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The Spokesman-Review

Senate confirms FEMA director

The Senate confirmed R. David Paulison as FEMA’s chief on Friday, ending uncertainty over whether the beleaguered disaster relief agency would have a permanent director by next week’s start of the hurricane season.

Paulison has served as acting FEMA director since September, taking over the beleaguered agency two weeks after Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast.

He has had a three-decade-long firefighting career, including a stint as chief of the Miami-Dade County fire department and head of the U.S. Fire Administration.

New York

Priest admits looting parish

A Roman Catholic priest pleaded guilty to grand larceny Friday for financing a lavish lifestyle with more than $800,000 looted from his parish.

Attorneys for Monsignor John Woolsey, pastor of the Church of St. John the Martyr, entered the plea as part of a deal in which the judge promised him a minimum sentence of one year in prison and a maximum of five years.

Assistant District Attorney Matthew Amatruda said Woolsey, 68, spent the money on luxuries for himself, including expensive watches, trips to Europe, golfing vacations, fancy clothes and cosmetic dentistry.

Washington

Time must give drafts of articles

Time magazine must give I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby drafts of articles so the former White House aide can use them to defend himself against perjury and other charges in the CIA leak case, a federal judge ruled Friday.

U.S. District Judge Reggie B. Walton limited the scope of subpoenas that Libby’s lawyers had aimed at Time, NBC News and the New York Times for e-mails, notes, drafts of articles and other information.

But in a 40-page ruling, Walton rejected the news organizations’ argument that they have a broad right to refuse to provide such information in criminal cases.

Walton said the New York Times might have to turn over drafts of articles and other information during Libby’s trial if former Times reporter Judith Miller contradicts her previous statements about the case when she testifies as a government witness.