In Iowa, Pawlenty scans its rivals, Gaga - Los Angeles Times

The former Governor of Minnesota Tim Pawlenty speaks during a town hall meeting on 6 July in the ballroom of surfing in Clear Lake, Iowa. (Charlie Neibergall, AP)

Tim Pawlenty had some scans veiled Wednesday his GOP competitors for the presidential election, arguing that voters in Iowa should review achievements of the field, not only their rhetoric and that his term as Governor of Minnesota has proven its worth.

"Candidates will come to Iowa and they will say many same things," he said, speaking at a fundraiser for GOP county of Story Dining Hall of Hickory. Republican candidates call to cut spending, tax reduction, based on the market of the reform of health care, determining public and similar payments, he said.

"The interesting question, I think that for you, Iowa Republicans and conservatives, is not the candidates say several or all the same things.". "I think that the question to you is have they actually did it", he said. "It is a person who possesses the leadership and the experience of being a CEO of a large public company in a difficult environment in difficult circumstances not only in light of the speech and offer has no changes, but have they it resulted in findings that get results"?

It is not known what amendment failed Pawlenty was referring, but after the Supreme Court of Massachusetts decided in 2003 that the same-sex couples can marry, Michele Bachmann, and then a statehouse Minnesota legislator, suggested a State constitutional amendment that would limit marriage to a man and a woman. The measure failed.

Bachmann, a member of Congress from Minnesota, recently participated in the GOP presidential contest and exploded past Pawlenty to be considered a favorite in Iowa. When asked if there was specific reference to Bachmann, Pawlenty said that his comments were on the strengths he brings to the race.

Pawlenty noted his years of experience as Governor of Minnesota, a democratic State ideologically, as evidence of its means and he did the "right way" health reform, without a warrant, said. Many GOP voters are angry by the Federal mandate that most people buy insurance of health care in the regime of President Obama health care, which many see as modelled on the plan of the State by the presidential candidate GOP and former Governor of Massachusetts Mitt Romney.

Pawlenty also urged voters to ask whether a candidate is eligible for the general election.

He said "you want to ensure that the person who that relies on Iowa in this race is not just a person who is interesting at that moment, but someone can become the candidate who can beat Barack Obama".

Pawlenty, who was the first day of a swing for three days by the bias of Iowa, is regarded as the game on the ground more sophisticated in the State and has campaigned hard here for several months. A strong showing is essential in the next straw poll in Ames, but it failed to gain ground in the polls in preference. It is advertising on television and sending of shippers to households GOP requesting their support in the straw poll.

About 100 voters participated in the fundraising Hall of Hickory, a local barbecue renamed, where they dined on breast, bean sandwiches and baked potatoes salad.

Though Pawlenty did not mention his GOP rival by name, he repeatedly and forcefully called Obama, saying that the President has failed to find solutions to critical issues, such as social security and Medicare.

"When we elect someone a President who is an organizer of the old community, who was in the Senate just long enough to have a cup of coffee and never, never ran something and we him in the Oval Office and wonder why it doesn't work: it does not work because it has misled the country into thinking"., it is a reasonable candidate, "Pawlenty said." Is it dangerous liberal who has no real experience anything running. No mystery why it isn't working, it is not an index. »

After talking for nearly an hour, Pawlenty, speaking with journalists outside, distanced from comments made by one of the co-chairs of the campaign. Vin Weber, speaking of the Hill, just said "sex appeal" is one of the strengths of the Bachmann. (Weber has since apologized).

"I do not believe that he or anyone who must use a reference to a person sex appeal to judge their fitness for Office," said Pawlenty.

He also had a small pleasure, talking with journalists blog pop and politics of his penchant for Lady Gaga. First he asked them what Gaga songs were among their favorites, and then he listed "bad Romance" and "Born This Way" as his own.

He described Gaga as "interesting, talented, kinda weird. Noting how the pop star sang "Born This Way" a cappella in a HBO special, Pawlenty noted, "she can sing."

