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Friday, Feb. 4, 2011 Page 2
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Obama: clean energy will bring jobs
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) though, has since been vastly over– President Barack Obama, turnshadowed by the political upheaval ing briefly to his eclipsed domestic and violence in Egypt. agenda, sharpened his sales pitch for At Penn State, the president sought clean energy technology Thursday by to underline how committing to enerpromising that the payoff would a be gy could create jobs – the top concern wave of jobs – the kind good enough across the country. to support families and long-term Referring to the emerging energy American prosperity. research center at the Philadelphia In a quick trip to Pennsylvania, Navy Yard, Obama said: “The discovSon of ex-Enron exec a politically critical state, Obama eries made on this campus will lead to proposed a tax credit and other ideas more jobs – jobs in engineering, Skilling found dead aimed at getting businesses to retrofit even jobs in manufacturing, jobs in conSANTA ANA, Calif. (AP) – A son of their buildings and save costs. He struction, jobs in insulation, jobs in former Enron President Jeff Skilling acknowledged that as presidential retail.They’ll be jobs with a national has been found dead in his Southern ideas go, making commercial buildpurpose – jobs that make our econoCalifornia apartment. ings more energy efficient “may not my smarter, jobs that make our planet Santa Ana police Cpl. Anthony sound too sexy,” but he said the comsafer, jobs that maintain America’s Bertagna says 20-year-old John Taylor mitment to such research could save competitive edge.” Skilling was found dead Tuesday after billions in utility bills and create jobs The innovation hub is getting a big he failed to meet friends for a dinner of true “national purpose.” help from taxpayers: $129 million in and they called police. “Making our buildings more federal money over five years. Jeff Skilling’s attorney, Daniel energy efficient is one of the fastAs part of his new plan, Obama PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA shakes hands with a student as he tours a Petrocelli, confirmed to CNBC that the est, easiest and cheapest ways to will ask Congress to provide compalab at Penn State University in State College, Pa., Feb. 3, with James Freihaut, associyoung man was his client’s son. save money, combat pollution and nies with a tax credit that financially ate professor of Architectural Engineering, second from right. AP photo Bertagna said Thursday that bottles create jobs,” Obama told a supportrewards them for retrofitting their ments that make it easier for compathe Mideast on the edge. Earlier in of medication were found near Skilling, ive crowd of invited guests, many buildings in ways that decrease enernies to upgrade their buildings; and the day, Obama addressed the conwho had been distraught over a breakof them students, at Pennsylvania gy usage. The proposal would alter more training for workers in the field tinuing violence during remarks at a up with his girlfriend. State University. The president chose the existing tax break for such comof commercial building technology. prayer breakfast in Washington. But Authorities are awaiting a toxicology Penn State largely because of its lead mercial upgrades, switching it from He challenged corporate executives he made no mention of the Egyptian report to determine the cause of death. role in a research hub, under way in a deduction to a credit that applies and university presidents to help the turmoil in his Penn State remarks. That could take four to six weeks. Philadelphia, that centers on energymore widely, administration officials cause. Administration officials offered His father is serving a 24-year senefficient technology. said. Obama is trying to press on with no details on how much Obama’s plan tence in federal prison for fraud, insider Obama’s broader aim is to build Obama’s new buildings proposal his economic ideas, ahead of the would cost. They said those details trading and conspiracy. public and congressional support for also calls for broader access to financrelease of his budget plan on Feb. 14, will be released in the budget and the long-term economic ideas he outing for businesses that want to make Judge ‘heartbroken’ by the while he manages his response to the proposed elimination of oil industry lined in his State of the Union address energy-saving upgrades; competitive violent clashes that have Egypt and subsidies would help cover the costs. son’s arrest in Las Vegas last week. The agenda of that speech, grants for states and local governLAS VEGAS (AP) – A Las Vegas judge says he’s “heartbroken” his 29-year-old son has been arrested in the brazen gunpoint robbery of $1.5 million in casino chips from the posh SAN FRANCISCO (AP) – The top federal proseThe Oakland City Council had asked Russo to She warned that not only operators of mariBellagio resort on the Las Vegas