World/Nation Briefs 6.22.2012
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By -
MIAMI (AP) — LeBron James is a world champion, and the Miami Heat have climbed to the top of NBA.
James capped his title bid with 26 points, 13 assists and 11 rebounds, Chris Bosh added 23 points, Dwyane Wade scored 20 points and the Heat finished off the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 5 of the NBA Finals on Thursday night, winning 121-106.
Mike Miller scored 23 points on 7-for-8 shooting from 3-point range for Miami, which adds this title to the one it claimed in 2006.
Kevin Durant scored 32 points for the Thunder, who took Game 1 of the series and then dropped four straight. James, Wade and Bosh came out with 3:01 left, and the Heat crowd roared the rest of the way.
———
Video shows Zimmerman taking police through re-enactment of fight, fatal shooting of Martin
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — George Zimmerman appears believable when he re-enacts for police what he says led to the fatal shooting of Trayvon Martin, but some of his statements are questionable, lawyers who reviewed the footage Thursday said.
Even a detective who interrogates the neighborhood watch leader in an audio recording points out inconsistencies in his story, particularly Zimmerman’s claim that Martin confronted him, punched him and slammed his head onto the ground when the teenager had no prior history of violence.
Detective Chris Sereno asks Zimmerman whether he was profiling Martin because he was black, a claim Martin’s parents have made.
‘‘You know you are going to come under a lot of scrutiny for this,’’ Sereno said. ‘‘Had this person been white, would you have felt the same way?’’
‘‘Yes,’’ said Zimmerman, who father is white and his mother Hispanic.
———
Boehner takes hard line, says House will proceed with contempt vote on attorney general
WASHINGTON (AP) — House Speaker John Boehner demanded Thursday that the Obama administration give in and turn over documents related to a botched gun-tracking operation, insisting that’s the only way to stop a House vote to hold the attorney general in contempt.
Boehner took a hard line against the Obama administration and Attorney General Eric Holder despite a willingness by House Republicans and Holder to negotiate a settlement before the matter becomes a constitutional crisis. The president has invoked executive privilege, a legal principle used to avoid disclosure of internal presidential documents.
While a confrontation between the legislative and executive branches of government would be an academic dispute to most voters, Boehner on Thursday injected a human element into the battle over documents related to Operation Fast and Furious. He said the family of slain border agent Brian Terry deserved answers about the guns that killed him.
Two guns that were allowed to ‘‘walk’’ from Arizona to Mexico in the failed effort to track weapons were found near Terry after he was killed.
‘‘The Terry family deserves answers about why their son was killed as a result of an operation run by the United States government,’’ Boehner told his weekly news conference.
———
Sandusky called predator as Penn St. molestation case goes to jury; his adult son claims abuse
BELLEFONTE, Pa. (AP) — Jerry Sandusky was either a ‘‘predatory pedophile’’ who lured young boys to Penn State with gifts and access to big-time football, or a victim of now-grown men who lied to get a payout, attorneys argued Thursday as the former coach’s child sex abuse case went to a jury.
As jurors deliberated into the evening, one of Sandusky’s adopted sons came forward for the first time to say that his father had abused him. Matt Sandusky, 33, was prepared to testify for prosecutors at the trial, his attorneys said in a statement. The statement didn’t specify what the alleged abuse was.
The elder Sandusky, who faces life in prison if convicted of 48 counts of abuse of 10 boys over 15 years, was smiling and chuckling to himself as prosecutors wrapped up closing arguments. His wife, Dottie, leaned forward in her seat with a concerned look, resting her chin in her hands.
The former assistant football coach was arrested last November in a scandal that led to the firing of beloved head coach Joe Paterno, who died of cancer in January, and the departure of the university’s president.
The jury deliberated for more than eight hours Thursday before stopping at about 9:30 p.m.
———
Trailing Obama with key bloc, Romney vows to tackle immigration in ’civil but resolute manner’
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — Backing off the harsh rhetoric of the Republican primaries, Mitt Romney pledged Thursday to address illegal immigration ‘‘in a civil but resolute manner.’’ He outlined plans to overhaul the green card system for immigrants with families, and end immigration caps for their spouses and minor children.
In a speech before Hispanic leaders, Romney made only passing mention of his promise to complete a 2,000-mile border fence to help stem illegal immigration. Instead he attacked President Barack Obama’s new plan to ease deportation rules for some illegal immigrants brought to the United States as children as little more than a ‘‘stop-gap measure.’’
