The News in 2 Minutes

From The Associated Press

Congress endorses budget tax increases

WASHINGTON, D.C.— Both houses of Congress endorsed the idea of tax increases for millions of Americans Thursday as Democrats pressed ahead with budget plans that would allow some or all of President Bush’s reductions to die after he leaves office.

All three major presidential candidates interrupted their campaigns to cast votes on the budget planning, which is non-binding but highlights the difficult choices facing the next president and Congress. Binding votes on the expiring Bush tax cuts will be left to his successor and the Congress that’s elected in November.

The candidates also wanted a chance to vote for a one-year ban on pork-barrel projects, though that late-night Senate effort seemed doomed to defeat.

As for the $3 trillion federal budget plans, the House version would provide generous increases to domestic programs but bring the government’s ledger back into the black by letting all of Bush’s tax cuts expire at the end of 2010 as scheduled. That five-year plan passed the House on a 212-207 vote with Republicans unanimously opposing it over what they argued was $683 billion in tax increases.

In the Senate, John McCain of Arizona, the Republican presidential nominee-in-waiting, voted to extend the full roster of tax cuts, which he opposed seven years ago as being tilted in favor of the wealthy. Democratic rivals Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York and Barack Obama of Illinois both voted against them.

Clinton and Obama did vote for $340 billion in tax cuts over five years for middle- and higher-income taxpayers, investors and people inheriting businesses and big estates. They joined with Democrats and a couple of maverick Republicans to reject, 52-47, an additional $600 billion in extensions of income tax rate cuts, more generous estate tax cuts and relief from the alternative minimum tax.

Phoenix to begin testing for pharmaceuticals

PHOENIX—The city of Phoenix will begin testing its drinking water supply for trace amounts of pharmaceuticals in the wake of an investigation by The Associated Press that found contamination in many of the nation’s major cities.

City officials originally said they would wait for the federal Environmental Protection Agency to develop standards for testing for prescription and over-the-counter drugs in water supplies. But Mayor Phil Gordon told The Arizona Republic in a story posted on the paper’s Web site Thursday that the city will go ahead immediately.

The monthslong AP investigation found that a vast array of pharmaceuticals, including antibiotics, anti-convulsants, mood stabilizers and sex hormones, have been found in the drinking water supplies of at least 41 million Americans.

The residues have been found in Lake Mead, a source of drinking water sent to Phoenix and Tucson through the Central Arizona Project canal. Three medications, including an antibiotic, were found in drinking water supplied to Tucson. And researchers at Arizona State University also have found evidence of chemicals called endocrine disruptors in the second major source of Phoenix water, the Salt River Project.

Legislative action on ELL postponed

PHOENIX—A judge gave Arizona legislators more time to provide additional funding for instruction of students learning English — and they’re going to use it.

The House Appropriations Committee had been scheduled to consider $40 million of new funding for English Language Learning programs on Thursday.

But the matter has been postponed after a judge extended until April 15 an expired March 4 deadline.

Canadian Parliament extends Afghan mission

TORONTO—Parliament voted Thursday to extend the country’s mission in Afghanistan to 2011, provided NATO supplies more troops and equipment to back up forces in the volatile south.

The minority Conservative government and opposition Liberals agreed last month to vote together on this motion. Lawmakers passed it 198-77 in the House of Commons.

Harper’s government has been under pressure to withdraw Canada’s 2,500 troops after one diplomat and 80 soldiers were killed. The mission was set to expire in February 2009 unless it was extended by lawmakers.

The Conservatives declared the motion a confidence vote, which would have triggered early elections if it failed.

Suspect in UNC slaying charged in Duke killing

DURHAM, N.C.—Authorities have charged a suspect in the slaying of the University of North Carolina student president with the January killing of a Duke University graduate student.

A warrant filed Thursday charges 17-year-old Lawrence Alvin Lovette Jr. with first-degree murder in the death of Abhijit Mahato.

The 29-year-old computational mechanics doctoral student was found shot to death inside his apartment in January.

Authorities have charged both Lovette and Demario James Atwater with first-degree murder in the death of Eve Carson. The 22-year-old was found last week lying on a street about a mile from campus.