AP – In this police mug shot provided by the Buncombe County Sheriff's Office on Sunday, April 25, 2010, Joseph …

• Slideshow:President Barack Obama
• Play Video Video:Judge holds armed man arrested as Obama left NC AP
• Play Video Video:Obama: Financial system must be overhauled AP

ASHEVILLE, N.C. – An Ohio man who authorities say was carrying a gun and driving a car loaded with law enforcement equipment when he said he wanted to see the president is a "public-service-minded" ham-radio, weather and police buff, acquaintances said Monday.

Joseph Sean McVey, who was spotted by police in an Asheville Regional Airport parking lot Sunday just after Air Force One departed, had a note in his car with formulas used for firing a rifle with a scope, authorities said.

McVey did not have a rifle with him, but the arrest was merited to ensure McVey was not a threat, said Jeff Augram, the airport's public safety chief. Knowing McVey's interests as a radio buff, weather enthusiast and sheriff's volunteer helped explain many of the items found in his car, Augram said.

"In a post-9/11 culture, we have to take a pro-active posture," Augram said.

Acquaintances from his hometown of Coshocton, Ohio, suggested the whole episode may just be a misunderstanding involving a sometimes overly enthusiastic 23-year-old.

McVey, whose mother lives in Asheville, was being held under a $100,000 secured bond for the misdemeanor charge of going armed in terror of the public. If he posts bail, McVey would be released. The investigation was continuing, but Secret Service spokesman Malcolm Wiley said he did not believe there was a federal agency that wanted him held.

On Monday, he wore a white jail jumpsuit, appeared calm and spoke in a steady voice for a court hearing via video conference. McVey faces up to 120 days in jail if convicted of the misdemeanor, District Judge Patricia Young said. She told him an attorney had agreed to represent him.

"I'd like to take advantage of the gentleman that you were notifying me about," he responded.

Randy Fisher, president of the Coshocton County Amateur Radio Association, said that he was shocked to hear of the arrest. He said McVey had come to several of the group's monthly meetings over the last two years and that he last talked to McVey about a week ago via radio. He said he always found McVey friendly and interesting.

"I was impressed that he was a public-service-minded type of individual. He really enjoyed using his ham radio for emergency services and that sort of thing," Fisher said.

For about two years, McVey has been a member of a volunteer organization that assists the sheriff's department with traffic control at emergency scenes, said Tim Wise, president of Coshocton County Radio Emergency Association Citizen Team.

Wise said he was inclined to believe McVey's arrest resulted from a misunderstanding. He was unaware McVey had a gun, but said he did not believe McVey would ever want to harm the president.

Security was heightened at the Asheville airport Sunday because President Barack Obama was leaving after a weekend vacation.

At about 2 p.m. Sunday, airport police saw McVey get out of a car and saw that he had a sidearm, airport police Capt. Kevan Smith said. He was using a handheld scanner and radio to monitor local agencies and told an officer in the Asheville airport parking lot that he wanted to see the president, Smith said.

McVey was nowhere near the president's plane, and was in a rental car return lot that is open to the public, Smith said.

McVey's car was equipped with police gear, including a siren box, a mounted digital camera and LED law enforcement-style strobe lights in the front and rear dash, Smith said.

A note in his car's cup holder had rifle scope formulas, which help a shooter adjust for distance from a target. Such formulas estimate how much a bullet drops after it is fired and are generally included with a scope purchased for hunting or recreation, said Greg A. Danas, a firearms expert based in Massachusetts.

McVey gave authorities an Ohio driver's license, but a computer check failed to show the number was valid, police said.

"Everything they found on him, with the exception of a gun, he basically had all that when he was in Coshocton," said Wise, of the volunteer emergency group. "He just basically liked to monitor police frequencies and listen to what's going on."

That's common for the group's members, though they are not authorized to have police sirens and lights or to break the speed limit on the way to emergencies, Wise said.

"He's kind of a go-getter, and I know we had to kind of clip his wings a couple times and tell him he needed to watch what he was doing out there and slow down a little bit," Wise said.

McVey had a camera in his car because he liked to chase severe storms and post video online, Wise said.

