Afghanistan

Engine failure blamed for U.S. copter crash

Engine failure — not enemy fire — may have downed a U.S. transport helicopter in Afghanistan, Pentagon officials said Monday, as soldiers at the scene searched the burned wreckage of the crash that killed five U.S. soldiers.

The MH-53 transport helicopter, which can carry up to 55 people, crashed Sunday just after leaving Bagram Air Base to support a special military operation by the U.S.-led coalition in northeastern Afghanistan. Eight soldiers also were wounded.

U.S. military officials at Bagram and Central Command in Tampa, Fla., had been investigating the cause — including whether it was shot down by pro-Taliban militants.

But at the Pentagon, officials said Monday there was no indication the helicopter was hit by hostile fire.

Washington

Lawmakers compromise on media ownership

Congressional bargainers bowed to White House pressure Monday and agreed to let networks own larger numbers of television stations as lawmakers put finishing touches on a year-end $390 billion spending package.

Facing a veto threat, top lawmakers decided to include a provision letting companies own stations watched by up to 39 percent of the nation’s viewers, congressional aides said. Last week, lawmakers said they would use the massive bill to kill the Bush administration’s proposal for a 45 percent threshold — up from the current 35 percent.

Congressional leaders planned to have the long-overdue spending bill in its final form by today.

The House will not vote on the bill until at least December.

Washington

Government auditing NEA

The IRS has begun auditing the National Education Assn., which has allocated millions of dollars to elect pro-education candidates while reporting on tax forms that it does not spend union dues on politics.

NEA spokeswoman Kathleen Lyons said Monday the audit began last week. “It will be a complete, thorough audit,” she said. “The IRS has not singled out any particular aspect of our activities.”

But Reg Weaver, the union’s president, said the “NEA will not be silenced” by the audit.

The NEA has tax-exempt status as a union but must report political expenses “direct and indirect” on its tax return.