The News in 2 Minutes

From The Associated Press

Edwards ex-mistress rules out paternity test

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The ex-mistress of former presidential candidate John Edwards said Saturday she will not participate in DNA testing to establish the paternity of her daughter.

Rielle Hunter’s lawyer, Robert Gordon, says his client is a private individual who wishes to maintain the privacy of herself and her daughter.

In a statement, Gordon says that Hunter is ruling out any kind of testing that could establish who the daughter’s father is.

On Friday, Edwards admitted to having an extramarital affair with Hunter in 2006, but denied that he was the father of Hunter’s 5-month-old daughter. Edwards said he will take a paternity test to prove he is not the father.

Hunter’s daughter, Frances Quinn Hunter, was born on Feb. 27 this year, and no father’s name is given on the birth certificate filed in California.

A former Edwards campaign staff member professes to be the father.

Mexico fines U.S. drivers seeking cheap diesel

MEXICO CITY—A Mexican border city has begun fining U.S. drivers who cross the border to fill extra drums, tanks or barrels with government-subsidized Mexican fuel.

The city of Ciudad Acuna, across the border from Del Rio, Texas, said it fined four U.S. residents for carrying extra diesel and would impound their cars until they pay. The fines equal 70 percent of the value of the diesel confiscated.

U.S. drivers can fill up their own vehicles, but carrying extra fuel containers back across the border violates customs regulations and possibly safety rules, a report from the city said.

Mexico, one of the world’s top 10 oil producers, sells diesel fuel domestically at subsidized prices of about $2.25 per gallon, about half the U.S. price.

Mexican filling stations near the U.S. border have seen an increase in American drivers who cross over to fill up. Mexican truckers and drivers complain the run on fuel is causing temporary shortages and longer lines for them.

Gas company, Navajos nearing right of way deal

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.— The Navajo Nation and El Paso Natural Gas Co. are nearing an agreement on a right of way easement that would allow the company to continue operating 900 miles of pipeline on the reservation.

The Houston-based company is seeking to renew a 20-year lease that expired in October 2005. The two parties have been negotiating for years over what constitutes fair market value.

A confidentiality agreement bars the parties from discussing specifics of the talks or the value of the lease. Tribal officials previously rejected an offer of $220 million for the renewed lease, saying it was worth at least double. El Paso had paid about $29 million for the expired lease.

Government opponents protest in Venezuela

CARACAS, Venezuela—About 3,000 opponents of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez marched through the capital on Saturday to protest a package of laws that expand his power and accelerate his push toward socialism.

Shouting chants and waving balloons reading “play fair,” they complained that some of the laws resemble constitutional reforms sought by Chavez that voters rejected at the polls in December.

Chavez approved the package of 26 laws on July 31, the last day of special legislative powers granted him by the National Assembly. He says the new rules, which increase government control over food production and commerce and create civilian militias, among other things, will strengthen the country’s institutions.

Fort Ticonderoga weighs selling art

TICONDEROGA, N.Y.—Fort Ticonderoga, one of the nation’s oldest and most significant historic sites, is so financially strapped that its trustees are considering selling off some of the fort’s vast collection of artifacts, including artwork believed to be worth millions.

The move comes after the fort lost the support of billionaire Forrest E. Mars Jr.

Besides being a privately owned tourist attraction operated as a not-for-profit, Fort Ticonderoga is also a state-chartered museum. Museum charters are granted by regents who must approve any sale of artifacts or artwork.

Fort Ticonderoga, a National Historic Landmark, played a key role in North American history from its construction by the French in 1755 through the American Revolution, when it changed hands three times. The bloodiest battle of the French and Indian War was fought there 250 years ago, and Benedict Arnold, along with Ethan Allen and the Green Mountain Boys, famously captured the fort from the British in 1775 without firing a shot.