Recent articles by J. Jioni Palmer

Democrats ready to climb the Hill

With control of the House of Representatives set to change hands for the first time in 14 years when Congress reconvenes in January, New York's Democrat-dominated delegation is in the position to advance legislation for the first time in more than a decade.

With Castro absent, life goes on

By day, commuters line the sidewalks waiting for a bus -- often trailers hitched to a tractor -- or a 1950s Ford or Chevy working as a taxi not already crammed beyond capacity. Trucks of all sizes and cars, some Soviet-era Ladas, others new French Peugeots, whiz down potholed roads spewing noxious charcoal fumes, while pedestrians precariously dart through traffic.

REPORTING FROM CUBA

For U.S., it's close but no cigar

HAVANA - A contingent of U.S. lawmakers left here yesterday without meeting with the nation's leader, but in agreement that a possible U.S.-Cuba prisoner swap might open a way to improve relations.

Delegation 'makes nice' with Cuba

International diplomacy is the art of mixing tact with patience, and both are in abundant supply as a 10-member delegation of U.S. lawmakers concluded its second day of meetings in this balmy seaside city.

They look for union lable of approval

In many ways, Seaford Rep. Peter King is an anomaly -- he's a Republican who has been able to count on support from organized labor when he runs for re-election.

Dems: NY safer if King's ousted from security post

Installing a lawmaker from Mississippi as chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee would be better for New York than if Rep. Peter King remained in that post, a top House Democrat said yesterday during a conference call with Nassau Legis. David Mejias.

Tackling King of the Hill

On the surface, Peter King projects an air of coolness about his re-election prospects as campaign 2006 enters its final stretch.

ELECTION 2006

Bill's rally big LI show

With Democrats eager to rack up a string of wins, former President Bill Clinton told a crowd of more than 1,000 at Republic Airport in East Farmingdale yesterday that his party could take back the reins of Congress and the statehouse, but only with a strong turnout on Election Day.

Local pols give a little to get a little

Rep. John Sweeney knows the value of money in politics: rake in the dough, dish out the dough, rise through the ranks.

ELECTION 2006

Humble and hopeful

In public office, most politicians rely on a healthy ego and a sense of self-importance to survive, and many are generally loath to admit their shortcomings.

ELECTION 2006

King clings to throne

The way Rep. Peter King (R-Seaford) sees it there are plenty of differences distinguishing him from what he views as his opponent this fall.

ELECTION 2006

King rides against wave

In the online universe, the Peter King-Dave Mejias race is red-hot, and it's mostly a one-sided affair.

Mejias: King is 'selling us out'

Nassau Legis. Dave Mejias (D-North Massapequa) yesterday accused Rep. Peter King (R-Seaford) of being in the pocket of defense contractors because the incumbent cautioned patience over a recent report about potentially faulty radiological testing devices.

Bush stars in King-Mejias debate

The overflow crowd in the basement at the Levittown Library last night might have been watching a debate between Rep. Peter King and Nassau Legis. David Mejias as the race for New York's 3rd Congressional District heats up, but President George W. Bush was very much in the hot seat as well.

ELECTION 2006

Israel hopes to serve in Democratic House

When Rep. Steve Israel (D-Huntington) voted in favor of authorizing the war with Iraq, it was based, he says, on personal assurances from President George W. Bush.

ELECTION 2006

Mejias tops some coffers but not opponent's

Nassau Legis. Dave Mejias of North Massapequa has raised more campaign money than any Long Island congressional challenger, but that's still $1 million less than what the man he's running against, Rep. Peter King (R-Seaford), has in the bank.

ELECTION 2006

Bishop heavily favored in Congressional race

Four years ago, Tim Bishop was an unknown and untested political neophyte when, with a lot of help from a billionaire buddy and a major blunder by his opponent, he won election to Congress.

Dems closing in on House

Democrats appear to have a good shot at securing control of the House in November, political experts say, and many wonder if even seemingly untouchable GOP incumbents will survive.

Ackerman: Still some time for talks

After two days of meeting with a succession of senior government officials, Rep. Gary Ackerman was finally taken to the presidential palace in Pyongyang where he would meet the elusive former North Korean President Kim Il-Sung.

Damage control

In a further attempt to stamp out lingering allegations that Republican leaders coddled former Rep. Mark Foley and to hold on to his own job, House Speaker Dennis Hastert yesterday apologized and promised a quick and thorough investigation.

