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Saturday, October 29, 2011 – Daily News WORLD BRIEFING Americans find tiny returns on savings, opt to spend WASHINGTON (AP) — Americans are making a little more money and spending a lot more. Under normal circum- stances, that would be a troubling sign for the economy. But a closer look at some new govern- ment figures suggests another possibility: Peo- ple are saving less money because they're earning next to nothing in interest. Saving is already diffi- cult because of more expensive gas and food. It's even tougher because of the lower returns — the flip side of super-low interest rates that the Fed- eral Reserve has kept in place since 2008 to help the economy. Critics say the Fed is punishing those who play by the rules — those care- ful enough to set aside money for savings or peo- ple who built up a nest egg and are living on fixed incomes that depend on interest. Americans spent 0.6 percent more in Septem- ber, three times the increase from the previ- ous month, the govern- ment said Friday. Spend- ing was especially strong on durable goods — things like cars, appli- ances and electronics. Syrian security kill 30 BEIRUT (AP) — Syri- an security forces opened fire Friday on protesters and hunted them down in house-to-house raids, killing about 30 people in the deadliest day in weeks in the country's 7-month- old uprising, activists said. The popular revolt against Syrian President Bashar Assad's regime has proved remarkably resilient, with protests erupting every week despite the near-certainty the government will respond with bullets and tear gas. The U.N. esti- mates the regime crack- down on the protests has killed 3,000 people since March. Much of the bloodshed Friday happened after the protests had ended and security forces armed with machine guns chased protesters and activists, according to opposition groups monitoring the demonstrations. Authori- ties disrupted telephone and Internet service, they said. The Syrian opposi- tion's two main activist groups, the British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and the Local Coordinating Com- mittees, gave figures for the protesters killed on Friday ranging from 29 to 37. The flashpoints were Homs and Hama in cen- tral Syria, where opposi- tion to the regime is strong. Hama is the site of a massacre nearly 30 years ago which has come to symbolize the ruthless- ness of the Assad dynasty. Man opens fire outside US Embassy in Bosnia SARAJEVO, Bosnia- Herzegovina (AP) — A man armed with hand grenades and an automat- ic weapon opened fire outside the U.S. Embassy in Bosnia Friday in what authorities called a terror- ist attack. A policeman and the gunman were wounded, but the embassy said none of its employees was hurt. Sarajevo Mayor Alija Behmen said the gunman ''got off a tram with a Kalashnikov and started shooting at the American Embassy.'' Witnesses told Bosnian television that the man urged pedestrians to move away, saying he was targeting only the embassy. He wore a beard and was dressed in an outfit with short pants that reveal his ankles — typi- cal for followers of the conservative Wahhabi branch of Islam. One police officer guarding the building was wounded before police surrounded the gunman. After a 30-minute stand- off, the sound of a single shot echoed and AP video showed the shooter slump to the ground. Police arrested the wounded man — who one of Bosnia's three presi- dents said is a foreigner — and took him away in an ambulance as pedestri- ans cowered behind build- ings and vehicles. Hospi- tal spokeswoman Biljana Jandric told The Associat- ed Press the gunman had a minor wound to his leg, and would spend the night at the hospital before being released into police custody. Romney leaves trail of comments certain to haunt him WASHINGTON (AP) — Mitt Romney may need a censor. For him- self. In the last few weeks in Nevada, the man who owns several homes told the state hit tough by the housing crisis: ''Don't try and stop the foreclosure process. Let it run its course and hit the bot- tom.'' At one point in Iowa, earlier this year, the for- mer venture capitalist uttered, ''Corporations are people,'' with the country in the midst of a debate over Wall Street vs. Main Street. At an event in economically suffering Florida, the retiree — who is a multi- millionaire many times over — told out-of-work voters, ''I'm also unem- ployed.'' Over the past year, the Republican presidential candidate has amassed a collection of off-the-cuff comments that expose his vulnerabilities and, taken together, cast him as out- of-touch with Americans who face staggering unemployment, wide- spread foreclosures and a dire outlook on the econo- my. So far, the foot-in- mouth remarks haven't seemed to affect his standing in the nomina- tion race. Some US cities crack down, others allow protests NEW YORK (AP) — While more U.S. cities are resorting to force to break up the Wall Street protests, many others — Philadelphia, New York, Minneapolis and Port- land, Ore., among them — are content to let the demonstrations go on for now. New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, for example, said Friday that the several hundred pro- testers sleeping in Zuccot- ti Park, the unofficial headquarters of the move- ment that began in mid- September, can stay as long as they obey the law. ''I can't talk about other cities,'' he said. ''Our responsibilities are protect your rights and your safety. And I think we're trying to do that. We're trying to act responsibly and safely.'' Still, the city made life a lot harder for the demonstrators: Fire inspectors seized a dozen cans of gasoline and six generators that powered lights, cooking equipment and laptops, saying they were safety hazards. In the span of three days this week, police broke up protest encamp- ments in Oakland, Calif., Atlanta and, early Friday, San Diego and Nashville, Tenn. Border Patrol halts bus and train checks on northern border SEATTLE (AP) — The U.S. Border Patrol has quietly stopped its controversial practice of routinely searching buses, trains and airports for ille- gal immigrants at trans- portation hubs along the northern border and in the nation's interior, prevent- ing agents from using what had long been an effective tool for tracking down people here illegal- ly, The Associated Press has learned. Current and former Border Patrol agents said field offices around the country began receiving the order last month — soon after the Obama administration announced that to ease an overbur- dened immigration sys- tem, it would allow many undocumented people to remain in the country while it focuses on deporting those who have committed crimes. The routine bus, train and airport checks typi- cally involved agents milling about and ques- tioning people who appeared suspicious, and had long been criticized by immigrant rights groups. Critics said the tactic amounted to racial profiling and violated the civil liberties of travelers. But agents said it was an effective way to catch unlawful immigrants, including smugglers and possible terrorists, who had evaded detection at the border, as well as people who had over- stayed their visas. Often, those who evade detec- tion head quickly for the nearest mass public transportation in hopes of reaching other parts of the country. Halting the practice has baffled the agents, especially in some sta- tions along the northern border — from Belling- ham, Wash., to Houlton, Maine — where the so- called ''transportation checks'' have been the bulk of their everyday duties. The Border Patrol is authorized to check vehicles within 100 miles of the border. Storm could dump up to 10 inches of snow in New England HEBRON, Conn. (AP) — Steve Hoffman had expected to sell a lot of fall fertilizer this weekend at his hardware store in Hebron but instead spent Friday moving bags of ice melting pellets. A storm moving up the East Coast was expected to combine with a cold air mass and dump anywhere from a dusting of snow to about 10 inches Saturday in parts of the Northeast. ''We're stocked up and we've already sold a few shovels,'' Hoffman said. ''We actually had one guy come in and buy a roof rake.'' National Weather Ser- vice meteorologist Bill Win WinWin Win to complete the study! You could $100* Just for sharing your local shopping and media preferences! Take the Pulse Research survey online only at: www.pulseresearch.com/redbluffdailynews *$100 gift certificates will be awarded to four individuals selected at random from among those completing the survey. Those selected may choose any store or business in Tehama County at which to redeem their gift certificate. Individual survey responses will not be shared with any third party. D NEWSAILY RED BLUFF TEHAMACOUNTY Hurry! Less than 30 surveys needed Simpson said the rake probably won't be need- ed, but October snowfall records could be broken in parts of southern New England, especially at higher elevations. The October record for south- ern New England is 7.5 inches in Worcester in 1979. The most snow will likely hit the Massachu- setts Berkshires, the Litchfield Hills in north- western Connecticut, and southwestern New Hamp- shire, Simpson said. Con- necticut Gov. Dannel P. Malloy warned residents that they could lose power. Tricks for keeping Halloween a treat CHICAGO (AP) — Offer apples to trick-or- treaters and risk having your house get egged — maybe even by your own kids. But dentists and dietitians say you can still make Halloween reasonably healthy for little devils and witches without resorting to dracul-onian tactics, like no candy. ''This is such a big adventure for them — let them have it, obvi- ously with some caveats,'' said Dr. Rhea Haugseth, a dentist in Marietta, Ga., who's president of the Ameri- can Academy of Pedi- atric Dentistry There are tricks for keeping Halloween fun without risking cavities and extra pounds, like handing out dark choco- late instead of chewy candies or even bribing kids with a toy in exchange for the Hal- loween loot. Some stud- ies have suggested dark chocolate is good for the heart, and chewy candies stick to the teeth. Just don't go over- board on restrictions, says Cole Robbins, a Chicago 12-year-old and Halloween veteran. Dog that survived gas chamber at Alabama pound now up for adoption NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — A stray beagle mix that cheated death in an Alabama dog pound's gas chamber has found a temporary home in New Jersey while he waits for another family to adopt him. Volunteers began looking for a new home for the dog known as Daniel after the animal walked out unscathed from the carbon monox- ide administered by the Animal Control Depart- ment in Florence, Ala., on Oct. 3. The nonprofit Eleventh Hour Rescue group, based in Rock- away, N.J., arranged to have the dog flown to northern New Jersey where he is staying with volunteer Jill Pavlik until he can be adopted. Linda Schiller, the shel- ter's founder and presi- dent, said the facility has received about 100 applications from peo- ple around the country seeking to adopt him. Phil Stevenson, a Florence city spokesman, said Friday that no one is sure why Daniel was the lone sur- vivor. ''It may be that his breathing was shallow because of a cold or something. Or maybe God just had a better plan for this one,'' Stevenson said. Have a news tip? Call 527-2151, Ext. 112 Local Businesses: You can sponsor a whole classroom of kids to design an ad for YOUR business! YOU choose the winning entry. Your kid-designed ad will be featured in Through a Child's Eyes • Published as a full section of The Daily News in November • Digital edition stays online for a full year Sponsor Deadline: Tuesday, November 1 D NEWSAILY RED BLUFF TEHAMACOUNTY For details and sponsorship Reservations call your Daily News advertising Representative today! 527-2151 3B