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Wednesday, January 31

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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 Standard.

U.S. soldier dies from wounds sustained while serving in Iraq

BAGHDAD (CNN) -- A U.S. soldier died Thursday from "wounds sustained due to enemy action" while on active duty in Iraq's Anbar province on Tuesday, the U.S. military said.

The soldier was assigned to Multi-National Force-West.

This brings the number of U.S. military personnel killed in Iraq this month to 86 and throughout the nearly four-year-old war to 3,086. (Posted 2:39 a.m.)

2nd arrest in cartoon promo that gives Boston the finger, triggers bomb scares

BOSTON (CNN) -- Authorities arrested a second man late Wednesday in connection with electronic light boards depicting a middle-finger-waving moon man that triggered repeated bomb scares around Boston throughout the day and prompted the closure of bridges and a stretch of the Charles River.

Meanwhile, police and prosecutors vented their anger at Turner Broadcasting, Inc., the parent company of CNN, condemning Turner for not taking proper steps to end the bomb scares earlier and for not issuing an adequate apology to the city.

Turner Broadcasting said in written statements the devices -- battery-operated light boards aimed at promoting the late-night Adult Swim cartoon "Aqua Teen Hunger Force" -- had been placed around Boston and nine other cities in recent weeks as part of a guerrilla marketing campaign to promote the show. (Posted 2:16 a.m.)

Winter weather takes a shot at southeast

ATLANTA (CNN) -- A winter storm aimed its chilly sights at north Georgia Thursday, poised to deliver an icy sheen to areas north of Atlanta as cold air from the west collided with moisture from the Gulf of Mexico.

By 9 p.m., temperatures across the metro-Atlanta area had dropped below freezing and were getting colder. Light rain -- most of it not reaching the ground -- was observed on radar moving eastward into far western Georgia.

Delta Air Lines planned to cancel about 200 flights late Wednesday and early Thursday as freezing rain and sleet were forecast for Georgia, including parts of the Atlanta area, a Delta spokeswoman said. (Posted 9:50 p.m.)

Levin, Biden throw support to Warner resolution

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Senate Democratic leaders late Wednesday threw their support behind a measure chiefly sponsored by Republican Sen. John Warner that says the Senate "disagrees" with President Bush's troop increase for Iraq.

The move builds critical momentum for Warner's proposal and increases the chances it can win the necessary 60 votes for Senate passage.

In doing so, Democrats abandoned a more strongly worded resolution chiefly sponsored by Democratic Sens. Carl Levin and Joe Biden, but both those senators agreed to back the Warner measure. Levin announced his support on the Senate floor and a senior aide to Biden told CNN the senator -- who announced his candidacy for president earlier Wednesday -- would back it.

-- From CNN Congressional Producer Ted Barrett (Posted 9:40 p.m.)

Source: Franken plans Senate run in Minnesota

MINNEAPOLIS (CNN) -- Outspoken comedian and liberal radio talk show host Al Franken has told associates he plans to challenge Sen. Norm Coleman, R-Minn., in 2008, a source close to Franken said Wednesday.

Franken, 55, a Democrat who grew up in the Twin Cities and moved back to the state from New York last year, announced Monday that he was leaving his radio show on the Air America network after his Feb. 14 broadcast.

Franken has said previously that he was considering a bid to unseat Coleman, a moderate Republican and former St. Paul mayor who was elected to the Senate in 2002. During the 2006 midterm election, Franken's political action committee, the Midwest Values PAC, raised money for Democratic candidates across the North Star State.

Franken has been a writer and performer on the NBC program "Saturday Night Live." He is also the author of several politically tinged books, including "Rush Limbaugh is a Big Fat Idiot and Other Observations." (Posted 8:05 p.m.)

Officials: Suspects with grudge against sheriff targeted his wife

MARIANNA, Fla. (CNN) -- Two men shot and killed the wife of a Florida sheriff because of a grudge against the official, ambushing her and killing a deputy in a gun battle outside the sheriff's home, authorities said Wednesday.

