GOP governors endure early trials, gird for 2014

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) ? Republican governors took over statehouses across the country after the 2010 elections and immediately acted on promises to usher in a new era of budget cutting and conservative labor policies. Public backlash followed just as quickly; they watched their popularity drop while Democrats talked of political retribution.

But now, as they gear up for their re-election campaigns, many GOP governors ? particularly those across the upper Midwest ? find themselves in positions of strength, having benefited from improving economies if not changes of heart over their policies.

Their improved standing presents stark challenges for Democrats, who had long predicted voters would reject what they called Republican overreach.

President Barack Obama's party now carries the burden not just of finding strong challengers, which is proving difficult, but also of trying to figure out how to take down governors who aren't as vulnerable as they had anticipated ? Wisconsin's Scott Walker, Ohio's John Kasich, Michigan's Rick Snyder and Iowa's Terry Branstad.

They won elections as part of the GOP's banner 2010. Republicans prevailed in 23 out of 37 gubernatorial elections that year, taking control of 11 states where Democrats had held the office. Now, there are 30 Republican governors. And of those, 20 are up for re-election in 2014 ? many in states that Obama carried last fall.

Democrats plan to make the case in the runup to next fall's elections that Obama ? not the Republican governors ? are responsible for the economic recovery.

"They'll try to take credit for the national economic recovery, but voters in these states aren't buying it," Danny Kanner of the Democratic Governors Association predicted about the GOP incumbents.

To be sure, some swing-state Republican governors elected in 2010 are in serious trouble.

Few voters say Tom Corbett in Pennsylvania and Rick Scott in Florida are doing a good job. Neither has been able to capitalize on their states' economic recovery. Corbett also faces questions about his effectiveness handling an investigation about sex abuse at Penn State University while he was attorney general. And Scott's efforts to shift to the center politically haven't seemed to help his standing.

Sensing opportunity, several Democrats are running in Pennsylvania, while big names such as Sen. Bill Nelson and former Gov. Charlie Crist are weighing Democratic candidacies in Florida.

And a few other Republican governors up for re-election have stayed reasonably popular, such as New Mexico's Susana Martinez and Brian Sandoval in Nevada, which was a battleground state in 2012.

In the Midwest, the four GOP governors stand out as an important bloc as Republicans look to lay the groundwork for Midwestern victories in the presidential race in 2016, when the region will offer a significant chunk of the 270 Electoral College votes needed to win the White House.

"In a nation as closely divided as ours, a percent of the vote here or there will really matter in 2016. Having a Republican governor in a swing state can deliver that," said Phil Musser, a national Republican strategist and adviser to Martinez.

The story is remarkably similar in each of the four states, where in 2010 pro-business conservatives won seats Democrats had held. They set about reversing years of Democratic control in the name of economic competitiveness. Voters initially balked. Then the unemployment rate shrunk. Voters grew happier. And Republicans claimed credit.

Perhaps no one illustrates this dynamic better than Wisconsin's Walker.

He faced angry crowds in the tens of thousands who vowed to oust him two years ago for signing legislation that stripped public employees of their bargaining power.

Yet, Walker attributed lawmakers' closing a $3.6-billion budget gap to the measure, and he won a dramatic recall election last summer by a wider margin than his 2011 victory.

Today, Wisconsin Democrats worry they won't find a candidate up to toppling Walker. He traveled to Iowa last month and is weighing a 2016 presidential campaign, a sign his 2012 recall victory was tantamount to winning re-election, former political aide Dan Blum said.

In Ohio, Kasich also signed legislation limiting public employee unions in 2011. Thousands protested. And Kasich's opponents overwhelmingly defeated the measure the following November.

He did, however, score partial victories when the GOP-controlled House backed his effort to lower taxes on income, and the GOP-controlled Senate's similar response on business taxes. And unemployment has tumbled steadily, from more than 9 percent when Kasich took office to 7 percent in April. Last year even Kasich chided GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney for decrying the condition of the state's economy.