Coshocton County Sheriff Timothy Rogers said Monday he had no knowledge of McVey or his family and that he was not investigating McVey.

McVey's next court date is June 10.

He lives in a simple, one-story white house that sits off a narrow, paved township road winding through a hilly, wooded area just south of Coshocton, about halfway between Columbus and Pittsburgh. A man answering the door Monday said he had no comment.

The area is checkered with farms and is supported by nearby electric and steel plants and a paper mill. The county's population is about 36,000, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

McVey turned 23 less than two weeks ago. He graduated in 2005 from River View High School in Warsaw, Ohio, where he participated in jazz, pep and concert band.

McVey's mother, Jeri Senor, lives in Asheville and said Monday the family did not want to talk.

"We're doing fine but we don't want to comment right now," she said.

___

Posted by biginla at 10:39 PM BST

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AP – In this police mug shot provided by the Buncombe County Sheriff's Office on Sunday, April 25, 2010, Joseph …

• Slideshow:President Barack Obama
• Play Video Video:Obama: Miners died in pursuit of better life AP
• Play Video Video:Obama: Financial system must be overhauled AP

ASHEVILLE, N.C. – An armed man spotted at a North Carolina airport parking lot just after Air Force One departed and who said he wanted to see the president was being held at the request of federal authorities, a judge said Monday.

Authorities arrested Joseph Sean McVey, 23, of Coshocton, Ohio, on Sunday afternoon at the Asheville Regional Airport and charged him with going armed in terror of the public, a misdemeanor.

McVey, wearing a white jail jumpsuit, appeared calm and spoke in a steady voice via a video conference Monday morning while district Judge Patricia Young said federal authorities wanted him kept in custody even if he posts bail.

McVey was being held under a $100,000 secured bond for the misdemeanor charge and faces up to 120 days in jail if convicted, the judge said. She told him an attorney had agreed to represent him.

"I'd like to take advantage of the gentleman that you were notifying me about," he responded.

Young set his next court date for June 10.

McVey told an officer in the airport parking lot he wanted to see the president. He had a car equipped with police gear, including a siren and flashing lights, though he did not work in law enforcement, authorities said.

Security was heightened at the airport Sunday because President Barack Obama was leaving after spending the weekend vacationing in Asheville.

At about 2 p.m., airport police saw McVey get out of a maroon car with Ohio plates and that he had a sidearm, airport police Capt. Kevan Smith said. Both airport police and the Secret Service questioned him and he was taken into custody. The suspect was nowhere near the president's plane, which had just departed, and was in a rental car return lot that is open to the public, Smith said.

His car was equipped with clear LED law enforcement-style strobe lights in the front and rear dash, Smith said. The car also had a mounted digital camera in the front window, four large antennas on the trunk lid, and under the steering wheel was a working siren box.

When McVey got out of the car, he was listening to a handheld scanner and radio that had a remote earpiece, Smith said. Police said he was monitoring local agencies and had formulas for rifle scopes on a note in his cup holder.

Authorities did not say if McVey had a rifle or scope with him.

A rifle scope formula is a set of calculations that helps a shooter adjust for distance from a target. The formulas, which estimate how much a bullet drops after it is fired, are generally in the information packet that comes with a scope purchased for hunting or recreation, said Greg A. Danas, a firearms expert based in Massachusetts.

McVey gave authorities an Ohio driver's license, but a computer check failed to show the number was valid, police said. His hometown of Coshocton is about halfway between Columbus and Pittsburgh.

When Officer Kaleb Rice asked him what he was doing, McVey told him he heard the president was in town and wanted to see him.

Rice removed the firearm and took McVey into custody.

The investigation into what McVey was doing with a gun, with formulas for rifle scopes and why his car was equipped with police gear was continuing, Smith said. The Secret Service had no comment Monday on the case.

McVey's mother, Jeri Senor, lives in Asheville and said Monday the family did not want to talk. "We're doing fine but we don't want to comment right now," Senor said when reached at her home.

In Ohio, a man answering the door Monday at McVey's home address said he had no comment.

