Mexico City: Vicente Fox rejects U.S. congressional plans

President Vicente Fox on Sunday joined a wave of other Mexican officials in rejecting a U.S. congressional committee’s call to link an agreement on immigration to U.S. investment in Mexico’s state-run oil company.

Fox said his administration had made a priority of reaching an immigration deal with the United States. “But in no way will it accept negotiating that agreement in exchange for the opening of Petroleos Mexicanos to foreign investment,” he said in a statement released by his office.

The Mexican media has launched a barrage of criticism against the move by the House International Relations Committee.

The committee measure narrowly approved Thursday on votes by the Republican majority says that any accord on immigration issues with Mexico should include an agreement to open Mexico’s state oil company Pemex to U.S. investment.

Kentucky: Police arrest suspect in fatal dorm fire

Police arrested a man Sunday in connection with a dormitory fire that killed an 18-year-old student, found a week ago with stab wounds in her burning room at Western Kentucky University.

Lucas Goodrum, 21, of Scottsville was charged with murder in the death of freshman Katie Autry, university Police Chief Bob Deane said Sunday.

Goodrum was being held Sunday on $1 million cash bond. Bob Edwards, vice president of university affairs, said more charges were expected to be filed, including arson.

The arrest came a week after firefighters pulled Autry from a fire in her second-floor dorm room around 4 a.m. Along with third-degree burns, she had puncture wounds and abrasions to her face and neck, authorities said. She died four days later.

No other students were injured in the May 4 fire, which was confined to Autry’s room. Her roommate was away at the time, and only about 50 of the 310 residents were in the building.

Washington, D.C.: More animals may be permitted on planes

Airline passengers who rely on cats, monkeys or other animals for emotional support may be able to bring the animals into a plane’s seating compartment under revised federal guidelines.

Previously, cabin permission generally was given only for animals that helped people with physical disabilities, usually a blind person who needed a guide dog.

The airlines industry and advocates for people with disabilities asked the government to clarify and expand the definition of a “service animal,” since more people now use other animals, such as cats or monkeys.

Transportation Department officials say these animals are used for a wider variety of functions, such as helping to pull wheelchairs or alerting a person with epilepsy that a seizure is imminent.

Chicago: Teen dies after fall from museum staircase

A 17-year-old girl was killed after she tried to slide down the railing of a staircase inside a museum, lost her balance and fell, police and museum officials said.

The accident happened Saturday in a public stairwell known as the “Blue Stairway” inside the Museum of Science and Industry.

“She was sliding down the bannister and lost her balance, according to eyewitness accounts,” Chicago police spokesman Matthew Jackson said. “We are treating this as a death investigation.”

The girl, identified as Katie Brooks, a student at Cor Jesu Academy in the St. Louis suburb of Affton, Mo., was part of a youth group of about 80 people, said museum spokesman Jim Macksood.

New York: Former president gives commencement speech

Former President Clinton mixed motivational thoughts with world politics Sunday as he gave the commencement address at Syracuse University, urging graduates to take an active role in public affairs.

Clinton told students to ignore the headlines and focus on the trend lines as they embark on their careers.

“The trend line is, we are growing more interdependent. We cannot escape each other,” Clinton said as more than 19,600 parents and well-wishers looked on inside the Carrier Dome at the school’s 149th commencement.

“We reap enormous benefits and assume greater risks. Your job, as a citizen of the world, is to spread the benefits and reduce the risks,” Clinton said.

Los Angeles: Comatose baby taken off life support

A 20-month old baby who was allegedly beaten into a coma-like state by his father more than a year ago has died, paving the way for prosecutors to file murder charges against the boy’s father.

Christopher Ibarra died Saturday shortly after he was taken off life support, according to Orange County officials. An autopsy was scheduled for Sunday, said Larry Essling, the deputy coroner.

Last month, the California Supreme Court let stand a ruling — over the father’s objection — to cut off life support to Christopher.

Christopher’s father, Moises Ibarra, has been jailed in lieu of $250,000 bail since his arrest on a felony child abuse charge. Authorities say he beat, shook and threw his son against the crib on Dec. 17, 2001.

San Francisco: Container explodes on plane being boarded

A shipping container packed with electronic test equipment exploded inside an airliner’s cargo hold Sunday while passengers were boarding, officials said.

A battery pack in the container of electronic gear may have been to blame for the small blast, said Mike McCarron, a spokesman for San Francisco International Airport.

United Flight No. 33 was preparing for takeoff on a flight to Kauai Island, Hawaii.

Passengers were evacuated and rescheduled for an alternate flight.