It's unclear how strong of a Democratic challenge he will face. Ohio's best-known Democrats ? former Gov. Ted Strickland and former Attorney General Richard Cordray ? have opted not to run. Cuyahoga County Executive Ed Fitzgerald, little known outside of Cleveland, is seeking the Democratic nomination.

In Iowa, Branstad also enacted strict budget measures. But he failed to make headway on education and business tax reform. And he wasn't able to trim unionized state employee health benefits.

This year, during the last legislative session before election-year politics take precedence, Branstad won long-sought bipartisan deals on taxes, education and health care. And he has presided over a state where unemployment has fallen below 5 percent. So far, only state Sen. Jack Hatch, a Des Moines liberal little-known statewide, has said he expects to run for the Democrats.

And in Michigan, Snyder is the Midwestern foursome's most vulnerable.

He inflamed the state's shrinking labor vote in December when he reversed course to sign legislation stripping unions of their ability to force employees to pay dues. Even so, Snyder's job approval has risen since the he signed the bill, a reflection of improving jobs numbers. Unemployment hit 11 percent in 2011 and was 8.4 percent in April.

Only Democrat Mark Schauer, a former U.S. House member from conservative western Michigan, has said he plans to challenge him.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/gop-governors-endure-early-trials-gird-2014-073631026.html

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Report: Boston's 'ghost chief' resigns amid accusations

Steve Abraira, the embattled chief of the Boston Fire Department who continues to be called pretty much the opposite of "Boston Strong," has resigned after clashes with senior management over how he handled the Boston Marathon bombings. The Boston Globe's Andrew Ryan reports Abraira submitted his letter of resignation on Monday after less than two years on the job.

RELATED: Pressure Cookers, Nails, BBs, and Bags: What We Know About the Boston Bombs

It was clear in the near-immediate aftermath of last month's terror attack that Araiba's time at the department might be coming to a close. Roughly two weeks ago, a letter written by 13 of the department's 14 deputy chiefs and sent to Boston mayor Tom Menino surfaced,?criticizing Abraiba's performance on the day of the bombings. Abraiba was a "ghost chief," they said, who let police officials handle things rather than taking control of the confusing emergency-response situation himself. Indeed, it's in Abraiba's job description to announce himself as the commanding officer at emergency situations, but the letter alleged her failed to step up at the scene of the marathon finish line. In response to the letter, Araiba argued his role is more?administrative?and that he thought his deputies had the situation under control.?

RELATED: The Stories Behind the Most Indelible Images of the Boston Bombing

As if that wasn't enough, Araiba's hiring had already been a point of contention within the department. He was the first chief hired from outside the BFD's ranks. Usually the chief is promoted after years of service and dedication within the system. Right now it's unclear who will replace Araiba, or when the replacement will be named, or where the replacement will come from, but you can bet an internal promotion might smooth things over this time around.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/boston-fires-ghost-chief-resigns-amid-accusations-weak-162516165.html

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NWS: Number of Midwest, Plains tornadoes unclear

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) ? National Weather Service meteorologists say it's unclear how many tornadoes touched down Friday evening.

Dozens of tornado warnings were issued across a wide swath of the Midwest, including Oklahoma and Missouri, as a large storm front moved through the region. Nine died and dozens were injured.

Weather service meteorologists said Saturday that crews have to assess the damage before determining whether it was caused by tornadoes or severe thunderstorms. Cars were toppled on an interstate in the Oklahoma City area, and aerial images showed damaged to homes and businesses in the suburbs of St. Louis.

They said they expected to have an estimate by Saturday afternoon.

A cold front will move through the Plains and Midwest today, lessening the chances for severe weather.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/nws-number-midwest-plains-tornadoes-unclear-133458553.html

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SFDC Hires New Marketing & Communications Manager - Greater ...

