Issue link: http://www.epageflip.net/i/62613
WORLD BRIEFING Secret Service, GSA, soldier photos message WASHINGTON (AP) — It isn't Mitt Romney who's giving Barack Obama fits as the presi- dent pivots to re-election mode. It's those federal bureaucrats carousing in Las Vegas, the Secret Ser- vice consorting with Columbian prostitutes and U.S. soldiers posing with bloody enemy corpses. overshadow Obama's The scandals are taking a toll. They are distracting embarrassments that are dominating public atten- tion while Obama seeks to focus on difficulties abroad and jobs at home. And they are giving Republicans an opportu- nity to question his com- petence and leadership, an opening for Romney in a race so close that any advantage might make a difference. Even if the Democratic president escapes being defined by these flare- ups, they still feed a story line that can erode public confidence in Washington institutions, fuel a percep- tion of federal excess and frustrate Obama's argu- ment that government can be a force for good. The White House response has been text- book — a mix of outrage and deflection. ''The president has been crystal clear since he was a candidate about the standards that he insists be met by those who work for the federal govern- ment and on behalf of the American people and for the American people,'' says White House spokesman Jay Carney. Scientists, fishermen troubled by sick fish near ning mate for likely GOP nominee Mitt Romney — and a surefire way for the Republican Party to improve its abysmal standing with Hispanic voters. A Pew Research Center survey out Tues- day showed President Barack Obama with an overwhelming advantage over Romney among His- panic registered voters, 67-27 percent. nowhere near conclusive. But if those suspicions prove correct, it could mean that the environ- mental damage to the Gulf from the BP disaster is still unfolding and the picture isn't as rosy as it might have seemed just a year ago. extend well beyond fish. In the past year, research has emerged showing deep-water coral, sea- weed beds, dolphins, mangroves and other species of plants and ani- mals are suffering. ''There is lots of cir- cumstantial evidence that something is still awry,'' said Christopher D'Elia, dean of Louisiana State University's School of the Coast and Environment. ''On the whole, it is not as much environmental dam- age as originally project- ed. Doesn't mean there is none.'' And the damage may Reports of strange things with fish began emerging when fishermen returned to the Gulf weeks after BP's gushing oil well was capped dur- ing the summer of 2010. They started catching grouper and red snapper with large open sores and strange black streaks, lesions they said they had never seen. They prompt- ly blamed the spill. Gulf spill site BARATARIA BAY, La. (AP) — Open sores. Parasitic infections. Chewed-up-looking fins. Gashes. Mysterious black streaks. Two years after the drilling-rig explosion that touched off the biggest offshore oil spill in U.S. history, scientists are beginning to suspect that fish in the Gulf of Mexico are suffering the effects of the petroleum. The evidence is House WASHINGTON (AP) — Republicans rammed an election-year, $46 bil- lion tax cut for most of America's employers through the House on Thursday, ignoring a White House veto threat in a debate both parties used to show voters how they would bolster the economy. GOP muscles business tax cut through Democrats controlling the chamber are sure to ignore it. But the mea- sure's inevitable demise was secondary to the chance it gave each side to offer its prescriptions for creating jobs, echoing the battle that seems cer- tain to dominate this fall's contest for the White House between President Barack Obama and Republican Mitt Romney. ''This is straight-up something to help small businesses keep more of their money while they're having so much difficulty keeping the lights on, and instead giving them the ability to grow,'' said House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Va., the measure's sponsor. ''This is not about mom and pop,'' said Rep. Sander Levin, D-Mich. ''It's about popping the cork for wealthy taxpay- ers.'' All the vice presiden- tial talk may have tripped up Rubio. Earlier Thurs- day, he referred to himself as vice president at a forum sponsored by National Journal, saying, ''If I have done a good job as vice president ...'' He quickly corrected himself by replacing vice presi- dent with senator. It was unclear whether the slip was intentional. Norway killer claims playing game Eighteen Democrats and 10 Republicans defected from their party's positions on the bill. for veep WASHINGTON (AP) — Sen. Marco Rubio insists he'll say ''thanks, but no thanks'' to the vice presidential spot on the Republican ticket but sug- gests that anything's pos- sible in 2016 and beyond. ''I am really commit- ted to doing a good job in the Senate,'' the Florida Republican told a dozen- plus reporters Thursday. ''If I do a good job