National Roundup

Idaho
Boy detained after student list, weapons found
IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (AP) — Authorities have detained an Idaho junior high school student who compiled a list of students and police officers they believe he was planning to kill.
Rigby Police Chief Keith Hammon says the boy’s parents called police Monday when they found the list on an electronic tablet.
The Post Register reports officers found a bag of weapons at the boy’s home, including multiple knives, handguns and ammunitions.
Hammon says bullying at the boy’s school, Rigby Junior High, was a factor. The parents of the students on the list have been notified, and the police officers on the list were not identified.
Hammon didn’t say how many people were targeted or how many weapons were in the bag.
Police planned to transport the boy to the Behavioral Health Center in Idaho Falls for a mental health evaluation.

New York
Wal-Mart says loss likely from bribery probe
NEW YORK (AP) — The world’s biggest retailer, Wal-Mart Stores Inc., says it is likely that it will incur a loss from bribery probes into its operations in Mexico and other countries.
The company has been dealing with allegations that surfaced last April that it failed to notify law enforcement that company officials authorized millions of dollars in payments in Mexico to speed up getting building permits and gain other favors. The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act forbids American companies from bribing foreign officials.
The company has launched its own investigation and is working with government officials in the U.S. and Mexico. In November, the retailer said in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission that it was looking into potential U.S. bribery law violations in Brazil, China and India.
In another filing Tuesday with the SEC, Wal-Mart Stores said that it expects to incur costs above the $157 million it spent on the probes in fiscal 2013 due to its ongoing review and other investigations as well as shareholder lawsuits.
It also said it is “probable” that it will incur a loss from the matters, but did not give an estimate on how much.
“Given the on-going nature and complexity of the review, inquiries and investigations, we cannot reasonably estimate any loss or range of loss that may arise from these matters,” the Benton, Ark.-based Wal-Mart said in the filing.

Massachusetts
College warns of action over free condom giveaway
NEWTON, Mass. (AP) — Boston College is threatening disciplinary action against a group of students who distribute condoms out of their dorm rooms.
University officials sent a letter on March 15 demanding an end to student-run Safe Sites, a network of dorm rooms and other locations where free contraceptives and safe-sex information are available. The university says the distribution of condoms is a violation of the school’s Roman Catholic values.
Lizzie Jekanowski, chairwoman of BC Students for Sexual Health, tells The Boston Globe the administration has known about the condom distribution for two years yet has never before threatened action.
An attorney at the American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts says Boston College may be violating student rights, and the group is prepared to bring legal action.

California
Disabled man wins $8K after ride breaks down
LOS ANGELES (AP) — An attorney says a disabled man was awarded $8,000 by Disneyland after the “It’s A Small World” ride broke, stranding him for a half hour while the theme song played continuously.
Lawyer David Geffen says Jose Martinez didn’t medically stabilize for three hours after the ride broke down in 2009.
Disneyland spokeswoman Suzi Brown said the Anaheim theme park believes it provided appropriate assistance during the incident, and is disappointed that the court did not fully agree.
Geffen says Martinez uses a wheelchair, suffers from panic attacks and high blood pressure, which was aggravated by a need to urinate.
Geffen says half the award ordered Friday is for pain and suffering, and the rest is for a violation of disability law. Brown says the violation has been addressed.

Kentucky
State lawmakers override religious freedom veto
FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Kentucky lawmakers have voted to override the governor’s veto of a bill intended to better protect legal claims of religious freedom.
The law will give stronger legal standing to people in court who claim the government burdened their ability to practice their religion. The legislation protects “sincerely held religious beliefs” from infringement unless there is “a compelling governmental interest.” The courts will still consider and rule on each matter.
Democratic Gov. Steve Beshear vetoed the bill Friday over concerns that someone’s claim of religious freedom could undermine civil rights protections for gays and lesbians and lead to costly lawsuits for taxpayers.
But bill sponsors said it would only provide a higher level of legal protection that already exists on the federal level and in at least 16 states. The debate pitted civil liberties groups like the ACLU against religious organizations such as the Catholic Conference of Kentucky. Lawmakers voted Tuesday to override.

Nebraska
Lawsuit blames  prison doctor for inmate’s death
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A Lancaster County judge is considering his decision in a wrongful-death lawsuit that alleges a prison doctor missed signs that could have saved an inmate’s life.
The lawsuit by the adult children of 51-year-old Darryl Reed says Dr. John Casebolt provided substandard care at the state’s Diagnostic and Evaluation Center infirmary in Lincoln. Reed died at a Lincoln hospital on Nov. 2, 2010.
The Lincoln Journal Star says a doctor who testified for the plaintiffs says Reed had a heart condition the infirmary should have known about and checked. An autopsy showed Reed had blood clots in his lungs.
Casebolt testified that Reed was under observation because guards thought Reed may have used drugs while at his work-release job.
Casebolt says Reed didn’t seem to be under distress.