Cross Country
The Governator Takes a Break
For someone who's played so many tough guys and superheroes, Arnold Schwarzenegger seemed surprisingly human last week. The 59-year-old California governor underwent surgery for a broken leg suffered while skiing with his family in Sun Valley, Idaho.
In a 90-minute operation, Schwarzenegger's fractured right femur was put back together with wires and screws. While the governor was under anesthesia, the powers of his office were briefly relinquished to Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante. Doctors said a full recovery would take about eight weeks, during which time the former bodybuilder will walk with crutches. Presumably that means he won't be doing much dancing at his second inauguration, which is set for late this week. Schwarzenegger was re-elected in November.
The skiing accident was the governor's third health problem in just over a year. In December 2005, he spent several hours at a hospital because of a rapid heartbeat. In January, he received 15 stitches in his lip after the motorcycle he was piloting collided with a car.
Taft, Graft, and a Buckeye State Slap
Being the great-grandson of famed Ohioan and former President William Howard Taft apparently doesn't get you off the hook in the Buckeye State. Being the governor doesn't help, either. Last week in Columbus, the Ohio Supreme Court issued a formal reprimand to Gov. Bob Taft for failing to report nearly $6,000 in gifts during his term in office–state law requires officeholders to report the source of all gifts valued at more than $75. In Taft's case, the gifts were mainly fees for playing in golf outings, though they also included hockey tickets and a sweater. Taft had pleaded no contest in 2005 to misdemeanor ethics charges and paid a $4,000 fine.
In handing down a public reprimand, the court said it was meting out the minimum punishment because Taft had no prior record and had cooperated in the investigation. Taft is the only Ohio governor to be charged with a crime while in office (his term expires January 8). His great-grandfather was the 27th president and the 10th chief justice of the United States.
Ponying Up to Puff in Texas
The Lone Star State has long boasted of being a low-tax state as well, but now that reputation may take a bit of a hit. Starting this week, every pack of cigarettes sold in Texas will carry a tax of $1.41–a hefty $1 hike from the previous levy. Legislators in Austin, who had been facing a dramatic shortfall in revenue after a key public school property tax was ruled unconstitutional, turned to a tobacco tax to fill the gap. Lawmakers hope that the fees will raise roughly $700 million in revenue and discourage teenagers from experimenting with tobacco.
Cigarette taxes have become popular in recent years, both with legislators and voters. In November's elections, Arizona and South Dakota passed ballot measures to boost tobacco fees. In all, some six states are raising cigarette taxes this year, leaving Texas's new tax as the 16th highest in the nation. Only eight states in the nation have not raised tobacco levies during the past five years.
More Trouble for D.A. in Duke Case
The spotlight keeps getting hotter for Durham, N.C., District Attorney Mike Nifong. In December, Nifong dropped rape charges against three white Duke lacrosse players while maintaining charges of kidnapping and sexual assault of a black stripper at a party in March. The surprise move followed revelations that Nifong withheld DNA evidence taken from the accuser's body and underwear that showed no match to the Duke athletes.
Last week, the North Carolina State Bar Association filed ethics charges against Nifong. The complaint makes no mention of the DNA but says Nifong's many statements to the news media "had a substantial likelihood of prejudicing" the criminal proceedings. The complaint says that Nifong repeatedly used the word rape in referring to the case, while also mentioning "a deep racial motivation" for the attack. The district attorney wasn't commenting on the latest development but has said his only regret was speaking so often to the media. The highly unusual public condemnation of Nifong by the state bar association opens the possibility that he could be removed or resign from the case.
Rock Legend's Enduring Appeal
Elvis may have left the building, but he's still "the King" with the philatelic set. The U.S. Postal Service announced that a 1993 stamp commemorating Elvis Presley is the most popular collected stamp of all time. More than 124 million of the Elvis stamps have been collected, according to a survey of 10,000 households conducted by the Postal Service. "His persona has continued to radiate worldwide," says Postal Service Spokesman Roy Betts. Indeed. More than 600,000 people yearly visit Elvis's Graceland Mansion home in Memphis.
Among the other popular stamps were those celebrating America's natural wonders and comic book superheroes. The Postal Service receives stamp ideas from some 50,000 people yearly, but only about 20 to 25 subjects make the cut.
With Peter Cary, Kevin Whitelaw, Bret Schulte and Associated Press
This story appears in the January 8, 2007 print edition of U.S. News & World Report.