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Nation in brief

Judge allows new claims in election trial

WENATCHEE, Wash. - A top King County elections official on Tuesday denied knowing about an absentee ballot report allegedly falsified by county workers while counting ballots in the 2004 governor's election.

Elections superintendent Bill Huennekens, testifying in a challenge to Washington state's 2004 gubernatorial election, said the Democratic-leaning county that includes Seattle had absentee ballots but added: "I don't know that we have an exact number."

He also acknowledged the report did not include 96 unopened, uncounted ballots that county workers found while going through boxes last month.

Republicans are trying to prove election errors and fraud stole the election from Republican Dino Rossi. They want Chelan County Superior Court Judge John Bridges to nullify the 129-vote victory of Democratic Gov. Christine Gregoire, prompting a new election.

Bridges ruled Republicans will be allowed to present evidence about fraud and King County's inability to match votes to voters.

The county recorded several hundred more votes than it has voters. Democrats had tried to block that evidence, saying Republicans brought it up too late.

INDIANAPOLIS - Gov. Mitch Daniels rejected the request of a convicted murderer for a reprieve of his execution so he could donate part of his liver to an ailing sister.

The decision was announced about 12 hours before Gregory Scott Johnson, 40, is scheduled to die by lethal injection early today at the Indiana State Prison. The Supreme Court on Tuesday also denied a stay of execution.

Daniels said he found "no grounds to second guess years of court rulings or to reject the recommendation of the parole board."

The board recommended on Friday that Daniels deny clemency or a reprieve, saying Johnson was guilty of the beating death of 82-year-old Ruby Hutslar and should be put to death as scheduled.

FORT HOOD, Texas - Pfc. Lynndie England on Tuesday surrendered her right to challenge the seven charges she faces in the Abu Ghraib prison abuse scandal, moving her one step closer to a new military trial.

Her defense attorney, Capt. Jonathan Crisp, would not provide details as to why he decided not to go forward with the Article 32 hearing - the military equivalent of a grand jury proceeding. He said only that it was part of an "evolving trial strategy."

Now the decision on England's charges goes to Lt. Gen. Thomas Metz, Fort Hood's commanding general. He'll decide whether she'll face any or all of the charges.

Crisp said the waiver was not part of a deal with prosecutors. He said he did not think the sides would reach another plea agreement after England's initial guilty plea was rejected by a judge.

MILWAUKEE - Eight more police officers have been fired in connection with a racially charged beating at a house where off-duty officers were having a party, the police chief said Tuesday.

The firings bring to nine the number of officers who have lost their jobs over the incident in October.

Frank Jude Jr., 26, has said he was beaten by men who identified themselves as off-duty officers and accused him of stealing a police badge and wallet. He said the men punched, kicked and choked him while using a racial slur.

ASHFORD, Wash. - Rescuers on Tuesday retrieved the bodies of two climbers who a relative said left for a weekend trek up Mount Rainier dressed in shorts and cotton pants, hours before a severe snowstorm hit, officials said.

Mount Rainier National Park rangers identified the men as Tim Stark, 57, and his nephew, Greg Stark, 27, both of Lakewood.

They were the first deaths on the mountain this year, park officials said.

[Last modified May 25, 2005, 00:41:07]