Russia’s Olympic flop sparks Soviet nostalgia
MOSCOW (AP) — Anger and Soviet nostalgia are sweeping Russia after its dismal showing at the Vancouver Olympics, triggering a purge of sporting officials in an effort to prevent another humiliation when the nation hosts the Winter games in Sochi in 2014.
 
Prostitution charge against bikini barista dropped
EVERETT, Wash. (AP) — Prosecutors in Washington state have dropped prostitution charges against a bikini barista accused of selling more than coffee at an espresso stand.The Daily Herald reports that Everett Municipal Court Judge Timothy O’Dell approved a deal between Everett prosecutors and the 21-year-old Kirkland woman that would drop the charges if she promised to stay out of trouble for two years.If she fails, she could face prosecution in municipal court.
Imam pleads guilty in failed suicide bomb plot in NYC
NEW YORK (AP) — An imam linked to the suspects in an aborted suicide bomb plot against New York City pleaded guilty on Thursday to lying to the FBI — a deal sparing him serious jail time but forcing him to leave the country.
A tearful Ahmad Afzali told a judge in federal court in Brooklyn that he had wanted to help authorities in the investigation of the threat, but lied under grilling by the FBI about his phone conversations with admitted al-Qaida associate Najibullah Zazi.”I failed to live up to my obligation to this country,” he said. Army chief sees ‘anxiety’ on lifting ban on gay people
FORT CARSON, Colo. (AP) — Army Chief of Staff Gen. George W. Casey said Thursday he sees anxiety in the armed services over how possible changes in the law that bans openly gay servicemen and women would be implemented.The military must look hard at how a new policy would be put into force to alleviate those concerns, Casey said during a visit to Fort Carson, where he met with commanders and troops from two brigades preparing to deploy, one to Iraq and one to Afghanistan.Rove memoir renews debate on Katrina response
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Former Gov. Kathleen Blanco blasted passages in Republican strategist Karl Rove’s upcoming memoir as an attempt to salvage the reputation of former President George W. Bush by rewriting the history of how his administration responded to Hurricane Katrina.Rove’s memoir says Blanco and outgoing New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin were overwhelmed by the storm that hit Aug. 29, 2005, flooding 80 percent of the city and stranding thousands with little food or water and no utilities.In “Courage and Consequence,” Rove writes that Blanco was so unclear about the state’s needs in Aug. 31 conversations with the White House, that the Bush Administration encouraged her to formally request the “federalization” of the response to place the state-controlled National Guard and other state and local entitites under federal command. Police: Mother left loaded gun in son’s book-bag(AP) — East Baton Rouge Parish sheriff’s deputies have arrested a woman for allegedly leaving a loaded handgun in her son’s book sack and authorities say the teenager unknowingly brought the gun to school. A deputy responded to a call from Arlington Preparatory Academy on Thursday after a teacher found the gun inside the student’s book bag.Lawmaker revives bill to ban pants exposing undergarments(AP) — A Lafayette lawmaker is reviving a failed bill that would make it illegal for people to wear low-riding pants that expose underwear.Democratic Rep. Rickey Hardy has proposed the bill for the legislative session that begins later this month. The measure would outlaw sagging pants or any other clothing style that “intentionally exposes undergarments” or more.—-Contact The Daily Reveille’s news staff at [email protected]