The gunmen, Lionel Sands and Daniel Brown, died in a shootout with deputies and the sheriff himself within minutes, prosecutor Steve Meadows said. The sheriff was investigating Sands in connection with the death of Sands' wife, he said.

Mellie McDaniel, the wife of Jackson County, Fla., Sheriff John McDaniel -- was driving home Tuesday night when she told her husband via cell phone that a suspicious car was following her into the McDaniels' driveway, said Meadows, state attorney for Florida's 14th Circuit, which includes Jackson County.

Shortly afterward, Meadows said, the sheriff heard his wife scream. Within minutes, Mellie McDaniel was dead, along with her attackers and the first deputy to arrive at the house. (Posted 7:33 p.m.)

Columnist Molly Ivins dies of cancer at 62

AUSTIN, Texas (CNN) -- Syndicated political columnist Molly Ivins died Wednesday at her home in Austin after a long battle with breast cancer, said David Pasztor, managing editor of the Texas Observer. She was 62. (Posted 7:07 p.m.)

General's confirmation not a done deal

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Gen. George Casey, the outgoing head of coalition forces in Iraq, faces what could be a bruising confirmation hearing to become the Army chief of staff, when he appears before the Senate Armed Services Committee Thursday. Several senators have expressed skepticism that Casey should be promoted after poorly executing the Iraq war.

His chief Senate critic is John McCain, the top Republican on the committee. But McCain said he hasn't decided if he'll vote against Casey.

Committee chairman Carl Levin said he will press Casey on his whether he currently supports sending thousands of additional soldiers and Marines to Iraq.

Rank and file members of the committee, such as Sen. Mel Martinez, R-Fla., have also questioned whether Casey should be promoted.

The hearing is expected to focus heavily on the strategy and conduct of the war, aides and senators said.

-- From CNN Congressional Producer Ted Barrett (Posted 6:49 p.m.)

Feds increasing efforts to combat growing 'modern day slavery'

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Top Justice and FBI officials Wednesday said they have launched hundreds of new investigations to combat the growing problem of human trafficking for prostitution and labor exploitation in the United States.

Attorney General Alberto Gonzales declared the phenomenon "the equivalent of modern day slavery," and vowed to keep the issue a top priority for federal law enforcement agencies.

A senior Justice Department official estimated about 15,000 victims of human trafficking arrive in the United States annually, some as young as 9 years old, destined for jobs in brothels, as unpaid domestic servants, or in other jobs as virtual slaves. They represent a source of continuing income for the rings who provide them, making human trafficking more attractive than drug smuggling to some criminal syndicates, authorities said. --From Justice Producer Terry Frieden (Posted 6:35 p.m.)

Biden on defensive after calling Obama first 'clean' African-American presidential candidate

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- On the very day he formally opened his quest for the presidency, Sen. Joe Biden of Delaware quickly found himself on the defensive Wednesday after characterizing one of his Democratic rivals, Sen. Barack Obama, as the first "clean" and "articulate" black candidate.

His comments came an interview published Wednesday in the New York Observer.

Speaking to reporters in a conference call Wednesday afternoon, Biden said his use of the word "clean" was being taken "totally out of context." "My mother has an expression -- clean as a whistle, sharp as a tack," said Biden, who said Obama "is probably the most exciting candidate that the Democratic or Republican party has produced, at least since I've been around."

Obama later released a statement saying that while he did not take Biden's comments personally, they were "historically inaccurate" because "African-American presidential candidates like Jesse Jackson, Shirley Chisholm, Carol Moseley Braun and Al Sharpton gave a voice to many important issues through their campaigns, and no one would call them inarticulate." (Posted 6:28 p.m.)

Levin takes McCain's name off statement knocking administration on Iraq benchmarks

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Sen. Carl Levin on Wednesday took a colleague's name off a statement issued Tuesday after his fellow senator said he hadn't seen the statement before it was released.

