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    Editor's Note: The CNN Wire is a running log of the latest news from CNN World Headquarters, reported by CNN's correspondents and producers, and The CNN Wire editors. "Posted" times are Eastern Daylight. New House rules take aim at lobbyists, spending earmarksWASHINGTON (CNN) -- The leaders of the new Democratic majority in the House will kick off their tenure Thursday with new rules designed to rein in the influence of lobbyists, limit free travel by members and make it harder for lawmakers to slip their pet projects into spending bills unnoticed. The package of rules changes, the details of which were unveiled Wednesday evening, will also prevent members from using their official positions to influence the hiring decisions of private firms -- a direct slap at the so-called "K Street Project," in which House Republican leaders leaned on lobbying firms to hire GOP operatives when they were in the majority. The changes in travel funding come in the wake of the scandal surrounding disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff, who provided trips for lawmakers by arranging funding through outside groups in order to get around an existing ban on lobbyist-paid travel. Former members of the House who become lobbyists will also be banned from sweating with their former colleagues in members-only exercise facilities on Capitol Hill. -- By Richard Shumate, The CNN Wire (Posted 9:53 p.m.) Sources: Negroponte to resign, become deputy secretary of stateWASHINGTON (CNN) -- National Intelligence Director John Negroponte will resign his post to become deputy secretary of state, according to senior U.S., Bush administration and State Department officials. A government official who is familiar with the situation tells CNN that retired Adm. Mike McConnell is expected to be nominated to replace Negroponte as director of national intelligence. McConnell was director of the National Security Agency from 1992 to 1996 during the administrations of former George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton, and was the intelligence officer for then-Joint Chiefs Chairman Colin Powell during the first Gulf War. He currently is a senior vice president at Booz Allen Hamilton, a global strategy and technology consulting firm. The 67-year-old Negroponte has held several high-profile posts in the Bush administration, including those of United Nations ambassador and ambassador to Iraq. No formal announcement of Negroponte's resignation had been made as of Wednesday night. If confirmed by the Senate, Negroponte would replace Robert Zoellick, who left office in July to join the investment banking firm Goldman Sachs. (Posted 9:12 p.m.) Sources: Bush likely to send up to 40,000 troops to IraqWASHINGTON (CNN) -- President Bush is likely to send anywhere from 20,000 to 40,000 additional troops to Iraq as part of his yet-to-be-announced new Iraq strategy, sources with knowledge of his deliberations told CNN Wednesday. Bush will likely deliver his plan to the nation on Tuesday or Wednesday in a televised address, the sources said. He may wrap up his consultations on Iraq on Friday, after holding additional meetings, according to the sources. On Monday, White House officials are expected to make courtesy calls to members of Congress to brief them on Bush's plan. The president has not yet signed off on any changes, including a possible increase of U.S. troops, according to the sources. But he is "driving toward a conclusion" and a plan is "taking shape" and "getting more detailed" as the president puts "on the finer points," they said. National Security Council spokesman Gordon Johndroe denied a report Tuesday that Bush was ready to sign off on increasing troop strength in Iraq by 20,000, saying, "The president has not made any decisions." (Posted 6:59 p.m.) Navy to name new carrier for FordGRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (CNN) -- The U.S. Navy plans to name the lead ship in a new class of aircraft carriers after the late President Gerald Ford, former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld announced at Ford's burial service Wednesday. "How fitting it will be that the name Gerald R. Ford will patrol the high seas for decades to come in the defense of the nation he loved so much," said Rumsfeld, who served as White House chief of staff and defense secretary during Ford's 1974-77 administration. He left office last month after his second stint at the Pentagon. The Navy confirmed Rumsfeld's announcement but had no further comment "out of respect for the Ford family and the recent passing of the president." -- CNN Pentagon producer Mike Mount contributed to this report. (Posted 6:53 p.m.) Ford laid to rest at end of week of honorsGRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (CNN) -- The body of former President Gerald Ford was laid to rest Wednesday in Grand Rapids, on a hill near his presidential museum. Ford died last week at age 93, and the visitations and funeral services stretched to nearly a week, with eulogies from dignitaries including President Bush, former President Bush and President Carter. (Posted 5:53 p.m.) 2 House GOP lawmakers to repay improper travel costsWASHINGTON (CNN) -- Two Republican lawmakers have been ordered by the House ethics committee to pay costs associated with free travel that they were not allowed to accept under House rules, according