9 NATO troops die in Afghan crash

9 NATO troops die in Afghan crash

kabul, afghanistan

A helicopter carrying international troops crashed in a rugged section of southern Afghanistan on Tuesday, killing nine service members in the deadliest such incident in four years for coalition forces.

A “large number” of Americans were among the dead, according to a senior military official in Washington, who spoke on condition of anonymity. The official was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly.

One other coalition service member, an Afghan National Army soldier and a U.S. civilian were wounded.

The coalition didn’t disclose the helicopter’s mission, and the cause of the crash was not immediately clear.

Obama adviser Summers to leave

washington

President Barack Obama’s top economic adviser, Lawrence Summers, plans to leave the White House at the end of the year, a move that comes as the administration struggles to show an anxious public it’s making progress on the economy.

In a statement, the president said he is grateful for Summers’ service during a time of “great peril for our country.”

Summers will return to Harvard University, a move a senior administration official said was always part of Summers’ long-standing plans.

Dad sorry for threats, storming school bus

lake mary, fla.

A father tearfully apologized Tuesday for acting like a bully himself when he stormed onto a school bus to confront students he believed were harassing his 13-year-old daughter who has cerebral palsy.

James Willie Jones is seen angrily gesturing and yelling at students and the bus driver on video taken by an onboard camera. Footage of the tirade has drawn thousands of views on YouTube, sparked numerous comments on social media sites — many of them supportive — and become a topic on national talk shows.

A day after saying he was sorry in a written statement, Jones held an emotional news conference in which his voice cracked as he said no parent should copy his behavior.

Wyclef Jean to leave politics in Haiti

port-au-prince, haiti

Wyclef Jean has officially ended his bid for Haiti’s presidency.

A statement sent Tuesday by his publicist says the singer is leaving Haitian politics to promote a new album.

Jean’s candidacy ended last month when the Caribbean country’s eight-member provisional electoral council left him and more than a dozen other hopefuls off the ballot. Nineteen candidates were approved.

No official reasons were given for the exclusions. Jean is presumed not to have met constitutional requirements including living in Haiti. He lives in New Jersey.

New tea party teams up with Republicans

washington

Tea-party activists and the Republican establishment are quickly joining forces for the fall elections as fresh cash and energy flow to the upstarts.

Separate tea-party groups still squabble over roles for Republican insiders within the movement, but the conservative activists and GOP stalwarts have reached a truce for the common goal of defeating Democrats, heeding calls for unity from Republicans including Sarah Palin.

One group — the nonprofit Tea Party Patriots — on Tuesday announced a $1 million donation from an anonymous donor, a shot of cash to be spent before the election on voter mobilization efforts.

Associated Press