NATIONAL BRIEFS

WASHINGTON: Offshore oil peril persists

A presidential investigating panel has concluded that the government and the oil industry still haven't done enough since the massive BP oil spill to avert another catastrophic accident offshore. The blowout and rig explosion last April killed 11 workers and released 200 million gallons of oil from the damaged well. The national oil spill commission will suggest an even greater commitment and overhaul from Congress, the administration and oil and gas companies when it issues its report Tuesday to President Barack Obama, said an official briefed on the report.

Corruption inspector quits

The U.S. official in charge of rooting out corruption in Afghanistan has resigned, just days after firing two of his top deputies. Members of Congress had urged President Barack Obama to dismiss Retired Maj. Gen. Arnold Fields. Critics claimed he failed to aggressively oversee the $56 billion the United States has poured into Afghanistan to rebuild schools, roads and other facilities. Fields became special inspector general for Afghanistan reconstruction in 2008.

NATIONWIDE: Abortion rate up a bit

The long-term decline in the U.S. abortion rate stalled as the recession took hold, according to the latest comprehensive survey of America's abortion providers. The Guttmacher Institute reported Tuesday that there were 1.21 million abortions in 2008 and a rate of 19.6 abortions per 1,000 women aged 15-44. The figures were up slightly from the 2005 survey, ending a steady decline since 1990, when U.S. abortions peaked at 1.6 million and the abortion rate was 27.4. One possible factor was the recession altering financial prospects for many families.

CALIFORNIA: Turtle smugglers nabbed

Two men from Japan were arrested at Los Angeles International Airport on charges that they hid more than 50 live turtles and tortoises in snack food boxes in a suitcase to smuggle them into the United States. The U.S. attorney's office said Monday that Atsushi Yamagami and Norihide Ushirozako, both of Osaka, were charged with illegally importing wildlife and violating the Endangered Species Act.