Virginia: Ranting requests denied

Zacarias Moussaoui, accused of conspiracy in the Sept. 11 attacks, says his judge is mentally ill, his former lawyers are bloodsuckers and Jews are his enemies.

He also says he wants his trial moved from Alexandria, near the Pentagon, to Colorado, where there are fewer government workers.

Moussaoui’s handwritten motions, made public by U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema, combine insults and religious references with quotations from the Constitution and court cases.

Brinkema on Tuesday turned down his requests for immediate release, dropping all charges and a hearing to present evidence of his innocence.

New Jersey: Terrorists face death penalty

The governor signed a new state law Tuesday that makes terrorism a crime punishable by death.

While much of the law mirrors national statutes, lawmakers said New Jersey needed the measure to ensure terrorists face justice if federal laws fail.

The state could also prosecute jointly with federal authorities or pursue charges that may not rise to the federal level.

Washington, D.C.: Senate OKs plan to help insurers pay terror claims

The Senate on Tuesday approved a measure that would provide a temporary federal backstop to insurance companies in the event of a future terrorist attack, but the bill faces an uncertain fate even though Democrats and Republicans agree it is urgently needed.

The vote sets the stage for negotiations between the Democratic-led Senate and the Republican-controlled House, especially over the issue of whether individuals injured in a terrorist attack should be permitted to sue for punitive damages.

President Bush’s economic advisers have said that they would recommend a presidential veto if the bill includes the Senate provision allowing such lawsuits. The House measure does not include that provision.

Boston: Medical worker says suspect in shoe bombing was sluggish

An emergency medical technician said Tuesday that Richard Reid had slurred speech and appeared sluggish as he was questioned by the FBI for allegedly trying to blow up a jetliner with explosives hidden in his shoes.

The testimony came during a hearing on Reid’s request to suppress statements made after his arrest. Reid’s lawyers claim he was still feeling the effects of Valium and sedatives that passengers forcibly injected into him while trying to restrain him.

Steven Solletti, an emergency medical technician, said that when he arrived at Logan International Airport, Reid’s blood pressure was elevated and he appeared sleepy.

“His words, they appeared to be slurred, sluggish, kind of like he was intoxicated,” Solletti said.

But two prosecution witnesses testified Reid did not appear to be affected by sedatives during questioning, about eight hours after he was injected.