Michelle Obama: Education prepared me for world’s problems
RENCA, Chile (AP) — Studying hard as a young woman is what prepared Michelle Obama to face the world’s challenges, the United States’ first lady told students Monday at a public school that Chile’s government hopes will become a model for educational excellence in the country.
“It wasn’t so long ago that my husband and I were young people just like you, dreaming the same dream and facing the same challenges,” Obama said, describing how she and her husband both grew up poor and with few resources. Their success, she said, was due to their good educations.
There is broad consensus that Chile’s free public education system does a poor job of preparing the vast majority of students.
 
UN rejects emergency meeting on ‘military agression’ sought by Libya
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The U.N. Security Council on Monday rejected a Libyan request for an emergency meeting to halt what it called “military aggression” by France and the United States, saying it would wait for a briefing Thursday from the secretary-general.
 
UN nuclear chief: revamped emergency responses needed
VIENNA (AP) — Japan’s nuclear crisis has exposed huge weaknesses in how the world deals with such disasters, the U.N. nuclear chief said Monday, urging changes in emergency responses worldwide.
Yukiya Amano, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, also told a 35-nation IAEA board meeting that — while the situation at Japan’s crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear site remains serious — “we are starting to see some positive developments.”
 
Police: Taco Bell customer angry over price hikes fires at officers
SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Police say a San Antonio Taco Bell customer enraged that the seven burritos he ordered had gone up in price fired an air gun at an employee and later fired an assault rifle at officers before barricading himself into a hotel room.
San Antonio police Sgt. Chris Benavides said officers used tear gas Sunday night to force the man from the hotel room after a three-hour standoff. The man is charged with three counts of attempted capital murder. Authorities have not released his name.
 
Electronic road sign warns of ‘Zombies Ahead’on S.C. highway
FORT MILL, S.C. (AP) — Drivers near the South Carolina-North Carolina state line have been warned to be on the lookout for zombies, hunters and tanks.
The Herald of Rock Hill reports that one of the electronic signs, which normally flash messages about construction or crashes, read “Zombies Ahead” on Sunday. Another flashed “Watch for Hunters,” while a third said “Be alert for Tanks.”
The signs are on Highway 160 near Fort Mill, S.C.
 
Rep. Boustany: Don’t delay La. congressional redistricting session
(AP) — U.S. Rep. Charles Boustany says he wants state lawmakers to finish redesigning Louisiana congressional districts in the current, three-week special session, rather than delaying it because of disagreements over the maps.
The congressional elections aren’t until 2012. Some legislative leaders have suggested if a consensus can’t be reached about the redrawn districts, they can postpone the approval until another time.
New boundaries are needed because Louisiana is losing one of its seven congressional districts.
 
Test results done on key oil spill device may be released this week
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A federal official says the firm hired to test a key piece of equipment to determine why it didn’t stop last year’s Gulf of Mexico oil spill has submitted its results to government investigators.
The official spoke Monday to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the person was not authorized to disclose the information publicly. The official says the government is reviewing results of the blowout preventer tests and may release them later this week.
 
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