Obama gets 80% approval rating nationwide, poll finds

Nearly 70% believe Obama is bringing change to Washington, the poll found; 80% say he is meeting or exceeding their expectations. But bipartisan support has eroded. Just 37% of Republicans approve of how he has done his job, down from the 62% who gave him good marks for the transition. Almost all Americans consider the federal budget deficit to be a problem, but 63% said additional federal action will be needed to improve the economy.

SOUTH CAROLINA

Governor to take stimulus funds

Republican Gov. Mark Sanford of South Carolina, a vocal opponent of federal bailouts in a state beset by one of the nation's highest jobless rates, has decided to take stimulus money to increase weekly unemployment checks by $25.

Although he will accept money for the increase, the governor will not likely go along with part of the stimulus plan that extends unemployment benefits to more part-time workers, a spokesman said.

Sanford's decision came after he determined that every other state would be taking the extra benefit money.

KENTUCKY

Senator sorry for Ginsburg quip

Republican U.S. Sen. Jim Bunning apologized to Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg for saying he believes she could die within a year from pancreatic cancer.

Bunning, who has no medical background, said in a speech Saturday that Ginsburg has "bad cancer. The kind that you don't get better from," the Courier-Journal of Louisville reported.

Ginsburg was in court Monday, 18 days after surgery.

TEXAS

Guilty plea in judge's abuse case

A federal judge pleaded guilty in Houston to lying to investigators about sexually abusing his secretary; in exchange, prosecutors dropped five charges alleging he groped the secretary and another female court employee.

U.S. District Judge Samuel Kent is the first federal judge ever charged with a sex crime. As part of the plea agreement, he admitted he tried to force his former case manager into unwanted sex acts in August 2003 and March 2007, and did the same with his secretary from 2004 through at least 2005.

Kent also retired, effective immediately. The plea came as jury selection for his trial was to begin. Prosecutors agreed to seek no more than three years in prison when Kent is sentenced on May 11.

-- times wire reports