Legislature debates use of medical marijuana
SANTA FE (AP) - Erin Armstrong's soft voice trembles as she recounts her six-year fight against cancer and asks lawmakers to legalize the medical use of marijuana.
"This isn't a drug issue at all. This is a patients' rights issue," said Armstrong, who suffers from nausea because of treatments for the cancer she's battled since she was 17.
"I am here on behalf of myself and all other suffering patients who should never have to choose whether or not keeping down the next meal is worth getting arrested," said Armstrong, who grew up in Santa Fe but lives in Albuquerque.
A proposal in the Legislature would allow the use of marijuana for pain or other symptoms of debilitating illnesses such as cancer, glaucoma, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, HIV-AIDS and certain spinal cord injuries.
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Western New Mexico U. student dies in shooting
TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) - A Western New Mexico University football player was killed and a teammate injured in a weekend shooting in Tucson, police said Monday. Authorities said Nicholas Lee Arnold, 20, was found dead about 3:30 a.m. Sunday. Teammate Miguel Sandoval, 21, was found injured in the car, apparently fired upon in a drive-by shooting. A third person in the car, identified as Manuel Silva, 19, was unharmed. Arnold and Sandoval both were offensive linemen last season on the WNMU football team.
Ex-Kellogg chief sworn in as commerce secretary
WASHINGTON (AP) - Carlos Gutierrez, the former chief executive of cereal giant Kellogg, was sworn in Monday as the nation's 35th commerce secretary. On his first day on the job, Gutierrez spoke to employees at Commerce Department headquarters, pledging to build on the record of President Bush's first commerce chief, Donald Evans, who resigned to return to Texas.
"Through our efforts to open markets, we can work together with other departments and Congress to strengthen America's economy," Gutierrez said in brief remarks.
Defrocked priest convicted of child rape in Mass.
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (AP) - Defrocked priest Paul Shanley, the most notorious figure in the sex scandal that rocked the Boston Archdiocese, was convicted Monday of raping and fondling a boy at his Roman Catholic church during the 1980s. The conviction on all four charges gives prosecutors a high-profile victory in their effort to bring pedophile priests to justice for decades of abuse at parishes around the country.
North Georgia preacher found guilty of fraud
ATLANTA (AP) - A preacher was convicted Monday of stealing nearly $9 million from hundreds of small, African-American churches across the country by promising them big returns on small investments.
Abraham Kennard was found guilty by a federal jury in Rome on 116 counts, including fraud and evasion.
Prosecutors said he ran a pyramid scheme that took advantage of the tight network of African-American preachers to which he belonged.
"I know you can see clearly it was a scheme, all right. And for some 1,600 churches, it was a nightmare," prosecutor David McClernan said during closing arguments.
Israelis, Palestinians to announce cease-fire
SHARM EL-SHEIK, Egypt (AP) - Israeli and Palestinian leaders said they will declare a formal end to more than four years of fighting during a summit Tuesday in this Egyptian resort - a breakthrough in Mideast peacemaking that comes after both sides also accepted invitations to meet separately with President Bush at the White House. The cease-fire deal, finalized during last-minute preparations Monday on the eve of the summit, was the clearest indication yet of momentum following Yasser Arafat's death, the election of a new Palestinian leader and a signal from the White House that it plans a renewed push for peace.
President Fox increases personal safety measures
MEXICO CITY (AP) - Mexican President Vicente Fox on Monday acknowledged that his personal security has been increased after authorities found evidence that organized-crime figures were being supplied with information from the president's office.
Federal authorities last week detained the head of Fox's travel staff on suspicion he was feeding information to drug lords. Nahum Acosta, director of the office coordinating presidential tours, may have passed at least part of Fox's travel plans to a narcotics trafficking organization, according to Attorney General Rafael Macedo de la Concha.
