National News

Former First Lady Nancy Reagan falls, recovers with flowers and calls

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Nancy Reagan is being deluged with calls and flowers from well-wishers as she recovers in a Los Angeles hospital from a painful broken pelvis.

Reagan spokeswoman Joanne Drake said the 87-year-old former first lady has been taking calls from around the country since it was disclosed that she broke her pelvis in a fall at her Bel-Air home.

Sen. Edward Kennedy, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, former Secretary of State James Baker, Diane Sawyer, George Will and Chris Matthews are among callers to Reagan's room at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center.

There's also a room full of flowers sent by well-wishers including John McCain, Newt Gingrich and Gov. Sarah Palin's office.

Drake says Nancy Reagan had a restful night and hopes to go home by the weekend.

Pentagon urges security agreement with Iraq to protect U.S. forces.

WASHINGTON (AP) -- A Pentagon spokesman says Defense Secretary Robert Gates is calling congressional leaders in support of a draft security agreement with Iraq that provides protections for U.S. forces there.

Pentagon press secretary Geoff Morrell would not provide details on the draft accord, but said Gates would not be phoning lawmakers about a document that did not provide appropriate protections for the troops. He says Gates is comfortable with it.

Iraqi officials familiar with the draft say it allows American troops to be tried in Iraqi courts for major crimes committed off base and when not on missions. The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not supposed to release the information, say it also calls for U.S. troops to leave Iraqi cities by the end of June and withdraw from the country by Dec. 31, 2011, unless the Baghdad government asks them to stay.

FBI investigating allegations of voter fraud by community group

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The FBI is investigating whether the community activist group ACORN helped foster voter registration fraud around the nation before the presidential election.

A senior law enforcement official confirmed the investigation to The Associated Press on Thursday. A second senior law enforcement official says the FBI was looking at results of recent raids on ACORN offices in several states for any evidence of a coordinated national scam. Both officials spoke on condition of anonymity because regulations forbid discussing ongoing investigations, particularly so close to an election.

ACORN, the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, says it has registered 1.3 million young people, minorities and poor and working-class voters -- most of whom are Democrats.

 

 

 

 

W&LProduced by
Washington and Lee
journalism students.

Lead Supervisors:
Prof. Brian Richardson
Prof. Indira Somani

Editing supervisor:
Prof. Pamela Luecke

Reporting Supervisors:
Prof. Doug Cumming
Prof. Indira Somani

Technical supervisor: Michael Todd