Politics

Bush catering to Muslims

U.S. Troops Clash With Muslim Rioters
BAGHDAD, Iraq -- American troops clashed with rioters carrying Saddam Hussein's picture in a Baghdad suburb Friday, and heavy smoke billowed from the mayor's office in a city west of the capital following a big explosion. In northern Iraq, American troops sealed off the village where Saddam was born and began issuing identity cards to the villagers to determine who can move in and out.

House Approves $87 billion for Iraq, Afghanistan
WASHINGTON - Ignoring popular rising anti-occupation sentiment the US House of Representatives has strongly endorsed a $87.5 billion package, mainly to sustain the country’s military forces in Iraq and Afghanistan. The package, approved 298-121 on Friday morning, includes nearly $65 billion for military personnel and operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, and an additional $18.6 billion for reconstruction efforts in Iraq. The White House had threatened to veto the bill if loans were included. Supporters of the loans said US taxpayers are already paying plenty for Iraq and Iraqis should have a bigger stake in their country's reconstruction.

Bush catering to Muslims: 'Enough to make you sick'
President Bush is just plain wrong in pandering to Islam. It's enough to make you sick. Let me ask you a question: Do you think President Franklin Roosevelt held White House tributes to the Japanese after Pearl Harbor?

U.S. Special Forces Soldier
Killed by Muslims in Afghanistan
KABUL -- A U.S. special forces soldier has died of wounds suffered in a clash in volatile southern Afghanistan, the U.S. military said on Friday, the third U.S. death in Afghanistan in less than a week. The clash between U.S.-led special operation forces and their Afghan allies and "a 10- to 15-member anti coalition element" took place on Thursday in an area about 35 miles west of the district of Deh Rawood in the province of Uruzgan.

Has US given away a $20-Billion Grant before?
Congress Negotiators Reject Loans for Iraq
WASHINGTON -- U.S. congressional negotiators on Wednesday rejected a plan to require repayment by Iraq of half of its U.S. aid package, backing President Bush as they prepared a final $87 billion bill for Iraq and Afghanistan. The White House had threatened to veto the entire bill if Congress did not agree to give Iraq the nearly $20 billion devoted to reconstruction, rather than go along with a Senate-passed plan that would have turned half of that amount into loans to Iraq. With Southern California facing devastating wildfires, they also agreed to add $500 million to the emergency spending package for domestic disaster relief.

Confederate Banner Back in Miss. Politics
JACKSON, Miss. -- Two years after Mississippi voters decided to keep a Confederate battle emblem on the state flag, the Republican gubernatorial candidate is keeping the issue flying heading into next week's election.

2 Get 30 Months in Prison
for Vandalizing Power Lines
CHEYENNE, Wyo. - Two Rock Springs men were each sentenced to 2 1/2 years in prison for knocking down power lines last March in southwest Wyoming. U.S. District Judge Alan Johnson on Thursday also ordered Eric Wickersham and Kole Egbert to pay $1 million in restitution for the damage they caused after their release. "The court, in a strong way, needs to condemn this kind of behavior," Johnson said. The two lifelong friends, both 21, pleaded guilty in August to destruction of an energy facility.

Muslims Attack, U.N. Bolts

Muslims Attack; Int'l Groups Bolt Baghdad
BAGHDAD, Iraq -- Insurgents blasted a freight train west of Baghdad on Thursday and exploded a bomb near a convoy in a northern city, injuring a U.S. soldier, as international organizations continued their exodus from Iraq. The freight train was carrying military supplies near Fallujah west of Baghdad, when an improvised bomb set four shipping containers ablaze. No casualties were reported, but the attack sparked a frenzy of looting by Iraqis who carried off computers, tents, bottled water and other supplies. A soldier from the 2nd Brigade of the 101st Airborne Division was slightly wounded early Thursday when a bomb exploded near a U.S. convoy in the northern city of Mosul, the military said.

Congress Near $87 Billion Deal for Muslims
WASHINGTON - Despite rising criticism about President Bush's handling of Iraq, Congress is on the verge of approving an $87 billion package for military and reconstruction costs in Iraq and Afghanistan that largely follows the White House's request.

233 Attacks on US in Last Week Alone
BAGHDAD — In a dramatic upsurge in attacks, resistance fighters destroyed an American tank north of Baghdad and wounded seven Ukrainians in the first ambush of multinational troops stationed south of the capital, US and coalition officials said yesterday.

Postwar Deaths Now Exceed Toll of Combat
BAGHDAD, Iraq - The U.S. intervention in Iraq has passed a grim milestone: More soldiers have now lost their lives in the occupation than in combat. Since President Bush declared major fighting finished on May 1, 117 soldiers have died, three more than during the campaign to oust Saddam Hussein.

Sick Soldiers Wait for Treatment
FORT KNOX, Ky. -- More than 400 sick and injured soldiers, including some who served in Operation Iraqi Freedom, are stuck at Fort Knox, waiting weeks and sometimes months for medical treatment, a score of soldiers said in interviews. The delays appear to have demolished morale -- many said they had lost faith in the Army and would not serve again -- and could jeopardize some soldiers' health, the soldiers said. The Army Reserve and National Guard soldiers are in what the Army calls "medical hold," like roughly 600 soldiers under similar circumstances waiting for doctors at Fort Stewart, Ga.

Tokyo Court: Doctor Ordered To Hang In Sarin Cases
Tomomasa Nakagawa, a 41-year-old former physician who advised the Aum Shinrikyo cult, was sentenced in the Tokyo District Court on Wednesday to hang for his role in the deaths of 25 people. Nakagawa, once a key aide to Aum founder Chizuo Matsumoto, 48, known as Shoko Asahara, was found guilty of murder and involvement in the manufacture of deadly sarin nerve gas that was spread in Nagano Prefecture in 1994, killing seven, and in the Tokyo subway system in 1995, killing 12.

Youngest Victim of Sniper Tells of Bullet in Chest
VIRGINIA BEACH -- Iran Brown had been kicked off the school bus for eating candy, so his aunt drove him to Benjamin Tasker Middle School in Bowie, Md., that Monday morning last fall. Moments after he got out of her car, he fell to the ground, a gunshot wound in his chest. "I put my book bag down and I got shot," he testified matter-of-factly on Wednesday before a jury here. As blood spewed across his shirt, he pulled himself back into his aunt's car and they sped off to a nearby hospital. "I love you," he told her, fighting for breath and growing faint as his blood pressure plummeted, his aunt testified.

Senators Demand CIA Papers
Washington — The Republican and Democrat leaders of the Senate Intelligence Committee demanded Wednesday that CIA Director George Tenet turn over documents concerning prewar intelligence assessments about Iraq by week's end. Committee Chairman Pat Roberts, R-Kan., and Vice Chairman Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va., who are overseeing an investigation into the accuracy of U.S. intelligence about Iraq and its weapons potential, said some committee requests for data "have gone unanswered since July."

Conviction of Ex-C.I.A. Operative Is Set Aside
WASHINGTON -- A federal judge in Texas has thrown out the 1983 conviction there of Edwin P. Wilson, a former Central Intelligence Agency officer, for selling tons of explosives to Libya, ruling that prosecutors knowingly used false testimony to undermine his defense.

Idolworshipers defile the White House

Bush Celebrates Muslim Holiday at White House
WASHINGTON -- George W. Bush hosted a Ramadan dinner with Islamic leaders, as the White House was besieged with demands to fire an army general whom made comments some say makes the US-led war on terror out to be a war on Islam. General William Boykin's comments surfaced two weeks ago, in which he likened the US battle against terror to a battle between Christiandom and the Muslim world, placing the Bush administration in an uncomfortable position. "America is a land of many faiths and we honor, and welcome and value the Muslim faith," Bush said in opening remarks before the meal. At a mid-day press conference earlier Tuesday, Bush said that the controversial Boykin "doesn't reflect my point of view or the view of this administration."

Bush 'Rebukes' Gen. William G. Boykin
President Bush yesterday reiterated his position that the comments of Lt. Gen. William G. Boykin, who has spoken at Christian gatherings about a religious dimension to the war on terrorism, do not represent the views of the administration. Citing the review of the highly decorated three-star general by the inspector general of the Defense Department, Mr. Bush said Gen. Boykin "doesn't reflect my point of view or the point of view of this administration."

Muslims Kill Two U.S. Soldiers in Tank Attack
BAGHDAD, Iraq -- Two American soldiers were killed when their Abrams battle tank was damaged by resistance fighters, and seven Ukrainian troops were wounded in the first ambush of a multinational unit in the Polish sector south of Baghdad, coalition officials said Wednesday. The tank was disabled when it was struck by a land mine or a roadside bomb Tuesday night during a patrol near Balad, 45 miles north of Baghdad, said Maj. Josslyn Aberle, a spokeswoman for the 4th Infantry Division. A third crewman was evacuated to a U.S. hospital in Germany, she said. It was believed to be the first M1 Abrams main battle tank destroyed since the end of major combat May 1. During the active combat phase, several of the 68-ton vehicles -- the mainstay of the U.S. Army's armored forces -- were disabled in combat.

At Least 4 Killed in Car Bombing
1,675 Soldiers Wounded by Muslims Since 'end' of War
FALLUJAH, Iraq -- A car bomb exploded Tuesday near a police station on a major street in the tense city of Fallujah, killing at least four people, police said. The attack came a day after a series of suicide bombings in Baghdad left about three dozen dead. Since Bush declared an end to major combat in Iraq on May 1, 114 U.S. soldiers have been killed by hostile fire, and about 1,675 have been wounded. U.S. forces come under attack an average of 26 times a day, and incidents have been on the rise since early September.

Cal Thomas: We Are Muzzling the Wrong Dog
Why don't members of the Islamic faith silence some of their own? They can start with speakers at the Organization of Islamic Conference in Malaysia. Mahathir Mohamad, the Malaysian prime minister, told an applauding audience made up of kings, presidents and emirs that Jews are running and ruining the world. Jews, he claimed, "invented socialism, communism, human rights and democracy so that persecuting them would appear to be wrong, so that they can enjoy equal rights with others."

Bush Tells Muslims His Administration Rejects Bigotry
WASHINGTON -- President Bush told ambassadors from Muslim states that his administration does not tolerate anti-Muslim bigotry, but he stopped short of condemning a senior Pentagon official who said Muslims do not worship "a real God."

Cover-Up Alleged in Probe of USS Liberty
WASHINGTON - A former Navy attorney who helped lead the military investigation of the 1967 Israeli attack on the USS Liberty that killed 34 American servicemen says former President Lyndon Johnson and his defense secretary, Robert McNamara, ordered that the inquiry conclude the incident was an accident. In a signed affidavit released at a Capitol Hill news conference, retired Capt. Ward Boston said Johnson and McNamara told those heading the Navy's inquiry to "conclude that the attack was a case of 'mistaken identity' despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary."

Witnesses Detail D.C. Sniper Slayings
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. - Prosecutors in the trial of sniper suspect John Allen Muhammad presented testimony Tuesday from witnesses to other Washington-area shootings because they must prove multiple killings to convict him of one of the death-penalty charges against him.

Florida's Corporate Tax Loopholes
When people in Florida talk about tax reform, they're usually talking about the sales tax, which is replete with exemptions that could, if closed, add billions of dollars to the state's depleted treasury. But there's another tax on Florida's books in need of reform as well. It's the corporate income tax, which was approved by the voters more than three decades ago.

Court: MCI Class-Action Suit Certified
LOS ANGELES -- A federal judge on Friday certified a class-action lawsuit against bankrupt telephone company MCI, clearing the way for plaintiffs across the country to pool themselves into a massive action over accusations that MCI made fraudulent claims about its financial status. The 91-page ruling from District Judge Denise Cote grants class status to anyone who acquired publicly traded securities of MCI, formerly known as WorldCom, in the period from April 29, 1999 to June 25, 2002.

Muslims Kill Five More U.S. Soldiers

Five U.S. Soldiers Killed In Attacks
WASHINGTON -- Five U.S. soldiers were killed and 10 were wounded as the result of insurgent attacks in Iraq, according to U.S. Central Command reports. A U.S. Army 1st Armored Division soldier was killed and six others were wounded today when a vehicle exploded around 8:30 a.m. near Al Bayra Police Station in Baghdad. In another Baghdad incident, an 18th Military Police Brigade soldier was killed Oct 26 during a 10:30 p.m. mortar attack at Abu Ghuraib prison that also wounded two other American troops. About a half-hour earlier, an improvised explosive device killed two 1st Armored Division soldiers on a patrol in Baghdad, CENTCOM reported. The explosion injured two other soldiers. All the wounded troops were evacuated to the 28th Combat Support Hospital for treatment. Also, an American soldier died during the early morning rocket attack Oct. 26 on the Al Rasheed Hotel in Baghdad. The attack also injured at least 15 other people. Deputy Defense Secretary Paul D. Wolfowitz, who was staying at the hotel at the time of the attack, escaped harm.

