Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/267928
Arizona Gov. Brewer held meetings on bill allowing denial of service to gays PHOENIX (AP) — Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer held a series of private meetings Wednesday with opponents and proponents of legislation adding pro- tections for people who assert their religious beliefs in refusing service to gays, a proposal that has focused national attention on the state as business groups, gay rights supporters and even many fellow Republicans urged her to use her veto power. Among those meeting with the governor was the bill's primary sponsor, Sen. Steve Yarbrough, R- Chandler, who it was essentially his chance to give a closing argument. He defended the proposal and said his efforts were intended to extend the reach of the state's reli- gious freedom law to businesses and corpora- tions and allow those sued for discrimination to cite the law even when the government isn't a party. He said a veto would be disappointing. ''It's quality legisla- tion, and there's no good reason at all as far of the merit of this bill to not sign it,'' Yarbrough said. ''This bill does simply, basically, three things ... and that all it does. And it doesn't have anything to do with creating opportu- nities for discrimination that in any fashion is greater than what exists in the law currently. '' The governor faces a Saturday deadline to either sign Senate Bill 1062 or use her veto stamp. In a tweet from her official twitter account late Tuesday, the governor said: ''I assure you, as always, I will do the right thing for the State of Ari- zona.'' Brewer has been under increasing pressure to veto the proposal passed by the Republican-con- trolled Legislature. The proposal passed with sup- port from all but three House Republicans and all 17 GOP state senators. US Joint Chiefs chairman sees grim future for Afghanistan BAGRAM AIR FIELD, Afghanistan (AP) — Depicting a grim future for Afghanistan without U.S. help, the top U.S. military officer said Wednesday that Afghanistan's refusal to sign a security agreement with the United States may make the fight more difficult this year, embolden the enemy and prompt some Afghan security forces to cooper- ate with the Taliban to ''hedge their bets.'' Army Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, spent the day with his commanders and troops in Afghanistan working to manage the after-effects of President Barack Obama's order Tuesday to begin actively planning for a total withdrawal of U.S. troops by the end of the year. In back-to-back meetings, he urged them to focus on the consider- able military work they have to do and not worry about next year. Dempsey told The Associated Press in an interview that the possible exit of all U.S. troops was making Afghan military leaders anxious and eat- ing away at their troops' confidence. He said he spoke with some Afghan leaders after the Tuesday announcement, and they asked him to stay com- mitted to an enduring U.S. presence, and told him they were doing all they could to get the agreement signed. Frustrated with Afghan counterpart Hamid Karzai, Obama ordered the Pentagon to accelerate planning for a full U.S. troop withdrawal from Afghanistan by the end of this year. But Obama is also holding out hope that Afghanistan's next presi- dent, to be elected this spring, may eventually sign a stalled security agreement that could pre- vent the U.S. from having to take that step. The administration would like to leave up to 10,000 troops in Afghanistan after combat operations end on Dec. 31 to continue training Afghan forces and con- duct counterterrorism missions. But without the agreement that would give international forces legal standing to stay in Afghanistan, Obama has threatened to pull all troops out, and NATO forces would follow suit. US warns Russia against 'grave mistake' in Ukraine WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States on Wednesday warned Rus- sia against a military intervention in Ukraine, saying such a move would be a ''grave mistake,'' as troops in western Russia were placed on high alert for massive new war games in the area, includ- ing near the Russian- Ukrainian border. In delivering the blunt message, Secretary of State John Kerry also announced that the Obama administration was planning $1 billion in loan guarantees for Ukraine and would con- sider additional direct assistance for the former Soviet republic following unrest that led to the ouster of its Russian- backed president. Kerry also renewed U.S. demands that Moscow withdraw troops from disputed enclaves in another former Soviet republic, Georgia, and urged Georgia to further integrate with Europe and NATO. The warning, aid announcement and nudge westward for Georgia all came amid growing