THE U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY IS REPORTING A 6.2 EARTHQUAKE HAS OCCURRED OFF THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN. HOWEVER THERE ARE NO IMMEDIATE REPORTS OF DAMAGE OR INJURIES AND NO TSUNAMI WARNING HAS BEEN ISSUED.

OHIO LAWMAKERS MAY SOON BE ABLE TO HEAD TO THE BASEMENT FOR A BREW. STATE OFFICIALS ARE DEBATING A PROPOSAL THAT WOULD ESTABLISH THE NATION’S FIRST STATEHOUSE BAR. OPPONENTS SAY IT WOULD BE INAPPROPRIATE TO OPEN A BAR IN A GOVERNMENT BUILDING WHERE SCHOOL CHILDREN GO TO LEARN HISTORY.

A CHLORINE LEAK AT A WAVE POOL IN SACRAMENTO SENT ABOUT 20 PEOPLE TO HOSPITALS YESTERDAY. FIREFIGHTERS DECLARED A LEVEL 2 HAZARDOUS MATERIALS INCIDENT AT RAGING WATERS, A WATER PARK ON THE GROUNDS OF CAL EXPO. THE VICTIMS INCLUDED 9 YOUTHS, 8 ADULTS AND 3 PARK WORKERS.

40 YEAR OLD MINNESOTA TWIN JIM THOME BECAME ONLY THE 8TH MAJOR LEAGUE PLAYER TO REACH 600 HOME RUNS LAST NIGHT. HE ADDS HIS NAME TO THE LIST WHICH INCLUDES HANK AARON, BABE RUTH AND WILLIE MAYS. AND MORE RECENT INDUCTEES LIKE BARRY BONDS AND ALEX RODRIGUEZ WHO HAVE BEEN DOGGED BY DRUG ALLEGATIONS.

DON’T WORRY IF YOU CAN’T FIT IN THE RECOMMENDED 30 MINUTES OF EXERCISE EVERY DAY. NEW EVIDENCE SAYS EVEN JUST HALF THAT MUCH CAN HELP. THE FINDINGS SUGGEST JUST 15 MINUTES OF MODERATE EXERCISE A DAY CAN EXTEND LIFE EXPECTANCY BY 3 YEARS.

THE TOP COMMANDER IN AFGHANISTAN SAYS INTERNATIONAL FORCES HAVE KILLED THE TALIBAN INSURGENTS RESPONSIBLE FOR DOWNING A U.S. HELICOPTER AND KILLING U.S. AND AFGHAN FORCES OVER THE WEEKEND. FORCES LEARNED WHERE THE INSURGENTS HAD FLED TO AND KILLED THEM IN AN EARLY MONDAY MORNING AIR STRIKE.

AND REPUBLICANS NARROWLY RETAINED THEIR MAJORITY IN THE WISCONSIN SENATE YESTERDAY. THEY HELD OFF A STRONG RECALL CHALLENGE FROM DEMOCRATS AND UNIONS ANGERED BY A NEW LAW CURBING ORGANIZED LABOR’S POWER. IT WAS THE LARGEST GROUP OF RECALLS IN U.S. HISTORY.

FIRE TRUCKS, SEMIS AND HEAVY-DUTY PICKUPS WILL HAVE TO TRIM FUEL CONSUMPTION AND EMISSIONS UNDER NEW EFFICIENCY STANDARDS THAT PRESIDENT OBAMA WILL ANNOUNCE TODAY. THE STANDARDS WILL SAVE BUSINESSES BILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN FUEL COSTS, HELP REDUCE OIL CONSUMPTION AND CUT AIR POLLUTION STARTING WITH 20-14 MODELS.

BRITISH PRIME MINISTER DAVID CAMERON SAYS POLICE WILL CRACK DOWN HARD TO STOP A WAVE OF RIOTING AND LOOTING ACROSS LONDON. THE LAST 3 NIGHTS HAVE BROUGHT THE WORST VIOLENCE TO THE BRITISH CAPITAL IN DECADES. 16,000 POLICE OFFICERS WILL BE ON THE STREETS TONIGHT, ALMOST 3 TIMES THE NUMBER ON MONDAY NIGHT.

AND WINDY CONDITIONS HAVE FORCED MARATHON SWIMMER DIANA NYAD TO END HER 2ND BID TO SWIM FROM CUBA TO THE FLORIDA KEYS ABOUT HALFWAY THROUGH HER JOURNEY. THE 61 YEAR OLD NYAD WAS PULLED FROM THE WATER EARLY THIS MORNING AFTER SWIMMING FOR 29 HOURS. THE SWIM WAS EXPECTED TO TAKE 60 HOURS.

ENDURANCE SWIMMER DIANA NYAD IS ATTEMPTING TO SWIM MORE THAN 100 MILES FROM HAVANA TO KEY WEST. THE 61 YEAR OLD NYAD TRIED AND FAILED TO MAKE THE SWIM WHEN SHE WAS 28. IF SHE MAKES IT TO THE KEYS AFTER A 60 HOUR SWIM, NYAD WOULD BECOME THE FIRST PERSON TO SWIM THE STRAIT WITHOUT A SHARK CAGE.

AND THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION HAS OPENED AN INVESTIGATION INTO NEW FORD MUSTANGS WITH MANUAL TRANSMISSIONS FOR POSSIBLE SHIFTING PROBLEMS AND DIESEL VW JETTA SEDANS FOR POSSIBLE FUEL LEAKS. THE SAFETY AGENCY HAS BEEN RECEIVING COMPLAINTS BUT NO ACCIDENTS HAVE BEEN REPORTED.

