Waters proclaims innocence on ethics charges

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ashington (CNN) - A defiant Rep. Maxine Waters, D-California, insisted Friday that neither she nor her staff broke any House rules.

Waters also blasted the House ethics committee for failing to schedule a trial to resolve allegations she helped steer federal bailout money to Massachusetts-based OneUnited Bank -- in which her husband had a financial stake.

She repeatedly denied any wrongdoing, and insisted she will not cut a deal with the committee.

Rangel dismisses critics, pledges tough reelection fight

NN - New York Rep. Charlie Rangel, under fire for alleged financial wrongdoing and harming the credibility of Congress, renewed his demand Thursday for a hearing before the House ethics committee.

The beleaguered 20-term Harlem congressman, stumping for votes in his district, also dismissed his upcoming Democratic primary opponents and pledged to run a tough reelection race over the next month.

Nothing "will stop me from clearing my name from these vile and vicious charges," he declared.

Judge overturns California's ban on same-sex marriage

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NN - A federal judge in California on Wednesday struck down the state's ban on same-sex marriage, ruling that voter-approved Proposition 8 violates the U.S. Constitution -- handing supporters of gay rights a major victory in a case that both sides say is sure to wind up before the U.S. Supreme Court.

The 136-page opinion, issued by Chief U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker in San Francisco, is an initial step in what will likely be a lengthy fight over California's Proposition 8, which defines marriage as a union between a man and a woman.

Primary results for Missouri, Kansas and Michigan

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NN - U.S. Senate races in Kansas and Missouri and a ballot measure seen as a referendum on President Obama's health care reform highlighted Tuesday's primary elections.

Missouri's Proposition C allowed Missouri voters to decide if residents should be allowed to opt out of mandatory health insurance -- a key part of the administration's health care plan.

The measure succeeded handily, winning by a three to one margin to allow residents to opt out.

9 dead in Connecticut workplace shooting

Gunman suspected of killing 8 had just been forced to resign

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anchester, Connecticut (CNN) - Omar Thornton, 34, walked into a room early Tuesday at the beverage distributorship where he worked in Manchester, Connecticut.

Company and union officials played a video. He calmly watched images that purportedly showed him stealing from a truck.

An employee of Hartford Distributors for two years and a driver for one, Thornton was given a choice of resigning or being fired, union and company officials said.

'Static kill' under way in effort to seal Gulf
oil well

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ouston, Texas (CNN) - BP is conducting a long-awaited procedure to permanently seal its crippled well in the Gulf of Mexico.

It's proceeding with a complex operation known as a "static kill," pumping heavy drilling mud down from above to push oil back into the well reservoir.

The effort could take "something in the range of a bunch of hours to a couple of days," BP Senior Vice President Kent Wells said Tuesday afternoon in a telephone conference. "We're extremely focused at this point in making sure we execute the static kill as best we can."

Rangel, Waters fight ethics charges as Black support mounts

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ashington (NNPA) - As U. S. Rep. Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.) prepares to fight 13 ethics charges, U. S. Rep. Maxine Waters, another leading member of the Congressional Black Caucus, has also come under scrutiny.

Reportedly, Waters (D-Calif.) has decided to go to trial rather than be sanctioned for allegedly improperly influencing the receipt of $12 million in bailout funds by the Massachusetts-based OneUnited Bank, where her husband owns stock.

Formal charges against Waters by the House Ethics Committee will reportedly be announced next week. Charges against Rangel involve reporting of income on his financial disclosure forms as well as alleged fund-raising violations.

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