Ap News In Brief

In latest blow, Toyota recalls 437,000 Prius and other hybrids globally for brake problems

TOKYO (AP) Toyota says it is recalling about 437,000 Prius and other hybrid vehicles worldwide to fix brake problems the latest in a string of embarrassing safety lapses at the world's largest automaker.

"I don't see Toyota as an infallible company that never makes mistakes," President Akio Toyoda said at a press conference Tuesday in Tokyo. "We will face up to the facts and correct the problem, putting customers' safety and convenience first."

The recall is the latest blow to Toyota Motor Corp., which is in the midst of recalling more than 7 million vehicles worldwide because of problems with floor mats, which can trap gas pedals, and faulty gas pedals that are slow to return to the idle position. The 2010 Prius wasn't part of those recalls.

There have been about 200 complaints in Japan and the U.S. about a delay when the brakes in the Prius were pressed in cold conditions and on some bumpy roads. The delay doesn't indicate a brake failure. The company says the problem can be fixed in 40 minutes with new software that oversees the controls of the antilock brakes.

"Let me assure everyone that we will redouble our commitment to quality as the lifeline of our company," Toyoda said.

___

Republicans doubt Obama's sincerity in health care summit, which could put GOP at disadvantage

WASHINGTON (AP) Even as Republicans publicly welcome President Barack Obama's call for a bipartisan confab on health care, some privately worry that he might be laying a trap to portray their ideas as flimsy.

If so, a shaky showing by GOP leaders could possibly embolden congressional Democrats to make a final, aggressive push to overhaul the nation's health care system, with or without any Republican votes.

Some Republicans doubt that scenario, saying Democrats have lost momentum for any plan that's certain to draw fierce criticism. But they noted Monday that the White House has not backed away from its support of legislation similar to what the Democratic-controlled House and Senate passed separately in December over strong GOP objections.

"This is a clever tactic by the president to try to put the Republicans on the defensive," said John Feehery, a GOP consultant and former congressional aide. "There's a vast ideological gulf" between the two parties on health care, he said, making it likely that the Feb. 25 half-day meeting will be more showmanship than substance.

The House's top two Republican leaders openly questioned Obama's sincerity and hinted they might skip the meeting if he uses the Democratic bills as the starting point for discussions.

___

Still covered in up to 3 feet of snow, Mid-Atlantic prepares for second big storm within days

WASHINGTON (AP) A second major storm in less than a week was blowing Tuesday toward the Mid-Atlantic region, where plows still hadn't touched some roads, utility workers were struggling to restore power and shovels were in short supply.

Forecasters predicted the snow would start Tuesday afternoon and continue into Wednesday, along with wicked winds. A foot or more was forecast for Washington and as many as 18 inches for the Northeast travel hub of Philadelphia which could cause travel problems as far north as Boston. Some areas are already under nearly 3 feet of snow.

Airlines that shut down flights to Washington over the weekend warned that more would be canceled and that travelers who didn't depart by Tuesday night were likely out of luck. Washington resident Chris Vaughan was fortunate enough to land a seat.

"I'm done with city, urban snow life," said Vaughan, who was going skiing in Utah. He dodged a $100 taxi "snow fare" by having a friend drop him off at Reagan National Airport in exchange for a bottle of wine.

Others were filling their pantries in case they get stuck at home again.

___

Iran says it will stop higher uranium enrichment if provided nuclear fuel

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) The head of Iran's atomic agency said the Islamic Republic would not enrich uranium to a higher level if the West provides the fuel it needs for the Tehran research reactor.

Iran is set to start enriching its stockpile of uranium to 20 percent on Tuesday, in a move sure to antagonize Western nations who fear that the process of enrichment could eventually yield material for a nuclear weapon.

France and the U.S. said Monday the latest Iranian move left no choice but to push harder for a fourth set of U.N. Security Council sanctions to punish Iran's nuclear defiance.

Ali Akbar Salehi, a vice president as well as the head of the country's nuclear program, said the further enrichment would be unnecessary if the West found a way to provide Iran with the needed fuel.

"Whenever they provide the fuel, we will halt production of 20 percent," he told the state TV late Monday, referring to the enrichment of the country's stockpile above its current level of 3.5 percent.

___

Pa. Democrat Rep. John Murtha remembered as Bush foe on Iraq war, advocate for military

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) Rep. John Murtha, who said the Bush administration's handling of the war in Iraq was based on "flawed policy wrapped in illusion" and called for a withdrawal of U.S. troops there, is being remembered as an advocate on Capitol Hill for those serving in military uniform.

The Pennsylvania Democrat died Monday at a hospital after suffering complications from gallbladder surgery. He was 77.

Murtha's large intestine was damaged during the surgery at a hospital in Bethesda, Md., said longtime friend Rep. Bob Brady, D-Pa. An infection and fever led him to be admitted days later, on Jan. 31, to the Virginia Hospital Center in Arlington, Va., where he died.

Murtha, a former Marine who became the de facto voice of veterans on Capitol Hill, was the first Vietnam veteran to serve in Congress and was "incredibly effective in his service in the House," said Rep. David Obey, a Democrat and chairman of the House Appropriations Committee.

"He understood the misery of war," Obey said. "Every person who serves in the military has lost an advocate and a good friend today."

