Fox News pundit Snow next press secretary, sources say
Washington – Fox News commentator Tony Snow agreed Tuesday to become White House press secretary after top officials assured him that he would be an active participant in administration policy debates, people familiar with the discussions said.
A director of speechwriting for President George H.W. Bush, the 50-year-old Snow views himself as well-positioned to ease the tensions between this White House and the press corps because he understands both politics and journalism, said the sources, who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
Snow will become the first Washington pundit to take over the media lectern at a time when tensions between journalists and the administration have been running high, over issues ranging from the Iraq war to investigations involving leaks of classified information.
“President Bush hates responding to the press, hates responding to political enemies – he thinks it’s beneath him,” Snow said on Fox News in March. “He’s got a stubborn streak.” What the president needed, he said, was “a series of vigorous defenses” of his position.
Outgoing spokesman Scott McClellan, whose tight-lipped style led to strained relations with reporters, announced last week that he is stepping down as part of a White House reorganization.
ALEXANDRIA, Va.
Sept. 11 conspirator’s jury denied dictionary
Jurors in the trial of Zacarias Moussaoui completed their second day of deliberations Tuesday without deciding whether the Sept. 11 conspirator should receive a death sentence or life in prison.
They went home after working 6 3/4 hours, bringing their total deliberations over two days to 9 3/4 hours. They will return this morning.
Earlier in the day, they asked for but were denied a dictionary.
Judge Leonie Brinkema told them that sending a dictionary in would be like adding evidence in the case, but she invited them to come back if they had questions about specific definitions. Brinkema also warned the jury against doing their own research, including looking up definitions.
HUEYTOWN, Ala.
Fishing-lure goo sickens workers
A chemical used to make artificial fishing lures leaked from a package at a post office and sent more than 20 postal workers to a hospital Tuesday with breathing problems.
The noxious yellow liquid discolored the tile floor when it spilled, police said.
The mixture that spilled is a fish attractant that’s commonly applied on artificial lures like rubber worms. The liquid evaporates quickly and created a garlic stench that wafted through the building.
STEELTON, Pa.
Girl runs back into burning house, dies
A 6-year-old girl who escaped a house fire early Tuesday died after running back inside to find her mother, authorities said.
The youngster did not realize that her mother had jumped to safety from a second-floor window.
Firefighters found the body of Da-Onah Watts under a bed on the second floor. Da-Onah and a 13-year-old cousin had been asleep on the first floor when they awoke to flames and ran from the house.
COPENHAGEN, Denmark
Country won’t house warlord if he’s guilty
Denmark said Tuesday it will reject a request to imprison former Liberian President Charles Taylor if he is convicted of war crimes, dealing another blow to efforts to move the trial to the U.N.-backed court at The Hague.
Taylor faces 11 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity stemming from his alleged backing of Sierra Leonean rebels who terrorized victims by chopping off their arms, legs, ears and lips.
TORONTO
Media banned from return of dead soldiers
Canada’s new Conservative government barred the media from covering the return Tuesday of the flag-draped coffins of four soldiers killed in Afghanistan, angering political opponents and some families.
The government also has stopped lowering flags to half-staff outside Parliament each time a Canadian soldier is killed, prompting Liberals to accuse Prime Minister Stephen Harper of trying to play down the growing human cost of the Canadian mission.