FALLOUT FROM FOLEY

More fire for Hastert

Pressure on House Speaker Dennis Hastert mounted yesterday as a senior Republican aide quit, saying he had told Hastert's aides more than three years ago about Rep. Mark Foley's inappropriate conduct with congressional pages.

I was abused, Foley says

Republicans increasingly fear their control of Congress is in danger five weeks before Election Day as new - and more sexually explicit - electronic communiques between former Rep. Mark Foley and underage boys are revealed almost daily.

Donor upset over Foley flap

Richard Pinto said he feels duped.

For Democrats, New York is a state of opportunity

With Democrats sensing their best opportunity to take control of the House of Representatives since losing it more than a decade ago, political analysts say their most likely path back to power will require toppling "blue state" Republicans - like those in New York.

LI Sound bill likely to be OKd

A measure authored by Rep. Steve Israel (D-Huntington) that could provide up to $25 million a year for the preservation of open space along Long Island Sound was expected to pass the House of Representatives last night.

More bickering in Congress over 9/11

What had been expected to be a non-controversial resolution commemorating Sept. 11 has sparked fighting between Democrats and Republicans, with each party accusing the other of playing politics.

Bill Clinton slams show

Stung by an ABC mini-series that blames the Clinton administration for passing on capturing Osama bin Laden prior to the 9/11 terror attacks, former president Bill Clinton has denounced the film as an audacious misrepresentation of the facts.

HURRICANE KATRINA: ONE YEAR LATER

Survivors' tales of life on the mend

One year after the most devastating storm in U.S. history killed more than 1,300 people and left more than three-quarters of a million people homeless, New Orleans remains a shattered city, its inhabitants still groping to gather the pieces of their broken lives.

HURRICANE KATRINA: ONE YEAR LATER

Saving New Orleans: Big, but not so easy

Bryan Block returned home in December, eager to be in the vanguard of the Big Easy's revival.

Lack of diversity or lack of interest?

Republican Peter King and Democrat Steve Israel have no people of color working in their Capitol Hill offices.

King eyes ethnic profiling

Declaring that airport screeners shouldn't be hampered by "political correctness," House Homeland Security Chairman Peter King has endorsed requiring people of "Middle Eastern and South Asian" descent to undergo additional security checks because of their ethnicity and religion.

AFL-CIO backs Mejias

Giving his underdog congressional bid a boost, the New York AFL-CIO endorsed Nassau Legis. Dave Mejias (D-North Massapequa) over Republican lawmaker Peter King.

THE SECURITY

Scheme evokes failed plot on jets in '95

Philippine authorities in 1995 disrupted a terrorist plot to blow up 11 airplanes headed for the United States from Asia using liquid explosives - a plan similar in scope and potential devastation to the alleged scheme British officials foiled yesterday.

Lieberman at a loss

Political neophyte Ned Lamont won a ground-shaking victory over veteran Democratic Sen. Joe Lieberman in a primary yesterday that was largely framed as a referendum on the incumbent's support for the war and perceived closeness with President George W. Bush.

A fight to hold on to his seat

It could have been a stop along the road to the White House. A small diner on some highway, with patrons sitting elbow to elbow at the counter, bacon crackling on the grill and the smell of pancake syrup in the air as waitresses hustled about clearing tables and pouring cups of joe.

Some NY pols boycott Iraqi PM's speech

A handful of New York lawmakers skipped Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's speech before Congress yesterday to protest his criticisms of Israeli military tactics in Lebanon.

A step closer to LIRR project

The House is expected to pass today a $1.75-billion financing deal for the construction of a link allowing Long Island Rail Road commuters to ride directly into lower Manhattan, several sources familiar with congressional negotiations said yesterday.

A fast exit for these Yanks

When David Goldi Merhige arrived in Lebanon two weeks ago for his cousin Joseph's wedding, Beirut was a bustling seaside city with a cosmopolitan flair.

Tribunal debate centers on details

Despite the inflamed rhetoric, Rep. Steve Israel said he left last Wednesday's House Armed Services Committee hearing on the president's tribunals for terrorist suspects thinking that the divide in Congress really isn't that great.

Mejias' bid finds new bounty

Eager to show that he's a serious contender, Nassau Legis. David Mejias (D-North Massapequa) raised more than $200,000 less than two months into his campaign to unseat veteran Rep. Peter King, according to campaign finance documents.

