President Barack Obama’s re-election campaign launched an advertising campaign today to attract Latino voters that it said would be a deciding factor in the general election.

The Latinos for Obama effort was rolled out one day after the national Republican Party and GOP presidential hopeful Mitt Romney unveiled their Hispanic outreach program to build support.

Obama advisers, including San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro, swiftly sought to contrast Obama’s position on immigration with that of Romney, who has called for stringent immigration reforms and who opposes the DREAM Act.

“Make no mistake, Mitt Romney would be the most extreme nominee the Republican Party has ever had on immigration,” Castro said during a teleconference call with reporters arranged by the Obama campaign.

Castro, a national Obama for America co-chairman, said Romney is on the wrong side of every issue of concern to the Hispanic community.
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Thousands of supporters lined the streets of downtown Saturday afternoon, cheering and waving American flags to show their appreciation for Iraq veterans at a welcome home parade.
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“This is incredible,” said Tony Solomon, Iraq veteran and vice president of operations for the Lone Star Veterans Association. “It all comes back to you about being an American and everything you fought for and seeing all these civilians here and the color guard and the city behind you, it’s a great feeling.”
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“It feels good to see all these people. Texas and Houston are really good supporters of the troops,” said Greg, 34, who asked that his last name not be used. His cousin, Army Sgt. Omar Mora, died in Iraq in 2007.

Adults and children alike held signs thanking the troops while cheering as the veterans walked down Texas Avenue.

“I love the support of the community coming out,” Navy veteran Kelly Wilson said.
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HOUSTON—The controversial shooting of a teenager in Florida has a Texas lawmaker demanding changes to the Texas version of the "stand your ground" law.
State Representative Garnet Coleman feels the state’s Castle Doctrine allows potential victims too much latitude to shoot first and ask questions later. He plans to introduce legislation to amend it.
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In 2007, the Legislature eliminated the "duty to retreat before using deadly force" portion of the law.

Coleman, citing the Trayvon Martin case in Florida as an example, says the 2007 change made it too easy for Texans to respond with deadly force when the situation might not warrant it.

"All it takes is a tragedy for people to understand that something needs to be changed," Coleman said. "And I don’t think any legislator in this state wants to be perceived as allowing somebody the ability to shoot someone without good cause.
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While fighting heavy seas in pursuit of the Japanese whaling fleet, the Sea Shepherd scout vessel Brigitte Bardot was struck by a rogue wave that has cracked the hull and severely damaged one of the pontoons on the vessel.

Captain Paul Watson, onboard the Sea Shepherd flagship Steve Irwin, reports that they are fighting heavy seas to reach the position of the Brigitte Bardot some 240 miles to the southeast. It is expected to take twenty hours to reach the damaged vessel.

The Brigitte Bardot is at 51 degrees 42 minutes South and 99 Degrees 21 minutes East, or 1500 miles southwest of Fremantle, Western Australia.

Brigitte Bardot Captain Jonathan Miles Renecle of South Africa was pursuing the Japanese factory ship Nisshin Maru in six meter swells when the wave slammed into the port side of the vessel cracking the hull. The crack has been getting wider as the seas continue to pound the vessel.

Captain Renecle is confident that the ship will stay afloat until the Steve Irwin arrives. The Brigitte Bardot has a crew of ten: three British, three American, one Australian, one Canadian, one Belgian and one South African.

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