage the party’s chances of denying Obama re-election in November.

The ugly fight in Florida highlighted deep divisions among Republicans. The party establishment largely backed Romney, but the most conservative voters, particularly those from the small-government, fiscally conservative Tea Party movement, and religious conservatives, leaned toward Gingrich.

Romney’s victory also came after his team spent millions of dollars on television ads that blasted Gingrich, raising doubts about whether the former Massachusetts governor can energize the Republican base and rally supporters to his side rather than win by tearing down opponents.

Romney made no apologies for his tactics.

“At this point I think it’s been helpful. I think the back and forth and even the attacks have been helpful because what comes from Barack Obama will be the same, just a heck of a lot more of it,” he said on NBC’s “Today.”

Gingrich’s ads in Florida were equally negative against Romney, but Gingrich was outspent by a ratio of five- or six-to-one.

Davis, Dujardin win lead honors at SAG awards

The Associated Press — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 15:16:31 +0000

DAVID GERMAIN

AP Movie Writer

LOS ANGELES

Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer were the maids of honor at Sunday's Screen Actors Guild Awards, where their Deep South drama "The Help" won them acting prizes and earned the trophy for overall cast performance.

Davis won as best actress and Spencer as supporting actress for "The Help," while Jean Dujardin was named best actor for the silent film "The Artist" and Christopher Plummer took the supporting-actor award for the father-son tale "Beginners."

The wins boost the actors' prospects for the same honors at the Feb. 26 Academy Awards.

In "The Help," Davis and Spencer play black maids going public with uneasy truths about their white employers in 1960s Mississippi.

"I just have to say that the stain of racism and sexism is not just for people of color or women. It's all of our burden, all of us," Davis said, accepting the ensemble prize on behalf of her "The Help" co-stars.

Accepting her best-actress award, Davis singled out two performers in the audience who inspired her early in her career: "The Help" co-star Cicely Tyson and Meryl Streep, Davis' co-star in the 2008 drama "Doubt" and one of the nominees she beat out for the SAG prize. Streep had been nominated as Margaret Thatcher in "The Iron Lady," a role that won her the dramatic actress award at the Golden Globes over Davis.

A French film star who is a newcomer to Hollywood's awards scene with "The Artist," Dujardin played a silent-era screen idol fallen on hard times as talking pictures take over in the late 1920s.

"I was a very bad student. I didn't listen in class. I was always dreaming," Dujardin said. "My teachers called me 'Jean of the Moon,' and I realize now that I never stopped dreaming. Thank you very much. Thank you for this dream."

Plummer would become the oldest actor ever to win an Oscar at age 82, two years older than Jessica Tandy when she won best actress for "Driving Miss Daisy."

Backstage, Plummer joked when asked if he would like to win an Oscar, an honor so elusive during his esteemed 60-year career that he did not even receive his first Academy Award nomination until two years ago, for "The Last Station."

"No, I think it's frightfully boring," Plummer said. "That's an awful question. Listen, we don't go into this business preoccupied by awards. If we did, we wouldn't last five minutes."

Spencer, a veteran actress who had toiled in small TV and movie parts previously, had a breakout role in "The Help" as a brassy maid whose mouth continually gets her in trouble.

"I'm going to dedicate this to the downtrodden, the under-served, the underprivileged, overtaxed — whether emotionally, physically or financially," Spencer said.

On the television side, comedy series awards went to "Modern Family" for best ensemble; Alec Baldwin as best actor for "30 Rock"; and Betty White as best actress for "Hot in Cleveland."

"You can't name me, without naming those other wonderful women on 'Hot in Cleveland,'" the 90-year-old White said. "This nomination belongs to four of us. Please, please know that I'm dealing them right in with this. I'm not going to let them keep this, but I'll let them see it."

The TV drama show winners were: Jessica Lange as best actress for "American Horror Story"; and Steve Buscemi as best actor for "Boardwalk Empire," which also won the ensemble prize.

For TV movie or miniseries, Kate Winslet won as best actress for "Mildred Pierce," while Paul Giamatti was named best actor for "Too Big to Fail."

