Nation briefs 9/2/04

Ohio highway shootings suspect pleads insanity

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- A man charged in a deadly string of highway shootings in Ohio pleaded innocent by reason of insanity Wednesday, a day after a judge ruled that he was competent to stand trial. Attorneys for Charles A. McCoy Jr., 29, said he suffers from paranoid schizophrenia, and that psychiatrists found evidence McCoy did not understand right from wrong during the more than 20 shootings, one of which killed a woman.

Buildings condemned in flood-ravaged Richmond

RICHMOND, Va. -- Police and fire officials escorted Richmond residents and business owners into their flood-ravaged homes and shops Wednesday, but only to allow them to retrieve pets and essentials such as prescription drugs. Flooding touched off by the remnants of Tropical Storm Gaston on Monday left at least seven people dead in Virginia and devastated a historic Richmond district that was the heart of the Confederate capital during the Civil War.

Experts: al-Qaida-linked soldier is mentally ill

FORT LEWIS, Wash. -- A soldier accused of trying to pass military secrets to al-Qaida suffers from bipolar disorder and other mental health problems, a psychologist testified at his court-martial Wednesday. "He has been an outsider, a social misfit, most of his life," psychologist Jack Norris said of Spc. Ryan G. Anderson. Norris, of Madigan Army Medical Center, said he began evaluating Anderson in mid-July, eventually diagnosing him with bipolar disorder.

Trade center families rally for 'proper burial'

NEW YORK -- Relatives of some of the World Trade Center victims rallied at ground zero Wednesday to urge the city to remove the ashen remains of their loved ones from a landfill where debris was sorted after the terrorist attack. WTC Families for Proper Burial, was formed after the city announced plans to develop Staten Island's Fresh Kills landfill, where trade center debris was taken, into a park. The group has collected 47,000 signatures to press for what its members call a more dignified resting place for the remains.

Radiation isn't needed for all with breast cancer

BOSTON -- Many older women with early breast cancer can safely skip radiation after having a lump removed, two studies suggest. Most women should still undergo radiation, because it helps prevent relapses within the same breast, the researchers say. But breast cancer grows so slowly in older women -- at least those over 70 -- that many could forgo those treatments with little risk of a relapse.

Security directive issued for flights from Russia

WASHINGTON -- Two airlines that fly from Moscow to the United States must check passengers and their carry-on bags for bombs, according to a government order Wednesday, one week after suspected terrorists crashed two Russian planes. The airlines affected are Delta Air Lines and Aeroflot Russian Airlines, which fly to the United States four times a day from Sheremetyevo International Airport, a Homeland Security Department official said.-- From wire reports

Reservist charged in deaths of Afghan detainees

WASHINGTON -- The Army charged a military police reservist with assault and dereliction of duty in connection with the deaths of two Afghans in U.S. military control in Afghanistan, and investigators have implicated about two dozen other soldiers, Army officials said Wednesday. Two officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the investigation is not complete and that it is uncertain how many soldiers eventually will face criminal charges. The deaths, on Dec. 3 and Dec. 10, 2002, were ruled homicides by U.S. military medical examiners.

Judge orders halt to sale of American Indian oil lands

WASHINGTON -- A federal judge has ordered the Interior Department to temporarily halt its auction of American Indian lands in Oklahoma, some of which come with rights for oil drilling. U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth signed the restraining order late Tuesday at the request of attorneys in the multibillion-dollar lawsuit by American Indians against the Interior Department.

Youth releases pepper spray in Washington building

WASHINGTON -- Members of a visiting youth group accidentally released pepper spray inside a building near the White House, authorities said, and terrorism-wary officials responded with two dozen ambulances and a triage center in a nearby park. In the end, five people were treated for eye irritations and one was taken to a hospital with complications from asthma, said District of Columbia fire and emergency spokesman Alan Etter. About 130 people were assessed at the scene, he said.

-- From wire reports