to statements released by the committee Wednesday. Rep. Tom Feeney, R-Fla., has agreed to pay $5,643 in expenses for a trip he took to Scotland in 2003 that was paid for by disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff, rather than the group that Feeney originally reported was the sponsor of the trip, according to a committee statement. Rep. Curt Weldon, R-Pa., who was defeated in November and leaves office Wednesday, has agreed to repay $23,000 in expenses to the sponsors of a trip he took in January 2003 with a number of family members, which the committee determined violated House rules on accepting gifts, the statement said. (Posted 5:37 p.m.) Sen. Johnson angiogram said to show progressWASHINGTON (CNN) -- Sen. Tim Johnson, who suffered stroke-like symptoms last month that made Democrats' razor-thin majority in the U.S. Senate appear tenuous, has undergone an angiogram that shows he is making progress in his recovery, his doctor said Wednesday in a statement issued by Johnson's office. "Today's angiogram revealed no evidence of residual arteriovenous malformation," said Dr. Vivek Deshmukh, a neurosurgeon at George Washington University Hospital, where the Democrat from South Dakota underwent the procedure Wednesday morning. "Senator Johnson continues to be responsive to both his family and physicians-- following commands, squeezing his wife's hand, and understanding speech." (Posted 5:01 p.m.) Democrats vow to run clean Congress, push minimum wage hikeWASHINGTON (CNN) -- After a dozen years in the minority, Democratic congressional leaders Wednesday laid out plans for speedy votes on increasing the minimum wage and tougher rules on lobbying when a new Congress convenes under their control. "On Thursday and Friday, we're going to adopt rules that will change the way the people's house operates to ensure its integrity, to ensure its openness and to ensure its transparency," incoming House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer told reporters Wednesday. A $2.10 hourly increase in the minimum wage is among six bills Democrats pledged to advance in their first 100 hours of making new laws next week, after members are seated and committees are organized. Meanwhile, tighter restrictions on lobbying, gifts and travel will be put in place with a new package of congressional rules, Democratic House leaders said Wednesday. (Posted 4:57 p.m.) Romney opens presidential exploratory committeeWASHINGTON (CNN) -- Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney on Wednesday officially opened an exploratory committee as he considers a bid for the Republican presidential nomination. Establishing the committee allows him to raise money under federal campaign finance rules. Romney, who is stepping down after serving one term as governor, is considered one of the leading contenders for the Republican presidential nomination. -- From CNN Political Editor Mark Preston (Posted 4:33 p.m.) Duke invites accused lacrosse players to return for spring semesterRALEIGH, N.C. (CNN) -- Duke University announced Wednesday it has invited the two lacrosse players who had been placed on administrative leave after being accused of raping a stripper last year to re-enroll in classes for the spring semester. Though the students still face some charges, "the circumstances in this case have changed substantially, and it is appropriate that the students have an opportunity to continue their education," said Duke President Richard H. Brodhead, in a written statement. A third player graduated last spring before charges were filed. (Posted 3:54 p.m.) Remains found in rubble left by Madrid airport explosionMADRID (CNN) -- Rescue workers Wednesday found the remains of a man in the rubble of last weekend's Madrid airport blast, making him the first fatality in more than three years in an attack by the Basque separatist group ETA, the Interior Ministry told CNN. The remains of Ecuadorean immigrant Carlos Alonso Palate were located in a car in the heavily damaged parking garage at Madrid Barajas Airport's Terminal 4, where an ETA van bomb exploded Saturday. They had not yet been removed. The Socialist government Tuesday said the blast "broke, finished and liquidated" a nine-month-old cease-fire that ETA last March had promised would be "permanent," raising hopes for an end to nearly 40 years of ETA attacks blamed for more than 800 deaths and thousands of injuries. --From CNN Madrid Bureau Chief Al Goodman (Posted 1:39 p.m.) Student fatally shot at high school in TacomaTACOMA, Wash. (CNN) -- Police said Wednesday they had taken into custody a student who fatally shot another student at Henry Foss High School in Tacoma and then fled. "He was taken into custody at 9:30 to 9:40," Officer Gretchen Ellis told CNN. "A firearm was recovered." The suspect did not put up a fight, she said. The shooting occurred inside the school around 7:30 a.m. (10:30 a.m. ET), about five minutes before classes were to begin. "We're not sure of the motive at this point," Ellis said. (Posted 1:27 p.m.) 5 killed in Fatah-Hamas clashes in GazaGAZA CITY (CNN) -- Four Palestinian security officers loyal to President Mahmoud Abbas and a woman bystander were killed in a series of clashes with Hamas militants Wednesday in Gaza The 22-year-old bystander was killed during clashes between Hamas and Fatah followers in northern Gaza, according to Palestinian medical sources. Later on, two