Another Suicide Bomber Kills Four
FALLUJA, Iraq -- A suicide bomber blew up a car near a police station in the restive Iraqi town of Falluja on Tuesday killing himself and four civilians, police said. Police officers said a small car driven by one man exploded 100 meters (yards) from the main police station in the town west of Baghdad, outside a secondary school for boys. The latest attack came the day after suicide bombers attacked three police stations and the Red Cross headquarters in Baghdad, killing 35 people and wounding more than 200. Witnesses in Falluja said U.S. troops sealed off the area around the blast.

A Christian Warrior Under Fire
Lt. Gen. William G. "Jerry" Boykin, the former Delta Force commander, seems to be exactly the kind of warrior America needs to lead us in battle against the kind of fanatics we face. The general is an evangelical Christian, and from his deep Christian beliefs he derives his convictions about the character of the war we are in and his courage to fight it. But these beliefs may yet cost this splendid soldier his post at the Pentagon, where he has been put in charge of the U.S. campaign to run down, capture or kill Osama bin Laden and Saddam Hussein.

35 Killed On Iraq's Bloodiest Day
BAGHDAD -- In Iraq's most brutal day since the war's end nearly seven months ago, four suicide bombs yesterday left Iraqi and American officials scrambling to reassert normality over chaos, while the Bush administration continued to reassure skeptics that security was steadily improving. Iraqis marked their first full day of the holy month of Ramadan in an atmosphere of siege in the capital, as the death toll from the bombs — an eruption of carnage that spanned less than an hour — rose to at least 35 people, including three children, according to officials.

Bush to Sign Electronic Banking Bill
WASHINGTON -- A bill awaiting President Bush's signature would allow banks to clear checks electronically, potentially slashing paperwork. Under the legislation, banks will be able to approve digital images of checks rather than physically transport them between financial institutions. The bill changes the current requirement that banks have specific agreements with other institutions to electronically process checks. Banks, customers and businesses that still want paper checks could request a substitute check, which has the same legal status as a regular one, to confirm the electronic transfer.

U.S. Troops Face New Coordination from Insurgents
BAGHDAD, Iraq - Two U.S. Army helicopters circled helplessly Monday morning above the confused scene on An Nidal street, contributing little but noise. Below lay the scattered shards of a late-model Iraqi ambulance outside the headquarters of the Red Cross, a dozen extinguished lives and another tear in the U.S. plan to rebuild Iraq.

Taliban Attack Convoys, Afghan Soldiers Killed
In news in from Afghanistan, Nawaiwaqt has confirmed the report that the Taliban attacked a convoy of Afghan army in the province of Paktika in the Manray Kandao area, killing 12 Afghan and Northern Alliance soldiers and destroying 8 vehicles. Shortly thereafter, Coalition forces bombed the mountains surrounding the area for two hours. Of those killed, four were Afghan national army soldiers while the other eight were members of the Northern Alliance. Some news reports indicated coalition casualties as high as 100 however this is a gross overstatement. Taliban are reporting no losses at this time.

American Compound In Baghdad Hit
by Missiles From Mobile Launcher
BAGHDAD, Iraq - A senior U.S. military officer was killed, and more than a dozen other individuals were wounded early Sunday morning when a barrage of air-to-ground missiles slammed into a hotel inside what had been considered one of the most secure compounds in Baghdad. The compound is where most of the personnel who are part of the American-led occupation here live and eat.

US Shaken By Barrage of Attacks From Muslim Resistance
Washington’s plans to mark the six-month anniversary of Bush’s declaration of an end to major military operations with allusions to the donors’ conference in Madrid and a triumphant tour of Iraq by Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz ended ignominiously. On Sunday, a shaken Wolfowitz had to flee the rocket-damaged Al Rasheed Hotel, and the following morning three Baghdad police stations and the headquarters of the International Committee of the Red Cross were bombed in coordinated attacks that occurred within the space of 45 minutes. The attacks demonstrated that the armed resistance to the US occupation of Iraq is gaining strength and that American officials and their local collaborators are not secure even in the most heavily guarded and fortified enclaves of the capital city.

Muslims Kill 35 With Car Bombings

At Least 35 Die in Muslim Car Bombings
BAGHDAD, Iraq -- Suicide bombers struck the Red Cross headquarters and three police stations across Baghdad on Monday, killing at least 35 people and injuring more than 200 in a coordinated terror spree that stunned the Iraqi capital on the first day of the Islamic holy month of fasting, Ramadan. The string of car bombings, all within about 45 minutes, was the bloodiest attack yet in the city of 5 million by insurgents targeting the American-led occupation and those perceived as working with it.

Bush Says U.S. Aid to Muslims Should
Be in Form of Grants not Loans
WASHINGTON -- President Bush said on Monday U.S. aid to Iraq should be in the form of grants, not loans, and gave no sign of backing off a threat to veto legislation that included a loan provision. Bush told reporters, "My attitude has been and still is that the money we provide Iraq ought to be in the form of a grant."

Davis Names Allies to Jobs
In the two weeks since he was recalled on Oct. 7, Gov. Gray Davis has quietly appointed dozens of senior staff members and political supporters to state boards and commissions, some of which carry six-figure salaries. Davis made the appointments without releasing their names to the public through his press office, which has been the normal practice throughout his governorship. They came to light Thursday when the state Senate printed a list in its weekly history file.

Schwarzenegger's Sodomite-friendly Script
Gay Republicans are hoping that the political earthquake that gay-friendly Arnold Schwarzenegger set off in California will also shake up the Republican Party nationally. But the Republican actor's amazing triumph ought to trigger shock waves within the Democratic Party, as well: He's shown that Democrats can't afford to be complacent about courting gay and gay-friendly voters.

Regent holds Political Partisan Debate
For its 25th Anniversary
VIRGINIA BEACH -- They snipped, sniped and spewed. Then they shook hands. A high-profile version of ``Crossfire'' came to Regent University on Saturday, with a two-hour political debate on the role of the Supreme Court featuring three big-name advocates from each side. Nobody held back. Near the end of the frenetic match of political pingpong, liberal Barry Lynn summed up the good spirit that managed to prevail: ``In its own peculiar way, this has been a really fun afternoon.'' The debate was held to commemorate the 25th anniversary of Regent University, the Christian graduate school founded by Pat Robertson.

Stringent Security Expected At Awards
With the tightest security since Nelson Mandela's visit to Memphis, the National Civil Rights Museum will present its Freedom Awards Tuesday to former president Bill Clinton and local NAACP legend Maxine Smith. Museum executive director Beverly Robertson said that in addition to the Memphis Police Department TACT Unit, there will be Secret Service contingents from the Memphis office and from Clinton's security team.

PG&E Plans $9.4 Billion Debt Offering
SAN FRANCISCO -- Utility Pacific Gas & Electric Co., California's biggest utility, said on Friday it plans to sell up to $9.4 billion of debt to help it emerge from 2-1/2 years of bankruptcy. The PG&E Corp.-owned (PCG) utility will file a registration statement early next week with the Securities and Exchange Commission for the sale. Proceeds of the sale, together with cash on hand and other possible financing, will be used to pay about $12 billion in remaining creditor claims, a utility spokesman said. PG&E already has paid more than $1 billion in claims, mainly to power suppliers.

Google buys Primedia's Sprinks
PALO ALTO, Calif. -- Internet search engine Google Inc. is buying online ad service Sprinks, taking over a piece of Primedia Inc.'s media empire while wiping out one of its biggest rivals for content-based advertising online. Primedia, which is in talks to sell its high-profile New York magazine, did not disclose the price in a statement announcing the sale on Friday.

Scalia Ridicules Court, But Does Not Resign
(2 Cor. 6:14-18)

Scalia Ridicules Court's Sodomite Ruling
WASHINGTON — Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia ridiculed his court's recent ruling legalizing gay sex, telling an audience of conservative activists Thursday that the ruling ignores the Constitution in favor of a modern, liberal sensibility. The ruling, Scalia said, "held to be a constitutional right what had been a criminal offense at the time of the founding and for nearly 200 years thereafter." Scalia adopted a mocking tone to read from the court's June ruling that struck down state anti-sodomy laws in Texas and elsewhere. Scalia wrote a bitter dissent in the gay-sex case.

U.S. Soldiers Barred From Donating Blood
ATLANTA -- Soldiers who served in Iraq will not be allowed to give blood for a year after returning home, because of a rare skin parasite that has infected members of the military, federal health officials said Thursday. The disease, called leishmaniasis, is rarely deadly but can cause serious skin lesions and can be spread through the blood supply. The Pentagon estimated the potential loss of blood donors at more than 12,000 people. But many of the servicemen would not have been allowed to donate anyway because they were in areas where malaria is endemic.

World Spurns US Appeal For $30bn to Rebuild Iraq
Kofi Annan, the UN secretary general, appealed yesterday at the donor conference for Iraq for nations to give generously to tackle the disease, homelessness and malnutrition afflicting the country. At the start of the fund-raising conference in Madrid its Spanish hosts lowered expectations by setting a $6bn (£3.5bn) target for the gathering, which is being held against the backdrop of divisions over the US-led occupation. Pledges are certain to fall short of the $30bn sought by Washington.

Rumsfeld Suggests New Agency for 'War of Ideas'
WASHINGTON -- Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said in an interview published on Friday that the United States needs to sell its message more effectively and that a new agency would help fight a "war of ideas" against international terrorism. "We are in a war of ideas, as well as a global war on terror. And the ideas are important and they need to be marshaled, and they need to be communicated in ways that are persuasive to the listeners," Rumsfeld said in a wide-ranging interview with The Washington Times.

Iraq: The Missing Billions
A staggering US$4 billion in oil revenues and other Iraqi funds earmarked for the reconstruction of the country has disappeared into opaque bank accounts administered by the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA), the US-controlled body that rules Iraq. By the end of the year, if nothing changes in the way this cash is accounted for, that figure will double.

Powell Announces 20.3 Billion Dollar
Donation for Iraq Reconstruction
MADRID -- US Secretary of State Colin Powell said here Friday that the US government is ready to provide a total of 20.3 billion US dollars for the reconstruction of Iraq. In a five-minute speech delivered at the international donors' conference for the reconstruction of Iraq, Powell said that the conference is to show strong support and deep commitment to the Iraqi people in the building of a new country.

$82 Billion Stolen From Social Security
In fiscal 2003 that just ended, Social Security produced an $81.8 billion surplus. This was an overcharge paid by American workers in payroll taxes, extra money that the Social Security Administration did not need in order to meet all of its obligations to the currently retired and disabled. It is profit that could have been either refunded or invested properly so that it might have the chance to grow and provide better benefits for future retirees. But that's not what happened. Congress and the Bush administration stole this $82 billion. You might prefer to call it something more polite, like embezzlement, but it was outright theft.

Senate Approves Pay Increase For Itself
For the fifth straight year, members of Congress will see a jump in their paychecks in 2004, with election-year salaries rising from the current $154,700 to about $158,000. The Senate, on a 60-34 vote Thursday, rejected a proposal to exempt senators from a cost-of-living increase going to all civilian federal workers and military personnel. Last month the House, by a similar convincing margin, also turned back an attempt to deny lawmakers an automatic share of the COLA increase.

Senate Adds Money to Improve Vote System
WASHINGTON - Intent on avoiding a repeat of the 2000 presidential election debacle, the Senate has added $1 billion to the president's request for funds to carry out improvements in the national voting system.

Senate Approves $1.34 Billion for Amtrak
WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Senate on Thursday approved $1.34 billion for Amtrak this year, but the final amount is up to congressional negotiators who must consider a bill passed by the House of Representatives that would give the railroad some $400 million less.

Muhammad Suspected As Alabama Shooter
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. - A witness in the trial of John Allen Muhammad testified Friday that a high-powered rifle was used in an Alabama robbery attempt, possibly indicating that Muhammad was the shooter.

Mistrial Declared in Ex-CSFB Exec Case
NEW YORK -- A mistrial was declared in the trial of former Credit Suisse First Boston banker Frank Quattrone on Friday after jurors failed to decide whether the former star investment banker obstructed justice during federal probes into hot stock offerings.

Google Considers Online Auction of IPO Shares
Google is considering holding a massive online auction of shares early next year in an initial public offering that investment bankers predict could value the internet search-engine company at more than $15bn. An electronic auction would be designed to prevent a recurrence of the sort of financial scandals that have engulfed Wall Street since the collapse of the dotcom bubble, according to a person close to the company. It could also slash the underwriting fees paid to investment banks, the person added, and in the process help to break Wall Street's hold on the lucrative IPO business.

