I* The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com Thursday, March 18, 2010 - 3A The Michigan Daily - michigandailycom Thursday, March 18, 2010 - 3A NEWS BRIEFS WASHINGTON Obama says nuclear Iran could trigger arms race President Barack Obama says a nuclear-armed Iran could trigger an arms race in the Middle East, some- thing his administration wants to avnid. Obama told Fox News Channel's Bret Baier that keeping Tehran without a nuclear weapon is one of his highest priorities. Baier asked Obama if a nuclear-armed Tehran would be a failure of his administra- tion. Obama's reply was to empha- size work already under way among international partners to isolate Iran. Iran has accelerated its nuclear program despite previous U.N. pen- alties, but the United States and some of its allies say a renewed dem- onstration of world resolve could finally push Iran to negotiate. BEIJING Life sentence for Chinese supreme court judge upheld A court in northern China has upheld a life sentence for a former supreme court judge convicted of embezzlement and bribery, a state- run newspaper reported. Huang Songyou, former vice president of the Supreme People's Court, is the highest judge to be tried and convicted on such charg- es, part of a continuing battle by the Communist Party against deep- seated corruption. The Hebei Province People's High Court yesterday upheld the life sentence handed down by a lower court in January, the Legal Evening News reported. Huang had no reaction after the decision was announced, the newspaper said, cit- ing lawyer Gao Zicheng. Huang, 52, was accused of tak- ing 3.9 million yuan ($574,000) in bribes from a law firm in return for favorable rulings on cases between 2005 and 2008. Hewas alsochargedwith embez- zling 1.2 million yuan ($176,000) in government funds while serving as president of a city-level court in the southern province of Guangdong in 1997. Huang was fired and expelled from the Communist Party in August. The official Xinhua News Agency has said he confessed to the charges during the investiga- tion and that most of the bribes and embezzled funds were recov- ered. LANSING, Mich. ® Detroit state police post could be closed A House subcommittee has pro- posed closing the Michigan State Police post in Detroit. The budget bill was approved by the subcommittee yesterday. It next goes to the House Appropriations Committee. Democratic Rep. Richard LeB- lanc says the proposal includes transferring the state troopers in Detroit to other posts and spending more money on state police crime labs than Gov. Jennifer Granholm has proposed. He said all of Wayne County is patrolled by either sher- iff's deputies or local departments. The Michigan State Police oppose the proposal to close the Detroit post. The Senate Appropriations Com- mittee yesterday approved several budgets including 3 percent cuts to university and community college funding and another $118-per-stu- dent reduction to K-12 schools. WASHINGTON Biden makes gaffe at White House St. Patrick's event Vice President Joe Biden asked for God's blessing for the late mother of Irish Prime Minis- ter Brian Cowen during a White House celebration of St. Patrick's Day - except the elderly lady is very much alive. "God rest her soul," Biden said last night as he introduced Cowen and President Barack Obama. He quickly caught himself and noted that it's Cowen's father who is no longer living. Of the prime minis- ter's mother, Biden said, "God bless her soul." Biden then cited the Irish prov- erb that "a silent mouth is sweet to hear" and yielded the podium to the president. -Compiled from Daily wire reports KM. CHAUDARY/AP A Pakistani court charged five Americans yesterday with planning terrorist attacks in Pakistan and conspiring to wage war against nations allied with Pakistan. Court in Pakista n charges 5 Americans as ter-rorists State prison numb ers fall for first time' since 1972 Incarceration rate According to official state data collected by the Pew Center, falls .4 percent 1,403,091 people were under the jurisdiction of state prison authori- amidst state ties on Jan. 1, down by 5,739 from a year earlier. The report, being budget crises released Wednesday, said this was the first year-to-year drop in the NEW YORK (AP) - Spurred state prison population since 1972; by budget crises, California and when there were about 174,000 Michigan together reduced their prisoners. prison populations by more than Since then, the nationwide pris- 7,500 last year, contributing to on population has soared, in part what a new report says is the first because of stiff sentencing laws nationwide decline in the number giving the U.S. the world's highest of state inmates since 1972. incarceration rate. The overall drop was slight, With more inmates to handle, according to the Pew Center on state corrections costs quadrupled the States - just 0.4 percent - over the past 20 years, according but its report suggests there could to the report. Many states are now be a sustained downward trend in fiscal disarray, and legislators because of keen interest by state are looking afresh at ways to curb policymakers in curtailing correc- prison spending, but the Pew sur tions costs. vey revealed a wide variation of "The political and policy envi- responses. ronment has changed drastically," In 23 states, the number of pris- said Adam Gelb, director of the oners increased in 2009 - notably Pew Center's Public Safety Perfor- in Indiana by 5.3 percent and in mance Project. Pennsylvania by 4.3 percent. "There's now a realization on However, 27 states reduced their both sides of the aisle that there are prison populations - ledby Califor= research-based strategies