Bachmann cancels St. Louis campaign appearance

U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn., canceled a scheduled campaign appearance in St. Louis on Saturday for GOP Senate candidate Roy Blunt. Bachmann's office said she was hospitalized with a 'sudden illness" but declined to reveal the nature of the ailment.

Bachmann's decision to back Blunt has angered some Tea Party groups in Missouri in the past week. The controversy prompted some Missouri Democrats to speculate that Bachmann might change her mind about going to St. Louis. Her spokesman said the cancellation was connected to her recovery.

Court won't hear Arizona's appeal until November • A federal appeals court has decided not to step into the controversy over Arizona's tough immigration law until November. Gov. Jan Brewer asked for an expedited appeals process, with a hearing scheduled for the week of Sept. 13. However, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said in an order late Friday that it would hold its hearing in the first week of November. Briefs from the state are due Aug. 26.

Meanwhile, the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office arrested 36 people in a sweep Thursday and Friday, and six are suspected to be illegal immigrants. Everyone arrested was stopped for traffic violations. The six suspected illegal immigrants were arrested on charges of failure to provide identification and will be turned over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to be deported.

Hacking could become inexpensive • A computer security researcher says he has built a device for just $1,500 that can intercept some kinds of cell phone calls and record everything that's said. The researcher, Chris Paget, planned to show off the device Saturday in a talk at the DefCon hacker conference, but reconsidered after federal authorities told him it might violate wiretapping laws. His research shows how cheaply such devices, which have been around for decades, can now be made.

Obama warns GOP • President Barack Obama has a warning for Republicans who denounce the federal deficit but reject proposals to cut it. Obama tells CBS, "I'm going to call them on their bluff." Obama's interview was taped Friday and will air on CBS's "Sunday Morning" and "The Early Show" on Monday.

Pacific drills ending • Monthlong military drills in the Pacific, which conclude this weekend, were intended only as training exercises and were not meant to send a message to North Korea, the commander of the drills says. Vice Adm. Richard W. Hunt said the biennial 14-nation Rim of the Pacific military exercises had been planned for two years and were not a reaction to North Korea's accusation earlier this month that the U.S. and South Korea were plotting to attack.

Wildfire smolders • A wildfire smoldered in the high desert north of Los Angeles on Saturday, spewing plumes of thick smoke into Palmdale (population 139,000). The fire has charred nearly 22 square miles in the Antelope Valley. It was 62 percent contained Saturday and no structures were threatened, said fire officials.

Fraud case • Investigators in Mississippi say two men wrapped blocks of wood in duct tape and bubble wrap, attached Toshiba labels and tried to pass them off as laptops. No one bought them, but the men were still arrested and charged.

From news services