The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com

Tuesday, January 14, 2014 - 3

NEWS BRIEFS
NILES TOWNSHIP, Mich.
Man sets Walmart
aflame, steals iPads
and flees premises
Police in southwestern Michi-
gan are searching for a man who
wore a mask when he set fire to
baby clothes at a Walmart store,
then went to the electronics
department where he smashed
a display case and stole several
iPads.
The Berrien County sheriff's
department says the robbery hap-
pened about 4:45 a.m. Sunday at a
Walmart store in Niles Township.
It's about 20 miles south-south-
east of Benton Harbor.
The department says the man
fled out the front door and drove
off.
MLive.com says investigators
have surveillance video showing
a man they think is the suspect
also trying to steal electronic
items at the store on Saturday.
The say he wasn't masked then.
WASHINGTON, D.C.
Court-martial of
Naval student will
begin in March
The court-martial of a U.S.
Naval Academy midshipman
accused in a sexual assault case is
now scheduled to begin in March
after a military judge agreed to
delay the proceeding, which had
been scheduled for February.
A military judge on Monday
said the court-martial, the mili-
tary's equivalent of a trial, for
Joshua Tate of Nashville, Tenn.,
will begin with the selection of
the military jury on March 14.
Opening statements will begin on
March 17.
Tate's lawyers had asked for
the start of the trial to be delayed
in part because charges against
another man involved in the
case, Eric Graham of Eight Mile,
Ala., were dropped last week.
Tate is now the sole remaining
defendant facing charges, though
prosecutors had initially accused
three men in connection with the
case.
NEW YORK, N.Y.
Stock market sees
worst day of 2014,
employment slips
The stock market had its worst
day of the year so far, extending a
January slump.
Stocks dropped Monday as
falling oil prices pushed down
energy stocks. The prospect of
She Federal Reserve further cut-
ting back on its economic stimu-
lus also weighed on the market.
Stocks are falling back this
year after exceptional gains
pushed the market to record lev-
els in 2013. Investors' confidence
that the economy was recover-
ing was jolted Friday by a weak

employment report that showed
far fewer jobs were added in
December than economists had
forecast.
PHOENIX, Ariz.
Court rejects 20-
week deadline for
state abortions
The Supreme Court on Mon-
day rejected Arizona's attempt to
implement a ban on most abor-
tions after 20 weeks of pregnancy,
a development that doesn't dis-
turb most of the similar prohibi-
tions that other states have on the
books.
The justices declined to recon-
sider a federal appeals court's rul-
ing that the Arizona law violates a
woman's constitutionally protect-
ed right to terminate a pregnancy
before a fetus is able to survive
outside the womb.
"Viability" of a fetus is general-
ly considered to start at 24 weeks.
Normal pregnancies run about 40
weeks.
Gov. Jan Brewer signed the ban
into law in April 2012. Nine other
states have enacted similar bans
starting at 20 weeks or even ear-
lier.
-Compiled from
Daily wire reports

Nigeria threatens
jail time for same-
sex clubs, marriage

Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, left, speaks as he meets with President Barack Obama in the Oval Office of the
White House in Washington, Monday.
Nuclear rollback may yield
economic reward for Iran

Obama warns
against sanctions
during meeting
with Spanish P.M.
WASHINGTON (AP) - The
weekend deal spelling out how
Iran will roll back its nuclear
program in exchange for sanc-
tions relief buttresses the
Obama administration's argu-
ment Tehran may be prepared
for a grand diplomatic com-
promise averting the potential
for war. But it has done little
to sway skeptical lawmakers
determined to levy new sanc-
tions against Iran.
With world powers and
Iran set to start the clock on
their six-month interim agree-
ment Jan. 20, a parallel show-
down looms between President
Barack Obama and Congress
over legislative action each side
says has serious implications
for the chances of diplomatic
success. Obama warns add-
ing more sanctions could kill
negotiations; legislators insist
they're the only way to ensure
Iran keeps 06 word. Much cduld~
depend on Tehran quickly mak-
ing good on its commitments.
"Now is not the time to
impose new sanctions," Obama
said Monday as he met with
Spanish Prime Minister Mari-
ano Rajoy.
White House press secretary
Jay Carney said the fact Iran's
government was now imple-
menting what has been agreed
"demonstrates that at the very
least, testing whether or not
Iran is serious is the right thing
to do."
The question of sanctions is
essentially a tactical dispute
over the best way to achieve a
shared goal: preventing Iran
from acquiring nuclear weap-

