In brief: Giffords, husband back in Tucson

TUCSON, Ariz. – Former U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and her husband moved back to Tucson on Sunday, a year and a half after she moved to Houston to undergo intensive physical and speech therapy after she was wounded by a gunman at an event outside a grocery store.

Giffords’ husband, retired astronaut Mark Kelly, said his wife will continue therapy in Tucson but said it’s not going to be the six to eight hours per day she’d been doing in Houston.

“You know, it’s time for her to get back to as much of a normal life as possible after this type of catastrophic injury,” Kelly said. “Obviously, a big thing for her is to come home.”

Jared Lee Loughner pleaded guilty on Aug. 2 to the shooting rampage as part of an agreement with prosecutors that will send him to prison for life.

Escaped chimp may have had help

LAS VEGAS – The caretaker of a chimpanzee that got out of its enclosure and ran off into a Las Vegas neighborhood for the second time in about four weeks said she thinks someone let the animal out of its cage this weekend.

Timmi De Rosa said the 13-year-old chimp, CJ, didn’t get loose by bending steel bars without help.

De Rosa said the 180-pound animal got out Saturday, but was captured quickly and was never a threat to neighbors.

The chimp has been turned over to an animal entertainer before going to a sanctuary in Oregon.

On July 12, CJ and her mate Buddy broke free and roamed the neighborhood, pounding on vehicles and climbing in an unoccupied car. An officer shot and killed Buddy when the animal frightened bystanders.