California allows employers
to fire workers for marijuana use
SAN FRANCISCO -- Employers can fire workers found to have used medical marijuana even if it was legally prescribed, the California Supreme Court ruled Thursday.
The high court upheld a small Sacramento telecommunications company's firing of a man who flunked a company-ordered drug test. Gary Ross held a medical marijuana card authorizing him to use the drug to treat a back injury sustained while serving in the Air Force.
The company, Ragingwire Inc., argued that it rightfully fired Ross because all marijuana use is illegal under federal law, which does not recognize the medical marijuana laws in California and 11 other states.
Ross had argued that medical marijuana users should receive the same workplace protection from discipline that employees with valid painkiller prescriptions do.
The American Medical Association advocates keeping marijuana classified as a tightly controlled and dangerous drug that should not be legalized until more research is done.
Bush releases wiretapping documents to House
WASHINGTON -- Ending months of resistance, the White House has agreed to give House members access to secret documents about its warrantless wiretapping program, a congressional official said Thursday.
The White House's offer comes as the Senate grapples with how to update the 1978 Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, the law that dictates when federal agents must obtain court permission before tapping phone and computer lines inside the United States to gather intelligence on foreign threats.
The Senate is expected to vote this week on whether to shield the companies from the roughly 40 pending civil lawsuits alleging violations of communications and wiretapping laws.
In a written statement, Bush said the law has allowed the intelligence community to monitor the communications of terrorists.
"Congress' action or lack of action on this important issue will directly affect our ability to keep Americans safe," Bush said.
Former president takes an increasingly vocal role as wife's defender
WASHINGTON -- As he campaigns for his wife's presidential run, Bill Clinton has been taking aim at her rival Barack Obama and the media with increasing rancor, trading the roles of elder statesman and supportive spouse for that of attack dog.
Bill Clinton, campaigning in South Carolina, complained Wednesday that Obama had put out a "hit job" on him. He didn't explain what that meant.
Hillary Clinton, for her part, found herself defending her husband when she would rather have been talking about her plans for U.S. financial markets.
"We're in a very heated campaign, and people are coming out and saying all kinds of things," she said in an interview late Wednesday. "I'm out there every day making a positive case for my candidacy. I have a lot of wonderful people, including my husband, who are out there making the case for me."
Obama said earlier this week that the former president "has taken his advocacy on behalf of his wife to a level that I think is pretty troubling."
Brooklyn shopper discovers frog in lettuce
NEW YORK -- You just don't want to eat some greens.
That's how a Brooklyn mom felt when she found a tiny frog comfortably nestled in the leaves of organic lettuce she was preparing to eat.
"I jumped away," said 39-year-old Yvonne Brechbuhler, who described the green critter as no bigger than the tip of her pinky finger.
Brechbuhler, a stage actress, said she bought the lettuce at her local food co-op and kept it in the refrigerator three days before using it last week.
An employee at the food co-op said it was the first such incident in memory.
Colorado House censures lawmaker
for kicking newspaper photographer
DENVER -- The state House voted Thursday to censure a lawmaker who kicked a newspaper photographer taking his picture -- and refused to apologize.
The resolution, passed 62-1, says Rep. Douglas Bruce "failed to uphold the honor and dignity of the House of Representatives and reflects poorly on the state."
Bruce, a Colorado Springs Republican, kicked Rocky Mountain News photographer Javier Manzano for snapping his photo during the traditional session-opening prayer on Jan. 14.
Bruce has described his action as a "nudge" and not a kick.
US military deaths in Iraq reach 3,931
At least 3,931 members of the U.S. military have died since the beginning of the Iraq war in March 2003, according to an Associated Press count as of Wednesday. The figure includes eight military civilians. At least 3,197 died as a result of hostile action, according to the military's numbers.
The AP count is two higher than the Defense Department's tally, last updated Wednesday at 10 a.m. EST.
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The British military has reported 174 deaths; Italy, 33; Ukraine, 18; Poland, 21; Bulgaria, 13; Spain, 11; Denmark, seven; El Salvador, five; Slovakia, four; Latvia, three; Estonia, Netherlands, Thailand, Romania, two each; and Australia, Hungary, Kazakhstan, South Korea, one death each.
Bush offers $200 million to fight crime
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Bush administration offered Thursday to pump $200 million into U.S. cities next year to combat violent crime, winning tepid support from mayors who want to see more cops on the street.
The money mostly targets crime-fighting programs across regions -- meaning it likely won't cover the cost of hiring new police officers.
Mayors have long called for more help from Washington in combating crime and deride budget cuts that ended funding for hiring more police.
Last year the Justice Department made $75 million available to communities after studying 18 cities and suburban regions over a six-month period for clues on curbing surging crime rates.
From the Associated Press
Produced by
Washington and Lee
journalism students.
Lead Supervisors:
Prof. Brian
Richardson
Prof. Phylissa
Mitchell
Editing supervisor:
Prof. Pamela Luecke
Technical supervisor: Michael Todd