The nation in brief

— QUOTE OF THE DAY

“I think this is a president right now who has drunk the tea. He is feeling very good about himself; he is feeling like there can be no opposition to his position.”

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, who said President Barack Obama was being overly dismissive of criticism of former Sen. Chuck Hagel, whom Obama is expected to nominate as defense secretary Article, 1A

Tow line attached to Shell drill ship

ANCHORAGE, Alaska - Responders said Sunday that a main tow line had been attached to a Shell oil-drilling ship that is grounded on rocks near a remote Alaskan island.

Unified Command spokesman Ignacio Gonzalez said the Royal Dutch Shell’s Kulluk was attached to the towing vessel Aiviq about 4 p.m. Sunday.

Gonzalez, a Shell employee, said the tow line’s tension was being tested on the drill ship grounded off Sitkalidak Island.

The command center said an attempt to tow the drilling ship off Sitkalidak Island would come by today though it could come sooner, weather permitting. Crews want to tow the ship 30 miles to shelter in Kodiak Island’s Kiliuda Bay.

Responders said there was no sign the hull of the Kulluk had been breached or that oil had been spilled.

The Aiviq lost the Kulluk last month when a line broke while it was attempting to move the ship to Seattle.

Ex-governor to join North Korean visit

Former New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson said he’ll travel to North Korea this week on a private visit with a delegation including Google Inc. Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt.

Richardson described the visit as a “humanitarian mission,” according to an e-mailed statement from his office late Saturday. He said he’ll give a news conference at Beijing airport in China on Jan. 10 as no media representatives will be on the trip to North Korea.

His statement didn’t reveal the date of the visit.

The U.S. State Department said last week the timing of a visit is wrong in light of North Korea’s Dec. 12 launch of a long-range rocket that deployed a satellite into space.

The United Nations Security Council condemned the launch as a violation of its prohibition on ballistic-missile tests conducted by North Korea.

Massachusetts fire kills couple, hurts 4

CHELMSFORD, Mass.- A fast-moving fire tore through a northeastern Massachusetts condominium building, killing a couple in their late 60s or early 70s and injuring four of their relatives, including a 7-year-old boy who suffered serious burns, state Fire Marshal Stephen Coan said Sunday.

The fire in Chelmsford began about 11 p.m. Saturday.

Coan said he believes the fire started accidentally in the couple’s home on the top floor of the four-story building, one of several in the complex.

The victims’ names haven’t been released. Coan said the man who died used a wheelchair, which impeded efforts to get him out of the condo.

Front Section, Pages 3 on 01/07/2013

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