Nation Briefs: Pilot sought after two F-16s collide

CHARLESTON, S.C. — The Air Force says crews are searching for an F-16 fighter pilot off the coast of South Carolina after two jets collided Thursday night. Senior Master Sgt. Brad Fallin at Shaw Air Force Base says the two planes collided around 8:30 p.m. Thursday about 40 miles off Folly Beach, near Charleston, during night training exercises. Each plane was carrying one person. Fallin said one jet landed safely at Charleston Air Force Base, but the location of the other plane and pilot is unknown. The Coast Guard is currently searching the with two helicopters and two service vessels.

Michigan: Ford engineer charged with stealing secrets

An engineer copied thousands of electronic documents and stole trade secrets before quitting Ford Motor Co. for a new job in China, authorities said Thursday in announcing criminal charges. Xiang Dong Yu, also known as Mike Yu, was arrested Wednesday in Chicago after traveling from China, the U.S. attorney’s office said. An indictment charges Yu, 47, with theft and attempted theft of trade secrets and unauthorized access to a computer. The maximum penalty on the theft-related charges is 10 years in prison. The indictment says Yu copied design details on doors, mirrors, steering wheel assemblies, power systems, wipers and other vehicle components.

Arizona: Got Flu? Stay home

Employees of an Arizona county who have flu symptoms or a temperature of at least 100.4 degrees must stay home from work or risk being disciplined or fired under a new policy, officials said Thursday. The requirement is aimed at lessening the spread of swine or seasonal flu illnesses among the county’s nearly 7,000 employees and among people who visit government buildings, the Pima County Board of Supervisors chairman said. Employees with flu symptoms would be required to stay home until at least 24 hours after the fever ends.

D.C.: Ginsburg hospitalized

Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who had cancer surgery earlier this year, was kept at a hospital overnight after she became drowsy and fell from her seat aboard an airplane. Court officials blamed a reaction to medicine. It was the second time Ginsburg, 76, has been hospitalized in the last month. She was taken to a hospital on Sept. 24 after falling ill at her Supreme Court office. Ginsburg was taken to Washington Hospital Center around 11:15 p.m. Wednesday by paramedics and released Thursday morning, court officials said.

Tylenol bad for tots after shots

Giving babies Tylenol to prevent fever when they get childhood vaccinations may backfire and make the shots a little less effective, surprising new research suggests. It is the first major study to tie reduced immunity to the use of fever-lowering medicines. Although the effect was small and the vast majority of kids still got enough protection from vaccines, the results make “a compelling case” against routinely giving Tylenol right after vaccination, said doctors from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Colorado: Sex offender freed

Colorado authorities said they inadvertently released a sex offender from prison under a moneysaving early release initiative, prompting Republican lawmakers on Thursday to urge the state’s Democratic governor to suspend the program. Gov. Bill Ritter, a former Denver district attorney, has said that no sex offenders, kidnappers or killers would be released under the program, which officials hope will save $19 million as the state deals with a $318 million budget shortfall this year.

Virginia: Sniper clemency

The attorney for convicted sniper John Allen Muhammad says he plans to ask for clemency for his client who is scheduled for execution next month. An announcement on attorney Jonathan Sheldon’s law firm’s Web site said he plans to file the clemency request next week with Gov. Timothy Kaine. Muhammad was sentenced to death for the October 2002 slaying of Dean Harold Meyers at a Manassas gas station during a string of shootings that left 10 people dead and three wounded in Virginia, Washington, D.C., and Maryland.

Utah: Dad held in groping

Authorities said a Utah man accused of groping a nurse who was helping a woman giving birth to his child has been charged with forcible sexual abuse. Adam Jay Manning was charged with the second-degree felony Tuesday. Police said the 30-year-old brought a pregnant woman Friday to a hospital in Ogden, about 40 miles north of Salt Lake City. A nurse came to help the woman, and Manning allegedly made a comment about how cute she was. Police said Manning then told the nurse something looked wrong with her neck and attempted to massage it before grabbing her breast.

Florida: Powerball winner

An Orlando dermatologist is Florida’s first Powerball winner. Dr. William Steele chose to take a $101 million lump-sum payment Thursday rather than $189 million spread over 20 years. That’s the largest jackpot of any kind awarded by the Florida Lottery. Florida became the 30th state to offer the high-jackpot game in January. It abstained for years, fearing Powerball would detract from sales of the state’s own lottery games.

From Herald news services