LITTLE ROCK — QUOTE OF THE DAY
“In Washington, nothing’s easy so there’s going to be some prolonged negotiations.”
President Barack Obama,
at a Pennsylvania toy factory, as Democrats and
Republicans remained deadlocked over plans to avert the “fiscal cliff” Article, 1AOfficer’s killing described as ‘ambush’
COLD SPRING, Minn. - A six-year police veteran was shot and killed Thursday in what authorities called an ambush killing.
Officer Tom Decker was responding to a report of a suicidal man late Thursday when he was shot twice after getting out of his squad car near an apartment behind a bar in downtown Cold Spring. He died at the scene.
Ryan Michael Larson, 34, of Cold Spring, was being held Friday in the shooting. The county attorney’s office was considering criminal charges.
Stearns County Sheriff John Sanner said his department got a call about 9 p.m. from Larson’s family members saying he might be suicidal. Cold Spring police went to his home once and couldn’t raise anyone, then returned almost two hours later.
It was on the second trip that Decker was shot. He was wearing a bullet-resistant vest.
“It’s apparent to us the officer was ambushed at the scene,” said Drew Evans, assistant superintendent of the state Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.
Tech-visa increase passes in House
WASHINGTON - House Republicans passed legislation Friday that would make it easier for foreigners with advanced degrees to obtain green cards.
The chamber voted 245-139 to increase the number of permanent-residence visas for those graduating from U.S.
universities with doctoral or master’s degrees in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
Arkansas’ Rep. Mike Ross, a Democrat, joined his Republican counterparts - Rick Crawford, Tim Griffin and Steve Womack - in supporting the measure.
Republicans said the measure, backed by many prominent technology companies, would help the economy by capturing a bigger share of the world’s most economically productive people.
The bill was opposed by most Democrats, with many complaining that the measure would simultaneously eliminate a similar number of visas for people from countries, especially those in Africa, that send relatively few immigrants to the United States.
The bill now heads to the Democratic-controlled Senate, where its prospects are bleak. The Obama administration also opposes the plan.
Florida brothers charged in terror plot
MIAMI - Two South Florida men of Pakistani descent have been charged with plotting to provide material support to terrorists and to use a weapon of mass destruction within the U.S., federal prosecutors said Friday.
The men were identified as brothers Sheheryar Alam Qazi, 30, and Raees Alam Qazi, 20. Both are naturalized U.S.
citizens originally from Pakistan and both were arrested in the Fort Lauderdale area, prosecutors said.
The brothers are charged with conspiring to provide material support to terrorists, which carries a maximum 15-year prison sentence, and with conspiracy to use a weapon of mass destruction. The maximum is life in prison for the latter charge.
Few details about the plot were provided by prosecutors or outlined in a brief, three-page grand-jury indictment.
Authorities said the case was not an FBI sting operation but declined any additional comment.
“Any potential threat posed by these two individuals has been disrupted,” said Miami U.S. Attorney Wifredo Ferrer.
Rain, wind lash Northern California
SAN FRANCISCO - The second in a series of storms slammed Northern California on Friday as heavy rain and strong winds knocked out power, tied up traffic and caused flooding along some stretches.
Flights were delayed at the San Francisco airport, and in the city’s affluent Pacific Heights neighborhood, traffic was blocked for hours after a large tree crashed down, smashing a car and obstructing a busy street.
The North Bay was seemingly hit the hardest as parts of Sonoma County received more than 7 inches of rain and areas in Napa County received nearly 6 inches, said Diana Henderson, a forecaster with the National Weather Service in Monterey.
Thousands of people in wine country were without power after a failure that also affected the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge. The suspension span of the bridge was briefly in the dark as traffic was backed up longer than usual because of rain and strong wind gusts.
The weather also may be behind the death of a Pacific Gas & Electric worker in west Sacramento, who was killed when his truck crashed into a traffic signal pole during the stormy weather.
Front Section, Pages 4 on 12/01/2012