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Ensign admits family paid $96K to lover

LAS VEGAS, July 9 (UPI) -- Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev., said Thursday his parents gave $96,000 to his mistress and her family out of concern for the well-being of family friends.

In a statement read by his lawyer, Ensign said, "None of the gifts came from campaign or official funds, nor were they related to any campaign or official duties," USA Today reported.

"Sen. Ensign has complied with all applicable laws and Senate ethics rules," the statement said.

The payments were made to Cynthia Hampton, her husband, Doug, and their two children, the newspaper said. Cynthia Hampton was had been treasurer for two Ensign-controlled campaign committees.

Ensign, 51, told the Las Vegas Sun he had no plans to resign.

"I said before, I always planned on serving and working hard -- working harder than I ever worked -- and I'm going to continue to do that," he said.

Doug Hampton said Ensign paid more than $25,000 in severance pay when Cynthia Hampton left her job on Ensign's campaign staff in May 2088, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported.

Doug Hampton was a senior staffer in Ensign's Senate office until May 2008. He claims both he and wife lost their jobs with the senator because of the affair. He also alleged several of Ensign's friends, including Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., urged Ensign to given the Hamptons a huge financial payment -- "millions of dollars" -- and end the relationship.

The Review-Journal said Ensign spokesman Tory Mazzola issued a statement saying, "Ensign said Doug Hampton was consistently inaccurate in his statements."

Burris won't seek Senate seat in 2010

CHICAGO, July 9 (UPI) -- U.S. Sen. Roland Burris, D-Ill., whose appointment was tainted by the scandal involving the state's former governor, says he will not run for his seat in 2010.

The Chicago Sun-Times and the Chicago Tribune reported Burris will make the decision official Friday.

The Sun-Times said Burris decided against a run because he was having trouble raising campaign funds. Papers to be filed next week with the Federal Election Commission are expected to show he has managed to garner only $20,000 in donations, the Sun-Times said.

Burris, who was appointed by impeached Gov. Rod Blagojevich, who is under federal indictment, took the seat formerly held by President Barack Obama. Among the charges against Blagojevich is he allegedly tried to sell Obama's seat to the highest bidder.

Word of Burris' decision follows by a day an announcement by Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan that she would not seek the Democratic nomination for Burris' seat, though she was seen as the front-runner. Her announcement was followed by one by Rep. Mark Kirk, R-Ill., that he would seek the Republican nod.

Burris was the first black politician elected to statewide office in Illinois and served as comptroller as well as attorney general -- the office currently held by Madigan.

China quake destroys 10,000 homes

KUNMING, China, July 9 (UPI) -- An earthquake struck China's Yunnan Province Thursday, injuring more than 300 people and destroying more than 10,000 homes, authorities said.

The 6.0-magnitude quake was followed by at least eight aftershocks measuring 3 to 4.1 on the Richter scale, China's state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

Authorities said 30 people were hospitalized for treatment of severe injuries.

In addition to the estimated 10,000 houses that collapsed, more than 30,000 were damaged, officials said.

The China Earthquake Networks Center said the quake occurred at 7:19 p.m. local time. The epicenter was in Guantun Township, about 125 miles from the provincial city of Kunming.

Officials distributed food, tents and medicine in Guantun Township, Xinhua said.

5 teens killed by train at level crossing

CANTON, Mich., July 9 (UPI) -- A teenage driver bypassed gates at a level crossing in Michigan and was hit by an Amtrak train Thursday afternoon, killing all five in the car, police said.

The crash in Canton between Dearborn and Ann Arbor was videotaped by a security camera at a business near the crossing, WDIV-TV, Detroit. reported. The tape shows the driver drove around an SUV already stopped at the crossing as well as bypassing the gates.

The dead were described as four young men aged 17 and 18 and a 14-year-old girl. Police said removing the bodies took about three hours.

The train was heading to Chicago from Detroit. One passenger told the TV station he heard the train whistle before every road crossing, and another said she heard it just before the crash.

The warning equipment at the crossing, including flashing lights and gates, appeared to be working, police said.

The train was carrying about 170 passengers, including 15 blind people accompanied by Seeing Eye dogs, who were returning from a convention in Detroit.