National | Journal Gazette

Ex-Yankee manager Joe Torre’s daughter catches falling baby

Associated Press — Thu, 20 Jun 2013 04:32:48 EST

NEW YORK - The daughter of former New York Yankees manager Joe Torre made a quick-thinking save Wednesday when she caught a baby who had tumbled off of a second-floor Brooklyn apartment's fire escape, the baseball great has confirmed.

Woman, 23, stabbed to death after dispute with panhandlers on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 03:00:00 EST

LOS ANGELES - Three panhandlers were arrested Wednesday in the fatal stabbing of a young woman who was taking photographs on Hollywood's star-lined Walk of Fame, Los Angeles police said.

3 behind genetically modified crops win World Food Prize

DAVID PITT — Thu, 20 Jun 2013 03:00:00 EST

The World Food Prize Foundation on Wednesday took the bold step of awarding this year's prize to three pioneers of plant biotechnology whose work brought the world genetically modified crops.

Douglass statue dedicated in DC

Ben Pershing — Thu, 20 Jun 2013 03:00:00 EST

It is just over 7 feet tall, a bronze, bearded figure with a determined gaze perched atop a 3-foot marble pedestal.

Design for Eisenhower Memorial refined

Associated Press — Thu, 20 Jun 2013 03:00:00 EST

A federal commission charged with building a national memorial honoring President Dwight D. Eisenhower voted unanimously Wednesday to approve architect Frank Gehry's design for a park near the National Mall, allowing the project to move forward over the objections of Eisenhower's family.

IRS bonuses threaten new wave of angst

STEPHEN OHLEMACHER — Thu, 20 Jun 2013 03:00:00 EST

Already reeling from a pair of scandals, the Internal Revenue Service is drawing new criticism over plans to hand out millions of dollars in employee bonuses.

Push made to reopen probe of '96 TWA crash

FRANK ELTMAN — Thu, 20 Jun 2013 03:00:00 EST

Former investigators are pushing to reopen the probe into the 1996 crash of TWA Flight 800 off the coast of New York, saying new evidence points to the often-discounted theory that a missile strike may have downed the jumbo jet.

Plan to separate food stamps from farm bill in limbo

Brian Francisco — Thu, 20 Jun 2013 03:00:00 EST

Proposals by Rep. Marlin Stutzman, R-3rd, to separate food stamps from the farm bill appear to be in limbo.

FBI ends hunt for Hoffa's remains

Associated Press — Thu, 20 Jun 2013 03:00:00 EST

Beneath a swimming pool, under a horse farm and now a weed-grown field north of Detroit. For at least the third time in a decade, FBI agents grabbed shovels and combed through dirt and mud in the search for Jimmy Hoffa's remains or clues to the disappearance of the former Teamsters boss.

Sopranos' star Gandolfini dead

LYNN ELBER — Thu, 20 Jun 2013 03:00:00 EST

James Gandolfini, whose portrayal of a brutal, emotionally delicate mob boss in HBO's "The Sopranos" helped create one of TV's greatest drama series and turned the mobster stereotype on its head, died Wednesday in Italy. He was 51.

Author Vince Flynn loses battle with cancer

Associated Press — Thu, 20 Jun 2013 03:00:00 EST

Best-selling author Vince Flynn, who wrote the Mitch Rapp counterterrorism thriller series and sold more than 15 million books in the U.S. alone, died Wednesday in Minnesota after a more than two-year battle with prostate cancer, according to friends and his publisher. He was 47.

Senators nearing compromise on border security

DAVID ESPO — Thu, 20 Jun 2013 03:00:00 EST

After secretive talks, key senators expressed optimism Wednesday night that they were closing in on a bipartisan agreement to toughen the border security requirements in immigration legislation that also offers a path to citizenship to millions living in the country illegally.

Stutzman's food-stamp amendments on hold

Brian Francisco — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 20:04:22 EST

Proposals by Rep. Marlin Stutzman, R-3rd, to separate food stamps from the farm bill appear to be in limbo.

Mueller: FBI uses drones for surveillance

Associated Press — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 19:54:15 EST

WASHINGTON The FBI uses drones for surveillance of stationary subjects, and the privacy implications of such operations are "worthy of debate," FBI Director Robert Mueller said Wednesday.

3 killed, 1 wounded in Louisville condo shooting

Associated Press — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 18:51:26 EST

LOUISVILLE, Ky. Louisville police say three people are dead and a fourth is injured after a shooting at a condominium building near the

Men's Wearhouse ousts founder, pitchman Zimmer

ANNE D'INNOCENZIO — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 18:35:30 EST

NEW YORK Men's Wearhouse doesn't like the way its founder looks anymore.

No remains found after Jimmy Hoffa tip

Corey Williams — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 10:59:51 EST

OAKLAND TOWNSHIP, Mich. - The FBI says it has found no sign of the remains of former Teamsters union leader Jimmy Hoffa and is ending a dig in suburban Detroit.

NSA surveillance thwarted over 50 plots, officials say

Ellen Nakashima — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 03:00:00 EST

The U.S. government's sweeping surveillance programs have disrupted more than 50 terrorist plots in the United States and abroad, including a plan to bomb the New York Stock Exchange, senior government officials testified Tuesday.

