Nation digest 07/05/03

Davis recall backers say they can make ballot

LOS ANGELES -- A majority of voters believe Gov. Gray Davis should be recalled in a special election, according to a poll published Friday, hours after recall leaders claimed they had enough support to put the question on the ballot.

The Los Angeles Times statewide poll of 1,412 adults, 1,127 of them registered voters, found 51 percent want Davis ousted, while 42 percent would reject a recall. The rest said they didn't know what to do.

Many pointed to the state's $38 billion fiscal crisis as the reason Davis should be removed. Others gave the Democrat poor ratings on education and energy.

By law, backers need 897,158 validated signatures of registered voters by July 16 to put the question to voters this fall. Ted Costa, coordinator of the Republican-led signature drive, said Thursday that just over 1 million signatures had been turned over to counties for validation.

Opponents noted state officials had yet to validate the signatures.

Three bodies found after Texas fireworks blast

KILGORE, Texas -- The bodies of three workers killed during an explosion at a fireworks warehouse were found early Friday in what was the second major deadly fireworks accident this week.

The blast Thursday evening destroyed about half the large metal warehouse and shattered nearby homes. On Wednesday, a truck packed with fireworks exploded in Bonita Springs, Fla., killing five workers who had been unloading the shipment for an Independence Day display.

The bodies of the three workers have been removed from the building, said Clay Alexander, an agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms.

Firefighters and ATF agents had not reported finding any other casualties early Friday. At least five were injured.

Alexander said the investigation indicates the blast was accidental.

Inmate charged in assault on John Walker Lindh

LOS ANGELES -- A prisoner has been charged with attacking John Walker Lindh, the American in federal prison for taking up arms for the Taliban, prosecutors said Thursday.

Richard Dale Morrison, 29, was charged Wednesday with a misdemeanor count of assault for allegedly striking Lindh at a Victorville prison March 3, according to the U.S. attorney's office.

Lindh's lawyer has said his client was tackled by an inmate who hit him. Lindh suffered a bruised forehead.

Morrison could receive up to an additional six months in prison if convicted, prosecutors said. He is nearing the end of a 63-month sentence for damaging religious property.

Lindh, 21, received a 20-year sentence in October after pleading guilty to supplying services to Afghanistan's now-defunct Taliban government and carrying explosives in commission of a felony. He has been at the medium-security prison northeast of Los Angeles since January.

Japanese man retains title for eating hot dogs

NEW YORK -- Frankly speaking, it wasn't even close.

For an unprecedented third straight year, rail-thin Takeru Kobayashi outgorged the competition Friday in the Nathan's Famous hot dog eating contest, downing 44 1/2 dogs and dominating adversaries three times his size.

Kobayashi finished his franks at the rate of one every 16 seconds at the annual Fourth of July extravaganza.

Once again, the American competitive eaters were left to fight for second place as a Japanese champion was crowned for the sixth time in the seven years. Runner-up Ed Jarvis of Nesconset, N.Y., 6-foot-6 and 420 pounds, trailed the champion by 14 dogs.

But the 5-foot-7 Kobayashi, who sports a 30-inch waist, was disappointed that he failed to break his own record of 50 1/2 dogs.

"I feel sad," he said through an interpreter. "I came here to set the record."

-- From wire reports