The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
Tuesday, November 2, 2010 - 3A
NEWSBRIEFS
COLUMVBUIS, Ohmo
Teen's family killed
during Halloween,
found morning after
A 16-year-old boy thought he
stumbled onto a Halloween prank
when he found the bloodied bodies
of his brother, mother, and stepfa-
ther in his family's home in Martin
in northwest Ohio, authorities said
yesterday.
His stepbrother, who authorities
say has a history of mental health
problems, was arrested in the slay-
ings.
Devon Griffin had spent the
night out and returned home Sun-
day to change his clothes before
church, authorities said. After
returning from church, he dis-
covered the bodies of his brother,
Derek Griffin, 23; their mother,
Susan Liske; and her husband, Wil-
liam Liske.
The teenager told authorities it
looked like a joke from a Halloween
party, Ottawa County Sheriff Bob
Bratton said.
But he soon realized the bodies
weren't decorations. He ran out-
side and called an aunt, who called
911.
"My nephew came home and
there's blood everywhere," Grif-
fin's aunt told a dispatcher on the
911 call.
BERLIN, Germany
Germany suspends
flights from Yemen
due to terror threats
Germany's aviation authority
says the country has extended its
ban on cargo aircraft from Yemen
to include passenger flights amid
the current terrorist threat.
One of the bombs that was
mailed from Yemen and found by
authorities was routed to London
through the UPS hub in Cologne.
German aviation agency spokes-
woman Cornelia Cramer said yes-
terday that passenger flights from
Yemen were being suspended until
further notice.
Yemenia spokesman Eugene
Lopez says the airline flies Tues-
days and Saturdays from San'a to
Frankfurt.
Germany stopped package deliv-
pries from Yemen over the week-
end.
WASHINGTON
U.S. seeks common
ground with China
amid disagreement
The Obama administration
aces a sea of obstacles, setbacks
and conflicts with China as Sec-
retary of State Hillary Rodham
Clinton heads to the emerging
global powerhouse Saturday for
talks.
The two countries, with a long
history of mutual antagonism, are
at odds over many big issues: from
currency and trade policy to the
U.S. naval dominance of the Asia-
Pacific region, from U.S. arms
sales to Taiwan to China's human
rights record and its territorial
disputes in the South China Sea.
But the Obama administration
says it has not given up on build-
ing stronger bonds with Beijing,
one of the world's fastest growing
economic and military powers.
In a speech in Honolulu Thurs-
day, Clinton talked tough, lump-
ing China with North Korea and
Myanmar as sources of concern
about "deep-seyted challenges"
facing the Asia-Pacific region.
DETROIT
Halloween weekend
fires hit three-year
high at total of 169'
Detroit's fire department
responded to 169 blazes over the
Halloween weekend, a jump from
last year but nowhere near the
number that hit the city during
the notorious Devil's Night two
decades ago, city officials said
Monday.
The fires, most of which hit
Vacant houses or buildings, were
reported from Friday through
Sunday, Fire Commissioner
James Mack said. The number
compares to 119 fires reported in
2009, and 136 two years ago.
The city promotes volun-
teer neighborhood patrols each
Htalloween, dubbing the effort
Angel's Night, to prevent a repeat
of the so-called Devil's Night in
1984, when more than 800 fires
were started in Detroit during the
Halloween period.
Compiled from
Daily wire reports.
U.S. teams to aid anti-terror push in Yemen
White House weighs
response to terrorist
mail bomb plot
WASHINGTON (AP) - Teams
of U.S. anti-terrorism and secu-
rity experts headed for Yemen
to help search for suspects in the
mail bomb plot and to train cargo
screeners at the San'a airport.
A U.S. Transportation Security
Administration unit will provide
new screening equipment and
assist with cargo leaving Yemen,
TSA administrator John Pistole
said yesterday.
The White House's top coun-
terterrorism official, John Bren-
nan, is holding daily meetings
via secure video teleconferences
with the agencies involved in the
investigation. Brennan has kept
President Barack Obama updated
round the clock, but the White
House said no changes are being
made to the president's upcoming
to-day trip to Asia as a result of
the terror threat.
As investigative teams search
for clues, the national security
focus is also moving to how to
strike back at the al-Qaida off-
shoot suspected of shipping
explosive-laden cargo to the U.S.
