Nation digest 01/13/04

More urge Connecticut governor to resign

HARTFORD, Conn. -- Six more Republican state senators called Monday for Gov. John G. Rowland to resign, as did U.S. Rep. Christopher Shays. In a news conference at the state Capitol, Shays said he had been prepared to forgive his fellow Republican for lying about accepting gifts from employees and a state contractor but could not do so if Rowland "lied about it and then refused to account for his actions." A University of Connecticut poll found 63 percent of state residents think Rowland should resign. A similar poll taken last week put the number at 58 percent. Federal agents say Rowland is now a subject of a probe.

Louisiana inaugurates first woman governor

BATON ROUGE, La. -- Kathleen Blanco took the oath of office Monday as Louisiana's first woman governor. Her encouragement to business was front and center in the brief speech, continuing a theme that has highlighted the two months since she won election. "We will work tirelessly to make you successful," she said. "Our success depends on your success." Blanco, the state's Democratic lieutenant governor, defeated conservative Indian-American Bobby Jindal with 52 percent of the vote in a runoff election Nov. 15.

Hose suspected in space station's pressure drop

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Mission controllers suspect a leaky hose in the international space station's U.S.-built laboratory module may be the source of a slow drop in air pressure over the past three weeks, but they are still trying to confirm it, NASA said Monday. Extra oxygen was pumped into the space station during the weekend to replenish the dwindling air supply. On Monday, the pressure seemed to be stabilized at 14 pounds per square inch, Mission Control said. The space agency also said the station's next scheduled commander has been replaced because of an undisclosed medical issue.

Daily 30-minute walk can prevent weight gain

CHICAGO -- Overweight adults who are not on a diet need only a small amount of exercise -- the equivalent of a half-hour of brisk walking per day -- to prevent further weight gain, a study found. Participants who got no exercise during the eight-month study gained an average of almost 2.5 pounds. But 73 percent of those who briskly walked 11 miles a week, or about 30 minutes a day, were able to maintain their weight or even lose a few pounds. The study was led by Duke University researchers and involved 120 overweight or mildly obese adults who were instructed not to diet during the research. The findings appeared in Monday's Archives of Internal Medicine.

Publisher found guilty of being agent for Saddam

CHICAGO -- A community newspaper publisher accused of spying on Iraqi dissidents in the United States was found guilty Monday of serving as an unregistered agent for Saddam Hussein. The jury took less than two hours to convict Khaled Abdel-Latif Dumeisi after the weeklong trial. Dumeisi, 61, was convicted of failing to obey a federal law that requires agents of foreign governments to register with the Justice Department. Prosecutors maintained that the Palestinian-born Dumeisi spied on Iraqi dissidents because he was desperate for money and admired Saddam Hussein as the only true friend of the Palestinian cause. He faces up to 25 years in prison at sentencing March 30, but he is likely to get much less time.

NBC says 'Frasier' will end 11-year run in May

LOS ANGELES -- After some brief talk of keeping the show going for a 12th season next fall, NBC said Monday that its five-time Emmy-winning comedy, "Frasier," will call it quits in May. This was widely assumed to be its last season, but in recent months Kelsey Grammer, who has portrayed the high-strung psychologist Frasier Crane for 20 years since the character originated on "Cheers," had said he was open to continuing.

-- From wire reports