Mississippi
Former ricin suspect’s home unlivable, lawyer says
OXFORD – A Mississippi man’s house is uninhabitable after investigators searched it but failed to find evidence of the deadly poison ricin, a lawyer said Monday, arguing that the government should repair the home.
Kevin Curtis was once charged in the mailing of poisoned letters to President Barack Obama, U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker and a Mississippi judge, but the charges were later dropped. The investigation shifted last week to another man who had a falling out with Curtis, and that suspect appeared in court Monday on a charge of making ricin.
Curtis’ lawyer, Christi McCoy, has sent a letter to U.S. Attorney Felicia Adams demanding that Curtis be provided temporary housing and the government repair his Corinth, Miss., home and possessions. She also wants the government to pay his legal bills.
New York
Debris believed to be from Sept. 11 plane is from wing
NEW YORK – The rusted metal aircraft part believed to be from one of the hijacked jetliners that slammed into the World Trade Center in the Sept. 11 attacks came from a wing, not landing gear, police said Monday.
The 5-foot piece is a trailing edge flap support structure, police said. It is located closer to the body of the plane and helps secure wing flaps that move in and out and aid in regulating plane speed. Investigators initially thought it was part of the landing gear because both pieces have similar-looking hydraulics.
South Carolina
Sanford, Colbert Busch trade jabs in debate
CHARLESTON – Former South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford, trying to resurrect a political career, and Democrat Elizabeth Colbert Busch traded verbal jabs during spirited exchanges Monday night in their only scheduled debate in the race for the state’s vacant 1st Congressional District seat.
With eight days to go before the May 7 special election, Sanford stressed his efforts to rein in spending as a three-term member of Congress and as a two-term governor. The Republican said that he was the first governor in the nation to turn back economic stimulus funds.
But Colbert Busch reminded Sanford that he one used taxpayer funds to “leave the country for a personal purpose” – referring to the extramarital affair with an Argentine woman he had while governor. Sanford remarked that he didn’t hear the response and asked to have the question repeated.
Afghanistan
National security team gets U.S. money, Karzai says
KABUL – Afghan President Hamid Karzai said Monday that his national security team has been receiving payments from the U.S. government for the last 10 years.
Karzai confirmed the payments when he was asked about a story published in The New York Times saying the CIA had given the Afghan National Security Council tens of millions of dollars in monthly payments delivered in suitcases, backpacks and plastic shopping bags.
During a news conference in Helsinki, Finland, where he was on an official visit, Karzai said the welcome monthly payments were not a “big amount” but were a “small amount,” although he did not disclose the sums.
Associated Press