in the Senate, three, four, five, six years from now, Rubio insists Romney has other choices The near party-line 235-173 vote moved the bill to the Senate, where have a different opportu- nity ... to do things inside of government and out- side of government.'' The Cuban-American and freshman lawmaker has frequently been men- tioned as a potential run- I'll ALL NEW FACILITY Your One Stop Convenience Store ONE STOP 714 Walnut St., Red Bluff at Abbey's Hair Works Rebecca Glenn new Esthetician working Introducing 731 Main St. Ste. 1A. Facials, Waxing, Eyelash Extensions, Spray Tanning and Permanent Makeup. • Eyelash Extensions $ with this ad • European Facial $25 75 first appointment with this ad. Call (530)527-3974 5am to 11pm 2012 Fri - Sat, April 20th - 21st Round-up/Chamber Downtown FAMILY CARNIVAL Fri, April 20th Thru Sun, April 22nd 91st Annual ROUND-UP, FAMILY DAY 7 pm Sat, April 21st PANCAKE BREAKFAST 7-10 am Elks Lodge - 355 Gilmore Road 57th Annual ROUND-UP PARADE 10 am Red Bluff Kiwanis Fundraiser for Local Charity & 24 HOUR TOWING, INC. "WE MEET BY ACCIDENTS" GARY'S AUTO BODY LASSEN MEDICAL GROUP Expands Red Bluff Urgent Care to 7 days a week. www.lassenmedical.com 2450 Sister Mary Columba Drive (530) 527-0414 13540 Trinity Ave, Red Bluff www.garysautobodyandtowing.com (530) 527-8262 • (530) 528-8261 IF NO ANSWER CALL 529-7400 ST 632 MAIN ST., RED BLUFF • (530) 527-5837 Hours: Monday thru Friday 9 am - 5:30 pm • Saturday 9 am - 5 pm • Closed Sunday MATTRESS NORTH VALLEY 60%off Retail While supplies last THIS IS THE SALE YOU'VE BEEN WAITING FOR! Savings up to sharpen aim OSLO, Norway (AP) — Anders Behring Breivik knew it would take practice to be able to slaughter dozens of peo- ple before being shot by police. In a chilling account, the far-right fanatic claimed Thursday that he sharpened his aim by playing the video game ''Call of Duty: Modern Warfare'' for hours on end. Breivik told an Oslo court he also took steroids to build physical strength and meditated to ''de- emotionalize'' himself before the bombing and shooting rampage that left 77 people dead. He fig- ured he had no more than a 5 percent chance of not being killed by police. His lack of remorse and matter-of-fact description of weapons Friday, April 20, 2012 – Daily News 7A and tactics — he even considered using a flame thrower — were deeply disturbing to families of the victims, most of whom were teenagers. ''They perceive him as evil and dangerous and reopening wounds,'' said Mette Yvonne Larsen, a lawyer representing the bereaved. ''It's one thing to read explanations, it's quite another to hear a person present such a message,'' Larsen said. ''I am per- sonally quite shocked.'' Drummer and singer for The Band — With songs like ''The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down,'' dies at age 71 ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) Weight'' and ''Up on Cripple Creek,'' The Band fused rock, blues, folk and gospel to create a sound that seemed as authenti- cally American as a Math- ew Brady photograph or a Mark Twain short story. In truth, the group had only one American — Levon Helm. ''The final stages of cancer. Helm and his band- mates — Canadians Rick Danko, Garth Hudson, Robbie Robertson and Richard Manuel — were musical virtuosos who returned to the roots of American music in the late 1960s as other rockers veered into psychedelia, heavy metal and jams. The group's 1968 debut, ''Music From the Big Pink,'' and its follow-up, ''The Band,'' remain land- mark albums of the era, and songs such as ''The Weight,'' and ''Cripple Creek'' have become rock standards. ''Dixie Down'' Defendants in beard- and hair-cutting attacks plead not guilty CLEVELAND (AP) — Sixteen men and women pleaded not guilty Thurs- day in beard- and hair-cut- ting attacks against fellow Amish in Ohio. Helm, the drummer and singer who brought an urgent beat and a genuine Arkansas twang to some of The Band's best-known songs and helped turn a bunch of musicians known mostly as Bob Dylan's backup group into one of rock's most leg- endary acts, has died. He was 71. to have throat cancer in 1998, died Thursday after- noon of complications from cancer at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City, said Lucy Sabini of Van- guard Records. On Tues- day, a message on his website said he was in the Helm, who was found women and their attor- neys overflowed defense tables and the jury box as they entered the pleas before U.S. District Court Judge Dan Polster in response to an updated indictment. The 10 men and six The latest indictment added new allegations that the suspects tried to hide or destroy evidence, including a disposable camera, shears and a bag of hair from the victims. Members of the Amish community who were in court left through a rear enclosed walkway with- out speaking. would keep the schedule set after the first indict- ment — a July 30 dead- line for any plea change and Aug. 27 trial. The judge said he FINAL DAY- SATURDAY! EVERYTHING MUST GO 91