The Record, Bergen County, NJ

Ex-Nurse Admits Guilt for His 17th Murder ; Declines to Explain Selection of Victim

A former nurse admitted his 17th on-the-job murder on Thursday, telling a Pennsylvania judge he killed a retired steelworker with a fatal overdose of a heart medication. Charles Cullen, who claims to have killed up to 40 patients during his nursing career in New Jersey and eastern Pennsylvania, was somber and polite but said little as he pleaded guilty to the 1998 murder of 78-year-old Ottomar Schramm at Easton Hospital.

Mcgreevey Warmly Received at Black Issues Convention ; Outgoing Governor Lists Accomplishments

TRENTON - Governor McGreevey made a surprise visit to the New Jersey Black Issues Convention on Thursday and gave an impassioned accounting of his efforts to improve the lives of African- Americans. Those in the packed ballroom of the Trenton Marriott rose to their feet when the governor entered, and gave him a sustained standing ovation.

Judges Contemplate Special Election ; Issue of Mcgreevey's Resignation Unsettled

A panel of federal appellate judges subjected both sides to pointed questioning Thursday in the continuing legal effort to speed Governor McGreevey's exit and trigger a special election this fall, signaling that the outcome of the case is far from settled. Three judges of the 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals in Philadelphia asked attorneys not only whether it would be possible to change the Nov. 2 ballots at this late date, but also whether an election for governor could be scheduled later in the...

Around the State

Tests find security lapses at Newark NEWARK - Baggage screeners at Newark Liberty International Airport missed one of every four fake bombs or weapons inspectors tried to sneak past checkpoints in tests this summer, according to confidential inspection reports obtained by The Star-Ledger.

Kerry to Bush: 'Face the Truth' On Iraq ; Sees Another Lebanon in the Making

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. - Sen. John Kerry said Thursday that President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney have failed to recognize a deteriorating situation in postwar Iraq and "may well be the last two people on the planet who won't face the truth." In his strongest statement yet, the Democratic presidential nominee said if Bush fails to recognize the severity of problems in Iraq, the situation could become as chaotic as the Middle East was in the early 1980s.

Kerry Gains, Bush Falters in New Poll ; Survey Shows Ebbing Support for President After First Debate

WASHINGTON - Sen. John Kerry has taken a slim lead over President Bush, according to an Associated Press poll that shows the president's support tumbling on personal qualities, the war in Iraq and the commander in chief's bedrock campaign issue - national security. Fewer voters than a month ago believe Bush is the best man to protect the country and fight the Iraq war.

Ftc Accuses Firms of 'Spyware' Scams ; Injunction Request Is 1st Such Case in U.S.

WASHINGTON - The Federal Trade Commission on Thursday filed the first case in the country against software companies accused of infecting computers with intrusive "spyware" and then trying to sell people the solution. The commission accused the companies of infecting computers with unsolicited software, showering computer screens with pop-up ads and then trying to get consumers to pay $30 for a fix. It is seeking an injunction to force the companies, owned by the same person, to stop, and to ...

U.S. Hopes to Salvage British Flu Vaccine ; Maker Reportedly Warned of Problem in September

LONDON - Stunned U.S. health officials met with British regulators Thursday to discuss the suspension of flu vaccine production that has slashed supplies across the United States, and planned to inspect the British factory to see whether any impounded vaccine could be salvaged. U.S. officials said they had been expecting only that Britain would withhold a small amount of the vaccine because of contamination with a bacterium called Serratia. Just two weeks ago, Americans were assured that U.S....

Spitzer Wins Restroom Attendants Back Wages in Lawsuit Settlement

NEW YORK - Restroom attendants at some of Manhattan's fanciest restaurants are underpaid and often robbed of tips by their own employers, the state's attorney general said Thursday. Eliot Spitzer announced settlements with landmark eatery Tavern on the Green and a company that operates popular spots such as Ruby Foo's and Blue Water Grill.

Convention Arrests Called Illegal ; Nyclu Challenges Police Actions

NEW YORK - The New York Civil Liberties Union said Thursday it had filed two federal lawsuits alleging that hundreds of people were illegally arrested during the Republican National Convention. The lawsuits, filed in Manhattan's U.S. District Court, name the city and New York Police Department as defendants. They accuse police of illegal mass arrests, illegally lengthy and unexplained detentions in filthy conditions - notably in a large room at Pier 57 - and illegal fingerprinting of people c...

