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 FOR AT TORNEY GENERAL Tough. Fair. Independent. DAVID LEYTON is the only prosecutor running for Attorney General. He has tried 20,000 cases as Genesee County Prosecutor with a 95% conviction rate. Leyton has a 5-point plan to reform Michigan's government and make it work for the people, not powerful special interests like big insurance companies. As Attorney General, Leyton will cut politicians' pay and end their free, taxpayer- funded lifetime health benefits. He will cut his own pay by 10% and refuse to accept outrageous lifetime health benefits. Learn more at DavidLeyton.com! Endorsed by former Attorney General Frank Kelley, the Detroit Free Press, the Lansing State Journal, the Kalamazoo Gazette and many others. Paid for by Dr. Benjamin and Estelle Kaufman