Washington, D.C.

Trade pact on way to Bush’s desk

A bitterly fought trade accord with six Latin American nations won House passage by the narrowest of margins this morning after Republicans held the vote open well past the usual 15 minutes to muster enough members of their party to ensure approval.

When time for the vote on the Central American Free Trade Agreement expired at 11:17 p.m. EDT, the nays outnumbered the yeas by 180 to 175. But, a few minutes past midnight, the GOP leadership, ignoring Democratic protests that the rules were being violated, had rounded up enough votes to win by 217 to 215.

The House vote was effectively the last hurdle – and by far the steepest – facing CAFTA, which will tear down barriers to trade and investment between the United States, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua.

The deal was approved by the Senate last month. It now goes to the president for his signature.

All four Kansas congressmen voted in favor of the measure.

Washington, D.C.

Network to collect data on medical errors

The House on Wednesday overwhelmingly approved legislation that would create the first national network for reporting, analyzing and correcting medical errors, which are estimated to cause 40,000 to 98,000 preventable deaths each year.

The Senate has approved an identical measure; Wednesday’s 428-3 House vote means the bill now will go to President Bush, who is expected to sign it.

Common medical errors include giving patients the wrong medication and lax sanitary practices that can lead to infections in hospitals and nursing homes.

Such problems had received relatively little national level attention until recently, despite the considerable toll from medical errors. By comparison, highway accidents claimed 42,800 lives last year.

Virginia

Mother abandons boy on interstate highway

A mother was under arrest Wednesday on child endangerment and other charges after authorities said she abandoned her 4-year-old son on the Capital Beltway, then struck him with her car when he tried to get back in.

The boy was treated at a hospital for cuts and bruises, police said. He later was placed in the custody of a child protective services agency.

Police in Falls Church picked the boy up after receiving a call late Tuesday night from a motorist who said she had found a child wandering along Interstate 495.

Virginia State Police said an investigation determined that Channoah Alece Green, 22, of Newport News, Va., abandoned the boy along the busy highway after she became upset with him.

“As she attempted to drive off, the child was trying to get back in the vehicle and was knocked down,” said Sgt. J.L. Doss. That led to a hit and run charge.

State police said they found Green and were able to figure out that she was the child’s mother after she was involved in a two-car accident on Interstate 95 north of Richmond later Tuesday night.

Miami

O.J. Simpson loses DirecTV court case

A federal judge has ordered former football star O.J. Simpson to pay $25,000 in damages for pirating satellite television signals from DirecTV.

U.S. District Judge Joan Lenard awarded the damages, plus attorneys’ fees and other costs, after granting a motion for summary judgment in a civil suit against Simpson.

In a raid on Simpson’s Miami home in 2001, federal agents seized illegal devices known as “bootloaders” that authorities said were used to steal television programming.

Simpson’s attorney, Yale Galanter, said Tuesday that the judge “basically denied us our right to a jury trial. … This was a decision made by a judge in chambers. They say he did it; we say he didn’t. A jury should be able to make that decision.”

Asked whether Simpson would pay the damages and other costs, the attorney said: “We are examining our legal options. … We want our day in court.”

Galanter has 10 days to respond, or the summary judgment stands.