Spain's Prime Minister Won't Seek Re-election
Spain's Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero has announced he will not seek a third term in office. He made his decision public to end the speculation about who will be the Socialist party candidate in next year's parliamentary elections.
Zapatero said that this is the right decision for the Socialist party, his family, and Spain. He said that he will step down as party leader after a successor is named. The search for a successor will begin with a series of primaries later this year.
The Socialists are 15 percent behind the Popular Party in recent polls. The announcement of the future change in leadership may help the Socialists in the polls and in the upcoming local elections.
Zapatero became Prime Minister in 2004 after the Madrid train bombings. Since then, Spain's economy has suffered a recession and unemployment is close to 20 percent. He intended this announcement to keep the government focused on its tasks but some officials have said there is more uncertainty in his party than ever.
Precautions Taken After Hole Found in Plane
After a hole opened up in one plane, Southwest Airlines has grounded 80 of its planes, which will undergo tight inspection. The incident took place during Friday's Flight 812 traveling from Phoenix to Sacramento.
The plane was forced to make an emergency landing after pressure was lost due to the hole that formed in the plane's roof. One flight attendant was injured and the 118 passengers were reported fine.
Passengers originally thought that the sound of the hole forming was a gun being fired. Everyone began to panic and scramble for oxygen masks. The hole was roughly three-feet-wide and passengers said that the sky could be seen.
An FBI spokesman said that terrorism has been ruled out as a cause of the incident. Investigators are still looking into what could have caused the hole to appear mid-flight.
A similar incident took place on a Southwest Airlines flight in 2009 because of metal fatigue in the fuselage. In 1988 a hole that was torn open during an Aloha Airlines flight caused the death of one flight attendant.
Rising Concern Over Bath Salts
Officials in Western New York have witnessed increased usage of bath salts as a method of getting high.
Local police have seen several incidents involving users of bath salts, which can be legally bought in convenience stores and smoke shops. In February, Olean police dealt with two people who were acting suicidal and paranoid after snorting bath salts.
The salts function as a stimulant, giving the user a high similar to using methamphetamine. They can be sold legally because labels state that they are not to be ingested.
State Sen. Catharine Young of Olean has expressed her concern over how dangerous these products can be if abused. She has also co-sponsored legislation that would make it illegal to sell bath salts.
The National Poison Data System has reported an increase in salt-related cases in the past six months. Since the beginning of the year, 11 cases have been reported to the Upstate New York Poison Center.