The Yemen-based al-Qaida in
the Arabian Peninsula has been
linked to the bomb plot because
of its signature use of the explo-
sive PETN, which figured in last
Christmas Day's bombing attempt
of a Detroit-bound airliner. U.S.
authorities also had intelligence
that Yemeni al-Qaida was plan-
ning this operation, according to a
U.S. official who spoke on condi-
tion of anonymity to discuss mat-
ters of intelligence.
Brennan assured Yemen's pres-
ident over the weekend that his
country has the lead in respond-
ing to the terrorists, according to
a top Yemeni official. The brief
phone conversation between
Brennan and Yemeni President
Ali Abdullah Saleh Saturday. The
Yemeni official spoke on condi-
tion of anonymity to discuss high-
level conversations between the
U.S. and Yemen that have taken
place since the bombs, hidden in
packed computer printers, were
found Friday on planes.
The new incident presents an
opportunity for the White House
to persuade Yemen to widen its
war on terror by allowing the
Americans a more active role.
Yemen's government has
worked closely with U.S. coun-
terterrorist advisers from mili-
tary special operations units,'and
Yemen's president acknowledged
Saturday that his government is
working with the CIA, according
to a translation of his remarks by
Yemen's embassy in Washington.
But Saleh has been reluctant
to allow expanded use of armed
drones or regular raids by U.S.
special operations units on Yeme-
ni soil, for fear of being accused of
beinglabeled an American stooge,
by the militants or his own people..
The mail bomb plot could pres-
RICHARD DREW/AP
Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh talks during a press conference on Saturday in San'a, Yemen.
sure him to reconsider, according
to Chris Boucek, a Yemen expert
with the Carnegie Endowment
for International Peace.
"The next attack, if something
actually blows up, the U.S. won't
be able to be so restrained," he
said.
The danger, Boucek added, is
that the U.S. might overreact and
push Yemen to accept participa-
tion so overt that it undercuts
Yemen's perceived legitimacy.
The Obama administra-
tion launched a clandestine
war against Yemen's al-Qaida
branch just months after Presi-
dent Barack Obama took office,
and stepped up the tempo in the
aftermath of the Christmas attack
and AQAP's growing role in other
plots against the U.S. That war
has been waged mostly in secret,
at the demand of Saleh's govern-
ment.
Yemeni government minis-
ters did, however, acknowledge
publicly that the U.S. carried out
cruise missile strikes last Decem-
ber against al-Qaida targets.
And while Yemeni officials
have complained bitterly about
collateral damage from some of
the attacks, U.S. administration
officials insist the Yemeni gov-
ernment signs off on those mis-
sions at the highest level, as part
of combined counterterrorist
operations.
Today's election could see shift in political balance
GOP looks to
reclaim critical
seats in Congress
WASHINGTON (AP) - How
early will America know if it's a
Republican romp or if Democrats
somehow minimized their dam-
age? There should be plenty of
clues Tuesdayevening - and long
before bedtime. Final results in
some states might not be known
for days. But trends could be evi-
dent from the Midwest and South
- especially from Indiana, Ken-
tucky and West Virginia - even
before most of the nation has fin-
ished dinner.
Six states have polls that close
at 7 p.m. EDT, and 16 more close
by 8 p.m., featuring plenty of tell-
ing races in the East and Mid-
west. First up:Indiana, Kentucky,
South Carolina, Georgia, Virginia
and Vermont, offering the first
hard evidence of just how big a
night it's going to be for Republi-
cans.
Not even their mothers expect
the Democrats to gain ground. It's
just a question of whether they
fall back or over a cliff.
If the GOP can unseat Demo-
cratic Rep. Baron Hill in Indiana's
always-hard-fought 9th con-
gressional district, for example,
that's a good sign for the expect-
ed Republican takeover of the
House. And if they can capture all
SACUA
From Page 1A
fied across several cases, SACUA
could help construct rules for
dealing with the specific prob-
lems to eliminate doubts over
proper procedure.
Rothman said another issue
he often encounters concerns the
similar language used to describe
faculty titles across different
schools. The common underly-
ing language leads some faculty
members to believe they have
certain rights that are not spe-
cific to their departmental role,
Rothman said.
Robert Frost, SACUA member
and associate professor of infor-
mation studies, said experts of
the arbitration process ought to
be brought in to SACUA meet-
ings to further define the rules of
grievance policies.
