Washington – The House voted Wednesday evening to reject President Bush’s plan to eliminate the $420 million federal subsidy for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
The 357-72 vote demonstrated the enduring political strength of public broadcasting. The outcome was never in doubt, unlike a fight two years ago when Republicans tried but failed to slash public-broadcasting subsidies.
The move to kill subsidies for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which make up about 15 percent of its budget, was launched by Rep. Doug Lamborn, R-Colo.
“Taxpayers are being asked to pay more in taxes because Congress is not willing to make hard choices and balance our spending with our income,” Lamborn said.
Congress created the corporation in 1967 to shield public broadcasting from political influence. It distributes federal subsidies to PBS, National Public Radio and hundreds of public radio and television stations.
Additional nation/world news briefs:
BOISE, Idaho
Fire preparedness may rise to top level
Fire officials said Wednesday they may boost the nation’s wildfire preparedness to its highest level as dry lightning blasted the bone-dry West and sparked dozens of blazes in Idaho, Nevada, Oregon and Utah.
“It’s being discussed as we speak,” said Randy Eardley, a spokesman for the National Interagency Fire Center.
Wildfire preparedness was at level four Wednesday.
Boosting it to five – which could take effect as soon as this morning, Eardley said – would mean more international crews could be called in to assist firefighters who have been stretched thin by nearly 70 fires bigger than 100 acres burning in 12 states. National Guard units could be mobilized.
Since Monday, more than 1,000 new fires have been reported across the West, Eardley said.
WASHINGTON
Hot-dog chili sauce linked to botulism
Federal health officials warned consumers Wednesday to throw away certain cans of hot-dog chili sauce after the product was linked to botulism that has sent four people – two each in Texas and Indiana – to hospitals.
The warning applies to 10- ounce cans of Castleberry’s, Austex and Kroger brands of hot- dog chili sauce with “best by” dates from April 30, 2009, through May 22, 2009, the Food and Drug Administration said. It wasn’t clear how widely the products were distributed.
The contamination by the toxin that leads to paralysis is extremely rare for a commercially canned product. The last such U.S. case was in the 1970s.
Robert Brackett, director of the FDA’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, urged consumers to discard the recalled cans without opening them: “The toxin is so potent, if they get it on their hands or it sprays in their face, it could make them ill.”
GUATEMALA CITY
Baby allegedly set for illegal adoption saved
Guatemalan police rescued a 2-month-old boy who had been stolen from his home, and they arrested four people who were allegedly preparing the baby for illegal adoption, an official said.The suspects include the owner of the orphanage where the child was found.
The U.S. State Department, citing rampant problems of fraud and extortion, said in March that it no longer recommends that Americans adopt children from Guatemala. It would be unlikely the stolen baby would have been adopted by an American family because of mandatory DNA testing required by the U.S. Embassy to grant the infant a visa.
MUMBAI, India
At least 22 killed when building falls
At least 22 people were killed and nine others wounded when a seven-story building collapsed in Mumbai, officials said Thursday.
At least 10 others were feared trapped in the rubble of the residential building in Mumbai’s Borivali neighborhood, said Gopal Shetty, a state lawmaker. The building collapsed late Wednesday.