The Southeast Fairfax Development Corporation (SFDC) recently hired Lindsey Doane as the new marketing & communications manager. Doane's experiencein the county includes working as an intern for Chairman Sharon Bulova and as a camp director for the Fairfax County Park Authority (FCPA).

Daone graduated magna cum laude from Muhlenberg College in Allentown, Penn., with a degree in political science. While attending Muhlenberg College, Doane also worked with Envision Lehigh Valley and the Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation as a focus group leader for meetings addressing the future development of the region.

Doane's previous experience also includes survey creation and data analysis working as a research assistant for the Lehigh Valley Research Consortium. She has a passion for politics, theatre and community development and looks forward to launching her career with SFDC.

Keep up with Greater Alexandria news and events by signing up for our free newsletter. Learn more here!

Source: http://greateralexandria.patch.com/articles/sfdc-hires-new-marketing-communications-manager

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Needs and threats test GOP on small government (The Arizona Republic)

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Weotta iOS local discovery app goes nationwide, Google Ventures approves

Finding things to do and places to go has never been easier thanks to services that neatly pull all the options together. Weotta hopes to be another weapon in your discovery app arsenal after expanding its coverage to the whole of the US, having initially been limited to 40 cities. As the company's CEO told Forbes, the free iOS app uses "phrase extraction and natural language processing" to source its local suggestions from the nooks and crannies of the internet. That same wizardry is used to steer its rating system, which is based on what's said about a venue or event rather than aggregating numerical scores. It'll learn your likes and dislikes, tailoring recommendations as it gets to know you better, but you can discover what's happening in the area for yourself using the search feature. Via Facebook Connect, the app will also tell you what's popular among your peers. While Weotta is only available for iOS, it's attracted funding from Google Ventures, which is a recommendation in itself that suggests you give it a whirl.

Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, Software, Mobile

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Source: Weotta, Forbes, App Store

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/L8hqA3MFmQY/

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Rays overcome rain, Indians; game ends at 3 a.m.

CLEVELAND (AP) ? When the game finally ended, Friday night had become Saturday morning, May had turned to June and Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon was tired of trying to predict the weather.

James Loney homered twice, four Tampa Bay pitchers combined on a one-hitter and the Rays endured nearly five hours of rain delays before beating the Cleveland Indians 9-2 for their sixth straight win in a game that ended at 2:53 a.m.

Scheduled to start at 7:05 p.m., the game was delayed three times before finally resuming at 12:13 a.m. ? 2 hours, 39 minutes after the third and lengthiest delay. Before that there was uncertainty, confusion and, of course, rain.

"It's a very awkward way to do this, "said Maddon, who spent the weather stoppages monitoring the storms on an iPad in his office. "But if you're going to stick around that long you might as well win."

The teams were delayed a total of 4:49, long enough for the calendar to change before nine innings were played. It ended just before 3 a.m., giving the teams a short turnaround before a 1:05 start on Saturday.

It was the majors' third marathon game in two days. On Thursday night, Kansas City and St. Louis were delayed an hour before the first pitch and another 4 hours, 32 minutes by rain before the Royals beat Cardinals 4-2 well after 3 in the morning.

And about 20 minutes after the Rays got their final out, the San Diego Padres finished off a 4-3, 17-inning victory over the Toronto Blue Jays that took 4:58.

Afterward, Tampa Bay's Evan Longoria went on Twitter to thank the few thousand fans who hung around until the end.

"A sincere thanks to each and every fan that stuck around to watch that game!" Longoria wrote. "You all made it fun. (hash)ClevelandRocks."

Matt Joyce and Loney connected for two-run homers in Tampa's five-run third inning off Scott Barnes (0-1), who replaced starter Corey Kluber following the weather stoppages. Loney added a solo shot to make it 6-2 in the eighth.

Jamey Wright (1-1) came in for unbeaten Tampa starter Matt Moore and pitched three innings for the Rays, who went an AL-best 18-10 in May. Cleveland's only hit was Ryan Raburn's RBI double in the fifth off Josh Lueke.

