Around the Nation

Calif. Drought Prompts State of Emergency

SAN FRANCISCO -- California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger declared a state emergency because of a drought and said he will consider mandatory rationing in the face of nearly $3 billion in economic losses this year.

Agricultural revenue losses in the coming season in California could top $2 billion, he said.

Schwarzenegger (R) requested that urban users cut water consumption by 20 percent and that state agencies implement a water-reduction plan.

The state water department will report on conservation progress by the end of March, and if the situation has not sufficiently improved, water rationing and mandatory cuts in water use could be instituted, the governor said.

HIV-Tainted Letter Sent to Obama

CHICAGO -- Saad Hussein, 27, an Ethiopian refugee, is charged with mailing an envelope containing his own HIV-infected blood to then-President-elect Barack Obama, authorities said. On Dec. 29, a letter addressed to Obama was received at the state Revenue Department building in Springfield, Ill., according to federal documents. The letter contained Hussein's return address. Hussein, of Chicago, said the letter "was his way of seeking help from the government."

Army Officer Convicted of Murder

FORT CAMPBELL, Ky. -- An Army officer who shot and killed an Iraqi detainee during an interrogation last May has been convicted of murder by a military jury. A military panel of seven officers also found 1st Lt. Michael C. Behenna of Edmond, Okla., guilty of assault. Behenna testified that he was trying to defend himself when he shot Ali Mansour Mohammed and that the detainee reached for his gun in a secluded railroad culvert near Baiji, Iraq. Staff Sgt. Hal M. Warner pleaded guilty this month in the case and was sentenced to 17 months in prison.

La. FEMA Official Is Reassigned

NEW ORLEANS -- The Federal Emergency Management Agency is reassigning the chief of staff of its New Orleans hurricane recovery office while allegations of misconduct are investigated. Acting FEMA Administrator Nancy Ward said during a visit to New Orleans that she will not make any major staffing changes until the investigation of Doug Whitmer's office is complete. On Thursday, Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.) and Rep. Anh "Joseph" Cao (R-La.) called for Whitmer to resign. Cao has said the office is beset with allegations of sexual harassment, cronyism, nepotism and other ethics violations.

Manhattan Prosecutor to Retire

NEW YORK -- Manhattan District Attorney Robert Morgenthau has announced that he plans to step down. He will turn 90 in July and says "enough is enough." Morgenthau has served as a prosecutor in New York City since the Kennedy administration, when he was appointed as Manhattan's top federal prosecutor. He became the borough's top state prosecutor in 1974.

-- From News Services