The Earlybird: Today's headlines

Peres meeting, Social Security commission, China memo retraction, missile defense ally, energy decrease, Gore's musings, Laura's looks:

Meetings With Peres

• Today Bush will meet with Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres in Washington, BBCNews.com reports.
• Peres met with Secretary of State Colin Powell in Washington Wednesday, Reuters reports. During an interview after the meeting, Peres said Israel "wants the United States to arrange an Israeli-Palestinian cease-fire as a step toward negotiations in which Washington would take a back seat."

• On Wednesday Bush appointed a special commission to study Social Security, the Boston Globe reports. The commission will look at ways to let "Americans invest some of their Social Security taxes in the stock market."
• Democrats said the commission is "stacked in favor of... a risky and irresponsible plan that could put retirees' money at risk," USA Today reports.

• USA Today reports that the Senate will take up legislation today that "would establish a system of national aptitude tests in reading and math for public-school students in grades three through eight."
• On Wednesday the House Education and the Workforce Committee "slashed vouchers" from the House's education bill, Gannett News Service reports.
• Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., plans to offer an "amendment to ban gambling on amateur sports during next week's education debate," Roll Call reports.

• "An embarrassed Defense Department Wednesday reversed an order issued by Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld's office which had mistakenly suspended American military ties with China," CBSNews.com reports.
• Taiwanese President Chen Shui-bian "plans to make high-profile stops in New York and Houston" later this month, USA Today reports. During an interview Wednesday, he "criticized what he sees as China's belligerent behavior, including its decision to hold the crippled U.S. surveillance plane and to detain its crew for 11 days after a midair collision April 1 over the South China Sea."
• "Chinese hackers have threatened to increase their attacks on U.S. Web sites on Chinese Youth Day" tomorrow, UPI reports.

• On Wednesday Senate Democrats "made clear that President Bush's plans for an expansive missile defense system could well become a defining point of contention between the two parties," the New York Times reports.
• Some "world leaders voiced fears Wednesday that the U.S. plan for National Missile Defense will fuel a renewed global arms race," the Wall Street Journal reports.
• Meanwhile, India "welcomed" Bush's plans for "the unilateral reduction of American nuclear forces" and missile defense, UPI reports. It was "an unprecedented convergence of views" between the United States and India.

• Senate Minority Leader Thomas A. Daschle, D-S.D., said Wednesday that "Democrats will block judicial nominations by President Bush unless they have the backing of both senators from a nominee's home state," the Washington Post reports.
• Meanwhile, "after eight years of blocking nominations to the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals," Sen. Jesse Helms, R-N.C., "now says he's ready to back a nomination made by President Bush," AP reports.

• On Wednesday the House International Relations Committee approved an amendment "that overturns President Bush's order restricting foreign aid to groups that offer abortion counseling or services," National Journal News Service reports.
• "The House overwhelmingly approved a bill Wednesday that would permit Americans to put more money each year into individual retirement accounts and 401(k) plans," USA Today reports.
• House Majority Leader Dick Armey, R-Texas, said Wednesday that he wants Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson to re-work new medical privacy records that he believes "give the federal government unfettered access to personal records," AP reports.
• Next week the Senate will hold hearings "to explore defense against potential terrorist attacks on U.S. soil," Reuters reports.

• During a speech at a Massachusetts temple Wednesday, former Polish president Lech Walesa said "that only the elimination of national borders will wipe out economic disparities such as those that exist between Mexico and the United States," the Boston Globe reports.
• "North Korea reacted angrily Thursday to Washington's designation of the communist country as a terrorist-sponsoring state," UPI reports.

• On Thursday British Prime Minister Tony Blair is expected to announce that "the battle against foot-and-mouth is nearly over," BBCNews.com reports.
• "A magnitude-4.6 earthquake shook El Salvador" on Wednesday, but "no major damage or injuries were reported," AP reports.

• William W. Scranton (R), who ran for governor of Pennsylvania 15 years ago, is considering trying again in 2002. "He is traveling across the state to gauge support for a possible campaign," the Philadelphia Inquirer reports.
• New York gubernatorial candidate Andrew Cuomo (D) accused Gov. George Pataki (R) "of violating state law by using state-owned aircraft to attend campaign fund-raisers and by airing state-funded TV and radio spots to boost his standing with the voters," the New York Post reports. Cuomo is threatening to sue the governor.
• New Jersey's "powerful and politically active state laborers union" yesterday threw its support behind Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jim McGreevey. In 1997, the group supported former Gov. Christie Whitman (R), the Newark Star-Ledger reports.
• Massachusetts attorney Ralph C. Martin II (R) "yesterday ruled out a challenge to acting Gov. Jane Swift [R] and said he would consider an offer to be Swift's running mate," the Boston Herald reports.
• Massachusetts Treasurer Shannon O'Brien (D) and Secretary of State William Galvin (D) "expressed doubts yesterday with the Clean Elections check-off compromise approved by the House on Tuesday, suggesting they may resort to traditional fund-raising" in their respective gubernatorial bids, the Boston Herald reports.

• "With a little less than two weeks left until" Pennsylvania's 8th District special election, "both national and state Democrats are increasing their efforts on behalf of their long-shot nominee, Centre County Commissioner Scott Conklin." Also, "the Pennsylvania Republican State Committee began airing 'issue ads' earlier this week that attack" Conklin, Roll Call reports.
• The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee will hold a fundraiser in Washington today for Virginia state Sen. Louise Lucas (D), who is the likely candidate in Virginia' 4th District special election, Roll Call reports.
• Bo Derek's (R) "escort" in Washington last weekend, Rep. Mark Foley, R-Fla., "suggested that she might be planning a challenge" to Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., in 2004, Roll Call's "Heard on the Hill" reports. "Derek, however, demurred on the possibility of a Senate run."

• Bush plans to announce today an order to "all federal facilities in California to keep thermostats at 78 degrees and shut down escalators during electricity shortages this summer," the New York Times reports.
• AP reports that Bush is sending Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham "to California to underscore his concern about the issue."
• Republican governors, including John Rowland of Connecticut and Jim Geringer of Wyoming, "descended on Los Angeles on Wednesday to raise funds and take a few shots at Gov. Gray Davis' [D] handling of the power crisis," the Los Angeles Daily News reports.
• In what is being called "the most ambitious development plan in the history of the power business," Calpine Corp., "the surging San Jose-based power generator, will" expand its plant, the Sacramento Bee reports.

• Florida legislators "reached a compromise" Wednesday in which "punchcard ballots would be outlawed and counties would be given money to replace them with optical scanners in time for the 2002 primary election," AP reports. The Miami Herald reports that Gov. Jeb Bush (R), "who sought the reforms, will sign the bill" before the session ends Friday.
• "The New Hampshire Supreme Court plans to rule today on the constitutionality of the state property tax," AP reports.

• Former Vice President Al Gore told his Columbia journalism class yesterday that "he's uncertain about his political future," but he did promise to "re-enter the public arena and fight for the causes that are dear to" him, the New York Post reports.
• Mike Matthews, "a top political strategist for former presidential candidate" Gore, has been tapped to head the DCCC, Roll Call reports.
• First lady Laura Bush has been named one of the world's 50 most beautiful people, "becoming the first wife of an American president to win a place on People magazine's coveted annual list," Reuters reports.
• Former Rep. Rick Lazio, R-N.Y., "has been named president and chief executive officer of the Financial Services Forum, a public-policy group made up of the CEOs of 21 top financial-services companies," the New York Post reports.