Nation in brief: Hastert joining lobbying firm
Former House Speaker Dennis Hastert has agreed to join the lobbying law firm Dickstein Shapiro as a senior adviser, the Washington-based firm said Friday.
Hastert, a Republican from Illinois, served as speaker from 1999 to 2006. He resigned his House seat, which he had held since 1987, last November.
The former high school wrestling coach stepped down from the Republican leadership after the 2006 midterm elections, when his party suffered heavy losses, including control of the House.
At Dickstein, Hastert “will not be lobbying; he will be providing strategic counseling to our clients,” a spokeswoman for the firm said.
Springfield, Ill.
Tornado warning fills Capitol tunnels
A tornado warning interrupted Illinois lawmakers Friday evening, sending them scurrying to the state Capitol basement as warning sirens blared and storms moved through central Illinois.
Lawmakers, lobbyists, reporters and secretaries packed the tunnels beneath the 120-year-old building for about 45 minutes as powerful wind, hail and rain pelted Springfield. Legislators returned to work soon after the warning was lifted.
The National Weather Service issued tornado warnings for several Illinois counties, but had not confirmed one had touched down by Friday evening.
Sangamon County Sheriff Neil Williamson said a mall was closed as a precaution.
Arvada, Colo.
Robbers use thongs for masks
Police in a Colorado town are searching for two robbers whose masks showed plenty of fashion sense but little modesty: women’s thong underwear.
A surveillance video released this week by police in Arvada, Colo., shows two unarmed men inside the convenience store. They stole an undisclosed amount of cash and cigarettes in the robbery May 16.
One man wore a green thong and the other wore blue. Each thong barely covered the man’s nose, mouth and chin and left the rest of his face exposed. One also wore a pink backpack in which he stuffed the stolen items.
The suspects also wore T-shirts and pants and were described as in their 20s. One had a tattoo on his left arm.