Washington, D.C.

Report: West Nile spreading faster

The West Nile virus is spreading much more quickly this year than last, raising fears the new infection may take an even bigger toll on people and wildlife, federal health officials said Tuesday.

The virus already has been detected this summer in mosquitoes, birds, horses or other animals in at least 32 states, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta reported. At this time last year, about 20 states had detected the virus.

At least four human cases have been confirmed — three in Texas and one in South Carolina. A fifth suspect human case is being investigated. No deaths have been reported this year.

South Carolina

Democrat says director of CIA should resign

A Democratic presidential candidate called for the resignation of embattled CIA director George Tenet on Wednesday as the rest of the field faulted President Bush for misleading the public about Iraq.

“The president has to accept some responsibility,” Joe Lieberman told supporters during a campaign appearance.

The Connecticut senator spoke as Tenet testified before the Senate Intelligence Committee about questionable intelligence the White House used to justify war with Iraq. Bush’s claimed in his State of the Union speech that Iraq sought uranium from Africa — a statement apparently based on a series of documents now known to be forgeries.

Tenet accepted responsibility for allowing the reference to get in the speech.

San Francisco

Teacher creates deck of ‘hidden agenda’ cards

A high school teacher, fed up with the Bush administration’s playing cards featuring Saddam Hussein, “Chemical Ali” and other most-wanted Iraqis, is now selling her own deck, “Operation Hidden Agenda.”

Kathy Eder’s 55 cards show pictures of the president, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and others along with quotes, mostly from journalists, questioning the rationale for the U.S.-led war. The backs of the cards feature a 1983 photograph of Rumsfeld shaking Hussein’s hand.

The $9.95 deck of cards are being made by Texas-based Liberty Playing Cards, one of the companies that prints the government’s “Most Wanted” cards.

Eder has pledged to donate half her profits to nonprofit organizations that promote nonviolence and veterans.