‘‘As President, I won’t settle for a stop-gap measure. I will work with Republicans and Democrats to find a long-term solution,’’ Romney told the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials. ‘‘I will prioritize measures that strengthen legal immigration and make it easier. And I will address the problem of illegal immigration in a civil but resolute manner. We may not always agree, but when I make a promise to you, I will keep it.’’
Obama will speak to the same group Friday. The speeches come as the Supreme Court prepares to render judgment on a get-tough Arizona law and after Obama announced his new deportation plan.
Romney again refused to say whether he would reverse Obama’s policy, promising his ‘‘own long-term solution that will replace and supersede the president’s temporary measure.’’
———
Poll: Obama loses advantage over Romney as economic anxieties increase
WASHINGTON (AP) — Fighting a swell of economic anxiety, President Barack Obama has lost much of the narrow lead he held just a month ago over Mitt Romney and the two now are locked in a virtually even race for the White House, according to a new Associated Press-GfK poll. The survey also found a majority of Americans disapproving of how the Democratic president is handling a national economy that fewer people think is improving.
Less than five months before the election, 47 percent say they will vote for the president and 44 percent for Romney, a difference that is not statistically significant. The poll also shows that Romney has recovered from a bruising Republican primary, with more of his supporters saying they are certain to vote for him now.
The economy remains Obama’s top liability. Only 3 out of 10 adults say the country is headed in the right direction and 55 percent disapprove of his handling of the economy, the highest level detected in AP-GfK polls this year.
‘‘I’m not going to vote for Obama,’’ said Raymond Back, a 60-year-old manufacturing plant manager from North Olmsted, Ohio, one of the most competitive states in this election. ‘‘It’s just the wrong thing to do. I don’t know what Romney is going to do, but this isn’t the right way.’’
Yet, in a measure of Romney’s own vulnerabilities, even some voters who say they support Romney believe the president will still be re-elected. Of all adults polled, 56 percent believe Obama will win a second term. And despite three months of declining job creation that have left the public increasingly glum, Romney has not managed to seize the economic issue from the president, with registered voters split virtually evenly on whether Romney or Obama would do a better job improving it.
———
Court sidesteps broad issue of broadcast indecency, throws out FCC fines for nudity, cursing
WASHINGTON (AP) — Broadcasters anticipating a major constitutional ruling on the government’s authority to regulate what can be shown and said on the airwaves instead won only the smallest of Supreme Court victories Thursday.
The justices unanimously threw out fines and other penalties against Fox and ABC television stations that violated the Federal Communications Commission policy regulating curse words and nudity on television airwaves.
Forgoing a broader constitutional ruling, however, the court concluded only that broadcasters could not have known in advance that obscenities uttered during awards show programs on Fox stations and a brief display of nudity on an episode of ABC’s ‘‘NYPD Blue’’ could give rise to penalties. ABC and 45 affiliates had been hit with proposed fines totaling nearly $1.24 million.
Broadcasters had argued that the revolution in technology that has brought the Internet, satellite television and cable has made the rules themselves obsolete. The regulations apply only to broadcast channels.
The justices said the FCC is free to revise its indecency policy, which is intended to keep the airwaves free of objectionable material during the hours when children are likely to be watching.
———
Moody’s cuts the credit ratings of 15 major global banks, citing risks to future profitability
NEW YORK (AP) — Moody’s Investors Service lowered the credit ratings of 15 major banks Thursday, including Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase and Goldman Sachs, saying their long-term prospects for profitability and growth are shrinking.
The ratings agency said it was especially concerned about banks with significant financial markets businesses because those markets have become so volatile. Some of the largest European banks were also downgraded, including Barclays, Deutsche Bank and HSBC.
These banks were vulnerable to ‘‘outsized losses,’’ Moody’s global banking managing director Greg Bauer said in a statement. These behemoth banks are all major players in the global stock and bond markets, which have become extremely volatile. However, Bauer pointed out that some of the banks, like JPMorgan Chase and HSBC, have reliable buffers in more stable businesses which could act as ‘‘shock absorbers’’ during a crisis.
The downgrades reflect Moody’s concern over the ability of the banks to repay their debts during times of crisis. Moody’s had said in February that it was considering downgrading the credit ratings of major banks in the U.S. and in Europe.
A downgrade usually means banks will have to pay more for its debt. Investors demand higher interest for riskier debt, which is what the downgrades represent. However, with interest rates already at rock-bottom levels, the downgrades may not affect the cost of funding for the banks that much.
