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Briefs

Former borough president in command in N.Y. primary

By wire services
Published September 14, 2005

NEW YORK - Fernando Ferrer teetered on the edge of victory over three other Democrats squaring off in their party's primary for the chance to wage an underdog campaign against Mayor Michael Bloomberg, a Republican who enjoys broad support in this overwhelmingly Democratic city.

With all but 52 precincts reporting, the former Bronx borough president had 40 percent of the vote, ahead of U.S. Rep. Anthony Weiner's 29 percent. Manhattan borough President C. Virginia Fields had 16 percent, and City Council Speaker Gifford Miller had 10 percent.

Ferrer, whose Puerto Rican background was expected to help him among Latino voters, needed 40 percent to avoid a runoff, which would be held in two weeks. It was his third run for mayor.

Also on the New York ballot, Manhattan District Attorney Robert Morgenthau defeated former judge Leslie Crocker Snyder.

Astronomers in Hawaii able to record rare cosmic blast

HONOLULU - Telescopes atop Mauna Kea in Hawaii recorded the most distant cosmic explosion ever seen, probably caused by the collapse of a massive dying star, according to University of Hawaii astronomers.

Astronomers from Japan and Hawaii used the telescopes to measure a dying star some 12.8-billion light years away, at the edge of the known universe.

The burst released about as much energy as the sun will emit during its 10-billion year lifespan, said Lennox Cowie, an astronomer with the university's Institute of Astronomy.

"It's very difficult to detect objects at this distance because they're very, very faint," Cowie said. "This is a very exciting gamma ray burst. It's quite dramatic."

Cowie said that by studying gamma ray bursts, scientists will be able to learn more about the star formation of the universe, and how our sun formed.

Grand jury indicts two DeLay associates in election investigation

AUSTIN - Two associates of House Majority Leader Tom DeLay were indicted Tuesday on additional felony charges of violating Texas election law and criminal conspiracy to violate election law for their role in the 2002 legislative races.

The indictment was just the latest from a grand jury investigating the use of corporate money in the campaigns that gave Republicans control of the Texas House.

Jim Ellis, who heads Americans for a Republican Majority, and John Colyandro, former executive director of Texans for a Republican Majority, already faced charges of money laundering in the case. Colyandro also faces 13 counts of unlawful acceptance of a corporate political contribution.

Americans for a Republican Majority is DeLay's national fundraising committee, and the congressman helped create Texans for a Republican Majority. DeLay has not been charged with any wrongdoing.

[Last modified September 14, 2005, 02:15:34]