DC police identify students involved with drug lab - Washington Post

District police have identified two students and a campus visitor who were arrested Saturday on charges that they maintained a drug lab in a Georgetown University freshman dorm. Georgetown students Charles Smith and John Romano, who live on the ninth floor of Harbin Hall, and John Perrone, a visitor and friend of one of the students, were arrested and charged with manufacturing a controlled substance. Police said the three had a lab set up to produce the hallucinogenic drug DMT in the campus dorm room. District police did not release the ages or the home towns of the three. Police also did not say how much, if any, of the drug was found, although officials said chemicals used in the production of the drug were discovered in the room. Police were alerted to the room early Saturday when people reported a chemical odor in the building, later prompting a series of evacuations. District officials said that a few people were treated for exposure to the chemicals but that they posed no further threat to other dorm residents.

- Josh WhiteD.C. Water sued by Cafritz on fire losses

Peggy Cooper Cafritz, whose Northwest mansion and collection of African and African American art were lost in a fire last year, is suing D.C. Water for failing to maintain proper water pressure in her neighborhood along Chain Bridge Road. The lawsuit alleges that a lack of water pressure to area hydrants led firefighters to lose control of the July 29, 2009, blaze, and that testing showed that the water pressure was about one-third of the acceptable minimum for firefighting. A District report in August 2009 said that the water flow was low but that whether the extensive damage to the home and its artifacts could have been prevented is "debatable" because the blaze was so intense and fast. The fire started on a porch and consumed the civic leader's home and its irreplacable contents. The damage to the home, artwork and a rare book collection was officially estimated at $15 million, although the lawsuit says Cafritz's losses were $30 million. Cafritz's lawsuit, filed in D.C. Superior Court, seeks $30 million in punitive damages against D.C. Water, formerly known as WASA, to "ensure that the dangerous conditions caused by WASA's misconduct do not result in similar harm to other D.C. residents."D.C. Water officials have not commented specifically on the lawsuit, which was filed last week. "We recognize the very real tragedy in this situation and empathize with the loss Ms. Cafritz and her family experienced in the summer of 2009," George Hawkins, D.C. Water's general manager, said in a written statement. "While we have not yet reviewed her complaint, we look forward to reading it and taking whatever action is necessary at that time."

- Josh WhiteMARYLANDMan is arrested inburning of woman

A man accused of setting a woman on fire was arrested Saturday night by Howard County police.Police have not confirmed the identity of the man, who is believed to be homeless. The woman, who also might be homeless, was taken to Johns Hopkins Burn Center with severe burns.Howard police said the incident occurred in a wooded area near Gorman Road about 2:45 p.m. Saturday. A woman who is also thought to be homeless called the police from a nearby store.After a search, police found a man on Greenwood Place about 5 p.m. and took him into custody.

- Ovetta Wiggins

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High school students join France worker protests - Los Angeles Times

Riot police surround a woman during a student demonstration in Lyon. French oil workers defied the government's demand Monday to get back to work and end scattered fuel shortages, stepping up their fight against President Nicolas Sarkozy's plan to raise the retirement age to 62. (Laurent Cipriani, Associated Press / October 19, 2010)

Camille Maupas, a 14-year-old high school student, stood in the middle of a major intersection in the center of Paris, took a deep breath, smiled and sat down.

So did about 150 fellow students, who spontaneously decided to block the intersection at Rue de Rivoli and Rue du Renard, causing a traffic jam near City Hall on Monday, to protest against a government plan to raise the retirement age.

With no pension at stake, the students are a worrisome wild card in the eyes of the government, and a recent addition to an intensifying protest movement against President Nicolas Sarkozy's promise to help reduce the state deficit by forcing workers to legally retire at 62, instead of 60.

Students have blocked entrances to their schools with large objects, and on Monday some youths clashed with riot police and burned cars. The violence was blamed on youths who are not part of the student protest.

As authorities prepared for another national strike Tuesday, a larger swath of the population was already feeling the effect of nearly a week of continuous strikes by workers, especially in the energy sector, who were joined early Monday by truck drivers who blocked major roads around France, driving at a snail's pace in "escargot operations."

Despite government assurances, fears of gasoline shortages pushed drivers to fill up their tanks, causing more than 1,000 of France's 12,500 gas stations to temporarily run dry.

"The most serious concern is fuel," said Richard Laisne, 58, a Paris taxi driver. "Because if there's a fuel problem, there's no work for me." He said he filled up his tank Sunday.

Government leaders continue to assure the public that there was no reason to fear a shortage, and Prime Minister Francois Fillon said Sunday, "I won't let our country be blocked."

A spokesman for the Energy Ministry said trucks were on their way to restock gas stations that ran out of fuel.

Flight cancellations and delays are expected Tuesday as airport and public transport workers plan to strike. The government again advised airlines to reduce the number of flights they have planned to Paris and to arrive with their fuel tanks as full as possible, despite insisting there was no risk of fuel shortages at France's major airports.

With striking workers blocking roads, trains, gasoline depots and refineries, there could be a long delay before hard-hit gas stations are able to function normally.

A crisis unit was created Monday by the Interior Ministry, and key gasoline depots and pipelines have been unblocked by authorities, who said they did not use force. Days after certain depots were opened, others were blocked by new protesters Monday. Workers at all of France's 12 oil refineries are on strike too.

The Senate is expected to pass the retirement overhaul bill by Thursday or Friday, but protesters say they will continue striking.

"It's a political success. Everyone is involved," said Josiane Jousset, 62, of the strikes. "The government got a good slap in the face."

Media coverage of the student protests showed images of burned cars, shattered storefront windows and glass walls at bus stations in various towns across France, and were reminiscent of 2005 riots in the country's low-income suburbs.

In the center of Paris, participants said their intentions were peaceful.

"We are pacifists. We just want to be heard," said Hugo Behar, 16.

Though the Sarkozy government contends that the French need to work longer in order to finance future pensions, Hugo said the reform would mean fewer jobs for younger people, because aging employees wouldn't be able to leave their posts open for the next generation. "I don't want to be out of work at 30," he said.

"We aren't doing this to get out of class. … We hope to prevent the vote" in favor of pension overhaul, said Camille, the 14-year-old student.

Lauter is a special correspondent.

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