———
At least $380K raised to send bullied NY school bus monitor on vacation; boys receive threats
A video of a 68-year-old school bus monitor being mercilessly taunted by seventh-graders became a rallying point against bullies Thursday, with a fund for the New York state grandmother raising at least $380,000 and a deluge of people demanding harsh punishment for the boys.
Police said Karen Klein does not want her young tormenters to face criminal charges, partly because of the storm of criticism leveled at the boys from the Rochester suburb of Greece after the video went viral.
‘‘They’ve received death threats,’’ Greece Police Capt. Steve Chatterton said Thursday. ‘‘Their families have been threatened. We have custody of one of their cellphones, and he had over 1,000 missed calls and 1,000 text messages threatening him. And he’s 13 years old. That must stop.’’
The verbal abuse was captured in a 10-minute cellphone video recorded Monday by a student of Athena Middle School in suburban Rochester and later posted to YouTube. The video shows Klein trying her best to ignore the stream of profanity, insults and outright threats directed at her.
One student taunted: ‘‘You don’t have a family because they all killed themselves because they don’t want to be near you.’’ Klein’s oldest son killed himself 10 years ago.
———
3 men arrested on suspicion of assault over videotaped LA freeway beating
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Three Los Angeles men were arrested in relation to a videotaped freeway fistfight inspired by road rage — two are suspected of beating and kicking a man who was later arrested on suspicion of being involved in a similar altercation last month, authorities said Thursday.
David Mendez, 21, and Edras Ramirez, 27, turned themselves in to a California Highway Patrol investigative services office in Hollywood at about 7:30 p.m. Wednesday and were arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon, CHP Officer Ming Hsu said.
The man who was beaten in the video, identified as Jerry Patterson, was arrested without incident in Altadena on an outstanding warrant on suspicion of DUI, hit and run and assault in a May 25 incident, the California Highway Patrol told NBC4-TV on Thursday (http://bit.ly/O01WVS).
Hsu said it was unclear why Mendez and Ramirez surrendered. However, a video of the June 12 freeway fight clearly showed the faces of two men who grappled with the victim and also had the license plate of the getaway car.
The video became a minor sensation after being posted on YouTube and it was widely aired Wednesday by television news stations.
[[In-content Ad]]
MIAMI (AP) — LeBron James is a world champion, and the Miami Heat have climbed to the top of NBA.
James capped his title bid with 26 points, 13 assists and 11 rebounds, Chris Bosh added 23 points, Dwyane Wade scored 20 points and the Heat finished off the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 5 of the NBA Finals on Thursday night, winning 121-106.
Mike Miller scored 23 points on 7-for-8 shooting from 3-point range for Miami, which adds this title to the one it claimed in 2006.
Kevin Durant scored 32 points for the Thunder, who took Game 1 of the series and then dropped four straight. James, Wade and Bosh came out with 3:01 left, and the Heat crowd roared the rest of the way.
———
Video shows Zimmerman taking police through re-enactment of fight, fatal shooting of Martin
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — George Zimmerman appears believable when he re-enacts for police what he says led to the fatal shooting of Trayvon Martin, but some of his statements are questionable, lawyers who reviewed the footage Thursday said.
Even a detective who interrogates the neighborhood watch leader in an audio recording points out inconsistencies in his story, particularly Zimmerman’s claim that Martin confronted him, punched him and slammed his head onto the ground when the teenager had no prior history of violence.
Detective Chris Sereno asks Zimmerman whether he was profiling Martin because he was black, a claim Martin’s parents have made.
‘‘You know you are going to come under a lot of scrutiny for this,’’ Sereno said. ‘‘Had this person been white, would you have felt the same way?’’
‘‘Yes,’’ said Zimmerman, who father is white and his mother Hispanic.
———
Boehner takes hard line, says House will proceed with contempt vote on attorney general
WASHINGTON (AP) — House Speaker John Boehner demanded Thursday that the Obama administration give in and turn over documents related to a botched gun-tracking operation, insisting that’s the only way to stop a House vote to hold the attorney general in contempt.
Boehner took a hard line against the Obama administration and Attorney General Eric Holder despite a willingness by House Republicans and Holder to negotiate a settlement before the matter becomes a constitutional crisis. The president has invoked executive privilege, a legal principle used to avoid disclosure of internal presidential documents.
While a confrontation between the legislative and executive branches of government would be an academic dispute to most voters, Boehner on Thursday injected a human element into the battle over documents related to Operation Fast and Furious. He said the family of slain border agent Brian Terry deserved answers about the guns that killed him.
