SOUTH

GOVERNOR SPARES LIFE OF MAN SET TO BE EXECUTED

RICHMOND, Va. – Governor Warner yesterday spared the life of a convicted killer who would have been the 1,000th person executed in America since the Supreme Court allowed capital punishment to resume in 1976.

The governor commuted Robin Lovitt’s death sentence to life in prison without parole. Lovitt, 42, was set to be executed by injection tonight for stabbing a man to death with a pair of scissors during a pool-hall robbery in 1998. In granting clemency, the governor noted that evidence had been improperly destroyed after Lovitt’s conviction.

– Associated Press

BIG EASY LAUNCHES FREE WIRELESS SYSTEM

NEW ORLEANS – To help boost its stalled economy, hurricane-ravaged New Orleans is offering the nation’s first free wireless Internet network owned and run by a major city.

Mayor Ray Nagin said yesterday that the system would benefit residents and small businesses that still can’t get their Internet service restored over the city’s washed out telephone network, while showing the nation “that we are building New Orleans back.”

– Associated Press

WASHINGTON

TRIBE SAYS ABRAMOFF ARRANGED FOR DORGAN DONATION AFTER LETTER

New evidence is emerging that the top Democrat on the Senate committee currently investigating Jack Abramoff got political money arranged by the lobbyist back in 2002, shortly after the lawmaker took action favorable to Mr. Abramoff’s tribal clients. A lawyer for the Louisiana Coushatta Indians told the Associated Press that Mr. Abramoff instructed the tribe to send $5,000 to Senator Dorgan’s political group just three weeks after the North Dakota Democrat urged fellow senators to fund a tribal school program Mr. Abramoff’s clients wanted to use.

– Associated Press

CLINTON DEMANDS NEW ANSWERS FROM BUSH ON WAR

Senator Clinton demanded fresh answers yesterday from President Bush about the Iraq war and defended her own vote to authorize the war.

Mrs. Clinton, a Democrat of New York, wrote a 1,600-word missive to constituents explaining her position and concerns about Iraq. The letter is being sent out to thousands of people who have written to her about the war.

Politicians of both parties are eagerly awaiting a speech today from Mr. Bush on how the administration plans to succeed in establishing a new democratic government in Iraq and bringing American troops home as soon as possible.

In her letter to voters, Mrs. Clinton blamed Mr. Bush for poor execution of the war and poor explanations of what still needs to be done.

The senator, who sits on the Armed Services Committee, said earlier this month that it would be a “big mistake” for American troops to pull out immediately.

– Associated Press