ten- sions between Russia and the West over Ukraine and were likely to fuel already-heightened Russ- ian suspicions over West- ern intentions in its back- yard. Kerry insisted, howev- er, that that U.S. policy toward Ukraine, Georgia and the other states that once made up the Soviet Union was not aimed at reducing Russia's influ- ence in its neighborhood. Instead, he maintained that U.S. encouragement for former Soviet states to integrate with the West was driven by America's desire to see their people realize aspirations for freedom in robust democ- racies with strong economies. Israel takes risk with airstrike on Hezbollah JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel has opened a new front in its attempts to halt weapons smuggling to Hezbollah, striking one of the group's positions inside Lebanon for the first time since the sides fought a war eight years ago. This week's airstrike, meant to prevent the Islamic militant group from obtaining sophisti- cated missiles, is part of a risky policy that could easily backfire by trigger- ing retaliation. But at a time when the Syrian opposition says Hezbol- lah has struck a major blow for President Bashar Assad's government in neighboring Syria by ambushing al-Qaida- linked fighters there, it shows the strategic impor- tance for Israel of trying to break the Syria- Hezbollah axis. For now, the odds of a direct conflagration between Israel and Hezbollah appear low. The group has sent hun- dreds of fighters to Syria and is preoccupied with saving Assad's embattled regime. Syrian state media reported that army troops killed 175 rebels, many of them al-Qaida- linked fighters, near Dam- ascus on Wednesday, but the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a prominent oppo- sition group, said it was Hezbollah forces that car- ried out the dawn ambush. Israel considers both Hezbollah and the al- Qaida-linked Nusra Front to be grave threats. With a lack of good choices, Israel has avoided taking sides in the Syrian war, and in the short term, is content watching the two sides beat each other up. But in the long run, offi- cials have expressed con- cerns about the battlefield expertise that Hezbollah has gained. Officials also suspect that despite repeated Israeli airstrikes on suspected arms ship- ments, Hezbollah has managed to get its hands on many sophisticated weapons, including Russ- ian-made anti-aircraft and anti-ship missiles, ensur- ing that any future con- flict with Israel will be far more intense than previ- ous rounds of fighting. ''The type of scenario we have to plan for is extremely robust,'' said an Israeli military official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was discussing an intelli- gence assessment. ''It means the Israeli opera- tional response has to be forceful, swift and deci- sive.'' Syrian army troops killed 175 rebels DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — Syrian army troops on Wednesday killed 175 rebels, many of them al-Qaida-linked fighters, in an ambush described as one of the deadliest attacks by gov- ernment forces against fighters near Damascus, according to state media. An opposition group said the dawn ambush — part of a government effort to secure the capital — was carried out by the Lebanese Hezbollah group, which has been instrumental in helping President Bashar Assad's regime push back rebels entrenched in the suburbs of the capital city. Syrian state news agency SANA quoted a field commander in the eastern Ghouta area as saying most of the rebels killed in the assault near Oteibah lake southeast of Damascus belonged to the al-Qaida-linked Nusra Front rebel group. The report said several of those killed were foreign fighters who came to Syria from Saudi Arabia, Chechnya and Qatar. SANA said the opera- tion dealt ''a smashing blow to terrorists,'' a term Syrian state media uses for rebels. The agency posted sev- eral photographs on its website showing dozens of bodies of men, some with leg wounds, lying in a dirt track of an open field. Some were wearing fatigues, but most wore civilian clothes and appeared to have been carrying bags of clothes and bottles of water that were scattered on the ground, suggesting they were changing locations when they were ambushed. Obama asks Congress for $300B for roads, rails ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — President Barack Obama said Wednesday he will ask Congress for $300 billion to update aging roads and railways, arguing that the taxpayer investment is a worthy one that will pay divi- dends by attracting busi- nesses and helping put people to work. Obama announced his plan at the Union Depot rail and bus station after touring a light rail mainte- nance facility. Funding for surface transportation programs expires later this year, and the White House