Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/526644
ByMarkGillispie The Associated Press CLEVELAND Enough evi- dence exists to charge two police officers in the fa- tal shooting of a 12-year- old boy who was holding a pellet gun outside a recre- ation center, a judge ruled on Thursday. The judge's ruling is symbolic because he can- not compel prosecutors to charge the officers in the death of Tamir Rice last November. But Munici- pal Court Judge Ronald Adrine ruled there's proba- ble cause to charge rookie officer Timothy Loehmann with murder, involuntary manslaughter, reckless ho- micide or dereliction of duty. And he ruled there's evidence to charge Loehm- ann's partner, Frank Garm- back, with reckless homi- cide or dereliction of duty. "This court reaches its conclusions consistent with the facts in evidence and the standard of proof that applies at this time," the judge wrote. The judge made his ruling after a group of activists sub- mitted affidavits asking the court to charge the officers. Footage from a surveil- lance camera shows Tamir being shot by Loehmann within two seconds of a po- lice cruiser, driven by Garm- back, skidding to a stop near the boy. The officers had re- sponded to a 911 call about a man pointing and waving a gun at a playground next to the recreation center. Foot- age from the surveillance camera shows Tamir reach- ing for the gun, which was a realistic-looking toy, from his waistband when Loehm- ann shot him once in the ab- domen. Police officials have said Loehmann ordered Tamir three times to put his hands up. The shooting of Tamir, who was black, by a white officer raised questions about how police treat blacks and spurred protests around the city. The city released the sur- veillance video showing the shooting of Tamir, who was carrying an airsoft gun that shoots non-lethal plastic pellets. Much of the footage showed what appeared to be a bored kid alone in a park on an unseasonably warm November afternoon. Tamir was seen pacing, occasion- ally extending his right arm with what appeared to be a gun in his hand, talking on a cellphone and sitting at a picnic table with his head resting on his arms. But the gun wasn't real — it can be bought at sporting goods stores for less than $20. Tamir's was lacking the bright orange tip that is usually put on such weap- ons to indicate they're not real guns. POLICE SHOOTING Judgerulesthere'sevidencetochargeClevelandofficers TONYDEJAK—THEASSOCIATEDPRESSFILE Demonstrators block Public Square in Cleveland, during a protest over the police shooting of 12-year-old Tamir Rice. By Deb Riechmann The Associated Press WASHINGTON T he House on Thursday ap- proved a $579 billion de- fense spending bill that reflected deep divisions on budget priorities and whether President Barack Obama needs new war powers to fight Islamic State militants. The vote was 278 to 149 in favor of the bill, which drew stiff opposi- tion from Democrats be- cause it uses a war-fight- ing account to raise de- fense spending next year. The measure gives President Barack Obama all the money he re- quested for defense, but did so by hiking the war- fighting account that is not subject to congres- sional spending caps by almost $40 billion. The president says he will veto spending bills that do not deal with the arbitrary spending limits and treat defense and non-defense expenditures equally. Before the final vote, the House rejected an amendment to force law- makers to vote by the end of March on new war powers to fight Islamic State militants. The vote was 231-196 against the amendment, a vote that underscored the lackofpoliticalwillinboth the House and Senate on the bitterly disputed issue. Introduced by Rep. Adam Schiff of California, theseniorDemocratonthe House Intelligence Com- mittee, the measure would have required Congress to debate and vote on a new authorization for the use of military force by March 31. The amendment called for banning the use of funds in the fight against IS in Iraq and Syria unless Con- gress passed a new autho- rization. The defense bill it- self enjoyed bipartisan backing when separated from the broader bud- get debate. The measure provides $8.4 billion for 65 next generation F-35 fighter aircraft, eight more than requested by the Pentagon, as well as $16.9 billion toward nine new Navy ships. BUDGET House OKs defense spending bill By Charles Babington and Erica Werner The Associated Press WASHINGTON Union- backed Democrats launched a last-ditch effort Thursday to scuttle President Barack Obama's trade agenda by sacrificing a favored pro- gram of their own that re- trains workers displaced by international trade. The retraining program was linked to the Demo- crats' real target: legisla- tion to help Obama advance multi-nation trade agree- ments. In hopes of bring- ing down the whole pack- age, which they say imper- ils jobs at home, numerous House Democrats said they would vote Friday against the retraining measure. House Republicans were in the odd position of sup- porting Obama's bid for "fast-track" trade-negoti- ating authority, while the White House struggled to come up with enough Dem- ocratic votes to win pas- sage. In a closed meeting in the Capitol, top White House officials implored Demo- crats not to deny Obama the trade authority. Such a vote, they said, would block needed trade expansion for the nation and sink a major priority of the Democratic president. The