Inquiry

The nation's top auto safety regulator has escalated and expanded an investigation into complaints of floor mats trapping accelerators in Ford Motor Co. vehicles. The probe has not led to any recalls, but it appears to echo recent investigations into unintended acceleration in Toyota cars, which ultimately led to massive global recalls after drivers complained of cars speeding out of control, causing injuries and deaths. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration this week upgraded the Ford defect investigation, originally launched in May 2010, to an engineering analysis, its most serious level of inquiry.

When it opened during the 1990s, Orange County's $2.4-billion tollway system was touted as an innovative way to build public highways without taxpayer money. Today, the roads offer smooth sailing for gridlock-weary commuters willing to pay the price. But far fewer people are using the turnpikes than officials predicted, which means the highways generate far less revenue than expected to retire their debts. There have long been questions about the long-term financial viability of the San Joaquin Hills and Foothill-Eastern corridors.

When he was reelected president of Indonesia three years ago, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono vowed to combat corruption. Now a landmark corruption investigation threatens to tarnish his own political party, as his former presidential spokesman steps down over allegations of graft. Youth and Sports Minister Andi Alfian Mallarangeng stepped down Friday after being named a suspect in an investigation centering on the construction of a $122-million sports complex in West Java, according to news reports.

A member of Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's staff told police that she and city commissioner Andrea Alarcon were at a downtown hotel on the night Alarcon's 11-year-old daughter was found unattended at City Hall, sources told The Times. Lorraine Green, an assistant to a top Villaraigosa aide, was the first to make contact with police officers as they searched past midnight for Alarcon, who is president of the city's Board of Public Works, according to law enforcement sources familiar with the Nov. 16 incident.

At least three people may have improperly tried to influence members of the NCAA infractions committee to find former USC football assistant Todd McNair complicit in the Reggie Bush case, according to a judge's decision made public last week, CBSSports.com reported Tuesday. The decision contains excerpts of emails from two nonvoting members of the infractions committee and an NCAA staffer that the judge determined showed "ill will or hatred" toward McNair. McNair, who coached at USC from 2004 to 2009, is suing the NCAA for defamation, citing irreparable damage to his career.

Federal investigators are looking into whether power outages in a Midland, Texas, neighborhood in the hours before a horrific crash at a railroad crossing could have affected the crossing's lights and gates. At an afternoon press conference Friday, Mark Rosekind of the National Transportation Safety Board said the outages were part of several factors a 16-person team of investigators would examine in the next week. On Thursday afternoon, the Midland community was hosting an annual veterans Show of Support parade when its two floats -- with the rear one carrying 12 veterans, their wives and two civilian escorts -- began crossing some railroad tracks.

New York's top prosecutor has subpoenaed two power companies as part of an investigation into whether they adequately prepared for and responded to Superstorm Sandy, which knocked out power to more than 8 million customers at its peak, including more than 2 million in New York. Atty. Gen. Eric Schneiderman is seeking records concerning how the Long Island Power Authority and Consolidated Edison prepared for the storm, the Associated Press reported. Schneiderman's inquiry is separate from a state commission, initiated Tuesday by Gov. Andrew Cuomo, that is charged with reviewing how utility companies prepare for and respond to storms -- and how to make those efforts better.

WASHINGTON - The extramarital affair that ended the public career of CIA Director David H. Petraeus was uncovered when a woman described as close to him received harassing emails and complained to authorities, a U.S. official confirmed Saturday. The FBI traced the emails and found that they had been sent by Paula Broadwell, who wrote a highly favorable book on the former Army general's life and work. While investigating Broadwell, the FBI found additional emails that discussed her relationship with Petraeus, revealing their affair.

MOSCOW - Russian President Vladimir Putin fired his defense minister Tuesday amid a criminal investigation of suspected fraud and embezzlement involving military assets. Putin announced his decision to dismiss Anatoly Serdyukov two weeks after the federal Investigative Committee said it was looking into the possible "fraudulent sale of real estate, land plots and stocks" belonging to the military. The investigation apparently already found the equivalent of more than $100 million in losses to the government, the committee said.

The trade deadline is nearing, so it's only natural that there's speculation the Rams could deal running back Steven Jackson. Those rumors have swirled for some time. ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Sunday that the Rams have "fielded trade inquiries" for Jackson recently, and cited the Cardinals, Steelers, Packers and Cowboys as teams that could be looking for help at the position. There's a good chance Jackson will be gone after this season anyway, as both parties have agreed to let him opt out of his contract after 2012.