WHITMAN TALKS
DISCRIMINATION
HARASSMENT POLICY
At the meeting, Vice Provost
Christina Whitman and Associ-
ate Vice Provost Anthony Wales-
by later discussed changes to
the University's discrimination
harassment policy standard prac-
tice guide.
Walesby said the revised poli-
cy features language taken from
both the sexual harassment poli-
cy and the previous interim poli-
cy, adding that all changes follow
discrimination policies outlined
by federal law. These changes, he
said, were approved by the Uni-
versity Board of Regents.
three seats they've got an eye on
in Indiana, that could well signal
a GOP hurricane.
On the other hand, if Demo-
crats hold their ground in Indi-
ana, and if their Kentucky Senate
candidate, Jack Conway, can beat
back Republican Rand Paul, it
could be an early indication that
GOP gains won't challenge the
record books and that the tea
party is serving weak brew.
A few tips on what to watch as
the returns roll in Tuesday night
(all times are EDT):
HOUSE
Expectations are high that
Republicans will pick up at least
the 40 seats they need to retake
control of the House after four
years of Democratic rule. That
should start in the Midwest.
In Ohio, where polls close at
7:30 p.m., six Democratic-held
seats are in jeopardy. In Penn-
sylvania and Illinois, where polls
close at 8 p.m., 10 more are at
risk.
If Midwestern incumbents
such Joe Donnelly in Indiana
and John Boccieri in Ohio fall,
Republicans are probably head-
ed for huge gains nationwide.
Measure Democratic resilience
if the party manages to hold on
to a pair of imperiled Georgia
seats, and if Rep. John Spratt can
win a new term in South Caro-
lina.
Worth watching in Florida
(an 8 p.m. poll close): a rematch
Whitman said the Univer-
sity previously relied on its 1992
interim policy to address issues
of discrimination harassment.
For procedural questions, inter-
ested parties were referred to the
more specific sexual harassment
policy, he said.
Walesby said that under the
current practice guide, the Uni-
versity approaches a person
immediately after an accusation
is made against them to keep
both parties updated throughout
the investigation process.
Biology Prof. John Lehman,
who is also a member of SACUA,
said he was concerned about the
due process system in place at
the University, which leaves the
accuser unaware of the potential
consequences of a guilty verdict
until later in the investigation
process.
SACUA Vice Chair Gina Poe
echoed Lehman's sentiments,
suggesting that the accused per-
son be made aware of all of the
consequences initially.
Following federal regulations,
the standard practice guides pro-
hibits discrimination based on
height, weight, color, age and sex.
Poe raised a suggestion first put
forth by one of her students, pro-
posing that the categories all be
encompassed under the heading
of all physical characteristics.
Rothman said he was also con-
cerned that the existing catego-
ries are not defined, so that they
do not specify an age or height
range.
"The clarity issue I think is
really a challenge in figuring out
what the class is that's defined by
this," Rothman said.
between Democratic Rep. Ron
Klein and Republican Allen West.
A loser two years ago, West rides
anti-incumbent sentiment and is
easily outspending his opponent.
Even if Republicans demon-
strate early strength Tuesday
night, it will take time for them to
lock in enough districts to ensure
a GOP majority. That's because
the West Coast states of Cali-
fornia, Washington and Oregon
are home to 67 House districts.
In 2006, it was 1 a.m. before it
became clear that control of the
House had passed from Republi-
cans to Democrats
SENATE
It would take a true blowout
for Republicans to pick up the 10
Senate seats they need for control.
The first should be an easy one,
in Indiana. But if Paul can't keep
Kentucky in the GOP column, it
would be a sign of strength for
Democrats and a symbolic set-
back for the tea party activists.
Republicans should have an
easy time holding onto one of
their own vacant seats in Ohio,
where former Republican Rep.
Rob Portman is favored. But keep
an eye on West Virginia, another
7:30 poll close state, where Dem-
ocratic Gov. Joe Manchin and
Republican millionaire industri-
alist John Raese are tussling over
the seat long held by the late Dem-
ocrat Robert Byrd.-A Republican
victory there could keep alive
GOP hopes of a majority.
Three-term Sen. Blanche Lin-
coln could be the first Senate
Democratic incumbent to fall,
when polls close in Arkansas at
8:30 p.m.
Polls close atlop.m. inthe most
closely watched race of the night:
Senate Majority Leader Harry
Reid's battle in Nevada against tea
party favorite Sharron Angle.
IL~etoil 201.0
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