Tons of World War II Mustard Gas...

Tons of World War II Mustard Gas Destroyed

More than 1,600 tons of stockpiled mustard agent from World War II have been destroyed to meet the terms of a chemical weapons treaty, an Army spokesman said. The mustard agent, which can blister the eyes, skin and lungs, was the last batch stored at the Aberdeen Proving Ground 35 miles northeast of Baltimore, said Jeff Lindblad, a spokesman for the chemical disposal facility at the Army base.

Maryland Senator Won’t Run for Reelection

Democratic Sen. Paul S. Sarbanes, a champion of liberal politics and Maryland’s longest serving senator, announced he would not run for reelection in 2006.

“I have reached the decision that I shall not be a candidate,” said Sarbanes, 72, first elected to the Senate in 1976. “With 22 months of my term still before us, my staff and I will work hard to continue to serve all Marylanders to the very best of our abilities and to oppose the tragic and misguided policies of this administration, especially the current radical attempt to undermine the Social Security system.”

Two Sentenced in Theft of Buried Treasure

A former stripper and her lover were sentenced in Las Vegas to one to five years for stealing a fortune in silver, ending a tale involving buried treasure and the mysterious death of a casino heir.

Sandra Murphy, 33, and Rick Tabish, 39, were acquitted in November of charges they murdered Ted Binion, son of legendary casino owner Benny Binion. Ted Binion, 55, was found dead at his home in 1998. They were found guilty of conspiracy, burglary and grand larceny relating to the theft of about $7 million in silver that Binion had buried in the Nevada desert.

Rehnquist to Preside Over Judges’ Meeting

Ailing Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist is expected to preside over a semiannual meeting of high-level federal judges, the Supreme Court said.

Rehnquist, 80, has not been on the bench since disclosing in October that he was being treated for thyroid cancer. He has been reading transcripts of the arguments and voting on cases.

Ex-New York Detectives Held in Mafia Slayings

Two former New York detectives accused of carrying out Mafia executions and supplying mob bosses with the names of informants were ordered held without bail in Las Vegas pending transfer to New York for trial.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Lawrence R. Leavitt said Louis Eppolito and his former partner, Stephen Caracappa, would pose a serious threat if granted bail.

FDA Warns AstraZeneca About Misleading Ads

AstraZeneca has received its second warning in four months from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration over what the agency says are misleading claims in its ads for cholesterol-lowering medicine Crestor, the company said in New York.

The latest letter said claims that Crestor lowers cholesterol better than Pfizer Inc.’s Lipitor were misleading because it cherry picked results from a study comparing the two medicines.

Personal Data Stolen from DMV Office

Personal information from more than 8,900 people was stolen when thieves broke into a Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles office in North Las Vegas, officials said.

A computer taken contained names, ages, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, photographs and signatures of southern Nevada residents who obtained driver’s licenses between Nov. 25 and March 4.