ONN. Ohio News Now: Kerry lawyer asks for visual inspection of some Ohio ballots

Kerry lawyer asks for visual inspection of some Ohio ballots COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Democrat John Kerry is asking county elections officials to allow his witnesses to visually inspect the 92,000 ballots cast in Ohio in which no vote for president was recorded, a Kerry lawyer said Sunday night. The request is one of 11 items that Kerry is asking for as part of the recount that Ohio's 88 county boards of election will begin this week, according to a letter sent to the boards over the weekend. 'We're trying to increase the transparency of the election process,' said Donald McTigue, the lawyer handling the recount for the Kerry campaign. Two minor presidential candidates who received 0.30 percent of the votes in last month's election requested the recount, claiming that the election was full of irregularities that need to be addressed. President Bush, a Republican, beat the Massachusetts senator by about 119,000 votes in Ohio on Election Day. Ohio's 20 electoral votes, which will be cast on Monday, put Bush over the top in the race. Kerry's campaign supports the recount but says it won't change the election outcome. Bush's campaign has criticized the recount effort, saying it won't change anything."

Gary Webb commits suicide

http://www.sacbee.com/content/news/story/11744167p-12630255c.html Obituary: Gary Webb, prize-winning investigative reporter By Sam Stanton and Sandy Louey -- Bee Staff Writers /Published 2:15 am PST Sunday, December 12, 2004/ [Excerpt] Gary Webb, a prize-winning investigative journalist whose star-crossed career was capped with a controversial newspaper series linking the CIA to the crack cocaine epidemic in Los Angeles, died Friday of self-inflicted gunshot wounds, officials said. Mr. Webb, 49, was found dead in his Carmichael home Friday morning of gunshot wounds to the head, the Sacramento County Coroner's Office said Saturday. He left a note, but officials would not disclose its contents. The Bee's Sam Stanton can be reached at (916) 321-1091 or sstanton@sacbee.com

CNN.com - Court allows church to use hallucinogenic tea - Dec 10, 2004

Court allows church to use hallucinogenic tea Friday, December 10, 2004 Posted: 10:33 PM EST (0333 GMT) ALBUQUERQUE, New Mexico (AP) -- The U.S. Supreme Court sided Friday with a New Mexico church that wants to use hallucinogenic tea as part of its Christmas services, despite government objections that the tea is illegal and potentially dangerous. The high court lifted a temporary stay issued last week against using the hoasca tea while it decides whether the Brazil-based O Centro Espirita Beneficiente Uniao do Vegetal is permitted to make it a permanent part of its services"

Boy tries to sell bomb for $35 "Only in America," you say?

"Principal: Boy tries to sell bomb for $35 Saturday, December 11, 2004 Posted: 10:18 AM EST (1518 GMT) McDONOUGH, Georgia (AP) -- A 14-year-old boy accused of bringing a pipe bomb to school wanted to sell it to pay for Christmas presents, but several classmates thought his $35 asking price was too high, the principal said. The Rev. James West said the boy, whose name has not been released because of his age, wasn't thinking when he brought the bomb to Lake Dow Christian Academy. The academy's roughly 150 students had to be evacuated because of the incident Thursday. The bomb did not explode. 'He didn't mean any harm, he just did a stupid thing,' West told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution for its Saturday editions. 'Boys are all the time doing stupid things.'" continued...............