The initial statement, originally carrying the names of Levin, the chairman of the Senate's Armed Services Committee, and the committee's ranking GOP member, Sen. John McCain, slammed the administration for not specifying meaningful consequences for Iraqis if they don't meet their commitments.

The statement came in response to a letter from Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice that was itself a response to earlier letters from Levin and McCain.

McCain, who is introducing a resolution backing President Bush's plan to send more troops to Iraq, said Wednesday he hadn't seen the statement before it was released. (Posted 5:46 p.m.)

Cartoon promo gives Boston the finger, triggers bomb scares

BOSTON (CNN) -- Electronic light boards featuring an adult cartoon character triggered bomb scares around Boston on Wednesday, spurring authorities to close two bridges and a stretch of the Charles River before determining the devices were harmless.

Turner Broadcasting Co., the parent company of CNN, said the battery-operated light boards were aimed at promoting the late-night Adult Swim cartoon "Aqua Teen Hunger Force." The devices had been placed around Boston and nine other cities as part of an "outdoor marketing campaign," a company statement said.

The devices displayed one of the "Mooninites," outer-space delinquents who make frequent appearances on the show, greeting passersby with a raised middle finger.

"Parent company Turner Broadcasting is in contact with local and federal law enforcement on the exact locations of the billboards," the company said. "We regret that they were mistakenly thought to pose any danger."

Turner said the devices had been in place for two to three weeks in Boston; New York; Los Angeles; Chicago; Atlanta; Seattle; Portland, Ore.; Austin, Texas; San Francisco; and Philadelphia.

A Turner Broadcasting source said the displays were a component of a third-party advertising campaign conducted by a New York advertising firm, Interference Inc. That company had no comment on the incident.

"While the concern is lessened as a result of the investigation, I'd like to remind citizens to treat any suspicious devices with care and to call 9-1-1 if any such device is found," Boston Police Commissioner Ed Davis said.

The discovery of nine of the devices around metro Boston led state, local and federal authorities to close the Boston University and Longfellow Bridges and block boat traffic from the Charles River to Boston Harbor.

In addition, the Pentagon said U.S. Northern Command was monitoring the situation from its headquarters in Colorado Springs, Colo., but said none of its units were dispatched to assist.

Davis said police "are going to fully investigate this and get to the bottom of it."

The first suspicious device to be reported was at the Sullivan Square commuter rail station, near the suburb of Somerville, Wednesday morning. Wednesday afternoon, four other devices were reported -- near the Longfellow and Boston University bridges over the Charles, at New England Medical Center and near the intersection of Stuart and Columbus avenues in the city itself.

Mayor Thomas Menino's office said a total of nine had turned up around metropolitan Boston.

"I want to be certain that we take all of these reports very seriously," Menino said in a written statement. "The coordinated response by all departments proves the system we have in place works." -- CNN Correspondent Deborah Feyerick contributed to this report. (Posted 5:35 p.m.)

House passes huge spending bill

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The House Wednesday passed a $463.5 billion spending bill to keep the government operating past the Feb. 15 expiration date of the current continuing resolution. The vote was 286-140.

Republicans complained, however, that the Democrats allowed no amendments and only limited debate on the bill; the Democrats argued that they were left to clean up the mess Republicans left last year when they failed to pass all the appropriations bills.

The House and Senate passed appropriations bills for the Defense and Homeland Security Departments last year, leaving the rest of the government's discretionary spending under a continuing resolution that held spending at 2006 levels. (Posted 4:28 p.m.)

FBI issues warning of Super Bowl ticket fraud

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The FBI Wednesday warned the public to be wary of Internet scams involving the sale of Super Bowl tickets.

The FBI said the fraudulent selling of tickets for the Super Bowl and other such major events represents "a continuing epidemic".

The FBI said current schemes represent a slight variation on past operations.