Before the official ceremony, the Screen Actors Guild presented its honor for best film stunt ensemble to "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2." The TV stunt award went to "Game of Thrones."

The winners at the SAG ceremony often go on to earn Oscars. All four acting recipients at SAG last year later took home Oscars — Colin Firth for "The King's Speech," Natalie Portman for "Black Swan" and Christian Bale and Melissa Leo for "The Fighter."

The same generally holds true for the weekend's other big Hollywood honors, the Directors Guild of America Awards, where Michel Hazanavicius won the feature-film prize Saturday for "The Artist." The Directors Guild winner has gone on to earn the best-director Oscar 57 times in the 63-year history of the union's awards show.

The guild's ensemble prize, considered the ceremony's equivalent of a best-picture honor, has a spotty record at predicting what will win the top award at the Oscars.

While "The King's Speech" won both honors a year ago, the SAG ensemble recipient has gone on to claim the top Oscar only eight times in the 16 years since the guild added the category.

Though "The Help" won the ensemble prize this time, "The Artist" and George Clooney's family drama "The Descendants" are considered stronger contenders for the best-picture Oscar.

Both "The Artist" and "The Descendants" also were nominated for writing and directing Oscars, categories where serious best-picture candidates generally need to be in the running. "The Help" missed out on nominations in both of those Oscar categories.

Mary Tyler Moore received the guild's lifetime-achievement award, an honor presented to her by Dick Van Dyke, her co-star on the 1960s sit-com "The Dick Van Dyke Show."

SAG President Ken Howard put in a plug during the show for the guild's planned merger with another Hollywood union, the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists. The boards of both groups have approved the merger, and ballots will be sent to members of each union.

"As one union, SAG-AFTRA will support a future of great entertainment for all of us," Howard said.

___

Associated Press Entertainment Writer Anthony McCartney contributed to this report.

___

Online:

http://www.sagawards.com

CA officer under sex investigation shot by police

The Associated Press — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 10:29:50 +0000

The Associated Press

SANTA MARIA, Calif.

Police shot and killed a fellow officer when he fired his gun as they tried to take him into custody on suspicion of sexual misconduct with a teenage girl, authorities said.

The officer was on duty at a DUI checkpoint early Saturday when the shooting occurred, Santa Maria police Chief Danny Macagni said Saturday.

The four-year Santa Maria department veteran had just learned of the internal investigation of the alleged sexual relationship with a 17-year-old girl.

"We had no choice," Macagni said in video of a news conference posted by KCOY-TV. He said investigators had evidence "that demanded that we go out and take this officer off the street immediately."

Supervising officers were sent to make a felony arrest shortly after 1 a.m., but he struggled with them when they arrived, first putting up a physical fight, then firing his gun but hitting no one, Macagni said.

"He chose to resist, he drew his weapon, a fight ensued, he fired his weapon," the chief said.

Several officers came to help the police making the arrest, and one of them shot the suspected officer in the chest once, Macagni said.

He was declared dead after emergency surgery at Marian Medical Center, Macagni said in a statement.

Detectives had begun investigating the alleged relationship on Thursday night, and minutes before the shooting had confirmed that an "inappropriate" and "very explicit" relationship had been going on, Macagni said.

He said he could not give details because of the sensitivity of the investigation, but "there was some witness intimidation involved" and the arrest couldn't wait for a more proper time or place.

"The information that we had in hand demanded that we not let him leave that scene, get in a car, drive somewhere, it would put the public at risk," Macagni said at the news conference. "We just did not know what was going to happen, we did not expect him to react the way that he did."

Macagni said police had expressed condolences to the officer's family.

The officer who fired the fatal shot, an eight-year department veteran, has been placed on administrative leave, and the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Department was investigating the shooting, Macagni said.

The name of the officer killed has not been released because some family members were still being notified, and the name of the officer who fired the shot was withheld while the incident was under investigation, police said.

Santa Maria is a city of some 100,000 people about 60 miles northwest of Santa Barbara and 160 miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles.

