WASHINGTON — Sen. Mel Martinez, R-Fla., who had previously said he would not seek reelection in 2010, announced on Friday that he will resign his seat as soon as a replacement is selected, probably by the end of the month. Martinez, a former chairman of the Republican National Committee and a secretary of housing and urban development under President George W. Bush, said in Orlando that he wants to spend more time with his family. “There’s no impending reason; it’s only my desire to move on,” Martinez said.
Probe clears two senators
The Senate ethics committee cleared Sens. Chris Dodd and Kent Conrad of breaking rules by getting mortgages through a VIP program, even as it scolded them Friday for not being more careful to avoid the appearance of sweetheart deals. The Select Committee on Ethics told Dodd of Connecticut and Conrad of North Dakota in separate letters that it found “no substantial credible evidence” after a yearlong investigation that their mortgages from Countrywide Financial Corp. broke Senate gift rules. The two influential Democrats got their mortgages through a VIP program for those designated as “friends” of then-Countrywide CEO Angelo Mozilo.
Massachusetts: Shriver ailing
A family spokesman said Eunice Kennedy Shriver is in critical condition at a Massachusetts hospital. He said Friday that the 88-year-old sister of President John F. Kennedy is surrounded by her family at Cape Cod Hospital. He said her husband, children and all her grandchildren are at her side. Shriver is renowned in her own right for founding the Special Olympics.
New York: Water main flood
A large water main break has flooded about a dozen New York City buildings, causing evacuations and closing streets within a three block radius in Lower Manhattan. The Fire Department said the 12-inch main broke at the intersection of West Broadway and Duane Street early Friday. The water was up to 4 feet deep in some buildings at the height of the flood. Once firefighters finish pumping out the water, building experts will make sure the structures are sound.
California: Panda cam crash
The San Diego Zoo’s pandas have become such cyber-stars that their Panda Cam got caught in a popularity crunch. The zoo said the online camera feed, www.sandiegozoo.org, which monitors 300-pound mom Bai Yun and her 4-ounce, 1-day-old cub, crashed Thursday morning because of increased Internet traffic. The zoo’s blogs went down about the same time. Bai Yun gave birth to the cub Wednesday. It’s her fifth cub and only the 14th panda in the United States.
North Dakota: Breast-feeding
A North Dakota woman accused of breast-feeding her 6-week-old baby while drunk has been ordered to get treatment that could help her avoid jail. Stacey Anvarinia pleaded guilty to child neglect in June. She told the judge at her sentencing Friday that she knew what she did was wrong and she is working hard to get her daughter back. The judge sentenced Anvarinia to 18 months in jail with all but six months suspended and said Anvarinia could get credit for chemical dependency treatment.
Colombia: U.S. base plan
A U.S. plan to deploy troops and station aircraft at several Colombian military bases has generated controversy across Latin America, with Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez warning that it could lead to war. A senior State Department official said Friday that the plan would give the United States access to Colombian bases from which to carry out vital counter-drug surveillance flights over the Pacific, a conduit for cocaine smuggled to Mexico and on to the United States. “Our ability to have broad coverage in that area was important,” he said.
Mexico: Gunbattle kills 12
A running battle between police and gunmen has left 12 people dead in Pachuca, officials said Friday. The dead included three police officers and nine gunmen, the Hidalgo state attorney general said. After the attacks, police seized assault rifles, grenades, federal police uniforms, handcuffs and about 7 pounds of cocaine. Two state police officers and one city officer remained hospitalized Friday after suffering gunshot wounds in the attacks late Thursday. The Hidalgo state police director said officers were acting on a tip that gunmen were in the area.
From Herald news services
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