The Record, Bergen County, NJ

N.J. Legislators Urge Tighter Port Security ; Federal Report Identifies Critical Gaps

New Jersey lawmakers called Tuesday for more thorough screening of shipping containers at Port Newark and other U.S. ports after a government report identified security gaps that terrorists could use to smuggle weapons into the country. The Government Accountability Office, the investigative arm of Congress, examined a federal port security program established after the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks. Under the Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism, about 8,000 importers and air, sea an...

$4 and Counting ; Gas in North Jersey Crosses Dreaded Price Barrier

$4 gasoline is here. Pump prices have been rising steadily in recent weeks, making the $4-a-gallon breakthrough inevitable.

Long Waits and Few Answers at Newark ; Half of Flights Delayed, with No Plan for Relief

Nearly half of Newark Liberty International Airport's flights have arrived late this year and rising fuel prices and airline industry problems threaten to turn the busy summer season into a sweaty mess. More passengers are enduring long waits at the airport's three terminals and even paying for a night in a hotel room as the beleaguered airline industry has canceled more flights this year than in any period since 2000.

Where They Stand

The Record asked the three Republicans and the three Democrats in the June 3 U.S. Senate primary about issues the Senate has confronted or is likely to confront in the coming term. Their responses will appear each day. In some cases, answers are paraphrased or excerpted, but full audio recordings will be online on the Capital Games blog at northjersey.com/herbjackson.

Ex-Assemblyman Guilty of Corruption Charges ; Hackett Admits Taking Bribe, Resigns As Orange Mayor

NEWARK Former state Assemblyman Mims Hackett Jr. pleaded guilty to federal and state corruption charges Tuesday and resigned as mayor of Orange. Hackett is the latest public employee snared by authorities in New Jersey. Since 2002, more than 125 public employees have pleaded guilty or been convicted on federal corruption charges, of which about one-third were elected officials.

People in the News

Soprano duds for sale Tony Soprano is shedding his wardrobe for charity.

Slain Man Was Patted Down by Whitman in '96

CAMDEN A troubled young man who had a bit part in a racial profiling scandal during Gov. Christie Whitman's administration has been killed. Authorities say 28-year-old Sherron Rolax was shot and killed just before 1 a.m. Saturday during a fight on a Camden street. No one has been charged with the killing.

Set-Top Cable Box May Soon Be a Thing of the Past

WASHINGTON The set-top box, a necessary appendage for millions of cable television customers for decades, is moving toward extinction.

Flood Threat Sends 80,000 Packing ; Dam Formed by China Quake Is Unstable

MIANYANG, China About 80,000 people were evacuated Tuesday from downstream of an unstable, earthquake-created dam that is threatening to collapse, and troops rushed to carve a trench to drain the water before it floods the valley. The threat of flooding from dozens of lakes swelling behind walls of mud and rubble that have plugged narrow valleys in parts of the disaster zone is adding a new worry for millions of survivors.

Sewer Dig Reveals Ancient Forest ; Discovery of Peat Layer Adds to Ice Age Knowledge

A geological find, unearthed during construction of a sewer line through Overpeck County Park in Leonia, provides important new evidence that the last ice age included a warm spell more than 15,000 years ago. Six feet below ground, between layers of glacial clay, sits an 18- inch-deep swath of peat the remains of an ancient forest.

N.J. Joins Suit to Toughen Ozone Limits

New Jersey and 10 other states are suing to overturn federal ozone standards, which they deem too weak. Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal announced the federal lawsuit Tuesday against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. It says the EPA's new smog-control standards are not stringent enough to protect the elderly, children and people with respiratory problems.

Correction

The Woodcliff Lake Planning Board is scheduled to meet June 9 to discuss a request by BMW to build a hydrogen fueling station at its North American headquarters in the borough. A May 27 article gave the wrong date. ***

Caution Marks Mccain's Alliance with Bush ; President Aiding Fund-Raiser but Staying Out of Media Spotlight

PHOENIX John McCain's complex relationship with President Bush can be summed up with a simple saying: can't live with him, can't live without him. The president's own popularity is bottom-of-the-barrel low. Even allies privately fret that he's an albatross for the Republican looking to succeed him. Voters are crying out for change amid a prolonged Iraq war and a weakened economy.

Mcgreevey Says His Debt Getting Worse

ELIZABETH New Jersey's gay former governor painted a dire picture of his finances Tuesday, telling a judge he owes his boyfriend a quarter-million dollars, is months behind on child support payments and hasn't saved a dime despite having earned hundreds of thousands of dollars as a politician, lawyer and author of a memoir about his political fall. Former Gov. James E. McGreevey testified that he's sinking further into debt as he pursues a religious degree. He said his $48,000 annual income ...

By George, We Could Monetize Assets ; Continental Congress Had Budget Woes, Too

PRINCETON Top officials gathered at the New Jersey governor's mansion Tuesday to discuss how their debt-ridden government and its empty treasury cannot meet key needs. And it had nothing to do with New Jersey's 2008 budget crisis.

Around the Nation

NASA loses contact with Mars lander TUCSON, Ariz. NASA couldn't send commands Tuesday to the Phoenix Mars lander because of a radio glitch, delaying a second day of activities, officials said. NASA called the problem minor and said workers were trying to fix it.

Pakistani Wedding Hosts Get Legal Relief ; As Food Prices Soar, Law Limits the Menu

LAHORE, Pakistan When Mohammad Imran was planning the dinner for his cousin's wedding reception, he had no excuse to trim the pricey menu down from six entrees. Then the government came to his rescue. Punjab province's newly elected leaders announced that starting this month they would strictly enforce an often ignored law that limits wedding feasts to one main dish a measure welcomed by Pakistanis struggling with a sagging economy and rising prices.

Red Cross Warns of New Food Riots ; Surging Prices Could Spark Fallout

GENEVA The Red Cross warned Tuesday of a possible surge in "food- related violence" because of soaring prices that are increasing hunger around the world. Most of the debate surrounding the global food crisis has focused on boosting aid to poorer countries, but there is also concern about the potential for violence as people become desperate for food, said Jakob Kellenberger, president of the International Committee of the Red Cross.

Around the World

Myanmar extends activist's detention YANGON, Myanmar Myanmar's military regime on Tuesday extended the house arrest of democracy activist Aung San Suu Kyi, refusing to bow to international pressure of the sort that persuaded the generals to let in foreign help for cyclone victims.

Skydiver's New Setback: Balloon Flies Without Him

NORTH BATTLEFORD, Saskatchewan A skydiver's hope to set a new free-fall record may have come to an end Tuesday when his ride to the sky left without him. The helium balloon Michel Fournier would have used to soar to the stratosphere detached from the capsule he was going to use to jump from 130,000 feet.