Fred Thompson drops out of GOP race
WASHINGTON, Jan. 22 (UPI) -- Former Sen. Fred Thompson, whose campaign for the Republican presidential nomination never really caught fire, dropped out of the race Tuesday.
"Today I have withdrawn my candidacy for president of the United States," Thompson said in a statement posted on his campaign Web site. "I hope that my country and my party have benefited from our having made this effort."
His decision to abandon his campaign came after poor finishes in the Nevada caucus and the South Carolina Republican primary.
The former senator from Tennessee, also known as District Attorney Arthur Branch on NBC's "Law & Order," entered the race late and said he needed a strong showing in South Carolina to continue. Thompson came in third behind Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee in Saturday's primary.
Judge gives terror convict 17 years
MIAMI, Jan. 22 (UPI) -- A federal judge in Miami Tuesday sentenced Jose Padilla to 17 years and four months in prison for his role in a U.S.-based terror support cell.
His two co-defendants in the case, Adham Hassoun and Kifah Jayyousi, were given lesser sentences of 15 years and eight months and 12 years and eight months, respectively.
The sentences imposed by U.S. District Judge Marcia Cooke fell far short of the government prosecutors' previous request of life in prison for all three defendants.
Following a trial that last nearly four months, a jury found all three men guilty of conspiring to kill and kidnap people overseas.
Defense attorneys, however, said the three were in fact working to aid Muslims in countries like Bosnia and Chechnya who were the victims of war. Lawyers for Hassoun said they would file an appeal within 10 days.
Protesters, police clash at Gaza crossing
GAZA, Jan. 22 (UPI) -- Palestinian protesters and Egyptian forces clashed Tuesday at Rafah Crossing after protesters demanded the crossing be opened to ease the Gaza siege.
Palestinians reported 50 women were injured in the incident with security forces, including 15 suffering gunshot wounds, Ynetnews reported. Israel initiated the blockade in response to rocket attacks.
The security forces used dogs and water hoses to push back protesters, the Israeli news service reported. Several Palestinians were arrested.
Meanwhile, Arab members of the Knesset protested Israel's blockade of supplies to Gaza.
Clinton has lead over Obama in California
SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 22 (UPI) -- Democratic presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton may lead among Latinos and women in California, but undecided still rules overall, a poll indicated Tuesday.
The latest Field Poll of 377 likely Democratic primary voters, gave the New York senator a 12-point lead over Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., 39 percent to 27 percent, the San Francisco Chronicle reported. Former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards was third with 10 percent.
However, one in five voters polled indicated they were still undecided with the state's primary looming on Feb. 5, so-called Super Tuesday, when 52 percent of all pledged Democratic Party delegates and 41 percent of the total Republican Party delegates are up for grabs.
Clinton's advantage over Obama cut a wide swath among voters polled, including Latinos, seniors and women, the Chronicle said. Obama was favored among African-Americans, college graduates and voters who make at least $80,000 a year, poll results showed.
The two leading Democratic candidates were even in their appeal to men, liberals and non-Hispanic whites.
The margin of error for the poll conducted Jan. 14-20 is 5.2 percentage points.
Top court rules on prison guard immunity
WASHINGTON, Jan. 22 (UPI) -- A divided U.S. Supreme Court ruled Tuesday a prison inmate cannot sue federal prison guards about how their possessions are handled.
In a 5-4 vote, the justices ruled federal law enforcement officers are immune to lawsuits by prison inmates claiming the officers wrongly lost or misplaced the prisoners' personal property, Scotusblog.com reported.
Justice Clarence Thomas wrote for the majority in Ali v. Federal Bureau of Prisons, rejecting petitioner Abdus-Shahid Ali's argument that a federal immunity law only applies to losses of property during customs or tax collection.
"We conclude that the broad phrase 'any other law enforcement officer' covers all law enforcement officers," Thomas wrote. "(We) are unpersuaded by petitioner's attempt to create ambiguity where the statute's text and structure suggest none."
Dissenting were Justices Anthony Kennedy, John Paul Stevens, Justice David Souter and Stephen Breyer. Kennedy wrote the majority opinion's analysis "cannot be squared with the longstanding recognition that a single word must not be read in isolation but instead defined by reference to its statutory context."
