Medicare reversal...Phone company protection...Free gas lottery drawing

CAPITOL HILL (AP) A bill that would eliminate a 10.6 percent pay cut for doctors treating Medicare patients has cleared Congress. It's passed the Senate with a veto-proof margin thanks partly to a vote from Senator Ted Kennedy, who's under cancer treatment. President Bush's advisers say they'll recommend he veto the bill.

CAPITOL HILL (AP) President Bush has gotten the bill he wants to protect telecommunications companies from lawsuits for helping the government spy without warrants after 9/11. The bill has passed the Senate after clearing the House last month. The ACLU says 46 lawsuits stand to be dismissed once the bill is signed.

CHICAGO (AP) The Reverend Jesse Jackson says he's called Barack Obama's campaign to apologize for a crude comment. Jackson made it while talking to a reporter in what he thought was a private conversation. Jackson was criticizing Obama for in Jackson's words "speaking down to black people."


Washington(AP) House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is pushing President Bush to tap the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to help reduce gasoline prices. Pelosi says each time that's been tried, it's worked. The administration says the reserve is only for a disruption of oil supplies.

MIAMI (AP) It's a prize Florida lottery officials hope will draw interest gas. In additional to cash, the "Summer Cash" drawing will allow some winners to win free gas for life, or $52,000 in cash if they prefer.

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.) APNP 07-09-08 1855CDT | save this article / add to your favorites list