World/Nation Briefs August 14, 2013

Rubio: Obama could legalize immigrants

WASHINGTON - Florida Republican Sen. Marco Rubio warned Tuesday that if Congress doesn't pass immigration overhaul legislation, President Barack Obama may act on his own to legalize the 11 million immigrants already in the U.S. illegally.

Rubio, a potential presidential candidate and an author of the sweeping immigration bill that passed the Senate in June but stalled in the House, noted that the Obama administration took action a year ago to give legal status to many immigrants brought here illegally as children. He said without congressional action, the president might well be tempted to do the same for everyone else here illegally, too.

"I believe that this president will be tempted, if nothing happens in Congress, he will be tempted to issue an executive order like he did for the DREAM Act kids a year ago where he basically legalizes 11 million people by the sign of a pen," Rubio said on "The Morning Show with Preston Scott" on Tallahassee radio station WFLA.

Man takes three hostages at Louisiana bank

ST. JOSEPH, La. - A man whose family owns a store across the street from a bank branch in rural Louisiana took three bank employees hostage Tuesday, then released one of them nine hours later as negotiations continued to secure the others' freedom, police said.

Louisiana State Police superintendent Col. Mike Edmonson confirmed the release of a female bank teller late Tuesday. He said authorities were talking with her about the ordeal.

Meanwhile, negotiations continued with the hostage-taker, identified only as a 20-year-old man from the community in eastern Louisiana. Police said they have no reason to believe any captive has been hurt.

"We feel like we're being productive," Tensas Parish Sheriff Rickey Jones said. "The negotiators are doing a good job."

Edmonson said earlier Tuesday that the man has been calm and has made some demands, but the police official would not describe the demands or further identify the gunman.

- The Associated Press