[Logophile]

Baaghil was waiting at the Newport News-Williamsburg International Airport for a flight to Miami when he told a newsstand clerk that anthrax was on some magazines, according to a federal prosecutor.

Was Mr. Baaghil telling the newstand clerk that the federal prosecutor had reported anthrax on the magazines? Or did the federal prosectutor say that Baaghil told the clerk that anthrax was on the magazines?

The way the sentence is written, either interpretation is possible (although I assume the latter is intended). Why do "journalists" have such a hard time writing clearly?

[dennisw]

"At the time, Baaghil's visa had expired and he was in the country illegally, Smythers said. He was appealing a deportatio/n order from the Immigration and Naturalization Service."

This idiot was up for deportation anyway. His dumbass comments merely put him to the head of the line.