Randy Fisher, president of the Coshocton County Amateur Radio Association, said McVey was a ham radio enthusiast who had come several times to the group's monthly meetings over the last year or two. Fisher said he was shocked to hear of the arrest and said he last talked with McVey about a week ago via radio and always found him friendly and interesting to talk to.

"I was impressed that he was a public-service-minded type of individual. He really enjoyed using his ham radio for emergency services and that sort of thing," Fisher said.

For two years, McVey has been a member of a volunteer organization in his home area that assists the sheriff's department with traffic control at emergency scenes, said Tim Wise, president of Coshocton County REACT, or Radio Emergency Association Citizen Team.

Wise said he was inclined to believe McVey's arrest resulted from a misunderstanding.

"Everything they found on him, with the exception of a gun, he basically had all that when he was in Coshocton," Wise said Monday. "He just basically liked to monitor police frequencies and listen to what's going on."

That's common for REACT members, though members of the organization are not authorized to have police sirens and lights or break the speed limit on the way to emergencies, Wise said.

McVey had to be warned about his speed while responding to REACT calls, Wise said.

"He's kind of a go-getter, and I know we had to kind of clip his wings a couple times and tell him he needed to watch what he was doing out there and slow down a little bit," Wise said.

McVey had a webcam in his car because he liked to chase severe storms. Wise said he was unaware McVey had a gun, but said with certainty he did not believe McVey would ever want to harm the president.

___

Posted by biginla at 6:04 PM BST

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AP – Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano, left, looks on as President Barack Obama gestures during …

• Play Video Video:Brewer bypasses demonstrators against immigration bill during Hispanic event KTVK 3TV Phoenix
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• Play Video Video:Obama: Ariz. immigration measure 'misguided' AP

PHOENIX – President Barack Obama called an Arizona immigration bill "misguided" Friday and said it could violate people's civil rights, intensifying pressure on the state's Republican governor to veto the nation's toughest legislation against illegal immigration.

Obama said he's instructed the Justice Department to examine the Arizona bill to see if it's legal, and said the federal government must enact immigration reform at the national level — or leave the door open to "irresponsibility by others."

"That includes, for example, the recent efforts in Arizona, which threaten to undermine basic notions of fairness that we cherish as Americans, as well as the trust between police and their communities that is so crucial to keeping us safe," Obama said.

Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer, who faces a tough re-election battle and growing anger in the state over illegal immigrants, is nearing a deadline to act on the sweeping measure, which would make it a crime under state law to be in the country illegally. It would also require local police officers to question people about their immigration status if there is reason to suspect they are illegally.

Brewer has until Saturday to decide whether to sign the measure, veto it or allow it to become law without her signature. She's under intense pressure from anti-immigration groups and lawmakers in her own party to sign the bill, but has given no indication what she will do.

Civil rights activists have said the bill would lead to racial profiling and deter Hispanics from reporting crimes. Hundreds of Hispanics protested the legislation at the State Capitol complex on Thursday.

The bill's sponsor, Republican Sen. Russell Pearce of Mesa, said it would remove "political handcuffs" from police and help drive illegal immigrants from the state.

"Illegal is illegal," said Pearce, a driving force on the issue in Arizona. "We'll have less crime. We'll have lower taxes. We'll have safer neighborhoods. We'll have shorter lines in the emergency rooms. We'll have smaller classrooms."

Arizona has an estimated 460,000 illegal immigrants and is the state with the most illegal border crossings, with the harsh, remote desert serving as the gateway for thousands of Mexicans and Central Americans.

Other provisions of the bill allow lawsuits against government agencies that hinder enforcement of immigration laws, and make it illegal to hire illegal immigrants for day labor or knowingly transport them.

The bill would take effect 90 days after the current legislative session ends if it becomes law.

Brewer faces a contested Aug. 24 Republican primary election, and one of her opponents, State Treasurer Dean Martin, has called on her to sign the legislation.

Also, the March 27 shooting death of rancher Bob Krentz on his property in southeastern Arizona has brought illegal immigration and border security into greater focus in the state. Authorities believe Krentz was killed by an illegal border crosser.

