North Korea's long-range rocket fails
PYONGYANG, North Korea, April 12 (UPI) -- North Korea fired its much-anticipated long-range rocket over international objections Friday only to have it fail to reach space, officials said.
South Korea's Yonhap News Agency reported it appeared the 7:30 a.m. rocket launch had ended in failure.
The Los Angeles Times reported U.S. officials said the rocket broke apart shortly after launch. The officials said its trajectory was southward on a course 150 miles east of Shanghai. They said the second stage was expected to splash down east of the Philippines.
CNN reported a U.S. official, using data collected by the United States, concluded no part of the rocket reached space.
"This was supposed to be associated with [Kim Jong Un's] ascension to power. So for this thing to fail ... is incredibly embarrassing," Victor Cha, former director of Asian affairs for the U.S. National Security Council who is now a Georgetown University professor, told CNN.
The launch of the Unha-3 rocket, which violated several U.N. resolutions, came on the second day of a five-day window of opportunity. The North said the rocket's only mission was carry a satellite into space, but the South, the United States and others worried it was a cover to develop an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of carrying a nuclear warhead.
The rocket's failure didn't lessen U.S. concerns about the North's thumbing its nose at the international community, a White House spokesman said in a statement.
"Despite the failure of its attempted missile launch, North Korea's provocative action threatens regional security, violates international law and contravenes its own recent commitments," the statement issued by the office of White House press secretary Jay Carney said. "While this action is not surprising given North Korea's pattern of aggressive behavior, any missile activity by North Korea is of concern to the international community. The United States remains vigilant in the face of North Korean provocations, and is fully committed to the security our allies in the region.
"The president has been clear that he is prepared to engage constructively with North Korea. However, he has also insisted that North Korea live up to its own commitments, adhere to its international obligations and deal peacefully with its neighbors."
Gingrich wouldn't take Cabinet post
WILMINGTON, Del., April 12 (UPI) -- Republican presidential hopeful Newt Gingrich said Thursday he would not consider accepting a Cabinet position if Mitt Romney is elected president.
The former House speaker from Georgia said, though, he would consider a pro-bono adviser position for a Republican president like he was for President George W. Bush, The News Journal of Wilmington, Del., reported.
"Not because I'm opposed to Mitt," Gingrich said. "If the choice does end up being Romney versus Obama, I can be very enthusiastic for Romney."
Gingrich said even though he believes Romney will likely receive the GOP nomination for president, he's not planning to suspend his campaign.
"Romney is going to have to focus on what he'll actually do as president," he said on WILM radio. "Who do you think can debate Obama in September and October and defeat him? We have to have somebody who can stand on the same podium and beat him."
Meanwhile, Gingrich criticized Fox News Channel Wednesday for what he said was clear support for Romney, Real Clear Politics reported.
"I think Fox has been for Romney all the way through," Gingrich said during the private meeting with 18 Tea Party leaders at Wesley College. "In our experience, Callista and I both believe CNN is less biased than Fox this year. We are more likely to get neutral coverage out of CNN than we are of Fox, and we're more likely to get distortion out of Fox. That's just a fact."
Obama backs ENDA, but no executive order
WASHINGTON, April 12 (UPI) -- U.S. President Obama supports the Employment Non-Discrimination Act but has no plans to pre-empt Congress with an executive order, a spokesman said Thursday.
"The president is dedicated to securing equal rights for all LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) Americans," press secretary Jay Carney told reporters.
Obama "has long supported an inclusive employment non-discrimination act, which would prohibit employers across the country from discriminating on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity," Carney said, likening his support for comprehensive non-discrimination legislation to the legislative repeal of the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy that barred gay personnel from acknowledging their sexual orientation to their peers.
"While it is not our usual practice to discuss executive orders that may or may not be under consideration, we do not expect that an EO on LGBT non-discrimination for federal contractors will be issued at this time. … The approach we're taking at this time is to try to build support for passage of this legislation, a comprehensive approach to legislate on the issue of non-discrimination," Carney said.
"We believe that this is the right approach to achieve success here in a broad and comprehensive legislative action. And at this time, we're not considering as a part of that an executive order. …
"What I do know for a fact is that this president is absolutely dedicated to securing equal rights for LGBT Americans."
Florida executes serial killer Gore
STARKE, Fla., April 12 (UPI) -- The state of Florida Thursday executed serial killer David Alan Gore, who spent 28 years on death row, state corrections officials said.
Gore, 58, was given a lethal injection after the U.S. Supreme Court denied his last-ditch appeals and was pronounced dead at 6:19 p.m. at Florida State Prison in Starke, TCPalm.com reported.
Gore was put to death for killing 17-year-old Lynn Elliot of Vero Beach, but he confessed to killing five other women and girls.
"I would like to say to Mr. and Mrs. Elliott, that I truly am sorry for my part in the death of your daughter," Gore said in a handwritten statement before he was executed. "I wish above all else my death could bring her back. I am not the same man today that I was 28 years ago. When I accepted Jesus Christ as my savior, I became a new creature in Christ and I know God has truly forgiven me for my past sins."
Gore spent his last hours visiting with his mother, one of his three ex-wives and a religious adviser, and eating his last meal -- fried chicken, french fries, butter pecan ice cream and a soft drink, the news Web site said.
State Corrections Department Communications Director Ann Howard described him as "calm."
