State Dept. may order staff to Iraq
WASHINGTON, Oct. 31 (UPI) -- The U.S. State Department says it will order 48 foreign service members to be stationed in Iraq next summer if it doesn't get volunteers for the war-zone duty.
All of the nearly 200 State Department personnel serving in Iraq are in there voluntarily, the Federal Times reported Wednesday. While many have volunteered to stay next year, department officials said it may fall short of next year's staffing level of 252 officers.
About 200 mid- to upper-level employees were notified they are being considered for one-year deployments, a spokesman said. They were selected because of factors such as language skills, job specialties and previous service overseas.
If the employees are ordered to Iraq, it will mark the first time foreign service officers were directed to specific posts since 1969, when 20 entry-level officers were sent to Vietnam.
The spokesman said employees have two weeks to either volunteer or draft a letter stating why they should be excused. Those who refuse to go face disciplinary action, possibly firing.
Wash. state lawmaker quits in sex scandal
SPOKANE, Wash., Oct. 31 (UPI) -- Washington state Rep. Richard Curtis resigned from the Legislature Wednesday following police reports he had sex with at least two men he met at a porn shop.
Curtis, a Republican who has opposed gay rights legislation, had claimed he was the victim of an extortion scheme, but that contention led to disclosure of details about his alleged sexual behavior, The (Vancouver, Wash.) Columbian reported.
Spokane police said Curtis met Cody Castagna, 26, at a porn store and subsequently had sex with him in a hotel room. Castagna said he was promised $1,000 to have unprotected sex with Curtis, and had to press Curtis for payment.
An attorney for Castagna told NBC News he is concerned his client could face charges. KXLY-TV in Spokane reported prosecutors were considering whether to charge Curtis with solicitation.
"Today, I submitted my letter of resignation to Gov. (Chris) Gregoire, effective immediately," Curtis said in a letter released by the Republican caucus.
Curtis, a retired fire captain, said the scandal "has been damaging to my family, and I don't want to subject them to any additional pain that might result from carrying out this matter under the scrutiny that comes with holding public office."
NASA to release air safety report
WASHINGTON, Oct. 31 (UPI) -- The head of NASA said Wednesday he will release results of a survey suggesting air safety incidents may occur more frequently than commonly thought.
National Aeronautics and Space Administration chief Michael Griffin, speaking at a congressional hearing, said an agency employee "misspoke" earlier in saying that releasing the information may alarm the U.S. public and hurt airlines, NewScientist.com reported.
Griffin said the data could not legally be released earlier because it might have identified a specific pilot or airline. He said the report was being edited to remove identifying information and should be released by the end of the year, the online news agency said.
The four-year survey, based on telephone interviews of 24,000 commercial pilots and 5,000 private pilots, indicates engine failures, bird strikes and close-calls between aircraft in the air and on runways happen more often than previously known.
"NASA should be in the business of putting information in front of the public, not withholding it," said House Science and Technology Committee member Ralph Hall, R-Texas.
Jury awards $11M in funeral protest case
BALTIMORE, Oct. 31 (UPI) -- A federal jury in Baltimore Wednesday awarded almost $11 million in damages to the father of a Marine killed in Iraq whose funeral drew anti-gay protesters.
In reaching its verdict against the Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, Kan., the U.S. District Court jury awarded Albert Snyder of York, Pa., $2.9 million in compensatory damages and $8 million for punitive damages, The Baltimore Sun reported.
In March 2006, members of the Kansas church waved placards that included "Thank God for IEDs" and "Fag Troops" 1,000 feet from the church where the funeral of Snyder's son, Lance Cpl. Matthew Snyder, was held.
Albert Snyder sued the church and three of its members for intentionally invading his privacy and intentionally inflicted emotional distress.
