Nation briefs 8/17/05

Washington Post backs out of Sept. 11 event

WASHINGTON -- The Washington Post is withdrawing its offer of free advertising for an organized event by the Defense Department to memorialize the victims of the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks. The Post backed out after critics said the event would have a pro-war slant and that support of the event by the newspaper would compromise the Post's journalistic integrity.

JPMorgan, TD settle Enron 'Megaclaims' suit

NEW YORK -- Two banks agreed on Tuesday to pay at least $420 million to settle their parts of the "Megaclaims" lawsuit filed by Enron against 10 banks, alleging they "aided and abetted fraud" and could have prevented the energy trader's collapse. JPMorgan Chase & Co. agreed to pay $350 million in cash to Enron Corp. and Toronto Dominion Bank agreed to pay $70 million.

Coretta Scott King admitted to Ga. hospital

ATLANTA -- Coretta Scott King was admitted to a hospital for an unspecified condition Tuesday and was resting comfortably, a hospital official said. King, 78, the widow of slain civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., went to an emergency room Tuesday morning, Piedmont Hospital spokeswoman Diana Lewis said.

Bush's neighbors want restrictions on gatherings

WACO, Texas -- President Bush's neighbors asked county leaders Tuesday to prevent large gatherings near the Crawford ranch like the ongoing anti-war protest led by Cindy Sheehan. Several residents have complained of blocked roads and traffic jams in the last week since dozens of people joined the protest by pitching tents off the road leading to Bush's ranch. A petition with more than 60 signatures was submitted to the county commission, asking the board to expand a no-parking zone that bans cars within a few hundred feet of the ranch.

Southern California terror probe yields third arrest

LOS ANGELES -- A Pakistani national has been arrested in a terrorism investigation into a possible plot to attack the Israeli Consulate, California National Guard facilities and other targets, officials said Tuesday. Hammad Riaz Samana, 21, was taken into custody on Aug. 2 and has been detained in Los Angeles.

-- From wire reports

, according to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons. It was not immediately known whether Samana had retained legal counsel.

July sets record for Atlantic tropical storms, 2nd warmest on record

WASHINGTON -- The five named tropical storms recorded in July were the most on record for that month, and worldwide it was the second warmest July on record, the National Climatic Data Center reported Tuesday. In the United States it was the 12th warmest July on record, with the national average temperature 1.5 degree Fahrenheit above normal for the month. Worldwide, the average temperature for July was 1.08 degrees above normal in records dating back to 1880, the second warmest July on record. The warmest was in 1998 with readings 1.17 above average for the month.