Nation in brief: Lodge where pair died lacked permit

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. – Authorities say a sweat lodge outside Sedona, Ariz., where two people were overcome and later died lacked the necessary building permit.

Yavapai County’s building safety manager said Monday there’s no record of an application or permit for a temporary structure at the Angel Valley Retreat Center.

Between 55 and 65 people attending a “Spiritual Warrior” program hosted by self-help expert and author James Arthur Ray were crowded into the 415-square-foot space at any one time during a two-hour period Thursday night. Nineteen other people became ill; one remains in critical condition.

Governor signs hundreds of bills

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – With a long-awaited water deal in sight, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger finally took action on the hundreds of bills sitting on his desk for almost a month – a frenzied burst of signatures and vetoes that stretched into the wee hours of Monday morning.

In all, the governor signed 478 of the 705 bills sent his way by the Legislature.

Evoking perhaps the most emotion was the bill he signed to create a state day of recognition for slain gay politician Harvey Milk, reversing himself a year after he vetoed similar legislation.

He also signed a bill that recognized same-sex marriages from other states. Schwarzenegger said the action is consistent with a state Supreme Court ruling upholding the marriages of same-sex couples who tied the knot in California before voters approved Proposition 8, limiting marriage to a man and a woman.