Obama warns grads about political anger

May 2, 2010 at 12:00a.m.

ANN ARBOR, Mich.

In a blunt caution to political friend and foe, President Barack Obama said Saturday that partisan rants and name-calling under the guise of legitimate discourse pose a serious danger to America’s democracy, and may incite “extreme elements” to violence.

The comments, in a graduation speech at the University of Michigan’s huge football stadium, were Obama’s most-direct take about the angry politics that have engulfed his young presidency after long clashes over health care, taxes and the role of government.

Obama drew repeated cheers in Michigan Stadium from a friendly crowd that aides called the biggest audience of his presidency since the inauguration. The venue has a capacity of 106,201, and university officials distributed 80,000 tickets — before they ran out.

Tornadoes kill 1, injure dozens

SCOTLAND, Ark.

Leveled homes, overturned vehicles and uprooted trees were scattered across central Arkansas on Saturday after several tornadoes ripped through the state, killing a woman and injuring two-dozen others, authorities said.

At least one person drowned after heavy rain fell in western Arkansas, said Renee Preslar, spokeswoman for the Arkansas Department of Emergency Management.

The woman killed by a tornado was among three people in one of several homes destroyed by the Friday night storms in the small community of Scotland, about 75 miles north of Little Rock, said Van Buren County Sheriff Scott Bradley. The two other people inside the house were hurt, and one remained hospitalized Saturday, the county’s emergency management coordinator said.

Gulf oil spill jeopardizes bill

WASHINGTON

A historic environmental-protection bill is in danger after a massive oil spill put a new focus on the perils of offshore drilling, a feature that was supposed to win wider support for the legislation.

The bill, supported by President Barack Obama, calls for new offshore drilling — a concession by environmentalists. But with the tragedy off the Gulf Coast growing daily, even conservationists who have waited a decade for the legislation are now saying it will fail if offshore drilling remains in the bill.

Papal envoy to take over Legionaries

VATICAN CITY

Pope Benedict XVI cracked down Saturday on the scandal-plagued Legionaries of Christ, announcing that a papal envoy would take over and reform the conservative order that has been discredited by revelations that its founder sexually abused seminarians and fathered at least one child.

Benedict also ordered a special commission to study the Legionaries constitutions and said a Vatican expert would investigate its lay arm, Regnum Christi.

Children’s drugs recalled by maker

NEW YORK

Pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson Inc. has initiated a voluntary recall of liquid Tylenol, Motrin and other drugs for children and infants because of manufacturing deficiencies that may affect quality, purity or potency of the drugs, the Food and Drug Administration said Saturday.

Products recalled also include certain liquid infant’s and children’s Zyrtec and Benadryl products, the FDA said.

The McNeil Consumer Healthcare unit of J&J is initiating the voluntary recall because some of these products may not meet required quality standards, the FDA said. Some of the products included in the recall may contain a higher concentration of active ingredient than specified.

Combined dispatches