ons and delivering an exis-
tential threat to Israel, while
fundamentally reshaping the
power dynamics of the Mid-
dle East. But for the Obama
administration, the pressure
from Congress has proven a
constant headache at precisely
the moment Iran's moderate-
sounding President Hassan
Rouhani is offering unprece-
dented flexibility in talks.
The administration reached
a milestone in its strategy Sun-
day. The U.S. and its five negoti-
ating partners - Britain, China,
France, Germany and Rus-
sia - secured a deal with Iran
articulating how the Islamic
republic will scale back its ura-
nium enrichment program,
halt progress at a plutonium
plant and open up key sites
to daily inspectors beginning
next week. In exchange, world
powers outlined how they will
phase in $7 billion worth of
relief from international sanc-
tions that have crippled Iran's
economy. The full agreement
has yet tobe made public.
The agreement "will advance
our goal of preventing Iran
from obtaining a nuclear weap-
on," Obama declared in a state-
ment Sunday. He reiterated a
threat to veto any new sanc-
tions legislation from Congress,
saying such action risks "derail-
ing our efforts." Carney added
Monday that new sanctions are
"wholly unnecessary" because
Congress could always act later.
The implementation agree-
ment provides the nuts and
bolts to November's break-
through interim deal with
Iran, an arrangement that can
be extended by six additional
months. Negotiators hope to
replace it with a comprehen-
sive accord this year ending the
threat of a nuclear-armed Iran.
Iranian reformers and mod-
erate conservatives welcomed

the agreement Monday, while
hardliners repeated their oppo-
sition. Iran's leaders say ura-
nium and plutonium activity
is designed solely for peaceful
nuclear energy and medical
research purposes, but the
United States and many other
countries fear Tehran is covert-
ly advancing toward atomic
weapons capability. Israel and
Iran's Sunni Arab rivals such
as Saudi Arabia have been
most vocal in their skepticism
of diplomacy, their concerns
echoed by a growing chorus in
Congress..
Fifty-nine senators now back
the latest proposed U.S. sanc-
tions package, which they say
would increase the pressure on
Iran to make concessions and
fully dismantle - not simply
slow down - the entire nucle-
ar program. The count takes
sanctions proponents closer to
being able to push a bill through
Congress and override even a
presidential veto. The House
overwhelmingly supports addi-
tional economic pressure on
Tehran.
No sanctions vote is expect-
ed imminently. Congressio-
nal aides said top proponents
such as Democratic Sens. Bob
Menendez of New Jersey and
Chuck Schumer of New York
were waiting for the best oppor-
tunity to push the issue, with
much of the focus now on build-
ing a stronger coalition. Some
Senate aides cited early Febru-
ary as the earliest possibility.
The legislation under consid-
eration would blacklist several
Iranian industrial sectors and
threaten banks and companies
around the world with being
banned from the U.S. market if
they help Iran export any more
oil. The provisions would take
effect if Tehran violates the
interim deal or lets it expire
without a final agreement.

Discriminatory
laws influence some
to flee the country
LAGOS, Nigeria (AP) - A
new law in Nigeria, signed
by the president without
announcement, has made it
illegal for gay people to even
hold a meeting. The Same Sex
Marriage Prohibition Act also
criminalizes homosexual clubs,
associations and organizations,
with penalties of up to 14 years
in jail.
The act has drawn interna-
tional condemnation from coun-
tries such as the United States
and Britain.
Some Nigerian gays already
have fled the country because
of intolerance of their sexual
persuasion, and more are con-
sidering leaving, if the new law
is enforced, human rights activ-
ist Olumide Makanjuola said
recently.
Nigeria's law is not as draco-
nian as a Ugandan bill passed
by parliament last month which
would punish "aggravated"
homosexual acts with life in
prison. It awaits the president's
signature.
But Nigeria's law reflects a
highly religious and conserva-
tive society that considers homo-
sexuality a deviation. Nigeria is
one of 38 African countries -
about 70 percent of the continent
- that have laws persecutinggay
people, according to Amnesty
International.
The Associated Press on Mon-
day obtained a copy of the Same
Sex Marriage Prohibition Act,
which was signed by President
Goodluck Jonathan and dated
Jan. 7.
It was unclear why the law's
passage has been shrouded in
secrecy. The copy obtained
from the House of Represen-
tatives in Abuja, the Nigerian
capital, showed it was signed by
lawmakers and senators unani-
mously on Dec. 17, though no
announcement was made.
U.S. Secretary of State John
Kerry said Monday the United
States is "deeply concerned" by
a law that "dangerously restricts
freedom of assembly, associa-
tion, and expression for all Nige-
rians."
Former colonizer Britain said,
"The U.K. opposes any form of
discrimination on the grounds
of sexual orientation."
A statement from the spokes-
man for the British High Com-
mission, traditionally not
identified by name, said the law
"infringes upon fundamental
rights of expression and asso-
ciation which are guaranteed by
the Nigerian Constitution and
by international agreements to
which Nigeria is a party."
The British government last
year threatened to cut aid to
African countries that violate
the rights of gay and lesbian
citizens. However, British aid
remains quite small in oil-rich
Nigeria, one of the top crude

