National News for Aug. 30 – Sept. 14

This is not original reporting. All information has been compiled from the Washington Post. Silver Chips Online posts this news summary to provide readers with a forum for discussion.

Sept. 4 – Long lines due to processing are causing delays at the Canadian and Mexican borders. Lines are nearly as long as they were directly after Sept. 11, 2001. The hold up is due to new regulations that require U.S. citizens to show a driver's license, a passport or other photo ID. Previously citizens just had to declare their citizenship and declare goods before crossing the border.

Sept. 10 - Republican Senator Larry Craig filed documents to overturn his guilty plea. Craig was arrested for inappropriate sexual advances in the Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport in August. Craig officially resigned his Congressional seat on Sept. 1 and the only possible way he can keep his seat is if the court quickly reverses the ruling.

Los Angeles, CA
Sept. 6 – Temperatures of over 110 degrees caused the death of about 25 people in Southern California. The heat wave lasted eight days before temperatures finally dropped on Sept. 5.

New York City, NY
Sept. 6 – Drivers of New York City taxicabs are on strike protesting a plan that installs a satellite tracking system and credit card machines in the cabs. The drivers insist that these new measures are expensive and an invasion of their privacy.

Washington, D.C.
Aug. 30 – White House press secretary Tony Snow resigned saying that he needs to earn back the money he lost when leaving his job as a television and radio host. Snow explains that his battle with colon cancer is not the reason for his resignation. Snow plans to give speeches, be involved in politics and write two books. Deputy press secretary Dana Perino will take over his job on Sept. 15.

Atlanta, GA
Aug. 31 – New information reveals that the FBI spied on Coretta Scott King after the death of her husband, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in 1968. The memos justified the surveillance by saying that they were looking for ties between the Civil Rights and anti-Vietnam movements.

The White House
Sept. 3- President George W. Bush, accompanied by Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, made a surprise visit to Iraq and spoke to the American troops stationed there. Bush urged Congress to wait to make a decision on his proposal to send another 30,000 troops to Iraq until they hear testimony from top U.S. commander in Iraq, General David Petraus and U.S. Ambassador to Baghdad, Ryan Crocker and receive the White House's Progress Report.