Bush Heckled in Australia

Bush Heckled in Australia
CANBERRA -- Heckled inside and outside Australia's parliament, President Bush on Thursday defended the invasion of Iraq during a symbolic visit to thank Australia for its staunch support in the war on terror. Authorities took the unprecedented step of barring the public from the parliament where Bush spoke on Thursday, backing a special security role for Australia in the Asia-Pacific region that has raised concerns among Asian neighbors. So the heckling did not rattle Bush, who is on his first trip to Australia. The last U.S. president to visit Australia was Bill Clinton in 1996 -- who was also heckled. "I love free speech," quipped Bush, to cheers from the house, having been warned he could face politicians' protests.

More Patriot Act Amendments Unveiled
WASHINGTON -- Lawmakers are looking to make changes to the USA Patriot Act. Amendments to the law that rein in some investigative powers and promote privacy are now being pushed in both houses of Congress. A bill introduced in the House this week suggests six main amendments to the Act, including oversight of online and telephone surveillance methods adopted by the FBI in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Called the Security and Freedoms Ensured (SAFE) Act, House Resolution 3352 is nearly identical to one introduced in the Senate last week.

Senate Votes for Tough Limits on Spam
WASHINGTON - The Senate has voted to impose tough new limits against sending unwanted commercial e-mails, but supporters warned computer users not to expect any immediate end to offers for prescription drugs, cheap loans, herbal remedies and pornography.

U.S., Iraq Plead for Billions to Rebuild
MADRID, Spain -- U.S. and Iraqi officials pleaded for billions to rebuild Iraq at a donors conference that opened Thursday with warnings that they might not get all they need right away. Despite the approval last week of a U.N. resolution setting out Iraq's future course, U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan acknowledged that lingering divisions over Washington's role in running the country might deter some donors.

Homesickness Leads U.S. Troops in Iraq to Suicide?
TIKRIT, Iraq -- U.S. soldiers who have committed suicide in Iraq were mostly just desperate to return home, and may have meant only to injure themselves, a military combat stress officer said on Thursday. Officials in Washington said last week at least 13 soldiers have killed themselves in Iraq, representing more than 10 percent of non-combat deaths. More case are being probed.

Power Outage Forces Delay in Sniper Trial
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. -- A power outage at the courthouse forced officials to cancel Thursday's testimony in the trial of sniper shooting suspect John Allen Muhammad, one day after he gave up acting his own attorney and rehired his lawyers. Sheriff's spokeswoman Paula Miller said a faulty electrical transformer knocked out power to the courthouse early Thursday.

'Grand Theft Auto' under fire in $246M suit
CHICAGO -- A fatal sniping spree by two teen-age Tennessee boys who said they were mimicking the video game "Grand Theft Auto III" has triggered a $246 million damage lawsuit against the game's creator and others.

U.S. Commander sees Increase in Muslim Attacks

U.S. Commander Reports Increase in Muslim Attacks
Ambush bombers struck Wednesday in the center of Baghdad and in the tense Sunni Muslim area west of the capital, as the commander of American forces reported an increase in attacks against occupation troops. The Baghdad attack caused light casualties, a U.S. officer at the scene reported. Witnesses said four Americans were carried away on stretchers after a strike on a three-vehicle convoy on the western end of the flashpoint city Fallujah, but there was no comment from U.S. officials. Residents cheered and looted one of the vehicles.

Muslims Kill Another American
as US Rallies for Funds
Another US soldier has been killed in Iraq as the United States called on reluctant nations to donate generously to the war-ravaged country at a conference this week in Madrid. The latest deadly attack, which took to 104 the number of US soldiers killed in Iraq since major hostilities were declared over on May 1, followed messages attributed to America's fugitive foes Saddam Hussein and Osama bin Laden. US President George W Bush, meanwhile, said the messages would only strengthen his resolve to fight terrorism. On the reconstruction front, US officials have stepped up their bid to secure more funds for rebuilding Iraq ahead of the two-day donors conference which opens in Spain on Thursday.

Dubya Drops In
AirForce One touched down at Canberra's Fairbairn air base at 9.46pm last night, bringing US President George W.Bush to Australia for a whirlwind 21-hour tour. In an unusual move, John Howard and wife Janette climbed the stairs of the 747 to greet Mr Bush and wife Laura inside, rather than on the tarmac. The couples emerged together a few minutes later, waving to waiting media and the security detail - no ordinary members of the public were allowed near the air base.

Sniper Suspect Ends Stint As Own Lawyer
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. - Sniper suspect John Allen Muhammad changed his mind Wednesday and stopped acting as his own lawyer at his trial after only one day of cross-examining witnesses. Circuit Judge LeRoy F. Millette Jr. informed the jury of Muhammad's decision after a half-hour conference at the judge's bench. Jonathan Shapiro and Peter Greenspun, who had been advising him on standby since his decision Monday, returned to their former roles as his defense lawyers.

Neo-Nazi Runs For Mayor of
Idaho Town 'To Get My Word Out'
HAYDEN, Idaho -- The people of Hayden can't seem to rid themselves of neo-Nazi Richard Butler. The founder of the Aryan Nations lost his compound outside of town to bankruptcy several years ago, but moved into a Hayden house bought by a supporter. Now Butler is running for mayor of this town of 9,000, linking Hayden in the public mind once more with his anti-Semitic, white-separatist views.

Communist Vietnam responds to Tiger Force report

Communist Vietnam Seeks to Move
Past Reported U.S. War Crimes
HANOI -- Communist Vietnam said Tuesday it wanted to move forward from its war past with America, following a U.S. newspaper report that an army unit known as Tiger Force may have committed war crimes. The Blade newspaper from Toledo, Ohio, reported Sunday that the unit killed scores of unarmed civilians, but an investigation was closed with no charges being brought. Asked to respond to the report, Vietnam's Foreign Ministry said in a statement Tuesday that while the war with America, which ended in 1975, "caused much suffering and losses to the Vietnamese people," it wished to close the door on such events. The newspaper said the accusations against the unit included killing women and children, torturing prisoners and severing ears and scalps for souvenirs. The paper said the Army's investigation of Tiger Force found 27 soldiers who said the severing of ears from dead Vietnamese was an accepted practice. One soldier told the newspaper that troops would wear necklaces of ears to scare Vietnamese civilians. A Pentagon spokesman, reading from a prepared statement, told Reuters on Sunday: "Absent new and compelling evidence there are no plans to reopen the case. The case is more than 30 years old."
(Editor's note: "30 years old." About the same time of Roe v. Wade, which began the U.S. federal government's homicidal reign of terror and death -- murdering millions of innocent American children -- and there is no absents of "compelling evidence" to prove it! --Jim Rudd).

While Being Shot at and Killed by Muslims in
Iraq, No Punishment for Trigger-Happy U.S. Troops?
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- U.S. soldiers stationed in Iraq are resorting to lethal force too readily and are unlikely to be held accountable for their actions, according to a new report released here Tuesday by Human Rights Watch (HRW). In an investigation undertaken in late September, HRW collected what it calls "credible reports" of 94 civilian deaths at the hands of U.S. forces from May 1 to October 1, all of which appear to have taken place in circumstances that warrant an official investigation.

U.N. Coalition Forces Take Action in Iraq
FALLUJAH, Iraq - Iraq's hit-and-run resistance struck U.S. forces in this tense city west of Baghdad for a second day Monday, killing one American paratrooper and wounding six others, the U.S. command reported. Early Tuesday, the U.S. military said coalition troops and Iraqi security forces were "taking action against criminal elements" in Karbala, the city where an American lieutenant colonel was killed in a firefight outside the home of a Shiite Muslim cleric on Thursday. The Central Command office in Baghdad refused to provide any other details.

U.N. Coalition Forces Crack
Down on Oil Smugglers in Iraq
BAGHDAD -- U.N. Coalition forces intensified a major crackdown on oil smuggling from southern Iraq during the weekend, a U.S. military spokesman said. Rampant smuggling of oil and refined products has hampered efforts to revive Iraq's key oil industry.

U.S. May Delay Oilfield Refurb Work Award
WASHINGTON/LONDON -- The United States could delay awarding Iraq oil field contracts worth up to $1 billion to check if firms bidding can meet criteria required, a source close to the contracts told Reuters on Monday. An announcement by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, scheduled to come in mid-October, would now most probably come on Wednesday, the source said.

Republicans Try to Debate Class Action Bill
WASHINGTON -- Republicans sought on Monday to bring to the Senate floor a bill to curb abuse of class action lawsuits, but Democrats objected, branding it a sop to industry at consumers' expense. The Senate's Republican leadership announced it would seek a procedural vote at mid-week on whether to take up the bill. The measure would move most large class action lawsuits from state to federal courts, where judges may be less sympathetic.

Medicare Drug Bill Eludes Lawmakers
WASHINGTON — With hundreds of billions of dollars to spend and tens of millions of constituents to please, lawmakers have plotted a slow course to providing a Medicare drug benefit, despite earlier promises to seniors that negotiators would have a compromise ready last week. House and Senate negotiators insist that they have made a lot of progress on their differing versions of the $400 billion drug benefit program now under consideration. But conflicting demands have made it difficult to reach a final agreement.

Insiders Expect Clan Loyalties To Trump Party Ties
After Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy died in 1995, her son Ted asked a small group of family members and friends to contribute essays to a small book about the Kennedy family matriarch titled Her Grace Above Gold, to be published privately. Among those who contributed an essay: Arnold Schwarzenegger. The essay — which recounts some of Schwarzenegger’s fondest memories of Rose Kennedy — speaks to the close personal relationship he formed with the Kennedy family after marrying her granddaughter Maria Shriver. Now that Schwarzenegger is Republican governor-elect of the nation’s most populous state, some political observers are questioning whether those personal relations will transform into an informal political network with the nation’s leading Democrat family.

Muslims Killing; Muhammad Dealing;
and Bush Giving Away the Farm

Muslims Kill U.S. Soldier Outside Fallujah
FALLUJAH, Iraq -- Assailants ambushed a U.S. Army foot patrol outside Fallujah at midday Monday, killing one American and wounding five others in the second day of attacks in this anti-U.S. hotbed, the American command reported. Two civilians also were killed. The patrol, from the 82nd Airborne Division, was first hit by an exploding homemade bomb, and then by small-arms fire, the military said. Americans then raided a nearby mosque in an apparent search for the attackers, and detained three Iraqis.

D.C. Sniper Suspect to Represent Himself
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. -- Sniper suspect John Allen Muhammad will represent himself at his trial. Circuit Judge LeRoy F. Millette Jr. approved the motion Monday morning granting Muhammad's request as the trial began its second week. The trial started nearly an hour late, and Millette immediately called a bench conference with Muhammad and defense and prosecuting attorneys. Muhammad and Millette spoke directly to each other for more than five minutes of the 30-minute conference.

Bush Pledges U.S. Funding to Reform Philippine Military
MANILA -- US President George W Bush told the Philippine Congress on Saturday the United States would provide funding and technical assistance to modernise and reform the country’s military. Bush called the US-Philippine military alliance “a rock of stability in the Pacific” and said Washington and Manila agreed on Saturday to “update our defence cooperation”.

Voter Registration Kits for Afghan Elections Arriving
KABUL -- Voter registration kits donated by Canada and the United States are arriving here this week as Afghanistan prepares for its first nation-wide public registration process in the history, a United Nations spokesman said on Sunday. The kits, which include cameras, films, registration books, stationary and other materials necessary for the registration process, will arrive in Kabul, the capital city, in 27 containers from Monday through Friday this week, the spokesman told reporters.

Suit Alleges Anthrax Drug's Side Effects
CAMDEN, N.J. -- Four U.S. Postal Service workers have sued the maker of an antibiotic they took during the anthrax scare two years ago, saying the drug caused harmful side effects. The lawsuit filed in Superior Court on Friday claims that Bayer Corp. failed to disclose data that Cipro could damage nerves and tendons. The lawsuit, which seeks class-action status, also accuses three New Jersey hospitals of failing to provide warnings, perform exams or offer alternative medications.

U.S. Army Plans Exit Strategy
United States commanders in Iraq have drawn up detailed proposals for a rapid reduction of troop numbers over the next 18 months in the first indication of formal planning for an exit strategy. Commanders told the Washington Post the aim was to show they could reduce the force without compromising Iraq's stability, leaving fewer then 50,000 US troops by mid-2005. The timetable would be attractive to the White House in the countdown to next year's election, but it may yet prove unrealistic given the instability in post-Saddam Iraq.

Marines Face Charges of Mistreating Iraqis
LOS ANGELES -- Eight Marine reservists face charges ranging from negligent homicide to making false statements in connection with the mistreatment of prisoners of war in Iraq, military officials said Saturday. Two of the men were charged with negligent homicide in connection with the June death of an Iraqi who was held at a detention facility, said Marine Staff Sgt. Bill Lisbon, a spokesman at Camp Pendleton.

