Nation briefs 1/26/04

Storm drops wintry mix from Kansas to Carolinas

Winter storms dumped freezing rain, sleet and snow from the Plains to the East Coast on Sunday, making traveling treacherous along ice-slicked roads. At least eight people died in weather-related car wrecks: three in Missouri, two in Nebraska, one in Kansas and two in North Carolina. Dozens of airline flights were delayed or canceled from Missouri to South Carolina, and sporadic power outages were reported. Nevertheless, the National Weather Service said a massive, icy storm bound for the Northeast packed less of a punch than had been expected -- and was far less crippling than those in January 2002 storm that caused millions of dollars in damage.

U.S., Costa Rica reach free trade agreement

WASHINGTON -- The Bush administration reached an agreement with Costa Rica on Sunday that will allow that nation to join four of its neighbors in creating a Central American Free Trade Area with the United States, officials of the two countries announced. The deal must be approved by Congress. The agreement came after two weeks of intense negotiations aimed at overcoming differences in such areas as telecommunications and insurance that had prompted Costa Rica to back out at the last minute from completing the CAFTA talks last month with the four other nations, Guatemala, El Salvador, Nicaragua and Honduras.

Congress to save billions in pension payments

WASHINGTON -- Lawmakers call it a perfect storm, a confluence of events that is forcing financially weak companies to pay billions of dollars more into pension plans and threatening the retirement security of millions of Americans. So serious is the situation that business groups have joined with organized labor and Republicans have allied with Democrats behind a Senate bill to change the formula that determines pension contributions. The measure also provides relief to airlines and steelmakers lagging in their pension payments. The Bush administration has threatened to veto the legislation because of the help for airlines. Officials say this plan would only worsen pension financial woes.

-- From wire reports