THE SENATE IS READY TO PASS LEGISLATION THAT WILL END A 2 WEEK PARTIAL SHUTDOWN OF THE FAA THAT’S COST THE GOVERNMENT ABOUT 400 MILLION DOLLARS IN UNCOLLECTED AIRLINE TICKET TAXES. FAA EMPLOYEES COULD RETURN TO WORK AS SOON AS MONDAY IF PRESIDENT OBAMA SIGNS THE BILL OVER THE WEEKEND.
HONDA WILL RECALL 1.5 MILLION CARS AND SMALL SUV’S IN THE U.S. TO REPAIR THE SOFTWARE THAT CONTROLS THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. THE TRANSMISSION COULD BE DAMAGED IF THE DRIVER QUICKLY SHIFTS BETWEEN GEARS. THAT MIGHT CAUSE THE ENGINE TO STALL OR MAKE IT HARD TO PUT THE CAR INTO PARK.

AND AN ORANGE COUNTY DOCTOR HAS BEEN CONVICTED OF PERFORMING UNNECESSARY SURGERIES ON MORE THAN 160 PEOPLE IN AN INSURANCE SCAM CASE. THE LOS ANGELES TIMES SAYS NEARLY 3,000 PEOPLE ACROSS THE U.S. ALLEGEDLY AGREED TO UNDERGO UNNECESSARY PROCEDURES INCLUDING COLONOSCOPIES AND SWEATY-PALM OPERATIONS AT THE CLINIC IN BUENA VISTA.

GENERAL MOTORS PROFIT NEARLY DOUBLED IN THE LAST QUARTER, EASILY BEATING EXPECTATIONS. GM TOOK A LARGER SHARE OF SALES GLOBALLY AND RAISED PRICES ON ITS VEHICLES. GM EMERGED FROM BANKRUPTCY IN 2009 AFTER A 52 BILLION DOLLAR TAXPAYER BAILOUT.

AND A MANHUNT IS UNDERWAY IN AUSTRALIA FOR AN EXTORTIONIST WHO ATTACHED A FAKE BOMB TO A TERRIFIED TEENAGER. A MEMBER OF ONE OF SYDNEY’S WEALTHIEST FAMILIES WENT THROUGH A HORRIFYING 10 HOUR ORDEAL AFTER A MASKED MAN STRAPPED A DEVICE AROUND HER NECK AT HER HOME. THE DEVICE WAS EVENTUALLY REMOVED BY BOMB DISPOSAL TECHNICIANS.

SECURITY EXPERTS HAVE DISCOVERED THE BIGGEST SERIES OF CYBER ATTACKS EVER. THE LIST OF VICTIMS INCLUDES THE UNITED NATIONS AND GOVERNMENTS AROUND THE WORLD INCLUDING THE U.S., INDIA, SOUTH KOREA AND CANADA. SECURITY COMPANY McAFEE IS CALLING THE ATTACKS “OPERATION SHADY RAT” AND SAYS THE EARLIEST BREACHES GO BACK 5 YEARS.

A SACRAMENTO MAN HAS BECOME THE FIRST PERSON IN THE NATION TO DIE FROM SALMONELLA LINKED TO GROUND TURKEY MEAT. 4 OTHER CASES OF SALMONELLA HAVE BEEN FOUND IN THE STATE, 1 EACH IN LOS ANGELES, SAN FRANCISCO, RIVERSIDE AND SAN DIEGO COUNTIES.

AND TROPICAL STORM EMILY HAS BRUSHED PAST PUERTO RICO ON ITS WAY TO THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC AND HAITI WHERE MORE THAN 630,000 PEOPLE ARE STILL WITHOUT SHELTER AFTER LAST YEAR’S EARTHQUAKE. UP TO 10 INCHES OF RAIN COULD FALL WHICH COULD CAUSE LIFE-THREATENING FLASH FLOODS AND MUD SLIDES.

AMERICANS CUT BACK ON THEIR SPENDING IN JUNE FOR THE FIRST TIME IN ALMOST 2 YEARS. CONSUMER SPENDING DROPPED 0.2 PERCENT IN JUNE. AMERICANS ARE CUTTING BACK ON BUYING CARS, FURNITURE, APPLIANCES AND ELECTRONICS.

INVESTIGATORS HOPE AN AUTOPSY TODAY ON AN 11 YEAR OLD NEW HAMPSHIRE GIRL WILL SHED LIGHT ON HER DISAPPEARANCE AND DEATH. CELINA CASS’ BODY WAS RECOVERED FROM THE CONNECTICUT RIVER YESTERDAY A QUARTER MILE FROM HER HOME. CELINA WAS LAST SEEN AT HER HOME COMPUTER AND WAS GONE THE NEXT MORNING. POLICE SAID THERE WAS NO SIGN OF A STRUGGLE.

AND FEDERAL OFFICIALS SAY 1 PERSON HAS DIED FROM SALMONELLA POISONING THAT APPEARS TO BE LINKED TO EATING GROUND TURKEY. 76 PEOPLE IN 26 STATES HAVE GOTTEN SICK FROM THE SAME STRAIN OF THE DISEASE. BUT SO FAR THE GOVERNMENT ISN’T SAYING WHO PRODUCED THE MEAT AND HASN’T ANNOUNCED A RECALL.