House passes $15B jobs bill
WASHINGTON, March 4 (UPI) -- The U.S. House Thursday approved on a 217-201 vote a $15 billion jobs bill that includes a Social Security tax break for companies hiring new employees.
Six Republicans joined the vast majority of Democrats in approving the measure that also would allow a one-year authorization of the law concerning federal highway funding, an expansion of the Build America Bonds program and companies to claim equipment purchases as business expenses, The Washington Post said.
The Senate passed the bill, 70-28, last week. However, the House amended the Senate bill, and senators must approve the measure once again before it goes to President Barack Obama for his signature. The Senate is expected to take up the bill next week, the Post said.
More than 30 Democrats voted against the measure, with some House liberals saying it wasn't broad enough and focused too much on tax cuts instead of spending.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said the bill would "provide support for small businesses ... (and) would invest in building infrastructure for the future for our country."
Students, educators protest cutbacks
SACRAMENTO, March 4 (UPI) -- Students, teachers, parents and supporters rallied across the United States Thursday to protest cuts to public colleges and universities, organizers said.
At least 33 states reported rallies protesting the cuts organizers say drive up tuition, reduce class choice and put a college education out of reach for many high school graduates, CNN reported.
The Day of Action began in California, where funding for the California State University system was reduced by nearly $1 billion for the academic years between 2008 and 2010, CNN said. In response to the cuts, schools increased fees, canceled classes, cut student support programs, and furloughed or laid off faculty and staff.
In Georgia, a legislative committee proposed $300 million in cuts to the state's college system, in addition to $100 million in cuts the past two years, University of Georgia President Michael Adams wrote in an open letter to students, faculty and staff.
"This is not our plan; these are not cuts we offered to make; and we will vigorously oppose any effort to implement them," Adams wrote.
Many of the demonstrations in California were planned by campus faculty unions, and have drawn qualified support from some college administrators, the Los Angeles Times said.
California State University Chancellor Charles Reed said the university system "supports the efforts of our students, faculty and staff to bring awareness about the importance of higher education in California. It is critical that legislators in Sacramento hear from businesses and the community about the importance of CSU."
K-12 educators also were expected to participate in the rallies to protest similar cutbacks, the Times said.
Baylor to get $200M from anonymous alumnus
WACO, Texas, March 4 (UPI) -- Baylor University in Waco, Texas, announced Thursday that an anonymous alumnus has pledged a gift of $200 million, the largest ever to the school.
The university said the donor is from a family that has already provided gifts to be used to study aging, the American Baptist Press reported. Lee Nordt, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, said the new gift will move Baylor to "top-tier status" in research on aging.
Baylor announced in February that Kenneth Starr, the Whitewater prosecutor and now dean of the law school at Pepperdine, would become its president June 1. But officials said there is no connection between the gift and the controversial selection of Starr.
Diana Garland, dead of the Baylor School of Social Work, said the agreement for the gift was negotiated last fall. She said about half the money will go to the School of Social Work.
The gift is the second largest ever to a Texas university and among the 20 biggest made to a U.S. institution.
2 police officers wounded at Pentagon
WASHINGTON, March 4 (UPI) -- A lockdown at the Pentagon was lifted Thursday, shortly after a man shot two and wounded two U.S. Defense Department police officers, officials said.
Chris Layman, a spokesman for the Pentagon Force Protection Agency, said the officers returned fire and wounded the suspected gunman, The Washington Post reported. Layman described the officers' injuries as non-life threatening and said the suspect was more seriously wounded.
The shooting occurred at around 6:40 p.m. EST at the entrance to the building closest to the Pentagon Station on the Washington Metro. The building is in Arlington, Va., across the Potomac River from the capital.
Layman said there was no apparent motive for the shooting.
All Pentagon entrances have been restored to normal operation except for the Pentagon Metro entrance, where the shooting took place, Pentagon officials said.