Since the shooting, Brewer and other officeholders and candidates have toured the state's border with Mexico. On Thursday, she ordered a reallocation of state National Guard and law enforcement resources and called on the federal government to deploy National Guard troops.

Arizona has previously passed a variety of get-tough measures dealing with illegal immigration.

Brewer's predecessor, Janet Napolitano, a Democrat who is now President Barack Obama's Homeland Security secretary, vetoed proposals similar to the bill just approved by the Legislature.

But she signed a 2007 law that imposes sanctions against employers who knowingly hire illegal immigrants. Other state laws make human smuggling a state crime and restrict illegal immigrants' eligibility for public services.

The Mexican-American Legal Defense and Education Fund said the bill before Brewer is unconstitutional because regulation of immigration is a federal responsibility.

Others urging Brewer to veto the bill include Catholic bishops, New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, a Democrat, and Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard, the Democratic Party's presumptive nominee for governor. Mexico's embassy also has voiced concerns about racial profiling.

A Phoenix Law Enforcement Association representative acknowledged that racial profiling can occur but said fears associated with the bill are unfounded.

"We're not targeting any particular group," said Levi Bolton, a retired police detective. "Cops are not here to do these things to you."

__

Posted by biginla at 6:08 PM BST

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AP – President Barack Obama arrives at JFK International Airport in New York, Thursday, Apr. 22,2010, on his …

NEW YORK – President Barack Obama rebuked Wall Street for risky practices Thursday even as he sought its leaders' help for "updated, commonsense" banking regulations to head off any new financial crisis.

"Ultimately there is no dividing line between Main Street and Wall Street. We rise or we fall together as one nation. So I urge you to join me," Obama said in a high-stakes speech near the nation's financial hub.

The president acknowledged differences of opinion over how to best protect bailout-weary taxpayers but denounced criticism from some Republicans who claim a Democratic-sponsored bill headed for Senate action would encourage rather than discourage future bailouts of huge banks.

"That may make for a good sound bite, but it's not factually accurate," Obama said. He said the overhaul legislation would "put a stop to taxpayer-funded bailouts."

Obama's speech came at a delicate time in negotiations over the Senate measure, which could be debated next week. The House has passed its own version of financial overhaul legislation. Obama did not say which one he favored but told an audience that included dozens of financial leaders "both bills represent significant improvement on the flawed rules we have in place today."

He portrayed his appearance at Cooper Union college, in lower Manhattan, as a reprise of a campaign speech he gave at the same location in March 2008 to offer an agenda for financial regulatory reform.

"Since I last spoke here two years ago, our country has been through a terrible trial," he said, pointing to the loss of more than 8 million jobs, the losing of "countless small businesses," trillions of dollars in lost savings and people forced to put off retirement or postpone college.

"I take no satisfaction in noting that my comments have largely been borne out by the events that followed," Obama said.

Obama said that today, the economy is recovering in what he called "the fastest turnaround in growth in nearly three decades."

"But we have more work to do. Until this progress is felt not just on Wall Street but Main Street we cannot be satisfied," he added.

Related

• Obama: Recovery must reach Main St. AP
  
• Obama: 'I told you so' speech to Wall Street AP
• Wall St. movers and shakers on hand for Obama AP

Taking his argument for stronger oversight of the financial industry to the city where the economic meltdown began, Obama said it was "essential that we learn the lessons of this crisis, so we don't doom ourselves to repeat it. And make no mistake, that is exactly what will happen if we allow this moment to pass."

He spoke for about 25 minutes in the college's Great Hall. The crowd response to his words was more polite than enthusiastic.

"To those of you who are in the financial sector let me say: We will not always see eye to eye. We will not always agree," Obama said. "But that does not mean we have to choose between two extremes. We do not have to choose between markets unfettered by even modest protections against crisis, and markets stymied by onerous rules that suppress enterprise and innovation."

His speech was an effort to ramp up pressure on Congress for legislation imposing new financial regulations.

He also used it to take the financial industry to task. "A free market was never meant to be a free license to take whatever you can get, however you can get it," Obama said. "That is what happened too often in the years leading up to the crisis. Some on Wall Street forgot that behind every dollar traded or leveraged, there is a family looking to buy a house, pay for an education, open a business or save for retirement. What happens here has real consequences across our country."

