Nation briefs 10/28/04

Seattle suspends use of pepper-spray pellet gun

BOSTON -- At least one big-city police department has suspended use of pepper-spray pellet guns blamed for the death of a 21-year-old college student who was shot by police trying to break up a rowdy crowd of Red Sox fans last week. The Seattle Police Department said it has shelved the equipment until it can determine what happened in Boston. Department spokesman Scott Moss said that the guns are normally restricted to a few trained officers and have yet to be used.

Cassini craft takes close-up look at Saturn's moon

PASADENA, Calif. -- The international Cassini spacecraft began unveiling Saturn's mysterious sidekick Titan with a stream of increasingly sharp pictures of the surface taken during a flyby within 745 miles of the hazy moon. Distinct dark and bright surface areas were apparent in pictures arriving at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory late Tuesday. Scientists were thrilled, but admitted they could only speculate about what they were seeing. They could not say whether there is any liquid on the surface or whether the moon has distinct topography or is flat.

Half-ton man recovering from obesity surgery

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. -- A man who weighed about half a ton when he was admitted to a hospital was recovering Wednesday from obesity surgery. Patrick Deuel, 42, underwent the procedure to reduce the size of his stomach four months after being admitted to the hospital at 1,072 pounds. He had been bedridden since last fall and was malnourished because so many of his calories came from foods high in fat and carbohydrates.

Report: Communications industry paid for lawmaker trips

WASHINGTON -- The communications industry spent $704,000 on 450 trips for lawmakers on two congressional oversight committees, their families and staff members in the past four years, a watchdog group reported. The biggest beneficiary was Rep. Billy Tauzin, a former chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, according to a study being released Thursday by The Center for Public Integrity. Tauzin, R-La., took 87 industry-funded trips to Las Vegas, San Diego, New York and elsewhere, at a cost of $139,000, the report said. Tauzin, who is retiring from Congress this year, stepped down as chairman on Feb. 16.

Government seeks May 31 trial date for Moussaoui

WASHINGTON -- The government proposed Wednesday that Zacarias Moussaoui go on trial May 31, the day after Memorial Day, in the only U.S. case charging a defendant with crimes related to the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. Moussaoui, a French citizen, was indicted in December 2001 and his case has been delayed by pretrial disputes -- primarily whether he could have access to three high-ranking al-Qaida prisoners and whether the government could seek the death penalty.

-- From wire reports