Nation in brief

Bush plans billions more for education

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - President Bush said Thursday his fiscal 2005 budget would include a $1-billion increase in education aid for low-income children and another $1-billion hike for special education, but Democrats continued to criticize what they said was his inadequate commitment to improving public schooling.

Speaking at an elementary school here on the second anniversary of his No Child Left Behind Act, Bush said "record amounts" of federal dollars currently were being spent on education.

The White House said the president would ask for 48 percent more in annual spending for elementary and secondary education in the budget he will send to Congress next month than was appropriated in fiscal 2001. That would be an increase from $24.8-billion to $36.7-billion.

However, Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass., responded that the president's proposal still would leave "Title I" - the government's chief program for public schools serving low-income children - with nearly $7.2-billion less than the roughly $20.5-billion Congress had authorized in earlier, multiyear legislation.

GREENVILLE, S.C. - The FBI on Thursday offered a reward of up to $100,000 for information leading to an arrest of anyone responsible for leaving a package containing the deadly poison ricin at a post office in October.

A letter inside the package said the author could make much more ricin and will "start dumping" large quantities of the poison if new federal trucking rules went in effect, according to information released by the FBI and other federal agencies Thursday.

The rules, which require more rest hours for truck drivers, took effect Sunday.

No suspects have been arrested and no illnesses have been reported since the package was found Oct. 15 at the postal facility serving Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport.

The FBI and other federal agencies set up a toll-free number, 1-866-839-6241, for information about the incident.

© 2006 • All Rights Reserved • St. Petersburg Times 490 First Avenue South • St. Petersburg, FL 33701 • 727-893-8111 Contact the Times | Privacy Policy Standard of Accuracy | Terms, Conditions & Copyright