Sacramento SUV-light rail train leaves 3 dead

The Associated Press — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 10:25:53 +0000

TOM VERDIN

Associated Press

SACRAMENTO, Calif.

Two adults and an 18-month-old boy died when their SUV collided with a light-rail train in Sacramento, moments after the vehicle's driver ignored flashing warning lights and veered around a rail crossing arm, authorities say.

The only other person in the Nissan Pathfinder, a woman in her 30s, was hospitalized with serious injuries, said Niko King, assistant chief with the Sacramento Fire Department.

Six of the roughly 50 passengers on the light rail train suffered minor injuries in Saturday's crash and were taken to a hospital, he said.

King and a spokeswoman for the transit line said video from a camera at the crossing clearly shows the SUV driving around the crossing arm.

The collision, in a working class neighborhood south of downtown, occurred shortly after 4 p.m. and pushed the Pathfinder about 30 yards from the point of impact.

"All I heard was a big bang, and I saw a light-rail train heading south with a big truck smashed on it," said Ravin Pratab, 42, of Davis, whose car was among those waiting for the train at the rail crossing, on the opposite side of the tracks from the Pathfinder.

The train was going about 55 mph at the time, a typical speed for that location.

The light rail followed two Union Pacific freight trains, which use separate tracks, and the arms had remained down during the interval, said Alane Masui, spokeswoman for the Sacramento Regional Transit District.

"They were down after the UP trains and before the (light rail) train approached, so the crossing arms were properly working," she said.

She said the length of time between the freight trains clearing the intersection and the light rail train crossing it had not yet been determined and would be part of the investigation. Investigators also were reviewing video from a camera mounted on the light rail train.

Authorities did not release the identities of those in the Pathfinder or their relationship. A man and woman in the vehicle, both in their 40s, died at the scene while the baby boy was pronounced dead at a hospital. Firefighters said one had been ejected.

The University of California, Davis Medical Center in Sacramento would say only that the woman remained in serious condition late Saturday.

The light rail system carries an average of 50,000 passengers a day, with lines stretching from the state capital to its suburbs in the north, south and east.

Masui said there are four sets of tracks at the crossing — two for freight and two for light rail so trains from both systems can run in either direction.

Time short for Gingrich to close gap in Florida

The Associated Press — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 10:12:59 +0000

THOMAS BEAUMONT

Associated Press

POMPANO BEACH, Fla.

Newt Gingrich slammed GOP rival Mitt Romney on Sunday for the steady stream of attacks he likened to "carpet-bombing," trying to cut into the resurgent front-runner's lead in Florida in the dwindling hours before Tuesday's pivotal presidential primary.

And despite surging ahead in polls, Romney wasn't letting up, relentlessly casting Gingrich as an influence peddler with a "record of failed leadership."

In what has become a wildly unpredictable race, the momentum has swung back to Romney, staggered last weekend by Gingrich's victory in South Carolina. Romney has begun advertising in Nevada ahead of that state's caucuses next Saturday, illustrating the challenges ahead for Gingrich, who has pledged to push ahead no matter what happens in Florida.

An NBC News/Marist poll published Sunday showed Romney with support from 42 percent of likely Florida primary voters, compared with 27 percent for Gingrich.

Romney's campaign has dogged Gingrich at his own campaign stops, sending surrogates to remind reporters of Gingrich's House ethics probe in the 1990s and other episodes in his career aimed at sowing doubt about his judgment.

Gingrich reacted defensively, accusing the former Massachusetts governor and a political committee that supports him of lying, and the GOP's establishment of allowing it.

"I don't know how you debate a person with civility if they're prepared to say things that are just plain factually false," Gingrich said during appearances on Sunday talk shows. "I think the Republican establishment believes it's OK to say and do virtually anything to stop a genuine insurgency from winning because they are very afraid of losing control of the old order."

Gingrich objected specifically to a Romney campaign ad that includes a 1997 NBC News report on the House's decision to discipline Gingrich, then speaker, for ethics charges.

Romney continued to paint Gingrich as part of the very Washington establishment he condemns and someone who had a role in the nation's economic problems.

