ISRAELI PLANES FIRE MISSILES AT ABBAS' GAZA COMPOUND

Israeli planes fire missilesat Abbas' Gaza compound
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip -- Israeli warplanes fired three missiles into the Gaza compound of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Tuesday in response to Palestinian rocket fire -- the first such Israeli attack since the violent Islamic group Hamas took power last week. Abbas condemned the attack, saying it had nothing to do with Hamas and was aimed at disrupting the daily lives of Palestinians. The site was largely abandoned, and the army gave no explanation for hitting the security compound of the moderate leader, who was in the West Bank at the time. The missile strikes dug deep craters and wounded two police officers. Since Hamas took control of the Cabinet, Israeli officials said they would shun the Palestinian Authority but would continue to work with Abbas, leader of the defeated Fatah Party.
Homeland Security workerarrested in Internet sting
MIAMI -- The deputy press secretary for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security was arrested Tuesday for using the Internet to seduce what he thought was a teenage girl, authorities said. Brian J. Doyle, 55, of Silver Spring, Md., was arrested on charges of use of a computer to seduce a child and transmission of harmful material to a minor. The charges were issued out of Polk County, Fla. Doyle had a sexually explicit conversation with what he believed was a 14-year-old girl whose profile he saw on the Internet on March 14, the Polk County Sheriff's Office said in a statement. The girl was an undercover Polk County Sheriff's Computer Crimes detective, the sheriff's office said. Doyle sent the girl pornographic movie clips and had sexually explicit conversations via the Internet, the statement said. During other online conversations, Doyle revealed his name, that he worked for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and offered his office and government issued cell phone numbers, the sheriff's office said.
Republicans lookto replace DeLay
HOUSTON -- Republicans hoping to fill the seat of former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay stepped forward Tuesday as the 11-term lawmaker said he would resign, leaving the Texas district whose boundaries he drew. Within hours of DeLay's announcement, several Republicans contacted party officials about getting on the Nov. 7 ballot. Among the potential candidates: Harris County Judge Robert Eckels, who worked with Houston's mayor to help the city absorb Hurricane Katrina refugees, and the county's tax collector-assessor, Paul Bettencourt. A committee of select precinct chairmen from the four counties that comprise DeLay's 22nd Congressional District will select a nominee to replace him. The Democratic candidate is former Rep. Nick Lampson, who lost his seat when DeLay redesigned the districts in 2004.
Weinberger remembered
ARLINGTON, Va. -- Caspar Weinberger was remembered Tuesday as a defense secretary who took on totalitarian regimes and helped to end the Cold War -- and also hid chocolate in his desk and liked to catch a daytime nap. Weinberger, who was President Reagan's Pentagon chief, died last week at 88 in Maine. He was buried at Arlington National Cemetery after a funeral service at nearby Fort Myer Memorial Chapel attended by Vice President Dick Cheney, former Reagan officials and former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. Former Secretary of State Colin Powell told mourners, who included Weinberger's widow, Jane, that Weinberger's life "rested on a bedrock of beliefs." And though "he became 'Cap the Knife' in California and Washington," Powell said of Weinberger's reputation for efforts to slash government spending, "he was also ... 'Cap the Compassionate'" and a man of habits, such as a daytime snooze. The guest list at the farewell read like a who's who of Reagan-era politics.
Chronic sleeping problemsaffect millions, study says
WASHINGTON -- Chronic sleeping problems afflict as many as 70 million Americans, costing the nation billions in medical expenses, accidents and lost productivity, a new study reports. "Balm of hurt minds" to Shakespeare, sleep seems to be necessary for the nervous system to work properly, and a lack of sleep can hamper the immune system, cause memory impairment and reduce ability to concentrate. As many as 30 million Americans, more than one in 10, suffer specifically from chronic insomnia, according to the study released Tuesday by the Institute of Medicine, an arm of the National Academy of Sciences. And other disorders ranging from sleep apnea -- breathing interruptions during sleep -- to sleepwalking and restless leg syndrome affect millions more, the study found. Yet medical students get little training in sleep problems and research on the subject is limited, prompting the institute to call for more research and training programs.
Associated Press