Convicted in D.C. assault

Garden City native Collin Finnerty was convicted yesterday of assaulting a man on a Georgetown sidewalk last fall after taunting him with anti-gay epithets.

Plot is salt in the cut

The alleged plot to bomb PATH tunnels in lower Manhattan has renewed criticism of the Department of Homeland Security's decision to cut the Big Apple's federal anti-terror dollars.

Al-Qaida's new role: to inspire plotters

The disrupted plot to bomb PATH tunnels under the Hudson River once again shows that much of post-9/11 international terrorism is driven by inspiration and "self-starters" who seek out networks and plan attacks on their own, say terrorism experts and law enforcement officials.

Plot was derailed in early stages

For at least a year, eight followers of al-Qaida scattered across six foreign countries discussed how to send suicide bombers to blow up PATH tunnels under the Hudson River, but their plans never came close to realization, U.S. officials said Friday.

King welcomes the war of his words

He once referred to the GOP leadership as "roadkill," said his party was taken over by "barefoot hillbillies," and compared the Million Man March with a "Klan rally." So it isn't surprising that Rep. Peter King would call for The New York Times to be tried for treason - and relish the furor that erupted.

War foe Ackerman made military profit, records show

Rep. Gary Ackerman, who has been a vocal critic of the war in Iraq, has earned at least $85,000 from investing in a military supply company a year before it won a major government contract, according to financial records reviewed yesterday by Newsday.

King seeks federal probe of NY Times

Citing national security concerns, Rep. Peter King, chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, called on U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales yesterday to begin a criminal investigation of The New York Times for publishing a report on a secret government program begun after Sept. 11 to monitor banking transactions for terrorist links.

Mayor: It makes no sense

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg's journey to Capitol Hill yesterday isn't likely to result in an immediate boost in federal anti-terror dollars for the Big Apple, congressional sources say.

Breaking ranks on Iraq

Breaking ranks with the bulk of her party, Rep. Carolyn McCarthy was one of only two New York Democrats to vote in favor of a contentious Iraq war resolution that passed the House Friday on a mostly party-line decision.

Army admits a shortage

After initially downplaying a shortage of the special anti-bleeding bandages available to troops in Iraq, a senior Army officer acknowledged yesterday that some soldiers are in combat without the potentially lifesaving field dressings.

Secret GOP memo politicizes war

House Majority Leader John Boehner intends to use an upcoming floor debate on the Iraq war as a platform for GOP lawmakers to portray themselves as tougher than Democrats on "national security polices," according to a confidential memo obtained by Newsday.

Congress probes limousine deal

Congressional investigators have uncovered evidence that a former congressman convicted on bribery charges helped steer a $20-million contract to a limousine company with ties to the ex-lawmaker, Capitol Hill sources say.

Rep. Kennedy pleads guilty

Rep. Patrick Kennedy (D-R.I.) pleaded guilty in criminal court yesterday to driving under the influence of a prescription drug.

No more for NYC

Rep. Peter King (R-Seaford) said yesterday that he doesn't expect New York to get any additional funds from the $1.7 billion Homeland Security pot that, when divided up last week, cut money given to the city by 40 percent.

THE REACITON

A welcome bit of Iraq news

Battle-tested Iraq war veterans heaved sighs of relief.

House weighed down by dark cloud

The marbled corridors still bustle as lawmakers shuttle between hearings and votes and meetings.

Dems consider asking for Jefferson's ouster

A Democratic leadership committee was considering last night whether to recommend that Rep. William Jefferson (D-La.) be stripped of his position on the powerful Ways and Means Committee.

Gay union ban questioned

Rep. Tim Bishop says he opposes a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriages not only because he thinks it's bad policy for the federal government to meddle in marital affairs, but also as a matter of principle.

Different views on security

The federal government cut anti-terror funds to New York City by 40 percent because of fundamentally different views on how the money should be spent, according to documents obtained by Newsday and interviews with homeland security experts.

White House stands by fund shift

Sustaining a bipartisan torrent of criticism over New York City receiving fewer counterterrorism dollars this year than last, Bush administration officials yesterday aggressively defended the grant awards, stressing that protecting New York from a terror attack remains a top priority but that other vulnerable areas also need to be fortified.

Dig this, Mr. Secretary

New York's political odd couple are at it again.

Bush 'troubled' by reports

In his first public comments on a burgeoning controversy that threatens to undermine U.S. military efforts in Iraq, President George W. Bush yesterday said he was "troubled by the initial news stories" that up to 24 civilians were killed by Marines patrolling the western city of Haditha.

