Tax present for 160M wage-earners
Tax present for 160M wage-earners
WASHINGTON
Americans are getting an election-year tax present. Congress voted with rare speed and cooperation Friday to extend a Social Security payroll-tax cut for 160 million workers and to renew unemployment benefits for millions more who haven’t seen a paycheck in six months. With lawmakers’ ratings in the gutter, the legislation sped through both the House and Senate and was on its way to President Barack Obama, who saluted the quick passage.
ICE agent opens fire in job discussion
LONG BEACH, Calif.
It had all the ingredients of workplace violence: a manager, an angry employee, a discussion about job performance and at least one gun.
But in this case, both people were federal agents. And when gunfire erupted in a government office building, a third agent drew his handgun and took out the shooter, helping save the manager’s life.
Investigators on Friday were still piecing together the details of Thursday’s chaotic scene at the Immigration and Customs Enforcement office in Long Beach.
The confrontation apparently began during a discussion involving Kevin Kozak, the agency’s second-in-command for the Los Angeles area, and a lower-ranking supervisor agent named Ezequiel Garcia.
At some point, the discussion escalated, and Garcia pulled out his weapon and fired. Kozak was hit six times, in the upper torso, legs and hands. He was hospitalized in stable condition but was alert and talking.
‘The Help’ wins 3 Image Awards
LOS ANGELES
“The Help” collected three prizes at the NAACP Image Awards, including top- actress honors for Viola Davis, the supporting- actress prize for Octavia Spencer and outstanding motion picture.
Davis and Spencer have collected armloads of accolades for their work in the film about black maids who speak out against their white employers during the civil-rights movement.
The ceremony Friday at the Shrine Auditorium, which honored diversity in the arts, was punctuated by moving tributes to Whitney Houston, the Black Stuntmen’s Association and George Lucas and the Tuskegee Airmen.
Gospel singer Kirk Franklin closed the program with a version of Houston’s “The Greatest Love of All.”
Powell had cartoon sex, incest images
OLYMPIA, Wash.
Josh Powell had hundreds of images of disturbing cartoon sex and graphic depictions of incest on his home computer, something Utah authorities investigating his wife’s disappearance kept private for about two years, according to files released Friday. A Washington state psychologist who previously had said Powell’s strong parenting skills should allow him to continue supervised visits altered his assessment after reviewing the images, calling them a “great concern” and suggesting a more-intense evaluation of the father. That conclusion came just six days before he killed himself and two sons in an explosive house fire two weeks ago.
Md. close to OK’ing gay-marriage law
ANNAPOLIS, Md.
Maryland appears ready to become one of a handful of states in the U.S. to legalize gay marriage after the bill to allow it passed a long-standing hurdle in the Maryland House of Delegates on Friday.
After courting the votes of a couple of delegates initially opposed to the measure, House members voted 72-67 to pass the bill.
Next up is the Senate, which handily passed a similar bill last year. Gov. Martin O’Malley sponsored the bill and has pushed for gay marriage to be legalized.
Associated Press