"Previous scams have involved tickets being advertised at well known online auction and classified advertisement Web sites. Interested buyers are instructed to use a wire transfer payment transfer service to send the money quickly in order to secure the tickets," the FBI warning said. "Current scams are using fraudulent escrow services to register, and then directing the victim to wire the payment." (Posted 3:51 p.m.)

State Department: Nobody sure if Iran involved in Karbala attack

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The State Department Wednesday eased away from suggestions that Iran was behind the Jan. 20 attack in Karbala that left five American soldiers dead, saying that nobody has come to any conclusions about who was responsible for the attack.

Gunmen disguised as U.S. troops made their way through Iraqi-staffed checkpoints and into a compound where U.S. troops were discussing strategy. They opened fire, killing one soldier, and abducted and later killed four more.

"I don't think the Department of Defense has come to any conclusions as to who exactly is responsible for the attack and what, if any, role ... Iranian agents may have played in it. I just simply can't tell you that," said State Department spokesman Sean McCormack. "... I don't think anybody at this point can tell you that that is, in fact, the case now."

U.S. officials told CNN Tuesday that investigators were looking into the possibility that the sneak attack was carried out by Iranians or Iranian-trained operatives, saying the "sophistication" of the action pointed in that direction. (Posted 3:25 p.m.)

Fed leaves key interest rate unchanged

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- The Federal Reserve held a key short-term interest rate steady Wednesday, a possible sign the central bank thinks the economy is on solid footing.

The central bank left its target for the federal funds rate, an overnight bank lending rate that affects rates on various types of loans, at 5.25 percent. It was the fifth straight time the Fed has held steady. The decision was widely expected on Wall Street.

Energy prices have fallen in recent months, leading some economists to think that inflation is no longer as big of a concern for Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke and other policy-makers. There also have been some signs the housing market is stabilizing, which could mean the economy won't slow as much in 2007 as some had initially feared.

With that in mind, there is a growing sense on Wall Street that the Fed may leave the fed funds rate at 5.25 percent for the next few months, and possibly all year. (Posted 2:21 p.m.)

President makes impromptu visit to New York Stock Exchange

NEW YORK (CNN) -- President Bush dropped by the New York Stock Exchange in Manhattan on Wednesday after he delivered his State of the Economy speech on Wall Street, marking only the second time a sitting U.S. president has visited the NYSE floor.

"I'm impressed and grateful," Bush told CNN's Susan Lisovicz when she asked him what he thought of his reception.

The president stopped briefly at the Disney specialist trading post and had its operation explained to him before moving on to greet others on the floor.

President Reagan was the first U.S. president to visit the NYSE floor, stopping by on March 28, 1985, to salute "the robust American expansion." --By CNN's Katy Byron (Posted 2:15 p.m.)

British police net 9 in major counterterrorism raid

BIRMINGHAM, England (CNN) -- British police Wednesday arrested nine men who they say were planning an "Iraq-style" abduction inside Britain, a senior security source told CNN.

That source said the plot was to include the torture and beheading of a British Muslim soldier. British security sources did not identify the soldier,

The plan was thwarted after a series of early morning raids conducted by the West Midlands Counter Terrorism Unit, the West Midlands Police and Metropolitan Police in what the Home Office called a "major counterterrorism operation."

Eight people were taken in the early raids; the ninth was detained hours later on a highway in the Birmingham area, about 100 miles northwest of London, Assistant Chief Constable for West Midlands David Shaw told reporters at a briefing.

He said the operation was the result of months of hard police work, but it is by no means finished. -- CNN's Paula Newton and Paula Hancocks contributed to this report (Posted 1:52 p.m.)

Justice makes available to Leahy, Specter sensitive FISA documents

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Attorney General Alberto Gonzales said Wednesday the Justice Department is making available to leaders of the Senate Judiciary Committee "as early as today" sensitive documents they demanded from the secret court that prompted the government's reversal on its warrantless surveillance program.