Seema.Mehta@LAtimes.com

The student Gay slaying carefully planned, Prosecutor tells jurors - Los Angeles Times

A student of Oxnard carefully planned and carried out the execution of a gay schoolmate of 15 years because of his ongoing rivalry with the victim and his white supremacist belief that homosexuality is an abomination, a Ventura County Prosecutor said Tuesday.

Brandon McInerney, now 17, is accused of murder in the death shot 2008 Lawrence King in a matter of prestige that rallied the gay community and triggered calls for greater protection of young homosexuals on the campus of the school.

King was the victim of bullying by McInerney and other boys at the school, Assistant Atty. DIST Maeve Fox said in his opening speech of the trial, which is being conducted at a courthouse in Chatsworth. But shortly before his death, King had begun to wear high heels, makeup and earrings to school and had become more confident in himself, she said.

"Larry King for the first time in his life was not taking it over, Fox said.." And he began to give the people what I prefer to call the proverbial Chin. It is only more secular. The proverbial ' f... you. ""

The day before the King was shot, the two boys had been bickering in the eighth grade science class, she said. When King got get a glass of water, "Brandon says"I'm going to shoot him."" "And this is what a student will be witness to."

The next day McInerney fired handgun of calibre.22 out of his bag back and King shot in the head, authorities said.

Prior to the hearing on Tuesday, the elder brother of McInerney, James Bing, 25, said jurors outside the courtroom that "the fate of my brother is in your hands."

Judge of the Court superior Charles Campbell banned Bing from the courthouse for the duration of the trial, unless it is called to testify.

"It is therefore manifestly inappropriate", said Campbell. "It is prohibited to participate in this procedure, up to what it is actually called for evidence".

Prosecutors added an allegation of hate crime, arguing that McInerney shares were stimulated in part by a hatred of homosexuals, to his presumed neo-Nazi sympathies. If convicted, he faces 53 years to life in prison.

McInerney is tried as an adult court under the provisions of Proposition 21, which allows prosecutors to bring charges of murder against minors aged 14 for certain serious crimes.

[Updated, 12: 30 pm: McInerney lawyer, Scott Wippert, argued that the King - and not his client - were the aggressor.] It was said that King targeted McInerney for sexual harassment, his remarks flirtatious and had humiliated him.

King was encouraged in his behaviour effeminate and held by the directors of the school who said that it was within his rights to dress in this way, said Wippert.

For its part, McInerney was "a confusing, emotionally torn up 14 years of a violent home who saw no other way to shoot Larry," said Wippert. "It was a heat-of-the-moment decision."

"This is a very troubled young man," he said of his client, who lived in a shelter for the children at the time of the shooting due to problems at home. "Everyone knew and no one is nothing." He was in a State of helpless. »

Said Wippert McInerney was not a white supremacists but rather worked on a paper about Adolf Hitler for the school, and this is why it had white supremacist material in his room.

Wippert said that his client is not denying the assassination. But, according to him, that it was homicide voluntary because McInerney was caused by repeated sexual advances of the King.]

Voluntary manslaughter conviction would prevent the perpetuity, making McInerney eligible for release before he is 40, said his lawyers. A conclusion of the second degree murder would virtually ensure that it would not be eligible for parole until he was at the sound of the 1970s.

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Photo: Brandon McInerney, was left, 14 when he shot gay friend Larry King. Now 17, is to stand trial on charges of hate crimes and first degree murder. Credit: Los Angeles Times

Apple, Fox News pirated Fourth of July weekend - Los Angeles Times

This post has been corrected. See the note below for more details.

Despite an end of week long vacation, the pirates kept working, targeting Fox News and Apple in the last series of cyber attacks.

Hackers exposed many E-mail and password for Apple combinations and infiltrated Twitter account a Fox News, by sending of tweets several falsely that President Obama was assassinated.

As America celebrated its independence, the pirates have taken control of account Twitter of Fox News and tweeted six messages to followers of 34 000 @ foxnewspolitics indicating that the President had been killed Monday morning, according to Fox News.

The tweets that have been noticed on 5 (EDT), have been deleted after Twitter suspends account around noon and returns control to Fox News. New output did not have access to the account for hours that the hacker has changed the password once they were.

The news network addressed the intrusion in a post online and said that he was working with Twitter to find out what had happened.

