Maker of blowout preventer settles

NEW ORLEANS ( AP) — Cameron International, the maker of the Deepwater Horizon blowout preventer that failed to stop last year’s massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, has agreed to pay $ 250 million to BP under a legal settlement, BP said today.

BP said it was “ in their mutual best interests, and the agreement is not an admission of liability by either party.” The companies are dropping all claims against one another, they said.

The settlement comes in advance of a federal trial over the catastrophic Gulf oil spill. The non-jury trial is slated to begin in February and determine fault in the April 20, 2010, explosion and subsequent oil spill off the Louisiana coast of more than 200 million gallons of oil.

Prosecutor, 2 others shot in courthouse

GRAND MARAIS, Minn. (AP) — A defendant in a sexual misconduct trial opened fire in a small northern Minnesota courthouse, injuring three people — including the local prosecutor, who underwent surgery for multiple gunshot wounds, authorities said.

The suspect, Daniel Schlienz, 42, was immediately taken into custody after the shootings Thursday afternoon at the Cook County Courthouse in Grand Marais, a remote town near the Canadian border, State Public Safety spokesman Doug Neville said.

Schlienz had been on trial earlier Thursday on sexual misconduct charges. His father told the Duluth News Tribune that he went to the courthouse and was told that his son was the shooter. He said his son had recently threatened suicide.

“He hated the prosecuting attorney that did this,” Gary Schlienz told the newspaper. “I don’t want to make excuses for him, but they prosecuted him pretty bad. He had no job, no money, nothing.”

S.C. governor Haley endorses Romney

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) — South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley is endorsing Mitt Romney for president.

Haley said today on Fox News she is throwing all of her support behind Romney in the Republican primaries. She says jobs, the economy and spending are most important and the former Massachusetts governor is the best candidate to address those issues.

Haley also says President Barack Obama seems most afraid to face Romney.

Haley is a rising star in the GOP, and her endorsement means a lot in South Carolina, the first Southern state to hold a primary election.

Romney will appear with Haley this afternoon in South Carolina. Haley says they will campaign together Saturday.