Clinton campaigns in VA for McAuliffe

Clinton campaigns in VA for McAuliffe

FALLS CHURCH, Va.

Hillary Rodham Clinton rallied supporters of Virginia Democrat Terry McAuliffe on Saturday, pointing to the race as a sign that divisive politics is giving way to “common sense and common ground.”

In her first public political event since departing the Obama administration, Clinton noted the end of the 16-day partial government shutdown, which affected many Virginians.

More than 800,000 government workers were furloughed while Democrats and Republicans in Congress engaged in a partisan brawl over funding the country’s new health care program, funding the government and raising the debt ceiling before reaching an eleventh-hour compromise.

Authorities capture prisoners at motel

TALLAHASSEE, Fla.

Two convicted killers who were freed from prison by phony documents were captured together without incident Saturday night at a Panama City motel, authorities said.

Joseph Jenkins and Charles Walker, both 34, were taken into custody about 6:40 p.m. at Coconut Grove Motor Inn. They were apprehended just a couple of hours after their family members held a news conference urging the men to turn themselves in.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement did not immediately release any other details about their capture or investigation.

Turk, Lebanese hostages back home

BEIRUT

Nine Lebanese pilgrims abducted in Syria and two Turkish pilots held hostage in Lebanon returned home Saturday night, part of an ambitious three-way deal cutting across the Syrian civil war.

Thousands of well-wishers greeted the Shiite pilgrims in Beirut, with one man being carried out of the airport on the shoulders of a crowd. Meanwhile, a plane carrying the two freed Turkish Airlines pilots landed in Istanbul, where Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and other officials greeted them.

Their planes departed just minutes apart, crisscrossing in the skies as part of the carefully calibrated plan. The hostage release ends an ordeal that began a year and a half ago when Syrian rebels kidnapped the pilgrims, triggering tit-for-tat kidnappings that included the two Turkish pilots.

Activists lining up judges for weddings

TRENTON, N.J.

Activists are still working to line up judges who could waive the three-day waiting period for same-sex couples who want to exchange vows first thing Monday, when gay marriage will become legal in New Jersey.

Garden State Equality executive director Troy Stevenson said Saturday that the effort to get couples hitched without the waiting period was a “work in progress.” Under state law, couples must normally wait 72 hours after applying for a marriage license before they can tie the knot.

Stevenson didn’t have specific details on how many judges would be available to consider couples’ waivers this weekend. But he says many marriages will take place across the state as soon as possible once the new policy takes effect at 12:01 a.m. Monday.

Associated Press