WASHINGTON

13 STATES AGREE TO RAISE H.S. STANDARDS

A coalition of 13 states confirmed plans yesterday to require tougher high school courses and diploma requirements, changes that could affect about one in three students.

The announcement is the most tangible sign that the nation’s governors, gathered in the capital for a summit on improving high schools, want to see quick progress.

The participating states have committed to making their core high school classes and tests more rigorous, and to match their graduation standards with the expectations of employers and colleges. They also pledged to hold colleges more accountable for ensuring students graduate. Such changes would require time and significant legislative and political work, as teachers unions, school boards, legislatures, and parents would be affected. Governors, state school chiefs, and business executives will lead the efforts in each state. The states are Arkansas, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Texas.

Their network will aim to enforce the American Diploma Project, an effort launched last year to prepare every high school student for college-level work. It calls for big changes – requiring every student to take rigorous math and English regardless of career plans, and tying college admissions to high school exit exams, for example. States will maintain the option to adopt what they want, but they have agreed to broad points, such as requiring students to take a test of their readiness for college or work.

– Associated Press

WEST

SCHWARZENEGGER SAYS NO TO WHITE HOUSE BID

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Governor Schwarzenegger may have joked about becoming president, but he said in an interview broadcast yesterday that he’s never seriously considered it.

The Austrian-born Mr. Schwarzenegger said he is not the reason behind talk of amending the Constitution so immigrants can occupy the White House.

“I don’t think the idea is that all the push is because of me. I mean, I have never thought about running for president, and this is not my vision,” Mr. Schwarzenegger said on “This Week with George Stephanopoulos.”

Mr. Schwarzenegger said when he predicted in 1977 that he would become president, he wasn’t serious: “You’ve got to have a little bit of sense of humor about all this.” Several lawmakers have proposed amending the Constitution to let immigrants run for president after being citizens for 20 years. Mr. Schwarzenegger, who became an American citizen in 1983, has said he supports such a measure.

A Web site, Amendforarnold.com, promotes the effort with photos of Mr. Schwarzenegger. The same people who are sponsoring the Web site have bought ads on California television, hoping to create a groundswell of support.

– Associated Press

JACKSON JURORS TO HEAR TALE OF TWO TRIALS

SANTA MARIA, Calif. – More than a year after stunned fans watched authorities arrest Michael Jackson and charge him with molesting a 13-year-old boy at his Neverland Ranch, prosecution and defense lawyers today finally get to outline their cases to a jury.

Opening statements will preview the essence of the trial – whether Mr. Jackson gave wine to the young cancer patient and then touched him inappropriately. Both sides have compelling stories to tell, but the credibility of the boy, now 15, and his family likely will determine the outcome.

The prosecution’s story depicts a poor family whose stricken son wanted to meet one of his idols. The child’s wish was granted, but the prosecution claims it turned into a nightmare of sexual abuse and imprisonment at Mr. Jackson’s fairy tale home in the coastal mountains 170 miles north of Los Angeles.

The defense narrative casts Mr. Jackson as the target of a money-hungry mother who coached her son to spin stories when it looked like their celebrity benefactor would cut them off. The defense will present evidence that the mother has sued others with claims of abuse.

– Associated Press

SOUTHEAST

SMOKE IN CABIN PROMPTS EMERGENCY LANDING

ORLANDO, Fla. – An American Airlines plane made an emergency landing yesterday at Orlando International Airport after smoke appeared in the cabin, officials said. No injuries were reported, and there was no fire.

“They declared the emergency as a normal precaution,” said American Airlines spokesman Sonja Whitemon. “Aside from the fact there was a haze in the cabin, it was a normal landing.”

The Boeing 757 was carrying 187 passengers and six crew members on a flight from Fort Lauderdale to Los Angeles. Passengers smelled smoke about 20 minutes into the flight. The plane landed in Orlando shortly after noon, officials said.

– Associated Press