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The Earlybird: Today's headlines
- President Bush will meet President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt today, and he will meet with King Abdullah II of Jordan later this week, the New York Times reports. Both leaders will "seek to convince" Bush in "that ending the violence between Israel and the Palestinians requires renewed intervention from Washington."
- Meanwhile, Secretary of State Colin Powell will travel to Florida this week "to begin five days of talks aimed at settling a dispute between Armenia and Azerbaijan," the Baltimore Sun reports.
- After former Yugoslav leader Slobodan Milosevic was arrested Sunday, Bush "called for him to be turned over to the war crimes tribunal in The Hague," the Washington Post reports. AP has a transcript of Bush's statement.
- A U.S. Navy surveillance plane and a Chinese fighter aircraft collided in midair over the weekend, and both countries are blaming the other for the incident, Reuters reports. Officials have not heard from the U.S. crew since the landing. The Washington Post reports that of the none of the 24 American crew members was hurt.
- The United States is negotiating to have the plane -- which contains classified equipment -- returned, the Washington Post reports.
- American diplomats are in China today, and U.S. Ambassador Joseph Prueher "called it 'inexplicable and unacceptable' that American officials had been unable to contact the 24 crewmembers," AP reports.
- Meanwhile, Bush is deciding "whether to allow Taiwan to buy four destroyers equipped with the Navy's most advanced anti-missile radar system," which China opposes, AP reports.
- Relations between the United States and China are becoming more tense because of the incident, USA Today reports.
- The Senate will debate Bush's budget and tax cut plan this week, AP reports. Sen. Don Nickles, R-Okla., said the legislation -- which the House has already approved -- will be confirmed quickly in the Senate.
- Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle, D-S.D., said Sunday that the tax cut plan "could die in the Senate this week" because "some Senate Republicans are seriously wavering on" the legislation, Reuters reports.
- The estate tax repeal could get pushed back as much as 10 years in order to get Bush's tax cut plan approved, USA Today reports.
- The Senate will vote on campaign finance reform today, Reuters reports. It is a "virtual certainty" the Senate will pass the bill, but the battle may be tougher in the House.
- If the campaign finance reform bill is approved, political action committees would remain "virtually untouched," and some "could find their political influence enhanced," the New York Times reports.
- As the stock market's second quarter begins today, "futures suggested that U.S. stocks are at least poised to start off on a positive foot," CNNfn.com reports.
- Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan is "being second-guessed as never before" because of the sliding economy, the New York Times reports.
- Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham said Sunday that the energy crunch warrants "increased domestic drilling," CNN.com reports.
- At the California state Democratic convention this weekend, the management-imposed "dimmed lights inside the convention hall... spoke volumes" as some Democrats stayed home and "bashed" Gov. Gray Davis (D), Los Angeles Times reports.
- Oil company Exxon Mobil tops the list of Fortune's 500 biggest companies in America. High energy prices this year "helped all energy companies strike it rich."
- An Israeli reserve soldier was killed Sunday after "an exchange of gunfire with Palestinians," CNN.com reports.
- British Prime Minister Tony Blair said Sunday that elections in Great Britain will be delayed for a month -- moved to June instead of May -- because of the foot-and-mouth disease epidemic, BBCNews.com reports.
- NASA will send the 2001 Mars Odyssey to Mars on Saturday, the Washington Post reports. The spacecraft is "designed to map the chemical and mineral makeup of the Martian surface."
- House Minority Leader Richard Gephardt, D-Mo., "is the first anticipated presidential candidate in Congress" to form a "soft-money PAC," Roll Call reports.
- Sen. Joseph Lieberman, D-Conn., "lately is positioning himself as a possible presidential contender for 2004," the Houston Chronicle reports. "Only Sen. Hillary Clinton of New York, widely debated as a possible presidential contender in 2004, is a bigger potential star right now in Washington's Democratic galaxy."
- "Virginia Democrats say, and polls indicate, that they have a real shot at capturing the governor's office and stopping the Republican juggernaut," the New York Times reports. This is partially because of the "bitter squabbling" between the Republican candidates -- Lt. Gov. John Hager and Attorney General Mark Earley.
- The Richmond Times-Dispatch reports that many state Republicans "worry that, without a solution to Virginia's continuing budget crisis, the party's ticket in the fall for governor, lieutenant governor and attorney general could be doomed by the deadlock between" Gov. Jim Gilmore (R) "and the state Senate that is rooted in the scope and rising cost of car-tax relief."
- "In his first 100 days in office," Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) "has sought to step out of" President Bush's "shadow, in part by becoming a champion for more highways" as he "prepares for an election challenge next year," the Dallas Morning News reports.
- Former Rep. Peter Blute, R-Mass., now a "popular radio talk show host," is "actively thinking about starting an independent campaign for governor." The Worcester Telegram & Gazette reports on the heavy political reshuffling Massachusetts could see in 2002.
- Roll Call reports that should Rep. John Sununu, R-N.H., beat Sen. Bob Smith, R-N.H., in a 2002 primary for Smith's seat, he would be the first representative to do so since 1972. But "a new poll showed" Smith trailing Sununu "by double digits."
- Two Oklahoma Democrats -- attorney Doug Dodd and former Tulsa County Democratic Party chairman Tim Gilpin -- said Saturday at the Tulsa County Democratic Party convention that they are considering running for the "1st District House seat being vacated by" Rep. Steve Largent, R-Okla., the Tulsa World reports.
- "South Carolina's General Assembly is considering a bill to stop the execution of anyone who was younger than 17 when the crimes took place," the Greenville News reports.
- "Just a handful of spectators stood in the rain to witness the lighting" of the "historic stone lantern to celebrate the Cherry Blossom Festival" Sunday at the Tidal Basin in Washington, the Washington Times reports.
- Rep. Norman Sisisky, D-Va., was buried Sunday at Temple Beth-El in Richmond's near West End at a service attended by "fellow members of Congress, military brass, constituents, family and friends," the Richmond Times-Dispatch reports.
- Rep. Dan Burton, R-Ind., chairman of the Government Reform Committee, is expected to issue "his 1,000th subpoena as early as this week," Roll Call reports.
- New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's (D) "excuse that she needs the priciest hometown office space because of her huge troop of interns is drawing fire from ethics watchdogs, who say she is flouting employment rules," U.S. News and World Report's "Washington Whispers" reports.
- Over the weekend, Bush said he will turn part of the White House grounds into a baseball diamond "so that children can play ball," ABCNews.com reports. "The program will be run in part out of the White House Office of Faith-based and Community initiatives."
- Bush's former team -- the Texas Rangers -- kicked off the start of Major League Baseball season Sunday, losing to the Toronto Blue Jays, the Dallas Morning News reports.
- Duke University and the University of Arizona will play the NCAA Tournament title game tonight in Minneapolis, ESPN.com reports.
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