The news at a glance . . . United States

Los Angeles

Nature’s wrath: Southern California was being buffeted this week by a series of storms that caused widespread flooding, mudslides, and debris flows. The storms brought gale-force winds of 80 mph and sparked tornadoes in Santa Barbara and parts of Los Angeles, Orange, and San Diego counties. Two people died, both crushed by falling trees. In San Pedro, residents waded through chest-high water, and hundreds of homes throughout the area were being evacuated. Forecasters were expecting up to 20 inches of rain. “We are involved in a race against Mother Nature,” said L.A. County Fire Chief P. Michael Freeman.

Phoenix

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State parks may close: Faced with a soaring budget deficit, Arizona is moving to close most of its 30 state parks. The State Parks Board last week voted to shut 13 parks by June 3; the board had earlier voted to close eight others. Unless it can raise $3 million this year, Arizona may become the first state to close its entire park system. “This is probably the cruelest thing that could happen to state parks,” said board member Bill Scalzo. “All of a sudden families are going to be told, ‘Gates closed, can’t come in.’” Several other states, including California, Louisiana, and Iowa, are considering park closures because of budget shortfalls caused by shrinking tax revenue.

Salt Lake City

Dangerous smog: Thick smog blanketed parts of Utah for several days, prompting health warnings for nearly eight in 10 residents. Citizens have been urged not to exercise outside and to drive less; some schools have also kept children inside during recess and play periods. Composed of industrial pollution, tailpipe exhaust, and emissions from homes and businesses, the smog is being blamed on a weather phenomenon called an inversion, which pins pollution to low-lying areas until a storm clears the air. Since Nov. 1, Utah has issued 19 “red alerts,” the most severe ranking for air quality, more than in the previous two years combined.

Austin

Curriculum fight: Texas high school social studies students must now learn about the roles that the National Rifle Association, the Heritage Foundation, and the Moral Majority played in U.S. history. The new requirements were set last week on a 7–6 vote of the State Board of Education, which called for teaching about “key organizations and individuals of the conservative resurgence of the 1980s and 1990s.” Board member Don McLeroy, who pushed for the change, argued that the current curriculum was “rife with leftist political periods and events” and that balance was needed. His opponents failed to pass amendments that would have included Sen. Edward Kennedy and Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor in the curriculum.

Washington, D.C.

Gay ban debate: Pentagon lawyers have recommended holding off on any plans to rescind the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy, a move that would allow gays and lesbians to serve openly in the armed forces. A legal memo prepared for Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Mike Mullen and other top military leaders suggested that any repeal process be delayed until at least 2011, noting that the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan “demand that we act with deliberation.” At the same time, the lawyers predicted that “in time the law will change” because of shifting public attitudes. Since the policy was instituted in 1993, about 12,500 gays have been discharged from the armed forces because of their sexual orientation. President Obama has said he wants to repeal “don’t ask, don’t tell,” but has offered no timetable.

Washington, D.C.

More warnings ignored: U.S. intelligence officials missed many more clues than the White House has disclosed in the case of “Underwear Bomber” Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, The New York Times reported this week. Citing unnamed officials, the paper reported that authorities learned in November from al Qaida communications intercepts in Yemen that an “Umar Farouk” had volunteered for a mission. Later intercepts mentioned a Dec. 25 target date and chatter about “ways to move people to the West.” Al Qaida was also overheard discussing an unidentified militant who, like Abdulmutallab, was Nigerian. But because counterterrorism officials did not think Yemeni militants were capable of infiltrating the U.S., they did not seek to track down Abdulmutallab. “The puzzle pieces were not being fitted to any type of homeland plot,” one official said.