"We will be be requesting a detailed investigation of Twitter on how this happened and steps to prevent future unauthorized access in the accounts of FoxNews.com," said Jeff Misenti, vice President and General Manager of Fox News Digital.

[Update, 12: 15, 5 July: "network not was not in control of the account once it was disrupted and Twitter was inaccessible until late morning hour yesterday," said Misenti.] ["The tweets were taken as soon as Twitter gave control of the account for the network."]

Pirates of the activist group anonymous online went after Apple one before the day of the tech head.

A Twitter account associated with the Group made a Sunday tweet, which implies that Apple may be a future target of attack greater than she hack also linked to a document on PasteBin with a list of emails and passwords.

"Apple may be target, too," read the tweet. "But don't worry, we're busy elsewhere".

For the record, 12: 15, 5 July: An earlier version of this post stated that the pirates to a Fox News Twitter account had tweeted five messages. They tweeted six messages.

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Image: A screenshot of a tweet by an account Twitter associated with Group of anonymous hacker on the attack on Apple. Credit: Twitter

Court strikes Michigan banning affirmative action in college admissions - Los Angeles Times

A Committee of three judges of a Court of Appeal Federal Friday overturned ban in Michigan on the consideration of race and gender in college admissions. Above, Michigan State University graduates in 2006. (Associated Press)Ban on considering the race and sex admissions at the University of Michigan was struck down Friday by a Federal Court of appeal, which held that minorities in loads of law approved by the voter and is unconstitutional.

2-1 Decision reverses the proposal 2, a law passed in 2006 which prohibits public universities of the State to provide "preferential treatment to any individual or group based on race, sex, colour, ethnic or national origin.".

The measure, which passed with 58% of the vote, forced the University of Michigan and other schools in the State to change their policy on admissions. The Panel of three judges of the 6th U.S. Court of Appeal held that the Act violates the fourteenth amendment equal protection clause.

The Court has challenged the ban was adopted. Because the Act amended the State Constitution, only another ? vote might change. This has created an obstacle for minorities opposed to the Act to overcome, ruled judges r. Guy Cole Jr. and Martha Craig Daughtrey.

"Proposal 2 rearranges the political process in Michigan to place special charges on minority interests," they said.

The only dissenting judge, Julia Smith Gibbons, said that the system of the University of Michigan was not structured in the process of "political" and that the members of the faculty have been isolated from political influence.

"Michigan voters have therefore not restructured the political process in their State by amending the constitution of the State;" they have simply used it, "Gibbons has written in his partial dissent."

Mark Fancher, an attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union, which was part of a coalition that challenged the law, said that the decision would provide equality of opportunity in the admission process.

"It reopens the opportunity for minorities not only be heard by the directors of the University, but have an expectation that if they can convince administrators that there is validity by examining their racial identity, that the University can really act,"he says. ".

Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette said he planned to appeal the decision asking a new hearing to the 6th Circuit Court of appeals. The Act will remain in place pending a final decision.

"Act" embodies the fundamental premise of what America is all about: equal opportunities Act, "Schuette said in a statement.".Entry of our great universities must be based on merit, and I will continue the fight for equality, fairness and rule of law. »

Other States, including California, Arizona, Washington and Nebraska, have similar bans, but will not be affected by the decision of Michigan. Only the States in the Sixth Circuit, which includes the Ohio, Kentucky and Tennessee, would be affected.

However, George Washington, an attorney focused on the Strait with the firm Scheff, Washington and pilot, who filed the continuation of Michigan, said that their focus now moves to California. The firm has appealed the 9th Circuit Court of appeals to overturn Proposition 209 State.

The measure was adopted by voters in California in 1996. "prop." 209 is just as unconstitutional as proposal 2, "he says. "It is a carbon copy."

The University of California spokesman Ricardo Vazquez said legal staff of top-Canada has refused to comment on Friday on the case of Michigan because they need more time to review the decision and if it had no relevance to the prohibition of affirmative action state college admissions in California.

Christine Helwick, General Counsel of the Cal State University system, said Friday that it and other California education officials will monitor the appeals of the Michigan case. The case could finally be a relevant in California if the Supreme Court of the United States hearing an appeal, said.

