Nation briefs 03/20/03

Top aide to George Ryan found guilty of corruption

CHICAGO -- A top aide to former Gov. George Ryan was found guilty on all counts by a federal court jury Wednesday of corruption charges stemming from the eight-year period when Ryan was Illinois secretary of state.

Scott Fawell, 45, is the top official charged thus far in the five-year federal investigation of events that took place while Ryan was secretary of state before his election as governor in 1998.

Fawell was chief of staff to Ryan in the secretary of state's office and his 1998 campaign manager.

The jury also found Ryan's campaign committee guilty on all counts.

The jury deliberated for six days and part of a seventh before reaching its verdicts.

FedEx facility evacuated after 'West Nile' explosion

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- A package labeled as containing the West Nile virus exploded at a Federal Express facility, and about 50 workers were evacuated.

Fire officials said dry ice used to preserve tissue samples containing live virus may have caused the shoebox-sized package to burst late Tuesday at the FedEx office near Port Columbus International Airport.

The package contained brain and kidney tissue from a bird that had tested positive for the virus, said Jay Carey, spokesman for the Ohio Department of Health. The department was sending the material to a researcher at the University of Texas.

The virus was live but the samples were frozen and unlikely to become airborne, Carey said.

FAA: Hijacked Cuban airliner lands in Key WestKEY WEST, Fla. -- A Cuban airliner carrying 29 passengers was hijacked Wednesday night and landed under U.S. military escort in Key West, U.S. authorities said.

Six hijackers took over the plane and surrendered to authorities in Key West, said FBI spokeswoman Judy Orihuela in Miami.

She did not know if any of the hijackers, passengers or six crew members were hurt.

"All I have right now is that it was resolved," Orihuela said.

Air Force fighter jets were sent from Homestead Air Force Base, and escorted the Douglas DC-3 to Key West International Airport, officials said.

Air traffic controllers at Miami International Airport spotted the plane on radar about 7:45 p.m. and were unable to make voice contact, said FAA spokeswoman Kathleen Bergen.

The aircraft landed a little after 8 p.m., and the passengers were released about a half-hour later, Bergen said.

The plane originated from the Isle of Youth, off the main island's southern coast, Bergen said.

House approves tax cut for Columbia families

WASHINGTON -- The House voted Wednesday to excuse families of the space shuttle Columbia astronauts from 2002 income taxes and to create $1 billion in new tax breaks for a variety of businesses.

It also debated legislation to provide $835 million in tax breaks over the next decade to U.S. troops poised to go to war with Iraq, but GOP leaders put off a vote on that measure until today.

The bill aiding the astronauts' survivors and a collection of businesses passed by voice vote.

Democrats consented but expressed anger at having to vote for the miscellaneous tax breaks in order to provide assistance to the astronauts' families.

"Even if sometimes it means swallowing hard, they can depend on us being there for them, as they were there for us," said Rep. Charles B. Rangel of New York, the senior Democrat on the House Ways and Means Committee.

The Senate Finance Committee approved a bill last month that combines the military benefits with relief for Columbia survivors.

-- From wire reports