HHS Secretary Pledges Multi-Million
Dollar Cooperation With Communist China
WASHINGTON -- Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy G. Thompson met with Executive Vice Minister of Health Gao Qiang in Beijing on Sunday to pledge continued assistance by the United States to build the capacity of the People's Republic of China to detect, fight and treat diseases, and to urge openness among Chinese officials in the fight against SARS, HIV/AIDS and other diseases. This effort will take the form of a multiyear, multi-million dollar program of cooperation between HHS and the Chinese Ministry of Health aimed at strengthening China's fundamental public health infrastructure and improving China's capacity to manage not only SARS, but also other diseases, such as hepatitis, HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and cancer. Senior officials from both sides continue to meet to finalize the details of the program.

Sniper Case Circumstantial
Virginia Beach, Va. - The lawyers prosecuting John Allen Muhammad and those defending him agree on at least one thing - there is no direct evidence linking Muhammad to any of last fall's sniper shootings. No eyewitnesses place the sniper rifle in his hands. No surveillance photographs show him taking a shot. He has never admitted doing anything wrong.

Virginia's Strategy in the Sniper Trial
Who pulled the trigger? In capital murder trials in Virginia, the answer to that question means the difference between life in prison or death by execution for a convicted killer.

Sniper Trial Jury is Chosen
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. -- Ten women and five men were chosen yesterday to decide the fate of serial sniper suspect John Allen Muhammad, who, if convicted, could receive the death penalty in the shootings that terrorized the Washington region last fall.

FBI Appears to Focus on 'Pay to Play'
From the mayor's inner sanctum to a nondescript business in Mount Airy, from the elegant Center City offices of a well-connected lawyer to the headquarters for public housing, the feds seem to be examining the entire Philadelphia political system. Just a week ago, the FBI wanted to peek inside Mayor Street's BlackBerries. Now, agents want his financial records from a bank, according to sources.

Muslims Kill Four More Americans

Four U.S. Soldiers Killed in Iraq Clashes
BAGHDAD, Iraq - U.S. combat deaths since President Bush declared the end of major fighting passed the 100 mark after a bloody clash and a roadside attack killed four Americans, including the highest-ranking Army officer to die since the war started. The four deaths suffered Friday included Lt. Col. Kim S. Orlando, 43, the highest-ranking Army officer killed by hostile fire since the Iraq war started on March 20, said Maj. Steve Stover, an Army spokesman at the Pentagon. Orlando was commander of the 716th Military Police Battalion.

Bush to Schwarzenegger: I Love ya bud!

Bush Says Much in Common with Schwarzenegger
SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. -- President Bush and California Gov.-elect Arnold Schwarzenegger sized each other up on Thursday in a get-together session that Schwarzenegger hopes will lead to federal help for a state Bush would like to win in 2004. The two Republicans met privately for more than a half hour at the historic Mission Inn in nearby Riverside and rode together in a presidential limousine to San Bernardino. As a friendly crowd cheered, Schwarzenegger introduced Bush for a speech about the war on terrorism. (Much in Common with Schwarzenegger: Bush in Bed with Homosexuals; Bush Betrayed Pro-Lifers Again)

US Troops Question Presence in Iraq
A sizeable portion of US forces serving in Iraq describe troop morale as low, and say they have no intention of re-enlisting, damaging the campaign by the US government to brighten up the image of the postwar occupation. The survey of 1,935 troops, published in a series of special reports on Iraq in the Stars and Stripes newspaper, also found that a significant number of troops were confused about the purpose of their presence, and had lost faith in their mission.

Soldiers’s Glowing Accounts of Success
in Iraq Success Were Written by Commander
The letters appeared in roughly 12 newspapers across the country. From Massachusetts to California, and many places in between, family members and local newspapers received letters from soldiers of the 2nd Battalion of the 503rd Infantry Regiment detailing their successes in northern Iraq. Each letter was signed by a different soldier, but the words were identical.

Bush & Co. Use the Orwell Sales Strategy
There's nothing like a war to bring out the inner George Orwell in a government. In ways little and small, Uncle Sam has been morphing into Big Brother - spinning the news, even, apparently, manufacturing news. The Gannett News Service reported that 11 different U.S. newspapers had unwittingly printed identical five-paragraph letters-to-the- editor from soldiers in Iraq. The letters were full of upbeat puff - "the quality of life and security for the citizens has been largely restored" - the kind that some PR blitzer might dream up. None of the soldiers contacted by Gannett for comment said that they had written the letter; it had been handed to them for signature, they said, by Army superiors. Indeed, one soldier said he hadn't even seen the letter before it appeared in his hometown paper.

Army Concerned About Suicides of US Troops in Iraq
WASHINGTON -- At least 13 U.S. troops have committed suicide in Iraq, representing more than 10 percent of American noncombat deaths there, and the Army dispatched a suicide-prevention expert to assess the problem, officials said on Thursday.

Exit Plan: Give It Over to the U.N.
U.S. Military Looking For Way Out of Iraq
Influences Adoption of U.N. Resolution
WASHINGTON -- The adoption of the new UN resolution on Iraq followed months of intense lobbying from US military leaders seeking new international legitimacy to the task of stabilizing and rebuilding the country, according to Bush administration officials. After months of rising violence and growing anti-American sentiment in Iraq, the military commanders convinced administration hawks -- who had initially opposed seeking UN backing -- that relinquishing some symbolic control of the postwar situation to the world body would go a long way toward ensuring ultimate success.

U.N. Council OKs Resolution
UNITED NATIONS - The Security Council handed the United States a diplomatic coup Thursday by unanimously adopting a resolution designed to attract more troops and money to stabilize Iraq. France, Russia, Germany and China reversed their long-standing opposition, voting more to show their unity in helping rebuild Iraq than their approval of the U.S. vision of how to do it. But to express their displeasure that some of their key demands had not been met, they declined to offer the troops and money the resolution sought.

EU Urges "Realistic Schedule" for Iraqi Handover
The European Union called Friday for a "realistic schedule" for the handover of power in Iraq and a "strong and vital" role for the United Nations in the war-scarred country, according to draft conclusions. The 15-member Union also said it would "actively contribute" to drumming up reconstruction aid at a donors' conference in Madrid next week -- although in terms of money it went no further than restating a European Commission pledge to contribute 200 million euros.

A New Constitution — Coming Up!
The U.S. occupation of Iraq is getting seriously weird. The U.S. Government has served notice that the occupation won’t end until the Iraqis come up with a constitution, and Secretary of State Colin Powell thinks six months is a reasonable deadline. The Iraqis appointed to do the job say they’ll need at least a year. A year? The U.S. Constitution was banged out in a couple of months in the summer of 1787. Of course conditions were somewhat different. The delegates to our Philadelphia convention were sent by the 13 states, not chosen by a foreign power, and they had plenty of experience to guide their steps. It’s a little odd for an invading force to impose “self-government” on a conquered people. Self-government usually occurs when there are no foreigners specifying how it’s to be done.

FBI Starts Probe of Deadly Gaza Bombing
JEBALIYA REFUGEE CAMP, Gaza Strip - An FBI team has started its investigation into a deadly bombing of a U.S. convoy after the arrest of seven militants from a rogue Palestinian group. Separately, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon appeared to rule out the threat of expelling Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, telling an Israeli daily that such a move would be bad for Israel.

Sniper Trial Adds to Virginia Death Penalty Legacy
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. -- Even before the first witness is called in the murder trial of accused sniper John Muhammad, lawyers focused on the death penalty, the ultimate punishment for crime that has a four-century history in Virginia.

VeriSign Sells Network Solutions Business
VeriSign Inc. on Thursday divested itself of its Network Solutions business unit. However, the company will retain the Internet registry service for the .com and .net domain names. The Mountain View, Calif., company's Network Solutions businesses, which VeriSign acquired in 2000, fell into two categories: providing the Internet name registry for .com and .net domains; and selling registrations and other services, such as site hosting and business e-mail accounts. It is this latter business that VeriSign today sold to Phoenix-based Pivotal Private Equity for about $100 million.

Two Peas in a Pod

Bush Pumps Up Crowds as He
Prepares to Meet Governor-Elect
President Bush swept through California on Wednesday in advance of his first meeting today with the state's governor-elect, Arnold Schwarzenegger, whose victory the White House hopes might signal a Republican resurgence in the state. Bush will meet with Schwarzenegger privately in Riverside, then publicly when the president delivers a speech in San Bernardino. A potential problem for Bush is that Schwarzenegger, like many Hollywood Republicans, tends to be moderate or liberal on hot-button social issues, such as abortion rights and gay rights.[?] (NO problem at all for GW: Bush in Bed with Homosexuals; Bush Betrayed Pro-Lifers Again)

Germany, France, Russia to OK U.N. Resolution
Germany, France nor Russia to engage militarily
BRUSSELS, Belgium -- Germany, France and Russia Europe's leading opponents to the U.S.-led war in Iraq will vote in favor of the U.N. resolution that Washington hopes will attract troops and money to stabilize Iraq, Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder said Thursday. "Many things have been included from what we proposed. This led us ... to jointly agree to the resolution." Schroeder added that neither Germany, France nor Russia "are in a position to engage ourselves militarily."

Company Whose Guards Were Killed by Muslims
in Gaza Has Huge Presence In U.S. Government
WASHINGTON -- In the terror-conscious post-Sept. 11 world, DynCorp, the employer of the three security guards killed in the Mideast bombing Wednesday, has become the 10th-largest contractor of the U.S. government. With more than 23,000 employees, DynCorp's duties are as varied as maintaining military aircraft in the Middle East and furnishing international police monitors in Bosnia and East Timor. In Iraq, DynCorp has a $50 million State Department contract to send up to 1,000 former police officers to train Iraqi police and advise the occupation administration on reorganizing the country's law enforcement agencies, according to the research firm Hoover's.

Smallpox Vaccination Plan 'Ceased'
Less than a year after President Bush announced a smallpox vaccination plan to protect Americans in the event of a terrorist attack, a fraction of the expected number of health workers have been immunized and the much ballyhooed program is dead in the water. Federal health officials say they're not ready to declare the program dead, but they readily acknowledge it's ailing. "The fact is, it's ceased," says Ray Strikas of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, "not that anyone's issued an edict to say stop." The smallpox vaccination program was a central part of the Bush administration's plan to protect the nation against bioterrorist threats in the wake of 9/11.

Postal Workers Sue Over Anthrax Exposure
A group of Washington-area Postal Service employees who claim they were deliberately left in harm’s way during the 2001 anthrax attacks plan to file a class action suit Wednesday against the agency. Brentwood Exposed, a group professing to represent hundreds of current and former postal workers, allege that Postmaster General John Potter and other agency leaders violated the employees’ Fifth Amendment rights by withholding information relating to contamination at the Joseph Curseen Jr. and Thomas Morris Jr. Processing and Distribution Center.

More Questions on the Deaths
and Illnesses of American Soldiers
The investigation has been running since July 17 and was initiated in response to the death of two soldiers and the hospitalisation of approximately 100 with what was diagnosed as pneumonia. The military has revealed that 10 of the 19 most severe cases, including the two fatalities, had the condition eosinophilia—a higher than normal level of the white blood cell eosinophil. Eosinophilia is commonly associated with an allergic reaction to either toxins or parasitic infection. In these cases, the military claims there is no evidence of toxins or an infectious variant of pneumonia.

Vet targets Agent Orange firms
In the decades after he served in Vietnam, Tom Gallagher heard all the talk about Agent Orange. He heard about the millions of gallons of Agent Orange sprayed in Vietnam to destroy the foliage that provided dense camouflage to the enemy. He heard about how some of his wartime brethren believed they’d developed debilitating diseases from exposure to the herbicide. He heard about the $180 million class-action settlement that the chemical companies agreed to so the mounting number of lawsuits would go away.

Tacoma council OKs use of Mexican IDs
After two false starts, Tacoma has joined a growing list of cities willing to accept a card issued by the Mexican government as valid identification. The City Council voted 7-1 Tuesday to allow Mexican citizens to use the cards - often used by undocumented residents who can't obtain another form of ID - when they deal with City Hall.

Space Set to Become War Zone, Warns US General
Space may become a war zone in the not-too-distant future, a senior US military officer said today, hours after China became only the third country after the US and the former Soviet Union to put a man in space. "In my view it will not be long before space becomes a battleground," Lieutenant General Edward Anderson, deputy commander of US Northern Command, said in response to a question at a geospatial intelligence conference in New Orleans.

N.C. Judges Balk At Rules Change
Many of North Carolina's frontline trial judges are revolting against a change in rules that allows state judicial candidates to behave more like other politicians. Their beef: The new rules threaten to turn impartial judges into vote mongers. Under the new rules, legal scholars argue, judicial candidates could promise voters not to overturn death sentences, to ban abortions, to defy gun ownership rights or to pledge to act in any manner on any issue that might come before them.

