WASHINGTON — A Bush administration official apologized Thursday for a newsletter sent to thousands of government employees that encouraged them to consider fuel-efficient vehicles built by foreign automakers. “I deeply regret that our newsletter offended anyone, especially those Americans working in the automobile industry and the millions of people who make American automobile manufacturers successful,” said the Health and Human Services Department’s assistant secretary for administration and management. The list from the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy did not include any vehicles from General Motors, Ford or Chrysler. All the cars were made by Japanese or South Korean automakers.
California: Payday loan limits
City officials in Oceanside, a military community next to Camp Pendleton, approved restrictions on money-lending shops after a top Marine complained his troops were getting into debt. The City Council voted 5-0 Wednesday to require new payday lenders to get a special operating permit that must be approved by the council. Such stores will be classified as adult businesses, much like adult book stores, and will not be allowed within 1,000 feet of a similar business or 500 feet of a home, church, park or school.
@3. Headline News Briefs 14 no bold lede-in:Lead taints kids lunch boxes
More than 50,000 lunch boxes given out by California as part of its nutrition education effort may contain elevated levels of lead and the public should stop using them, officials said Thursday. The California Department of Public Health said testing found increased lead levels in three lunch boxes, which were made in China. They are green canvas and bear a logo that says, “Eat fruits &vegetables and be active.” Officials urged the public to stop using the roughly 56,000 boxes that were handed out at health fairs and other events.
Utah: Bill limits smoking in car
Puffing on a cigarette in a car while a young child is along for the ride may get snuffed out by the Utah Legislature next year. The House Health and Human Services Committee passed a bill Wednesday that would make it an infraction to smoke in a car if a child 5 years old or younger is strapped in, or is required to be strapped in, a car seat. The bill, which passed in the Senate in the 2007 session but stalled in the House, isn’t “anti-smokers” but rather “pro-children’s health,” its sponsor said.
Michigan: Jailed prosecutor
A federal prosecutor from Florida who authorities say flew to Michigan for a sexual encounter with a 5-year-old girl tried to hang himself in his jail cell Thursday but was stopped in time, the sheriff said. John D.R. Atchison, 53, used a sheet in an attempted hanging around 4 a.m., the Sanilac County sheriff said. Another inmate yelled out to jailers, who kept Atchison from hurting himself, he said.
Zimbabwe: British Airways out
British Airways announced Thursday that it will halt flights to Zimbabwe next month, citing mounting losses on the route as the southern African nation struggles with its worst economic crisis since independence in 1980. With Zimbabwe’s international isolation growing, the British airline said that its three weekly round-trip flights between Harare and London would end Oct. 28.
China: Ordination for bishop
A 42-year-old Beijing priest was expected to be ordained as the Catholic bishop of the Beijing diocese this morning in a closed-door ceremony that underscores attempts to improve long-strained relations between the Chinese government and the Roman Catholic Church. While there is no official relationship between the officially atheist Chinese government and the Vatican, the nomination of the Rev. Joseph Li Shan, who reportedly has the Vatican’s approval, has seen both sides make unusually conciliatory statements.
Colombia: $4 million in baggage
Two Mexicans with $4 million in their suitcases were arrested as they arrived at an airport in Cali, police said Thursday. The chief of Colombia’s customs agency, said police were investigating possible links between the individuals and a Mexican drug cartel. The cash, in $50 and $100 bills, was hidden in a secret compartment in the passengers’ carry-on bags. Each man carried $2 million. Any amount of cash over $10,000 must be declared to enter the country legally. Colombia is world’s largest producer of cocaine.
Turkey: Court blocks YouTube
A Turkish court has ordered the country’s telecommunications company to block access to the popular video-sharing site YouTube because of clips the court deems insulting to leading political figures. The site could be accessed on Thursday, and it was not clear when the ban would come into effect. It was the second time Turkey has blocked access to YouTube. In March, the site owned by Google was blocked for two days after a complaint that some clips insulted Turkey’s founder, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk. The ban was lifted after the offending clips were removed.
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