Washington, D.C.

Bush administration defends war as anniversary nears

Bush administration officials said Sunday they did not regret that America went to war against Iraq even though banned weapons had not been found one year after the U.S.-led invasion.

Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said he believed weapons of mass destruction still could turn up. Secretary of State Colin Powell said even if they didn’t, that didn’t mean prewar intelligence was distorted to make the case for ousting Saddam Hussein, as some Democrats charge.

“We may not find the stockpiles. They may not exist any longer. But let’s not suggest that somehow we knew this” before the war, Powell said on ABC’s “This Week.” “We went to the United Nations, we went to the world with the best information we had. Nothing that was cooked.”

Friday marks the one-year anniversary of the start of the war.

San Francisco

Researchers say stem cells could help cure baldness

Research showing that bald mice can grow hair after being implanted with a type of stem cell could lead to a cure for baldness, a group of scientists said.

The project marks the first time that “blank-slate” stem cells were able to induce hair growth, said Dr. George Cotsarelis, a University of Pennsylvania dermatologist and co-author of the study.

The study was released Sunday on the Web site of the journal Nature Technology in advance of its April publication date.

“We’ve shown for the first time these cells have the ability to generate hair when taken from one animal and put into another,” Cotsarelis said in a telephone interview.

California

Gasoline price average hits record high

Gasoline prices reached a record high nationwide average of $1.77 a gallon for all grades, rising 1.34 cents in the last two weeks, according to a study released Sunday.

Gasoline prices have jumped by nearly 26 cents so far this year, and while they won’t be falling by that amount soon, they aren’t expected to rise much higher, according to the Lundberg survey of 8,000 stations nationwide. The survey was conducted Friday.

The previous combined average record high was a May 2001 price of $1.76.

Washington, D.C.

Atty. Gen. John Ashcroft discharged from hospital

Atty. Gen. John Ashcroft was released from the hospital Sunday, five days after surgery to remove his gallbladder.

Ashcroft, 61, will stay in his Washington home for some “quiet rest” as he continues to recuperate, Justice Department spokesman Mark Corallo said.

Deputy Atty. Gen. James Comey will continue to run the department until Ashcroft returns.

Ashcroft was admitted March 4 to George Washington University Hospital, suffering from a severe case of gallstone pancreatitis. The gallbladder was removed to prevent a recurrence of the sometimes-fatal illness.

Ohio

Bishops defy leaders of Episcopal Church

Launching a new front in the Episcopal Church conflict about the appointment of an openly gay bishop, six defiant congregations joined Sunday in a confirmation service led by bishops acting without permission from the Diocese of Ohio.

Under Episcopal law and liturgy, confirmations are performed only by local bishops or visiting bishops approved by the head of the host diocese — in this case Bishop J. Clark Grew II of Cleveland.

“This business against the diocesan bishop is simply defiant and that’s why it’s troubling,” said Daniel England, a church spokesman. “It violates our constitution and canons.”

The six congregations are part of a nationwide protest movement of conservative Episcopalians who oppose homosexual activity on biblical grounds.

Grew joined a majority of Episcopal bishops in voting for V. Gene Robinson, and Sunday’s service was a personal snub of Grew’s authority. A message left Sunday seeking comment from him was not immediately returned.