French strikes: Gas stations run short, students clash with police
PARIS (AP) — Airlines flying into France were ordered to slash schedules — and to bring enough fuel for the trip out. Gas stations ran short or dry, while truckers jammed highway traffic Monday by driving at a snail’s pace, a tactic known in French as “operation escargot.”
Strikes over the government’s plans to raise the retirement age to 62 from 60 disrupted daily life and a wide swath of industry — from oil refining to travel to shipping — as protesters fought a proposal they say tampers with the near-sacred French social contract.
Teens joined in the protests, with at least 261 high schools blocked or disrupted Monday. Some turned violent, and 290 youths were arrested, the Interior Ministry said. Students set cars and tires on fire, toppled a telephone booth and hurled debris at police in the Paris suburb of Nanterre, as well as in Lyon, France,  and elsewhere.
Israeli military bans soldiers from using social media sites on base
JERUSALEM (AP) — The Israeli military is banning soldiers from using social media sites while on base in an attempt to prevent security leaks and embarrassing videos from going viral.
Lt. Col. Gadi Abudi said Tuesday that the idea was to prevent sensitive information from reaching its “enemies.”
US soldier in custody after Afghan detainee dies from gunshot wound
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — A U.S. soldier was taken into custody after an Afghan detainee was found dead in his cell, apparently from a gunshot wound, NATO said in a statement Tuesday night.
The man was found dead in his holding cell in Kandahar province’s Arghandab district Sunday. He was being held at an Afghan government facility under U.S. guard, awaiting transfer to coalition custody.
Military recruiters told to accept gay openly gay applicants
SAN DIEGO (AP) — The military is accepting openly gay recruits for the first time in the nation’s history, even as it tries in the courts to slow the movement to abolish its “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy.
At least two service members discharged for being gay began the process to re-enlist after the Pentagon’s Tuesday announcement.
Meanwhile, a federal judge in California who overturned the 17-year policy last week was likely to reject the government’s latest effort to halt her order telling the military to stop enforcing the law. The Justice Department will likely appeal if she does not suspend her order.
The Defense Department has said it would comply with U.S. District Judge Virginia Phillips’ order and had frozen any discharge cases. Pentagon spokeswoman Cynthia Smith said recruiters had been given top-level guidance to accept applicants who say they are gay.
Groups oppose Governor Jindal administration’s Medicaid plan
(AP) — Hospitals, emergency responders, physicians and other medical providers Monday stepped up their opposition to the Jindal administration’s planned restructuring of the state’s Medicaid program.
The Louisiana Ambulance Alliance, Louisiana Hospital Association, Louisiana State Medical Society and other groups announced the organization of the Coalition to Protect Louisiana’s Healthcare to challenge the state’s new health care approach.
At issue is the best way to reduce the state’s Medicaid costs by discouraging the poor and uninsured from making costly emergency room visits for routine health care.
State Health and Hospitals Secretary Bruce Greenstein said changes have to be made to ensure that the health care program is more affordable for the state.
La. oyster harvesters task force seeks to cancel 2010-11 season
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A task force of Louisiana oyster harvesters and dealers wants the state to cancel the 2010-2011 oyster harvesting season scheduled in public oyster waters east of the Mississippi River.
The proposed cancellation of a season currently set to open Nov. 15 would not affect private year-round oyster leases on either side of the river, some of which have been reopening following the Gulf oil spill.
Escapee from Livingston Parish Courthouse caught
LIVINGSTON (AP) — A prisoner who fled the Livingston Parish Courthouse on Tuesday after being sentenced to five years on drug charges has been captured, the sheriff’s office said.
Deputies captured Dennis Ray Caruso Jr., 23, about two hours after he fled, said Perry Rushing, chief of operations for the sheriff’s office.