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DoD News Briefing Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld Tuesday, July 02, 2002 - 12:30 p.m. EDT (Also participating was Gen. Peter Pace, vice chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff) Rumsfeld: Good afternoon. On Thursday, July 4th, we will celebrate the 226th anniversary of our country's independence. The terrorists who attacked on September 11th sought out the symbols of liberty and strength. So on this July 4th, Americans have much to celebrate, to mourn and to remember. We celebrate the courage and skill of the men and women in uniform. They rose to the challenge, have gone after the terrorist networks...

Women in the fire department Some El Paso women are finding out what it takes to be a firefighter. They are getting ready for the next Firefighter Entrance test with the aid of the fire department. Monday, July 01, 2002 -- "I'm pushing myself to the limits, I never really pushed myself to," said Linda Montes, who is in training. Montes is getting ready for the firefighter's exam. Two days a week for three hours, she studies and works out hoping to be in the next class, but she is not alone. The girls are getting a headstart thanks...

Possible Lay-offs at Probation Office A drop in crime means tough economic times for the Brazos County Probation Department. The Adult Probation Department has already eliminated eight vacant positions and is bracing for possible lay-offs. Administrators are encouraging employees to begin looking for other jobs if the situation does not improve. Officials say a decline in crime has cut the department's caseload by almost 1,000 cases since February 2001. The decreased caseload is expected to cost the department an additional $50,000 in state funding next year. Brazos County Adult Probation has 65 employees, 42 of which are officers or supervisors.

Alabama-Coushatta Casino Must Close 06-26-2002 A Federal Judge ruled on Tuesday that the Alabama-Coushatta Casino near Livingston must close within the next thiry days to comply with the 1987 Native American Restoration Act. A spokesperson for the Indian Tribe says the judge's decision to close the casino will hurt not only the tribe but its individual members, its non-Indian employees, the local community, and the citizens of Texas. Kevin Battise also called the Native American Restoration Act a "bad deal the tribe was forced into." But U.S. District Judge John Hannah, Jr. sided with Texas Attorney General John Coryn....

The Caspian: As Negotiations Fail, Iran Hints at Military Action 2 July 2002 Summary Slowly but surely Iran is finding itself squeezed out of any share of the oil and gas revenues from the Caspian Sea. Tehran is responding with hints of military threats, which for now appear to be just rhetoric but may later turn into violence. Analysis The Iranian government is becoming increasingly desperate to claim a share of oil deposits in the resource-rich Caspian Sea. Last week Iranian President Mohammad Khatami resorted to veiled threats when he railed against the foreign presence in the Caspian region. The...

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Family Towed While Still In Car Police: Tow Truck Driver Drives Up To 100 Yards Before Stopping Posted: 11:42 a.m. EDT July 1, 2002 Updated: 9:37 a.m. EDT July 2, 2002 DALLAS -- Police are investigating after they say a woman and her two small children were taken for an unexpected ride Sunday night. Roberta Benites said a tow truck driver towed away her Ford Explorer while she and her daughters were inside. She said she didn't realize she was in a tow-away area. Officials said the incident happened at a strip shopping center parking lot. Roberta said her...

ORLANDO, Fla. -- A Saudi princess accused of pushing her maid down a flight of stairs was fined $1,000 and put on unsupervised probation in a no-contest plea accepted in court Tuesday. Princess Buniah al-Saud is in Saudi Arabia and didn't appear at the five minute hearing in which her attorneys didn't contest a misdemeanor battery charge filed in Florida Circuit Court. In such a plea, a defendant doesn't admit or deny guilt but agrees to a punishment. The judge who accepted the plea also ordered her to pay $131 in court fees and surcharges and to write a letter...

<p>A United Methodist minister suspended in June has given up her bid to become the first transsexual pastor of a Protestant church in America.</p> <p>According to a short statement released by Bishop Felton Edwin May of the Baltimore-Washington Conference, the Rev. Rebecca Ann Steen — formerly the Rev. Richard Zomastny — left the Methodist Church Friday and has no plans to return.</p>

Comissioner Wants Black College Reunion Moved Spring Event Draws About 100,000 People To Daytona Beach Posted: 8:28 a.m. EDT July 2, 2002 DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- A Daytona Beach city commissioner said that Black College Reunion visitors should consider taking their money someplace else. Commissioner Charles Cherry said that he's fed up with public resentment for the annual three-day spring event, which draws about 100,000 visitors to the area. Community opposition to the reunion was strongest in 1998 when four law enforcement officers were shot and a visitor killed. One year later, the National Association for the Advancement of...