Strip. cutor in Northern California has warned Oakland seek guidance from federal authorities, even as the juana farms but also landlords, property owners, Las Vegas Municipal Court Judge officials that large-scale marijuana farms licensed council in December put the application process financiers and others could face prosecution and George Assad said Thursday he can’t by the city would violate U.S. law and could lead to for growers’ licenses on hold following a warning the loss of property for growing marijuana under say much more about the arrest of a crackdown on growers and their backers. from the Alameda County district attorney that Oakland’s law. Anthony M. Carleo. The warning in a letter from U.S. Attorney the city’s ordinance also likely violated state law. A revised measure brought before the Oakland Police say Carleo was the motorcyMelinda Haag offered the first clear signal that In July, Oakland became the first city in the City Council this week sought to bring the city’s cle helmet-wearing bandit who waved the Justice Department would not tolerate even country to authorize the licensing of marijuana cultivation plans into compliance with state law by a gun, grabbed high-value casino city-sanctioned growing operations, despite the cultivation operations. Until Haag’s letter, federal tying each farm to an individual pot dispensary. chips and made off on a motorcycle Obama administration’s hands-off approach to law enforcement officials had kept quiet about California’s landmark 1996 medical marijuana before dawn Dec. 14. states that have legalized medical marijuana. what might happen if the city actually went law allows users only to grow pot for themselves Jail records show Carleo is jailed “The department is concerned about the through with its plan. or obtain it from a designated primary caregiver. under the last name Assad pending Oakland ordinance’s creation of a licensing Haag’s letter acknowledges an October 2009 Hundreds of pot dispensaries throughout the state court on Monday. It’s not clear if he scheme that permits large-scale industrial mariJustice Department memo instructing federal have operated largely free from interference from has a lawyer. juana cultivation and manufacturing as it authoprosecutors to avoid going after patients complyauthorities by having users designate the dispensary as their primary caregiver. $16M settlement for rizes conduct contrary to federal law,” Haag wrote ing with state laws regarding the medical use of in the letter to Oakland City Attorney John Russo marijuana. Alameda County District Attorney Nancy Wis. utility explosion dated Tuesday. Since then, California has seen a drop in raids O’Malley said in her December warning to the MILWAUKEE (AP) – A lawyer repRusso spokesman Alex Katz declined to comon medical marijuana dispensaries compared with council that she doubted whether the farms, as resenting eight people hurt in a 2009 ment on Haag’s letter but said Russo was planning the Bush administration years. conceived under Oakland’s original ordinance, explosion at a Milwaukee-area power to draft amendments to Oakland’s medical mariBut Haag wrote that her office will vigorously could qualify as primary caregivers. She also plant says his clients have reached a $16 juana regulations to address cultivation issues. enforce federal anti-drug laws against illegal man- warned that even council members might face million settlement. Those would likely be brought before the council ufacturing and distribution of marijuana, “even if criminal prosecution if the farms were allowed to Attorney Timothy S. Trecek in the next few weeks, he said. such activities are permitted under state law.” open. announced the agreement Thursday, the two-year anniversary of the explosion. Defendants included Wisconsin Electric Power Co. and contractor U.S. Fire Protection Inc. The explosion occurred at a PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) – Haiti’s decision opportunity to express their will.” The left-leaning coal-fired power plant in suburban to eliminate the government-backed candidate from Center for Economic and Policy Research called it “a Milwaukee. A silo exploded into a presidential runoff won praise from foreign powbig setback.” flames, sending four people to hosers Thursday, and the U.S. and others signaled they Both said the race was fundamentally flawed pitals with second- and third-degree would agree with President Rene Preval staying in because it excluded the party of exiled former burns and blasting others against a office for a few months past the end of his term. President Jean-Bertrand Aristide, who remains popuwall. The move ended a weekslong standoff with lar among many Haitians and has a dedicated followTrecek says the defendants were international donors. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary ing overseas. negligent because coal dust in the silo Rodham Clinton had made a last-minute visit in the But many Haitians, especially in the capital, said wasn’t removed as required before midst of the Egypt crisis to reiterate personally to they were happy with the result. workers entered to do construction. Preval that Washington supported the Organization “If people didn’t vote for the candidates we A We Energies spokesman says the of American States recommendation that rulingwouldn’t have had these problems” in the streets, said utility wasn’t responsible for the exploparty candidate Jude Celestin be dropped from the Adlair Saintil, a 28-year-old bread vendor. HAITI’S PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE sion or plaintiffs’ injuries. ballot. He supports Martelly because of promises to move
