Wilson Challenges Subpoena in CIA Case

A former ambassador, Joseph Wilson, asked a federal judge yesterday not to force him to testify in the CIA leak case and accused former White House aide I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby of trying to harass him on the witness stand. Mr. Libby, who faces perjury and obstruction charges, subpoenaed Mr. Wilson as a defense witness this month. Mr. Libby’s attorney, William Jeffress, said in court Tuesday that that was a precautionary move and that he did not expect to put Mr. Wilson on the stand. Mr. Libby is accused of lying to investigators about his conversations with reporters about Mr. Wilson’s wife, outed CIA operative Valerie Plame.

— Associated Press

Escapee Gets 40 Years In Shooting of Trooper

ELMIRA, N.Y.— An escaped convict who shot and wounded a New York state trooper was sentenced to 40 years to life in prison yesterday, a day after he was given life without parole for shooting two other troopers, one of whom died. Ralph “Bucky” Phillips, 44, whose dramatic capture in September ended the longest manhunt in state history, tried again unsuccessfully to withdraw his guilty plea before being handed the maximum penalty for the attempted murder of Trooper Sean Brown. Brown, 31, has since recovered and returned to duty.

— Associated Press

Mount Hood Rescuers Lose Hope for Climbers

HOOD RIVER, Ore.—With another snowstorm barreling in, search teams gave up any hope of finding two missing climbers alive on wind-whipped Mount Hood and abandoned the rescue effort yesterday after nine frustrating days. “We’ve done everything we can at this point,” Hood River County Sheriff Joe Wampler said, choking back tears after one last flyover of the 11,239-foot peak.

— Associated Press

Chicago Mayor Backs Obama for President

Mayor Daley of Chicago has abandoned his tradition of remaining neutral in Democratic primaries and has endorsed Senator Obama over Senator Clinton in the upcoming 2008 presidential race, the Chicago Sun-Times reported yesterday.

— Staff Reporter of the Sun

Bush Endorses Minimum Wage Increase, But With a Catch

WASHINGTON — President Bush endorsed one of the Democrats’ top priorities for the new Congress, a $2.10-an-hour minimum wage increase — and on a faster timetable than they have proposed. But his support comes with a catch. Mr. Bush said at a news conference yesterday that any pay hike should be accompanied by tax and regulatory relief for small businesses, potentially a tough sell for Democrats, who are about to reassume control of the House and Senate. “Minimum wage workers have waited almost 10 long years for an increase,” Senator Kennedy of Massachusetts said. Mr. Kennedy has said that boosting the federal minimum wage will be his chief goal when he takes over as chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions.

— Associated Press

Life Sentence Sought In Jewish Center Attack

SEATTLE — Prosecutors said yesterday that they would not seek the death penalty against the man accused of shooting six people, one fatally, at a Jewish charity because of the suspect’s long history of mental illness. King County Prosecutor Norm Maleng said he based his decision on Naveed Haq’s mental health records from the past decade, though he called the shooting “one of the most serious crimes that has ever occurred in this city.”

— Associated Press