Report cites errors in White House case
WASHINGTON –The Secret Service response to an armed intruder who jumped the fence and raced into the White House was complicated by muted alarms and radios, thick bushes on the lawn, unlocked doors and an officer inside who was physically too small to tackle the intruder and fumbled with her equipment, according to the Homeland Security Department review of the case.
A summary of the government’s investigation, released Thursday night, revealed sensational new details about the Sept. 19 break-in at the White House by a disturbed Army veteran carrying a knife.
The government determined that lack of training, poor staffing decisions and communication problems contributed to the embarrassing failure that ultimately led to the resignation of the head of the Secret Service, Julia Pierson.
Comet-landing craft may run out of power
BERLIN – A shadow was cast literally across Europe’s historic mission to land on and explore a comet. Scientists said Thursday the landing craft not only bounced twice, it came to rest next to a cliff that’s blocking sunlight from its solar panels.
The good news is that the lander Philae is stable and in good health: Its scientific instruments have already begun gathering reams of data to send back to Earth, including the first pictures taken from the surface of a comet.
The bad news is that its useful lifetime may now be much shorter.
With just a day or two left before the lander’s primary battery is exhausted, scientists were considering what acrobatic maneuvers to risk in order to get the solar panels out of the shadows so they can keep Philae going for a few more months.
Associated Press
