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London (CNSNews.com) - The wife of British Prime Minister Tony Blair has been forced to apologize for statements that critics said may have shown sympathy with Palestinian suicide bombers. Cherie Blair's remarks came just hours after a suicide bomber killed 19 people and injured 50 more in an attack on a Jerusalem bus. The prime minister's wife was speaking at a charity event at the London offices of Medical Aid for Palestinians. "As long as young people feel they have got no hope but to blow themselves up, you are never going to make progress," she said. The Israeli...

NewsMax.com Wednesday June 19, 2002; 12:19 p.m. EDT Chris Lehane: DWI Story Cost Bush Popular Vote The 11th-hour campaign revelation that then-GOP presidential candidate George W. Bush had been arrested in Maine in 1976 for driving under the influence of alcohol gave Al Gore the boost he needed to claim the popular vote in the 2000 presidential election, Gore's former campaign spokesman Chris Lehane admitted late Tuesday. "Obviously, I think it did have an impact on the election," Lehane told WABC Radio's John Batchelor and Paul Alexander. "It was a very close election. All of our internal polls show that...

White House Briefly Evacuated The Associated Press Jun 19 2002 9:11PM WASHINGTON (AP) - The White House was briefly evacuated Wednesday night after a small plane failed to make radio contact with Reagan National Airport as it flew over the capital, officials said. An F-16 military jet was scrambled and tracked the plane until it landed at the airport in Richmond, Va., law-enforcement and aviation officials said. The evacuation was ordered 20 minutes after President Bush returned to the building from a Republican fund-raising event at the Washington Convention Center. Bush remained in the White House throughout the evacuation, a...

Many in Congress are so terrified the FBI will blackmail them, they are afraid to criticize the Bureau. A top aide to Senator Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) told the New York Times that many Congressmen and Senators won't speak out against the FBI "because rightly or wrongly, they think the FBI will find dirt on them, and it will wind up in the public domain." Kris Kolesnik, who was Grassley's chief investigator for 18 years, told the New York Times that the Iowa Republican has been more vocal than other Senators "because he's such a Boy Scout; he has no...

AMA Adopts Anti-Bully Measure American Medical Association Adopts Anti-Bullying Measure; Welcomes New President The Associated Press C H I C A G O, June 19 — The American Medical Association on Wednesday adopted an anti-bullying measure urging doctors to be vigilant at identifying at-risk patients. The policy includes tips to help doctors and parents question children on whether they've been victimized. It also means the AMA will work to change attitudes that tolerate bullying and push for federal research into prevention programs.While bullying has been viewed as an "inevitable part of growing up," accumulating research suggests that many youngsters...

US Heard 'Tomorrow Is Zero Hour' on Eve of Attacks June 19— By Tabassum Zakaria WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. intelligence intercepted two messages the day before the Sept. 11 attacks that indicated an event was planned the following day, but the communications were not translated until Sept. 12, government sources said on Wednesday.The National Security Agency, which eavesdrops on communications worldwide, intercepted messages that said "tomorrow is zero hour" and "the match begins tomorrow," sources said on condition of anonymity.The agency did not translate the messages, which were in Arabic, until Sept. 12 -- the day after hijacked airliners...

Fewer seek U.S. visas By SONYA ROSS Associated Press WASHINGTON - The first U.S. visa lottery since Sept. 11 wasn't exactly a boon for America's new friends in the war on terrorism. Only a few people from places like Afghanistan and Yemen can seek to move permanently to the United States. They were outnumbered by would-be immigrants from Iran, Iraq, Libya and Sudan, all on the U.S. government's list of terror-sponsoring states. That's not because U.S. officials are trying to exclude certain people. Fewer overall applied to come. The lottery grants a chance at 55,000 visas for reasons other than...

OMAHA, Neb. -- A pickup truck exploded in south Omaha Tuesday evening and investigators believe illegal fireworks may be to blame. The explosion happened near 40th and P streets at about 4:30 p.m. The blast blew the roof and door off the truck. It also sent debris flying 70 feet away. At least six homes in the neighborhood suffered minor damage as a result. Police said Gary Zdan of Council Bluffs was found bleeding at the scene was taken into custody. Officers want to know Zdan's relationship to the truck, which is registered to a construction company. "It's just absolutely...

Yes - His previous on-air experience has shown that he can challenge Democrats as well as Republicans. OR...No - Clinton's former spokesman can't be objective. ABC should hire a legitimate journalist, not a liberal politician. Poll is at: http://www.vote.com/vote/46718076

US pilots will face friendly fire tribunalBy Nicholas M. HorrockUPI Chief White House CorrespondentFrom the Washington Politics & Policy DeskPublished 6/19/2002 8:36 PM WASHINGTON, June 19 (UPI) -- A joint military investigation has recommended that two members of the Illinois Air National Guard face a formal military hearing in connection with the deaths of four Canadian soldiers killed by a U.S. bomb while training in Afghanistan, government officials said Wednesday.An eight-week inquiry, conducted by an American and a Canadian officer, concluded that Maj. Harry Schmidt of the Illinois Air National Guard did not take time to assess the threat he...

