■ United States
Five widows back Kerry
Five outspoken Sept. 11 widows were scheduled to publicly endorse Senator John Kerry for president, throwing their weight behind the Democratic challenger in a heated campaign debate over who is best suited to defend the nation from another terrorist attack. Some, including Kristen Breitweiser, of Middletown, New Jersey, and Monica Gabrielle, of West Haven, Connecticut, also have agreed to make campaign appearances for Kerry, cam-paign sources said. "We will be speaking from the heart, and speaking from our conscience," Breitweiser said on Monday. She is by far the most visible and outspoken of the Sept. 11 family advocates, and has been highly critical of the government's reform efforts to date.
■ United States
Moussaoui may face death
The US government may pursue the death penalty for accused Sept. 11 conspirator Zacarias Moussaoui if he is convicted, a federal appeals court reaffirmed on Monday, clearing the way for his trial to proceed. The ruling by the US Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit in Richmond, Virginia, gave Moussaoui freedom to use in his defense statements by al-Qaeda captives gathered by means other than the face-to-face interviews he had sought. The court also rejected Moussaoui's appeal of its order barring him from interviewing people held by the US as enemy comba-tants. Moussaoui, 35, is the only person charged in the US in connection with the attacks.
■ United States
NRC downplays threat
The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission said it is unlikely significant amounts of radiation would be released in a deliberate crash of a jetliner into a nuclear power plant, but that engineering tests have not entirely ruled out the possibility of radioactive releases. The commission said studies on a limited number of nuclear power plants by federal research labs and agency staff showed that even if there were initial releases of radioactivity, plant operators would have time to take actions to reduce the impact on public health.
■ United States
Manure pit death trial opens
The deaths of two dairy workers who were asphyxi-ated by gases rising from a fetid stew of cow manure could have been prevented if their employer had given them the proper training and equipment, prosecutors said on Monday during opening statements in a case against farmer Patrick Faria. He has been charged with two counts of involuntary man-slaughter in connection with the 2001 deaths of Enrique Araisa and Jose Alatorre. Prosecutors said Faria failed to warn the employees of the pit's danger and to train them on how to enter.
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