Iraq in our Image

US Plans New Agency To Oversee Iraqi Contracts
Anxious to speed up work in Iraq, the Pentagon is planning a new office to oversee tens of billions of dollars in contracts, taking away some power held by the US Agency for International Development, US officials said yesterday. USAID, which falls under the auspices of the State Department, has been responsible for handing out many of the lucrative reconstruction projects in Iraq along with the US Army Corps of Engineers. The new office, which will be based in Baghdad, is expected to handle most of the $20.3 billion in new reconstruction work requested by President George W Bush to Congress in supplemental funding for Iraq, US officials said.

Iraq Reconstruction Debate Begins in US Congress
WASHINGTON -- Lawmakers began debating the White House's 87-billion-dollar request to fund operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, with controversy centered over 20 billion dollars intended to rebuild Iraq. Some 67 billion dollars earmarked to support US troops expected to sail through both the House and Senate before week's end, but several lawmakers insist that at least a portion of the 20 billion dollars for Iraq ought to be provided in the form of a loan, rather than a grant.

U.S. Convoy Bombed In Gaza, 3 Americans Killed
An apparent roadside bomb demolished an armor-plated jeep in a convoy of U.S. diplomatic and CIA vehicles in the Gaza Strip Wednesday, killing at least three people. Palestinian security officials said three Americans had been killed in the explosion. The radio quoted embassy sources as saying that the victims of the blast were security men hired from an external company, not U.S. government personnel.

$100m plan for Third World GM crops
LAGOS - Crop scientists have announced a $100 million plan, partly funded by software tycoon Bill Gates, to genetically modify the key crops in the developing world to make them more nutritious. The Nigeria-based International Institute for Tropical Agriculture and its parent body the Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) said the HarvestPlus plan would enhance cassava, maize and sweetpotatoes. The 10-year programme will cost 100 million dollars, the IITA said, with the World Bank, USAID and the government of Denmark making up much of the balance in the first four years, the Gates Foundation said.

Violent Protests Erupting Over Biotechnology
SAN FRANCISCO - A growing militant movement opposed to genetic engineering in agriculture and medicine is turning to violent and criminal sabotage - from the bombing of a Bay Area biotech company to the destruction of genetically modified crops. As a result, targeted companies aren't just taking extra security precautions but also often altering business strategies. The violence, which the FBI says suddenly became more serious this year, stems in part from frustration that peaceful protests have failed to slow the pace of biotech's progress.

Domestic Intelligence Idea Spurs Debate
WASHINGTON - A former CIA director urged basic changes Tuesday in the ways the government collects and analyzes information on terrorist threats, but another former director cautioned such "major surgery" might do more short-term harm than good. The difference of opinion between John Deutch, intelligence director in 1995-1996, and James Schlesinger, director in 1973, mirrored a debate that has continued since the Sept. 11 attacks.

Court Considers Use of Antitrust
Laws to Sue Phone Companies
WASHINGTON -- The Supreme Court heard arguments Tuesday about whether people can use federal antitrust laws to sue telephone companies for poor service, a case with big-money implications for regional phone companies and their rivals. The case stems from a 1996 telecommunications law that required the "Baby Bells" - BellSouth Corp., SBC Communications, Verizon Communications and Qwest Communications - to make their networks available to rivals at discounted rates.

Supreme Court to Decide Internet Pornography Law
WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Supreme Court said on Tuesday it would decide whether a law aimed at protecting minors from Internet pornography violated constitutional free-speech rights. The high court agreed to hear a Justice Department appeal defending the law in a case that has pitted free-speech rights against the efforts by Congress to regulate cyberspace by keeping minors away from online pornography.

Supreme Court Takes Border Search Case
WASHINGTON - The Supreme Court agreed Tuesday to decide if border officers can randomly search gas tanks of vehicles coming into the country, security measures the Bush administration argued are important in the war on drugs and terrorism. An appeals court had said that officers can visually inspect gas tanks, but not dismantle them unless they have reason to suspect wrongdoing.

Jury Selection Continues In Sniper Trial
Lawyers in the case of sniper suspect John Allen Muhammed want to know what's the minds of 71 remaining prospective jurors: Were they scared as last year's shootings gripped the Washington area? Could they handle being responsible for a death sentence? Jury selection was to resume Wednesday, the day after the 42-year-old Muhammad pleaded innocent to the October 2002 slaying of 53-year-old Dean Harold Meyers as he filled up at a gas station near Manassas.

Texas Democrats Challenge District Map
AUSTIN, Texas - The battle over congressional redistricting shifted from the Capitol to federal court as Democrats filed a motion to prohibit the state from implementing a new Republican-backed map.

Pledge of Allegiance Unconstitutional?

Supreme Court to Decide Pledge Case
WASHINGTON - The Supreme Court said Tuesday it will decide whether the Pledge of Allegiance recited by generations of American schoolchildren is an unconstitutional blending of church and state. The case sets up an emotional showdown over God in the public schools and in public life. It will settle whether the phrase "one nation under God" will remain a part of the patriotic oath as it is recited in most classrooms. The court will hear the case sometime next year.

Sniper Suspect Muhammad Pleads Innocent
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. - John Allen Muhammad entered innocent pleas Tuesday as the death-penalty trial of the 42-year-old sniper suspect got under way a year after a series of deadly shootings terrified the Washington area. Muhammad pleaded innocent to capital murder and firearms charges. He initially remained silent when asked a routine question by Circuit Judge Roy F. Millette Jr., but later answered after whispering with an attorney.

FCC Says Banks Must Observe
List On Do-Not-Call Registry
The past few weeks' confusion over the future of the federal government's do-not-call telemarketing registry has been even more intense for Metroplex banks. That's because in addition to federal lawsuits, which twice challenged the government's right to establish the registry, banks are trapped between Washington regulators and competing state and federal authorities, explained Christian Otteson, associate in the financial services section at Bracewell & Patterson L.L.P. in Dallas.

New Agency for Iraq Contracts
THE United States will create a new agency, under the aegis of the Pentagon, to oversee the distribution of contracts to rebuild Iraq, a US defence official told a conference today. Deputy Under-Secretary of Defence for International Technology Security John Shaw, admitted there were "divergences" between the US Agency for International Development (USAID) - responsible for the rebuilding of Iraq under the supervision of the State Department - and the Department of Defence over the distribution of sub-contracts.

MOD Was Warned Of Gulf War Vaccine Risk
The Ministry of Defence has been urged "come clean" over its use of inoculations during the 1991 Gulf War after a Minister admitted that two vaccines should not have been given to troops together. In a written parliamentary answer, defence minister Lord Bach admitted that on December 21, 1990 - three-and-a-half weeks before the war began - the MoD was told that tests on mice combining whooping cough and anthrax vaccines had produced serious side effects. Troops were given the whooping cough vaccine to speed up the effects of the anthrax vaccine, said Lord Bach.

L.A. Transit Strike May Strand 500,000
LOS ANGELES - Mechanics for the nation's third-largest public transportation system went on strike Tuesday, shutting down buses and trains that an estimated 500,000 daily riders count on to get around Los Angeles County.

Robertson: Nuke'em Until They Glow!

US State Department Protests
Televangelist's Nuclear Threat
WASHINGTON -- The US State Department has lodged a vehement complaint with prominent televangelist Pat Robertson for comments suggesting that its Foggy Bottom headquarters should be destroyed with nuclear weapons, officials said. The senior official said Robertson had been made aware of Secretary of State Colin Powell's extreme outrage at the tone and content of the remarks. "That's not the way one expresses an opinion in Washington," the official said, adding that Robertson's conduct had been "outrageous."

U.S. Soldier Killed by Muslim Land Mine
BAGHDAD -- A U.S. soldier was killed and one wounded when their Bradley fighting vehicle struck a land mine near the town of Bayji in northern Iraq on Sunday night, a U.S. military spokesman said. "The Bradley struck a land mine. It could have been put there minutes before or hours before," Major Gordon Tate told Reuters in fugitive Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein's home town of Tikrit. Sunday's attack brought to 95 the number of U.S. soldiers killed in action in Iraq since President Bush declared major combat over on May 1.

Two-Car Muslim Suicide Bombing Kills Six
BAGHDAD -- A two-car suicide bomb attack aimed at a hotel used by U.S. officials on central Baghdad's main street killed six Iraqis and injured dozens on Sunday. The attack deals a further blow to President Bush who is trying to bolster support for his invasion of Iraq by highlighting postwar successes. Polls show his popularity tumbling as the cost of the war in lives and money mounts.

Senators Predict Approval of Bush's Iraq Funding
WASHINGTON -- U.S. senators on Sunday predicted narrow approval of President Bush's $87 billion Iraq spending package but not until the reconstruction funding is examined further, a leading Democrat suggested. While the $66 billion requested for U.S. military operations mostly in Iraq has met little resistance, various efforts have been made to refine the civilian reconstruction effort.

Army Probes Soldier Suicides
Alarmed by the number of suicides among soldiers in Iraq, the Army has asked a team of doctors to determine whether the stress of combat and long deployments is contributing to the deaths. In the past seven months, at least 11 soldiers and three Marines have committed suicide in Iraq, military officials say. That is an annual rate of 17 per 100,000. The Navy also is investigating one possible suicide. And about a dozen other Army deaths are under investigation and could include suicides.

Grocery Clerks Go On Strike
LOS ANGELES -- Three major supermarket chains said Sunday they plan to hire temporary workers to keep hundreds of stores open as more than 70,000 grocery clerks in southern California began a strike. Clerks at Kroger Co.'s Ralphs, Safeway Inc.'s Vons and Albertsons grocery stores went on strike late Saturday after negotiations between union representatives and store officials broke off, with health care coverage a key sticking point.

Trial of First Washington Sniper
Suspect to Begin in Virginia
WASHINGTON - The trial of 42-year-old John Allen Muhammad, one of two suspects in the serial sniper-killing of 10 people and wounding of three in the Washington area a year ago, opens Tuesday in the state of Virginia.

Stage Set For Sniper Trial
Attorney General John Ashcroft handpicked the 65-year-old outdoorsman and veteran commonwealth's attorney to try sniper suspect John Allen Muhammad in the Oct. 14, 2002, killing of Dean Meyers at a Manassas-area gas station. Jury selection begins tomorrow in Virginia Beach.

Texas Legislature Finally OKs Redistricting Map
HOUSTON, Texas -- Texas lawmakers on Sunday approved a congressional redistricting map that would boost Republican power in Washington, ending a six-month legislative battle that saw Democrats twice leave the state. All that remains is for Republican Gov. Rick Perry to sign the bill into law, which he has said he will do.

Rush Limbaugh Checking Into Rehab

Rush Limbaugh Checking Into Rehab
NEW YORK -- A bad 10 days for America's most-listened-to radio host got even worse Friday, when Rush Limbaugh announced on his show that he was addicted to painkillers and was admitting himself to a rehab center. "Immediately following this broadcast I will check myself into a treatment center for the next 30 days to once and for all break the hold that this highly addictive medication has on me," Limbaugh said. (Source Confirms Limbaugh Investigation)

Thousands of Shiites Denounce US
Anti-US fervor surged in the Iraqi capital as thousands of Shiite Muslims staged an angry funeral march following fighting here that killed two Iraqis, as well as two American soldiers. In Washington, meanwhile, US Vice President Dick Cheney launched a fierce frontal assault on critics of the Iraq war. And Turkish officials said they were disturbed by Iraqi opposition to a decision to send troops to the country, urging the United States to sort out the wrangle.

2 More Soldiers Killed In Sadr City
BAGHDAD, Iraq — The Shiite stronghold of Sadr City roiled with anti-American sentiment Friday, hours after gunfire broke out between Muslims and American troops in a nighttime exchange. Two U.S. soldiers were killed and four wounded in what American forces described as an Iraqi ambush as troops conducted a routine nighttime patrol late Thursday.

30 Taliban Escape From Afghan Prison
More than 30 alleged Taliban fighters have escaped from a prison in southern Afghanistan after tunnelling their way to freedom. The men broke out of a military detention facility late Friday in the centre of the main southern city of Kandahar, once the Taliban's stronghold, regional security chief General Khan Mohammad said Saturday.

Bush Insists US Has Clear Iraq Strategy
US President George W. Bush insisted that the United States and its allies have a clear strategy for helping Iraqis build "a stable, just and prosperous country." Bush said in his weekly radio address that the Iraq he envisioned would pose "no threat to America or the world," but the opposition Democrats warned that Bush must account for the mountains of money the US is pouring into Iraq for the purpose.

