In the Nation

VIRGINIA

Navy's newest ship runs into trouble

The U.S. Navy's newest ship had to be towed to a base in Virginia after breaking down during a journey to its home port in California.

The USS Milwaukee, a littoral combat ship that was commissioned in November, was towed more than 40 nautical miles to Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek in Norfolk, Va., after an engineering casualty Friday, the Navy Times reported.

The ship was on its way from Halifax, Canada, to Mayport, Fla., where it was planning to stop before continuing to its port in San Diego. The cause of the failure remains under investigation. The problems began soon after the ship left Halifax and officials dropped anchor while engineers worked on the system. A salvage ship eventually met up with the Milwaukee and towed it to the Virginia base.

Sen. John McCain, head of the Armed Services Committee, told the Navy Times trouble so soon after the commissioning is "deeply alarming." - AP
MAINE

Rescue at sea

The Navy's new stealth destroyer, the future USS Zumwalt, assisted in the rescue of a fisherman who had a medical emergency early Saturday off the Maine coast, officials said. The Zumwalt was out for sea trials when Coast Guard officials received a distress call from the fishing boat Danny Boy around 3 a.m.: The captain was suffering from chest pains. A helicopter crew and small boat from the Zumwalt transferred the man to the destroyer's deck, officials said. The helicopter crew hoisted the patient on board and transported him to shore, where he was taken to a hospital. - AP

HAWAII

Telescope divide

Scientists involved in Hawaii astronomy are hopeful that builders of a giant telescope planned for a mountain held sacred by Native Hawaiians don't give up. The state Supreme Court recently invalidated the $1.4 billion project's permit for conservation land work. The nonprofit building the Thirty Meter Telescope hasn't indicated its next move. Protesters say they will continue to fight the project. - AP