World Briefly

By The Associated Press | Clanton Advertiser

Published Saturday, March 7, 2009

Obama to reverse Bush's restrictions on cell research

WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama is expected to sign an executive order on Monday reversing restrictions on federal funding of embryonic stem cell research.

The long-expected move is likely to stir up not only the promise of scientific breakthrough but also the controversy over where government crosses a moral line.

Obama will hold an event at the White House to announce the move, a senior administration official said Friday. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the policy had not yet been publicly announced.

Bernard Madoff plea deal seems imminent

NEW YORK – Bernard Madoff has taken steps that suggest he could plead guilty as early as next week to charges that he carried out one of the biggest financial frauds in history, lawyers said Friday.

Madoff, 70, is waiving his right to have a grand jury hear the government's case against him, agreeing instead to be charged directly by prosecutors, a step defendants take when they are preparing to plead guilty in a case.

It is unclear when a possible plea deal could occur, and negotiations could still fall apart. Madoff has a hearing in Manhattan federal court scheduled for next week that could serve as the venue for a guilty plea.

Congress approves stopgap spending bill

WASHINGTON – With a $410 billion catchall spending bill stalled in the Senate and a midnight deadline looming, Congress rushed through stopgap legislation Friday to keep the government running for another five days.

The House passed the bill by a 328-50 vote; the Senate acted by unanimous voice vote. President Barack Obama will sign the measure later Friday.

The stopgap measure was needed because on Thursday night, Senate Republicans unexpectedly put the brakes on the sweeping measure. The so-called omnibus bill would award domestic agencies with big spending increases and it also contains about 8,000 pet projects sought by lawmakers.

Democratic official blasts Limbaugh

WASHINGTON – A Democratic official rebuked conservative commentator Rush Limbaugh on Friday for suggesting a health care proposal will be named in memory of Sen. Edward Kennedy, who is battling brain cancer.

On his radio show, Limbaugh said President Barack Obama's proposed health care revisions will be championed by "the liberal lion Teddy Kennedy."

"Before it's all over, it'll be called the Ted Kennedy Memorial Health Care bill," Limbaugh said.

Police searching for suspect in Cleveland killings

CLEVELAND — A coroner's office in Cleveland says a body has been found in a house near the area where police are searching for a man suspected in the slayings of his wife, his sister-in-law and three young children.

The identity of the body has not been released. Police are on the scene.

Police have been searching for 33-year-old Davon Crawford.

His wife, Lechea, was among those killed in their house Thursday night. The woman's father said the couple had just married.

Crawford was freed in 2007 after serving separate prison terms for voluntary manslaughter and felony assault involving domestic violence.

–The Associated Press

---

WOULD YOU LIKE TO SHARE THIS STORY?

---