Skull and Bones at Yale
NEW YORK -- There are secrets that George W. Bush guards at least as carefully as any entrusted to a president. He's forbidden to share these secrets even with the vice president -- secrets he has held ever since his days as an undergraduate at Yale. In his senior year, Mr. Bush - like his father and his grandfather - belonged to Skull and Bones, an elite secret society that includes some of the most powerful men of the 20th century.

Iraq Says No to Turkish Peacekeepers
PUTRAJAYA, Malaysia -- Iraq's U.S.-appointed governing council sought support from Muslim countries Saturday, but objected to the deployment of peacekeepers from the sole Islamic nation that has consented to send them without a U.N. mandate, Turkey.

Ex-Prof Indicted in Hamas Probe
A Palestinian activist and former college professor who has been in federal custody in Chicago since September has been indicted on a single criminal contempt charge for refusing to cooperate with a grand jury investigating the terrorist group Hamas. Federal prosecutors in Chicago announced the indictment Friday against Abdelhaleem Hasan Abdelraziq Ashqar, the same day U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald and Chicago FBI Agent-in-Charge Tom Kneir paid a visit to the heavily Palestinian Mosque Foundation in Bridgeview.

Lawyer Won't Challenge Recall,
But Seeks Ruling On Petitioners
LOS ANGELES - A lawyer who had challenged the staging of the recall election said Thursday he won't contest Tuesday's results but does want a court to rule on the role of the secretary of state in making sure signature gatherers in future recalls are registered voters. Taxpayers Against the Governor's Recall and others had alleged that many of the thousands of recall petition signature gatherers -- who received as much as $1 for every valid signature they collected -- were not registered voters or California residents, as the law requires.

SEC Brings Civil Charges Against Waksal's Father
Insider trading charges were filed against the 82-year-old Jack Waksal today. He's the father of drug-company executive Sam Waksal -- who's serving a prison term for securities fraud. Federal prosecutors say Jack Waksal sold more than 8 (M) million dollars worth of stock based on a tip from his son.

Top Aide to Rep. Burns Sacked
Rep. Max Burns (R-Ga.) abruptly sacked his chief of staff last week, allegedly at the behest of the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC). “[Burns] drank their Kool-Aid,” said Chris Ingram, the Burns staffer, of the House Republicans’ fundraising arm. Burns is president of the Republican freshman class. Reached Wednesday morning, Ingram said the sacking was done at the behest of officials at the NRCC. “Max said this decision was not his and that the decision came from the NRCC,” Ingram told The Hill. “It came from the chairman down.”

Hopes of N. Ireland Deal Fading
BELFAST -- Hopes of a deal on securing a return to self-rule in Northern Ireland are fading, according to political and government sources, but there is a growing sense Britain will press ahead anyway with delayed elections. The province has been run directly from London since its power-sharing assembly collapsed a year ago in the wake of allegations about an IRA guerrilla spy ring and new elections to jump-start the peace process were postponed in May.

Neighborhood in Baghdad

2 U.S. Soldiers Dead, 4 Hurt in Baghdad
BAGHDAD, Iraq - Two U.S. soldiers were killed and four wounded in an ambush in the same Baghdad neighborhood where hours earlier a suicide car bomb killed 10 people, including the driver, the U.S. military said Friday. Shiite Muslims denied there was an ambush and said fighters loyal to a radical Shiite cleric battled U.S. troops Thursday night as the Americans approached their leader's headquarters. Up to two Iraqis died in the fighting and seven were wounded, according to various Iraqi reports.

Cheney Defends Decision for War in Iraq
WASHINGTON - Vice President Dick Cheney said the United States still faces enemies that could inflict hundreds of thousands of American deaths in a single day, and he defended the Iraq invasion as a critical strike against such terror. "We could not accept the grave danger of Saddam Hussein and his allies turning weapons of mass destruction against us or our friends and allies," Cheney told the conservative Heritage Foundation on Friday.

6 Palestinians Killed in Gaza Strip Raid
RAFAH, Gaza Strip - Israeli forces trying to demolish smuggling tunnels fought gunmen for hours Friday in the largest raid in half a year in the Rafah refugee camp, a frequent battlefield in the Gaza Strip. Six Palestinians were killed and 50 wounded, and an Israeli soldier was also hurt. Also Thursday, a Palestinian suicide bomber struck an Israeli liaison office, wounding two soldiers and a Palestinian. The Al Aqsa Martyrs' Brigade, an armed group linked to Arafat's Fatah movement, claimed responsibility for the attack.

The Past Attack on and Rescue of Jerusalem
In the debate between preterists and dispensationalists, the book of Zechariah takes center stage. In Tim LaHaye’s Prophecy Study Bible, we are informed that, regarding Zechariah 12:1–9, "these events look ahead to the Tribulation period when the Antichrist will invade the land of Israel and bring all the nations of the earth (Gentiles) against it."The editors go on in the same note to insist that "in no way does this passage relate to the Roman invasion of Jerusalem in A.D. 70. This prophecy predicts victory, not defeat, for Jerusalem." Other interpreters apply this section of Zechariah to the church until the time of the second coming. G. N. M. Collins is typical of this view:

In this picture of the impregnable city Jerusalem represents the Church. The literal Jerusalem was to be laid waste by the Romans, as it has been on former occasions by other enemies; but the spiritual Jerusalem shall never know defeat by the ‘gates of hell’.

While there is truth to the claim that the true church will never be conquered, it's quite a stretch to turn explicit references to Judah and Jerusalem in these Old Testament passages into spiritual Jerusalem. There is a better interpretive option that maintains the integrity of the text by paying close attention to the time indicators, the historical context, and the references to literal Judah and Jerusalem.

Republicans Accused of Electoral Bugging
Democrats have accused the Bush administration of resorting to dirty tricks in a close and bitter election for control of Philadelphia after FBI listening devices were found in the mayor's office. The FBI refused to explain the purpose of the bugs found in a routine police sweep of the offices of the mayor, John Street, on Tuesday, less than a month before the election in which Mr Street is being challenged by his Republican rival, Sam Katz. FBI officials admitted the bugs were theirs, but insisted they had nothing to do with the mayoral election. They did not disclose the purpose of their investigation.

ID Biomedical To Raise $100 Mln To Fund Vaccines
TORONTO -- ID Biomedical Corp. IDB.TO IDBE.O said on Thursday it would sell $100 million worth of securities to a syndicate led by Canaccord Capital Corp. It will use the money for clinical research and manufacture of its FluInsure nasally administered flu vaccine and StreptAvax vaccine for strep throat.

US Science Panel Recommends
Safeguards for Biotech Research
A National Academy of Sciences panel is recommending the creation of a new system to oversee and review scientific research that could potentially be used by bioterrorists. In late 2001, anthrax spores were sent through the U.S. mail system, causing several deaths and creating mass panic.

Arnold Wants U.S. Tax Payers To Bail-Out Calif.
NEW YORK - Sometimes when young struggling nations emerge as democracies, the United States feels inclined to throw them a little aid. Iraq is one example. California might be the next if Governor-elect Arnold Schwarzenegger has his way. Schwarzenegger, who was elected on Tuesday as the current governor, Gray Davis, was recalled, hasn't offered specific ideas on how he will close the state's budget deficit, generally projected at $8 billion. But he did present a general idea that the money should come from Washington, D.C.

What can Arnold do for Bush?
What can Bush do for Arnold?
The decline of Caucasian voters into minority status and the continuing influx of Latinos created Democrat pretensions of inviolability and sent Republicans into a slough of despair. California never has been solidly conservative, and its electorate is less conservative than ever. Even Ronald Reagan as governor signed a bill to legalize abortion and was open-minded on homosexual rights.

FBI Looks Into Alleged Improper
Lobbying at Nevada Legislature
The FBI is reviewing allegations of improper lobbying activity at the Nevada Legislature to determine whether a formal investigation is warranted, a state senator and an FBI spokesman confirmed Thursday. Sen. Mark Amodei, R-Carson City, confirmed that he was questioned for about 40 minutes Tuesday by an FBI agent about lobbying practices during the regular 2003 session and two special sessions that followed as lawmakers wrangled over higher taxes.

Malvo To Use 'Insanity' Defense In Sniper Trial
FAIRFAX, Virginia -- Lawyers for accused sniper Lee Boyd Malvo say their client will use an insanity defense when he goes to trial in November. Attorney Craig Cooley said that Malvo, 18, was "indoctrinated" by John Allen Muhammad, 42.

Legislators' Loophole
In 1988, the Florida Legislature outlawed "leadership funds" — money that special interests donated to legislators to help them get elected to positions of leadership within the House and Senate. Up-and-coming legislators would dole out the money around the state to candidates most likely to back them, once elected. It was a good, citizen-friendly law. In part, it was meant to keep lobbyists from buying legislators and making them beholden. Unfortunately, as the St. Petersburg Times reported last week, House and Senate leaders have found an alternative — a vehicle for raising hundreds of thousands of dollars from sources they're not obliged to reveal. Many of those sources have business before the Legislature.

Iraqis' Postwar Bodybag Progress

12 Dead in Trio of Iraq Attacks
BAGHDAD -- A Spanish diplomat, a U.S. soldier and at least 10 Iraqis died on Thursday in a trio of attacks, showing how frail security still is half a year since U.S. troops occupied Baghdad. U.S. efforts to rebuild Iraq faced diplomatic obstacles too, with doubts raised over the prospect of any U.N. resolution to map out the country's political future, and over the point of holding a planned donors' conference before that is done. In Baghdad's bloodiest attack for weeks, police said two suicide bombers crashed an old American car through a police station's gates, killing two policemen and six civilians and wounding dozens in the blast.

Bush Touting Postwar Progress in Iraq
PORTSMOUTH, N.H. - President Bush sought to counter rising criticism about Iraq by touting what he sees as postwar progress, but a fresh burst of violence there Thursday did not help his public-relations offensive. The reluctance of U.S. allies to send more troops to Iraq has caused greater pressure on members of the National Guard and Reserve units. Pentagon officials say they may have to activate thousands more reservists in coming weeks to augment troops in Iraq. Such call-ups uproot part-time servicemen and women from their families and civilian jobs, and some military analysts fear it could depress recruitment in the future.

FBI Planted Bug in Mayor's Office
PHILADELPHIA -- Federal law enforcement officials on Wednesday confirmed that listening devices found in the offices of Mayor John F. Street were planted by the FBI a discovery that touched off a political furor just weeks before Election Day. Three federal law enforcement officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, acknowledged that the FBI was responsible for the bug, but refused to comment on whether Street is a target of an investigation or to provide any details about the nature of the probe.

Politicians Ask FBI to Explain Bug
PHILADELPHIA - Pennsylvania politicians from both parties demanded that the FBI explain why it apparently planted secret bugging devices in the offices of Philadelphia's mayor just weeks before he is up for re-election. "I think given this extraordinary situation with four weeks to go in the campaign, it is incumbent upon the FBI to say why they planted the device," Gov. Ed Rendell said Wednesday.

Do-Not-Call List's Next Phase Starts Today
WASHINGTON - The national do-not-call list will resume accepting phone numbers Thursday from people who do not want to be bothered by telemarketers. The Federal Trade Commission shut down new registration last week after a federal court ordered the agency to stop operating the list of more than 52-million phone numbers. But the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver temporarily blocked the lower court's decision Tuesday, allowing the registry to restart. The FTC said Wednesday that consumers can register home or cell phone numbers with the free government service by visiting the Web site www.donotcall.gov or calling 1-888-382-1222, beginning today at 8 a.m.

Gov't Rests Case in Quattrone Trial
NEW YORK - The government rested its case Wednesday against star technology banker Frank Quattrone, accused of obstructing justice when he urged employees to destroy documents in 2000.

Great Lakes Chemical To Cut About 400 Jobs
INDIANAPOLIS -- Great Lakes Chemical Corp. said Wednesday it will cut about 400 jobs and consolidate operations, mainly at a unit that makes additives for plastics. Great Lakes said the layoffs are equivalent to about 9 percent of its staff. It added that the layoffs and facility consolidations target businesses facing the greatest economic challenge and are expected to reap $30 million in savings over the next 12 months.

Veterans Win Landmark Court Victory

McNamara Among Defendants
WASHINGTON -- Military veterans used as unwitting test subjects in chemical and biological warfare experiments by the U.S. government in the 1960s won a landmark legal victory last Tuesday in federal court, Vietnam Veterans of America said today. In a thoughtful 17-page opinion, U.S. District Judge Rosemary M. Collyer rejected an attempt to dismiss a lawsuit seeking damages for government officials' cover-up of the experiments and denial of information to veterans potentially harmed by exposure to chemical and biological agents and simulants. The Court ruled that the law and "common sense" supported her jurisdiction to hear the lawsuit.

