WASHINGTON

FRIST, REID WORK TOWARD COMPROMISE ON JUDGE APPROVALS

In private talks with Majority Leader Frist, the Senate’s top Democrat has indicated a willingness to allow confirmation of at least two of President Bush’s seven controversial appeals- court nominees, but only as part of a broader compromise requiring Republicans to abandon threats to ban judicial filibusters, officials said yesterday.

At the same time, he offers to clear two nominees to the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals for approval, officials said. Senator Reid, a Democrat of Nevada, wants a third appointee to be replaced by an alternative who is preferred by Michigan’s two Democratic senators. The officials spoke only on condition of anonymity, citing the confidential nature of the conversations between the two leaders.

Mr. Reid issued a statement during the day, saying he has had numerous conversations with senators in both parties in hopes of avoiding a showdown.

– Associated Press

DESPITE DELAY’S PLEDGE, CONGRESS NOT PROBING JUDGES’ CONDUCT

House Republicans say they haven’t opened and don’t plan any new investigations of federal judges after Theresa Schiavo’s death despite Majority Leader DeLay’s promise to examine the judiciary’s conduct. Some of the issues raised by Mr. DeLay were being examined by the Judiciary Committee chairman, Rep. James Sensenbrenner, a Republican of Wisconsin, before the embattled Texas Republican’s recent barrage against federal judges over their handling of Schiavo’s case.

The panel held a hearing last year on the issue of federal judges citing foreign law in their decisions. That came after legislation to prohibit the practice was filed. The bill never came to a vote but has been reintroduced this year.

– Associated Press

FORMER DIPLOMAT SAYS BOLTON HAS ‘NONE OF THE QUALITIES’ FOR U.N. JOB

A former colleague of John Bolton says President Bush’s nominee for American ambassador to the United Nations “has none of the qualities needed for that job.” Mr. Bolton “has all the qualities needed to harm the image and objectives in the U.N. and its affiliated international organizations. If it is now U.S. policy not to reform the U.N. but to destroy it, Bolton is our man,” a former U.S. ambassador to Morocco, Frederick Vreeland, said in an e-mail to the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. The administration stood firm yesterday in its support of Mr. Bolton.

– Associated Press

MIDWEST

FBI ROUNDS UP ALLEGED CHICAGO MOB MEMBERS

CHICAGO – Eleven reputed Chicago mob figures were indicted yesterday on charges of plotting at least 18 murders, including the 1986 hit on the crime organization’s top man in Las Vegas, Tony “The Ant” Spilotro, who was buried in a cornfield. Prosecutors described the racketeering indictment as one of the most far reaching in the history of Chicago. They would not comment on how or where they got the evidence that led to the charges. Those indicted included 63-year-old James Marcello, identified by FBI officials as the leader of organized crime in Chicago, and longtime mob leader Joey “The Clown” Lombardo, 75. Mr. Marcello was arrested, and a manhunt for Mr. Lombardo was under way in Chicago. Fourteen alleged mob figures were indicted in all.

– Associated Press