Group wants to preserve Cheney’s documents

Group wants to preserve Cheney’s documents

WASHINGTON — Months before the Bush administration ends, historians and open-government advocates are concerned that Vice President Dick Cheney, who has long bristled at requirements to disclose his records, will destroy or withhold key documents that illustrate his role in forming U.S. policy for the past 71‚Ñ2 years.

In a pre-emptive move, several of them have agreed to join the advocacy group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington in asking a federal judge to declare that Cheney’s records are covered by the Presidential Records Act of 1978 and cannot be destroyed, taken or withheld without proper review.

Tornado hits high school

ALLENTOWN, Pa. — Meteorologists from the National Weather Service have confirmed that a small tornado spawned by the remnants of Tropical Storm Hanna damaged a high school and surrounding areas of Allentown.

Strong winds ripped up the roof of Dieruff High School in the eastern part of the city shortly before 3 p.m. Saturday.

Gary Szatkowski, who is in charge of the weather service’s office in Mount Holly, N.J., said Sunday that it was an EF-1 tornado with an estimated top wind speed of 95 mph.

City spokesman Mike Moore says about 50 properties were affected, and the school sustained major damage while eight other properties had minor damage. No injuries were reported.

Forrest Wieder, coordinator of the Lehigh County Hazmat Response Team, says damage is estimated at $1.5 million. Officials are looking into whether the city qualifies for federal disaster relief funding.

Sausage used as weapon

FRESNO, Calif. — Authorities say they’ve arrested a man who broke into the home of two California farmworkers, stole money, rubbed one with spices and whacked the other with a sausage before fleeing.

Fresno County sheriff’s Lt. Ian Burrimond says 22-year-old Antonio Vasquez was found hiding in a field wearing only a T-shirt, boxers and socks after the Saturday morning attack.

He says deputies arrested Vasquez after finding a wallet containing his ID in the ransacked house.

The farmworkers told deputies the suspect woke them Saturday morning by rubbing spices on one of them and smacking the other with an 8-inch sausage.

Critics: Chavez breaks law

CARACAS, Venezuela — In speech after speech, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez stares at the television camera and unleashes a hail of colorful insults against his opponents.

“Oligarchs,” “fascists,” “mafia bosses” and “coup mongers” are among his favorite taunts.

But critics complain Chavez has no right to use public airwaves to ridicule foes and campaign for allies, in essence making state media a propaganda machine that puts opponents at a disadvantage ahead of Nov. 23 state and local elections.

“He doesn’t respect his political adversaries, and he doesn’t respect the law,” opposition leader Gerardo Blyde said Sunday, noting that Venezuelan law prohibits the use of public resources for political activities.

Bloc retains veto power

HONG KONG — Hong Kong’s pro-democracy politicians lost three legislative seats under election results today, but held onto their key veto power over major legislation as they push for greater political freedoms in the Chinese territory.

Democratic parties claimed 23 of 60 legislative seats in Sunday’s races, down from their current count of 26, according to final results. Ordinary citizens vote for 30 of the seats, while the rest are chosen by special interest groups that tend to side with China’s central government in Beijing.

Half of Hong Kong’s legislative seats are directly elected by voters, with the rest chosen by special-interest groups.

Liver damage linked to fat

TRENTON, N.J. — In a new and disturbing twist on the obesity epidemic, some overweight teenagers have severe liver damage caused by too much body fat, and a handful have needed liver transplants.

Many more may need a new liver by their 30s or 40s, say experts warning that pediatricians need to be more vigilant. The condition, which can lead to cirrhosis and liver failure or liver cancer, is being seen in kids in the United States, Europe, Australia and even some developing countries, according to a surge of recent medical studies and doctors interviewed by The Associated Press.

Combined dispatches