Two guns that were allowed to ‘‘walk’’ from Arizona to Mexico in the failed effort to track weapons were found near Terry after he was killed.
‘‘The Terry family deserves answers about why their son was killed as a result of an operation run by the United States government,’’ Boehner told his weekly news conference.
———
Sandusky called predator as Penn St. molestation case goes to jury; his adult son claims abuse
BELLEFONTE, Pa. (AP) — Jerry Sandusky was either a ‘‘predatory pedophile’’ who lured young boys to Penn State with gifts and access to big-time football, or a victim of now-grown men who lied to get a payout, attorneys argued Thursday as the former coach’s child sex abuse case went to a jury.
As jurors deliberated into the evening, one of Sandusky’s adopted sons came forward for the first time to say that his father had abused him. Matt Sandusky, 33, was prepared to testify for prosecutors at the trial, his attorneys said in a statement. The statement didn’t specify what the alleged abuse was.
The elder Sandusky, who faces life in prison if convicted of 48 counts of abuse of 10 boys over 15 years, was smiling and chuckling to himself as prosecutors wrapped up closing arguments. His wife, Dottie, leaned forward in her seat with a concerned look, resting her chin in her hands.
The former assistant football coach was arrested last November in a scandal that led to the firing of beloved head coach Joe Paterno, who died of cancer in January, and the departure of the university’s president.
The jury deliberated for more than eight hours Thursday before stopping at about 9:30 p.m.
———
Trailing Obama with key bloc, Romney vows to tackle immigration in ’civil but resolute manner’
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — Backing off the harsh rhetoric of the Republican primaries, Mitt Romney pledged Thursday to address illegal immigration ‘‘in a civil but resolute manner.’’ He outlined plans to overhaul the green card system for immigrants with families, and end immigration caps for their spouses and minor children.
In a speech before Hispanic leaders, Romney made only passing mention of his promise to complete a 2,000-mile border fence to help stem illegal immigration. Instead he attacked President Barack Obama’s new plan to ease deportation rules for some illegal immigrants brought to the United States as children as little more than a ‘‘stop-gap measure.’’
‘‘As President, I won’t settle for a stop-gap measure. I will work with Republicans and Democrats to find a long-term solution,’’ Romney told the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials. ‘‘I will prioritize measures that strengthen legal immigration and make it easier. And I will address the problem of illegal immigration in a civil but resolute manner. We may not always agree, but when I make a promise to you, I will keep it.’’
Obama will speak to the same group Friday. The speeches come as the Supreme Court prepares to render judgment on a get-tough Arizona law and after Obama announced his new deportation plan.
Romney again refused to say whether he would reverse Obama’s policy, promising his ‘‘own long-term solution that will replace and supersede the president’s temporary measure.’’
———
Poll: Obama loses advantage over Romney as economic anxieties increase
WASHINGTON (AP) — Fighting a swell of economic anxiety, President Barack Obama has lost much of the narrow lead he held just a month ago over Mitt Romney and the two now are locked in a virtually even race for the White House, according to a new Associated Press-GfK poll. The survey also found a majority of Americans disapproving of how the Democratic president is handling a national economy that fewer people think is improving.
Less than five months before the election, 47 percent say they will vote for the president and 44 percent for Romney, a difference that is not statistically significant. The poll also shows that Romney has recovered from a bruising Republican primary, with more of his supporters saying they are certain to vote for him now.
The economy remains Obama’s top liability. Only 3 out of 10 adults say the country is headed in the right direction and 55 percent disapprove of his handling of the economy, the highest level detected in AP-GfK polls this year.
‘‘I’m not going to vote for Obama,’’ said Raymond Back, a 60-year-old manufacturing plant manager from North Olmsted, Ohio, one of the most competitive states in this election. ‘‘It’s just the wrong thing to do. I don’t know what Romney is going to do, but this isn’t the right way.’’
Yet, in a measure of Romney’s own vulnerabilities, even some voters who say they support Romney believe the president will still be re-elected. Of all adults polled, 56 percent believe Obama will win a second term. And despite three months of declining job creation that have left the public increasingly glum, Romney has not managed to seize the economic issue from the president, with registered voters split virtually evenly on whether Romney or Obama would do a better job improving it.
———
Court sidesteps broad issue of broadcast indecency, throws out FCC fines for nudity, cursing
WASHINGTON (AP) — Broadcasters anticipating a major constitutional ruling on the government’s authority to regulate what can be shown and said on the airwaves instead won only the smallest of Supreme Court victories Thursday.
