USA

December 27, 2006

The House International Relations investigative subcommittee, which has spent two years reviewing the deadly 1995 Oklahoma City bombing, is expected to release a stinging report as early as Wednesday. According to the Associated Press, the group concluded that the FBI didn't fully investigate whether other suspects may have helped Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols carry out the bombing of a federal building that killed 168 people.

President Bush began a weeklong stay at his Crawford, Texas, ranch on Tuesday, where he is expected to meet with the National Security Council this week to consider his options in Iraq. A speech, sharing his plans, will be delivered sometime before State of the Union address on Jan. 23.

Local authorities in Jefferson County, Colo., 15 miles west of Denver, reported no injuries or radiation from an explosion at an old uranium mine Tuesday. Preliminary indications point to a faulty electrical transformer.

The US military said Tuesday its death toll during 45 months of fighting in Iraq has reached 2,977, surpassing the 2,973 people killed during the 9/11 terrorist attacks at the World Trade Center and Pentagon, as well as on United Flight 93.

Singer James Brown, who died Monday in Atlanta, was known as the "Godfather of Soul." His explosive vocals were featured on such hits as "I Got You (I Feel Good)" and "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag." Brown first made his mark in the 1960s and was scheduled to perform in Times Square, New York, on New Year's Eve.

The American Peanut Council and its research arm have approved a major policy change that encourages scientists to move ahead with "due diligence" to develop genetically engineered peanuts, the Associated Press reported Tuesday. The work could produce peanuts that yield more biofuel production, require less rainfall, and are more pest-resistant.

National Weather Service officials sought to determine Tuesday if a tornado was responsible for structural damage reported Christmas Day across parts of Florida. Tallahassee received 5-1/2 inches of rain.

With one of his best years ever in golf, Tiger Woods was named the Associated Press Male Athlete of 2006, finishing ahead of San Diego Chargers running back LaDainian Tomlinson and Swiss tennis star Roger Federer. Woods won eight of 15 tournaments he entered, including six in a row and two major titles.