Midday Roundup: British lawmakers OK three-parent babies

Risky experiment. Lawmakers in Britain’s House of Commons voted today to allow doctors to create three-parent embryos. The technique, which takes DNA from one egg and implants it in another, is designed to prevent children from inheriting potentially fatal genetic conditions. But critics say it could lead to the engineering of “designer” babies, with parents selecting specific traits for their children. They also warn children born as a result of the technique have not been studied enough to know what unintended consequences might occur. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration warned last year it could take decades to determine whether the procedure is safe. British Prime Minister David Cameron strongly supports the measure. He had a son born with severe epilepsy who died at age 6 in 2009. The measure now goes to the House of Lords where it must pass before becoming law.

Sequel anticipation. Author Harper Lee, whose novel To Kill a Mockingbird won the Pulitzer Prize after it was published in 1960, will release her second book later this year. Lee, who is 88, wrote Go Set a Watchman before Mockingbird, although it serves as a sequel to her beloved debut novel. The new book features the same characters, 20 years later. Lee thought the manuscript had been destroyed and was “delighted” when her lawyer found it attached to a typeset copy of Mockingbird. “After much thought and hesitation, I shared it with a handful of people I trust and was pleased to hear that they considered it worthy of publication,” Lee said. “I am humbled and amazed that this will now be published after all these years.” HarperCollins Publishers will release the work, printing 2 million copies for its July release. It will be published in its original form, without any modifications.

Top-rated fine. Ratings firm Standard & Poor’s will pay $1.5 billion to settle claims its good ratings of bad mortgage securities contributed to the financial crisis that began in 2008. The company will pay $687.5 million to the U.S. Department of Justice, and $687.5 million to 19 states and the District of Columbia. The Obama administration sued S&P in 2013, winning an unprecedented $5 billion in damages. “On more than one occasion, the company’s leadership ignored senior analysts who warned that the company had given top ratings to financial products that were failing to perform as advertised,” Attorney General Eric Holder said. Under the terms of the settlement, S&P admitted no wrongdoing.

Work ethic. A Detroit factory worker made headlines last week for his 40-mile round-trip daily commute to work, about half of which he walks. Today, he’s making headlines—and the round of morning talk shows—for the outpouring of support his story generated. A crowdfunding campaign started by a college student impressed with James Robertson’s dedication and perseverance has raised $140,000 and counting. But he may not have to spend any of the money on transportation. Several local car dealerships have offered to give him a new car. Robertson’s last car broke down in 2005, and his $10.55 hourly wage wasn’t enough for him to buy another one. Despite his arduous commute in all kinds of weather, he has a perfect attendance record at his job as a machinist at a plastic molding plant. Another benefactor, an investment banker who brought Robertson’s story to the Detroit Free Press, is setting up a team of advisors to help Robertson, 56, manage his unexpected windfall. “I have to be careful how I act about this,” Robertson said. “The same God who brings you all these blessings can take them away. Hopefully, I’m ready for what happens.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.