r The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com

Tuesday, September 18, 2007 - 3

NEWS BRIEFS
LANSING
Senate takes
step to avoid
gov't shutdown
State lawmakers took a step yes-
terday toward avoiding a potential
government shutdown on Oct. 1,
but were no closer to resolving the
question on how to fill a gaping
shortfall in the next state budget.
Senate Republicans yesterday
passed a continuation budget that
would extend the current spend-
ing plan for 30 days past the Oct.
1 start of the next fiscal year. It
would make millions of dollars in
delayed payments to state univer-
sities and cover the bond debt-ser-
vice payments due Oct. 1.
Democratic Gov. Jennifer Gra-
nholm told reporters yesterday
afternoon that she would veto a
continuation budget unless tax
increase or other revenue inc'ease
was attached.
Greg Bird, a spokesman for
Democrats who control the state
House, called the Senate action
irresponsible. House Speaker Andy
Dillon indicated yesterday evening
he was moving closer to a deal that
could win some Republican votes
for a tax increase by promising
some cost cutting Republican law-
makers want.
DETROIT
UAW, GM take
break from talks
Contract talks between the
United Auto Workers and General
Motors Corp. recessed yesterday
night, slowed so much by the com-
plexity of retiree health care and
other issues that a deal could be
days away.
Talks were to resume yesterday,
GM spokeswoman Katie McBride
said.
Both sides reported progress,
but a person who was briefed on
the talks said it's taking a lot of
time to reach agreement on details
and large dollar amounts.
"It's billions of dollars and the
security of somebody who's put
30 years into the company on an
assembly line, so both sides want
to get it right," said Harley Shai-
ken, a professor at the University
of California at Berkeley who spe-
cializes in labor issues.
BAGHDAD
Protection for U.S.
diplomats could
disappear
The Iraqi government yester-
day ordered Blackwater USA, the
security firm that protects U.S.
diplomats, to stop work and leave
the country after the fatal shooting
of eight Iraqi civilians following a
car bomb attack against a State
Department convoy.
The order by the Interior Min-
istry, if carried out, would deal a
severe blow to U.S. government
operations in Iraq by stripping dip-
lomats, engineers, reconstruction
officials and others of their secu-
rity protection.
Sunday's shooting was the lat-
est in a series of incidents in which
Blackwater and other foreign
contractors have been accused
of shooting to death an unknown
number of Iraqi citizens.
WASHINGTON

U.S. intel: China,
Russia spying at
Cold War levels
China and Russia are spying on
the United States nearly as much
as they did during the Cold War,
according to the top U.S. intelli-
gence official.
Mike McConnell, the director of
national intelligence, says in testi-
mony prepared for a congressional
hearing today that a law passed
last month expanding the U.S. gov-
ernment's eavesdropping power is
needed to protect not just against
terrorists but also against more
traditional potential adversaries,
such as those two Cold War foes.
-Compiled from
Daily wire reports
FA LE A FQmER_ fi CAN S
3,782
Number of American service
membersowho have died inthe War
in Iraq, according to The Associ-
ated Press. The following service
members were identified by the
Department of Defense yesterday:
Sgt. Michael L. Townes, 29, of
Las Vegas,
Sgt. John Mele, 25, of Bunnell,
Fla.,
Sgt. Terry D. Wagoner, 28, of
Piedmont, S.C.,
Spc. Todd A. Motley, 23, of
Clare, Mich.,
Spc. Jonathan Rivadeneira,
22, of Jackson Heights, N.Y.,
Pvt. Christopher M. McCloud,
24, of Malakoff, Texas
Cpl. Terrence P. Allen, 21,
Pennsauken, N.J

Police seek driver who hit two
students, fled scene of accident
Person was driving the Ann Arbor Department. LSA freshman James Stinson III,
The driver, reportedly driving a witness to the accident, said the
Ford pickup a Ford pickup truck at the time, collision sent the male victim into
remains on the loose, police said. the air, onto the sidewalk and even-
By CHRIS HERRING The students were crossing tually into a fence on the opposite
Daily News Editor Washtenaw Avenue at about 1:30 side of the street.
a.m. Sunday when they were hit. Stinton said the truck ran over
Police are searching for the driver The victims - one male and one the female victim's legs, leaving her
of a car that struck two University female - were transported to the clothing scattered throughout the
students in a hit-and-run accident University Hospital within minutes intersection.
at the Washtenaw Avenue and Hill of the accident. The truck, a Ford F-150, F-250 or
Street intersection early Sunday Each suffered injuries that were F-350, had run a stoplight, accord-
morning, said Sgt. Mike Lance of non-life threatening, Lance said. ing to Lance.

Chemistry Building evacuated

Firecquickly put out
By LAURA BAIN
For the Daily
A fire broke out on the ground
floor of the Chemistry Building at
about 2:40 p.m. yesterday, forcing
students and faculty to evacuate.
Diane Brown, spokeswoman for
the Department of Public Safety,
said that a staff member "was test-
ing an experiment" was the cause
of the fire.
"A small amount of methanol
caught fire," she said. "He extin-

guished himself with a fire extin-
guisher."
Although only a small amount of
supplies was damaged, Brown said
the fire could have been more dan-
gerous.
The chemical fire triggered the
gas fire suppression system-- a sys-
tem thatuses gas rather than water
to put out the fire - in the lab.
Brown said the building was
evacuated for air monitoring.
Evacuated students gathered
calmly around the building, wait-
ing for it to reopen for about an
hour.


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