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4A Daily News – Friday, July 27, 2012 Romney causes stir across Britain wanted to highlight U.S.-British bonds — and show off his diplomatic skills to boot — but he managed to rankle the Olympic hosts instead, from Prime Min- ister David Cameron on down. The Republican presidential candi- date, taking a turn on the world stage, called London's problems with Olympic Games preparation ''disconcerting.'' That prompted Cameron to retort on Thursday that doubters would ''see beyond doubt that Britain can deliver.'' And London Mayor Boris Johnson told tens of thousands gathered in Hyde Park: ''There's a guy called Mitt Romney who wants to know if we are ready. Are we ready? Yes we are!'' Amid the uproar, Romney tried to LONDON (AP) — Mitt Romney back off his critique, finally concluding, ''I expect the games to be highly suc- cessful.'' Romney also caused a stir with his attendance at a fundraiser with banking executives tainted by a British interest rate-fixing scandal. And he inadvertent- ly disclosed that he held a secret meeting with the head of Britain's intelligence service. Romney's first international tour as the man who would replace Democratic President Barack Obama. The bobbles threatened to undermine Obama supports assault weapons ban but is not seeking new gun laws WASHINGTON (AP) — Even as the issue of guns shifts to the forefront of the presidential campaign, the White House and the Senate's top Democrat made it clear Thursday that new gun legislation will not be on the political agenda this year. Instead, President Barack Obama intends to focus on other ways to combat gun violence — a position not unlike that of his rival, Mitt Romney. Days after the mass shootings in Col- orado, White House spokesman Jay Car- ney said Obama still supports a ban on the sale of assault weapons, a restriction that expired in 2004. But he added: ''There are things we can do short of leg- islation and short of gun laws that can reduce violence in our society.'' Carney's comments came the day after Obama, in a speech to an African- American group Wednesday in New Orleans, embraced some degree of addi- tional restrictions on guns. He acknowl- edged that not enough had been done to keep weapons out of the hands of crimi- nals and pledged to work with lawmak- ers from both parties to move forward on the matter. Carney also spoke as a prominent gun control group called on Obama and Romney to lead a search for solutions to gun violence. The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence said both candi- dates owe voters concrete plans and appealed to them not to duck the issue. In the Senate, Majority Leader Harry Reid said Thursday that the Senate would not consider the gun issue this year, even though he agreed with Obama's remarks in New Orleans. Sandusky accuser says he plans to sue Penn State HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — For months, the identity of the boy who was sex- WORLD BRIEFING ually assaulted in the locker room showers by Jerry Sandusky was one of the biggest mysteries of the Penn State scandal. Now, for the first time, a man has come forward to claim he was that boy, and is threatening to sue the university. The man's lawyers said Thursday they have done an extensive investigation and gathered ''overwhelming evidence'' on details of the abuse by Sandusky, the former assistant football coach convicted of using his position at Penn State and as head of a youth charity to molest boys over a period of 15 years. offenses related to so-called Victim 2 large- ly on the testimony of Mike McQueary, who was a team graduate assistant at the time and described seeing the attack. ''Our client has to live the rest of his life not only dealing with the effects of San- dusky's childhood sexual abuse, but also with the knowledge that many powerful adults, including those at the highest levels of Penn State, put their own interests and the interests of a child predator above their legal obligations to protect him,'' the lawyers said in a news release. They did not name their client, and The Associated Press generally does not identify victims of sex crimes without their consent. Jurors convicted Sandusky last month of Syria's most prominent defector offers himself up as unifying figure BEIRUT (AP) — Syria's most promi- nent defector offered himself up Thursday as a figure to unite the fractious opposition, saying he failed to persuade his former friend, President Bashar Assad, to end a bloody crackdown that has killed thousands of Syrians. ed Press from Istanbul, where he is based. ''After the transitional period, the Syrian people will choose whomever they want through the ballots.'' Qualms about Mormonism widespread WASHINGTON (AP) — Most of Amer- ica doesn't relate to Mitt Romney's religion but that may not matter in his race against President Barack Obama. Those are the findings of a new Pew Research Center poll released Thursday, about a month before Republican Romney is set to become the first Mormon presiden- tial nominee of a major political party. Misgivings about the Mormon faith are widespread and persistent. Nearly two- thirds of non-Mormons said they see Rom- ney's faith as very different from their own while just half consider