In brief: Obama counters immigration claims
WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama said Sunday that he did not postpone his highly anticipated executive actions on immigration because of November’s congressional elections, but because he wanted to build support for his plan.
“It’s going to be more sustainable and more effective if the public understands what the facts are on immigration,” Obama said in an interview on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” “I want to spend some time, even as we’re getting all our ducks in a row for the executive action … to make sure that the public understands why we’re doing this, why it’s the right thing for the American people, why it’s the right thing for the American economy.”
The White House said Saturday that Obama, who promised in late June to act on an immigration fix before the end of the summer, had delayed his plan until after the midterm elections.
The decision was criticized by immigration advocates, who accused Obama of breaking a promise, and Republicans on Capitol Hill, who accused him of playing politics. After attempts failed in Congress to rewrite the nation’s immigration laws, many had expected Obama to grant temporary legal status to help some of the 11 million undocumented immigrants to stay and work in the U.S.
Hurricane Norbert fades to storm
LOS CABOS, Mexico – Hurricane Norbert slumped to tropical storm force off Mexico’s Baja California peninsula on Sunday after pounding fishing villages and damaging more than 1,000 homes while kicking up dangerous surf farther north along the California coast.
Norbert peaked as a Category 3 hurricane early Saturday with sustained winds of 120 mph, but by Sunday night it was a rapidly weakening tropical storm with winds of 50 mph.
The U.S. National Hurricane Center said the storm was likely to fade as it bends toward the coast of the peninsula by midweek, bringing more heavy rains to the Baja desert and to the U.S. Southwest.
Though it has stayed away from land, Norbert passed near enough to the coast in recent days to drench fishing villages and resorts, and pound beaches.
High surf and waves broke a contention wall and flooded the fishing village of Puerto San Carlos, said Venustiano Perez, mayor of the municipality of Comondu, which encompasses the village and is located about 300 miles north of the tip of the peninsula.
In Southern California, thunderstorms pushed by Norbert flooded streets and freeway lanes that left dozens of cars stuck in the knee-deep water.
The National Weather Service said the storm dropped nearly 3 inches of rain in Hemet and 2 inches of rain in the San Jacinto Mountains in Riverside County.
NYC police to use body cameras
Sixty New York City police officers will wear body cameras as part of a pilot program after a federal lawsuit challenging the department’s controversial stop-and-frisk tactics and the recent chokehold death of Eric Garner during an arrest, city officials said.
Implementing the program was part of a settlement reached last year after a federal judge put a stop to stop-and-frisk, which many said unfairly targeted black men while doing little to reduce crime.
“Having patrol officers wear body cameras during this pilot demonstrates our commitment to transparency while it will also allow us to review its effectiveness with the intention of expanding the program,” said Police Commissioner William J. Bratton.
Bratton said officers will begin wearing the devices in the fall.
Hawaii lava nears neighborhood
PUNA, Hawaii – The hot lava flowing from Hawaii’s active volcano has quickened its creep toward a sparsely populated neighborhood.
Authorities say residents on the Big Island don’t have to evacuate but should prepare to do so. They say the flow does not pose an immediate threat and the nearest homes are about a mile away.
The Hawaii Civil Defense Agency said Sunday that a helicopter inspection of the area shows the lava had flowed about 200 yards since Saturday. The agency reported the flow advanced about 50 yards between Friday and Saturday and 150 yards from Thursday to Friday.
The flow was moving at almost 300 yards a day earlier in the week.
Officials say the lava could reach the residential area in about a week.