Gonzales told reporters the judge's orders and related documents from the secret Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act court are being provided to committee Chairman Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., and ranking Republican Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., who have angrily demanded access to the documents.

For months the two lawmakers, who have oversight over the Justice Department, have been frustrated by Gonzales and other department officials who have said that, because of the sensitivity of the National Security Agency surveillance program, they would brief only the leaders of the intelligence committees about it. The program was aimed at international communications involving suspected terrorists. --From Justice Producer Terry Frieden (Posted 12:46 p.m.)

U.S. soldier killed in Iraq

BAGHDAD (CNN) -- A U.S. soldier was killed in combat Wednesday in Iraq's Salaheddin province, the military said.

This brings the number of U.S. troops killed in Iraq this month to 85 and throughout the nearly four-year-old war to 3085.

The slain soldier was from Task Force Lightning. Another soldier was wounded in the incident.

The military earlier on Wednesday reported the deaths of three other troops -- two soldiers and one Marine in Anbar province. (Posted 12:32 p.m.)

US Air drops Delta takeover bid

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Delta Air Lines' creditors rejected the hostile takeover bid for the bankrupt airline by US Airways Group, leading the smaller rival to withdraw the bid Wednesday.

US Air announced late Wednesday morning that the creditors' committee, whose approval Delta needs to emerge from bankruptcy as an independent carrier, would not give their affirmative support to the nearly $10 billion cash and stock offer.

"We are disappointed that the committee, which has been chosen to act on behalf of all Delta creditors, is ignoring its fiduciary obligation to those creditors," said a statement from US Air CEO Doug Parker.

Delta did not have an immediate comment. (Posted 12:10 p.m.)

NATO: 30 Taliban militants killed in southern Afghan fighting

KABUL, Afghanistan (CNN) -- Around 30 Taliban militants were killed Wednesday in fighting with Afghan and NATO forces in southern Afghanistan, a NATO spokesman said.

The Afghan Interior Ministry said the operation was in the Kajaki district of Helmand province.

Militant attacks have been common in the district for months, and the insurgents have prevented civilian contractors from building small power stations near a dam.

The British military deploys a large contingent of NATO troops in Helmand. --From Journalist Tom Coglan (Posted 11:25 a.m.)

Sen. Joe Biden files to become candidate for president

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Sen. Joe Biden, D-Del., filed papers with the Federal Election Commission Wednesday opening his presidential campaign.

"Friends, today I filed the necessary papers to become a candidate for president of the United States," he said on his Web site, joebiden.com.

In a statement posted on the site, Biden said that above all else he is running because of the Bush administration's failures in Iraq. (Posted 10:44 a.m.)

Iraq's al-Maliki to U.S., Iran: Stop proxy war in my country

BAGHDAD (CNN) -- Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki is strongly urging Iran and the United States to settle their "struggle" outside Iraq and not use Iraq as a proxy battleground.

"Iraq has nothing to do with the American-Iranian struggle, and we will not let Iran to play a role against the American army and we will not allow America to play a role against the Iranian army, and everyone should respect the sovereignty of Iraq," al-Maliki said.

At the same time, al-Maliki said bluntly that he believes Iran is, in fact, targeting U.S. forces in Iraq -- a repeated assertion from the Bush administration as it attempts to drum up support among lawmakers and Americans for an increase of troops in Baghdad and Anbar province.

And, he wants that Iranian activity to stop as well.

"We will not accept Iran to use Iraq to attack the American forces, but does this not exist? It exists and I assure you it exists, because it is based on the struggle between the two countries." --CNN's Michael Ware, Thomas Evans, Jomana Karadsheh, Yousif Bassil in Baghdad and Joe Sterling in Atlanta contributed to this report (Posted 9:59 a.m.)

Defense in Libby trial want to ask Miller about other sources

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Former New York Times reporter Judith Miller returns to the stand Wednesday in the trial of Lewis "Scooter" Libby, where she may be asked whether she had sources other than Libby for learning the identity of former CIA operative Valerie Plame Wilson.