9/11 RESPONDERS HEALTH WOES

Anti-terror cuts

Despite being the site of the nation's deadliest terrorist attack, New York City will see a 40 percent reduction in federal anti-terror funds this year.

False alarm jolts House

The sound of a mechanical hammer was mistaken by a New Jersey congressman for gunfire in the Rayburn House Office Building Friday and led to an "old fashioned" search of the largest structure on the House side of Capitol Hill.

THE IMMIGRATION DEBATE

Safe passage in Bush's hands

Immigration legislation working its way through the U.S. Senate enjoys the broad backing - at least in principle - of most Democrats and moderate Republicans, congressional sources say, yet final passage remains uncertain because of staunch opposition from the GOP's conservative wing.

Third time a challenge

Roughly six months after opting not to challenge Republican Rep. Peter King, Nassau Legis. David Mejias is expected to announce next week that he'll attempt to unseat the seven-term incumbent.

Criminalization enters debate

What has come to be one of the most controversial points in the nation's ongoing debate over illegal immigration came in a suggestion from the Bush administration.

Lawmakers set to battle over FEMA

Bracing for a showdown with two other powerful committee leaders, Rep. Peter King (R-Seaford) said yesterday he'd oppose efforts to strip the Federal Emergency Management Agency from the Department of Homeland Security.

Port security is on the docket

The House today is expected to approve a sweeping port security bill, two months after lawmakers revolted over a Bush administration plan to give control of six U.S. ports to a United Arab Emirates-owned company.

It's recess, but no rest for pols

The meeting with Czech Republic President Vaclav Klaus had officially concluded, but Rep. Gary Ackerman (D-Jamaica Estates) had one more item on his agenda.

Giving voice to Iraqi women's plight

When Bushra Jamil fled Iraq after the first Gulf War she never thought she'd return to her homeland again.

Finnerty will face D.C. trial on assault

Duke University lacrosse player Collin Finnerty will be tried for his alleged role in a November assault outside of a Georgetown bar, a federal judge ruled yesterday after prosecutors revoked a plea deal that would have let the Garden City native off with community service.

BETHPAGE

Grumman site may become emergency center

The former Grumman site in Bethpage could become a regional emergency operations center under a proposal by Nassau County Executive Thomas Suozzi if a catastrophic natural disaster or terror attack struck the metropolitan area.

Rep. Israel cautions on Iraq leadership

Reports that Shia politicians have agreed on a new prime minister - an essential move in forming a new government - are a positive development, but much work still needs to be done, Rep. Steve Israel (D-Huntington) said Friday.

Rep. Israel says 'false' pretenses led to war

Three years after he voted for invading Iraq, Rep. Steve Israel (D-Huntington) says the case for war was based on a "false pretense" perpetuated by President George W. Bush.

Second Ave. line in final design stage

The much ballyhooed Second Avenue Subway line inched closer to becoming a reality today with the federal government classifying the project as in its "final design stage."

Sen. to fight new bill on immigrants

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton says that "Jesus himself" would be judged a criminal under a "mean-spirited" GOP immigration proposal that makes it a felony to help or hire undocumented immigrants.

Giuliani on panel to study Iraq policy

Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani was named yesterday to a bipartisan panel to examine the nation's involvement in the war in Iraq.

REPORTING FROM NEW ORLEANS

Big uneasy: Rebuilding

It took Darrell Foy and his friends only a couple of days to rehabilitate the Bienville Street duplex where his aunt Leola Lions died after floodwaters inundated her Mid-City neighborhood.

Port deal in trouble

A House panel voted yesterday to scuttle a proposed deal to give control of operations at six American ports to a company owned by the United Arab Emirates, setting in motion a legislative process that could hand President George W. Bush his first significant congressional defeat.

GOP set to battle Bush on port plan

Republican leaders on Capitol Hill said yesterday that a legislative showdown with the White House over a proposed deal to give control of operations at six American ports to a company owned by the United Arab Emirates could begin as early today.

REPORTING FROM NEW ORLEANS

A spirited Mardi Gras

The rumbling drums and cowbell clang produce hauntingly infectious beats that penetrate the soul and cause limbs to move uncontrollably.

REPORTING FROM NEW ORLEANS

Mellow Mardi Gras

There was never any doubt Jim Thompson would ride atop a Mardi Gras parade float this year as he has for more than a decade. Or that he and his family would partake in the pre-Lent festivities.