Palestinian security officers affiliated with Fatah were killed in clashes with Hamas followers near Khan Yunis in southern Gaza, Palestinian medical sources said. A third later died of his wounds. In addition, a member of the armed wing of Fatah was shot and killed by a sniper Wednesday as he stood on a roof in Beit Lahiya in northern Gaza, Palestinian security sources told CNN. (Posted 1:15 p.m.) Report says hundreds of millions in Justice Dept. grant funds at issueWASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Justice Department's failure to effectively monitor federal funds granted to state and local law enforcement agencies in recent years cost potentially hundreds of millions of dollars, according to a report released Wednesday by the department's internal watchdog. The Justice Department inspector general's audit reviewed more than $25 billion in federal grants designed to assist tribal and local police agencies during an eight-year period starting in 1997. The funds were provided through three major federal programs: the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, the Office on Violence Against Women, and the Office of Justice Programs. The 112-page report by Inspector General Glenn Fine found that when grants expired the Justice Department failed to ensure they were closed out in an appropriate and timely manner. If they had been closed out sooner, the report estimated, some $726 million could have been available to fund other programs or to be returned to the federal government's general fund. --From CNN Justice Producer Terry Frieden (Posted 12:57 p.m.) Mortars explode in Baghdad; 27 bodies found in capitalBAGHDAD (CNN) -- Nine people were wounded Wednesday when several mortars exploded in northern Baghdad's Shula district, an interior ministry official told CNN. The official also reported that 27 bullet-riddled bodies, most showing signs of torture, were found across Baghdad on Wednesday. (Posted 12:35 p.m.) Al-Rubaie: 2 more arrests expected in connection with Hussein execution videoBAGHDAD (CNN) -- At least two more arrests are expected in connection with cell phone video that showed taunting from Shiites in the moments before the former Iraqi dictator was hanged, Iraq's national security adviser Mowaffak al-Rubaie told CNN. A security guard present at the execution has already been detained, Iraqi officials said. (Posted 12:20 p.m.) Ford's body nears end of final journeyGRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (CNN) -- The body of former President Gerald Ford neared the end of its sentimental journey Wednesday in Grand Rapids, where he will be buried in the late afternoon on a hill near the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum. The museum's lobby was opened to the public Tuesday evening and remained open all night so mourners could view the flag-draped casket. Viewing was to end about 11 a.m. A private service is scheduled at 2 p.m. at Grace Episcopal Church, where the Ford family has worshipped since the 1940s. (Posted 10:37 a.m.) Bush says 5-year budget plan would move toward balanced budgetWASHINGTON (CNN) -- President Bush on Wednesday said he will submit a five-year budget proposal to the Democratic-controlled Congress next month that would balance the federal budget by 2012, nearly four years after he leaves office. That plan will "address the most urgent needs of our nation," Bush said, "in particular, the need to protect ourselves from radicals and terrorists, the need to win the war on terror, the need to maintain a strong national defense, and the need to keep this economy going by making tax relief permanent." The president's remarks in the Rose Garden at the White House came after his first meeting of the year with his Cabinet, whose members flanked Bush as he spoke. He also welcomed the convening of the 110th Congress on Thursday and vowed to work with the new legislative body. (Posted 10:34 a.m.) Iraqi official: Security guard detained, questioned about Hussein execution videoBAGHDAD (CNN) -- A security guard present at the execution of Saddam Hussein is being questioned Wednesday in connection with the cell phone video that showed taunting from Shiites in the moments before the former Iraqi dictator was hanged, Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's adviser told CNN . "He is being questioned to see what his motives were," Sadiq al-Rikabi said. The suspect is "the same person that leaked the footage to Internet sites and television stations," al-Rikabi said. The release of the video has sparked anger among moderate Sunnis and other Iraqis, and prompted criticism for the way al-Maliki's government handled the former Iraqi leader's execution, which took place Saturday morning. Iraqi prosecutor Munqith Faroon, who was present at the execution, said he saw two Iraqi officials holding their cell phones in the air to capture the images and sound of Saddam's hanging. (Posted 9:15 a.m.) Military planning in 12 months to transition all control to IraqisBAGHDAD (CNN) -- A U.S. military spokesman Wednesday said that by year's end all 11 Iraqi divisions will be operating independently and that the U.S. military and multi-national forces will be present only as a "support mechanism." The spokesman, Maj. Gen. William Caldwell, called 2007 "truly a year of transition and adaptation." "By summertime we hope to have ensured all Iraqi army decisions are being made by Iraqi ground forces command," Caldwell told reporters. And by fall, he said, the military is shooting to hand over basic control of all provinces to the Iraqis so that by the end of the year the U.S.