Ashcroft appearance planned for Letterman

NEW YORK -- Singer, songwriter and Attorney General John Ashcroft plans to spend some time with David Letterman.

Ashcroft is scheduled to tape an appearance on the CBS "Late Show" on Tuesday, CBS said.

Letterman has been poking fun at the attorney general by repeatedly showing a clip of Ashcroft singing the self-penned song, "Let the Eagles Soar," at a visit to a North Carolina theological seminary.

When he was in the Senate, Ashcroft joined colleagues Trent Lott, Jim Jeffords and Larry Craig in an informal music group.

Poitier gives reflections on lifetime Oscar award

YORK, Pa. -- Sidney Poitier says he didn't have to spend much time writing his speech accepting a lifetime achievement Oscar and thanking all the black actors and actresses who helped pave the way.

"It didn't take that long, because I was speaking what I believed to be the truth, every moment of which was lived," said Poitier, who spoke Friday at the Junior League of York. "So it wasn't hard to find the words."

In addition to his special Oscar, Poitier who won the 1963 best-actor award for "Lilies of the Field."

He said he's been re-examining who he is -- and who Americans are -- in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks.

He urged people to look "past the veneer of surface appearances."

Daughters of Kuralt must pay death taxes

BOZEMAN, Mont. -- The daughters of the late broadcast journalist Charles Kuralt will have to pay death taxes on 90 acres his secret mistress inherited following a drawn-out trial.

District Judge Loren Tucker ruled that Kuralt's daughters by his first marriage, Susan Bowers and Lisa Bowers White, who make up Kuralt's estate, will have to pay the taxes on the fishing retreat along the Big Hole River.

Kuralt's daughters are considering an appeal of the ruling, their attorney, Gary Bjelland, said Friday.

He said the death taxes could amount to thousands of dollars.

"It's total victory for us," said Jim Goetz, attorney for Kuralt's companion of 30 years, Pat Shannon.

Preacher Graham's sinus infection gets surgery

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Evangelist Billy Graham underwent surgery Friday at the Mayo Clinic-Jacksonville to relieve symptoms of a sinus infection and bronchitis.

In a procedure that took just under two hours, Dr. David Pearson, a facial surgeon, removed the bony portions that make up the openings of the affected sinuses. The surgery was performed under general anesthesia.

In a statement, Pearson said he expects Graham, 83, to feel immediate relief from his sinus symptoms and experience fewer cases of sinusitis and bronchitis in the future. He had been plagued by recurring bouts of the ailments for the past few months.

--From wire reports