Stephen.Ceasar@LAtimes.com

Staff writer Larry Gordon contributed to this report.

Government of Minnesota shuts down on a budget impasse - Los Angeles Times

The State Government closure had an immediate effect on the Minnesota Zoo, who was among several government entities, pleading for a special dispensation. (Andy King, Reuters / July 1, 2011)In a year of political confusion of budget deficits deep, Minnesota Friday became the first State to close his Government after the Republicans and the Democrats remained in disagreement over whether to raise taxes for the rich or to reduce government spending.

Democratic Governor Mark Dayton and the GOP controlled legislature failed to solve the deficit of $ 5 billion of the State at the beginning of the exercise Friday. Without a budget in place, the State largely operations cease, stopping payroll for approximately 20,000 employees of the State and State Parks form just before the end of busy holiday week.

Dayton wants to increase taxes for individuals earning more than $ 1,000,000 per year, while Parliament provides for deeper cuts in government programs.

"We divided the Government and a Governor who believes that he has mandate to raise taxes and increase spending, and we have a legislature who believes that we should cut taxes and reduce expenses, said House Leader of the majority Matt Dean." "It is a sort of microcosm, in country, of what is happening in the whole of the nation".

Democrats and Republicans fought way across the country on how to fill deficits. In some States, budget negotiations went to the wire of the financial year ended.

In Connecticut, Parliament early Friday approved a budget that allowed Democratic Governor Dannel P. Malloy to lay off thousands of workers of the State for a deficit of $ 1.6 billion. In California, after the first budget that sent the legislature veto Governor Jerry Brown has signed a budget Thursday that deep cuts in higher education and elsewhere and has assumed billions of dollars in new revenues to avoid spending reductions, perhaps including trimming days of the school year.

In Washington, D.C., the political divide on the national deficit is similar. Republicans who control the House of representatives refuse to raise the debt ceiling unless Democrats agree to a package of cuts and not these increases in spending. Many economists believe that failed to raise the ceiling by 2 August could send the country into a new recession.

Party leaders quickly released Minnesota statements Friday blaming each other of the closure.

"Republicans put of millionaires in Minnesota and he has led our Government of the State of judgment to protect a handful of rich residents of our State, said Ken Martin, President of the democratic-Farmer-Labor Party." "Their choice to force a closure is myopic, self-centered and shameful".

Chairman of the Republican Party of Minnesota Tony Sutton shot back: "what a piece of work is Governor Dayton." It is committed not to close the State on an increase in the tax on the campaign trail. Tonight he breaks that promise, making the closure of its closure. »

The retired judge who was appointed master special to oversee the closure decided that all non-essential operations must cease until a budget is approved. Prisons of the State and execution and the fire-fighting agencies remain operational. Institutions such as shelters for battered women and the Minnesota Zoo pleaded Friday for a special stay open exemption.

Dayton Office told journalists to Minnesota was unlikely, that he could negotiate with the Republicans until after the end of week of vacation, a time when lawmakers are sure to receive a say scandalised constituents.

"People are angry," said Kathryn Pearson, political scientist at the University of Minnesota. "But the political bases are not necessarily urging compromise." They urge their representatives to hold firm. »

Republicans offered a two-page budget draft "lights on" which would have kept the operational state for 10 additional days. Dayton has rejected this, saying that he wanted a full budget. In a late-night Thursday press conference, the Governor has blamed Republicans for the impasse. The two parties are spaced $ 1.4 billion.

"Instead of the imposition of their friends, they would prefer highly damaging cuts to health care, K - 12 and higher education, State and local public safety, transportation and other essential services," Dayton said GOP lawmakers.

Dayton was closely won the election year last on a platform of more taxes for the rich. Republicans took the statehouse at the same time, committing step of new taxes and deep reductions in government spending.

Pearson said that Dayton can have the upper hand, only because it is not for his re-election until 2014 and legislators must face voters in next year. "More that goes," she said, "the more it will be an issue in the November of 2012".

