Astronauts inspect shuttle

Astronauts inspect shuttle

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — Space shuttle Endeavour’s astronauts inspected their ship for damage Thursday as NASA struggled to understand why a normally benign section of the fuel tank lost so much foam during liftoff.

“We have a bit of a mystery,” said shuttle program manager John Shannon. “We’re not worried about this flight, but we need to understand what was going on for the next flight.”

The slow, tedious inspection work unfolded as Endeavour rocketed toward the international space station for a linkup today. It was the first full day in orbit for the seven astronauts, who are delivering a veranda for Japan’s enormous lab. It also happened to be the 40th anniversary of the launch of the first manned moon landing.

Extending COBRA coverage

WASHINGTON — Lawmakers have amended a far-reaching health-care overhaul bill to allow workers who lose their jobs to hang onto their employer-provided care until they get new coverage.

The measure agreed to by voice vote in the House Education and Labor Committee affects the program known as COBRA. It allows workers to keep their company’s health insurance plan for 18 months after they leave their job, if they pay the premiums.

Under the provision, workers would still have to keep paying the cost, but the insurance wouldn’t cut off until they became eligible for a new coverage plan.

The provision authored by Democratic Congresswoman Susan Davis of California would become law if the full House and Senate allow it to stay in the underlying health-overhaul bill and pass that legislation.

5 officers wounded in N.J.

JERSEY CITY, N.J. — A running shootout that erupted during a police stakeout of two armed- robbery suspects ended Thursday morning with them dead and five officers wounded by gunfire, two of them critically.

Police said Hassan Shakur had been hiding a pump-action shotgun under a monk’s robe when police approached him in the street about 5:15 a.m., and he began firing.

The shootout ended when SWAT officers fought their way into a third-floor apartment where the man and woman had taken cover about 6:45 a.m. The officers were met by shotgun blasts that ripped through the apartment building’s walls and doors.

Police said the suspects were believed to be Shakur, 32, and Amanda Anderson, 22. They had been wanted in a June 18 armed robbery in Jersey City where a man was shot with the same shotgun, Comey said. Police said they were suspected of a similar robbery in South Carolina.

Aide: Zelaya heads home

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras — A top aide said exiled Honduran President Manuel Zelaya was heading home Thursday to set up an alternative seat of government inside the country and will use it as his headquarters in a “final battle” against the coup leaders.

Zelaya’s foreign minister, Patricia Rodas, said he is “on his way” back, but refused to say how or when he planned to enter Honduras. Zelaya’s current whereabouts are unclear, and the leaders who replaced him after the military sent him into exile have vowed to arrest him if he returns.

Fined for privacy violation

LOS ANGELES — The Southern California hospital where Nadya Suleman’s octuplets were born has been fined $187,500 for failing to protect their medical privacy, state health officials said Thursday.

The California Department of Public Health said it was the second time Kaiser Permanente’s Bellflower hospital was fined under new legislation designed to protect patients’ medical records. In May, the hospital was fined $250,000 when it was determined employees looked at Suleman’s medical information.

Fatal Indonesian bombings

JAKARTA, Indonesia — Police and hospital officials say six people have been killed and at least 18 injured in two powerful blasts in downtown Jakarta.

Dr. Cahyonod at the Jakarta Hospital said six people were killed in explosions at the Ritz-Carlton and Marriott hotels this morning.

The blasts blew out windows and scattered debris and glass across the street.

Police spokesman Col. Chrinanda Dwilaksana also put the death toll at six.

The Marriott hotel was attacked in 2003, when 12 died.

Southeast Asian terror network Jemaah Islamiyah was blamed in that blast, but there has been a massive crackdown by anti- terror officials, and it has been more than three years since a major terrorist attack in Indonesia and the network.

Associated Press