Bush blocked probe

Bush blocked probe
WASHINGTON -- President Bush personally blocked a Justice Department investigation of the anti-terror eavesdropping program that intercepts Americans' international calls and e-mails, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales said Tuesday. Bush refused to grant security clearances for department investigators who were looking into the role Justice lawyers played in crafting the program, under which the National Security Agency listens in on telephone calls and reads e-mail without court approval, Gonzales told the Senate Judiciary Committee. Without access to the sensitive program, the department's Office of Professional Responsibility closed its investigation in April. "It was highly classified, very important and many other lawyers had access. Why not OPR?" Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., the committee chairman, asked Gonzales. "The president of the United States makes the decision," Gonzales replied.
Beryl forms off coast
MIAMI -- Tropical Storm Beryl, the second named storm of 2006 Atlantic hurricane season, formed off the North Carolina coast Tuesday and a tropical storm watch was issued for the eastern part of the state. A hurricane reconnaissance aircraft reported that the storm's maximum sustained winds were at least 40 mph, the National Hurricane Center said. At 8 p.m. EDT, Beryl was centered about 160 miles southeast of Cape Hatteras and was moving toward the north at about 6 mph. The storm is expected to make its closest approach to North Carolina today and it was forecast to remain a tropical storm, said hurricane specialist Eric Blake.
Big Dig chief criticized
BOSTON -- Gov. Mitt Romney supplied written allegations of mismanagement to the head of Boston's Big Dig, while crews worked Tuesday to reinforce tunnels in a highway network where ceiling panels fell and crushed a motorist. Romney said the fatal accident bolstered his long-standing argument that the $14.6 billion highway project has been mismanaged, and Matthew Amorello should be removed as chairman and chief executive of the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority. A July 27 hearing was scheduled on Amorello's dismissal. Romney refused to release the specific allegations and said the hearing would be private. Romney said he will listen to Amorello's side before officially deciding his fate. Amorello could contest the decision in court.
Dozens injured on cruise
PORT CANAVERAL, Fla. -- A steering problem caused a new cruise ship to roll abruptly Tuesday, throwing passengers and crew to the deck and injuring dozens, including two critically, officials said. One passenger said seawater flooded several upper decks of the Crown Princess, forcing water from a swimming pool "like a mini-tsunami." The vessel, with about 3,100 passengers, had just departed Port Canaveral on Florida's east coast en route to New York when it listed badly to its port side, said Coast Guard spokesman Petty Officer James Judge. The ship then righted itself before returning to port, where the Coast Guard said all passengers and crew had been accounted for. Besides an adult and a child who were critically hurt, another 10 people were seriously hurt and about 30 had lesser injuries, said Cape Canaveral Fire Rescue Capt. Jim Watson.
Israeli tanks move in
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip -- Israeli tanks moved into the Mughazi refugee camp in central Gaza early today under cover of machine gun fire from troops, the latest incursion in its three-week military push in the seaside territory. The Israeli military confirmed that an operation was in progress. Palestinians said a Hamas gunman was killed by Israeli machine-gun fire as he tried to fire a rocket at Israeli tanks. Earlier, another Hamas militant was seriously wounded. The camp, with 22,000 residents, is near the Gaza-Israel fence and across from the Palestinian town of Deir al-Balah. Israeli forces operated in the region late last week before withdrawing. Israeli troops have also swept through southern Gaza and carried out two invasions of northern Gaza, trying to stop militants from firing rockets at Israel.
Landslides rock N. Korea
SEOUL, South Korea -- More than 100 people are dead or missing in North Korea due to floods and landslides, an aid group operating in the communist nation said. The International Federation of Red Cross And Red Crescent Societies said in a statement that heavy rains last week and this week had caused flash floods that totally or partially destroyed 11,524 houses, leaving more than 9,000 families homeless. More than 100 people were dead or missing, the group said, without giving further details on casualties. The damage has cut off telephone connections, making collecting reliable information difficult, the federation said. The federation said the heavy weather could also affect the country's food supply.
Associated Press