Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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STATE Bill might honor civil-rights leaders COLUMBIA (AP) - The U.S. House has approved a bill that would award the Congressional Gold Medal to four South Carolina civil-rights leaders. The bill sponsored by U.S. Rep. Jim Clybum, D-S.C., would honor Harry and Eliza Briggs, Levi Pearson and the Rev. Joseph DeLaine for challenging segregation in the Clarendon ''wnty schools. heir efforts led to Briggs v. Elliott, a court case that was folded into the case that went to the U.S. Supreme Court as Brown v. Board of Education. Clybum's bill next goes to the Senate. If it is passed and signed by the president, the medals would be awarded posthumous ly to the four. Lawsuit challenges Sanford in Reserves COLUMBIA (AP) - The South Carolina Supreme Court will consider next month whether Gov. Mark Sanford is ineligible to serve as the state's highest elected official because he is an ^ Force Reserves officer. Edward Sloan Jr., a retired Greenville construction-compa ny owner, said the state Constitution prohibits Sanford from holding both positions at the same time. In Sanford's case, Sloan filed a petitioh directly to the state Supreme Court earlier this year, bypassing the lower courts. The high court accepted the case un der its "original jurisdiction" power. The justices will hear argu ments in the case Dec. 3. Man sentenced for defrauding seniors ANDERSON (AP) - An s ana man convicted of bilk ing millions of dollars from se niors was sentenced to about 6 years in jail. James McCall, 76, of Frankfort, Ind., was sentenced in federal court Wednesday for defrauding more than 400 senior citizens of more than $9 million. NATION School kiss spurs talk of tolerance CLARKSVILLE, MD. (AP) - Inspired by a high school as signment, Stephanie Haaser leaped onto a cafeteria table, shouted "End homophobia now!" and kissed classmate Katherine Pecore. Haaser said she was making a statement on behalf of gay and lesbian students because she was bothered by the verbal and physical harassment they face. Their principal said he re spected what the students were trying to do, but they needed to learn more appropriate ways to make a point. Haaser and Pecore were suspended for two days. Work patterns explain pay gap WASHINGTON (AP) - Women’s income is lower on av erage than that of men in part because they generally work less, leave the labor force for longer periods and tend to hold jobs that pay less, a congres sional study found. But even after adjustments are made for those factors, wom en still earned an average of 20.3 percent less than men in 2000, in vestigators said Thursday. The General Accounting Office conducted the earnings study for Democratic Reps. Carolyn Maloney of New York and John Dingell of Michigan. Utility failures blamed for blackout WASHINGTON (AP) - A com puter malfunction at an Ohio utility played a major role in the nation's worst blackout, but a U.S.-Canadian task force said power grid operators still should have prevented the Aug. 14 out age from spreading through eight states and parts of Canada. Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham said FirstEnergy Corp. of Akron violated several voluntary reliability standards the power industry has imposed on itself. He lamented the federal gov ernment's limited ability to take punitive action for the blackout. WORLD Truck bombings in Turkey kill 27 ISTANBUL, TURKEY (AP) - Suspected al-Qaida suicide bombers blew up trucks packed with explosives at the British consulate and a London-based bank Thursday, killing at least 27 people and wounding nearly 450. The twin attacks coincided with President Bush's state visit to Britain. The blasts, just minutes apart, were the worst terrorist bomb ings in the Muslim nation's his tory and marked the second at tacks in Turkey to be blamed on al-Qaida this week. On Saturday, bombers struck two Istanbul synagogues, killing 23 people. n_■_Li-_■!_ nuuduie dup|jiicid to Iran identified VIENNA, AUSTRIA (AP)-The International Atomic Energy Agency has identified Russia, China and Pakistan as probable suppliers of some of the technol ogy Iran used to enrich uranium in its suspect nuclear programs, diplomats told The Associated Press on Thursday. The diplomats spoke on con dition of anonymity at a key IAEA board meeting where members discussed how to react to Iran's nuclear activities. As part of its cooperation, Iran has suspended uranium en richment, an activity that the United States had linked to what it says was Iran's nuclear weapons agenda.'Iran insists it enriched uranium only to pro duce power. Bush, Blair refocus on terrorism danger LONDON (AP) — With tens of thousands of antiwar protesters mobilizing for a march on Parliament, President Bush and Prime Minister Tony Blair dis cussed the war on terrorism Thursday just hours after bombs killed more than a dozen people in Turkey. The attacks were sure to refo cus attention on the continuing danger of terrorism at a time when both Bush and Blair are warning against complacency. Jackson arrested on molestation charges BY JEFF WILSON THE ASSOCIATED PRESS SANTA BARBARA, CALIF. - Trailed by a phalanx of TV cam eras, a handcuffed Michael