He called on the financial leaders to tone down what he called "furious efforts" by an army of lobbyists to derail or water down the legislation. "I am sure that many of those lobbyists work for some of you," he said.

The speech was given in the hall where Abraham Lincoln in February 1860 spelled out his position on freedom and slavery ahead of the presidential campaign that year. It also came just six days after the Securities and Exchange Commission's fraud case against the huge investment bank Goldman Sachs.

Obama has denied any White House involvement in the timing of the SEC case, but the charges have emboldened Democrats in their criticism of Republicans who oppose the administration's overhaul proposal — even though measures in the proposal may not have stopped the transactions involved in the Goldman case.

Goldman's CEO, Lloyd Blankfein, was among those in the audience.

The sweeping regulation proposal represents the broadest attempt to overhaul the U.S. financial system since the 1930s, and aims to prevent another crisis. Democrats are preparing to bring the Senate version of the bill up for debate, but solid GOP opposition has complicated the effort. Senate negotiators say they had made progress toward a compromise bill that could command support from both sides.

The legislation would create a mechanism for liquidating large, interconnected financial firms that are so big that their sudden collapse could shake the economy. At the height of the crisis in 2008, the Bush administration and the Federal Reserve provided billions of taxpayer dollars to prop up the giant insurer American International Group Inc., several banks and various financial institutions considered too big to fail. The moves were highly unpopular with voters.

The bills also, for the first time, would impose oversight on the market for derivatives — complicated financial instruments whose value is derived from the value of other investments. The measures also would create a council to detect threats to the broader financial system and establish a consumer protection agency to police consumers' dealings with banks and other financial institutions.

Republicans contend that Democratic plans to create a $50 billion fund, paid for by the industry, to help unwind failing institutions would encourage Wall Street banks to take risks and to expect future bailouts. Democrats say the fund would lead to bankruptcy, not rescue. The administration does not support the fund and would not object to its being removed from the bill.

The Senate Agriculture Committee on Wednesday approved a bill by its chairwoman, Sen. Blanche Lincoln, D-Ark., to limit banks' ability to trade derivatives and to make such transactions more open. Lincoln's proposal is more sweeping than those offered by the Obama administration and the House, but it is expected to become part of the Senate financial overhaul bill.

At the same time, Senate Banking Committee Chairman Chris Dodd, D-Conn., and Sen. Richard Shelby of Alabama, the panel's top Republican, have been trying to negotiate a compromise measure that could win GOP support.

Democrats have accused Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky of aiding efforts by the financial industry and others to fend off the attempt to impose tighter regulation.

McConnell has raised concerns about the bill. But he also has said the measure can be fixed and he has pushed for the bipartisan talks to continue.

"Both sides have expressed a willingness to make the changes needed to ensure without any doubt that this bill won't put taxpayers on the hook for future bailouts of Wall Street banks," McConnell said.

New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg — who has expressed reservations to the overhaul legislation — was in the audience of approximately 700 financial industry leaders, consumer advocates, presidential advisers, local officials, students, faculty and others for Obama's speech.

___

Posted by biginla at 6:10 PM BST

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by Melissa Gruz, BBC News Analyst, covering the Obama Administration for the BBC's Biodun Iginla

Published: April 12, 2010

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WASHINGTON -- Experts on the sidelines of President Obama's nuclear security summit say complacency is slowing efforts to secure the makings of atomic bombs, in part because many governments don't believe terrorists can build them.

Australian Foreign Minister Gareth Evans and other experts said Monday that construction of a crude nuclear weapon is within the capabilities of al-Qaida or other groups.

U.S. nonproliferation expert and ex-ambassador Robert Gallucci said it's probable that a terror group eventually will set off a nuclear blast somewhere in the world.

The experts spoke at the start of a two-day summit of leaders of almost 50 nations, called by Obama to rally support for his goal of securing all vulnerable nuclear materials worldwide within four years.

Posted by biginla at 8:45 PM BST

Updated: Monday, 12 April 2010 8:49 PM BST

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