"Your problem in Florida is that you worked for Freddie Mac at a time when Freddie Mac was not doing the right thing for the American people, and that you're selling influence in Washington at a time when we need people who will stand up for the truth in Washington," Romney told an audience in Naples.

Gingrich's consulting firm was paid more than $1.5 million by the federally-backed mortgage company over a period after he left Congress in 1999.

Former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum, trailing in Florida by a wide margin, stayed with his 3-year-old daughter, Bella, who was hospitalized with pneumonia. Sunday night he told supporters, "She without a doubt has turned the corner," but he cautioned she "isn't out of the woods yet."

Aides said Santorum would resume campaigning Monday in Missouri and Minnesota.

Texas Rep. Ron Paul, who has invested little in Florida, looked ahead to Nevada. The libertarian-leaning Paul is focusing more on gathering delegates in caucus states, where it's less expensive to campaign. But securing the nomination only through caucus states is a hard task.

The intense effort by Romney to slow Gingrich is comparable to his strategy against Gingrich in the closing month before Iowa's leadoff caucuses Jan. 3. Gingrich led in Iowa polls, lifted by what were hailed as strong performances in televised debates, only to drop in the face of withering attacks by Romney, aided immensely by ads sponsored by a "super" political action committee run by former Romney aides.

But Romney aides say they made the mistake of assuming Gingrich could not rise again as he did in South Carolina. Romney appears determined not to let that happen again.

"His record is one of failed leadership," Romney told more than 700 people at a rally in Pompano Beach Sunday evening. "We don't need someone who can speak well perhaps, or can say things we agree with, but does not have the experience of being an effective leader."

Gingrich has responded by criticizing Romney's conservative credentials. Outside an evangelical Christian church in Lutz, Gingrich said he was the more loyal conservative on key social issues.

"This party is not going to nominate somebody who is a pro-abortion, pro-gun-control, pro-tax-increase liberal," Gingrich said. "It isn't going to happen."

But Gingrich, in appearances on Sunday news programs, returned to complaining about Romney's tactics. "It's only when he can mass money to focus on carpet-bombing with negative ads that he gains any traction at all," he said.

Romney and the political committee that supports him had combined to spend some $6.8 million in ads criticizing Gingrich in the Florida campaign's final week. Gingrich and a super PAC that supports him were spending about one-third that amount.

Gingrich worked to portray himself as the insurgent outsider, collecting the endorsement of tea party favorite Herman Cain, whose own campaign for president foundered amid sexual harassment allegations.

It was unclear how aggressively Gingrich would be able to compete in states beyond Florida. The next televised debate, a format Gingrich has used to his advantage, is not until Feb. 22, more than three weeks away.

Romney already has campaigned in Nevada more than Gingrich, is advertising there, and stresses his business background in a state hard-hit by the economy. His campaign welcomed the Sunday endorsement of the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Nevada's largest newspaper.

Michigan and Maine, where Romney won during his 2008 campaign, also hold their contests in February. Arizona, a strong tea-party state where Gingrich could do well, has its primary Feb. 28.

___

Associated Press writers Steve Peoples in Naples and Shannon McCaffrey in Lutz contributed to this report.

Cain backs Gingrich's presidential bid

The Associated Press — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 02:24:07 +0000

PHILIP ELLIOTT

Associated Press

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla.

Former presidential hopeful Herman Cain is backing Newt Gingrich's White House bid.

Cain endorsed his fellow Georgian Saturday, just days before Florida's primary, at a GOP fundraiser.

Gingrich was also slated to speak to the group later Saturday night.

Gingrich, a former House speaker, is in a fierce fight for Tuesday's Florida's GOP primary with Mitt Romney.

Cain, a favorite of the tea party and a former pizza executive, left the race before the first nominating contests facing accusations of unwanted sexual advances. He remains popular, however, and would be a late boost for Gingrich.

Flight diverted to Idaho due to mechanical issue

The Associated Press — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 00:33:14 +0000

The Associated Press

BOISE, Idaho

Officials say an American Airlines passenger jet traveling from Dallas to Seattle carrying 145 passengers and crew members landed in Boise, Idaho, on Saturday after the pilot reported a mechanical issue.