Nicholas.Riccardi@LAtimes.com

Company trucks in Amtrak train collision cited in previous accidents - Los Angeles Times

Investigators National Transportation Safety Board returned Sunday to the wreckage to search for clues and more victims. (Marilyn Newton / Associated Press)The Nevada company under supervision in a fatal accident with a trucking Amtrak train has been cited repeatedly by the authorities of the State for accidents, dangerous driving as a truck with tires so bald, that vehicle must be taken off the coast of the road.

A driver working for John Davis of trucking of Battle Mountain, Nevada, broken by gates pass and two passenger cars on two floors of the California Zephyr to the West end Friday, killing six people.

Federal documents reviewed by the Associated Press shows that the Department of public safety of Nevada cited the company for two accidents over the past two years, including one in February 2010, which wounded a person in Washoe County.

Inspection in January, authorities found tire on a trailer so bald they consider the platform imminent danger to public safety.

Meanwhile, investigators National Transportation Safety Board returned to the tangled wreckage Sunday to search for clues and more victims. But they warned that the number of missing was "spongy" and does not necessarily mean that the number of deaths will increase.

About two dozen were reported missing after the collision spirited about 70 km from Reno. But the missing passengers were not necessarily dead, National Transportation Safety Board Member Earl Weener said.

In a Saturday night news conference, Weener said 28 people in the manifest of 210-person of the train had not been found. He does not know how many of these 210 actually to edge of the train from Chicago to California and how can have in cases before the crash, said Weener.

He said "that makes it more sponge,".

The truck driver and conductor of the train were among the dead, according to officials of the Amtrak and Churchill County Sheriff's Office. The names of most of the dead were retained pending notification of their parents.

The conductor was Laurette Lee, 68, of South Lake Tahoe, California, reported the Associated Press. The San Jose Mercury News reported that she came from a family of railway, until his great-grandfather.

Investigators have said that they did not expect to find a cause of the accident soon. Another point of press was scheduled for 5 p.m. Sunday.

The truck was leading a convoy of three trucks of Battle Mountain, trucking company, said Weener. The two trailing drivers said investigators saw the train coming or why the lead pilot was not stopped.

He has slammed finally its brakes, leaving a trace of skid 320 feet North American 95, said Weener. If the truck had been travelling at 70 mph speed limit, he would have had as much as 465 feet to stop.

Truck cab became incorporated into a car and was transported to about half a mile down the track, investigators said.

The train engineer saw the truck and the brake but could not avoid the collision. He saw the collision in his rearview mirror, he told investigators.

The accident occurred on Friday at 11: 20 in the empty desert east of Reno, where Highway 95 passes through a series of tracks of the Union Pacific and about three kilometres south of Interstate 80. Visibility was excellent, said Weener.

The train was headed West in Emeryville, California. The truck struck the train on the side.

It is not clear when the fire broke out which has sunk at least two cars of the train, said Weener.

A phone call to John Davies Trucking did not return late Saturday night.

Amtrak has had 36 accidents at crossings from January to March this year, killing 11 people, according to the Office of the Federal Administration of railway safety. In the period of five years ending in 2010, the passenger-train service is involved in the accident that took the life of the 309 people, 62 per year on average.

Emergency teams have not begun to removing bodies from the wreck severely burned the train until about 1 pm on Saturday. Among their concerns was the possibility that the train could topple on rescuers.

Brisk, dusty deserts winds whipped crews as they slowly from the dead.

Jack Dolan, Ralph Vartabedian and Stephen Caesar staff writers contributed to this report.

WikiLeaks revelations blur policy India (Los Angeles Times)

Escape U.S. diplomatic cables sparked a political battle in India, putting the party in power on the defensive with their revelations about violations of the rights of man and religious extremism.

More damaging to the Party Congress was a first political family descendant reports the India Rahul Gandhi, cable and pegged by many as the next Prime Minister of the nation, said US Ambassador India Hindu extremist groups could be a bigger threat in the Pakistan-based Islamic militants country last year.

Given felt deep mistrust here among others for Pakistan and national attacks in recent years by Muslim and Hindu extremists as, opponents of the party seized the comments published by WikiLeaks Web site.

