NEWS OF THE DAY
1_Satellite launch: A NASA satellite lifted off early Saturday with the hope it will transmit data that will help the world do a better job of preparing for floods and droughts. The satellite is on a three-year mission to track the amount of water locked in soil. The Delta 2 rocket carrying the Soil Moisture Active Passive satellite launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base on California’s central coast. NASA launch manager Tim Dunn said there were zero problems with the rocket.
2_Immigration: Applications will be accepted starting Feb. 18 for temporary deportation relief for immigrants who were brought to the U.S. illegally as children as part of protections under President Obama’s new immigration plan. As the U.S. Customs and Immigration Services on Saturday announced the program’s launch, Republicans said they would prevent Obama’s plans from taking effect. “The American people have spoken loud and clear that they don’t want President Obama to change our immigration laws on his own,” said Rep. Bob Goodlatte, R-Va.
3_Sailboat rescue: The U.S. Coast Guard rescued five people from a sailboat after the boat’s mast broke off the coast of North Carolina. The 55-foot catamaran Rain Maker suffered a broken mast Friday in 40 mph winds and 13-foot seas about 200 miles southeast of Cape Hatteras. A helicopter crew was able to hoist all five boaters from the damaged vessel. They were taken to a medical center in good condition.
4_Airport beating: A traveler who remained at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey after missing two flights faced numerous charges Saturday for allegedly beating a homeless man with a chair as the man was sleeping. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey said Leonidas Monroy Sandoval, 29, of Guatemala began acting erratically after arriving at the airport and missing his flights. He allegedly beat the unidentified man early Saturday and also threw a chair at Port Authority police. The 62-year-old victim was hospitalized with serious injuries. Homeless people sometimes seek shelter at the airport in harsh weather.
5_Nominee withdraws: President Obama’s choice to be U.S. ambassador to Mexico has withdrawn from consideration. The White House said Maria Echaveste cited a prolonged confirmation process as well as her family’s best interests. A graduate of Stanford and UC Berkeley Law School, Echaveste was a presidential assistant during the Bill Clinton administration. She is a partner in the consulting firm Nueva Vista Group in San Francisco. A native of Texas who grew up in California, Echaveste would have been the first American woman to be ambassador to Mexico.