A Boise Airport spokeswoman tells KTVB-TV (http://bit.ly/yeKqfy) that the MD-80 landed safely at the Idaho airport.

Officials say the flight stopped in Boise as a precaution because of a low-oil indicator light.

Airline spokesman Matt Miller says an additional American Airlines aircraft was brought to Boise from Los Angeles to pick up passengers and take them to Seattle.

Officials say the airline also sent equipment from LA to repair the jet.

Oakland police arresting about 100 protesters

The Associated Press — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 23:37:29 +0000

The Associated Press

OAKLAND, Calif.

Police were in the process of arresting about 100 Occupy protesters for failing to disperse Saturday night, hours after officers used tear gas on a rowdy group of demonstrators who threw rocks and flares at them and tore down fences.

Police Sgt. Christopher Bolton said the arrests came after protesters marched through downtown Oakland a little before 8 p.m. Saturday, with some of them entering a YMCA building.

Meanwhile, about 100 police officers surrounded City Hall while others were swept the inside of the building to see if any protesters broke in.

More help from other police agencies was also on the way, with busloads of Alameda County sheriff's deputies arriving in the downtown area late Saturday.

The nighttime arrests came after 19 people were taken into custody in Occupy Oakland protests hours earlier.

Police used tear gas and "flash" grenades on the group Saturday afternoon after some demonstrators threw rocks and other objects at them. Police said three officers were hurt, but they released no details.

Police said the group assembled at a downtown plaza Saturday morning, with demonstrators threatening to take over the vacant Henry Kaiser Convention Center. The group then marched through the streets, disrupting traffic.

The crowd grew as the day wore on, with afternoon estimates ranging from about 1,000 to 2,000 people.

The protesters walked to the vacant convention center, where some started tearing down perimeter fencing and "destroying construction equipment" shortly before 3 p.m., police said.

Police said they issued a dispersal order and used smoke and tear gas after some protesters pelted them with bottles, rocks, burning flares and other objects.

Most of the arrests were made when protesters ignored orders to leave and assaulted officers, police said. By 4 p.m., the bulk of the crowd had left the convention center and headed back downtown.

The demonstration comes after Occupy protesters said earlier this week that they planned to move into a vacant building and turn it into a social center and political hub. They also threatened to try to shut down the port, occupy the airport and take over City Hall.

In a statement Friday, Oakland City Administrator Deanna Santana said the city would not be "bullied by threats of violence or illegal activity."

Interim police Chief Howard Jordan also warned that officers would arrest those carrying out illegal actions.

Oakland officials said Friday that since the Occupy Oakland encampment was first established in late October, police have arrested about 300 people.

The national Occupy Wall Street movement, which denounces corporate excess and economic inequality, began in New York City in the fall but has been largely dormant lately.

Oakland, New York and Los Angeles were among the cities with the largest and most vocal Occupy protests early on. The demonstrations ebbed after those cities used force to move out hundreds of demonstrators who had set up tent cities.

In Oakland, the police department received heavy criticism for using force to break up earlier protests. Among the critics was Mayor Jean Quan, who said she wasn't briefed on the department's plans. Earlier this month, a court-appointed monitor submitted a report to a federal judge that included "serious concerns" about the department's handling of the Occupy protests.

Rep. Barney Frank mourns ex-Boston Mayor White

The Associated Press — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 22:02:20 +0000

RODRIQUE NGOWI

Associated Press

BOSTON

Retiring U.S. Rep. Barney Frank on Saturday paid tribute to former Mayor Kevin H. White, describing him as a political pioneer who opened up the Boston political system to African-Americans, women and gays and pushed him to abandon plans to pursue an academic career and get into politics.

White, who had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in 2003, died Friday at his Boston home. He was 82.

Frank served for three years as an aide to the man who led the city for 16 years, including during racially turbulent times in the 1970s.

"City Hall was pretty much a Whites-only — almost an Irish-only — place," Frank told The Associated Press. "He opened it up, hired people of all races, genders" and even embraced the gay rights movement.

