US & World News, Wednesday 5/7

US/World Summary --- Obama Wins North Carolina Decisively; Clinton Gets Narrow Win In Indiana Democratic presidential frontrunner Barack Obama won a decisive victory in North Carolinas presidential primary yesterday. He noted North Carolina is a big state and a swing state. That was a pointed reference to Clintons claim that Obama has not won any big states. Meanwhile, Hillary Clinton eeked out a narrow victory in Indiana. The Clinton campaign had been hoping for a bigger margin of victory and a win or a closer finish in North Carolina. Neither scenario occurred. Next up for the two battling Democrats is West Virginia on May 13th. --- Cult Leader Jailed In Northern New Mexico (Clayton, NM) -- The leader of a doomsday cult in northern New Mexico is sitting in the Union County Detention Center. Wayne Bent is also founder of Strong City, an isolated community near Clayton, New Mexico. Authorities say he is accused of sexual abusing three children in 2006 and 2007. Bent faces three counts of criminal sexual contact of a minor and contributing to the delinquency of a minor. The state has custody of the two girls and one boy. --- Georgia Death Row Inmate Put To Death By Lethal Injection (Jackson, GA) -- William Earl Lynd, a death row inmate in Georgia, is the first condemned man in the U.S. to be executed after the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of lethal injection. Media witnesses at the death chamber in Jackson last night say the process took about 20 minutes before Lynd was pronounced dead. The 53-year-old Lynd turned down an offer to make a statement or have a prayer said on his behalf. In 1990, Lynd was found guilty and sentenced to death for the kidnapping and murder of his live-in girlfriend, --- States Highest Court Recognizes Gay Marriage From Other States (Albany, NY) -- New Yorks highest court is upholding an appellate courts ruling recognizing out-of-state marriage licenses for same-sex couples. The New York Civil Liberties Union brought the case of Martinez versus Court of Monroe before the states Supreme Court on the behalf of Patricia Martinez, who works at Monroe Community College in Rochester, New York. Martinez wanted to provide healthcare benefits for her wife after the couple was married in Canada in 2004. The NYCLUs legal director, Arthur Eisenberg, describes the ruling as a groundbreaking decision. --- Smoke, Haze Slowly Clearing From South Florida (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) -- The smoke and haze is beginning to clear in South Florida. Health officials had to issue advisories yesterday because of the regions poor air quality from two wildfires that burned thousands of acres near Lake Okeechobee. At one point, Miami-Dades health department warned residents who suffer from respiratory problems to stay indoors. Strong winds out of the north and northwest helped to push the smoke down the peninsula. As crews started to get a handle on the fires, conditions to the south slowly began to improve. --- Philly Judge Ordered To Step Down (Philadelphia, PA) -- A Philadelphia Municipal Court judge has been ordered to step down immediately because she is a convicted felon. Deborah Griffin pleaded guilty to using a false Social Security number to apply for credit cards in 1984. In a 4-0 decision yesterday, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court determined Griffin violated the state Constitution, which bars high office to anyone convicted of such crimes. She failed to report her guilty plea when she applied for entry to the Pennsylvania Bar in 1988. --- Mario Honors The Troops As He Leaves "Dancing" At just 21-years-old, R&B star Mario has the distinction of being the youngest competitor ever on ABCs "Dancing With the Stars." He now also has the distinction of being the celebrity voted out of the competition during the shows landmark 100th episode. In saying goodbye, the singer expressed his appreciation to partner Karina Smirnoff and to the judges for their feedback. (Copyright 2008 by Newsroom Solutions) RNS-05-07-08 0742CDT