President Obama’s oldest daughter, Malia, was never in danger during a strong earthquake Tuesday in Mexico, the White House said.
Malia, 13, accompanied by Secret Service agents, has been on vacation with a school group in Oaxaca in southwestern Mexico, according to reports from the region. The U.S. Geological Survey said the earthquake was felt strongly in Oaxaca.
The quake was followed by an aftershock that shook southern Mexico, swayed buildings in Mexico City and sent frightened workers and residents into the streets.
Kristina Schake, the first lady’s communications director, said Malia “is safe and was never in danger.” Typically the White House does not comment on the Obama children but made an exception because of the quake.
“We would reiterate our request that the media respect the privacy and security of the Obama children and not report on or photograph the girls when they are not with their parents,” Ms. Schake said.
FED
Bernanke revisits GW as a guest lecturer
Federal Reserve Chairman Ben S. Bernanke took a break from his day job Tuesday to revisit the academic life he led before coming to Washington a decade ago.
Shortly after noon, he stood before a class of George Washington University undergraduates and gave the first of four one-hour lectures on the Fed. Students gave him a round of applause when he arrived.
Most showed up a half-hour early. They were dressed better than usual in button-down shirts and slacks. There was a mix of nervous energy and excitement in a classroom that seats about 70 people. Some fidgeted and chatted quietly while anticipating their special guest lecturer.
“We have a chance to speak one on one with a guy who’s arguably one of the most important people in the world,” said Sameer Iqbal, a junior finance major. “He’s taking time out of his schedule to speak to 30 college kids? I think that’s awesome.”
The Tuesday lecture focused on U.S. central banking dating to the panics of the 19th century and early 20th century, which led to the Fed’s creation in 1913. The second lecture, on Thursday, involves the central bank’s actions after World War II.
In the final two, on March 27 and 29, Mr. Bernanke will review the roots of the 2008 financial crisis and the Fed’s response to the crisis and the recession that followed.
GW assembled the class of 30 from 80 applicants who wrote essays on what they hoped to learn from arguably the second-most-powerful U.S. official after President Obama.
For a Fed chief who has set new standards for public accessibility, the GW lecture series marks another first: None of Mr. Bernanke’s predecessors ever helped teach college students while serving as chairman.
IDAHO
Lawmaker sparks anger with abortion comments
BOISE — A Republican Idaho lawmaker’s suggestion on the Senate floor that a doctor should ask a woman who says she was raped if the pregnancy could have been “caused by normal relations in a marriage” brought a rebuke from another legislator.
State Sen. Chuck Winder of Boise was speaking Monday during closing testimony on a bill to require that a woman gets an ultrasound before an abortion.
State Rep. Cherie Buckner-Webb, a Boise Democrat, said Mr. Winder’s comments raised questions about the honesty of a crime victim.
Mr. Winder, however, said he meant to say he hoped a woman would work with her physician to determine whether a fetus resulted from rape or during consensual relations before the attack.
Mr. Winder said he never meant to question victims’ truthfulness.
The bill passed the Senate 23-12.
MINNESOTA
GOP’s Pawlenty shaves presidential campaign debt
ST. PAUL — Former GOP presidential candidate Tim Pawlenty has whittled his campaign debt down to $17,500.
The remaining red ink is detailed in a monthly federal campaign report filed Tuesday. It is down considerably from the nearly half-million dollars Mr. Pawlenty owed last fall.
Mr. Pawlenty, Minnesota’s former governor, dropped out of the White House race in August after a poor showing at the Iowa GOP’s straw poll. He was worried about going deep into debt to keep his campaign afloat.
Mr. Pawlenty now backs former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney in the race. Mr. Romney has helped Mr. Pawlenty raise money to pay off the debt.
Three finance and political consultants are still waiting to be paid by Mr. Pawlenty’s campaign. None is owed more than $7,500.
• From wire dispatches and staff reports
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