National briefs

By Compiled from Times staff and wire reports

© St. Petersburg Times, published September 9, 2000

Tropical depression forms in gulf

The ninth tropical depression of this hurricane season formed Friday in the northwestern Gulf of Mexico, threatening Louisiana and southeastern Texas with the possibility of heavy rain and coastal flooding.

Late Friday, the storm appeared to be no threat to the Tampa Bay area. Forecasters said it would have no effect on local weather.

"It may affect Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas, and it looks like it's centered more on Louisiana," said Tom Dougherty, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Ruskin. "At the very most, Pensacola might feel some effects from it. But we shouldn't have any problems here."

The tropical depression, with 35-mph sustained winds, was headed north and was expected to reach land this morning. The National Hurricane Center in Miami said it could threaten coastal areas with 5 to 8 inches of rain and 1- to 3-foot storm surge.

Locally, today's forecast calls for a 60 percent chance of afternoon showers and thunderstorms.

Napster not protected by copyright law, U.S. says

SAN FRANCISCO -- The federal government on Friday said that Napster, the music sharing service, is not protected under a key copyright law, as the company claims.

In briefs to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, lawyers for the U.S. Copyright Office said Napster has "no possible defense" against claims by the recording industry that it facilitates widespread copyright infringement.

The agency, whose position is not binding, sided with U.S. District Court Judge Marylin Hall Patel, who in July ruled for the industry, finding that Napster is contributing to widespread copyright infringement in violation of the 1992 Audio Home Recording Act.

Napster is citing the same law in arguing that it is immune.

Elsewhere

OVERWEIGHT CHILD: A severely overweight 3-year-old girl will remain in state care while the state and her family continue negotiating her return home, a children's court judge in New Mexico decided Friday. The state removed Anamarie Martinez-Regino from her parents' custody Aug. 25 because social workers feared for her health. At the time, she weighed 120 pounds and stood 31/2 feet tall.

ANTHRAX SCARE: Six members of a Minnesota farm family are being treated after eating meat from a cow that had anthrax, health officials said. The Minnesota Department of Health didn't provide information on their conditions, but said Thursday that two developed symptoms of gastrointestinal anthrax. Anthrax usually infects the skin, but can affect the digestive tract and respiratory system. The health department said the public isn't at risk.

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