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Photo, Caption follows.Condoleezza Rice

Photo, Caption follows. AP photo


Bush signs fetal-harm bill, satisfying conservative base

WASHINGTON -- Fulfilling a pledge to the social conservatives who are among his most loyal supporters, President Bush on Thursday signed into law a measure making it a federal crime to harm a fetus in the course of an attack on a pregnant woman.

Just before signing the bill in an elaborate East Room ceremony, Bush met privately with several victims of such crimes, including the mother and stepfather of Laci Peterson. The California woman was eight months pregnant when she disappeared in December 2002, and was later found dead.

The measure, formally known as the Unborn Victims of Violence Act, is often referred to by supporters as the "Laci and Conner" law after Peterson and her unborn son, Conner.

The bill generated controversy because of its potential implications for the fierce legal and political debate over abortion. While the measure explicitly exempts abortion from prosecution under its terms, abortion rights advocates argue that it represents an incremental effort to restrict abortion by establishing for the first time a separate legal status for fetuses and embryos.


Rice to testify in public Thursday

WASHINGTON -- National security adviser Condoleezza Rice will go before the September 11th commission Thursday in an effort to counter criticism that the Bush administration failed to grasp the gravity of the terrorism threat before the hijackings.

The commission will hear only from Rice during a 2 1/2-hour public session focusing on what Clinton administration officials told the incoming Bush White House about al-Qaida and what the new administration did with the information.

Rice's performance could have enormous implications for President Bush's re-election campaign. Former counterterrorism chief Richard Clarke testified last week that the Bush administration did not consider al-Qaida an urgent threat despite his repeated warnings.

The White House, citing legal concerns, had stood fast in saying Rice would only meet privately with the commission. After mounting pressure, the White House relented this week after assurances that the appearance of a senior presidential adviser would set not a precedent applicable to other congressionally appointed panels.


Condom labels spark heated debate

CHICAGO -- It's just a little bit of wording on a condom packet -- so small that Justin Kleinman hadn't noticed it until he squinted to read it recently.

"This is completely pointless," the 24-year-old Chicagoan said of the warning telling him that, while condoms can help prevent the spread of some sexually transmitted diseases, there are no guarantees.

Even so, that tiny bit of print is at the center of a raging debate now that President Bush has asked the Food and Drug Administration to modify the current warning to include information about human papillomavirus, commonly called HPV or genital warts.

On one side are scientists who believe that condoms should be promoted as a crucial line of defense against several STDs and cervical cancer. On the other are groups that advocate waiting for sex until marriage, and who see the dangers of HPV as an argument for their cause.


Truck driver, wife win $239 million

RICHMOND, Va. -- A Winchester, Va., area truck driver and his wife came forward Thursday with a winning Mega Millions ticket to claim February's $239 million prize, said to be the second-largest in U.S. lottery history.

But even before J.R. and Peggy Triplett received a penny of the winnings, they had made their first purchase: a gift for a long-dead friend.

Triplett told reporters at a news conference here that he once had a boyhood friend who grew up poorer than he did and who died many years ago. He was buried without a tombstone.

After pausing to compose himself, he continued: "I'm a believer. I talk to the Lord a lot and I said, 'Lord, if you ever give me a few extra bucks, I'm going go buy my friend a tombstone.' "