Palestinian Leader Yasser Arafat Fires West Bank Security Chief, Gaza Police Chief RAMALLAH, West Bank July 2 — Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat on Tuesday fired his West Bank security chief and Gaza police chief, officials said, in what appeared to be a move to reform his highly criticized security service. West Bank Preventive Security Chief Jibril Rajoub told The Associated Press that he had been informed of Arafat's decision. However, Gaza police chief Ghazi Jibali insisted the reports were "rumors."Rajoub is one of the most powerful figures in the West Bank but has had a falling-out with Arafat. During a...

ORLANDO, Fla., Jul 02, 2002 (United Press International via COMTEX) -- A new poll Tuesday confirms that Republican Florida Gov. Jeb Bush is keeping his lead over former Attorney General Janet Reno and two other Democrats. The poll taken by Florida Voter for the Orlando Sentinel and the Sun-Sentinel in Fort Lauderdale shows Bush with a 53 percent to 37 percent lead over Reno with 10 percent undecided and a 49 percent to 31 percent edge over Tampa attorney Bill McBride. A whopping 20 percent of those polled are undecided in the Bush-McBride count. Bush's general election lead over...

During a recent ceremony at Saudi Arabia's Public Institution For Military Industries, Saudi Defense and Aviation Minister Prince Sultan bin Abd Al-Aziz reportedly blamed his country's growing unpopularity on Capitol Hill on "a number of congressmen wearing Jewish yarmulkes." Prince Sultan bin Abd Al-Aziz is the father of Prince Bandar bin Sultan, Saudi Arabia's ambassador to the U.S., according to the Middle Eastern Media Research Institute, which reported the outburst on Tuesday. When asked about U.S. criticism of Saudi Arabia, bin Abd Al-Aziz told the the London-based Saudi daily Al-Sharq Al-Awsat, "It is enough to see a number of...

Congressman to announce Tuesday whether he's seeking re-election July 1, 2002, 6:38 PM EDT WALLKILL, N.Y. (AP) _ Rep. Benjamin Gilman, whose Hudson Valley district was carved out from under him during his 30th year in Congress, will announce Tuesday night whether he will try to win a 16th term by battling a fellow incumbent. Most Republican leaders were hoping that at age 79, Gilman would retire gracefully or perhaps accept a federal position. Gilman told some close associates Monday of his decision, said spokesman Brian Walsh, but was withholding it from the public until Tuesday. The congressman invited supporters...

Egypt, Qatar Reaffirm Support for Arafat Xinhuanet 2002-07-03 05:07:23 CAIRO, July 2 (Xinhuanet) -- Egypt and Qatar on Tuesday reaffirmed support for Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, defending the Palestinians' rights to choose their leadership. "Both countries call for respecting democracy, legitimacy and the palestinians' will represented in the 1996 Palestinian elections," Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Maher told reporters. He made the remarks after the first session of talks between Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and visiting Qatari Emir Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa al-Thani. "No other party has the right to speak about the change of the current Palestinian leadership, an...

HRT linked to risk of blood clots Hormone replacement therapy may lead to an increased risk of blood clots, a study shows. The new findings from the US also suggest HRT offers no protection against heart attacks for women who already have heart disease. HRT is known to protect against oesteoporosis, but the jury is still out on whether it helps prevent heart disease. However it does appear to be linked to some harmful problems such as blood clots and gallbladder disease. The results came from a follow up to a study in which a total of 2,763 postmenopausal...

Wednesday July 3, 4:05 AM Bush stands firm against International Criminal Court President George W. Bush said he hoped to "work out" an impasse with the United Nations over the new International Criminal Court but stood by his repudiation of the tribunal. "We'll try to work out the impasse at the United Nations. But one thing we're not going to do is sign on to the International Criminal Court," Bush said during a brief visit here to tout his domestic agenda. Washington on Sunday vetoed renewal of the UN peacekeeping mission in Bosnia to highlight its concerns that the court...

Live lobsters lead to jail sentenceJune 26, 2002 by Daniel DunkleROCKLAND - A city woman caught driving drunk with 136 live lobsters crawling around in her car was convicted Tuesday of burglary, criminal operating under the influence and criminal mischief stemming from a Nov. 14 crime spree.Doreen M. Beerman, 44, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to three years in prison, all but four months suspended, and four years of probation for two counts of burglary, and one count of aggravated criminal mischief. She received concurrent four-month sentences for additional counts of criminal mischief, theft, and failure to appear.        Beerman...

Two women filed a civil suit Tuesday alleging they were sexually abused as young girls by a fellow member of a Jehovah's Witnesses congregation in Annandale, Minn. The women, both now 22 and living in the Twin Cities, say the religion's very tenets make it virtually impossible for victims to come forward, because at least two witnesses are required to corroborate any act of wrongdoing. “After these incidents,’’ said the plaintiff’s attorney, Jeffrey Anderson of St. Paul, “these women went to the elders, and they were told, 'We don’t really believe you, because we require two witnesses to this for...