In this morning's news:
South Korea begins military exercises, despite objections by North Korea:
YEONPYEONG ISLAND, South Korea (AP) -
North Korea calls South Korean artillery drills on a front-line island a "reckless military provocation" but says it won't retaliate, as it had threatened. The North said today after the 90-minute drills ended that it resisted striking back because Seoul changed its firing zones. The official Korean Central News Agency statement suggested that the North viewed Monday's drills differently from ones last month because South Korean shells landed farther south of the North's shores. The North shelled the island after those drills last month. Two marines and two civilians were killed.
US Attorney may punish crooks, victims alike in Detroit corruption case:
DETROIT (AP) - Prosecutors say there's a good reason why 13 individuals and businesses linked to kickbacks and illegal payments in the scandal surrounding imprisoned ex-Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick aren't being charged - they could be victims as much as co-conspirators. Kilpatrick, father Bernard Kilpatrick and three others were indicted Wednesday on federal corruption charges. Kilpatrick is serving time on state charges while awaiting trial for an earlier federal indictment. U.S. Attorney Barbara McQuade tells the Detroit Free Press it's sometimes hard to tell how much someone involved in bribes and extortions is a victim and how much a co-conspirator.
US Census may scramble Michigan's congressional delegation:
This week, the U.S. Census will release its initial population totals for the country and the states. And that data will begin the scramble to redraw Michigan’s congressional districts. Michigan will probably lose one of its 15 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives when the new census numbers come out. The state’s incoming Republican governor and Republican controlled legislature are expected to redraw congressional boundaries so they can favor Republican candidates. Doug Koopman is a political science professor at Calvin College. He says Republican members of Congress might try to improve their own reelection chances by poaching from their fellow GOP members.
"There are some attractive areas that they might see a next door neighbor has that they will want to get some of those people."
Koopman expects 9th district congressman Gary Peters will be the Democrat who will find himself without a seat after the legislature redraws the congressional map during the next year.
The Detroit Lions win on the road for the first time in three years:
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) - Dave Rayner's third field goal, a 34-yarder with 9:51 left in overtime gave the Detroit Lions a 23-20 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and ended the longest road losing streak in NFL history at 26 games on Sunday. Rayner kicked a 28-yarder as time expired in regulation to force the extra period. The Lions took the overtime kickoff and drove 63 yards - covering most of the distance on two big runs and a 12-yard reception by Calvin Johnson on third-and-8 - to set up the game-winner. The Lions (4-10) won on the road for the first time since Oct. 28, 2007, when they won 16-7 at Chicago.
