Washington, D.C.: Pardoned turkey first hen so honored

President Bush gave an old White House tradition a twist Tuesday by saving a female turkey from a Thanksgiving table fate.

Bush declared the white 30-pounder from Clinton, N.C., safe from the roasting pan. Handlers then dragged a clearly reluctant Katie the Turkey onto a table to meet her rescuer.

Eyes wide, she reared back as the president approached. He seemed at least as wary, keeping his back to the bird and hands stuffed in his coat pockets. Finally, Bush grabbed the hand of National Turkey Federation chairman Ron Prestage to do his cautious petting for him.

Katie’s male backup, Zack, also got a reprieve, though he stayed out of sight. Both turkeys, who turn 34 weeks old the day after receiving their freedom, were headed to a suburban Virginia petting zoo.

Washington, D.C.: FAA orders new safety measure for jets

About 3,500 Boeing jets will be required to fly with extra fuel by Thursday, making sure there is enough to cover fuel pumps in case they overheat, the Federal Aviation Administration said.

The step follows reports that pumps in three planes overheated to a point where they might have caused an explosion, the FAA said.

The reason for the extra fuel to cover the pumps is to keep them away from fuel vapors, which can ignite, said Paul Takemoto, FAA spokesman.

The National Transportation Safety Board ruled that an explosion in the fuel tank of TWA Flight 800 caused it to crash off the coast of Long Island in 1996. It said vapors in the partly empty tank probably were ignited by a spark in the wiring.

“There’s no danger of (the pumps) igniting fuel vapors if they’re covered” by fuel, Takemoto said.

Major U.S. carriers said they had few planes in which the suspect pumps, made by Crane Co.’s Hydro-Aire unit, were installed.

Florida: More people sickened aboard Disney ship

At least 85 people on the Disney cruise ship Magic have contracted a flu-like illness this week even after the vessel was scrubbed because of an earlier outbreak, officials said Tuesday.

The ship was disinfected Saturday after 275 people became sick on the Magic’s last seven-day trip. The illnesses are believed to be caused by a “Norwalk-like” virus, one of the most common gastrointestinal viruses.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta was conducting tests to identify the virus, spokeswoman Bernadette Burden said. Results were expected later this week.

A cruise, where hundreds of passengers and crew mingle in close quarters for days, can provide ideal conditions for a virus to spread. Norwalk-like viruses are spread through food and water or contact with infected people and can cause diarrhea, stomach pain and vomiting for up to two days.

Florida: Space station grows with new addition

Astronauts used cranes to attach another expensive piece of latticework to the international space station Tuesday, and then a team of spacewalkers went out and wired it up.

“Yee-haw!” John Herrington shouted as he hopped onto the $390 million girder. “Life is good.”

Herrington – the first American Indian in space – and his spacewalking partner, Michael Lopez-Alegria, installed clamps, removed locks and connected electrical cables between the new segment and the rest of the space station.

It was the first of three spacewalks planned this week to install the girder that was delivered aboard space shuttle Endeavour.