In brief: Mayor recall drive begins in San Diego

SAN DIEGO – A campaign to oust embattled San Diego Mayor Bob Filner began Sunday as volunteers armed with clipboards and petitions fanned out to collect thousands of signatures needed to authorize a recall election.

More than a dozen women have publicly accused Filner, a Democrat, of making inappropriate statements or sexual advances. The 70-year-old former congressman has resisted numerous calls to resign.

He is set to return to work this week after undergoing behavior therapy.

“He is a sexual predator. He has abused the power of his office,” said Rachel Laing, spokeswoman for the recall campaign. “He can’t possibly lead or possibly reclaim his ability to lead.”

Recall organizers say they have raised more than $100,000 so far and more than 1,100 people have signed up to volunteer. They sought out signatures at a half-marathon Sunday in Balboa Park while businesswomen and military sexual-assault victims planned to lead an afternoon march downtown.

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi has said Filner should step aside and spare San Diego the pain and expense of a recall election.

Brown considers presidential run

DES MOINES, Iowa – Former U.S. Sen. Scott Brown could have presidential aspirations.

The former GOP senator from Massachusetts told the Boston Herald he’s exploring the possibility of a presidential bid in 2016. Brown said it’s “premature” to decide whether he’ll run but he’s curious if there’s any interest in him as a candidate.

Brown won a 2010 special election to replace the late Edward Kennedy but lost his re-election bid in November to Sen. Elizabeth Warren. He declined to run in another special election earlier this year after John Kerry vacated his seat to become secretary of state.

Brown is attending the Iowa State Fair, a frequent stop for possible Oval Office contenders. He’s also been mentioned as a possible candidate for Massachusetts governor and U.S. Senate in New Hampshire.

Smoke diverts JetBlue flight

PHILADELPHIA – A Baltimore-bound JetBlue flight out of Boston was diverted to Philadelphia on Sunday evening after smoke was reported in the cabin.

The airline said Flight 827 landed just before 6 p.m. and 95 passengers and four crewmembers were safely evacuated. No injuries were reported.

A JetBlue statement said the captain elected to divert out of “an abundance of caution” after the crew reported the odor of smoke while en route to Baltimore Washington International Airport.

JetBlue said the passengers were being put on a later flight.