WASHINGTON — The House on Wednesday overwhelmingly passed legislation that for the first time would subject the tobacco industry to regulation by the Food and Drug Administration. Its backers call the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act “landmark” legislation. While the bill appears to have enough support to pass this year, it’s unclear whether the Senate will have time to act, and the Bush administration issued a veto threat Wednesday.
President Bush signs housing bill
President Bush signed a housing bill Wednesday intended to rescue about 15 percent of the cash-strapped homeowners in fear of foreclosure in the next year or so. Early in the morning and out of public view, the president signed it without fanfare in the Oval Office, adding his signature to a measure he once threatened to veto. The number of homeowners who could lose their homes to foreclosure by the end of 2009 is estimated by some to be around 2.8 million.
New York: Glitch slows baggage
A software glitch crippled the baggage handling system in an American Airlines terminal at Kennedy Airport on Wednesday, delaying some flights and causing a luggage pileup at the ticket counters. The malfunction created headaches throughout the day for passengers flying out of Terminal 8, one of the newer buildings at JFK. Thousands of customers had to leave their luggage behind and hope it would be delivered later.
Minnesota: Bear had jar on head
Minnesota wildlife officials tried for six days to capture a bear that had a plastic jar stuck over its head, but ended up killing the animal after it wandered into a city during a festival. The wild black bear — whose head got stuck inside a 2 ½-gallon clear plastic jug presumably while foraging for food — ambled into the city of Frazee, about 200 miles northwest of Minneapolis, during the town’s busy Turkey Days celebration.
Florida: Christian fraternity wins
A federal appeals court has ordered University of Florida officials to recognize a Christian fraternity. Judges from the 11th U.S. Circuit in Atlanta issued an injunction Wednesday ordering the action while a discrimination lawsuit filed by Beta Upsilon Chi against the school moves forward. The fraternity hasn’t been allowed to join the off-campus system of fraternities and sororities because its rules bar religious discrimination. The fraternity requires its members to be Christians.
California: Break-in at airport
A 20-year-old man is accused of breaking into a small airport and trying to fill up his car’s gas tank with aviation gasoline. “We’ve had people try and steal gas here in the past,” a Reid-Hillview Airport employee said. “It’s really stupid. Put aviation gas in your car and it’s so heavily leaded that eventually your valves warp and you’ll end up with some very expensive repairs.” The suspect was arrested Sunday night on suspicion of driving while intoxicated and attempted theft.
Australia: Sea rights for aborigines
Aborigines won traditional ownership rights over a large stretch of coastline in northern Australia on Wednesday, in a landmark ruling lawyers said could set a precedent in other parts of the country. The ruling by Australia’s highest judicial body means the traditional owners will be able to exclude people from using the foreshore — the intertidal area that lies between the high-tide line and the low-tide line — in the area unless they have permission. “It is a landmark victory for traditional owners and we have waited for over 30 years for our sea rights to be legally recognized,” the chairman of the Northern Land Council said.
Germany: Strike slows Lufthansa
Lufthansa canceled its first international long-haul flights on Wednesday, as a strike by ground and cabin crew at Germany’s biggest airline entered its third day, the company said. Deutsche Lufthansa AG said it canceled four long-haul roundtrips to destinations in the U.S., India and Canada. The rest of the 78 flights canceled Wednesday were for destinations in Germany and Europe. A spokeswoman said the canceled flights accounted for about 4 percent of the airline’s total flight capacity. She said affected passengers were being put on flights operated by other airlines.
Zimbabwe: Currency sheds zeros
Zimbabwe announced Wednesday that it is knocking 10 zeros off its hyper-inflated currency — a move that turns 10 billion dollars into one. President Robert Mugabe threatened a state of emergency if businesses profiteer from the country’s economic crisis, a move that could give him even more sweeping powers to punish opponents in the event that political power-sharing talks fail. The Central Bank governor announced he was dropping 10 zeros from Zimbabwe’s currency, effective Friday. The move comes a week after the issue of a 100 billion-dollar note — still not enough to buy a loaf of bread.
From Herald news services
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