In Brief: Obama forces end to Philadelphia commuter rail strike

PHILADELPHIA – President Barack Obama on Saturday forced union workers in Philadelphia’s commuter rail strike to return to the job, granting Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett’s request to create a presidential emergency board to mediate the contract dispute.

Obama ordered the establishment of the three-member board effective at 12:01 a.m. today. He called for “a swift and smooth resolution” of the dispute between the Southeast Pennsylvania Transportation Authority and its engineers and electricians unions.

Workers will have to return to the job when the board goes into effect after midnight, however SEPTA said it would take eight to 10 hours to restore service.

More than 400 workers went on strike at midnight Friday.

The strike began after negotiations between the transit agency and two unions failed to reach a new contract deal Friday. The last regional rail strike, in 1983, lasted more than three months.

California woman runs over, kills father

RIVERSIDE, Calif. – Authorities in Southern California say a 69-year-old man who was trying to prevent his daughter from driving drunk was run over and killed by the woman in her driveway.

Riverside police Sgt. Dan Reeves said Saturday that 37-year-old Soukvilay Barton ignored her father’s pleas not to drive and backed her BMW convertible out of the garage, striking him.

Bounmy Rajsombath was rushed to a Riverside hospital, where he was pronounced dead Friday night.

Barton was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence.