No cases of ricin poisoning in Capitol
WASHINGTON, Feb. 4 (UPI) -- The sixteen people exposed to a deadly poison in a Senate mailroom have shown no symptoms of illness, the Senate Majority Leader said Wednesday.
Speaking to reporters in the U.S. Capitol, Sen. Bill Frist, R-Tenn., said none of the employees in his mailroom has shown symptoms of ricin poising. The substance was discovered after powder was found on a mail-opening machine Monday afternoon. Subsequent tests determined the powder was the deadly poison ricin, which has no treatment or antidote.
Frist also announced a schedule for reopening the three main Senate office buildings by the end of the week.
Rumfeld thinks WMD will be found in Iraq
WASHINGTON, Feb. 4 (UPI) -- U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld told the Senate Armed Services Committee he believes weapons of mass destruction will still be found in Iraq.
The Washington Post said Rumsfeld made the statement during Wednesday testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee.
He also said he doubted the "theory" of former chief weapons inspector David Kay that Iraq did not possess stockpiles of WMD before U.S. forces invaded.
The newspaper said Rumsfeld defended President George Bush's decision to go to war in Iraq and denied the administration had manipulated intelligence to justify the invasion.
"Intelligence will never be perfect," Rumsfeld said. "We do not, will not and cannot know everything that's going on in this world of ours. I'm convinced that the president of the United States did the right thing in Iraq; let there be no doubt."
He said the U.S. intelligence should be excused for concluding Saddam was pursuing chemical, biological and nuclear weapons.
He added, "The Congress (and) the national security teams of both the Clinton and the Bush administrations looked at essentially the same intelligence, and they came to similar conclusions -- that the Iraqi regime posed a danger and should be changed."
Texas ruling backs college student voting
FORT WORTH, Texas, Feb. 4 (UPI) -- Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott ruled Wednesday students at Prairie View A&M University who want to register and vote there must be allowed to do so.
Abbott said students at the predominately black school only have to show they consider Waller County their legal residence and they intend to vote there, the Houston Chronicle reported.
Waller County Attorney Oliver Kitzman, who is white, contended in a letter Nov. 5 Prairie View students don't necessarily qualify to vote. His action prompted protest marches and a federal investigation.
"College students cannot be targeted for discriminatory residency requirements, and nothing prevents them from voting where they attend school," Abbott told reporters.
Kitzman said he wanted to hear from Abbott before reconsidering his decision.
The attorney general's opinion was requested by state Sen. Rodney Ellis, D-Houston, who said the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 25 years ago students who attend the school northwest of Houston have the same rights as any other voters.
"It is unfortunate that the Waller County district attorney has not followed the Supreme Court ruling and has attempted block college students at Prairie View A&M University from registering to vote," he said.
MTV won't give up halftime rehearsal tape
NEW YORK, Feb. 4 (UPI) -- The frenzy continued Wednesday as MTV refused to release its Super Bowl halftime rehearsal tape and CBS planned increased censoring of Sunday's Grammy Awards.
At the heart of the matter is how aware CBS, MTV and NFL executives were of the Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake performance. The production number ended with Timberlake exposing Jackson's right breast. The three organizations have denied prior knowledge of the nudity.
Releasing the rehearsal tapes could answer some questions, but the Chicago Tribune quoted MTV spokeswoman Marnie Black as saying, "The tape won't be released."
The NFL contracted with MTV to produce the halftime show for CBS.
The FCC has launched an investigation into the incident. If it finds the show was indecent, it could fine each station that aired the program $27,500. Viacom, with its 20-owned and operated CBS stations, could face a maximum fine of $550,000.
In an effort to avoid a repeat of such an incident, CBS has devised a plan to edit the Grammy Awards, which will air live on Sunday. The network said it will use a videotape delay, allowing the cutting of the audio or video feed for any inappropriate language or displays.
