R. Paul, Rubio top CPAC straw poll
WASHINGTON, March 16 (UPI) -- Rand Paul edged Marco Rubio in a 2016 presidential race straw poll conducted at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington Saturday.
The poll, sponsored by The Washington Times and conducted by Fabrizio, McLaughlin & Associates, gave Paul, the libertarian-leaning Republican senator from Kentucky, 25 percent of the vote of 2,930 attendees at the 40th annual CPAC gathering. Rubio, the Tea Party-backed GOP senator from Florida, received 23 percent.
Former Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania, who ran for president in 2012, got 8 percent, followed by New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who wasn't invited to speak at the conference, at 7 percent, Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin, the GOP's vice presidential nominee in 2012, at 6 percent, and Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker at 5 percent.
More than 60 names were either listed or written in, CPAC said in a release posted on its website.
"We convened thousands of energized conservatives today at this 40th annual National CPAC 2013 from across the entire country," American Conservative Union Chairman Al Cardenas said. "It's been a long-standing and fun tradition at CPAC National as well as our regional CPACs to poll the attendees and get their opinion on a number of important issues."
Chinese couple dismembered; son arrested
HONG KONG, March 16 (UPI) -- A Hong Kong man was in custody Saturday in the dismemberment slaying of his parents, said police, who were still looking for missing body parts.
The partial remains of Chau Wing-ki, 64, and his wife, Siu Yuet-yee, 63, were found in an apartment Friday, the South China Morning Post reported.
The discovery came after police picked up the couple's 29-year-old son. A 35-year-old man also was taken into custody. Their names were not reported.
The newspaper said the couple's heads were found in the refrigerator and investigators recovered parts of three arms and four legs from the apartment.
The victims' torsos had yet to be found. Some body parts had been dumped in the sea, the source told the Post.
Police also found a chopping board, saws and knives.
"Everything could be evidence," a police source told the Post. "We have to check everything ... carefully."
Police believe the couple were killed March 1.
"We have reason to believe the flat was the site of the killing," police Senior Superintendent Eddie Ma Chi-kin said. "We are now investigating the motive."
Teen victim testifies in Ohio rape trial
STEUBENVILLE, Ohio, March 16 (UPI) -- A 16-year-old girl who has accused two Ohio high school football players of raping her testified Saturday in the trial of the two alleged attackers.
Steubenville High School football players Trent Mays, 17, and Ma'lik Richmond, 16, are accused of raping the girl, a student at nearby Weirton (W.Va.) Madonna High School whose name is being withheld as an alleged victim, during a series of parties last August.
The (Steubenville) Herald-Star reported the girl testified about the first time she saw a YouTube video of the incident, telling the court she could not watch it all the way through.
"I couldn't stop crying, so I just turned it off," she said.
The girl also testified she thought she had been drugged.
"There was no other explanation for me not remembering a single thing from that night," she said.
She, who identified and pointed out the two defendants in the courtroom, had yet to be cross-examined by defense attorneys , the newspaper said.
Prosecutors allege both defendants digitally penetrated the girl, which constitutes rape in the state of Ohio. She allegedly was intoxicated at the time of the incident.
Much of the now four-day trial has focused on explicit text messages sent between the victim and the defendants, and the defendants and others, as well cellphone pictures and videos and social media posts surrounding the alleged sexual abuse of the girl.
On Friday, three witnesses -- two of who were minors so their names were not reported -- said they saw the defendants digitally penetrate the victim. All three witnesses have been granted immunity in the case in exchange for their testimony.
Judge Tom Lipps is presiding over the case without a jury.
If the suspects are found guilty of the charges against them -- both are charged with rape, while Mays is also accused of illegal use of a minor in nudity oriented material -- they face the possibility of being jailed until they are 21.
Rains not likely to put out Colo. wildfire
DENVER, March 16 (UPI) -- Meteorologists in Colorado say rainfall in the Denver area will not likely extinguish the Galena wildfire, which has burned about 1,000 acres in Larimer County.
"I don't think it's going to be a soaker that is going to put it completely out," Kyle Fredin, meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Boulder, said Saturday. "I don't think it will be a significant rain storm."
Fredin said there was a 30 percent chance of rain for Larimer County, The Denver Post reported.
Firefighters said they they sent out 860 evacuation phone calls Friday due to 45 mph winds, the Post reported.
The Poudre Fire Authority in Fort Collins, Colo., said 579 of the notices remained in place overnight.
"Winds have been extremely erratic," said Capt. Patrick Love, a Poudre Fire Authority spokesman.
Authorities said they were worried the fire might start to move south, toward open ground and homes.
About 50 homes are threatened by the fire, the newspaper said.