Nat’lBriefs
Feds give warning to Oakland pot farms
Haiti election decision praised abroad
LateNiteHumor Top 10 Things You Don’t Know About Mitt Romney –Tuesday, February 1, 2011 10. Mitt is short for Mitt-thew. 9. I can’t begin my day until I’ve read the Washington Post and Kim Kardashian’s tweets. 8. I’m the guy in the photo that comes with your picture frame. 7. I spent six months in a Mexican prison for selling black market Pillow Pets. 6. Do I smell as good as I look? No. 5. In high school, I was voted “Mittiest.” 4. I got into politics for the piles and piles of paperwork. 3. Look for my best selling autobiography “They Call Me Baba Romney.” 2. I have absolutely no idea where my birth certificate is. 1. Oprah is my half-sister.
The early morning announcement that first-place candidate Mirlande Manigat will face popular singer Michel “Sweet Micky” Martelly prompted cheers of relief in the surrounding suburbs of the capital, where residents had feared a repeat of pro-Martelly riots in December after preliminary results showed Celestin as the No. 2 vote-getter. That joy was surpassed by the reaction abroad. “It’s a great day in Haiti today again. We had some positive results from the (electoral council) earlier this morning,” U.S. Ambassador to Haiti Kenneth Merten told reporters in Washington. “We are pleased to note that they seemed to have been very diligent in following the OAS verification mission’s report’s recommendations.” Governments that have collectively spent billions on Haiti’s stalled recovery from last year’s earthquake – and pledged billions more for reconstruction – wanted to see an acceptably elected government in place to continue with their investment, aid and reconstruction plans. International frustration with Preval was high. The U.S. suspended visas to a number of officials in the lead-up to the final results as rumors swirled that Celestin would be given a spot in the runoff.
Michel Martelly, center, walks surrounded by bodyguards and advisers before a press conference in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Feb. 3. AP Photo
U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Susan Rice said support depended in part on following the OAS recommendations. On Thursday, U.N. deputy spokesman Farhan Haq said that Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon welcomed the final results and “encouraged all actors to take advantage of this opportunity to move forward with the electoral process.” An OAS expert team was brought in to sort through a messy first round election on Nov. 28 that was nearly derailed by fraud, disorganization, voter intimidation and calls by candidates – including Martelly and Manigat – to throw out the vote while polls were open. Though international observers initially said problems had not invalidated the election, the Dec. 7 announcement that Celestin could advance and subsequent rioting prompted immediate statements by the U.S. Embassy and others questioning the results. On Thursday, U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters said the United States, Canada and France “used (their) tremendous power and influence to determine the outcome of the first round” and denied Haitians “the
government services and jobs to areas outside Portau-Prince. “A lot of people died because they had to leave their hometowns,” Saintil said. The second round, originally slated for January, is now expected March 20 with campaigning set to begin Feb. 17. Final results – the naming of Haiti’s next president – is not foreseen until April 16. Preval’s five-year term is supposed to end Monday. He extended his term for up to three months through a law passed by members of his party in an expiring Senate. Haitians fed up with his government protested and he pledged to step down on time, but more recently reversed course and said he wants to remain until a successor is elected. “If him continuing in his position until a new president is elected supports stability and peace in the country then I think it’s a good thing,” OAS Assistant Secretary-General Albert Ramdin told The Associated Press by phone. “But this is a decision to be made by the Haitian authorities,” he added. Merten, the U.S. ambassador to Haiti, agreed. “Our goal is again to support what the Haitian people want and for there to be a peaceful turnover of power from one legitimately elected president to another,” he said.