US News

SEASIDE HEIGHTS, N.J. (AP) — Police have apprehended a man who apparently climbed the New Jersey roller coaster that was swept into the ocean during Superstorm Sandy and unfurled an American flag.

The man walked from the top of the coaster and hopped into a police boat Tuesday. He was handcuffed, walked through the surf and escorted to a police car on the beach in Seaside Heights.

News 12-New Jersey says Christopher Angelo told the channel he wanted to raise awareness for shore recovery.

FORT MEADE, Md. (AP) — An Army private charged with sending reams of classified documents to the WikiLeaks website is back at Fort Meade for a pretrial hearing about whether his motivation matters.

Prosecutors want the military judge to bar the defense from producing evidence at Pfc. Bradley Manning's March 6 trial regarding his motive for allegedly leaking hundreds of thousands of secret war logs and diplomatic cables. The four-day hearing began Tuesday.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama says Chuck Hagel, his choice as the new secretary of defense, is "the leader that our troops deserve."

Obama formally announced his choice of Hagel in the White House East Room on Monday even as critics questioned the pick over issues including Hagel's views on Israel and Iran.

Facing a potentially tough fight to get Hagel confirmed by the Senate, Obama praised the former Nebraska senator's independence and bipartisan approach, and said that Hagel, a Vietnam veteran, understands war is not an abstraction.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court will not hear an appeal from an anti-abortion group that wanted to be exempted from campaign finance disclosure regulations.

The high court on Monday refused to hear an appeal from The Real Truth About Abortion, Inc., which was formerly called The Real Truth About Obama, Inc. The group wanted to stop the Federal Election Commission and the Justice Department from enforcing fundraising and advertising regulations against it.

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — Connecticut Sen. Chris Murphy has taken a pass on committing to whether he'll vote to confirm President Barack Obama's nomination of Chuck Hagel as Pentagon chief while offering strong praise for the ex-senator.

Murphy said Monday morning that Hagel, a former Republican senator from Nebraska, is a very strong pick. He cited Hagel's service in Vietnam and foreign policy experience.

However, he said he will take his time researching Hagel's record and examine his positions.

Murphy was interviewed on CNN.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The new Congress has passed a $9.7 billion bill to help pay flood insurance claims to homeowners, renters and businesses damaged by Superstorm Sandy.

The bill cleared the Senate following passage earlier Friday by the House. It replenishes the National Flood Insurance Program that was due to run out of money next week with some 115,000 Sandy-related claims as well as 5,000 from other floods unresolved.