Democrats Seek to Capitalize On Delay's Latest Ethics Woe ; Say Gop Needs Change in House

WASHINGTON - Democrats sought election-year gain Thursday from Majority Leader Tom DeLay's latest brush with the House Ethics Committee, while the powerful Texas lawmaker drew widespread expressions of support from fellow Republicans. Republicans must decide "do they want an ethically unfit person to be their majority leader, or do they want to remove the ethical cloud that hangs over the Capitol?" said Rep. Nancy Pelosi of California, the Democratic leader.

Japanese Top List of Fuel-Stingy Cars ; but Ford has Most Efficient Suv, Pickup

WASHINGTON - Japanese vehicles dominate the government's annual list of vehicles with the best fuel economy, but Ford Motor Co. can claim the most fuel-efficient pickup and sport-utility vehicle. The manual version of the two-seat Honda Insight hybrid tops the list of 2005 vehicles with 61 miles per gallon in the city and 66 mpg on the highway, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Energy said Thursday. Eight of the top 10 cars are made by Honda and Toyota; the other two a...

Fewer Women Smoke During Pregnancy

ATLANTA - The smoking rate among pregnant women in the United States has dropped by more than one-third since 1990, the government said Thursday. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention credited health campaigns designed to discourage expectant mothers from lighting up.

Austrian Writer Wins Nobel Prize in Literature ; Latest Play Blasts U.S. War in Iraq

STOCKHOLM, Sweden - Austrian writer Elfriede Jelinek, a reclusive author whose feminism, leftist politics and pacifism are common themes in her works, won the Nobel Prize in literature Thursday for what the Swedish Academy called her "musical flow of voices and countervoices in novels and plays." Her most famous novel, "The Piano Teacher" in 1983, was adapted into a 2001 film by director Michael Haneke, although her other works are well-known in German-speaking countries and she is widely tra...

U.S. Embassy Staff Sent Into Bunker After Kabul Blast ; Afghan Election Set for Saturday

KABUL, Afghanistan - A loud explosion rattled the Afghan capital near the U.S. Embassy early today, prompting American officials to order diplomatic staff to take shelter in an underground bunker. Lt. Commander Ken MacKillop, a spokesman for international peacekeepers, said it was not clear what caused the blast, which came a day before the start of national elections.

Around the Nation

Girl, 11, booked in machete attack BARSTOW, Calif. - An 11-year-old attacked her baby sitter with a machete during a struggle that included attempts by the girl to grab a baseball bat, a shovel and a BB gun, investigators said.

Rockets Target Baghdad Hotel Used by Journalists ; Roadside Blasts Kill Two More U.S. Soldiers

BAGHDAD, Iraq - Rockets struck a Baghdad hotel housing foreign contractors and journalists late Thursday, drawing return fire and underscoring the precarious security in the heart of the Iraqi capital. Outside Baghdad, roadside bombings killed two more American soldiers. More scattered explosions reverberated through the heart of the Iraqi capital around midnight, but it wasn't known what caused the blasts or if there were any casualties.

Anglican Prelate Seeks to Oversee Conservative U.S. Episcopalians ; Targets Opponents of Electing Gay Bishop

FAIRFAX, Va. - In a direct challenge to the leadership of the U.S. Episcopal Church, an influential Anglican archbishop from Africa is exploring ways to allow American congregations upset over the election of a gay bishop to realign themselves under his jurisdiction. Archbishop Peter Akinola of Nigeria, who has been sharply critical of the U.S. Episcopal Church's decision last year to consecrate Bishop V. Gene Robinson in New Hampshire, said he feels obliged to provide a spiritual home to Nig...

Suitcase Stolen From Beatle Kin Found

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - Police have recovered a suitcase that had been stolen from George Harrison's sister as she donated Beatles memorabilia to Bill Clinton's presidential library. Photographs of George and Lou Harrison and song sheets had been taken from the suitcase, but they were not of great value, Lou Harrison said.

Edwards Says Bush Misled U.S. ; Uses Stop in Bayonne to Critique Port Security

BAYONNE - Democratic vice presidential nominee John Edwards stepped up his attacks Thursday on President Bush's decision to invade Iraq, citing a report released a day earlier as proof that Baghdad did not possess weapons of mass destruction. The North Carolina senator argued that Bush misled the American people - first about Iraq's weapons program and then by linking Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein to the Sept. 11 terror attacks. He also accused the Republican administration of fostering chaos i...