-led mission in Iraq will be "in support of the government of Iraq and not commanding and controlling." The president has not yet signed off on any changes, including a possible increase of U.S. troops, according to sources knowledgeable about his deliberations on Iraq. He is expected to make an announcement within a week. (Posted 8:21 a.m.) Home Depot CEO resignsNEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Home Depot, the No. 1 home improvement retailer, announced Wednesday that its CEO, Robert Nardelli, had resigned effective Tuesday. The company named Frank Blake, vice chairman of the company's board of directors, to succeed Nardelli, effective immediately. (Posted 8:18 a.m.) Member of armed wing of Fatah killed in GazaGAZA CITY (CNN) -- A member of the armed wing of Fatah was shot and killed by a sniper Wednesday as he stood on a roof in Beit Lahiya in the Northern Gaza strip, Palestinian security sources told CNN. In the past several days, there have been renewed clashes between members of Fatah and supporters of the ruling Hamas party in northern Gaza. (Posted 8:16 a.m.) Bush vows in column to work with DemocratsNEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- In a newspaper column published Wednesday, President Bush vowed to work with the new Democrat-controlled Congress, but argued again for his long-held agenda on issues, including extending tax cuts. The column, published in the Wall Street Journal, also asked the new Congress, which takes office Thursday, to approve a line-item veto, which would let the president strip out spending on specific items approved in legislation without vetoing the entire piece of legislation. And while saying he would soon announce a new strategy for fighting the war in Iraq, he reiterated his past position that U.S. forces must stay there until the attacks by insurgents end. "We now have the opportunity to build a bipartisan consensus to fight and win the war," he wrote. (Posted 7:35 a.m.) U.S. military: Saddam's execution would have been different if we had done itBAGHDAD (CNN) -- The execution of Saddam Hussein would have "been done differently" had the United States been in charge, a U.S. military spokesman said Wednesday amidst accusations the death of the former Iraqi dictator was more about Shia retribution and less about justice. "Would we have done things differently? Yes, we would have," U.S. military spokesman Maj. Gen. William Caldwell said during a Baghdad news conference. "But that was not our decision. That was the government of Iraq's decision. This is a sovereign nation and they're going to learn from each thing they do." Caldwell's comments come on the heels of leaked cell phone footage that reveal bitter exchanges between the Sunni Hussein and his Shia guards moments before Hussein's death by hanging. (Posted 6:48 a.m.) Spanish police arrest 5 men suspected of helping two Madrid train bombing suspects fleeMADRID (CNN) - Spanish police arrested five alleged Islamic radicals for their suspected roles in helping two Madrid train bombing fugitives to flee after the 2004 attacks, an Interior Ministry statement said Wednesday. Three of the men were arrested in the cities where they reside. Two others were already in Spanish jails for other causes, and have had the latest charges added, the statement said. The five were suspected of aiding two train bomb suspects flee after the March 11, 2004 attacks that killed 191 people and wounded more 1,800. The five also "maintained contact" with a third train bomb suspect who is also at large, the statement said. --From CNN Madrid Bureau Chief Al Goodman (Posted 6:47 a.m.) Roadside bomb kills U.S. soldier south of BaghdadBAGHDAD (CNN) -- A U.S. soldier was killed by a roadside bomb south of Baghdad on Sunday, according to military statement released Wednesday. "The unit was conducting a security patrol for an explosive ordnance team returning from picking up unexploded ordnance from an Iraqi Army compound when they were struck by a roadside bomb killing one Soldier," the statement said. Since the start of the war, the U.S. military has suffered 3,004 fatalities in Iraq. (Posted 3:08 a.m.) Bush taking steps before presenting Iraq planWASHINGTON (CNN) -- President Bush is expected to announce his new Iraq strategy in an address to the nation early next week, several sources in Washington told CNN Tuesday. The president has not yet signed off on any changes, including a possible increase of U.S. troops, according to sources knowledgeable about his deliberations on Iraq. But the sources say he is "driving toward a conclusion" and a plan is "taking shape" and "getting more detailed" as the president puts "on the finer points." National Security Council spokesman Gordon Johndroe denied a report Tuesday that Bush was ready to sign off on increasing troop strength in Iraq by 20,000, saying that "the president has not made any decisions." --From CNN's Suzanne Malveaux (Posted 12:54 a.m.) |
 | Centenarian honored by Obama dies at 107Ann Nixon Cooper, the Atlanta centenarian whose name Barack Obama invoked in his post-election speech as a symbol of America's struggles and progress, died ... |
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