Late Briefing

NEW YORK

Not fare! Taxis overcharged

New York City officials have discovered a widespread scam in which thousands of taxi drivers overcharged passengers by more than $8.3 million.

The Taxi and Limousine Commission said Friday that it had found at least 1.8 million trips over the past two years where passengers were ripped off.

Officials said drivers overcharged by illegally setting their meters at a rate they are supposed to use for trips to the suburbs. That rate is double the cost within city limits.

In a few weeks, taxi riders will see an alert when the extra rate code has been activated. The commission has referred its findings to the Department of Investigation.

-- associated press TEXAS

Far right’s lesson plan approved

A far-right faction of the Texas State Board of Education succeeded Friday in injecting conservative ideals into social studies, history and economics lessons that will be taught to millions of students for the next decade.

Teachers in Texas will be required to cover the Judeo-Christian influences of the nation’s Founding Fathers, but not highlight the philosophical rationale for the separation of church and state.

Curriculum standards also will describe the U.S. government as a “constitutional republic,” rather than “democratic,” and students will be required to study the decline in value of the U.S. dollar, including the abandonment of the gold standard.

“We have been about conservatism versus liberalism,” said Democrat Mavis Knight of Dallas, explaining her vote against the standards. “We have manipulated strands to insert what we want it to be in the document, regardless as to whether or not it’s appropriate.”

Following three days of impassioned and acrimonious debate, the board gave preliminary approval to the new standards with a 10-5 party line vote. A final vote is expected in May, after a public comment period that could produce additional amendments and arguments.

-- associated press OHIO

Sex offender guilty in slayings

An Ohio registered sex offender, whose attorneys told jurors he killed two teenage girls, has been found guilty of the slayings.

Anthony Kirkland, 41, who had pleaded guilty to killing two women before the trial began, was convicted of aggravated murder, attempted rape and other charges in the slayings of Esme Kenney, 13, and Casonya Crawford, 14, both of Cincinnati.

During the trial, defense lawyers presented no evidence and conceded that Kirkland killed the teenagers.

After the verdicts Friday, defense attorney Norm Aubin said the defense would focus on trying to prevent Kirkland from receiving the death penalty.

Kenney was killed in 2009; the others were slain in 2006.

-- associated press SAN JOSE

AT&T sues TiVo over patents

AT&T Inc. sued TiVo Inc. in federal court Friday, saying the smaller company’s digital video recorders infringed four of the phone giant’s patents.

In a complaint filed in U.S. District Court in San Jose, AT&T says the video-recorder functions that allegedly violate its patents include TiVo’s “Season Pass Manager,” which can be used to automatically record every episode of a TV program.

The patents involve technologies for doing such things as defining rules for “personal agents.”

In August, TiVo, based in Alviso, Calif., sued AT&T and Verizon Communications Inc., claiming that their video recorders improperly relied on TiVo’s intellectual property, including a so-called time-warp patent.

TiVo’s claims against AT&T center on the Dallas-based company’s U-verse unit, which competes with satellite and cable TV providers.

A TiVo spokeswoman couldn’t be reached for comment Friday night.

-- Bloomberg News Service PERU Machu Picchu train to resume Peruvian officials say they expect train service to the Inca ruins of Machu Picchu will be restored March 29.

Fierce rains in January washed out the rail link.

It is the only terrestrial means of arrival other than by foot.

Officials said rail service from Cuzco to Peru’s famed tourist site won’t be restored until June at the earliest, but the 17 miles will be ready by month’s end.

Tourists will be able to take a bus from Cuzco to the town of Ollantaytambo, then go by road to the rail link.

The road-rail trip should not take much more time than the 3 1/2 hours the journey by railroad required, officials said.

-- Associated Press