Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/13630
8B – Daily News – Wednesday, July 21, 2010 WORLD BRIEFING Benefits extension clears hurdle WASHINGTON (AP) — Legislation to restore unemployment benefits to millions who have been out of work for more than six months broke free of Senate Republican delay- ing tactics on Tuesday. Senators voted 60-40 to move ahead on the bill, clearing the way for a final Senate vote later on Tuesday. The measure would restore jobless checks for 2.5 million people whose benefits started running out seven weeks ago in a stubbornly jobless economic recov- ery. The vote was a modest victory for President Barack Obama and Democrats, whose more ambitious hopes for a jobs agenda have mostly fiz- zled in the face of GOP opposition in the Senate. A battle has raged for months over whether job- less benefits should be financed with additional federal debt as Democrats want or through cuts to other government pro- grams as most Republi- cans insist. The vote came moments after Carte Goodwin was sworn in as a successor to West Vir- ginia Democrat Robert Byrd, who died last month at the age of 92. Goodwin was the crucial 60th sena- tor to defeat a Republican filibuster that has led to a lapse in benefits for 2.5 million people. The Sen- ate gallery was packed with Goodwin supporters, who broke into applause as he cast his ‘‘aye’’ vote. Two Republicans, Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins of Maine, voted to end the filibuster. Ben Nelson of Nebraska ★★ ★ R-S.C., broke with his party to cast the sole GOP ‘‘yes’’ vote on President Obama’s nominee to succeed Justice John Paul Stevens, who retired in June. The vote was 13-6. ‘‘What’s in Elena Kagan’s heart is that of a good person who adopts a philosophy I disagree with,’’ Graham said. ‘‘She will serve this nation honor- ably, and it would not have been someone I would have chosen, but the person who did choose, President Obama, I think chose wise- ly.’’ was the lone Democrat to break with his party and vote to sustain it. After a final Senate vote, the House is expect- ed to approve the legisla- tion and send it to Presi- dent Barack Obama on Wednesday. Feds tamp down fears leaky well cap unstable WASHINGTON (AP) — The federal govern- ment’s oil spill chief said Tuesday that seepage two miles from BP’s oil cap is coming from another well, tamping down fears that leaks mean the ruptured well is unstable. Retired Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen also said five leaks in and around BP’s well are more like ‘‘drips,’’ and aren’t yet rea- son to worry. The leaks and seepage had raised concerns that the mechanical cap choking off the flow of oil was displac- ing pressure and forcing oil out deep underground. That could make the sea floor unstable and make the 3- month-old environmental disaster even worse and AMERICAN SELF-STORAGE 64 Mulberry Ave., Red Bluff • 527-1755 • Fully Fenced • Onsite Manager • Well Lit Property website: www.americanselfstorage.biz • RV & Vehicle parking now available LOWEST PRICE GUARANTEED! Call now for rates. Come see us at the Children’s Fair on April 24th Recently expanded and moved near Bidwell Elementary License # 525405817 My qualifications include: B.A. in Elementary Education and experience teaching grades K-8. Accepting state pay programs & cash pay, etc. (530) 209-8743 ! harder to fix. Allen said the well appears stable, and he extended testing of the experimental cap by anoth- er day, which means the oil will remain shut in. The cap is buying time until a permanent plug is in place. Crews are drilling into the side of the ruptured well from deep under- ground, and by next week, they could start blasting in mud and cement to block off the well for good. Killing the well deep under- ground works more reliably than bottling it up with a cap. Judiciary Committee approves Elena Kagan WASHINGTON (AP) — Pushing toward an elec- tion-year Supreme Court confirmation vote, a polar- ized Senate Judiciary Com- mittee Tuesday approved Elena Kagan to be the fourth female justice. Just one Republican joined Democrats to approve Kagan’s nomination and send it to the full Senate, where she’s expected to win confirmation within weeks. ‘‘Elena Kagan will be confirmed,’’ predicted Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., the Judiciary chairman. ‘‘She will go on the U.S. Supreme Court.’’ Sen. Lindsey Graham, ●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●● At the White House, Obama hailed the vote as a ‘‘bipartisan affirmation of her strong performance’’ in confirmation hearings. Obama condemns Lockerbie release WASHINGTON (AP) — British Prime Minister David Cameron on Tuesday turned aside U.S. calls for an investigation into the release of the Lockerbie bomber by Scotland and said there was no indication that oil giant BP had swayed the controversial decision. Both Cameron and Pres- ident Barack Obama, who met with him at the White House, condemned the release of Libyan bomber Abdel Baset al-Megrahi from a Scottish prison. Still, Cameron said the release was not the doing of the British government nor, apparently, the result of any lobbying by BP, Britain’s largest company, to win oil concessions from Libya. Rather it was a decision by the government of Scotland on compassionate grounds, he said. ‘‘It was the biggest mass murder in British history, and there was no business letting him out of prison,’’ Cameron said. Said Obama: ‘‘I think all of us here in the United States were surprised, dis- appointed and angry.’’ What’s on TV? ✓ Check out ENTERTAINMENT MAGAZINE select TV Free - Online - 24/7 Broadcast/Cable/Satellite Listings-Sports-Movies & More! redbluffdailynews.com Endorsement could help decide tough GOP fight ATLANTA (AP) — Dueling endorsements from Sarah Palin and Newt Gin- grich could help decide a crowded Republican prima- ry for Georgia governor Tuesday. Palin’s nod to for- mer Secretary of State Karen Handel has helped her surge to the top of the polls in recent days, while ex-congressman Nathan Deal could benefit from the backing of Gingrich. The two served together in the U.S. House. On the Democratic side, one-term former Gov. Roy Barnes is facing the first electoral test in his come- back bid. Barnes was ousted in 2002 by Republican Sonny Perdue, his defeat fueled by teachers angry with his education reforms and others upset over his successful push to remove the Confederate battle sym- bol from the state’s flag. Seven Democrats and seven Republicans are vying for the open seat. Per- due is prevented by term limits from running again after two terms. Palin’s endorsement of Handel — the lone woman in the race who could become the state’s first female governor — swiftly helped change the dynamic. Handel had been attacked throughout the campaign as too liberal. Palin’s backing — she called the former secretary of state a ‘‘pro- life, pro-Constitutionalist with a can-do attitude’’ — was seen as a conservative seal of approval. Handel had the lead in a new poll released Sunday. Handel is just one of sev- eral candidates around the country recently endorsed by Palin, John McCain’s running mate during the 2008 presidential cam- paign. Palin is largely cred- ited with helping South Car- olina Rep. Nikki Haley, once little-known in her state, surge to popularity and ultimately a runoff win for the GOP nomination for governor. USDAworker resigns over racism charge WASHINGTON (AP) — A black employee who resigned from the Agricul- ture Department over com- ments at a Georgia NAACP meeting said Tuesday the White House forced her out of her job over a manufac- tured racial controversy. Shirley Sherrod, who until Tuesday was USDA’s director of rural develop- ment in Georgia, said she was on the road Monday when USDA deputy under- secretary Cheryl Cook called her and told her the White House wanted her to resign. ‘‘They called me twice,’’ Sherrod told The Associated Press in an inter- view. ‘‘The last time they asked me to pull over the side of the road and submit my resignation on my Blackberry, and that’s what I did.’’ A USDA spokesman would not comment on whether the White House was involved, but Secretary Tom Vilsack issued a state- ment saying the agency has no tolerance for discrimina- tion. The NAACP, mean- while, appeared to be recon- sidering its response to Sherrod. The civil rights group initially condemned the employee’s comments, but officials said Tuesday that it is conducting a more thorough review. The controversy began Monday when the conserv- ative website biggovern- ment.com posted a two- minute, 38-second video clip of Sherrod’s remarks to a local NAACP banquet. Beck: Eye disease could blind me NEW YORK (AP) — Fox News Channel’s Glenn Beck says he’s been diag- nosed with an eye disease that could eventually blind him. The conservative com- mentator told an audience attending his ‘‘American Revival’’ tour over the weekend in Salt Lake City that a doctor told him he has the degenerative disease macular dystrophy. Beck says he went to a doctor for testing because he had trouble focusing with his eyes. ‘‘He said, ‘You have macular dystro- phy. ... You could go blind in the next year. Or, you might not.’’ Beck said he replied: ‘‘Did you just charge me a thousand dollars for know- ing what I knew my whole life?’’ The disease generally makes itself known by a decrease in vision in 20- to 40-year-olds. Beck is 46.