Mystery Blood Clots Felling U.S. Troops
WASHINGTON -- Unexplained blood clots are among the reasons a number of U.S. soldiers in Operation Iraqi Freedom have died from sudden illnesses, an investigation by United Press International has found. In addition to NBC News Correspondent David Bloom, who died in April of a blood clot in his lung after collapsing south of Baghdad, the Pentagon has told families that blood clots caused two soldiers to collapse and die. At least eight other soldiers have also collapsed and died from what the military has described as non-combat-related causes.

Appeals Court OKs Do-Not-Call List
Denver — A federal appeals court on Tuesday cleared away a hurdle that has kept the government from fully cracking down on telemarketers who contact people on the national do-not-call list. The 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals temporarily blocked a lower court order barring the Federal Trade Commission from enforcing the registry of more than 50 million numbers.

Trial Yet To Come, But IRS Demands Its Share
WASHINGTON - The IRS wants to reach into a Boston banker's grave to collect $1.9 million it claims he owes. Even though the malpractice case isn't expected to go to trial until next year, the IRS demanded John J. Ryan's estate pay the $1.9 million in additional 2000 estate taxes, penalties and interest - presuming that Ryan's estate would receive $4 million from the case. Ryan's estate has asked the U.S. Tax Court to void the IRS demand. Even though the malpractice case isn't expected to go to trial until next year, the IRS demanded Ryan's estate pay the $1.9 million in additional 2000 estate taxes, penalties and interest - presuming that Ryan's estate would receive $4 million from the case. Ryan's estate has asked the U.S. Tax Court to void the IRS demand.

Dollar Declines Further Amid Fears on Deficit
The dollar faced renewed downward pressure on Tuesday, falling to fresh three-year lows against the yen and within sight of record lows against the euro, amid mounting concern over the scale of the US current account deficit. Economists believe stronger US growth will not prevent the slide in the dollar, since it would lead to a further widening of the current account deficit, expected to reach $570bn this year.

CIA Leak May be to Close to the Top
WASHINGTON — President Bush questioned on Tuesday whether investigators would be able to determine who leaked the identity of an undercover CIA officer but said his staff was cooperating. "I want to know the truth," he said. President Bush expressed doubts Tuesday over whether a Justice Department investigation will find out who in his administration might have blown the cover of a CIA officer, although he said he remained hopeful of a breakthrough.

Janet Reno, FBI Sent Money to Hamas
IN an undercover operation run in the shadow of Mideast peace talks, the FBI secretly sent money to suspected Hamas figures to see if the militant Palestinian group would divert it from charitable purposes to terrorist attacks, according to interviews and court documents. The counterterrorism operation in 1998 and 1999 was run out of the FBI's Phoenix office in cooperation with Israeli intelligence and was approved by Attorney General Janet Reno, FBI officials told The Associated Press.

Carter, Perdue To Lead
Racial Reconciliation Forum
ATLANTA - Former President Jimmy Carter and Gov. Sonny Perdue will lead a forum on racial reconciliation that will center on the civil rights era and Georgia's emergence in the New South. Carter, Perdue, at least two other panelists and a moderator will initiate the discussion on race, and then questions will be taken from some 350 audience members next week at the Carter Center.

Senator's Wife Freed After Abduction
McLEAN, Virginia -- The wife of U.S. Sen. Judd Gregg of New Hampshire was abducted from her home in McLean at knifepoint Tuesday and forced to withdraw money from a bank before being released unharmed, police said. Investigators linked the incident to two similar ones in suburban Washington that had occurred since Monday. The Fairfax County Police Department said Kathleen Gregg walked into her house about 9:30 a.m. and found two men waiting for her.

Davis Loses; Schwarzenegger Wins
LOS ANGELES — For the first time in California history, voters recalled a sitting governor, ousting Gov. Gray Davis (search) and selecting actor-turned-politician Arnold Schwarzenegger (search) to be their next chief executive.

California Recall Election
Proves Nothing Like Florida
Secretary of State Kevin Shelley called Tuesday's recall election one of the smoothest statewide votes in 20 years, as relieved county elections officials celebrated an outcome that proved to be nothing like Florida's disputed 2000 presidential election. Democrats who lost an incumbent governor also proved largely silent late Tuesday about filing lawsuits to challenge the election. The main legal threat came from The Rev. Jesse Jackson, a civil rights leader who repeated arguments rejected earlier by the courts -- that voters would be disenfranchised by fewer polling places, especially in minority areas.

The $86.7 Billion Package

House GOP Unveils $86.7B Iraq Package
WASHINGTON - House Republicans released their own $86.7 billion legislation for Iraq and Afghanistan on Monday, mostly tracking President Bush's plan but erasing his proposed expenditures for ZIP codes and garbage trucks for Iraq. GOP lawmakers trimmed the most controversial portion of Bush's $87 billion overall plan, its $20.3 billion to rebuild Iraq, to $18.6 billion. The decision followed weeks of attacks by Democrats and some Republicans, who derided Bush's reconstruction plan as an extravagance amid record federal deficits and tight domestic spending at home.

Key Senator Would OK $600M for WMD Search
BAGHDAD, Iraq - U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell, chairman of a key appropriations panel, said Monday he would vote to spend some $600 million to continue the so-far fruitless search for banned weapons in Iraq. The $20.3 billion requested for Iraqi reconstruction, including such items as $5.7 billion for restoring Iraqi electricity, is part of an $87 billion package for military and civilian operations in Iraq and Afghanistan submitted by the Bush administration for the 2004 fiscal year. A secret, unpublished section of the package was reported last week to include more than $600 million to continue the 6-month-old U.S. search for weapons of mass destruction.

Calif. Voters Set to Decide on Governor
LOS ANGELES - The scramble to determine who will lead California went down to the wire as actor-turned-politician Arnold Schwarzenegger denied last-minute sexual harassment allegations and Gov. Gray Davis pleaded with citizens to give him another chance. Voters were asked Tuesday to choose the ending of a saga that has captivated the nation for months: whether Davis becomes the nation's second governor to be recalled, and if so, who among a field of 135 candidates should replace him.

Calif. Forces Employers To Provide
Health Insurance To Employees
LOS ANGELES - Gov. Gray Davis signed a bill Sunday that adds California to the short list of states that require employers to offer workers health insurance. The bill requires companies with more than 200 employees to offer health benefits to workers and their families by 2006. Employers will pay 80 percent of the premium, with employees paying the other 20 percent. Starting in 2007, companies with 50 to 199 employees will be required to provide employee-only coverage and share costs in the same manner. The measure was opposed by the California Chamber of Commerce and other business organizations, which warned that it would be too costly and threatened job growth.

Bob Graham Drops Out Of Presidential Race
WASHINGTON - Florida Sen. Bob Graham ended his bid for the presidency after struggling to gain momentum or raise cash in the crowded Democratic field, while leaving open the possibility of another Senate campaign or even a vice presidential run if asked.

Oil Above $30 On Nigeria, Mideast Supply Fears
SINGAPORE -- U.S. crude oil prices were steady on Tuesday as rising tensions in the Middle East and plans for a general strike in OPEC-member Nigeria raised fears about future supplies, traders said. New York crude futures have risen nearly 12 percent from a four-month low on September 19, mostly fuelled by OPEC's surprise decision to cut production from November as northern hemisphere refineries ramp up crude use to make winter heating supplies.

N.H. Sues 22 Oil Cos. Over Gas Additive
CONCORD, N.H. - The state sued 22 major oil companies Monday because of the gasoline additive MTBE, which has been found to pollute water, Gov. Craig Benson said.

Goodyear to Close Alabama Tire Plant
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. - Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. will close its Dunlop tire plant in Huntsville by Dec. 5, putting 1,100 employees out of work. The Huntsville plant, built in 1969, was scheduled for closure because it is Goodyear's most expensive plant to operate. Goodyear predicted annualized savings of $100 million from the closure. "The decision to close the Huntsville plant is based on Goodyear's need to reduce capacity in North America," said Jonathan D. Rich, president of Goodyear's North American Tire business unit.

Carrier to Cut 1,200 Manufacturing Jobs
EAST SYRACUSE, N.Y. - Carrier Corp. is eliminating all 1,200 manufacturing jobs at its suburban Syracuse container refrigeration and compressor plant, saying it needs to shift production closer to its key markets in Asia. The cuts amount to 43 percent of the work force at the facility. Carrier said it will maintain 1,600 jobs at the East Syracuse plant, where it also has warehouse, administrative, engineering and research facilities.

Stewart Lawyers Seek to Dismiss Charges
NEW YORK - Martha Stewart's lawyer urged a judge on Monday to dismiss the most serious criminal charges against the lifestyle trend-setter, calling the government's accusations "as unusual as they are unfair." Stewart is due to face trial early next year for securities fraud, obstruction of justice, conspiracy and making false statements to investigators looking into suspicious stock trades of a company -- ImClone Systems -- run by a friend.

Former Tyco Execs Set to Begin Trial
NEW YORK - Prosecutors and defense lawyers are expected to shape their cases in opening arguments Tuesday in the trial of L. Dennis Kozlowski, the former Tyco International CEO, and Mark Swartz, the company's ex-CFO. The two face larceny charges for allegedly stealing $600 million of company money and using it for plush housing, elaborate furnishings, opulent parties and personal investments.

Four More Women Allege Sexual Harassment

SACRAMENTO -- As the number of women claiming they were sexually harassed by Arnold Schwarzenegger grew to 15 Sunday, he marched on the state Capitol. The latest group included an unidentified 51-year-old woman who said Schwarzenegger pinned her to him and spanked her repeatedly three years ago at a West Los Angeles post-production studio. Attorney General Bill Lockyer said after a Davis rally in San Jose that Schwarzenegger should volunteer for a state investigation, whether or not he is elected governor.

US-Led Forces Attacked
Ahead of Afghan Anniversary

KABUL -- U.S.-led forces came under attack in several parts of southern Afghanistan over the weekend, before Tuesday's second anniversary of U.S. intervention in the country. The U.S. military said the 11,500-strong forces suffered no casualties in the attacks in four provinces on Saturday and Sunday, but one militant was killed.

Sheriff Rolls Out New GPS System

LAND O' LAKES - The Pasco County Sheriff's Office kicked off its global positioning system monitoring program. Nine prisoners were selected for release Friday after judicial approval, spokesman Kevin Doll said. Their crimes are varied, but they share the distinction of being the first chosen to await their court dates at home, rather than in jail, on the condition they wear ankle monitors equipped with GPS.

Spying on Your Teens via Satellite for $600

Tracking units to monitor children and teenagers - disguised as watches, mobile phones and belts - have hit Australia to the outrage of civil libertarians and parent groups. The latest in spy gadgets available in Australia are being marketed to anxious parents. They include a computer device and software that can record email and chatroom conversations and a clothing spray that can tell if teens are having sex.

Court To Weigh Individual Rights In New Session

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court begins a new term Tuesday with a slate of cases that could affect Americans who seek state services, face bias at work or are confronted by police on the streets.

Telemarketers play FCC off FTC

WASHINGTON — A telemarketing trade group said Friday it could not share its copy of the national "do not call" list with the agency that intends to enforce it, adding to the legal confusion surrounding the popular measure. The Direct Marketing Association said it could not supply the list to the Federal Communications Commission because it might incur the wrath of another agency, the Federal Trade Commission, and a federal judge. The FCC disagreed and asked it to reconsider.

Sniper Suspects Set To Blame Each Other

Lee Boyd Malvo and John Allen Muhammad no longer are laughing and, instead, have turned on each other with just days before the first trial on murder charges from 10 sniper slayings that paralyzed the region a year ago.

Bush Kills Another Woman 'In Combat'

TIKRIT, Iraq -- Army Pvt. Analaura Esparza Gutierrez, 21, was killed Wednesday when her Humvee was struck by a bomb placed in the median of a road near the main American base in Tikrit, the first such fatal attack so close to the facility. Several hundred soldiers from the 4th Forward Support Battalion and the 1st Brigade's 22nd Infantry Regiment gathered at a downtown palace in Saddam's hometown for the somber ceremony.

Two U.S. Soldiers Under Fire
For Taking Iraqi Wives

PACE, Florida -- Two Florida National Guard soldiers who married Iraqi women against their commander's wishes are being investigated for allegedly defying an order, their families said. The men, both Christians who converted to Islam so they could be married under Iraqi law, had expected to return to Florida this month, but a new army policy that requires troops to remain in Iraq for 12 continuous months may keep them there until April. (II Corinthians 6:14-17)

Muslim Soldiers Riot Collecting
Their $40-A-Month From U.S.

BAGHDAD, Iraq - Former Iraqi soldiers angry over rumors their pay would be cut off clashed Saturday with coalition troops in Baghdad and in the southern city of Basra in riots that left two Iraqis dead and dozens injured. Elsewhere, a U.S. soldier from the 4th Infantry Division was killed and another was wounded in an ambush early Saturday in Sadiyah, 60 miles north of Baghdad. The death brought to 88 the number of American soldiers killed by hostile fire since President Bush declared major combat over on May 1.

