NEWS OF THE DAY

From Across the Nation

1 Advocate dies: A former New York City police detective who was a leader in the fight for the Sept. 11 Victims Compensation Fund died Saturday at age 53. Luis Alvarez’s death from colorectal cancer was announced by Chief of Detectives Dermot Shea, who tweeted that he was “an inspiration, a warrior, a friend.” Alvarez appeared with former “Daily Show” host Jon Stewart this month to plead with Congress to extend the compensation fund. He was admitted to a hospice care within days of his testimony. The bill to replenish the fund that provides health benefits to police officers, firefighters and others who responded to the 2001 terrorist attacks passed the full committee unanimously. Alvarez traced his illness to the three months he spent in the rubble of the World Trade Center after the 2001 terrorist attacks.

2 Abortion law: A federal judge in Indianapolis blocked a new state law that would ban a secondtrimester abortion procedure, just days before the law was set to come into force. The order Friday putting the Indiana law on hold was released hours after the U.S. Supreme Court declined to revive a similar law in Alabama that sought to ban dilation and evacuation abortions. The law passed by Indiana’s Republicandominated Legislature this spring calls the procedure “dismemberment abortion.” It was set to become effective on July 1.

3 Admissions scandal: A man who authorities say paid $250,000 to get his son into the University of Southern California as a fake volleyball recruit became the 51st person charged in the sweeping college admissions bribery scheme. Jeffrey Bizzack, 59, has agreed to plead guilty to a fraud conspiracy charge, prosecutors said. Bizzack, of Solana Beach (San Diego County), gave a total of $200,000 to a sham charity run by the admissions consultant at the center of the scheme and sent a $50,000 check to the USC “Galen Center” to have his son designated as a recruit for the volleyball team, authorities said. Bizzack is a business partner of surfing superstar Kelly Slater.

4 Emergency landing: A United flight heading from New York to Houston diverted to Newark Liberty Airport and made an emergency landing Saturday. Inflatable slides were used to deplane passengers on the runway. No major injuries were reported. The jetliner experienced problems upon takeoff just before 8 a.m. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey said the jetliner experienced “hydraulics problems” upon takeoff. The plane then blew a tire on landing. The airport briefly grounded all arriving and departing flights.

5 Dolphin deaths: Scores of dolphins have died along Florida’s southwest coast because of the red tide bloom in the past year, federal researchers said. Figures released by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration show 174 dolphins died from July to last week. Red tides happen naturally and have appeared sporadically off the state’s coast for ages, but many believe humans have made the problem worse.