Teacher training gets poor marks

Lyndsey Layton — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 03:00:00 EST

The vast majority of the 1,430 education programs that prepare the nation's K-12 teachers are mediocre, according to a first-ever rating that immediately touched off a firestorm.

Search for Hoffa mystery endures for decades

Associated Press — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 03:22:48 EST

Jimmy Hoffa's disappearance almost 40 years ago has been the stuff of urban legend, prompting numerous theories about what happened to the former Teamsters leader.

Shovels turn at ex-mobster's digs

VERENA DOBNIK — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 03:00:00 EST

FBI agents with jackhammers and shovels were digging Tuesday under a New York City house once occupied by a famed gangster who inspired Robert De Niro's character in the movie "Goodfellas."

Analysts: Immigration bill would save money

Lori Montgomery — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 03:00:00 EST

The immigration bill under consideration in the Senate would reduce federal deficits by nearly $200 billion over the next decade and continue generating savings in the years beyond, even after millions of new citizens became eligible for health care and welfare benefits, congressional budget analysts said Tuesday.

40 potential jurors picked in Zimmerman trial

MIKE SCHNEIDER — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 03:00:00 EST

Forty potential jurors in George Zimmerman's murder trial were asked Tuesday to return for further questioning, clearing the first round of interviews for a case that involves issues of race, equal justice and gun control.

Scientists seek bomb that doesn't blow up

Greg Jaffe — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 03:00:00 EST

The four Pentagon scientists gathered at a secret base about an hour's drive from Washington. The three younger scientists wore camouflage jackets and dark, wraparound sunglasses. The fourth, their leader, was a 61-year-old man named Bob Best who has thick eyeglasses and thinning hair. He was about to build a bomb.

Baked Alaska: Unusual heat wave hits the 49th state

RACHEL D’ORO | Associated Press — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 03:15:18 EST

ANCHORAGE, Alaska - A heat wave hitting Alaska may not rival the blazing heat of Phoenix or Las Vegas, but to residents of the 49th state, the days of hot weather feel like a stifling oven - or a tropical paradise.

House passes doomed abortion bill

JIM ABRAMS — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 03:00:00 EST

The Republican-led House on Tuesday passed a far-reaching anti-abortion bill that conservatives saw as a milestone in their 40-year campaign against legalized abortion and Democrats characterized as yet another example of the GOP war on women.

Timber looks centuries old

JOHN FLESHER — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 03:00:00 EST

A wooden beam embedded at the bottom of northern Lake Michigan appears to have been there for centuries, underwater archaeologists announced Tuesday, a crucial finding as crews dig toward what they hope is the carcass of a French ship that disappeared while exploring the Great Lakes in the 17th century.

Report bashes teacher-training programs, rates colleges

Philip Elliott — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 16:54:28 EST

WASHINGTON - The nation's teacher-training programs do not adequately prepare would-be educators for the classroom, even as they produce almost triple the number of graduates needed, according to a survey of more than 1,000 programs released Tuesday.

8 million immigrants to gain legal status in Senate bill

David Espo and Erica Werner — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 18:58:29 EST

WASHINGTON - About 8 million immigrants living unlawfully in the United States would initially gain legal status under sweeping legislation moving toward a vote in the Senate, the Congressional Budget Office said Tuesday, adding the bill would push federal deficits lower in each of the next two decades.

Zimmerman jury pool selected in Trayvon Martin death

Mike Schneider and Kyle Hightower — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 17:07:51 EST

SANFORD, Fla. - Attorneys trying to pick a jury in George Zimmerman's murder trial have selected a pool of 40 potential jurors who will go on to a second round of questioning.

Grandparent’s dog kills boy, 6

Associated Press — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 15:40:31 EST

UNION CITY, Calif. - A 6-year-old San Francisco Bay area boy has died after he was attacked by a relative's dog. Authorities say the attack occurred around 11:30 a.m. Monday at a grandparent's home in Union City. The dog has been described as a pit bull or pit bull mix.

TV wrestling moves kill girl, 5; 13-year-old arrested

Associated Press — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 15:33:20 EST

NEW ORLEANS - A 13-year-old boy from a New Orleans suburb has been arrested after authorities say he told them he used TV wrestling moves on his 5-year-old half-sister who died from her injuries.

Mistrial in Detroit girl’s shooting death by officer

Ed White — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 15:09:18 EST

DETROIT - A judge Tuesday declared a mistrial after jurors failed to reach a verdict in the trial of a Detroit police officer who fatally shot a 7-year-old girl.

Surveillance foiled 50 plots, NSA director says

Kimberly Dozier — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 11:52:41 EST

WASHINGTON - The director of the National Security Agency said Tuesday the government's sweeping surveillance programs have thwarted about 50 terrorist plots worldwide, including one directed at the New York Stock Exchange.

Organ donor registrations surge after Facebook adds status

Elizabeth Lopatto — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 13:58:32 EST

SAN FRANCISCO - Facebook's addition of a way for its users to tell people their organ-donor status helped boost the number of people who registered as donors 21-fold in one day.

