WASHINGTON, D.C.

Removing shoes is now optional at airports

Travelers no longer will find conflicting rules about removing their shoes at airports.

At some airports, passengers have been told they had to take off their shoes before passing through metal detectors; at others, it was optional.

The Transportation Security Administration now says removing shoes will be optional.

SAN FRANCISCO

Taiwan candy company liable in choking death

A judge Friday ordered a Taiwan-based company to pay $50 million to the parents of a 2-year-old Boston boy said to have choked to death eating its now-banned gel candy.

Jeffrey Jing died in February 2001, after he choked on candy produced by Sheng Hsiang Jen Foods Co., according to the lawsuit filed in San Mateo County Superior Court.

The candy contained a substance called conjac gel, which is derived from a type of yam. Unlike the gels found in most chewy candies, conjac does not dissolve in the mouth and must be chewed.

More than a dozen deaths — mostly in Asia — have been tied to the candy. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration banned its sale eight months after Jeffrey died.

WASHINGTON, D.C.

Few in U.S. can name a Democratic candidate

Only one-third of Americans can name at least one of the nine Democratic presidential hopefuls in a CBS News poll that found similar troubling news for the party among its rank-and-file.

The survey, conducted Tuesday and Wednesday, showed that only one-third of Democrats can name one of the candidates, and no single White House hopeful has a clear advantage in the race for the nomination and the right to challenge President Bush.

The CBS poll of 753 adults had an error margin of plus or minus 4 percentage points, larger for subgroups.

Texas

11 people quarantined as SARS precaution

Eleven people, including military personnel and their relatives, were quarantined in Texas after some reported respiratory problems similar to SARS, officials said.

Officials said initial test results from eight of the 11 quarantined were negative for SARS. Two of the eight tested positive for streptococcus pneumonia.

A group of military personnel passed through the Toronto airport recently, and some reported mild to moderate respiratory problems earlier this week after returning home, said Capt. David May of Dyess Air Force Base in Abilene.