LITTLE ROCK — QUOTE OF THE DAY

“We have moved a bill in the House

twice; we should not have to move a third bill before the Senate gets off their ass and begins to do something.” House Speaker John Boehner, as acrossthe-board spending reductions are set to take effect starting Friday Article, 1ASearch off for boat reported sinking

SANTA CRUZ, Calif.

• The Coast Guard on Tuesday called off the search for a boat that reportedly sank in rough seas far off the central California coast, saying nothing more could be done and that the family’s distress calls might have been a hoax.

“We’ve exhausted the possibilities,” Coast Guard Chief Petty Officer Mike Lutz said.

Crews have been looking for the family by sea and air since receiving their first distress call Sunday afternoon when the boaters said their 29-foot sailboat was taking on water and their electronics were failing.

An hour later, the family members reported they had to abandon the boat. The Coast Guard then lost radio contact with the boat.

Investigators determined from the broken distress calls that the family included a husband and wife, their 4-year-old son and his cousin, Coast Guard Lt. Heather Lampert has said. But the agency has received no reports about a family missing at sea.

Voters pick likely Jackson successor

CHICAGO - Former Illinois legislator Robin Kelly captured the Democratic nomination Tuesday in the race to replace ex-U.S. Rep.

Jesse Jackson Jr. after a truncated campaign season where she got a boost from New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s super political action committee.

The nomination all but assures that Kelly will sail through the April 9 general election and head to Washington because the Chicagoarea district is overwhelmingly Democratic.

From a crowded field of Democratic contenders, Kelly emerged early as a leader on gun-control issues - a central theme during the race - which helped her win support from Bloomberg’s superPAC, Independence USA.

It poured more than $2 million into the race by airing anti-gun ads in her favor and against another Democratic front-runner, former U.S. Rep. Debbie Halvorson, who unlike Kelly is against banning assault weapons.

Expand Medicaid, says N.J.’s Christie

TRENTON, N.J. - Gov.

Chris Christie announced Tuesday that he would expand Medicaid health insurance coverage to more lowincome New Jersey adults as part of President Barack Obama’s health-insurance overhaul.

Christie made the announcement Tuesday as part of his state budget proposal to a standing ovation in the state Assembly chambers.

“Refusing these federal dollars would not mean that they wouldn’t be spent,” he said. “It just means that they will be used to expand health-care access in New York, Connecticut, Ohio or somewhere else.”

Christie left no doubt about his true feelings of the president’s program.

“Let me be clear, I am no fan of the Affordable Care Act. I think it is wrong for New Jersey and for America,” Christie said.

Including New Jersey, 22 states and the District of Columbia have signed on to the Medicaid expansion and 13 states have rejected it. The rest, including Arkansas, are still considering what to do.

Front Section, Pages 3 on 02/27/2013