suppliers to the U.S.
Washington-based Human
Rights First urged President
Barack Obama to "consider all
avenues for response," saying
leaders such as Uganda's presi-
dent, Yoweri Museveni, will be
watching.
"This law threatens the very
livelihood of LGBT people and
allies in Nigeria, and sets a dan-
gerous precedent for persecution
and violence against minorities
throughout the region," said the
organization's Shawn Gaylord.
The motivation for the Nige-
rian law is unclear, given that
the country already has one
making homosexual sex ille-
gal. And gay people were not
demanding to be married in a
country where being gay can get
a person lynched by a mob. In
parts of northern Nigeria where
Islamic Shariah law is enforced,
gays and lesbians can be legally
stoned to death.
Some have suggested the new
law in Nigeria and the proposed
one in Uganda are a backlash to
Western pressure to decrimi-
nalize homosexuality. Several
African leaders have warned
they will not be dictated to on a
subject that is anathema to their
culture and religion.
Yahya Jammeh, the president
of Gambia, has said homosexu-
als should be decapitated.
In June, Senegal's president,
Macky Sall, argued with Obama
about the subject at a news con-
ference. Sall told the AP after-
ward that other countries should
refrain from imposing their val-
ues beyond their borders.
"We don't ask the Europeans
to be polygamists," Sall said.
"We like polygamy in our coun-
try, but we can't impose it in
yours. Because the people won't
understand it. They won't accept
it."
Jonathan, Nigeria's president,
has not publicly expressed his
views on homosexuality. But his
spokesman, Reuben Abati, told
the AP on Monday night, "This
is a law that is in line with the
people's cultural and religious
inclination. So it is a law that
is a reflection of the beliefs and
orientation of Nigerian people.
Nigerians are pleased with
it." Abati said he has heard of
no Nigerian demonstrations
against the law.
The few Nigerian gays and
human rights activists who
tried to give evidence last year
during the debate in the House
of Assembly were heckled and
booed until one broke into tears
and another could not be heard.
Nigerians are the least toler-
ant nation when it comes to gays,
with 98 percent surveyed saying
society should not accept homo-
sexuality, according to a study of
39 nations around the world by
the U.S. Pew Research Center.
Under Nigeria's new law, it is
now a crime to have a meeting
of gays, to operate or go to a gay
club, society or organization, or
make any public show of affec-
tion.

Christie's presidential bid faces
uncertainty after 'Bridgegate'

GOP rivals stay
silent as New Jersey
governor flounders
CONCORD, N.H. (AP) - As
Democrats intensify their probe
in New Jersey, Gov. Chris Chris-
tie has found little support - and
sharp criticism in some cases -
from the slate of potential rivals
for the Republican presidential
nomination. At the same time,
would-be allies from key states
have been slow to rally behind
the Republican governor, whcse
administration appears to have
created a massive traffic jam to
punish a political adversary.
Some Republican leaders in
Iowa and New Hampshire -
states already gearing up for the
nation's first 2016 presidential
nominating contests - offered
only conditional support for
Christie, acknowledging the
New Jersey investigation is far
from over.
"I think only time will tell
on this," said Bruce Rastetter,
a wealthy Iowa businessman
who led a group of like-minded
Republican donors to New Jer-
sey to encourage a 2012 Chris-
tie presidential run. "And if he

didn't have any knowledge, he
should have a future."
Documents revealed last
week that figures in the Christie
administration may have inten-
tionally caused major backups
near the George Washington
Bridge, linking the community
of Fort Lee to New York City,
to exact political retribution
against a Democratic mayor who
refused to endorse his re-elec-
tion campaign. Christie fired a
top aide and jettisoned his chief
political adviser after internal
communications confirming
their involvement became pub-
lic.
He adamantly denied any
personal "knowledge or involve-
ment" in the lane closures.
Democrats in New Jersey on
Monday formed special legisla-
tive committees with subpoena
power, expanding the traffic-
jam investigation into an abuse
of power probe. But Christie,
who is considering a presidential
bid, is also facing criticism from
his own party - particularly
from other Republicans who are
eyeing the presidency.
The intense scrutiny under-
scores the tremendous political
pressure Christie faces as one of
his party's most popular figures

ahead of the 2016 presidential
contest.
"Nobodylikes the ideaofusing
government against someone
for political reasons," Kentucky
Republican Sen. Rand Paul, who
is examining a 2016 run, said in
an interview with KPNX-TV in
Phoenix. "I think that's what's
being addressed here and that's
why I think it's a bigger issue
than just traffic. Because if it is
true, if it looks like someone who
won an election is punishing
people they beat in the election;
that leaves a really bad taste in
people's mouth."
Former Pennsylvania Sen.
Rick Santorum, weighing a
second presidential candidacy,
complimented Christie on Sun-
day for taking tough questions
but raised new questions about
the governor's staffing decisions.
"The people that you hire
are the policies that are imple-
mented," Santorum said. "It's
very clear that the personnel
there was not sensitive to what
seemed to be a fairly obvious
wrong thing to do."
Other prospective Republican
presidential candidates simply
declined to support Christie
in recent days when given the
opportunity.

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