In the News

Justices to revisit late-term abortion ban

WASHINGTON – The Supreme Court will consider reinstating a federal ban on what opponents call partial-birth abortion, pulling the contentious issue back to the high court on conservative Justice Samuel Alito’s first day.

Alito could well be the tie-breaking vote when the court decides if doctors can be jailed for performing the abortion procedure.

It is the first time the court has considered a federal restriction on abortion, and conservatives said they expect the membership change to affect the outcome.

“This is the frontline abortion case in the country,” said Jay Sekulow, chief counsel for the conservative American Center for Law and Justice, who represents members of Congress in the case.

In 2000, Justices split 5 to 4 in striking down a state law barring the same procedure because it lacked an exception to protect the health of the mother. Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, who was the tie-breaking vote, retired late last month and was replaced by Alito.

Three charged with planning to attack troops

TOLEDO, Ohio – With jobs, families and college courses, three men of Middle Eastern descent appeared to be active members of their Midwestern communities, but prosecutors say they were plotting to kill U.S. and coalition troops in Iraq.

One was taking college courses and selling used cars. Another spent time playing in his yard with his children, according to neighbors.

All three were charged with attempting to wage terror attacks against the United States and its allies by recruiting and training others to fight overseas, according to a federal indictment unsealed Tuesday.

The indictment says the group traveled together to a shooting range to practice and studied how to make explosives. It alleges that at least one of the men researched and tried to obtain government grants and private funding for the training.

The three men pleaded not guilty Tuesday in federal courts in Cleveland and Toledo. The most serious charges could bring life in prison.

Cohen leads after dazzling short program

TURIN, Italy – It’s becoming an Olympic tradition: An American woman wins figure skating gold and the Russians claim all the other titles.

Sasha Cohen took an important step toward keeping the tradition alive Tuesday, winning the short program with a brilliant performance. She capped off the spectacular skate by snapping her fingers and double-pumping her fists as if to say, “Top that.”

Cohen will need to be just as dynamic and sassy in the free skate Thursday. That is because world champion Irina Slutskaya is as close as a skate blade’s edge to Cohen in the standings-and the Russian has a better track record.

“It’s going to be like starting over. Like the short didn’t really count. Back to square one,” Cohen said. “Anybody in the top three can win.”

Fireman who spoke after being in coma dies

BUFFALO, N.Y. – A brain-injured firefighter who suddenly spoke after nearly a decade in a stupor, giving hope to families of countless other patients, died Tuesday. He was 44.

Donald Herbert was injured in December 1995, when the roof of a burning home collapsed on him. Deprived of oxygen for several minutes, he ended up blind, was largely mute and showed little awareness of his surroundings for years.

But on April 30, 2005, he shocked his family with a 14-hour talking jag. Since then, he spoke only sporadically, his progress hampered by a fall out of bed that caused bleeding on his brain, his doctor said.

Herbert was hospitalized again on Sunday with an infection.

“Don fought very long and hard … right to the end. Last night he was breathing very hard, trying to keep going,” fire commissioner Michael Lombardo said.