Jackson was booked on suspicion of child molestation Thursday af ter arriving by private jet to face charges that could finish off his career and send him to prison for years. The self-styled “King of Pop” immediately posted $3 million bail and waved to reporters and flashed a V-sign before leaving the Santa Barbara County jail in a black Suburban escorted by three sheriffs motorcycle offi cers. Lies run sprints, but the truth runs marathons,” Jackson said in a statement issued by a spokesman. “The truth will win this marathon in court.” With Jackson’s riches and global fame, the advent of 24-hour cable news channels, and the rise of TV cameras in the courtroom, the allegations set the stage for what would be one of the most sensational celebrity court cases the world has ever seen. Authorities released no details of the case beyond a warrant ac cusing the 45-year-old Jackson of multiple counts of lewd or las civious acts with a child under 14, an offense punishable by three to eight years in prison. But news reports have said the child was a 12- or 13-year-old boy who visited Jackson at his Neverland Ranch, a storybook playland where the singer was known to hold sleepovers for chil dren and share his bed with youngsters. Jackson returned to California from Las Vegas, where he was making a video, a day after authorities announced a warrant for his arrest had been issued. Jackson’s leased jet landed at Santa Barbara Municipal Airport and rolled its nose into a hangar before those aboard stepped out. A law enforcement convoy took him to the main county jail, where the handcuffed singer, wearing a black coat and pants with a white shirt and white tie, was escorted inside and booked for investigation of child mo lestation. The jet on which Jackson ar rived took off after he left the jail, but it wasn’t known if Jackson was aboard. Sheriffs Sgt. Chris Pappas characterized Jackson and his representatives as cooperative during the 30- to 45-minute book ing process. Reporters swarmed the air port, the jail and sheriffs head quarters, awaiting Jackson’s re turn. A demonstrator outside the jail, college student Cesar Mendoza, held a homemade sign reading “Moonwalk 2 jail.” “I love his music, but I don’t know if I can support him now. This is his second time. I can’t be lieve him anymore,” said Mendoza, 22, of Isla Vista. Jackson’s brother Jermaine denounced the allegations in a CNN interview as “nothing but a modern-day lynching.” “This is what they want to see: him in handcuffs. You got it. But it won’t be for long, I promise you,” Jermaine Jackson said. District Attorney Thomas W. Sneddon Jr. said Wednesday that Jackson’s warrant soon will be followed by the filing of charges. Jackson was given a Jan. 9 ar raignment date. Geragos, who also is defend ing Scott Peterson of Modesto, Calif., in the high-profile Laci Peterson murder case, had ar ranged Jackson’s return from Las Vegas. “He understands the people who are outraged, because if these charges were true, I assure you Michael would be the first to be outraged,” Geragos said out side the jail. “I’m here to tell you today, Michael has giyen me the au thority to say on his behalf these charges are categorically untrue. He looks forward to getting into a courtroom as opposed to any oth er forum and confronting these accusations head on. ” . Jackson dominated pop music in the 1980s but was damaged by a similar molestation allegation in 1993. But rib charges were ever filed. Jackson maintained his in nocence but reportedly paid the boy’s family a multimillion-dol lar civil settlement, and the child refused to testify in any criminal proceedings. The district attorney has said the youngster in the latest case is cooperating with investigators and has no plans to sue. He also said prosecutors could be helped by a law, passed since the earli er Jackson investigation, that was designed to keep civil suits from interfering with criminal cases. Even beyond the earlier mo lestation allegation, Jackson’s unusual lifestyle has often drawn ridicule, occasionally out rage. He has slept in a hyperbaric chamber, tried to buy the Elephant Man’s bones, gone through a pair of quickie mar riages that befuddled many, and utterly transformed his face through plastic surgery. His skin tone has changed from dark to a pale white, a change Jackson blames on vitiligo, a disorder marked by pigment loss. While Jackson’s career has faded as his behavior has gotten increasingly bizarre, his last al bum, 2001’s “Invincible,” sold about 2 million copies - great numbers for most artists but far below his once phenomenal sales. “He’s come back specifically to confront these charges head on,” defense attorney Mark Geragos said. “He is greatly out raged by the bringing of these charges. He considers this to be a big lie.” Shop for the best selection: • Announcements • Regulln 9: • Dlplomn Frames • (treat alumni clothing and glib f (*_ M *1*1VXi 1^ B b ▼ M nJ i W L a ▼ j B" 1 k I B B *1 LyJ | 1 Phone: 803/256-6666 Serving the University of South Carolina vwt yi at ^ ppHT Studying's Hard. Eating Shouldn't Be. Publix. WHERE SHOPPING IS A PLEASURE* NOW OPEN: Publix at Rosewood Shopping Center 2800 Rosewood Drive. Columbia. 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