City toasts its survival

The tuba thumps with might. The drums kick with authority. And the rest of the horn ensemble - pairs of trumpets, trombones and saxophones - blow with gale-force strength.

Prosperity's door opens for returnee

Returning home has been bitter and sweet for Calvin Edwards.

Budget cuts outdo adds for NY

President George W. Bush's $2.77 trillion budget proposal ups overall spending slightly to account for the war on terror, while an array of programs used by scores of middle- and working-class New Yorkers suffers significant cuts.

Crowley loses Dem caucus bid

Queens Rep. Joseph Crowley fell short yesterday of the necessary number of votes in his bid to join the House Democratic leadership.

Democrats dispute King's homeland security funding claims

They all agree New York ought to get a greater share of federal anti-terror dollars, but Reps. Gregory Meeks (D-Far Rockaway) and Anthony Weiner (D-Brooklyn) broke ranks with House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Peter King over who's blocking the way.

Curbing lobbyists' enthusiasm

As allegations of shady dealings ooze throughout town, congressional Democrats have launched a coordinated election-year blitz against what they call a Republican-manufactured "culture of corruption" that has resulted in poor public policy decisions.

Localizing anti-terror aid

More of the federal government's anti-terror dollars will now go to localities at greater risk, the Department of Homeland Security said yesterday.

Probe's focus shifting to Congress

Now that Republican uber-lobbyist Jack Abramoff has agreed to plead guilty to three felony counts, attention in the burgeoning corruption probe will shift to Capitol Hill, where he was known to sprinkle campaign coffers with lots of dough.

King cashes in with new post

There were no door prizes, 50-50 raffles or entertainment of any sort.

Potential King challenger emerges

With national Democrats buoyed by a recent internal poll hinting veteran Rep. Peter King is potentially vulnerable to a challenge, Nassau Legis. David Mejias traveled to Capitol Hill Friday for a meeting with top lawmakers eager for him to run.

For now, a race is hypothetical

Veteran Rep. Peter King (R-Seaford) is vulnerable to a Democratic challenge next year because of his staunch support of President George W. Bush and growing public angst over the war in Iraq, according to sources familiar with a poll commissioned by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.

House passes shores bills

The House of Representatives approved two separate pieces of legislation yesterday aimed at improving the coastal waterways, especially those around Long Island.

President's plan a spur for King's proposal?

President George W. Bush's broad call for immigration reform will likely give a boost to legislation introduced recently by Rep. Peter King (R-Seaford) that would tighten security along the nation's borders but does not address how to handle the nearly 11 million undocumented people already here.

Congress to cut $125M for sick 9/11 workers

Congress is expected to approve a bill cutting $125 million that was supposed to go to sick Sept. 11 aid workers, lawmakers familiar with the continuing negotiations said yesterday.

On heels of election victory, Suozzi receives award

Basking in the glory of his re-election win Tuesday night, Nassau County Executive Tom Suozzi did a victory lap of sorts in the nation's capital where he was on-hand to accept an award recognizing his tenure at the county's helm.

Ion collider's funding slashed

Congress is expected to pass legislation that cuts funds for Brookhaven National Laboratory - a reduction that probably will result in layoffs at the Upton facility, lab officials said yesterday.

BUSH'S TROUBLES

Observers: Bush must address recent setbacks

To pull his presidency out of a potentially debilitating quagmire, George W. Bush must forthrightly address the recent setbacks that threaten to stall progress on a host of domestic and foreign policy concerns, political observers said yesterday, taking stock of the administration.

INDICTMENT: THE LEGAL ISSUES

Cheney's link in the chain

He's directly referred to only twice in the 22-page indictment of his former chief of staff, I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby.

Critics: WTC study doesn't go far enough

A final report on the collapse of the World Trade Center towers fails to offer enough specific guidelines to builders of future tall buildings, critics of a three-year investigation into why the structures crumbled said yesterday.

Prevailing wage rule restored

The Bush administration yesterday announced plans to reinstate a rule requiring government contractors working in the areas devastated by Hurricane Katrina to pay employees a prevailing wage.

McCarthy frustrated, but not deterred after shield law passes

The armor-piercing bullets from the pistol killed her husband and gravely wounded her son and catapulted Carolyn McCarthy from obscurity into Congress. For the past eight years, her very presence has reminded her colleagues of the perils of gun violence, and her voice has been among the most forceful in favor of gun control.

