Benghazi probe causes divisions

Benghazi probe causes divisions

WASHINGTON

Despite Democratic complaints, Republicans jumped into a new election-season investigation of the deadly Benghazi assault Friday, naming majority members of a special House committee. Democrats mulled a boycott of the panel, which is inspiring bitter partisanship before even starting its work.

House Speaker John Boehner immediately took to social media to highlight his seven-member Republican team. Democrats have five seats to fill, if they decide to participate at all in what Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi derided as a “political stunt.”

Deputies: Fla. man killed family, self

TAMPA, Fla.

A Florida man shot his wife and two teenage children in the head, then scattered gasoline and fireworks around the mansion they rented before setting the home ablaze and killing himself, deputies said Friday.

Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Col. Donna Lusczynski said at a news conference Friday that Darrin Campbell had purchased fireworks, gas cans and gasoline in the days before the family was killed.

Campbell shot his wife, Kimberly, 19-year-old son, Colin Campbell, and teenage daughter, Megan, each in the head with a.40-caliber handgun he bought last year before setting the house on fire and shooting himself in the head.

Ecuador wants US agency out

QUITO, Ecuador

Ecuador’s government has told the U.S. Agency for International Development that it will not renew its agreements with the South American country, according a letter obtained by The Associated Press.

The Nov. 26 letter sent to the U.S. Embassy in the Ecuadorean capital of Quito says, the “USAID must not execute any new activity,” nor widen any existing projects in Ecuador.

Gabriela Rosero of Ecuador’s international cooperation agency, who signed the letter addressed to USAID program officer Christopher M. Cushing, said in a subsequent interview with the AP that the U.S. government aid organization must leave by Sept. 30. “The decision has been made,” she said.

House votes to make tax break permanent

WASHINGTON

The House voted Friday to make permanent a tax credit that rewards businesses for investing in research and development, pushing Congress toward an election-year showdown over a series of expired tax breaks that are popular back home but add billions to the budget deficit.

The research tax credit expired at the beginning of the year, along with more than 50 other temporary tax breaks that Congress routinely extends.

House Republicans said Friday’s vote was the beginning of a broader effort to add more certainty to the tax code. In the coming weeks, they hope to vote on bills to make more temporary tax breaks permanent, though they have yet to decide on which ones.

Effort to turn away gay couples dropped

PORTLAND, Ore.

The sponsors of a measure to permit Oregon business owners to turn away same-sex couples whose weddings they object to for religious reasons have abandoned their campaign.

Friends of Religious Freedom said Friday it will suspend the ballot initiative and instead pursue a lawsuit on behalf of business owners who object to same-sex weddings.

The Oregon Supreme Court approved the ballot language Thursday. The campaign suspended its efforts 24 hours later, saying the ballot language as written by the office of the Oregon attorney general was unacceptable.

Associated Press