US Soldier Killed In Baghdad Grenade Attack

A rocket-propelled grenade and gun attack on an American patrol in Baghdad killed one U.S. soldier and wounded another, a military spokesman said on Saturday. The spokesman said the soldier killed in the attack late on Friday was from the 4th Infantry Division. The attack brought to at least 85 the number of U.S. soldiers killed in action since Washington declared major combat over on May 1. The U.S. military blames the guerrilla campaign on supporters of former president Saddam Hussein and foreign Islamic militants. Most attacks on occupying troops have been concentrated in Baghdad and the surrounding Sunni Muslim heartland where Saddam drew much of his support.

Pentagon Says More Troops To Deploy

Nearly 100 soldiers from San Diego have been alerted about being mobilized as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom. A total of 600 California Army National Guard soldiers from the region were notified about a possible deployment.

Murder Bomber Kills 19 in Restaurant

HAIFA, Israel -- A Palestinian suicide bomber blew herself up in a crowded beach restaurant in the northern Israeli city of Haifa on Saturday, killing at least 19 people including three children, police said. The attack just before the Yom Kippur fast day provoked an outcry abroad and renewed demands in Israel for the government to exile Palestinian President Yasser Arafat, despite a call by his prime minister-designate for attacks on civilians to end.

Saudis Travel in U.S. to Dispel Criticism

WASHINGTON - Like Harry Truman on a whistlestop tour, Saudi royals and their advisers are jetting across the United States for uncharacteristic face-to-face meetings with Americans in an effort to dispel criticisms they have been soft on terrorism. The barnstorming from Los Angeles to Louisiana and beyond has been led by Prince Bandar, the U.S. ambassador; Prince Saud, the foreign minister; and two of Saud's advisers, Adel and Nail al-Jubeir. And it has produced some remarkably pointed exchanges from one of the Bush administration's key Middle East allies.

Calif. Recall Campaign Enters Final Days

LOS ANGELES - Arnold Schwarzenegger tried to shake off allegations that he had groped women on movie sets as he and the other candidates vying to replace Gov. Gray Davis in the upcoming recall election headed into their final weekend of campaigning Saturday. The Austrian-born bodybuilding champion and actor got jolt of support from his home country Saturday in response to other allegations that he had made statements to an author that were admiring of Nazi leader Adolph Hitler.

U.S. Government Wastes Up to $100 Billion

WASHINGTON -- U.S. taxpayers could save $85 billion to $100 billion over a decade if Congress truly comes to grips with wasteful spending in government programs, House of Representatives said on Thursday. The new estimate by the House Budget Committee was based on reports submitted by the congressional panels that oversee federal programs ranging from farm aid to veterans' benefits, student loans and Medicare health insurance for the elderly.

VaxGen Wins $80.3M Anthrax Vaccine Contract

SAN FRANCISCO - Biotechnology company VaxGen Inc. won an $80.3 million federal contract Wednesday to continue development of a new genetically engineered anthrax vaccine. The company said the new three-year federal contract boosts its chances of winning an even larger contract to manufacture the nation's proposed $1.4 billion anthrax vaccine stockpile. That plan, called Project BioShield, passed the House of Representatives in July and awaits a Senate vote. The company's share price rose 58 cents to close at $12.65 on the Nasdaq Stock Market.

US-Led Team Says No WMD Stocks Found

WASHINGTON -- The U.S-led team hunting for weapons of mass destruction in Iraq has found no stockpiles of biological or chemical weapons, six months after the United States launched a war against Baghdad to remove such a threat, CIA adviser David Kay said on Thursday. The team conducting the WMD hunt has also not found any evidence to confirm pre-war reporting that the Iraqi military was prepared to use chemical warfare against U.S.-led forces, Kay said in a statement.

Leak Probe Will Expand Beyond White House

WASHINGTON - The federal investigation into the leak of a CIA officer's name expanded Thursday beyond the White House and the spy agency to other parts of the government with access to the officer's classified identity. The Justice Department sent "do not destroy" letters to the Defense and State departments requesting preservation of phone logs, e-mails and other documents that could become evidence in the inquiry, senior law enforcement officials said.

Ford Sets Timetable for Plant Closings

DETROIT - Ford Motor Co. will close plants in Ohio and Michigan by year's end and another in New Jersey in the first quarter of next year. Another factory in Ohio will end production during the next four years. Those that will close by the end of the year are Cleveland Aluminum Casting and Vulcan Forge in Dearborn, which was idled in March. Edison Assembly in New Jersey will close early next year. When Ford announced its restructuring 20 months ago, the automaker said its goal was to trim 12,000 hourly jobs in North America.

Delphi to Cut 500 Workers This Year

CHICAGO - Auto parts supplier Delphi Corp. said Thursday it will cut 500 white-collar jobs, or about 3 percent of its work force, by the end of the year. On Sept. 30, Delphi contacted workers, offering a voluntary buyout package, according to spokeswoman Paula Angelo. She said the Troy, Mich., company hopes to get enough volunteers to meet its staff-cutting goal. Otherwise, there will be layoffs.

Enron Notifies Workers of Pending Cuts

HOUSTON - More Enron Corp. employees are working themselves out of a job. As the failed energy company continues to wrap up contracts and work toward emergence from Chapter 11, there's less work left to do. This week Enron notified employees that about 200 of the 1,200 workers at the bankrupt parent and insolvent subsidiaries will be laid off in December and February.

FERC: Reliant May Owe Up to $50 Million

WASHINGTON -- The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) on Thursday said Reliant Resources Inc. will pay up to $50 million to settle allegations that it attempted to manipulate California's energy market during its 2000-01 crisis. Reliant will pay $15 million in cash now, with another $10 million due by Sept. 30, 2006, FERC said in a statement.

Death Penalty Barred From Moussaoui Case

ALEXANDRIA, Va. - A federal judge dealt a severe setback to the only U.S. prosecution arising from the Sept. 11 attacks, ruling Thursday that the government cannot seek to execute Zacarias Moussaoui or introduce trial evidence linking the al-Qaida loyalist to the suicide hijackings. U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema punished the government for refusing court orders to make three high-level al-Qaida prisoners available to Moussaoui.

Military Compensates Iraqi Victims' Family

WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Army's 1st Armored Division last week paid $11,000 to the three surviving members of a family killed at an American military checkpoint in Baghdad Aug. 7. The al-Kawas family is nevertheless pursuing a lawsuit against the U.S. military for unlawful death and possibly war crimes with the help of an Irish law firm Madden & Finucane.

U.S. Soldier Killed in Attack North of Baghdad

BAGHDAD -- A rocket-propelled grenade attack on a U.S. convoy near the Iraqi town of Samarra, north of Baghdad, killed a soldier overnight, the U.S. military said on Thursday. Wednesday night's attack was the third fatal ambush on U.S. forces in the space of a few hours. The soldier belonged to the 4th Infantry Division. It brought to 84 the number of U.S. soldiers killed in guerrilla-style attacks since President Bush declared major combat over on May 1.

No More Meal Bills For Hospitalized Troops

WASHINGTON -- Wounded service members in U.S. military hospitals will no longer be presented with a bill for meals upon discharge, the Pentagon said Wednesday. The idea -- not precisely true, as it turned out -- that U.S. troops, some of whom had lost limbs or were gravely wounded, were being charged $8.10 per day for meals while they were in military hospitals outraged some members of Congress. What was happening was that the wounded patients were being asked to reimburse the government for what is known as their basic subsistence allowance -- money they get in their paychecks to cover meals.

FBI Creates Team to Investigate CIA Leaks

WASHINGTON - The FBI's first task in the investigation of a leak that disclosed the name of a CIA officer is to narrow the list of government officials who may have known her identity, a number that could be in the hundreds. The FBI spent Wednesday assembling a team of experienced agents to handle the investigation, which probably will include interviews with senior members of President Bush's staff.

Lawyer Vows To Appeal Over Grand Jury Fight

AUSTIN -- A lawyer for the state's largest business lobby vowed Wednesday to ask the U.S. Supreme Court to step into a Texas battle over an investigation into the Texas Association of Business' 2002 elections campaign after a state court refused to chime in. "The constitutional rights of free speech are at stake here, not only for TAB members but also for every non-profit in Texas," said attorney Andy Taylor. "We intend to pursue this to the highest court in the country."

Pinkerton: Republicans Could
Learn From Arnold's Beliefs

I know Arnold Schwarzenegger pretty well. I think he's a good "guy". And if Californians want a change in their Sacramento state house, he'll give it to them. He enthused over free markets and limited government, and didn't seem much interested in banning abortion or in Christianizing America. Equally important, Schwarzenegger will be a reminder to the Republican Party that it's possible to build a coalition from the moderate center, not from the far right. Schwarzenegger has done enough living to see the practical value of live-and-let-live. And that pro-personal-freedom message is worth sending all the way to the East Coast.

North Korea Making Atom Bombs

PANMUNJOM, South Korea -- North Korea raised the stakes in a nuclear standoff Thursday by saying for the first time it had processed fuel rods that could be used to make atomic bombs, but most analysts said it was a pre-talks tactic.

Congress Shifts Into High Gear

The air of inevitability surrounding President George W. Bush appeared to cloud in recent days as several mid-September opinion polls reported a further decline in approval ratings of the president's handling of affairs both foreign and domestic.

Soldier Must Pay For His Trip Home

We are usually quiet individuals, expressing little about world events and politics, etc. However, we have to stand up and say something now. Our son-in-law is in the Army, serving our country for several months in Iraq. He was recently authorized to return home for two weeks. We are all grateful for this news! However, there is one catch _ he has to pay for the journey! How can the government expect him to pay his own airfare? It seems unfair the government won't foot the bill to send troops home, after they risk their lives for our country. They have had to leave their families struggling emotionally and some financially. Then when they do have the opportunity to come home briefly, they are expected to pay their own way.

FBI Opens Probe of Bush Staff on CIA Leak

WASHINGTON - The FBI began a full-scale criminal investigation Tuesday into whether White House officials illegally leaked the identity of an undercover CIA officer, and President Bush ordered his staff to cooperate with the first major probe of his administration. Democrats demanded the appointment of a special outside counsel but Bush resisted. "I'm absolutely confident that the Justice Department can do a good job," he said on a re-election fund-raising stop in Chicago.

Secret Service Ordered Local Police
to Restrict Anti-Bush Protesters

At events attended by President Bush and other senior federal officials around the country, the Secret Service has been discriminating against protesters in violation of their free speech rights, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) charged yesterday in the first nationwide lawsuit of its kind.

Bush Asks For More Power To Fight Terrorism

The Bush Administration is preparing to ask Congress for broader powers to fight terrorism and is refuting critics, including civil liberties groups and some fellow republicans, who say the government has already gone too far.

Protestants See Rise in Intolerance

Staff Writer Protestant officials said Tuesday that discrimination and intolerance is increasing in Russia, citing 10 arson attacks in the past two years and an incident in which the police violently broke up an anti-drug rally. Before each arson attack, believers received threats from people who identified themselves as patriots, officials said at a news conference. Among the properties set ablaze were Baptist churches in Chekhov and Balashikha near Moscow.

Report: Lawmakers Use Loophole
To Get Secret Donations

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- Several newspapers are saying Florida legislators struggle to find enough money to pay for the state's needs while secretly filling up campaign coffers by taking advantage of a loophole in state law.

Huffington Quits California Recall Race

SAN FRANCISCO - Independent candidate Arianna Huffington dropped out of the California recall race on Tuesday, saying it was her best hope of preventing Arnold Schwarzenegger from becoming governor.

Malvo Named a Witness at Muhammad Hearing

Sniper suspects Lee Boyd Malvo and John Allen Muhammad haven't been in the same room together since their arrests nearly one year ago. But the two men who authorities say are responsible for the string of shootings that terrified the Washington, D.C., area were scheduled for a reunion of sorts as Malvo was to appear as a witness at Muhammad's pretrial hearing Wednesday.

Class-Action Suit Alleges Polaroid
Broke Law, Misled Investors

A Natick investor has sued former and current Polaroid Corp. executives and its auditor in federal court in Boston, alleging the photo company violated securities law leading up to its October 2001 bankruptcy. Stephen J. Morgan's class-action suit, filed Friday, claims the executives, including former chief executive Gary DiCamillo, and auditor KPMG LLP, misled investors through improper accounting and a failure to warn of deteriorating business operations.

Judge Grants Class-Action Status To IPALCO Suit

A federal judge today allowed nearly 2,000 IPALCO employees to join a lawsuit alleging that executives dumped stock while pushing workers to buy it for their retirement plans. U.S. District Judge David Hamilton granted the suit class-action status. The ruling allows other workers to join four former employees who filed a civil suit against the company.