says 700,000 jobs could be at risk unless Congress renews them. ''At a time when com- panies are saying they intend to hire more people this year, we need to make that decision easier for them,'' Obama said, by rebuilding aging trans- portation systems, power grids, communications networks and other pro- jects that ease commerce. ''The bottom line is there's work to be done, workers ready to do it,'' he said, adding that one of Congress' major respon- sibilities is to help states and cities pay for such projects. Transportation Secre- tary Anthony Foxx warned Wednesday of a ''transportation cliff'' coming in August or Sep- tember when the High- way Trust Fund, which finances federal highway and transit projects, is forecast to go broke. Death of snake-handler doesn't shake faith of believers Three days after pastor Jamie Coots died from a rattlesnake bite at church, mourners leaving the funeral went to the church to handle snakes. Coots, who appeared on the National Geo- graphic Channel's ''Snake Salvation,'' pas- tored the Full Gospel Tabernacle in Jesus Name church founded by his grandfather in Middles- boro, Ky. The third-gener- ation snake handler was bitten during a service on Feb. 15 and died later at his home after refusing medical help. Now his adult son, Cody Coots, is taking over the family church where snakes are frequently part of ser- vices. ''People think they will stop handling snakes because someone got bit, but it's just the opposite,'' said Ralph Hood, a pro- fessor of psychology at the University of Ten- nessee, Chattanooga, who has been studying snake handlers for decades. ''It reaffirms their faith.'' The practice of snake handling in the United States was first document- ed in the mountains of East Tennessee in the early 20th Century, according to Paul Williamson, a professor of psychology at Hender- son State University who, along with Hood, co- wrote a book about snake handlers called, ''Them That Believe.'' In the 1940s and 1950s, many states made snake-han- dling illegal (it's currently illegal in Kentucky), but the practice has contin- ued, and often law enforcement simply looks the other way. The basis for the prac- tice is a passage in the Gospel of Mark. In the King James Version of the Bible, Mark 16:17-18 reads: ''And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.'' Older fathers linked with psychiatric troubles in kids CHICAGO (AP) — Older fathers may face higher risks than previ- ously thought for having children with psychiatric problems, including bipo- lar disorder, autism and attention deficits, accord- ing to the largest study to examine the potential links. American and Swedish researchers examined data on more than 2.6 mil- lion Swedes born from 1973-2001. Men who fathered kids after age 24 faced increasing odds for having children with psy- chiatric problems or acad- emic difficulties, with the greatest risks seen at age 45 and older. The results add to evi- dence challenging the notion that men's sperm are timeless, but this kind of research isn't proof. And by no means are chil- dren of older dads certain to have problems. Absolute risks were small — less than 1 percent of kids of older dads had autism, attention deficit- hyperactivity disorder or bipolar disorder; and less than 4 percent had schizo- phrenia or fell victim to substance abuse or attempted suicide. Academic difficulties were more common but still didn't affect most kids of older dads. Even so, the magnitude of increased risks faced by kids born to dads aged 45 and older versus dads aged 20 to 24 was surpris- ing, said lead author Brian D'Onofrio, an associate professor in the psycho- logical and brain sciences department at Indiana University. 5A Thursday, February 27, 2014 – Daily News 607 Main Street, Red Bluff 530-527-0772 As of Thursday, February 20 th NOW OPEN every Thurs., Fri. & Sat. for Dinner 5pm to 8pm Come Join Us Saturday March 1 st Doors open at 6 Sunrise Rotary's Surf & Turf Crab & Tri-Tip AUCTION Dinner 413 Walnut Street, Red Bluff Call Jessie 528-8000 for more info. Tickets available at the Gold Exchange Veteran's Hall • Red Bluff, CA Tickets: $35 per person Your Opportunity To Meet Elected Officials & Candidates Red Bluff Community Center, 1500 S. Jackson Street Saturday, March 1, 2014 5:00 pm, Meet & Greet.....6:00 pm Dinner & Program $30.00 person Ticket Info: Sue Gallagher 530-384-2945 John Elshere 530-529-1238 tehamacountydemocrats@gmail.com Paid Political Advertisement California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones, Keynote Speaker Tehama County Democrats "Support American Workers" Annual fundraiser Buffet dinner and Dessert Opportunity Drawings & Auction 100 Jackson Street, Red Bluff (530) 529-1220 First 50 new members $ 25 .00 month Call or Come In for details WORLD BRIEFING