Cesar Ramos pitched three hitless innings for his first career save.

The teams had little choice but wait out the long delays. With a forecast for heavy rain on Saturday and Sunday, crew chief Fieldin Culbreth and the umpires figured they had to try to get in one game with the possibility the whole weekend could get washed out. The teams aren't scheduled to meet again this season.

The game was delayed 1 hours, 57 minutes at the start, 13 minutes in the second inning and then for another 2:39 before it started again in front of a crowd that began as more than 30,000 and dwindled to just a few thousand, who waited it out and were rewarded for their patience.

At about 11 p.m., Maddon, Indians manager Terry Francona, Cleveland general manager Chris Antonetti and two umpires did a walking tour of the saturated outfield grass to inspect the conditions. Not long after that, the overworked grounds crew was summoned again to get the field ready and at 12:13 a.m. Wright threw a pitch to Nick Swisher.

At one point during the third delay, Maddon, with the hood of his blue sweatshirt pulled over his head to try and stay dry, took a stroll through the soggy outfield and thought it might be unplayable.

But in the end, he felt Culbreth and his crew handled things well.

"It was very confusing to everybody," Maddon said. "Fieldin and the boys, umpiring wise, they were handed this. The group here felt the Indians really wanted to play the game tonight."

Francona, too, praised the umpires.

"I thought they handled it very well," he said.

After thunderstorms blasted through the area, the 7:05 p.m. start was pushed back to 9:02 p.m. and the teams took the field under threatening skies.

Kluber got two outs in the second inning when play was halted by rain at 9:18 as Culbreth ordered the grounds crew to put the tarp on the field. But within seconds of the infield being covered, the rain stopped and the game was re-started just 13 minutes later.

Kluber gave up a walk and got Desmond Jennings to line out for the last out in the second when the rain resumed after three minutes of play and the game was stopped again at 9:34 p.m.

Both Maddon and Francona met separately with the umpires as fans scrambled to stay dry. The Indians announced they reduced $1 dollar hot dogs to 50 cents as a way of thanking fans for enduring the rain. During the third delay, fans watched out-of-town games on the giant scoreboard and cheered when Baltimore beat the first-place Detroit Tigers on a walkoff homer, moving the Indians into a temporary tie atop the AL Central.

Joyce said players wondered if they would ever take the field.

"We were actually in the dark pretty much the whole night," he said. "It's tough. A lot of guys were ready to go home and play a doubleheader (Saturday)."

The Rays came out swinging after the lengthy delays as Joyce and Loney homered off Barnes in the third to give Tampa Bay a 5-0 lead.

Yunel Escobar singled with one out, and with two outs, Joyce drove Barnes' pitch 411 feet over the wall in right-center for his 10th homer. Kelly Johnson walked and scored on Longoria's double, and Loney followed with his sixth homer, a shot that drew boos from the doused fans hanging around.

Held without a hit through four innings by Moore and the journeyman Wright, the Indians cut it to 5-2 in the fifth on a sacrifice fly by Yan Gomes and Raburn's two-out RBI double.

NOTES: It was Loney's first multihomer game since Sept. 7, 2007. ... Maddon said there has been discussion about starting Moore on Sunday, built it's more likely he will next in Detroit next week. ... Browns offensive linemen, including Pro Bowler Joe Thomas, visited the Indians clubhouse before the game and then crowded into the dugout to stay out of the rain. Thomas couldn't convince one of the rookies to do a belly slide across the tarp for money. ... Indians closer Chris Perez, on the disabled list with a sore right shoulder, will be reevaluated Sunday before the next step in his rehab is mapped out. ... Rays RHP Alex Colome, who made his major league debut Thursday in Miami, was optioned to Triple-A Durham. LHP Jeff Beliveau was recalled, but later optioned so Rays RHP Chris Archer can make his season debut Saturday.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/rays-overcome-rain-indians-game-ends-3-m-075920386.html

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