Every week I get letters or e-mails from readers. Many tell me that they will never buy another Detroit car because of quality problems and the treatment they receive when they try to get the problems solved. Perhaps it has something to do with the readership of my column, but I get the most complaints from owners of cars from DaimlerChrysler (nyse: DCX - news - people ) and General Motors (nyse: GM - news - people ), particularly the Cadillac division of GM. On paper, the domestic brands of GM, Ford Motor (nyse: F - news - people )...

Black, Jewish congressmen to discuss support for Israel today By Shlomo Shamir Black and Jewish congressman are planning to meet today in Washington to discuss a joint action plan that aims to halt the erosion of support for Israel by black congressmen. A majority of the 38-member black congressional caucus are expected to attend, as well as 26 Jewish congressmen, and 10 Jewish senators have also been invited. Democratic Party officials will be watching the results of the meeting, since Jews and blacks are considered traditional voting blocs for the party and there has been some tension between them...

TORONTO (AP) -- Journalists at a prominent Canadian newspaper have launched a byline strike to protest the firing of the publisher, who says he was let go for defying the editorial policy of the media conglomerate that owns the daily. The firing of Ottawa Citizen publisher Russell Mills by CanWest Global Communications -- the country's largest newspaper publisher and second largest private TV broadcaster -- earlier this week has raised concerns about concentration of media ownership and press freedom in Canada. On Tuesday, articles and photos by members of the Ottawa Newspaper Guild began appearing in the Ottawa Citizen without...

Israel industrialist urges Middle East Marshall Plan   By Tova Cohen TEFEN, Israel, June 20 (Reuters) - From a remote location amid the rolling green hills of northern Israel, industrialist Stef Wertheimer presides over a billion dollar empire. But not content with just running a global business, the tireless 76-year-old has dedicated his life to fostering Israel's economic independence and promoting peaceful coexistence with its neighbours. To this end Wertheimer, a former member of parliament, has proposed that the United States and the European Union sponsor a "mini Marshall Plan", a scaled down version of the one that rebuilt Europe after World War Two. Wertheimer's...

<p>HARTFORD -- Laws that allow police to confiscate guns in cases of domestic violence will be better enforced with the help of a new centralized computer system, the state's victim advocate said Monday.</p> <p>In a 40-page investigative report, James F. Papillo also criticizes Shelton Police for not taking guns last year from a man accused of harassing, stalking and threatening his ex-girlfriend, who had a restraining order against him.</p>

The Psalms 20 A Prayer for Victory To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. 1 The LORD hear thee in the day of trouble; the name of the God of Jacob defend thee; 2 send thee help from the sanctuary, and strengthen thee out of Zion; 3 remember all thy offerings, and accept thy burnt sacrifice. Selah. 4 Grant thee according to thine own heart, and fulfil all thy counsel. 5 We will rejoice in thy salvation, and in the name of our God we will set up our banners: the LORD fulfil all thy petitions. 6 Now know...

A Gutless Supreme Court Decision TODAY we are seeing a tiny respite in the unrelenting push for more and more gun control during the eight years of Bill Clinton and Janet Reno. The Bush Administration has signaled a change of philosophy that may stop more legislation, but it has not even remotely suggested that it will repeal any laws currently on the books. In fact, in signaling its change of philosophy, it asked the Supreme Court not to take up the case of the United States vs. Timothy Emerson. On June 10 the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS)...

- A rookie councilman was backpedaling yesterday after publicly promoting an idea that he said would attract "white people" to a suburb in racial transition. At a council meeting Monday, Michael McTighe said private development of the city-owned Shore Cultural Centre into combined living and working quarters for professionals would draw "young yuppies, white people that the city wants to bring in here." The remark, captured on cable television, elicited groans. He drew reprimands from several audience members, all white, including a woman who called on the 24-year-old councilman to mature or resign. Council President Ed Gudenas interrupted to tell...

Finally after repeated delays it is official today The African American Republican Leadership Council's Website has launched today. Please take a look around and tell us what you think.

CORPORATIONS AND THE CONSTITUTION: A recent e-mail made me think of the perennial question -- should corporations generally enjoy the protections of the Bill of Rights? The answer, I think, is a definite yes (with some exceptions that I might talk about later; note for now that the right to vote is not in the Bill of Rights). The courts have generally held this (again, with some exceptions that I might talk about later), and they're right. Let me start for now with five general observations. 1. Consequences. The New York Times is owned by a corporation. Most private universities...