WASHINGTON

HOUSE APPROVES USE OF CHRISTMAS SYMBOLS

The House of Representatives yesterday approved a resolution aimed at protecting “the symbols and traditions” of Christmas. By a vote of 401 to 22, the House said that it “recognizes the importance of the symbols and traditions of Christmas,” that it “strongly disapproves of attempts to ban references to Christmas,” and that it “expresses support for the use of these symbols and traditions.”

A number of prominent conservatives, including the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rep. Dennis Hastert, Republican of Illinois, have criticized trends in favor of generic holiday greetings. Most members of New York’s congressional delegation voted in favor of the resolution. Rep. Gary Ackerman, a Democrat, voted against the resolution, and Rep. Steven Israel, also a Democrat, abstained from the vote.

– Special to the Sun

11 MILLION U.S. ADULTS ARE NOT LITERATE IN ENGLISH, STUDY SHOWS

About one in 20 adults in America is not literate in English, meaning 11 million people lack the skills to handle many everyday tasks, a federal study shows.

From 1992 to 2003, adults made no progress in their ability to read sentences and paragraphs or understand other printed material such as bus schedules or prescription labels. The adult population did make gains in handling tasks that involve math, such as calculating numbers on tax forms or bank statements. But even in that area, the typical adult showed only enough skills to perform simple, daily activities.

– Associated Press

BUSH PROMISES NEW ORLEANS BIGGER, BETTER LEVEES

President Bush pledged yesterday to rebuild New Orleans’s shattered levee system taller and stronger than before Hurricane Katrina struck, requesting an additional $1.5 billion to buttress the system that failed and left the city flooded.

“The federal government is committed to building the best levee system known in the world,” Donald Powell, the top federal official for reconstruction, said.

Officials dodged the question of whether the levees would be built to withstand a Category 5 hurricane, using broader language instead to promise that the city’s citizens would be safe and the new levees would exceed anything New Orleans had ever seen.

– Associated Press

HOUSE SEEKS TO STRENGTHEN EMPLOYER-BASED PENSIONS PLANS The House sought to reassure millions of baby boomers worried about retirement benefits, passing legislation yesterday that supporters said would revitalize employer-based pension plans.

The legislation, backed by an array of corporate groups and unions, passed 294-132. Ahead are negotiations, probably early next year, with the Senate, which last month passed a similar version.

– Associated Press

SOUTH

TOBACCO COMPANIES SCORE BIG IN ‘LIGHT’ CIGARETTES CASE

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The Illinois Supreme Court handed the tobacco industry a huge victory yesterday by tossing out a $10.1 billion fraud judgment against Philip Morris USA over the marketing of its “light” cigarettes.

But while shares of parent company Altria Group Incorporated soared to an all-time high on the news, industry critics warned that the Illinois decision does not insulate American cigarette companies from future lawsuits. There are at least 40 similar suits pending against companies like Philip Morris and Reynolds American, any of which could result in awards into the billions of dollars, tobacco opponents said.

– Associated Press

ICY WEATHER CAUSES POWER OUTAGES TO SOME 300,000 IN SOUTH

COLUMBIA, S.C. – A jolt of freezing rain and ice across Georgia and the Carolinas early yesterday closed schools, snarled traffic, and caused power outages to more than 350,000 customers.

The outages were caused by ice that formed on tree limbs and fell onto power lines. About 160,000 were without power in upstate South Carolina, 102,000 in northeast Georgia, 57,000 in the Atlanta area, and 40,000 in western and central North Carolina.

– Associated Press