Bridge Collapse Prompts Questions; Gang Raids and Stun Grenades; Alleged Abuser Is Multimillionaire; Wildfires Spark Old Resentments; Grisly Mob Boss Trial in Windy City; Subway Plus SUV Embarrasses Mayor
It is being called a latter-day Sagebrush Rebellion, a reference to a 1979 campaign in which western states lobbied for more local control over federal territory administered by the Bureau of Land Management. Idaho Gov. C. L. "Butch" Otter, a rancher, and both of the state's senators have blamed federal safety regulations for slowing the response time to wildfires that quickly spread to hundreds of square miles. The federal government is in charge of about two thirds of Idaho's land.
Nearly 5 million acres have burned this year. In 2006, nearly 10,000 wildfires claimed 10 million acres, making it a record year for damages.
Grisly Mob Boss Trial in Windy City
Jurors were visibly sickened by the grisly autopsy photos in the major organized crime trial of reputed Chicago mobsters. The handful of alleged bosses, including Joseph "Joey the Clown" Lombardo, are charged with gambling, loan-sharking, and 18 killings, including the savage murder-by-beating of Tony Spilotro, the inspiration for Joe Pesci's character in the 1995 film Casino. Old mobsters, some brought out of the witness protection program to testify, said that Spilotro had angered his former family members by "bringing too much heat" on them and wooing the wife of a Las Vegas casino executive.
Subway Plus SUV Embarrasses Mayor
Sure, he likes to say that he rides the subway "virtually" everyday. But last week it came to light that New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg supplements his commute with a couple of gas-guzzling SUVs. Bloomberg bypasses a local station five minutes from his home, opting instead for the express station some 22 blocks away. His spokesman points out that at least he still rides the subway. "Zips his card through, stands on the platform, and waits for a train to come." Just like the average subway rider? asked a reporter. "Who," the spokesman responded, "is the average Manhattan subwaygoer?"
With Alex Kingsbury, Emma Schwartz, Nikki Schwab, Chris Wilson and Associated Press
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