World/Nation
3 held on charges they plotted to help Islamic State wage war vs. U.S.
NEW YORK - Three men were arrested Wednesday on charges of plotting to help the Islamic State group wage war against the United States, and federal officials said one of them spoke of shooting President Barack Obama or planting a bomb on Coney Island.
Akhror Saidakhmetov was arrested at Kennedy Airport, where he was attempting to board a flight to Istanbul on his way to Syria, authorities said. Abdurasul Hasanovich Juraboev had a ticket to travel to Istanbul next month and was arrested in Brooklyn, federal prosecutors said. The two were held without bail after a brief court appearance.
A third defendant, Abror Habibov, is accused of helping fund Saidakhmetov's efforts to join the Islamic State group after Saidakhmetov's mother took away his passport to try to prevent him from traveling. Habibov was ordered held without bail in Florida.
The three are charged with attempt and conspiracy to provide material support to a terrorist organization. If convicted, each could face a maximum of 15 years in prison.
"This is real," New York Police Department Commissioner William Bratton said. "This is the concern about the lone wolf, inspired to act without ever going to the Mideast."
U.S., Israel intensify fight over Netanyahu speech
WASHINGTON - Trading barbs, the U.S. and Israel escalated their increasingly public spat Wednesday over Benjamin Netanyahu's GOP-engineered congressional speech next week, with the Israeli prime minister accusing world powers of rolling over to allow Tehran to develop nuclear weapons. Secretary of State John Kerry openly questioned Netanyahu's judgment on the issue.
The comments injected new tension into an already strained relationship between the close allies ahead of Netanyahu's address to Congress next Tuesday. More Democratic lawmakers announced they would skip the speech, which was orchestrated by GOP leaders without the Obama administration's knowledge.
Netanyahu hopes his speech will strengthen opposition to a potential nuclear deal with Iran, President Barack Obama's signature foreign policy objective. U.S. and Iranian officials reported progress in negotiations this week on a deal that would restrict Tehran's nuclear activities for at least 10 years but then slowly ease restrictions.
Netanyahu derided the U.S. and other usual staunch allies of Israel.
"It appears that they have given up on that commitment and are accepting that Iran will gradually, within a few years, will develop capabilities to produce material for many nuclear weapons," he said in Israel.
Senate on track to fund limitless Homeland Security
WASHINGTON - Three days before a partial Homeland Security shutdown, lawmakers cleared the way Wednesday for Senate passage of legislation to fund the agency without immigration-related provisions opposed by President Barack Obama.
Approval in the Senate would send the issue to the House, where some conservatives derided the plan as a surrender to the White House. Other Republicans predicted it would clear, but Speaker John Boehner declined to say if he would put it to a vote.
"I'm waiting for the Senate to act. The House has done their job," he said at a news conference where he repeatedly sidestepped questions about his plans.
Increasingly, though, it appeared the only alternative to House acceptance of the Senate measure - or perhaps a short-term funding bill - was the partial shutdown of a federal department with major anti-terrorism responsibilities - and the likelihood the GOP would shoulder whatever political blame resulted.
The developments in Congress unfolded as Obama met at the White House with immigration activists before departing for a speech in Florida, where more than 23 percent of the population is of Hispanic descent. One person attending the meeting, Frank Sharry quoted Obama as saying Republicans were engaging in "kabuki" to appease conservatives who adamantly oppose presidential directives that would allow more than 4 million immigrants to remain in the country without threat of deportation even though they came to the country illegally.
Spacewalking astronaut safe after water leak into helmet
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - A spacewalking astronaut ended up with unwanted water in his helmet Wednesday after breezing through a cable and lube job outside the International Space Station.
The leak was scarily reminiscent of a near-drowning outside the orbiting complex nearly two years ago.
This time, the amount of water was relatively small - essentially a big blob of water floating inside Terry Virts' helmet. In the summer of 2013, another spacewalking astronaut's helmet actually flooded. He barely made it back inside.
Virts was never in any danger, Mission Control stressed, and he never reported any water during his 6-plus hours outside.
This was the second spacewalk in five days for NASA astronauts Virts and Butch Wilmore, who encountered no trouble while routing cables for future American crew capsules, due to arrive in a couple years.
Trayvon Martin's mother: Son's killer got away with murder
MIAMI - The mother of Trayvon Martin said she's disappointed that federal prosecutors decided not to charge a neighborhood watch volunteer with a hate crime for killing her son three years ago.
Speaking with The Associated Press on Wednesday before the third anniversary of her 17-year-old son's death, Sybrina Fulton says she still believes George Zimmerman got away with murder.
"He took a life, carelessly and recklessly, and he shouldn't deserve to have his entire life walking around on the street free. I just believe that he should be held accountable for what he's done," Fulton said.
- The Associated Press