Activists regulars at White House
Republican activists Grover Norquist and Ralph Reed have visited the White House more than 100 times since 2001, according to documents made available by the White House on Wednesday.
The documents were released in response to litigation intended to make public the participation in White House meetings by people associated with convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff.
All told, nine people associated with Abramoff or others linked to recent corruption scandals paid 236 visits to the White House from 2001 to the beginning of 2006, according to the records.
The account of the visits fleshes out well-established connections between figures in the Abramoff scandal and the White House. But it also suggests the regularity of White House meetings involving Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform, a coalition seeking lower taxes, and Reed, former executive director of the Christian Coalition, who, like Norquist, has been long active in conservative politics.
The records show that Norquist was cleared for 97 White House visits and Reed 18.
A Senate investigation reported in June that Abramoff worked with Norquist and Reed to help fund an American Indian tribe’s lobbying on gambling issues.
Union, Mo.
Woman charged in baby kidnapping
A woman who authorities say slit the throat of a young mother and stole her baby was charged Wednesday with kidnapping and assault and jailed on $1 million bail.
The baby was found in good condition late Tuesday – four days after being abducted – and the woman accused of the crime, Shannon Torrez, was arrested.
In court papers, authorities said Torrez, 36, learned about the week-old baby through a “welcome home” yard sign for the new mother, Stephenie Ochsenbein.
Sheriff Gary Toelke said Torrez was herself nine months pregnant but lost the baby on Friday, the same day little Abigale Lynn Woods was kidnapped.
Investigators have not said how Torrez could have delivered her own baby and recovered enough physically to attack Ochsenbine on the same day.
Houston
NASA clears shuttle to return today
NASA gave space shuttle Atlantis the all-clear to come home today after a stem-to-stern inspection prompted by a mysterious flurry of orbital litter found no damage to the ship.
NASA could not say for certain what the five floating pieces of junk were – perhaps a plastic filler strip, maybe a garbage bag. But shuttle program manager Wayne Hale said there was no reason to worry.
“We are cleared for entry. Nothing was found to be missing or damaged on the thermal protection system, the heat shield of the space shuttle Atlantis or in fact any other part of the space shuttle Atlantis,” Hale said after two inspections lasting a total of 7 1/2 hours.
Atlantis’ 11-day mission was extended an extra day Tuesday after NASA spotted two mysterious objects in orbit and became worried that something vital broke off the shuttle or damaged the ship’s heat shield or other systems when it came loose.