U.S. District Judge Reggie Walton said he will decide Wednesday whether Libby's lawyers can question Miller about those other sources, without asking her to identify them.

Under cross-examination Tuesday, defense attorneys sought to ask Miller about other people who may have provided information about Wilson, who often goes by her maiden name Plame. There were times Tuesday when Miller's ability to recall information was fuzzy.

"This is nothing more than classic 101 impeachment," defense attorney Theodore Wells said. "The very essence of the cross-examination of Ms. Miller is about her credibility."

Special Counsel Patrick Fitzgerald twice objected when defense lawyers tried to ask about other possible sources, prompting an extended conference at the judge's bench, out of earshot of both the witness and the jury. (Posted 9:31 a.m.)

Litvinenko file turned over to prosecutors

LONDON (CNN) -- The Metropolitan Police Service on Wednesday turned over to prosecutors the file regarding the death of KGB defector Alexander Litvinenko, a statement from the Metropolitan Police said.

The statement said the MPS would not discuss the contents of the file.

The handing over of the file prompted speculation that arrests would be made in connection with the case.

Litvinenko, 43, died Nov. 23 in London. Traces of radioactive polonium-210 were found in his body after his death, said British authorities, who opened a murder inquiry into the case.

Before he died, Litvinenko accused the Kremlin of orchestrating his poisoning on orders from Russian President Vladimir Putin, a charge that Putin strongly denied. (Posted 9:30 a.m.)

German authorities issue 13 arrest warrants for suspected CIA operatives

MUNICH (CNN) -- The Munich state prosecutor's office has issued arrest warrants for 13 suspected CIA agents in the case of a German citizen of Lebanese descent who claims he was illegally detained by the U.S. government and mistreated in a secret prison in Afghanistan

The arrest warrants list charges of kidnapping and severe battery, the prosecutor's office said Wednesday. All the names on the warrants are aliases, but the office told CNN they are believed to be CIA operatives.

Khaled El-Masri said he was kidnapped in late 2003 while on vacation in Macedonia. In an interview with German weekly Die Zeit, he said after having been interrogated in Macedonia for several days, he was flown to Afghanistan where he was held for several months and severely beaten in interrogation sessions.

El-Masri contends he was dumped five months later along the side of a road in Albania without explanation from those who held him. --From CNN Berlin Bureau Chief Frederik Pleitgen (Posted 8:29 a.m.)

14 dead, dozens wounded in Baghdad, Diyala attacks

BAGHDAD (CNN) -- Attackers in Baghdad and Diyala province Wednesday set off bombs and fired mortars, killing 14 people and wounding many more, police officials in those regions told CNN.

Five people were killed and 12 others wounded when a car bomb exploded on Jamhouriya Street near the Shorja market in central Baghdad.

Four people were killed and 20 were wounded when ten mortar rounds slammed into Adhamiya Sunni neighborhood in northern Baghdad.

A car bomb exploded in Bab Muadham commercial area in northern Baghdad killing two people and wounding nine others.

Two people were killed and three others were wounded when a car bomb detonated near a communication tower in the western Baghdad neighborhood of Mamoun.

One person was killed was killed and six were wounded when a car bomb exploded on a commercial street in southeastern Baghdad.

North of the capital in Diyala's Muqtadya, at least 12 Iraqi soldiers were wounded when a suicide bomber detonated a fuel truck near an Iraqi army base, a Diyala Joint Coordination Center official said. --From CNN's Mohammed Tawfeeq (Posted 7:36 a.m.)

Court convicts 2 men for trafficking in explosives

MADRID (CNN) - A court in northern Spain convicted two men Wednesday of trafficking in explosives, and they face similar charges next month when the trial begins in the case of the Madrid train bombings that killed 191 people three years ago.