GOP is losing its grip on Virginia

Michael Tackett — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 13:43:53 EST

LEESBURG, Va. - Downtown Leesburg offers a portrait of attachment to the past: Federal-style buildings line the streets, and the courthouse square features both a plaque commemorating a reading in 1776 of the Declaration of Independence and a statute honoring Confederate soldiers.

Lake Michigan beam could be from missing 1679 ship

JOHN FLESHER — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 12:05:00 EST

FAIRPORT, Mich. - Scientists say a wooden beam extending from the floor of northern Lake Michigan appears to have been there for centuries, an important finding as they try to determine whether it's part of the Griffin, the first European-style ship to sail on the upper Great Lakes.

Citizenship voting law struck down

JESSE J. HOLLAND — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 03:00:00 EST

States can't demand proof of citizenship from people registering to vote in federal elections unless they get federal or court approval to do so, the Supreme Court ruled Monday in a decision complicating efforts in Arizona and other states to bar voting by people who are in the country illegally.

Life better for 300,000 kids of immigrants

CHRISTINE ARMARIO — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 03:00:00 EST

As a child, Jorge Tume used to sit and do homework as his parents cleaned the desks and floors of a concrete company in Miami. When he was done, he'd take out the trash and help finish cleaning.

Plans put women in combat

LOLITA C. BALDOR — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 03:00:00 EST

Women may be able to start training as Army Rangers by mid-2015 and as Navy SEALs a year later under plans set to be announced by the Pentagon that would slowly bring women into thousands of combat jobs, including those in elite special operations forces.

Obama defends, Snowden mocks

KIMBERLY DOZIER — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 03:00:00 EST

President Barack Obama defended top secret National Security Agency spying programs as legal in a lengthy interview Monday and called them transparent - although they are authorized in secret.

EU, US to launch historic trade talks

Associated Press — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 03:00:00 EST

Talks on a sweeping trade deal between the European Union and the United States, the world's two largest trading partners, are to get underway in Washington next month, President Barack Obama and top European Union officials said Monday.

Chicago violence to plague next US attorney

MICHAEL TARM — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 03:00:00 EST

Chicago's next U.S. attorney faces a dilemma sprung from the twin evils bedeviling America's third-largest city.

Court says pre-Miranda silence can be used

JESSE J. HOLLAND — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 20:34:51 EST

WASHINGTON The Supreme Court says prosecutors can use a person's silence against them if it comes before he's told of his right to remain silent.

Komen for the Cure names new CEO

Associated Press — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 16:45:55 EST

DALLAS - Susan G. Komen for the Cure announced Monday that it has a new CEO.

FBI searches land linked to Jimmy Hoffa disappearance

Corey Williams — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 11:38:45 EST

OAKLAND TOWNSHIP, Mich. - The FBI says it is searching a field in suburban Detroit based on information involving the disappearance of former Teamsters leader Jimmy Hoffa.

Supreme Court: Pre-Miranda silence can be used

Associated Press — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 10:45:35 EST

WASHINGTON - The Supreme Court says prosecutor can use a person's silence against them in court if it comes before he's told of his right to remain silent.

Supreme Court: 'Pay to delay’ generic drugs can be illegal

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 12:20:57 EST

Jesse J. Holland

Picnicker tosses meat to bear, gets mauled

Associated Police — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 10:01:01 EST

ANCHORAGE, Alaska - The Alaska Department of Fish and Game says a black bear that mauled a man at a campground north of Anchorage won't likely threaten other people.

Supreme Court: Arizona citizenship proof law illegal

Associated Press — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 10:42:12 EST

WASHINGTON - The Supreme Court says states cannot require would-be voters to prove they are U.S. citizens before using a federal registration system designed to make signing up easier.

Metadata unmask people's secret ways

Ellen Nakashima — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 03:00:00 EST

The general's mistress thought she was being clever by using anonymous email accounts and sending messages using hotel WiFi networks. But metadata - in this case the Internet protocol addresses pointing to network locations - gave her away.

Health care law used in immigration fight

David Nakamura and Sandhya Somashekhar — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 03:00:00 EST

After spending years unsuccessfully trying to overturn Obamacare, Republicans are now attempting to use President Barack Obama's landmark health care law to derail his top second-term initiative - a sweeping overhaul of the nation's immigration system.

IRS supervisor in DC examined tea party cases

STEPHEN OHLEMACHER — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 03:00:00 EST

An Internal Revenue Service supervisor in Washington says she was personally involved in scrutinizing some of the earliest applications from tea party groups seeking tax-exempt status, including some requests that languished for more than a year without action.

Lawyer selected as envoy to Gitmo

MATTHEW LEE — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 03:00:00 EST

President Barack Obama has chosen a high-powered Washington lawyer with extensive experience in all three branches of the government to be the State Department's special envoy for closing down the military-run prison at the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base in Cuba.

GOP justices to do most writing

Robert Barnes — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 03:00:00 EST

It's time for the conservative justices on the Supreme Court to get to work.