"It was not an accident that in Boston, after the murder of Martin Luther King, there was racial peace," Frank said. "He had begun early on, just after his election, to reach out to the African-American community."

White, a white Irish Catholic from a family of politicians, is credited with revitalizing Boston's downtown and seeing the city through court-ordered busing, but he ended his four-term tenure in 1983 under a cloud of ethics suspicions.

White, a Democrat, was elected Massachusetts secretary of state three times before running for mayor for the first time in 1967 against antibusing activist Louise Day Hicks. He defeated her with support from the black community and liberals.

After losing a 1970 bid for governor, White was re-elected mayor in 1971, again defeating Hicks. He won again narrowly in 1975 and 1979.

"He was an enormously important figure for the city, for many of the values I cared about and, in my case, really made a great difference in my life," Frank said. "I was still, when I met him, planning on an academic career, figuring I would dab in politics. He was the one who persuaded me to try fulltime government political work."

"He is the reason I've done what I have done for the past 40 years," Frank said.

White also was the first major state-level political figure to open up the political system to new people, including African-Americans and gays, Frank said.

"He was just the first modern mayor," Frank said.

After U.S. District Court Judge W. Arthur Garrity ordered busing to desegregate public schools in 1974, White protected schoolchildren from violence with federal and state assistance during the period of crisis and in 1976 led a march of 30,000 to protest racial violence.

White was never totally comfortable with busing, however, and called Garrity's plan "too severe."

"I wish I knew a way to have taught Garrity or convinced Garrity to be more generous ... or softer in his implementation of that order," White said after his time as mayor.

Frank said White's pioneering bent was felt beyond the city.

"He also was a pioneer in 1969 in saying 'No, you don't build highways through cities and tear down the houses of low-income people,' and he stopped highway construction," Frank said. "If you look at Interstate 95, it goes basically in a straight line from Florida ... then it takes a loop around Boston ... because he said 'No, you are not coming through my city and tearing up the houses of low- and middle-income people."

Some other cities later followed suit.

A liberal reformer, White appealed to a cross-section of society, including the young.

While the busing crisis brought a stain to the city, White was also credited with revitalizing the city's downtown, especially the shops and restaurants of Quincy Market, which remains one of the city's top tourist attractions. He thought the downtown renaissance would make Boston a "world-class city."

A statue of White was unveiled near Quincy Market in 2006.

After handing over the office to Flynn in 1984, White accepted a position at Boston University as a professor of communications and public management.

He is survived by his wife of 55 years, Kathyrn Galvin White, five children and several grandchildren.

His family announced that a public viewing is set for Tuesday and public funeral Mass is set for Wednesday. Burial will be private.

Frank, current Mayor Thomas Menino, former state treasurer Robert Crane and White's eldest child, Mark White, were to give eulogies at the funeral, family spokesman George Regan said Saturday.

Frank said White was his mentor "in how politics was done and how you combine a commitment to liberal values with the political sensitivity and sensibility."

Police: 4 die as driver goes wrong way on Md. hwy

The Associated Press — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 21:22:44 +0000

The Associated Press

CROFTON, Md.

Maryland State Police say four people have died after a driver apparently went the wrong way on U.S. Route 50 between Washington and Annapolis and collided with another car.

Police say the crash happened at around 3:30 a.m. Saturday in Anne Arundel County, about 15 miles west of Annapolis. Three people were dead at the scene, and one person died on the way to the hospital.

Three victims were in the vehicle traveling the wrong way. Police identified them as 18-year-old Breanna Marie Franco, 19-year-old Brittany Ann Walker and 18-year-old Zachary Tyler Rose.

The name of the fourth victim, who was in the vehicle traveling the right way, wasn't immediately released.

Police are investigating. It is not known whether alcohol or speed were factors in the crash.

Crews try to stabilize Ohio casino collapse site

The Associated Press — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 21:13:56 +0000

The Associated Press

CINCINNATI

A hospital spokesman says a worker who was injured when a floor collapsed at an Ohio casino construction site remains in serious condition a day later as investigators work to figure out what happened.