___

Shuttle astronauts inspect their ship on way to space station, no major problems suspected

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) Endeavour's astronauts inspected their ship early Tuesday for any launch damage as they raced toward a 200-mile-high rendezvous with the International Space Station.

Barely a day after blasting into orbit, the space shuttle crew used a 100-foot, laser-tipped boom to check the thermal shielding on the wings and nose. A few pieces of foam insulation broke off the external fuel tank during Monday morning's launch, including a narrow 1-foot strip. But there was no indication anything hit the shuttle.

A foam strike brought down Columbia in 2003, and orbiting astronauts have carried out exhaustive inspections ever since. Commander George Zamka and his crew performed the routine survey to make sure the launch cameras did not miss something.

The long, laborious process got under way late Monday and stretched into Tuesday morning. The astronauts were in the home stretch surveying Endeavour's left wing when the screens suddenly went black. Mission Control worked with pilot Terry Virts to get everything back in order. The interruption lasted just a half-hour.

Flight director Kwatsi Alibaruho said nothing of concern was jumping out in the survey, but stressed that the data needed to be analyzed by experts.

___

Labor board nominee provides first test of GOP's new ability to block Democrats' agenda

WASHINGTON (AP) The Republicans' first test of their new Senate clout could come in a vote to block President Barack Obama's choice of a union attorney for a seat on the National Labor Relations Board.

Senate Democrats need 60 votes, one more than they control since Scott Brown of Massachusetts was sworn into office last week, to clear a GOP procedural hurdle to advance Craig Becker to a final Senate confirmation vote. That procedural vote had been scheduled for Monday but was postponed until Tuesday because of a Mid-Atlantic snowstorm over the weekend.

Democrats' task turned more difficult when Sen. Ben Nelson, a conservative Nebraska Democrat who faces re-election this fall, said Monday night he would join Republicans in opposing Becker.

"Mr. Becker's previous statements strongly indicate that he would take an aggressive personal agenda to the NLRB, and that he would pursue a personal agenda there, rather than that of the administration," Nelson said in a statement.

"This is of great concern, considering that the Board's main responsibility is to resolve labor disputes with an even and impartial hand. In addition, the nominee's statements fly in the face of Nebraska's Right to Work laws, which have been credited in part with our excellent business climate that has attracted employers and many good jobs to Nebraska," Nelson said.

___

Jackson doctor back in court in April to find out date for next major step in case

LOS ANGELES (AP) Michael Jackson's doctor returns to court in April to find out the date for the next major step in the case a proceeding that will reveal for the first time the evidence the prosecution believes will show his "gross negligence" was the direct cause of the pop star's death.

Dr. Conrad Murray pleaded not guilty Monday to a charge of involuntary manslaughter and a judge released him on $75,000 bail.

Superior Court Judge Keith Schwartz ordered Murray to turn in his passport and said he could travel within the U.S., but not to any foreign country. The prosecutor had suggested he might flee to his native Grenada or to Trinidad where he has a child.

Murray was ordered to return April 5 to have another date set for his preliminary hearing. That proceeding, a virtual mini-trial, will disclose the evidence prosecutors maintain will demonstrate Murray's "gross negligence."

Murray is accused of giving Jackson a fatal dose of an anesthetic to help him sleep. Jackson died June 25. If convicted, the doctor could face up to four years in prison.

___

Rapper Lil Wayne to be sentenced in NYC gun possession case, could get a year in jail

NEW YORK (AP) Little more than a week ago, Lil Wayne was reinforcing his place in rap's pantheon with a commanding performance at the Grammy Awards ceremony. His latest album, "Rebirth," was officially released Feb. 2.

Now Lil Wayne, one of music's biggest sellers and rap's hottest stars, is poised to spend as much as the next year in a jail cell instead of a spotlight.

The Grammy-winning rapper was due to be sentenced Tuesday after pleading guilty in a gun possession case. His plea deal calls for a year in jail, though good behavior could shave that to as little as eight months.

"This is Lil Wayne going to jail. Nobody can tell me what that's like," the rapper told Rolling Stone magazine for its latest issue. "I just say I'm looking forward to it."

He's likely to start serving his sentence immediately, making him the latest in a string of rap stars to do time after topping the charts.

___

Victorious Saints to borrow Mardi Gras floats for parade through grateful New Orleans

NEW ORLEANS (AP) Another jolt of Saints euphoria is on tap for New Orleans Tuesday when the Super Bowl champs board floats borrowed from Mardi Gras krewes for a victory parade through the grateful city.

The Carnival-flavored parade honoring the team's 31-17 win over the Indianapolis Colts is scheduled to start in the afternoon at their home turf, the Louisiana Superdome. It will include 12 marching bands and one float each from 10 krewes. Float builder Barry Kern said he believes it's the first time the groups which celebrate Carnival season with separate parades will combine floats in one procession.

On Monday, swarms of fans in black and gold greeted the players as they stepped off a chartered plane at the suburban airport, cheering them with "Who Dat!" chants. The Saints, cellar dwellers for decades, delivered not just their first Lombardi trophy but optimism for the city still recovering from Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

"The Saints kept hope alive in this city that better days were coming," said Shannon Sims, a 45-year-old criminal court administrator, as she waited for the team. She said the Saints "were the force that kept us moving forward."

The win was not just about football for New Orleans, said John Magill, a historian at Historic New Orleans Collection.