A committee for a King

It was about 4 o'clock on Oct. 6 when Rep. Peter King was notified that New York City Police Commissioner Ray Kelly was on the phone.

Majority leader indicted

House Majority Leader Tom DeLay was indicted yesterday by a Texas grand jury for political corruption, forcing him to step aside as the GOP's second in command.

Thriving amid disaster

The sudden crush of cars clogging the roads here is the most visible sign of how life in northeast Louisiana has begun to change.

KATRINA: REPORT FROM LOUISIANA

Raising New Orleans

Pounding hammers and buzzing saws signal the renewal already taking place in some parts of New Orleans as cleanup and restoration crews fan out through the French Quarter, the central business district and the posh Uptown neighborhoods along St. Charles Avenue.

KATRINA: REPORT FROM LOUISIANA

King: Blueprint failed

The sluggish federal reaction to the disaster wrought by Hurricane Katrina exposes critical flaws in the National Response Plan designed after the Sept. 11 terror attacks, Rep. Peter King (R-Seaford) said yesterday.

KATRINA: THE AFTERMATH

La. panel grills Red Cross

In the days immediately following the flooding of New Orleans, as scenes of anguish and desperation at the Superdome played out on television screens nationwide, the Red Cross was blocked from delivering relief by state emergency management officials because police and military personnel were unable to rein in the chaos on the streets, a senior Red Cross official said yesterday.

KATRINA: THE FALLOUT

34 deaths a crime, state says

The owners of a nursing home in St. Bernard Parish were charged yesterday in the deaths of 34 of the facility's residents from flooding caused by Hurricane Katrina because the couple "did not follow their own evacuation plan," the Louisiana attorney general said.

New Orleans out of cash, mayor says

The City of New Orleans has no money to meet its expenses, Mayor C. Ray Nagin told a meeting of elected officials from the area gathered at the state capitol yesterday.

KATRINA

Bush takes the ground tour

President George W. Bush, ducking low-hanging tree limbs and electrical wires, rode in an open truck yesterday for his first close-up look at the city's ravaged, trash-strewn, flooded neighborhoods. He denied that poor black victims of Hurricane Katrina were ignored because of their race.

REPORT FROM LOUISIANA

Rescuers face a 'toxic gumbo'

Slogging through the muck - at times knee-high - in a door-to-door quest to account for every life lost, members of the Colorado National Guard's Bravo Company 1-157 Artillery Unit say their will is being tested in more ways than they thought imaginable.

KATRINA AFTER THE FLOOD

A community abandoned

With the waters that cut off this community and turned it into an island of despair slowly receding, accounts of desperate attempts by helpless residents to survive have begun to emerge.

Departures in the Gulf: Some willing, some not

It wasn't the water that got to Hezron Williams or the rank, swampy smell or the lack of supplies or the corpses in the streets or the orders from the mayor to leave. It was the bugs.

REPORT FROM LOUISIANA

'I guess we gotta start over'

The hardy people of southern Louisiana's two easternmost parishes - St. Bernard and Plaquemines - are used to absorbing the brunt of the deadliest storms that blow their way, but Katrina packed a wallop that left those who stayed behind shaken and thankful for their lives.

REPORT FROM LOUISIANA

Five who refused to budge

The house on Cortez Street is an oasis of sorts amid the greenish tide, uprooted live oaks and the downed power lines that have turned this city into an urban bayou.

KATRINA THE OVERVIEW

Signs of hope amid dread

With troops patrolling the streets and pumping stations drawing down water levels in New Orleans yesterday, Mayor Ray Nagin said his city was starting to "turn the corner" but warned that receding waters would reveal a gruesome toll of decomposing corpses in the muck left behind.

REPORT FROM LOUISIANA

With trepidation, going home briefly

It wasn't the oppressively damp heat or swarms of mosquitoes that kept Kim Green awake as she tried to sleep in a lawn chair at a police roadblock near the border between St. Charles and Jefferson parishes.

KATRINA

Black and white issue?

A growing chorus of black lawmakers, civil rights leaders and academics questioned Friday whether race played a role in the government's slow response to the crisis in the gulf region.

KATRINA: THE REBUILDING

Monumental task for feds

Uncertain just how bad the disaster caused by Hurricane Katrina will be, the Bush administration yesterday designated the crisis an "incident of national significance," a determination that presses into service virtually every aspect of the federal government.

