WASHINGTON — A federal judge on Thursday blocked a federal rule allowing people to carry concealed, loaded guns in national parks and wildlife refuges. The decision by the U.S. District judge halts a change in regulations issued in the waning days of the Bush administration and orders further review. She set an April 20 deadline for the Interior Department to review the rule and indicate its course of action in response to the injunction. The rule, which took effect Jan. 11, allowed visitors to carry a loaded gun into a park or wildlife refuge as long as the person had a permit for a concealed weapon and the state where the park or refuge was located allowed concealed firearms.
Florida: Solar wings installed
Spacewalking astronauts installed the last set of solar wings at the international space station Thursday, accomplishing the top job of shuttle Discovery’s mission. Steven Swanson and Richard Arnold struggled with some cable connections, but managed to hook everything up. “It wasn’t quite as smooth as we had hoped, but those guys did a great job,” astronaut Joseph Acaba told Mission Control. Boeing is a prime contractor for the shuttle program.
Georgia: Cuts at symphony
The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra said it will cut employee pay and freeze hiring over the next few months to help save $1.3 million. The symphony said Thursday it will reduce the chief executive’s pay by a minimum of 7 percent from April 3 through May 31. Vice presidents will take 6 percent cuts and all other employees will take 5 percent cuts. The estimated savings will come from those cuts plus previous cost-cutting measures. Symphony officials also said employees will take unpaid furloughs ranging from 13 to 18 days depending on their positions.
South Dakota: Smoking ban
Gov. Mike Rounds on Thursday signed a law banning smoking from nearly all indoor public places, including bars, video lottery casinos and Deadwood gambling halls, which could see fewer customers as a result. The governor said most people agree that bar and restaurant workers shouldn’t have to choose between their jobs and smoke-free air. “I think in this case, the health concerns top the other concerns that were expressed,” the Republican said. Beginning July 1, smoking will be allowed only in motel rooms and a limited number of cigar bars and smoke shops.
Pennsylvania: Trucks collide
Two fire trucks responding to a call collided at a Philadelphia intersection Thursday, injuring nine firefighters, one seriously. A fire commissioner said none of the injuries appeared life-threatening after the crash, which involved a ladder truck and a fire engine in a residential neighborhood. The most seriously injured firefighter, a lieutenant on the ladder truck, was knocked unconscious and had to be cut from the wreckage.
New Jersey: New waxing ban
New Jersey is drawing the line when it comes to bikini waxing. The state Board of Cosmetology and Hairstyling is moving toward a ban on genital waxing after two women reported being injured in their quest for a smooth bikini line. Both women were hospitalized for infections following so-called “Brazilian” bikini waxes. Regular bikini waxes would still be allowed.
Austria: Rapist sentenced
An Austrian jury convicted Josef Fritzl of homicide and other charges Thursday and sentenced him to life in a psychiatric ward for imprisoning his daughter for 24 years, fathering her seven children and letting his infant son die a captive. Fritzl, 73, bowed his head as the verdicts were read. He later told the court he accepted the outcome and waived his right to appeal — bringing a dramatic end to a shocking case that has drawn worldwide attention.
Egypt: Peace talks break down
Talks between rival Palestinian factions broke down Thursday without a deal on a national unity government, in a major setback to Israeli-Palestinian peace efforts. The failure of talks between rivals Hamas and Fatah also could deepen the divisions among Arab countries ahead of a crucial summit later this month in Qatar that U.S.-allied Mideast heavyweights including Saudi Arabia had hoped would unite the fractured region. Thursday’s failure to form a unity government came just two days after negotiations in Cairo between the Gaza Strip’s Hamas rulers and Israel over a prisoner swap ran aground.
From Herald news services
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