More than a dozen workers were hurt Friday morning at the Horseshoe Casino Cincinnati site, where they were pouring a section of concrete floor.

Most of the injured had been treated for bumps and scrapes and released by Saturday afternoon. One man was hospitalized in serious condition.

The Cincinnati Enquirer (http://cin.ci/yenxpz ) reports crews were stabilizing the site Saturday amid investigations by city and workplace safety officials.

The collapse occurred weeks after a similar accident at a Cleveland casino with the same developers. The developers have said there's no link between the two accidents.

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Information from: The Cincinnati Enquirer, http://www.enquirer.com

Vignettes from Iraq War veterans

The Associated Press — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 21:10:35 +0000

JIM SALTER

Associated Press

ST. LOUIS

They speak of their service matter-of-factly. Yes, the danger was always there. Yes, they saw horrific things. But they had a job to do, and they did it.

Even though the end of the Iraq War was celebrated Saturday with a parade that drew thousands to downtown St. Louis, many of the veterans who participated expect they may be redeployed to Afghanistan or somewhere else in the war on terror. Still, they appreciated the welcome-home

Here are a few of their stories.

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Army Maj. Rich Radford had two long tours of duty in Iraq under almost constant threat of violence.

Radford, a combat engineer, spent 15 months on his first tour starting in January 2004, then about 10 months when he went back in September 2009. He earned the Bronze Star for his service.

"Every day we were in danger," Radford, 40, said, "because the Iraqis didn't like us, didn't want us in their country. They would sell out our positions, our missions."

Radford, a 23-year military veteran, marched in the parade with his two children, Aimee, 8, and Warren, 12. An image of the father and daughter upon his return home from the second tour of duty is emblazoned on T-shirts and posters associated with the parade, fashioned from a photo taken by Radford's sister of Aimee, then 6, reaching up for her father's hand as family greeting him at Lambert Airport in St. Louis.

"She grabbed my hand and said, 'I missed you, Daddy,'" Radford recalled. "That's been my Facebook page picture ever since."

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Air Force veteran Kevin Jackson got a nice welcome-home with Saturday's parade, something his father never got for his service.

Don Jackson, 63, served in Vietnam. America still stings from the treatment of Vietnam veterans. There was no parade, no rally, when that conflict ended in the mid-1970s. Not that Don Jackson is complaining.

"I didn't need a parade. I was just glad to be home. This is for them," he said, nodding to his son and other young veterans.

Kevin Jackson, 33, is glad to be home, too. He has lost track of how many times he was sent overseas — three or four tours of duty in Iraq, four or five in Afghanistan.

In Iraq, Jackson's job was to teach Iraqis how to fly three C-130s planes that the U.S. donated to the Iraqi Air Force.

It wasn't easy. First, they had to teach them English. And turnover was constant.

"They'd be there for a couple of weeks then go home on break and not come back," Jackson said. "The bad guys would find out they were working with the Americans and threaten their families. So they wouldn't come back."

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Gayla Gibson didn't know much about improvised explosive devices before the Air Force sent her to Iraq in July 2003. She spent the next four months as part of the first line of help for soldiers wounded by IED attacks.

"We saw some horrible things," she said. "Amputations. Broken bones. Severe burns from IEDs. It was pretty much every day."

Gibson and other medical technicians helped mend the wounded best they could before they were moved to hospitals in Germany.

"We'd talk to them, try to comfort them," she said. "Mostly we wanted to stabilize them."

Gibson, 38, was thrilled that her hometown of St. Louis was the site of the first big parade to welcome home those who gave much for their country.

"I think it's great when people come out to support those who gave their lives and put their lives on the line for this country," Gibson said.

Abu-Jamal moved into general prison population

The Associated Press — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 20:37:54 +0000

The Associated Press

PHILADELPHIA

Former death row inmate Mumia Abu-Jamal has been moved into the general prison population for the first time since his arrest in a Philadelphia police officer's murder three decades ago.