IRA embraces an end to warfare

After nearly 30 years of armed struggle to unite the two Irelands, the Irish Republican Army yesterday said it has ceased all military operations in favor of peaceful political action, a message welcomed in Dublin, London, Belfast and Washington.

NOTEBOOK

King: Transit safety a complex task

After finishing a hearing Tuesday on training to prevent and respond to a mass transit terror attack, Rep. Peter King (R-Seaford) was left thinking that there was no easy way to forestall one.

On national stage, he may have an edge

While far from a shoo-in, Gov. George E. Pataki would have instant credibility as a presidential candidate in 2008, a handful of Republican officials, party activists and conservative allies said yesterday.

House passes trade pact

The House of Representatives narrowly passed the highly contentious Central America Free Trade Agreement early today.

NY subway a 'priority'

Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff met with New York City fire officials in Washington yesterday and reassured them that mass transit security was indeed a priority for his department.

Filibuster on Roberts unlikely

John G. Roberts' hopes of joining the Supreme Court got an early lift yesterday when key senators who forged a bipartisan pact over judgeships said it appeared unlikely at this point that Democrats would mount a filibuster to block him.

Let the bench jockeying begin

The high-stakes, big-dollar battle lines over John Roberts' Supreme Court bid quickly took shape yesterday as he launched his Capitol Hill confirmation drive, with liberal activists slamming him as threat to abortion rights and the White House declaring his personal views on controversial issues off-limits.

BUSH'S NOMINEE

Dems' measured reply

After years of gearing up for a titanic showdown for control of the Supreme Court, Senate Democrats did not find it yesterday in the nomination of Judge John Roberts.

Meeks in the middle

It isn't unusual for members of Congress to meet with heads of state, when those leaders are in town here. But the scene inside Rep. Gregory Meeks' Capitol Hill office Thursday morning was a bit out of the ordinary.

King: Leave the guy alone

Seaford Republican Peter King is no stranger to defending people in trouble.

Partisan battle on Rove

Ratcheting up their criticism of presidential adviser Karl Rove for his alleged role in revealing the identity of a CIA agent, Senate Democrats offered an amendment yesterday that would strip him of his security clearance.

Fightin' words

A lifelong boxing fan who himself trains in the ring twice a week, Rep. Peter King is not one to run away when it comes to confrontation - even when it comes in the form of a letter from a constituent.

'Crossing the line' on religion

The Air Force chaplain at the center of a controversy about religious intolerance at the Air Force academy was on Capitol Hill yesterday to inform lawmakers about the climate at the Colorado campus and urge congressional action.

This time, casualty of bill

For the past year and a half, Rep. Steve Israel spared no opportunity to trumpet legislation he authored and named after the first Long Islander killed in combat in Iraq. And at just about every news conference the third-term Huntington Democrat held, Cathy Heighter, the mother of that soldier, stood by his side.

Apology demands after Rove speech

Still smarting from a backlash following Sen. Richard Durbin's comparison of Guantanamo to a gulag, Democrats yesterday pounced on presidential adviser Karl Rove's suggestion that in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks liberals lacked the fortitude to fight the war on terror.

A possible conflict for DeLay?

House Majority Leader Tom DeLay owns stock worth more than $50,000 in ExxonMobil, according to financial disclosure reports, while at the same time he is one of the driving forces behind legislation that would shield that company and other manufacturers of the gasoline additive MTBE from lawsuits that could cost them millions.

Taking back NY's terror funds

A House panel voted yesterday morning to take back $125 million set aside for Ground Zero rescue workers, two days after the investigative arm of Congress called on New York State to give back $44 million in federal money it spent on the victims of the terror attacks.

Feds want NY to pay back 9/11 money

A week after the Bush administration said it wants to reclaim $125 million for rescue workers at Ground Zero that so far has gone unspent, now the investigative arm of Congress says it wants New York to return $44 million that the state spent on victims of the terror attacks.

Illegal immigration outcry

As Seaford Republican Peter King prepared to address a group of mostly elderly Coast Guard veterans last week, he was ready to be peppered with questions regarding Social Security.

King eyes Homeland panel's top post

Rep. Peter King (R-Seaford) is making a move to take over the newly empowered Homeland Security Committee.

House restores Fire Island funding

Though the funding war is far from over, Rep. Tim Bishop managed to win an early skirmish this week when the House of Representatives restored funds for an ongoing study of the Fire Island shoreline.

