Nation & World Digest || Giffords on list of ‘most influential’

Giffords on list of ‘most influential’

PHOENIX

Time magazine has named U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords as one of the 100 most influential people in the world.

Those who also made the list include comedian Amy Poehler, Oscar winner Colin Firth, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, singer Justin Bieber, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, first lady Michelle Obama and author Jonathan Franzen.

Also on Time’s list was Wael Ghonim, the Google Inc. executive who anonymously launched a Facebook page that helped organize protests that led to the ouster of former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.

Japan seals off area around nuke plant

FUTABA, Japan

Japan sealed off a wide area around a radiation-spewing nuclear-power plant today to prevent tens of thousands of residents from sneaking back to the homes they quickly evacuated, some with little more than a credit card and the clothes on their backs.

Fearing they might not see their homes again for months, evacuees raced into the deserted towns Thursday before the ban took effect to grab whatever belongings they could cram into their cars.

Nearly 80,000 people were hurriedly evacuated from a 12-mile zone around the Fukushima Dai-ichi plant March 12, after an earthquake and a tsunami destroyed its power and cooling systems.

Cops see parallels to Columbine in fire

LITTLETON, Colo

Authorities couldn’t help seeing similarities to the Columbine High School shooting after a fire forced the evacuation of a mall just two miles from the campus.

Just like Columbine, an unexploded pipe bomb and propane tanks were discovered Wednesday at Southwest Plaza Mall in Littleton.

In addition, the blaze coincided with the 12th anniversary of the deadly shooting that left 12 students and one teacher dead.

No arrests have been made, but dozens of law- enforcement agents were scouring security video and following other leads to identify a man seen entering the mall through a side door not normally used by the public.

Obama: Restore indecency policy

WASHINGTON

The Obama administration asked the Supreme Court on Thursday to reinstate a policy that allows federal regulators to fine broadcasters for showing nudity and airing curse words when young children may be watching television. The administration is seeking the high court’s review of appeals-court rulings that threw out the Federal Communications Commission’s rules against the isolated use of expletives as well as fines against broadcasters who showed a woman’s nude buttocks on a 2003 episode of ABC’s “NYPD Blue.”

Nevada senator says he will resign

LAS VEGAS

Nevada Sen. John Ensign announced he will resign amid an ethics investigation.

He said Thursday he has not violated any laws or rules but that he could no longer subject his family, friends and constituents to further investigations.

The Republican, who is under investigation by the Senate Ethics Committee, announced in March that he would not pursue re-election.

The 52-year-old acknowledged in June 2009 that he had an extramarital affair with Cynthia Hampton, a former member of his campaign staff, and that he had helped her husband, Doug Hampton, a member of his congressional staff, obtain lobbying work with a Nevada company.

Associated Press