to pro- nia with a drop of 4,257 and Michi- tect public safety and hold offend- gan with a drop of 3,260. New York, ers accountable without sinking Maryland, Texas and Mississippi ever more public dollars into pris- also reduced their prison popula- ons," Gelb said. tionsbymore than1,000. Men face up to life in prison for allegedly planning attacks ISLAMABAD (AP) - A Paki- stani court charged five young Americans yesterday with plan- ningterroristattacks inthe South Asian country and conspiring to wage war against nations allied with Pakistan, their defense law- yer said. The men - all Muslims from the Washington suburb of Alex- andria, Virginia - pleaded not guilty to a total of five charges, the most severe of which car- ries a maximum sentence of life in prison, defense lawyer Hasan Dastagir told The Associated Press. "My clients were in good shape and high spirits," Dastagir said. The men, all in their late teens or early 20s, were charged by an anti-terrorism court inside a prison in Sargodha, the city in Punjab province where they were arrested in December. They were reported missing by their families in November after one left behind a farewell video showing scenes of war and casu- alties and saying Muslims must be defended. Their lawyer has said they were heading to Afghanistan and had no plans to stage attacks inside Pakistan. The court also charged the men with planning attacks on Afghan and U.S. territory, said Dastagir. The charges did not specify what was meant by U.S. territory but could be a reference to American bases or diplomatic outposts in Afghanistan. The men also were charged with contributing cash to banned organizations to be used for terrorism and with directing each other to commit terrorist acts. "This last charge carries life in prison while the rest of the charges have lesser punish- ments," Dastagir said. The trial will begin on March 31, and the prosecution is slated to present more than 20 witness- es, Dastagir said. The defense plans to bring witnesses from the U.S. and pro- vide evidence of community ser- vice carried out by the men back home, Dastagir said. Pakistani police have publicly made several accusations against the young men, claiming the sus- pects contacted Pakistani-based jihadi groups. They accused the five of using the social network- ing site Facebook and video-shar- ing site YouTube while they were in the U.S. to try to connect with extremist groups in Pakistan. Idaho Gov. signs bill to sue over health care plan First state adopts measure to sue if health insurance becomes mandatory cover some 30 million uninsured people, end insurance practices such as denying coverage to those with pre-existing conditions, require almostallAmericans toget coveragebylaw, andtryto slowthe cost of medical care nationwide. Democratic leaders hope to that's a critical mass. That's a con- stitutional mass." Last week, Virginia legisla- tors passed a measure similar to Idaho's new law, but Otter was the first state chief executive to sign such a bill, according to the Ameri- can Legislative Exchange Council, BOISE, Idaho (AP) - Idaho vote on it this weekend. which created model legislation for took the lead in a growing, nation- With Washington closing in on Idaho and other states. The Wash- wide fight against health care a deal in the months-long battle ington, D.C.-based nonprofitgroup overhaul yesterday when its gov- over health care overhaul, Repub- promotes limited government. ernor became the first to sign a lican state lawmakers opposed "Congress is planning to force an measure requiring the state attor- to the measure are stepping up unconstitutional mandate on the ney general to sue the federal gov- opposition. states," said Christie Herrera, the ernment if residents are forced to Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter, a group's health task force director. buy health insurance. Republican, said he believes any Otter already warned U.S. Similar legislation is pendingin future lawsuit from Idaho has a House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and 37 other states. legitimate shot of winning, despite Senate Majority Leader Harry Constitutional law experts say what the naysayers say. Reid in December that Idaho was the movement is mostly symbolic "The ivory tower folks will tell considering litigation. because federal laws supersede you, 'No, they're not going any- He signed the bill during his those of the states. where,' " he told reporters. "But first public ceremony of the 2010 But the state measures reflect a I'll tell you what, you get 36 states, Legislature. growing frustration with Presi- dent Barack Obama's health care overhaul. The proposal would --------- Today's Career Tip: Get personal at the Alumni Center with professionals who can help with your professional development. Schedule your appointment today. Text "UMStudents" to 41411 to win great prizes and get daily career tips, ALUMNIASSOCIATION UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN " °s,, The Tomcha & Vlasch Project Unusual Music for Unusual People tomchavaschproject.com Would you like to get The Vice President for advisory board for the most pressing to the s information can be fo more involved with current issues surrounding the student body? Student Affairs is looking for students to serve on her student 2010-2011 acadenic year, and advise her on the topics that are students at the University of Michigan. Applications and more rnd at: http://uuis.umich.edu/student-matters/dsaadvisory.htmi S 0J[NTTIC TSQ LY 1 0 IT STL STI m' M AAILABL E A l fLt U 5 =R.En S4 - CAM PUM BOO PO t 01 ,20', sosresas .5nP The deadline for applications is 5pm March 26, 2010 4 k