Posted 8-27-08

NewsRoom Shorts

NewsRoom Agency
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Archbishops Chide Biden, Pelosi Over Abortion Support

The archbishop of Washington criticized House Speaker Nancy Pelosi for misstating church history as the archbishop of Denver warned vice presidential contender Sen. Joseph Biden not to take Communion because the pair of Democrats back abortion rights.

The church's unusually vocal remarks come as both Pelosi and Biden tout their Catholicism in a bid to attract voters.

Pelosi claimed Sunday in an interview that she was an expert on church history.

"As an ardent, practicing Catholic, this is an issue that I have studied for a long time," Pelosi told NBC's Tom Brokaw, who had asked her when life begins. "And what I know is, over the centuries, the doctors of the church have not been able to make that definition. And St. Augustine said at three months. We don't know."

Brokaw said the church "feels very strongly" that life begins at conception, but Pelosi answered, "I understand. And this is like maybe 50 years or something like that. So again, over the history of the church, this is an issue of controversy."

Archbishop Donald Wuerl, in an interview with Fox News on Tuesday, said people should reflect more before talking about church history and doctrine. He called the California Democrat's explanation of the church's abortion stance "incorrect."

U.S. Says Russian Recognition of Breakaway Regions 'Irrational'

The United States on Tuesday called Russia's formal recognition of a pair of breakaway regions in Georgia "irrational" behavior which has been rejected by much of the rest of the world.

"Russia is making, I would say, a number of irrational decisions," said White House spokesman Tony Fratto, from President Bush's ranch in Crawford, Texas, where his boss is spending some down time this week.

Fratto said the U.S. would use its veto power as a permanent member of the UN Security Council to veto any attempt Russia made to legitimize its recognition on the international front.

Bush is expected to issue a formal statement on the recognition later in the day, reports said.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said Tuesday Moscow would extend diplomatic recognition to the Georgian regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, rebuffing Bush's request for him not to do so on Monday.

Vice President Cheney is expected to make a visit to the region next week, to include a trip to Georgia.

Fratto said there were no plans to send U.S. officials to Russia to make a direct appeal.

Home Prices Fell Record Amount in June

Home prices fell on average by a record amount in the second quarter, but June data indicates the slump may be fading, according to a widely watched index.

The Standard & Poor's/Case-Shiller U.S. National Home Price Index fell some 15.4 percent over the same period a year ago, as monthly price indices also showed record declines.

Still, the rate of decline in the price of single-family homes fell from May to June, indicating that price declines may be slowing.

"While there is no national turnaround in residential real estate prices, it is possible that we are seeing some regions struggling to come back, which has resulted in some moderation in price declines at the national level," David M. Blitzer, chairman of the index committee at S&P, told The Associated Press.

The positive news follows other industry good news reported Monday. Sales of existing homes rose in July, which surpassed industry expectations.

A Weakening Gustav Could Become a Hurricane Again

Tropical Storm Gustav stalled in the Caribbean Wednesday after striking Haiti as a hurricane the day before, but it could turn into a hurricane again, the National Weather Service forecasted.

As of 5 a.m. EDT Wednesday, Gustav's maximum sustained winds did not exceed 60 miles per hour.

The storm was centered about 80 miles (125 kilometers) west of Port-au-Prince, and had not moved much over the past few hours.

U.S. Warship Carrying Aid Reaches Georgia

A United States Navy destroyer carrying aid and supplies arrived at Georgia's Black Sea port of Batumi on Sunday, as a Russian general hinted that the presence of American warships in the region would only worsen tensions.

The U.S.S. McFaul is carrying baby food, bottled water and a message of support from Washington, among other things.

Russia shares the Black Sea with NATO members Turkey, Romania and Bulgaria as well as Georgia and Ukraine, the latter of which are pushing for NATO membership.

"I don't think such a buildup will foster the stabilization of the atmosphere in the region," Russia's ITAR-Tass news agency quoted Col. Gen. Anatoly Nogovitsyn, deputy chief of Russia's general staff, as saying Saturday.

U.S. Navy officials said the American warship, part of a task force carrying aid to Georgia, was merely part of a humanitarian mission.

City Crew Sandbags U.S. Rep.'s Home During Height of Fla. Flooding

A controversy is swirling around the use of a city crew to sandbag the Jacksonville home of Democratic U.S. Rep. Corrine Brown during the height of flooding last week as a result of Tropical Storm Fay, while other residents were not afforded the same service.

When many other city residents were attempting to keep water out of their homes and businesses, Adam Hollingsworth, chief of staff for Mayor John Peyton, told a local news station Brown contacted him in a panic and he decided to send the crew.

"We had a resource that we could help somebody with, I made a judgment that it was the right thing to do," Hollingsworth said, adding if he went beyond protocol, he apologizes.

Brown defended the action, saying she "had to call and call and call, just like anybody else," to get help.

Hollingsworth said he also sent a crew to City Councilwoman Denise Lee's home, but it was determined she didn't need it.

Brown's neighbor, Joe Deloach, said he was battling high water as well but couldn't get the crew to come help him.

"I'm glad she got help to save her house. I'm not mad at that. I'm upset that the same people wouldn't help me and they denied it was going on," Deloach told a local TV news station. "I had prisoners laughing at me when I approached them about it. They knew what was going on. It was hilarious to them."

Plot to Kill Obama Called Not Credible

Police and federal agents have arrested four people in Aurora, Colo. on suspicion of plotting to kill Sen. Barack Obama during his acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention in Denver, but the U.S. government has said it doesn' t believe the threat is credible.

CBS4 in Denver reported that one of the suspects "was directly asked if they had come to Denver to kill Obama. He responded in the affirmative."

The Secret Service, FBI, ATF and the joint terrorism task force are all investigating the alleged plot.

But the U.S. attorney's office in Denver said it didn't believe the threat to Obama and the convention was credible.

"It's premature to say that it was a valid threat or that these folks have the ability to carry it out," a U.S. government official familiar with the investigation told CBS4.

U.S. Attorney Troy Eid added that the case is under investigation.

"We're absolutely confident there is no credible threat to the candidate, the Democratic National Convention, or the people of Colorado," he said in a prepared statement.

Police arrested 28-year-old Tharin Gartrell Sunday morning when he was seen driving a rented pickup truck erratically.

A search of his vehicle produced two high-powered, scoped rifles in the car along with camouflage clothing, walkie-talkies, wigs, a bulletproof vest, a spotting scope, licenses in the names of other people and 44 grams of methamphetamine.

CBS4 said one of the rifles was stolen from Kansas.

Police have also arrested Shawn Robert Adolph, 33, who was wanted on numerous warrants, after he jumped out of a sixth story hotel window and broke his ankle.

Nathan Johnson, 32, was also arrested. He told authorities that the two men "planned to kill Barack Obama at his acceptance speech."

His girlfriend, Natasha Gromek, was also arrested. She and Johnson were picked up on drug charges.