WASHINGTON — When the Army honorably discharged Jason Hubbard of Fresno, Calif., last year after his two younger brothers died in the Iraq War, he lost his transitional health insurance, access to school grants under the G.I. Bill, and his ability to participate in the veterans home loan program. Now, the loophole that allowed that to happen is closed. President Bush on Friday signed into law the Hubbard Act, which secures the benefits of “sole survivor” veterans who are honorably discharged following the death of a parent or sibling also serving in the military.
North Carolina: Threat to Obama
A North Carolina man has been formally indicted on a charge that he threatened to shoot Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama. A U.S. Attorney in Charlotte said Friday that 48-year-old Jerry M. Blanchard has been charged with knowingly and willfully threatening to kill, kidnap and inflict bodily harm upon a major candidate for president. Blanchard was arrested Aug. 1 after witnesses told federal authorities they overheard him threatening to assassinate Obama in July. One reported that Blanchard said he planned to purchase a pistol.
Arizona: Storm slams Phoenix
A series of fast-moving thunderstorms packing winds of up to 100 mph plowed through the Phoenix area, leaving tens of thousands without power, damaging three Boeing 737 jets and collapsing a brand-new college football facility. There were no immediate reports of injuries from Thursday’s storms, which were a particularly intense episode of Arizona’s summer “monsoon” season. About 500 travelers were forced to spend the night at Sky Harbor International Airport, where damage was reported to terminals, cargo areas, electrical systems, jetways and aircraft, a spokeswoman said.
Oklahoma: Train hits gas tanker
A train slammed into a propane tanker truck in north-central Oklahoma on Friday, triggering a huge explosion that killed two people and injured a third, authorities said. “It blew the semi tanker apart,” an Oklahoma Highway patrolman said. “The cab was on one side of the train and the tanker on the other.” Officials said the two people killed were aboard the Union Pacific train.
Pennsylvania: Body parts plea
A man who made millions of dollars by plundering hundreds of bodies sent to funeral homes and selling their often-diseased parts and tissues to medical companies pleaded guilty Friday in Philadelphia to a raft of charges that could send him to prison for life. Michael Mastromarino, 44, of Fort Lee, N.J., pleaded guilty to hundreds of counts of abusing corpses, forgery, theft and other allegations stemming from an operation authorities say he ran with three Philadelphia funeral directors.
Utah: Activists hit mink farm
Animal rights activists broke into a mink farm and released hundreds of the animals from their pens, police said. Lindsey McMullin said “animal rights terrorists” hit his South Jordan farm, about 18 miles south of Salt Lake City, the morning of Aug. 19 and released about 600 mink. Breeding records were also destroyed, he said. Most of the mink were recovered, but several died after being hit by cars or from stress after they were returned to the farm, he said.
Iran: Nuclear centrifuge claim
Iran is using 4,000 centrifuges to enrich uranium and plans to install an additional 3,000 of the devices, Deputy Foreign Minister Ali Reza Sheikh Attar said Thursday. He did not say when the new machines would begin operating, but his statement corroborates the International Atomic Energy Agency’s estimate of the number of centrifuges that Iran is currently using. The country says it plans to build a total of 54,000 centrifuges to enrich uranium, which can be used to fuel nuclear power plants or to build nuclear weapons.
Cuba: Punk rocker convicted
A Cuban court convicted a punk rocker known for his raunchy lyrics against Fidel Castro of public disorder Friday, but freed him after dismissing a more serious “social dangerousness” charge that could have brought four years behind bars. Following a two-hour trial in Havana, the court ordered Gorki Aguila to pay $28 and pledged to release the 39-year-old singer, who defiantly screamed “Freedom!” as he was being led into the courtroom. The average wage in Cuba is $19.50 a month.
Brazil: Navy plans nuclear sub
Brazil will spend $160 million by the end of next year on the development of a nuclear-propelled submarine to protect the oil reserves found recently off its coast, the defense minister said Friday. The French-designed vessel — which officials hope to be complete by 2020 — would be the first nuclear-propelled submarine in Latin America. Brazil does not have nuclear weapons. The submarine is the highlight of the Brazil’s new defense plan — to be made public on Sept. 7.
From Herald news services
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