Push for mandatory vehicle safety devices

Adriann Nelson remembers reading about the tragedy that took 2-year-old Cameron Gulbransen's life in October 2002 when his father accidentally ran him over while backing up his BMW X5 sport utility vehicle in the driveway of his Woodbury home.

A long Senate history of filibuster threats

Had it not been for his fear that a faction of liberal senators might filibuster his judicial confirmation, Richard H. Poff would have been nominated to a seat on the U.S. Supreme Court instead of William H. Rehnquist.

Gun-control bids blocked

It's common sense that a person barred from flying on a commercial plane because of suspected terror links should not be able to buy a gun, Rep. Carolyn McCarthy said, and Tuesday she offered an amendment to a Homeland Security funding bill that would stop such purchases.

Life in the House

Each time Carolyn McCarthy walked through the doors of the intensive care unit to work the night shift she felt a rush jolt through her body.

McCarthy adds her touch to anti-gang bill

A last-ditch lobbying effort by Rep. Carolyn McCarthy prevented an anti-gang measure that passed the House of Representatives yesterday from including language that would have allowed grade-schoolers to pack a pistol as long as they were in the company of a parent.

An unexpected recess for House and Senate

It was about two minutes before noon when the congressional leadership was quietly notified that an aircraft was on a "straight-in shot into the center of Washington" and they were evacuated out of the Capitol building.

Trial's unwanted focus

With Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's former top fund-raiser set to go on trial today for allegedly falsifying financial reports during her 2000 campaign, the Los Angeles courtroom saga is being closely watched because of its potential implications for New York's junior senator's political prospects at home and nationally.

No finish line for reps on run

An elected official since he was 24 years old, Rep. Joseph Crowley seldom takes long to assess the politics of any given situation.

Bill hits close to home

Not Brookhaven Town, Suffolk County nor even the State of New York could prevent a floating gas terminal from being placed in the Long Island Sound under a provision in the energy bill approved by the House of Representatives yesterday.

All in the political family

House Majority Leader Tom DeLay has been criticized in recent weeks for putting relatives on his campaign payroll, but two Long Island Democrats are doing the same thing, records and interviews show.

DeLay sorry for comment on judges

Under fire from alleged ethical lapses and from spearheading the publicly unpopular congressional intervention in the Terri Schiavo case, House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Texas) yesterday apologized for comments he said were poorly worded causing some to interpret that he was advocating violence against federal judges.

Adams to IRA: Make peace

Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams yesterday called on the Irish Republican Army to lay down its arms and fully commit to the peaceful reunification of the two Irelands.

Fight to clear a name

As the first black heavyweight champion, Jack Johnson's triumphs inside the ring despite intense racial animosities outside are a source of pride for Bronx-born boxer Iran "The Blade" Barkley.

Sparks fly over contract for new presidential copter

In an unusual display of Democratic infighting, New York senior Sen. Charles Schumer squared off on the Senate floor with his neighbor from Connecticut, Sen. Christopher Dodd, over a contract to build a new presidential helicopter.

GOP reps targeted on Bush plan

New York Republicans such as Reps. Peter King (Seaford) and Vito Fossella (Staten Island) find themselves in the crosshairs of local activists bent on forcing them into signing a pledge opposing the Bush administration's plan to partially privatize Social Security.

FDR kin against Bush plan

James Roosevelt Jr.'s opposition to privatizing Social Security is rooted in a reasoned philosophical approach to what America's commitment to the elderly and disabled ought to be, but it's a little bit personal, too.

LI lawmakers see challenge in Congress

As Queens Rep. Gary Ackerman sees it, New Yorker's shouldn't expect much out of Washington for the foreseeable future.

Bush budget would cut billions for NY, opponents say

President George W. Bush's $2.57 trillion budget for the next fiscal year would have disastrous consequences for New York, critics of his spending plan said Monday as they lamented proposed cuts across a wide swath of domestic programs.

Bush budget could substantially cut NY Medicaid funding

When the Bush administration presents a budget to Congress tomorrow that attempts to trim the federal deficit, New York lawmakers, health care advocates and union organizers fear that spending blueprint could force the state to eventually slash Medicaid.

Amtrak in jeopardy

Lawmakers are bracing for a fight with President George W. Bush over the future of Amtrak after learning of administration plans to slash subsidies for the rail system, congressional sources said yesterday.

South Asia trip takes on dual significance

Two local congressmen will travel to South Asia this week to survey tsunami relief efforts and review anti-terror measures at the world's largest seaport.