"I've been asked for long now [how] everyone thinks is a terrorist, State and yet they still the country back" Narendra Modi, a controversial with the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party leader said Saturday, calling Gandhi comments "irresponsible."

"Yesterday, after cables were, he [is] clearly giving inspiration to the United States talk about pro-Pakistan," said Modi, Minister head of the State of Gujarat, who was accused of tacit support of anti-Muslim riots there in 2002.

Communications are also likely to other notch the reputation of 125 years Party Congress, which was struck by a series of corruption and scandals, influence traffic leading up to charges that his leadership was adrift.

A second cable retrieved in the Britain's Guardian newspaper disclosure made a presentation of 2005 by the International Committee of the Red Cross for then-U.s. Ambassador David Mulford on the use of torture in the Indian portion of Kashmir. Torture is illegal in India.

The presentation was based on 177 visits by the Red Cross for the detention centres in Kashmir between 2002 and 2004 involving 1,500 prisoner interviews, cited beatings, electrocution, assault sexual on prisoners, grinding of the muscles and other abuse.

Cashmere, divided between the India and Pakistan is a flashpoint between the two countries and has been the cause of two of the three concerned neighbouring nuclear wars since partition in 1947.

In the presentation, the Red Cross has reportedly expressed its concern that Indian Government had not tried to halt current "abuse" of prisoners in Kashmir.

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, top elected official of the State of Jammu and Kashmir, said last week that the Government has a policy of zero tolerance towards torture, adding that the alleged violations occurred before, he was elected.

Others said that leaks have stressed the need for a new approach in the troubled region of Kashmir.

"Leaks have defended our stand on systematic torture in prisons in Kashmir," Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, Chairman of the Group umbrella Hurriyat moderate in Jammu and Kashmir, told journalists. "It is regrettable that United States America was now an intentional on the situation in Kashmir human rights silence while he spoke about human rights in Burma, and other countries."

But the cable 2005 also indicated that the situation in Kashmir was much better that he was in the 1990s to a conflict that has killed an estimated 70,000 for two decades, including 100 deaths since June civilians.

Mark.Magnier@LAtimes.com

Rana anshul in The Times New Delhi Office has contributed to this report.

Student Exchange teen arrested in school fight died 19 years (Los Angeles Times)

Los Angeles Police have arrested a 17 year-old student exchange in relation to a combat school in Sylmar makes one aged 19 dead.

The student exchange Korea South, who was not identified because of his age, was arrested on suspicion of assault Jin Su Lee is died of head injuries. The two exchanged shots at first Lutheran high school in Sylmar.

A source of law enforcement, speaking on condition of anonymity because the investigation continues, said show first indications Lee started the fight and student exchange responded with a few strokes.

The 17 year-old boy has been taken in the juvenile room, but the charges were probably not be filed, he said.

Los Angeles County prosecutors said they will not make a formal decision on whether to file so that they get a coroner completed on the cause of the death of Lee report charges.

A mess more for Obama: clean-up after the dog (Los Angeles Times)

If you think the United States President is fantasy travel around the world and hobnobbing with the similar with the great and the famous, well, watch and see the poop. Really.

Speaking to a group of second-graders on the outskirts of Virginia, President Obama took time to explain that there are ups and downs, and that all are political. Some involve the first dog Bo.

"The truth is, I ran in the White House, but most of the time I am working." "So it's not like I am running all around fun," the President said children at elementary school of Long Branch in Arlington, Virginia it called the White House "a magnificent building, and there is a large construction site in the back, called the South Lawn."

"So many times, Bo I walk the night, and it's fun,"Obama said.""Sometimes I run with Bo, even if I - sometimes he must pick up his poop. »

"Eeww," the children reacted.

"Because I want to just in the lawn, leave" Obama continued. "" "" So if you have a dog, you have to walk your dog too and clean up after him. »

Obama went to school to read parts of book child of its new "Of Thee I Sing."

The book is in the form of a letter to her daughters and describes the life of great people 13. Published by Random House children's books illustrated volume was released in the fall. Product go to fund scholarships for children of fallen and disabled soldiers.

Michael.muskal@LAtimes.com

Twitter.com LATimesmuskal