Susan McNaughton, a spokeswoman for the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections, tells The Philadelphia Inquirer (http://bit.ly/y5U8En ) that Abu-Jamal was moved Friday from the restricted housing unit at the Mahanoy (MA'-hahn-oy) state prison in Frackville, about 80 miles northwest of Philadelphia.

Law professor Judith L. Ritter, who represented Abu-Jamal in recent appeals, calls it "a very important moment for him, his family and all of his supporters."

Abu-Jamal was sentenced to death for the 1981 murder of Officer Daniel Faulkner. Prosecutors agreed to a life term after a federal appeals court ordered a new sentencing hearing, citing flawed jury instructions.

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Information from: The Philadelphia Inquirer, http://www.philly.com

Coast Guard frees 2 Mich. vessels from icy waters

The Associated Press — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 20:20:41 +0000

The Associated Press

SAINT IGNACE, Mich.

The U.S. Coast Guard has freed two ships trapped by ice in the Straits of Mackinac between Michigan's Upper and Lower Peninsulas.

Authorities say a 678-foot bulk carrier named the Manistee and its 18 crew members were encountered ice Saturday morning west of the Mackinac Bridge.

Crew members on the Coast Guard cutter Biscayne Bay freed the Manistee and escorted the vessel into Lake Huron.

The Biscayne Bay also freed the 90-foot ferry, Huron, with 68 people aboard from ice between Saint Ignace and Mackinac Island Friday evening. The cutter later escorted the Huron back to Saint Ignace.

The cutter and its crew have broken ice throughout Lake Superior and Lake Michigan since December as part of Operation Taconite, the Coast Guard's largest domestic ice-breaking operation.

Protesters march through Super Bowl Village

The Associated Press — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 19:48:39 +0000

CARRIE SCHEDLER

Associated Press

INDIANAPOLIS

A mix of union members and Occupy protesters from across Indiana marched through Super Bowl Village on Saturday in opposition to the state's proposed right-to-work legislation.

About 75 marchers weaved through packed crowds at the pre-game street fair in downtown Indianapolis in the first of what could be several such protests before the big game Feb. 5 at Lucas Oil Stadium. The protesters chanted "Occupy the Super Bowl" and carried signs that read "Fight the Lie" and "Workers United Will Prevail."

Saturday was the second straight day of right-to-work protests in the Super Bowl Village. About 40 people picketed the opening of a zip line in the Village. The 800-foot zip line allows participants to clip onto a wire about 100 feet off the ground and glide almost two blocks.

Most onlookers stared in silence as the protesters walked past them, but some like Jason Leibowitz of Jamestown were upset about their outing being interrupted. "There's a place and a time for this," Leibowitz said. "This isn't it."

Organizers of the march say the protests will likely continue if Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels signs the divisive bill into law this week.

Supporters of the legislation, mostly Republicans, insist the measure helps create a pro-business climate that attracts employers and increases jobs. Opponents say the measure only leads to lower wages and poorer quality jobs.

Before Saturday's march, Occupy Purdue organizer Tithi Bhattacharya, a professor at Purdue University, led a rally in front of the Statehouse that included union workers, Occupy protesters, two representatives and a state senator among the speakers.

Most emphasized that while the right-to-work legislation appears likely to pass following Wednesday's House vote approving the bill, that doesn't mean an end to protests.

"If the governor signs, I want to shame him out of this state," said Heath Hensley of Occupy Anderson. "He doesn't want us screwing up this Super Bowl."

State Senator Jean Breaux, D-Indianapolis, called the bill evidence that Republican legislators are not in touch with the needs of working-class voters. "If you voted Republican in the past, stop," Breaux said.

Hensley, Breaux and other speakers urged protesters to convince their friends and family members to vote out anyone who decided in favor of the bill.

Another Statehouse protest is planned for Monday's Senate hearing on the bill, and Bhattacharya said that if the bill passes, there will be plenty of angry people who may keep protesting through game day.

The Super Bowl between the New York Giants and New England Patriots is expected to draw more than 150,000 visitors to Indianapolis.

"Upsetting the Super Bowl — I couldn't care less," protester Lou Feldman of Lafayette said. "This is about my life and my family. Maybe it will make some people notice."