US & World News, Friday 5/23

US & World Summary Tornadoes Hit Colorado, California (Windsor, CO) -- Parts of the West are cleaning up after being battered by wild weather yesterday. At least one person was killed after a string of tornadoes moved through Colorados Weld County. The Colorado twisters also flipped over semi trailers, tore rail cars off their wheels and scattered trees and power poles across the highway. The heaviest damage to homes happened in the town of Windsor. Meanwhile, a rare tornado touched down yesterday afternoon in Riverside County, California. It downed power lines, flipped over a tractor-trailer rig, trapping one person inside, and derailed nine box cars from two separate trains. --- Pet Food Suits Lead To Settlement Proposal Pet owners affected by last years massive pet food recall may soon get some compensation. "USA Today" reports several pet food makers and retailers could soon set up a multi-million-dollar compensation fund for pet owners if the proposed 24-million-dollar settlement is approved by the federal court. The money would be distributed in cash amounts to consumers under the proposal that was filed yesterday in federal court. To receive part of the settlement, consumers must prove that their cats or dogs ate specific foods between March 16th of last year and today. --- Triple-A Expects Holiday Travel Dip (Minneapolis, MN) -- Some Americans will be staying home this Memorial Day weekend because of high gas prices. Triple-A of Minnesota and Iowa spokeswoman Gail Weinholzer says the travel agency is expecting to see a one-percent decline in the number of Americans traveling this weekend. Despite the high cost of fuel, she says the roads will still be busy as many families adjust to the high price of gas by cutting other expenses out of their travel budget. --- Minnesota Activist Wants President Bush Arrested (Minneapolis, MN) -- A Minnesota peace activist wants a judge to have President Bush arrested when the President travels to the Twin Cities this Fall for the Republican National Convention. During a court hearing yesterday, Ed Felien said he wants the county attorney to investigate and prosecute the President for murder, saying the commander-in-chief is responsible for the deaths of American troops in Iraq. The deputy county attorney says its "highly doubtful" the President will be taken into custody and prosecuted. --- Maryland Governor Moves To End Execution Moratorium (Annapolis, MD) -- Maryland is moving ahead to end their moratorium on executions. Yesterdays announcement says Governor Martin OMalley will be moving forward "reluctantly" nearly a year-and-half after Marylands highest court ruled that death penalty protocols were improperly initiated without input from the public direction from the legislature. The head of the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services will be charged with drafting new execution procedures after consulting with top medical advisors. --- Brooklyn Bridge Turns 125 (Brooklyn, NY) -- The Brooklyn Bridge is turning 125. New Yorkers are marking the anniversary of the famed bridges opening. The five-day celebration kicked off last night with a fireworks display and the Brooklyn Philharmonic playing scores from the late 19th Century to mark the occasion. Construction began on the Brooklyn Bridge in 1870 and the span was officially opened on May 24th, 1883. The bridge is being lit up over the Memorial Day weekend in honor of the milestone. --- Madonna Auctions "Private" Concert (Mougins, France) -- Despite an economic downturn, celebrities apparently still have plenty of money to spend. Madonna last night raised about 560-thousand-dollars by auctioning of a "private concert" to benefit the amfAR AIDS charity. It happened at the annual Cinema Against AIDS gala, hosted by actress Sharon Stone. The biggest buy during the night was a restored 1976 Porsche 911, which went for 786-thousand-dollars after Sean "Diddy" Combs stopped bidding at 707-thousand-dollars. A diamond-encrusted Christian Dior mobile phone also brought in 189-thousand-dollars. (Copyright 2008 by Newsroom Solutions) RNS-05-23-08 0746CDT