sometimes emo- tional exchanges illus- trated the high stakes and intense feelings surround- ing Obama's bid for "fast track" trade-negotiating authority. Such authority, which previous presidents have enjoyed, would let Obama present Congress with proposed trade agree- ments that it could ratify or reject but not change. Obama hopes to advance the 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership and other trade proposals that have been negotiated for years. Unions vehemently op- pose such deals, saying they ship U.S. jobs abroad. AFL-CIO President Rich- ard Trumka urged House Democrats to do some- thing once unthinkable — reject the retraining pro- gram, known as Trade Ad- justment Authority, or TAA — as the best means to kill fast track. Those attending the meeting said Trumka told Democrat he would pray for those who oppose the unions' position. Some of the highest- ranking Democrats are with Trumka, suggesting Friday's votes could be close and dramatic. Fast track and the jobs program "are linked, so if TAA doesn't pass, it puts a hold on both," said Rep. Sander Levin of Michigan, the top Democrat on the Ways and Means Commit- tee. "I'm urging people to vote against it." The strategy could scut- tle the whole package, be- cause many Republicans have long records of oppos- ing the jobs retraining pro- gram, which they consider wasteful. The biggest questions hanging over the House late Thursday were: How many of the 188 Democrats will vote against TAA because it's the best way to kill fast track? And how many of the 246 Republicans might hold their noses and vote for the jobs program in a bid to save fast track? Rep. Richard Hudson, R-N.C., said of the Demo- crats: "It's in their hands, they have to pass TAA. We can only deliver a certain number of votes for TAA. So we'll see. We're calling their bluff. If they want to bring it down, then it's go- ing to be a crushing blow to their president." If the jobs program sur- vives a first vote, the House will vote on fast track. Pre- sumably the politics would be reversed, with many Re- publicans and as few as 20 Democrats voting for the legislation. The Senate linked the two measures when it passed the trade package after a long, heated debate earlier this year. Pro-trade lawmakers are desper- ate not to change the Sen- ate bill in any way, because that would send it back to that chamber, giving oppo- nents multiple chances to try again. House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, declined to predict the trade pack- age's fate. "I'm not in the guaranteeing business," Boehner told reporters af- ter conferring with Obama on the phone. "I know he's working on it and I hope he's successful." The House's top Dem- ocrat, Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi of California, remained publicly uncom- mitted. CONGRESS Union-backed Dems make final push to kill trade bill By Ken Dilanian The Associated Press WASHINGTON Hackers stole personnel data and Social Security numbers for every federal employee, a government worker union said Thursday, saying that the cyber theft of U.S. em- ployee information was more damaging than the Obama administration has acknowledged. Sen. Harry Reid, the Democratic leader, said on the Senate floor that the December hack into Office of Personnel Management data was carried out by "the Chinese" without specify- ing whether he meant the Chinese government or in- dividuals. Reid is one of eight lawmakers briefed on the most secret intelli- gence information. U.S. of- ficials have declined to pub- licly blame China, which has denied involvement. J. David Cox, president of the American Federal of Government Employees, said in a letter to OPM di- rector Katherine Archuleta that based on OPM's inter- nal briefings, "We believe that the Central Person- nel Data File was the tar- geted database, and that the hackers are now in pos- session of all personnel data for every federal employee, every federal retiree, and up to one million former fed- eral employees." The OPM data file con- tains the records of non- military, non-intelligence executive branch employ- ees, which covers most fed- eral civilian employees but not, for example, members of Congress and their staffs. The union believes the hackers stole military re- cords and veterans' sta- tus information, address, birth date, job and pay his- tory, health insurance, life insurance, and pension in- formation; and age, gender and race data, he said. The letter was obtained by The Associated Press. The union said it is basing its assessment on internal OPM briefings. The agency has sought to downplay the damage, saying what was taken "could include" per- sonnel file information such as Social Security numbers and birth dates. CYBERATTACK Union: Hackers have data on every federal employee Mustbe21orolder&bondable. HELP WANTED AUTO ROUTE DRIVER WANTED RedBluffArea Callorapplyinperson Circulation Dept. Red Bluff Daily News (530) 737-5047 Please help sponsor a classroom subscription Call Kathy at (530) 737-5047 to find out how. ThroughtheNewspapersinEducation program, area classrooms receive the Red Bluff Daily News every day thanks to the generosity of these local businesses & individuals. •DR.ASATO&DR.MARTIN • FIDELITY NATIONAL TITLE CO. • DOLLING INSURANCE • GUMM'S OPTICAL SHOPPE • OLIVE CITY QUICK LUBE • QRC • WALMART • TEHAMA CO. DEPT. 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