Republicans Criticize Bush at Debate

MANCHESTER, N.H. - President Bush drew sporadic, startling criticism Tuesday night from Republican White House hopefuls unhappy with his handling of the Iraq war, his diplomatic style and his approach to immigration.

"I would certainly not send him to the United Nations" to represent the United States, said Tommy Thompson, the former Wisconsin governor and one-time member of Bush's Cabinet, midway through a spirited campaign debate.

Arizona Sen. John McCain criticized the administration for its handling of the Iraq War, and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney said, "I think we were underprepared and underplanned for what came after we knocked down Saddam Hussein."

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New Europol chief says he's working on Russia pact

The new director of Europol says the European Union crime fighting agency is negotiating a cooperation agreement with Russia to help crack down on organized crime.

Robert Wainwright says the pact will allow Russian police and Europol to share information and coordinate investigations.

Russian mobsters are believed to beinvolved in criminal activity throughout …

Fish species lost in changing tides Series: CHICAGO'S GREAT LAKE (STANDARD)

Lake Michigan's waters teemed with fish when European settlersreached its shores. Naturalists estimate there were between 79 and160 native species.

Now, pollution, overfishing and foreign invaders have decimatedthe fish descendants. Native lake trout are extinct, sturgeon rare.

In the 1850s, commercial fishing was a major industry. Butlumbering in the north and industrial waste in the south set thestage for disaster.

Rivers in Wisconsin and Michigan were jammed with logs beingpoled to sawmills.

The lumber gouged out traditional river spawning grounds, andthe tons of sawdust dumped in streams and bays smothered others, saidnaturalist John Mahan, …

Senators tell Biden to reject GOP Medicare plan

WASHINGTON (AP) — Five Democratic senators are calling on Vice President Joe Biden to keep the House Republican plan for Medicare out of out of budget and deficit negotiations.

Sens. Claire McCaskill, of Missouri, Jon Tester, of Montana, Sherrod Brown, of Ohio, Ben Cardin of Maryland and Bill Nelson of Florida express their concerns in a letter sent Monday to Biden. The letter was obtained by The …

WTC site rebuilding delayed and over budget

The rebuilding of the World Trade Center site is over budget and years behind schedule _ including the Sept. 11 memorial that was once expected to open on the 10th anniversary of the terrorist attacks.

Christopher Ward, executive director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which owns the site, issued a report on Monday with more than a dozen issues slowing rebuilding and raising costs, including an over-budget transit hub, the uncertain pace of dismantling a condemned tower where another is planned and construction of several projects around a working city subway line.

"The schedule and cost estimates for the rebuilding effort that have been …

Which member of the royal family would you most like to meet?

The only Royal I would have liked to have met was Princess Diana.

Robert Giles, 44, web designer, City Centre

I would like to meet Prince Harry because he seems like a goodlaugh.

Heather Smailes, 20, retail …

Global history project starts in Latin America

Work on the first volume of the Global Mennonite History Project will begin soon in Latin America and the Caribbean. Jaime Adrian Prieto Valladares will begin conducting interviews with Mennonites and Brethren in Christ in the region. Prieto is a church history professor at the Latin American Biblical University and has been active in Costa Rica Mennonite Church.

A sabbatical will allow Prieto to begin writing next February. The series is expected to include six volumes written in the next 12 to 15 years by scholars around the globe. They will be paid for the project.

"I look forward to his volume setting the pace and serving as a model for the entire series," said John …