USA
President Bush and House leaders agreed on a draft resolution authorizing use of force against Iraq, White House spokesman Ari Fleischer said. The wording "does not tie [Bush's] hands," Fleischer said, and has bipartisan support in the House, where Republicans have the majority. He amended an earlier statement that the Democrat-led Senate had signed on as well. Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle (D) of South Dakota said the resolution will "be the source of a good deal of discussion over the coming hours."
Secretary of State Powell came out against a deal between the UN and Iraq to resume arms inspections, saying, "We do not believe that [inspectors] should go in until they have new instructions in the form of a new resolution." The US and Britain want to lift existing restrictions on access to Iraqi presidential sites, among others.
Enron's ex-chief financial officer Andrew Fastow was charged with fraud, money-laundering, and conspiracy in a federal court in Houston, where he arrived under FBI escort. Fastow is considered a central figure in last year's massive collapse of the energy trader and the alleged mastermind of complex, off-the-books partnerships used to hide $1 billion in debts while enriching the company's top executives.
It's not clear whether his name will appear on the November ballot, but Frank Lautenberg was chosen by New Jersey's Democratic Party leaders to replace Sen. Robert Torricelli, who quit the race Monday. Lautenberg, a former Senator, retired in 2000. New Jersey's election laws don't permit a candidate switch so close to Election Day, but the Democrat-dominated state Supreme Court is considering whether to grant an exemption. If it does, Republicans have vowed to appeal to the US Supreme Court.
As hurricane Lili advanced with 120 m.p.h. winds, storm warnings were in effect for the Gulf Coast from Texas to the Florida-Alabama line. A storm surge of up to 12 feet above normal was predicted for wherever the eye touches land. Just last week, the same region was inundated by tropical storm Isidore.
A man beaten by a mob of teens and preteens in Milwaukee died as a result of his injuries. Ten youths aged 10 to 18 are in police custody and six more are being sought in the attack. The district attorney said he'll pursue murder charges but didn't indicate whether those under 18 would be charged as juveniles or as adults.