The justices unanimously threw out fines and other penalties against Fox and ABC television stations that violated the Federal Communications Commission policy regulating curse words and nudity on television airwaves.
Forgoing a broader constitutional ruling, however, the court concluded only that broadcasters could not have known in advance that obscenities uttered during awards show programs on Fox stations and a brief display of nudity on an episode of ABC’s ‘‘NYPD Blue’’ could give rise to penalties. ABC and 45 affiliates had been hit with proposed fines totaling nearly $1.24 million.
Broadcasters had argued that the revolution in technology that has brought the Internet, satellite television and cable has made the rules themselves obsolete. The regulations apply only to broadcast channels.
The justices said the FCC is free to revise its indecency policy, which is intended to keep the airwaves free of objectionable material during the hours when children are likely to be watching.
———
Moody’s cuts the credit ratings of 15 major global banks, citing risks to future profitability
NEW YORK (AP) — Moody’s Investors Service lowered the credit ratings of 15 major banks Thursday, including Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase and Goldman Sachs, saying their long-term prospects for profitability and growth are shrinking.
The ratings agency said it was especially concerned about banks with significant financial markets businesses because those markets have become so volatile. Some of the largest European banks were also downgraded, including Barclays, Deutsche Bank and HSBC.
These banks were vulnerable to ‘‘outsized losses,’’ Moody’s global banking managing director Greg Bauer said in a statement. These behemoth banks are all major players in the global stock and bond markets, which have become extremely volatile. However, Bauer pointed out that some of the banks, like JPMorgan Chase and HSBC, have reliable buffers in more stable businesses which could act as ‘‘shock absorbers’’ during a crisis.
The downgrades reflect Moody’s concern over the ability of the banks to repay their debts during times of crisis. Moody’s had said in February that it was considering downgrading the credit ratings of major banks in the U.S. and in Europe.
A downgrade usually means banks will have to pay more for its debt. Investors demand higher interest for riskier debt, which is what the downgrades represent. However, with interest rates already at rock-bottom levels, the downgrades may not affect the cost of funding for the banks that much.
———
At least $380K raised to send bullied NY school bus monitor on vacation; boys receive threats
A video of a 68-year-old school bus monitor being mercilessly taunted by seventh-graders became a rallying point against bullies Thursday, with a fund for the New York state grandmother raising at least $380,000 and a deluge of people demanding harsh punishment for the boys.
Police said Karen Klein does not want her young tormenters to face criminal charges, partly because of the storm of criticism leveled at the boys from the Rochester suburb of Greece after the video went viral.
‘‘They’ve received death threats,’’ Greece Police Capt. Steve Chatterton said Thursday. ‘‘Their families have been threatened. We have custody of one of their cellphones, and he had over 1,000 missed calls and 1,000 text messages threatening him. And he’s 13 years old. That must stop.’’
The verbal abuse was captured in a 10-minute cellphone video recorded Monday by a student of Athena Middle School in suburban Rochester and later posted to YouTube. The video shows Klein trying her best to ignore the stream of profanity, insults and outright threats directed at her.
One student taunted: ‘‘You don’t have a family because they all killed themselves because they don’t want to be near you.’’ Klein’s oldest son killed himself 10 years ago.
———
3 men arrested on suspicion of assault over videotaped LA freeway beating
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Three Los Angeles men were arrested in relation to a videotaped freeway fistfight inspired by road rage — two are suspected of beating and kicking a man who was later arrested on suspicion of being involved in a similar altercation last month, authorities said Thursday.
David Mendez, 21, and Edras Ramirez, 27, turned themselves in to a California Highway Patrol investigative services office in Hollywood at about 7:30 p.m. Wednesday and were arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon, CHP Officer Ming Hsu said.
The man who was beaten in the video, identified as Jerry Patterson, was arrested without incident in Altadena on an outstanding warrant on suspicion of DUI, hit and run and assault in a May 25 incident, the California Highway Patrol told NBC4-TV on Thursday (http://bit.ly/O01WVS).
Hsu said it was unclear why Mendez and Ramirez surrendered. However, a video of the June 12 freeway fight clearly showed the faces of two men who grappled with the victim and also had the license plate of the getaway car.
The video became a minor sensation after being posted on YouTube and it was widely aired Wednesday by television news stations.
[[In-content Ad]]
Have a news tip? Email [email protected] or Call/Text 360-922-3092