U.S. sends pointed message to Russia

WASHINGTON -- Armed with harrowing stories of death threats and shadowy guards seizing their factories, American corporations have gotten the Bush administration to put the squeeze on Russia in a campaign that is benefiting from good timing.

The message delivered by senior diplomats and President Bush is pointed: Moscow needs to clean up corruption and other obstacles to expanding business if it wants to convince the world it belongs in the World Trade Organization.

The beneficiaries span the gamut of corporate America from a politically connected vodka distributor and MTV to a Seattle investment firm and the Subway sandwich chain.

Though corruption and government interference have long hurt domestic and foreign business expansion in Russia, the U.S. campaign has been staged at an opportune time as Moscow aggressively seeks WTO membership.

"It's important that their rule of law apply to these cases and that there's due process and there's transparency," said Commerce Secretary Don Evans, another key player in the effort to lobby Russia.

Airlines trimming flight schedule for Sept. 11

Some of the nation's largest airlines are cutting back their Sept. 11 flight schedules, bowing to Americans' reluctance to fly on the anniversary of the attack.

American and United, the two biggest carriers, are making unspecified reductions for that day based on weak bookings. No. 3 Delta is trimming flights for the entire work week of Sept. 9-13.

Unease about another terrorist strike is behind the decline in bookings, but so are patriotism and remembrance, according to interviews with consumers, travel agents and industry experts.

Even for a midweek in September, a traditionally slow travel period, numerous agencies nationwide say they have noticed a particular reluctance among both business and leisure travelers to make reservations around Sept. 11, which falls on a Wednesday.

Officer's wife arrested in spouse's gun death

FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. -- The wife of an Army Special Operations officer has been charged in his shooting death, and police sought to arrest a teen-ager, in the latest in a string of domestic violence cases that have shaken Fort Bragg.

Joan Shannon, 35, was charged Tuesday with first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder in the July 23 fatal shooting of Maj. David Shannon, 40.

"We believe financial gain is one of the primary motives of the crime," said police Lt. Tom Guilette. He did not elaborate.

Police issued a petition charging a 15-year-old in the slaying. The teen had not been arrested by early Wednesday, police Sgt. Alex Thompson said. The juvenile's identity was not disclosed.

Shannon's slaying is the fifth domestic-related slaying linked to the base since June 11.

Man convicted for hitting ex-mayor with bullhorn

SEATTLE -- A man charged with bashing former Mayor Paul Schell in the face with a bullhorn was convicted of assault Wednesday after a second trial.

Omari Tahir-Garrett, 56, maintained his innocence and accused police of lying. He testified Tuesday that he had handed the megaphone to someone else.

A jury deliberated over two days before returning a verdict Wednesday of second-degree assault. Tahir-Garrett faces sentencing on Friday.

The conviction likely will take him out of the running for a state Senate seat. He was challenging Seattle Democrat Adam Kline.

--From wire reports