WASHINGTON, D.C.

White House aide says computer systems are secure

A top aide to President Obama said Tuesday that the White House’s classified computer systems are secure while acknowledging vulnerabilities in its unclassified system.

Obama adviser Ben Rhodes made the remarks in response to a CNN report that Russian hackers got access to sensitive White House information such as the president’s private schedule.

CHICAGO

Emanuel has solid lead over Garcia in mayor’s race

Mayor Rahm Emanuel opened a double-digit lead Tuesday over his challenger in Chicago’s first mayoral runoff, a campaign that hinged on serious financial challenges facing the nation’s third-largest city and the brusque management style of the former White House chief of staff.

With more than two-thirds of voting precincts reporting results, Emanuel had 56 percent of the vote compared to 44 percent for Cook County Commissioner Jesus “Chuy” Garcia.

SACRAMENTO, Calif.

Water resources board wants conservation targets

A California agency is seeking to boost water supplies in the midst of a devastating drought by assigning conservation targets to slash city water use.

The State Water Resources Control Board on Tuesday released a draft plan with water reduction targets for cities from 10 to 35 percent.

Some cities must drastically improve water savings. San Diego must cut its water use by 20 percent after cutting only 2 percent so far. Others such as Santa Cruz have already made deep cuts and are likely to easily meet their targets.

OLD BRIDGE, N.J.

Kindergarten teacher questions Christie’s tone

A kindergarten teacher on Tuesday urged Gov. Chris Christie to tone down his combative style, warning the potential presidential contender that his temper wouldn’t play well across the country.

Christie, who built his national reputation as a straight-talker unafraid to mince words, said in part that people are looking for honesty in their leaders and that people will always know what he thinks.

During a town hall at a high school, Cheryl Meyer, 45, told Christie that she’d had trouble explaining to her students why it was fine for the man who holds the highest office in the state to use words like “shut up” and “idiot” when they can’t.

“How do you defend that?” she asked.

The governor sounded an introspective note, thanking Meyer for her question and talking about how everyone has had interactions in which they’d wish they’d said something differently – though not everybody’s response wound up on the news. He said that, as a public official, he finds that people are constantly trying to push his buttons and that rarely – though sometimes – they succeed.

– From news service reports

Copy the Story Link