California

Recall candidates spent estimated $80 million

The candidates in California’s 77-day recall contest raised — and presumably spent — more than $80 million, or $1 million a day, one of the most intensive expenditures of campaign money in U.S. political history.

Much of the money came from the state’s increasingly influential gambling interests, unions and business groups, campaign finance records show.

Although the recall was the first election in California to be conducted under new rules that limit contributions, the candidate with the most money won: Republican Gov.-elect Arnold Schwarzenegger contributed $10 million of his own money in donations or loans to go with $11.7 million from a long list of special interests.

Democratic Gov. Gray Davis, who was largely abandoned by the prison guards and teachers, still raised $17 million in his unsuccessful fight against recall.

Miami

Former Chilean ordered to pay for massacres

An army lieutenant accused of executing political prisoners during Chile’s bloody 1973 coup was ordered to pay $4 million Wednesday in the first U.S. trial stemming from the 30-year-old killings.

A jury found Armando Fernandez Larios, now a Miami auto body shop manager, liable for extra-judicial killing, cruelty, torture and crimes against humanity for massacres by the Caravan of Death — a mobile killing squad that executed 75 political prisoners in the weeks after Gen. Augusto Pinochet seized power.

The family of one of the victims — Winston Cabello — sought damages under a 200-year-old federal law originally applied against pirates.

The jury awarded $3 million in compensatory damages and $1 million in punitive damages.

Maine

Governor declares state of emergency

Thunderstorms accompanied by heavy rain and wind gusting to more than 60 mph knocked out power Wednesday to about 90,000 customers across the state.

Gov. John Baldacci declared a state of emergency as the weather service posted a high wind warning through the night and a marine storm warning for coastal waters. State officials said wind could hamper power crews working to restore electricity.

Estimates of the power losses fluctuated through the day, but by mid-afternoon, Bangor Hydro Electric Co. was reporting about 20,000 customer outages and Central Maine Power about 70,000, state officials said.

Most outages were caused by wind knocking tree limbs laden with leaves onto power lines, CMP spokesman John Carroll said.