it a Christian faith. Those numbers are little changed since Romney's first run for the presidency pushed Mormonism to the political forefront in 2007. know that Romney is a devout Mormon say they are comfortable with his religious beliefs, and few voters reject his candidacy solely because of concerns about his faith. Romney rarely discusses the details of his Despite those qualms, most voters who and soybeans — saw its percentage of land in extreme or exceptional drought balloon from just 8 percent last week to roughly 71 percent as of Thursday, the Drought Monitor reported. better, with little rain and more intense heat forecast for the rest of the summer. And conditions are not expected to get Facebook's first public quarter proves solid NEW YORK (AP) — Facebook's first earnings report as a public company had solid numbers, but in the end it landed with a thud — much like its rocky initial public offering two months ago. Facebook reported stronger-than-expect- ed revenue and a gain in user numbers Thursday. But investors weren't impressed and after a brief spike, its stock fell more than 10 percent, or $2.74, to $24.10 in after- hours trading. The decline means Face- book's stock will most likely open at its low- est level since going public. It's another big disappointment for the faith in public, preferring to focus on how it has helped him connect with people. In an interview Wednesday with NBC News, Romney again credited his religion with shaping his perspective and said he would talk about his experiences in the church. He did not address his spiritual beliefs. The remarks by Manaf Tlass, a Syrian brigadier general until he abandoned the regime this month, were published in a Saudi newspaper just as opposition factions gathered in Qatar to try to agree on a transi- tional leadership if Assad's regime falls. Some opposition members are deeply skeptical of Tlass, believing he's far too close to the regime. Mahmoud Othman, a member of the opposition Syrian National Council, said Tlass would simply ''bring back the regime with a different image.'' ''Those who recently defected from the regime must not take part in leading the tran- sitional period,'' Othman told The Associat- Report shows drought in middle of US rapidly intensifying ST. LOUIS (AP) — The widest drought to grip the United States in decades is getting worse with no signs of abating, a new report warned Thursday, as state officials urged conservation and more ranchers considered selling cattle. Harvard-born company that was supposed to usher in the next Internet boom. ''They didn't break any banks,'' said Debra Aho Williamson, an analyst at research firm eMarketer. ''They did not come out any better than anybody had expected.'' Even so, Facebook Inc. said revenue grew 32 percent to $1.18 billion from $895 million a year ago. Culture war flares over chicken The drought covering two-thirds of the continental U.S. had been considered rela- tively shallow, the product of months with- out rain, rather than years. But Thursday's report showed its intensity is rapidly increas- ing, with 20 percent of the nation now in the two worst stages of drought — up 7 percent from last week. sandwiches ATLANTA (AP) — All of a sudden, bit- ing into a fried chicken sandwich has become a political statement. Chick-fil-A, the fast-food chain known for putting faith ahead of profits by closing on Sundays, is standing firm in its opposi- tion to gay marriage after touching off a furor earlier this month. Gay rights groups have called for a boy- cott, the Jim Henson Co. pulled its Muppet toys from kids' meals, and politicians in Boston and Chicago told the chain it is not welcome there. The U.S. Drought Monitor classifies drought in various stages, from moderate to severe, extreme and, ultimately, exceptional. Five states — Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Mis- souri and Nebraska — are blanketed by a drought that is severe or worse. States like Arkansas and Oklahoma are nearly as bad, with most areas covered in a severe drought and large portions in extreme or exceptional drought. Other states are seeing conditions rapidly worsen. Illinois — a key producer of corn Across the Bible Belt, where most of the 1,600 restaurants are situated, Christian conservatives have thrown their support behind the Atlanta-based company, promising to buy chicken sandwiches and waffle fries next week on ''Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day.'' ture wars began when Chick-fil-A presi- dent Dan Cathy told the Baptist Press that the company was ''guilty as charged'' for backing ''the biblical definition of a fami- ly.'' In a later radio interview, he ratcheted up the rhetoric: ''I think we are inviting God's judgment on our nation when we shake our fist at him and say, 'We know better than you as to what constitutes a marriage.''' The latest skirmish in the nation's cul- Sunday, August 12th • 2:00-6:00 pm Red Bluff Community Center Free Haircuts for School Aged Kids Live Music Kids games Free Food provided by: Cornerstone Community Bank Kids receive free professional photographs provided by: "We Shoot Ya Photography" Informational booths For more information call: 529-4074 or visit www.backtoschoolproject.com Visit us on FREE CUTS FOR KIDS NEW LOCATION