Senate OKs renewal of anti-violence act

Senate OKs renewal of anti-violence act

WASHINGTON

By a robust bipartisan majority, the Senate voted Tuesday to renew the Violence Against Women Act with new assurances that gays and lesbians, immigrants and Native American women will have equal access to the act’s anti- domestic violence programs.

The 78-22 Senate vote to reauthorize the two-decade-old act that has shielded millions of women from abuse and helped reduce national rates of domestic violence turns the focus to the House, where Republican leaders are working to come up with their own version.

Moderate quake hits rural Nevada

TONOPAH, Nev.

A moderate earthquake and a trio of smaller aftershocks have struck in rural Nevada near the California state line.

The U.S. Geological Survey says the 5.1-magnitude earthquake hit at 4:10 p.m. Tuesday.

It was centered 45 miles west of Tonopah, about 200 miles south of Reno and 17 miles south of Mina.

The Nevada Seismological Lab at the University of Nevada, Reno says three aftershocks followed of magnitudes 3.1, 3.3 and 3.7. The last came at 4:49 p.m. 25 miles south of Mina.

NY town sued for drilling-talk ban

ALBANY, N.Y.

Two environmental groups filed a federal lawsuit Tuesday against an upstate New York town, claiming it violated residents’ right to free speech by banning discussion of natural-gas drilling at town board meetings.

The town board in Sanford, about 100 miles southwest of Albany in Broome County, passed a resolution in September saying there already had been hours of public comment for and against gas drilling and that no further discussion would be allowed during board meetings, although residents could still submit comments in writing.

Heart Attack Grill ‘mascot’ dies

LAS VEGAS

The unofficial spokesman for the Heart Attack Grill in Las Vegas has died of a heart attack.

The Las Vegas Sun reports that 52-year-old John Alleman suffered a heart attack last week while waiting at a bus stop in front of the diner. He was taken off life support Monday.

The medically themed restaurant is famous for its huge hamburgers, extra-fat milkshakes and fries cooked in lard. It uses the tagline, “taste worth dying for.”

Owner Jon Basso told the Sun that Alleman came to the diner every day. He became an unofficial mascot, and his caricature as “patient John” graced the front of the diners’ menus.

Rain can’t stop Mardi Gras crowds

NEW ORLEANS

Despite threatening skies, the Mardi Gras party carried on as thousands of costumed revelers cheered glitzy floats with make-believe monarchs in an all-out bash before Lent. In the French Quarter, as usual, Fat Tuesday played out with all its flesh and raunchiness.

Crowds were a little smaller than recent years, perhaps influenced by the forecast of rain.

Still, parades went off as scheduled even as a fog settled over the riverfront and downtown areas.

Police, who had to deal with massive waves of visitors — first for Super Bowl and then for Mardi Gras — reported no major problems other than Saturday night when four people were shot on Bourbon Street.

A suspect has been arrested.

Associated Press