In brief: Democrats choose N.C. convention

Washington – Democrats will hold their 2012 presidential nominating convention in Charlotte, N.C., officials announced Tuesday, a choice the party hopes will help replicate its broad-based victory in 2008.

President Barack Obama was the first Democrat to win North Carolina’s electoral votes since Jimmy Carter in 1976. But of the 28 states Obama carried, North Carolina represented his narrowest margin of victory – by just 14,177 votes.

In 2010, however, North Carolina swung back toward Republicans. The GOP picked up one congressional seat and saw Republican Sen. Richard Burr easily re-elected.

Charlotte won the right to host the convention by edging three other finalists, also in states expected to be competitive in 2012: Cleveland, Minneapolis and St. Louis.

Bush daughter urges gay unions

New York – Barbara Bush, one of George W. Bush’s twin daughters, has broken from the former president on one key social issue: gay marriage.

Barbara Bush, 29, has recorded a video on behalf of the Human Rights Campaign’s efforts to make same-sex marriage legal in New York state. In the video, which has become widely viewed on YouTube, the former first daughter says, “I’m Barbara Bush and I’m a New Yorker for marriage equality. New York is about fairness and equality and everyone should have the right to marry the person that they love. Join us.”

Gabor in ill health post-surgery

Los Angeles – Zsa Zsa Gabor has a high fever, fluid in her lungs, an infection that developed after her recent leg amputation, and hasn’t recognized anyone since the surgery, leading doctors to say she probably suffered a stroke, her husband said Tuesday.

Frederic Prinz von Anhalt was at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center with his wife as doctors worked to stabilize her in the emergency room.

Gabor, whose 94th birthday is Sunday, ate breakfast then started spitting up blood and was running the fever, von Anhalt said.

“The doctor told me her leg is infected again. They have to treat it right now. Hopefully they are going to get her stabilized in a few hours,” von Anhalt said.