WASHINGTON

MAN TRIED TO BUY FERTILIZER FOR BOMB SIMILAR TO MCVEIGH’S

Federal authorities searched yesterday for a man using a Middle Eastern name and possibly bogus construction credentials to try to purchase large quantities of an explosive ingredient used by Timothy McVeigh to blow up the Oklahoma City federal building. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives said there was no indication that terrorism was involved, but the agency was still checking information that came from a company in Canada that reported the attempted purchase as suspicious. ATF was asking the fertilizer and explosives industries to help locate the man and to report any suspicious inquiries for the fertilizer chemical ammonium nitrate, which is used to make so-called fertilizer bombs. The suspect also made several Internet e-mail inquiries to vendors seeking to buy between 500 to 1,000 metric tons of the explosive – a quantity larger than McVeigh used to bomb the Oklahoma City federal building in April 1995, but smaller than amounts companies typically might buy in bulk for construction, explosives, or farm work. McVeigh used a combination of ammonium nitrate and fuel oil with a detonation cord to make his bomb that killed more than 160 people. The International Society of Explosives Engineers, based in Cleveland, sent an e-mail yesterday alerting its members and asking them to call ATF in Phoenix to report any suspicious activity.

– Associated Press

WEST

MAYOR, COURT TV ANALYST FILING FOR DIVORCE

SAN FRANCISCO – Gavin Newsom, the mayor of San Francisco, and his wife, Court TV legal analyst Kimberly Guilfoyle Newsom, are filing for divorce after three years of marriage. In a joint statement issued yesterday by the mayor’s office, the Newsoms cited the strain posed by their high-profile, bicoastal careers as the reason for the split. “It is with great sadness that we announce today that we have decided to end our marriage. Unfortunately, the demands of our respective careers have made it too difficult for us to continue as a married couple,” they wrote. “We will remain close friends.” The couple, who were featured in September’s Harper’s Bazaar magazine as “The New Kennedys,” went public with their news after sharing it with their families and friends yesterday, according to Peter Ragone, the mayor’s spokesman. Mr. Ragone said neither was available for additional comment.

– Associated Press

NORTHEAST

LAWMAKERS SAY RELL’S SPEECH WAS ‘INSPIRING’

HARTFORD, Conn. – Only nine days after having breast cancer surgery, M. Jodi Rell, the governor of Connecticut, gave a State of the State address yesterday that was a little shorter, a little less specific. It didn’t matter. To those who listened, she had never been stronger. The Republican governor from Brookfield was visibly emotional as she began her speech at the Capitol, thanking lawmakers and people throughout the state for the calls, e-mails, and letters she has received since her surgery. “Your outpouring of kindness has meant more to me than you will ever know,” Ms. Rell said, her voice breaking slightly. “It has brought me strength and resolve in my recovery.” With one of the briefest State of the State speeches in recent memory, lawmakers and others – many wearing tiny pink ribbons to show their support – said Ms. Rell had delivered an unbelievable message of inspiration. “It was awe-inspiring,” said House Minority Leader Robert Ward, a North Branford Republican who has known Ms. Rell for 20 years. “I don’t see how any member of either party couldn’t admire her courage.” For a day, details about the state budget, policy initiatives, and other legislative business could wait. Between several breaks for applause, she encouraged lawmakers to take the opportunity to look at things with a fresh outlook, as she has been doing.

– Associated Press