Nation briefs 4/8/04

Investigators seek cause of Amtrak derailment

FLORA, Miss. -- Investigators examined twisted track and overturned passenger cars Wednesday to figure out why an Amtrak train derailed over a swamp, killing one person and injuring nearly 60 others. The nine-car City of New Orleans, en route to Chicago, jumped the tracks Tuesday night near Flora. Its cars tumbled five or six feet off a trestle about 25 miles north of Jackson.

Gay, lesbian couples sue N.Y. over marriage law

NEW YORK -- Thirteen same-sex couples sued the state of New York on Wednesday, seeking to have the state law that denies gay and lesbian couples the right to marry declared unconstitutional. The lawsuit charges that state health regulations defining marriage as being only between a man and a woman violates the state Constitution's equal protection, privacy and due process provisions.

Study: New drug boosts 'good' cholesterol

WASHINGTON -- An experimental drug can dramatically boost levels of HDL, the good cholesterol, potentially offering an entirely new way to prevent heart attacks. In a preliminary study, researchers at University of Pennsylvania and Tufts University found that the drug doubled HDL in people with worrisomely low levels of the heart-healthy substance. The drug, called torecetrapib, also reduced LDL, the bad cholesterol.-- From wire reports

White House seeks to void POW damage award

WASHINGTON -- The Bush administration urged an appeals court Wednesday to overturn a judge's order awarding nearly $1 billion in Iraqi money to 17 Americans taken prisoner by Saddam Hussein's government during the 1991 Persian Gulf War. Attorneys for the POWs, who were tortured and starved, countered that the award -- to be paid from Iraqi government assets frozen in this country -- in no way threatens the rebuilding of Iraq, taking issue with the central argument of the administration.

Fugitive wanted in immigrant deaths caught

BROWNSVILLE, Texas -- A Texas man who police say played a role in the nation's deadliest smuggling tragedy has been arrested in Mexico, according to Mexican authorities. Victor Rodriguez, 57, of Brownsville, was arrested March 29 in the border town of Matamoros by investigators from the Mexican attorney general's office. Rodriguez has been linked to a botched smuggling operation uncovered May 14 when dozens of illegal immigrants were locked in a tractor-trailer and abandoned in Victoria, 100 miles southwest of Houston.

Republicans fail on medical malpractice bill

WASHINGTON -- Senate Republicans lost a third attempt to curb medical malpractice lawsuits Wednesday but said they will keep forcing votes on an issue they blame for rising health-care costs. On a 49-48 vote, GOP leaders fell 11 votes short of the 60 needed to force the Senate to consider their bill to cap pain-and-suffering damages that juries can award in malpractice suits against obstetricians and emergency room doctors.

-- From wire reports