Washington, D.C.

Capitol, White House briefly evacuated

Police briefly ordered evacuation of the U.S. Capitol and the White House, and President Bush was moved from his residence to a safer location Wednesday evening when a private plane ventured into restricted airspace.

The all-clear came within minutes, well before the White House was fully evacuated.

The White House briefly went to red alert – its highest level, presidential spokesman Scott McClellan said.

A private turboprop entered restricted airspace northeast of Reagan National Airport, according to a federal aviation official. Jets scrambled from Andrews Air Force Base and intercepted the plane eight miles northeast of the Capitol. As of 6:45 p.m. EST, the fighters escorted the plane to Winchester, Va., where it landed without incident.

Phoenix

Spreading wildfire may endanger homes

A blaze in rugged central Arizona had grown to 152,000 acres Wednesday and concern shifted to a pair of communities surrounded by pine forest that could be threatened.

The fire in rugged canyons north of Phoenix grew by more than 10,000 acres overnight and was expected to continue spreading through grass and desert brush. The lightning-sparked blaze was about 20 percent contained early Wednesday, down from 25 percent on Tuesday, fire officials said.

No evacuations had been ordered, but authorities said that if the fire crosses the Verde River, it could race into the towns of Pine and Strawberry, which have numerous vacation homes set in pine forest but somewhat less than 5,000 year-round residents.

Washington, D.C.

Senate blocks pesticide tests on humans

The Senate voted to block the Environmental Protection Agency from using studies that expose people to pesticides when considering permits for new pest killers.

By a 60-37 vote, the Senate approved a provision from Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., that would block the EPA from relying on such testing – including 24 human pesticide experiments currently under review – as it approves or denies pesticide applications.

The tests include a 2002-04 study by University of California-San Diego in which chloropicrin, an insecticide that during World War I was a chemical warfare agent, was administered to 127 young adults in doses that exceeded federal safety limits by 12 times.

Kansas Sens. Pat Roberts and Sam Brownback, both Republicans, voted to not block the studies.

Washington, D.C.

Senate panel endorses CAFTA plan

Senate supporters of the Central American Free Trade Agreement, a market-opening deal with six Latin American nations, predicted victory Wednesday after it was endorsed by a crucial committee.

President Bush and his top trade officials have lobbied hard for CAFTA, but it has drawn tenacious opposition from lawmakers who believe their states would be hurt.

A Senate vote could come as early as today.

The greater hurdle will come when the House takes up the measure next month. House Democrats who object to what they say are weak labor rights provisions in the agreement will be joined in opposition by Republicans with ties to groups, most notably the sugar industry, that contend they will be hurt by CAFTA.

New York

Army’s divorce rate increasing rapidly

While U.S. casualties steadily mount in Iraq, another toll is rising rapidly on the home front: The Army’s divorce rate has soared in the past three years, most notably for officers, as longer and more frequent war zone deployments place extra strain on couples.

“We’ve seen nothing like this before,” said Col. Glen Bloomstrom, a chaplain who oversees family-support programs.

Between 2001 and 2004, divorces among active-duty Army officers and enlisted personnel nearly doubled, from 5,658 to 10,477, even though total troop strength remained stable. In 2002, the divorce rate among married officers was 1.9 percent – 1,060 divorces out of 54,542 marriages; by 2004, the rate had tripled to 6 percent, with 3,325 divorces out of 55,550 marriages.

Washington, D.C.

Bush promotes Web site to support troops

As President Bush concluded his address to the nation Tuesday evening, he asked Americans to log onto www.americasupportsyou.mil, a Department of Defense Web site, and register support for the troops.

“You can go there to learn about private efforts in your own community,” Bush said, after promoting the Web site. “At this time when we celebrate our freedom, let us stand with the men and women who defend us all.”

Washington, D.C.

House rejects cut in Amtrak subsidies

The House on Wednesday rejected a big proposed cut in Amtrak subsidies that would have led to major cutbacks in rail service.

By voice vote during debate on a spending bill that covers Amtrak’s budget, the House approved an amendment by Rep. Steven LaTourette, R-Ohio, to add $626 million for Amtrak. That would bring Amtrak’s budget to its current level of $1.2 billion.

The Republican-controlled House Appropriations Committee had proposed spending $550 million for Amtrak and eliminating 18 routes, including every cross-country run and all long-distance trains outside the Northeast corridor. Those routes include the famed City of New Orleans route between New Orleans and Chicago, the Empire Builder across the Northern Plains and the Sunset Limited from Florida to Los Angeles.

The House later voted 269-152 to restore subsidies for 18 routes that lose more than $30 per passenger per ride.

San Francisco

Poll: Voters reluctant to re-elect Schwarzenegger

A majority of California voters do not want to see Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger re-elected, according to a poll released Wednesday, showing the Republican’s political appeal sliding.

The nonpartisan Field Poll of registered voters found that just 39 percent said they were inclined to give Schwarzenegger a second term, while 57 percent were not. As recently as February, the numbers were almost reversed, with 56 percent saying they were inclined to re-elect Schwarzenegger and just 42 percent were not.

A series of polls released by Field researchers indicates Schwarzenegger has lost considerable ground among voters in recent months. The drop in the governor’s popularity has coincided with his push for a fall special election for voters to consider several ballot measures aimed at curbing the power of Democrats and public employee unions in state government.