USA
With an unexpectedly strong second-place finish in the Wisconsin primary, Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina revitalized his campaign and positioned himself for a two-man race for the Democratic presidential nomination against front-runner John Kerry. Kerry received 40 percent of the vote, to 34 percent for Edwards, and now has won 15 of 17 primaries. Edwards, however, gathered much-needed momentum heading toward the March 2 "Super Tuesday" primaries in 10 states, among them California and New York. At stake will be 1,151 delegates. Both candidates will be seeking to pick up supporters from former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean, who finished third and was expected to announce the end of his candidacy as the Monitor went to press.
Attempts to block a run of 2,600 same-sex marriage ceremonies in San Francisco's City Hall failed in the short term when two state Superior Court judges, in separate decisions, said they weren't prepared to issue emergency stop orders. One turned down a conservative group's request for a temporary restraining order and scheduled a hearing on the matter for Friday. The other judge called for the city to cease issuing disputed marriage licenses, but left the door open to continued civil disobedience by putting off a follow-up hearing until March 29.
A federal prosecutor involved in government antiterror efforts filed suit against Attorney John Ashcroft and the Justice Department, claiming inadequate support in the case against two men found guilty of scouting future attacks on US landmarks, the only jury-trial conviction thus far in the war on terrorism. Richard Convertino has been at odds with Justice Department officials over handling of the case, from which he was removed.
Responding to allegations of sexual misconduct by members of the football team, the University of Colorado announced it will hire a special administrator to oversee its athletic department. Several women, among them a former female placekicker who tells her story in a forthcoming edition of Sports Illustrated magazine, have said they were raped by football players or recruits still in high school.
A jury in Phoenix found the retired Roman Catholic Bishop Thomas O'Brien guilty of leaving the scene of a car accident last June in which he struck and killed a jaywalking pedestrian. No date was set for sentencing, but he could receive up to four years in prison. O'Brien, who headed the Phoenix diocese for 21 years, said he thought his car had hit a dog or been struck by a rock on the night of the accident.
