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Secret Service starts protecting Obama

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The Secret Service said Thursday that Democratic Sen. Barack Obama was being placed under its protection, the earliest ever for a U.S. presidential candidate.

Secret Service spokesman Eric Zahren said Department of Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff authorized Obama’s protection after consultations with the congressional advisory committee.

Zahren would not provide details of what led to the extra security, but said, “I’m not aware it was based on any threat.”

Obama’s rival, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, has a Secret Service detail that is provided to all former first ladies.

In the last election, Democratic candidates John Kerry and John Edwards received their protection in February 2004 as they were competing for the party’s nomination. Obama’s detail comes nine months before the first votes are cast.

Longtime health official is Bush Medicare pick

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Kerry N. Weems, a longtime federal health official, is President Bush’s choice to oversee the Medicare and Medicaid programs.

If confirmed by the Senate, Weems would succeed Mark McClellan, who resigned in October. Weems is deputy chief of staff to Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt. He also has served as an acting assistant secretary overseeing budget and technology issues.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is the agency that oversees federal health programs for the elderly, disabled and the poor. It accounts for about a fifth of all federal spending.

More migrate to U.S. than die in Mexico

MEXICO CITY—Mexico has lost more people to migration to the United States than death since 2000, according to a government report released Thursday.

The report found that an average of 577,000 people migrated to the U.S. each year between 2000-2005, compared to 495,000 deaths a year in the same period. In 2006, 559,000 migrated and there were 501,000 deaths.

Mexico had 104.9 million residents as of last year, an increase of 6.4 million since 2000.

Immigration to the U.S. has increased drastically since 1970, when 800,000 Mexicans lived north of the border. Today, there are some 11 million Mexicans living in the U.S., both legally and illegally, the report found.

Presidential caucuses move advances in Colorado

DENVER — Despite warnings it could interfere with high school sports, spring break and the Final Four tournament, the Colorado Senate gave initial approval Thursday to a plan to move the state’s presidential caucuses to Feb. 5 to give the state a bigger national role.

The measure (House Bill 1376) faces a third reading before going back to the House, which passed a different version. The Senate vote was 20-14.

Sen. Brandon Shaffer, D-Longmont, said Colorado voters will be irrelevant in the national process of picking presidential candidates if the parties are forced to wait until the current date, the third Tuesday in March.

Arizona OKs crack down on metal sales

PHOENIX—The Legislature approved a bill intended to combat widespread metal thefts due to high prices for scrap by making it harder for thieves to anonymously sell stolen wire, air conditioner parts and other material stripped from buildings, farm equipment and other locations.

The Senate approved the final version of the bill (HB2314) 26-3 on Thursday, two days after the House passed it on a 55-0 vote. It now goes to Gov. Janet Napolitano.

Among other things, the bill would restrict on-the-spot payments for large purchases and impose new reporting requirements on dealers.

State law already requires scrap metal dealers to keep a record of each transaction exceeding $25, logging a description of the metal, the dollar amount paid and identifying information about the seller and the seller’s vehicle. Sales of used drink containers are exempt.

Attacks on gays added to hate crime law

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Just hours after the White House issued a veto threat Thursday, the House of Representatives voted to add gender and sexual orientation to the categories covered by U.S. government hate crimes law.

The House legislation, passed 237-180, also makes it easier for federal law enforcement to take part in or assist local prosecutions involving bias-motivated attacks.

 Similar legislation is also moving through the Senate, setting the stage for another veto showdown with President Bush. Democrats took control of both chambers in January from Bush’s Republicans.

Judge bars genetically engineered alfalfa

SAN FRANCISCO—-A federal judge Thursday barred the planting of genetically engineered alfalfa nationwide until the government can adequately study the crop’s potential impact on organic and conventional varieties.

U.S. District Court Judge Charles Breyer made permanent a temporary ban he ordered in March on alfalfa with genetic material from bacteria that makes the crop resistant to the popular weed killer Roundup.

The Center for Food Safety in Washington, D.C., had sued on behalf of farmers who argued that the genetically engineered seed could contaminate organic and conventional alfalfa varieties. Alfalfa farmers grow the crop primarily for livestock feed.

Cheney to visit Middle East, troops

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Vice President Dick Cheney will visit the Middle East next week to meet with Arab leaders and speak with U.S. troops in the region, the White House announced Thursday.

Scheduled stops include Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates.