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Nation in brief

Duke panel endorses letting lacrosse team play

DURHAM, N.C. - A Duke University committee recommended its men's lacrosse team resume play next season, but said the team had a history of problems tied to alcohol and needed strict monitoring.

"Although the pattern of misconduct in recent years by the lacrosse team is alarming, the evidence reviewed ... does not warrant suspension of the sport," a committee of seven faculty members wrote in a report released Monday night.

Duke suspended the lacrosse team from play last month after allegations that a 27-year-old student at a nearby university hired to strip at a March 13 team party was raped and beaten by three men.

A grand jury has indicted two players on charges of rape, kidnapping and sexual assault, and District Attorney Mike Nifong has said he hopes to charge a third person.

The report released Monday night did not consider the rape allegations, but instead focused on the behavior of the team during the past five years.

A third of current team members have been cited in recent years for offenses ranging from underage drinking to public urination.

Kirk Osborn, attorney for player Reade Seligmann, demanded Ni-fong's removal from the case, accusing him of using it to help his election prospects.

"They don't want to go up against me," Nifong said when asked outside court Monday about the defense request for his removal.

He has denied any political motivation behind his investigation.

Former Georgia school chief goes on trial

ATLANTA - The former state schools chief accused of misusing hundreds of thousands of dollars in federal education money had an extramarital romance with her deputy but was unaware of any wrongdoing by him and others, her lawyer said Monday as her trial began.

Linda Schrenko, a conservative Republican who pushed for Bible study in the schools, was estranged from her husband and "placed her trust in the wrong man," defense attorney Pete Theodocion said.

Schrenko, 56, is accused of taking part in a scheme to misuse more than $600,000 in federal funds to pay for her failed 2002 campaign for governor, a face lift and other extras, including a television, a computer and a down payment on a car.

Money gone, Puerto Rico has its first shutdown

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico - Many basic functions of Puerto Rico's government were unavailable Monday as the U.S. commonwealth ran out of money and imposed a partial public-sector shutdown - putting nearly 100,000 people, including 40,000 teachers, out of work and granting an unscheduled holiday to 500,000 public school students.

The shutdown is the first in Puerto Rico's history.

Tax proposal aimed at oil, business falls out of favor

WASHINGTON - Senate Republicans on Monday hurriedly abandoned a broad tax proposal opposed by the oil industry and business leaders, another sign of their struggle to come up with an acceptable political and legislative answer to high gasoline prices.

Sen. Bill Frist, the majority leader, said he had decided to jettison the provision, which would have generated billions of dollars by changing the way businesses treat inventories for tax purposes.

Instead, he said the Senate Finance Committee would hold hearings on the plan "later this year, so the pluses and minuses of the provision can become well-known."

The retreat came after a torrent of objections from business leaders and their advocates, who typically view Republicans in Congress as allies.

They complained that they had been blindsided by proposal.

[Last modified May 2, 2006, 06:39:15]