In the separate trial in northern Spain, the court convicted Jose Emilio Suarez Trashorras and his brother-in-law, Antonio Toro, for trafficking in explosives and drugs, and sentenced them to 10 years and 11 years in prison, respectively, according to a copy of the sentence, viewed by CNN.

But in the train bombing trial, they face far stiffer penalites if convicted. Prosecutors seek about 38,000 years in prison for Suarez Trashorras, 30, considered a "necessary cooperator" in the attacks, and about 30 years in prison for Toro. --From CNN Madrid Bureau Chief Al Goodman (Posted 7:23 a.m.)

Former Israeli justice minister convicted of carrying out indecent act

JERUSALEM (CNN) -- A three-judge panel Wednesday unanimously convicted Israeli Justice Minister Haim Ramon of an indecent act for kissing a female soldier against her will last year.

The incident happened as Ramon, 56, headed to a cabinet meeting on July 12, the day Israel's war with Hezbollah in Lebanon broke out.

Ramon stepped down as justice minister after his indictment.

Israel's President Moshe Katsav faces several sex crime charges, including rape. He has refused to resign his position, but has been declared temporarily incapacitated amid the legal proceedings. -- CNN's Shira Medding contributed to this report (Posted 6:54 a.m.)

2 U.S. Soldiers, 1 Marine killed in action in Iraq

BAGHDAD (CNN) -- Two U.S. Soldiers and a Marine died Tuesday from "wounds sustained due to enemy action" while operating in Iraq's volatile Anbar province, the U.S. military announced Wednesday.

Since the start of the war, 3,084 members of the U.S. military have died in Iraq. (Posted 2:25 a.m)

Fallon says 'time is short' in Iraq, withholds judgment on new troops

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- President Bush's pick to lead U.S. forces in the Middle East warned Tuesday that "time is short" to reverse the course of the Iraq war, but withheld judgment on Bush's plan to send more troops.

Adm. William Fallon, currently the commander of American forces in the Pacific, told the Senate Armed Services Committee that he has drawn few conclusions yet about the biggest challenges he will face if confirmed as head of Central Command: Iraq and Iran.

Fallon said he needed more time to study Bush's deployment of 21,500 additional troops to Iraq, and to consider whether he would support a further request from the new U.S. commander in Iraq, Gen. David Petraeus. --From CNN Senior Pentagon Correspondent Jamie McIntyre (Posted 2:14 a.m.)

Shooting outside sheriff's house kills his wife, deputy and 2 suspects

MARIANNA, Fla. (CNN) -- In what authorities are calling a targeted killing, the wife of a Florida Panhandle sheriff, a deputy and two suspects died in an exchange of gunfire outside the sheriff's house Tuesday evening, an official with the state attorney's office said.

According to Joe Grammer, before any shots were fired, Mellie McDaniel, wife of Sheriff John McDaniel, called the sheriff's office, saying the suspects were behind her as she headed home.

A precise timeline of events was not available, but at least one deputy was dispatched to the scene, who later died. Mellie McDaniel was shot and died en route to a hospital, according to Grammer. (Posted 2:10 a.m.)

Federal appeals court reinstates one count against Padilla and co-defendants

ATLANTA (CNN) -- The 11th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals on Tuesday reinstated one count against terror suspect Jose Padilla and two co-defendants -- the only count with a penalty of life in prison, court documents show.

Federal prosecutors had appealed a ruling by U.S. District Judge Marcia Cooke last August in which Count 1 of the indictment -- conspiracy to "commit acts of murder, kidnapping, and maiming outside the United States" and preparation of such acts inside the United States -- was dropped because she said it was redundant of some of the other charges against the three.

The federal appeals court decided that wasn't the case.

"Although they may appear to be nested within one another, each charge stands alone from the others and requires proof of independent elements," the 11th Circuit Court's decision said. (Posted 12:29 a.m.)

Sotomayor was schoolgirl with focus, friends say The teenage Sonia Sotomayor was easy to spot in the halls of her New York high school.

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