360 News Briefs

Obama Version Of Health Reform Expected Monday

The White House readied its last-ditch effort to salvage health care legislation Sunday while the Senate's Republican leader warned Democrats against the go-it-alone approach.

The White House was expected to post a version of President Obama's plan for overhauling health care on its Web site today, ahead of his critical and daring summit at Blair House on Thursday. The plan, which was likely to be opposed by the GOP, was expected to require most Americans to carry health insurance coverage, with federal subsidies to help many afford the premiums.

Hewing close to a stalled Senate bill, it would bar insurance companies from denying coverage to people with medical problems or charging them more. The expected price tag is around $1 trillion over 10 years.

The conference at the White House guest residence is to be televised live on C-SPAN and perhaps on cable news networks. It represents a gamble by the administration that Obama can save his embattled overhaul through persuasion -- a risky and unusual step.

Documents: Toyota Boasted Saving $100M On Recall

Toyota officials claimed they saved the company $100 million by successfully negotiating with the government on a limited recall of floor mats in some Toyota and Lexus vehicles, according to new documents shared with congressional investigators.

Toyota, in an internal presentation in July 2009 at its Washington office, said it saved $100 million or more by negotiating an "equipment recall" of floor mats involving 55,000 Toyota Camry and Lexus ES350 vehicles in September 2007.

The savings are listed under the title, "Wins for Toyota -- Safety Group." The document cites millions of dollars in other savings by delaying safety regulations, avoiding defect investigations and slowing down other industry requirements.

The documents were turned over to the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee and obtained by The Associated Press on Sunday. The presentation was first reported by The Detroit News.

Space Shuttle Gets OK To Land Back Home In Florida

Space shuttle Endeavour and its six astronauts have gotten permission to land back in Florida.

Mission Control informed commander George Zamka on Sunday night that the weather has improved at Kennedy Space Center and will be acceptable for a landing. Endeavour is scheduled to touch down at 10:20 p.m. At one point Sunday, flight controllers were doubtful the weather would cooperate because of clouds and possibly rain.

The astronauts are wrapping up a two-week mission that resulted in the virtual completion of the International Space Station. They installed a new room and big bay window. All that's left are four shuttle flights to stock the outpost with more experiments, spare parts and supplies.

Train Kills 3 Teen Girls Crossing Florida Bridge

Three teenage girls were joking around and taking pictures on a narrow bridge when they were hit by a train, killing them as a friend watched helplessly, police and a witness said Sunday.

The girls and the fourth teenager, a boy, had been hanging out in Melbourne's downtown area - known for its shops and nightclubs - when they decided to cross the trestle around 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Lt. Curtis Barger said. Their parents had dropped them off at a mall, and then they took a bus downtown where they were "just goofing off," he said.

The boy yelled for the girls to run when he saw the train approach, then told them to jump, Barger said. Crane Creek, about 20 feet below the bridge, is slow-moving and about 10 feet deep. The girls did not have enough time.

Minneapolis Woman Gets $1,600 Water Bill

A Minneapolis woman has received a $1,600 water bill, a bill the city believes is accurate even though it's 20 times the woman's usual bill.

Erica Kocur said her bill is generally $70 to $80 per month. She said her "heart just dropped" when she got her latest bill. The city said she must have a running toilet or dripping faucet. But KSTP-TV said the bill is charging for almost 200,000 gallons of water. That's three times the volume of her entire home. A shower would have to run nonstop for almost two months to use that much water.

The city's director of treasury is LeeAnn Stagg. She said the city believes the bill is accurate, but the city will check Kocur's meter one more time.

From Wall Street Journal; AP; WSB; KSTP-TV