WASHINGTON – Republican Sen. John McCain is expected to take a big step toward launching his presidential campaign this month when he sets up a committee to prepare for the 2008 race, his top strategist said Friday night. The Arizona senator’s White House bid has been widely expected and would effectively cement his GOP front-runner status for a possible face-off with Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y. McCain’s move to set up an exploratory committee could come as early as next week, the strategist said.
Nearly 11,000 Saudi students in U.S.
A record number of nearly 11,000 Saudis are pursuing higher education in the United States, reversing a years-long decline in students coming from the oil-rich kingdom, particularly after the 2001 terrorist attacks. The surge is a result of recent measures taken by the U.S. and Saudi governments, including a major Saudi government scholarship program for study abroad, launched last year, and implementation of more organized procedures for issuing student visas by the U.S. Embassy in the kingdom.
California: Ford close to age record
Gerald Ford is closing in on a record held by Ronald Reagan – living longer than any other U.S. president. Ford, who turned 93 on July 14, will become the oldest president Sunday by living to 93 years and 121 days. “The length of one’s days matters less than the love of one’s family and friends,” Ford said in a statement this week from the Rancho Mirage compound he shares with former first lady Betty Ford, 88. Ford was president from Aug. 9, 1974, until January 1977. Reagan, born Feb. 6, 1911, was 93 years, 120 days when he died June 5, 2004.
Students drop Pledge of Allegiance
Student leaders at a Costa Mesa community college voted to drop the Pledge of Allegiance after a tense meeting in which one flag-waving pledge supporter berated them as anti-American radicals. Orange Coast College’s student trustees voted Wednesday not to recognize the pledge, with three of the five board members saying it should be dropped from their meetings. A college district spokeswoman said the decision was up to the students. “They run their own show, so to speak,” she said.
DNA identifies Vietnam-era pilot
The Pentagon has announced that it has identified the remains of Air Force Col. Charles J. Scharf of San Diego, whose F-4C Phantom was shot down during a bombing mission over North Vietnam in 1965. Identification specialists have matched the DNA from a bone fragment found near the crash site with saliva from stamps on letters Scharf sent to his wife, the Pentagon announced Thursday. A burial with military honors is planned for Nov. 30 at Arlington National Cemetery.
Texas: Ex-inmate gets $450,000
Texas has awarded more than $450,000 to a man who was exonerated by DNA evidence after spending 18 years in prison for a sexual assault conviction. Arthur Mumphrey was released from prison in January after his lawyer found DNA evidence clearing him in the rape of a 13-year-old girl. Mumphrey had been sentenced in 1986 to 35 years in prison. Under state law, a person pardoned based on innocence is eligible for up to $25,000 for each year in prison with a cap at $500,000.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
