San Antonio mayor picked for HUD post
WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama has nominated up-and-coming Democrat Julian Castro as the nation’s housing secretary.
The move is part of a broader shuffle of Obama’s Cabinet that includes nominating current housing chief Shaun Donovan to run the Office of Management and Budget.
During a State Dining Room ceremony, Obama praised Donovan’s efforts to help the U.S. housing market recover from the recession. He says he is nominating Donovan as budget director because “when you’re good at your job, people always want you to do even more.”
Castro is the mayor of San Antonio and is seen as a possible Democratic vice presidential nominee in 2016. Obama says Castro has helped revitalize San Antonio, experience he will draw on as head of the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Tennessee prepares to use electric chair
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee is “ready as needed” to use the electric chair if it can’t get the drugs used for lethal injections, the state’s top prisons official said Friday.
A corrections spokeswoman said while the state doesn’t have a supply of the drugs, authorities are confident they could acquire some. The chemicals have become scarcer following a European-led boycott of drug sales for executions.
Gov. Bill Haslam signed a bill into law Thursday that allows the state to electrocute current and future death row inmates if it can’t obtain the drugs. It’s the first such law in the country.
Thai soldiers break up anti-coup protests
BANGKOK – Ousted members of Thailand’s former government surrendered to the new military junta Friday, as soldiers forcefully dispersed hundreds of anti-coup activists who defied a ban on large-scale gatherings to protest the army’s seizure of power.
Troops detained at least two activists during the protest in downtown Bangkok, which descended into scuffles but ended without injury and marked one of the first open challenges to the military since Thursday’s coup.
The junta, though, remained firmly in charge, summoning more than 100 top political figures – the entire ousted government, their associates and a handful of their opponents. It also banned those on its wanted list from leaving the country.
Walesa to push U.S. to be world leader
WARSAW, Poland – Poland’s former president and Nobel Peace laureate, Lech Walesa, said Friday he plans to urge President Barack Obama to take a more active world leadership role when he visits Poland in June.
Speaking to The Associated Press, Walesa said “the world is disorganized and the superpower is not taking the lead. I am displeased.”
The former Solidarity leader said when he meets Obama in Warsaw, he wants to tell him that the U.S. should inspire and encourage the world into positive action.
“The States should organize us, encourage us and offer programs, while we, the world, should do the rest. This kind of leadership is needed,” Walesa said.
Associated Press
