The state department criticized the United Arab Emirates today over human rights. An annual report said the UAE used floggings as punishment for adultery and drug abuse. It also criticized Egypt and Saudi Arabia over torture and lack of religious freedom. And it said Iraq is plagued by extreme violence and corruption.President Bush pressed congress today to make good on promised aid for the Gulf Coast. He went to New Orleans’ hard-hit Lower 9th Ward, and he urged approval of 4.2 billion dollars for Louisiana alone to fix levees and replace homes. In Washington, the head of the army corps of engineers discussed levee repairs at a Senate hearing. Lieutenant general Carl Strock denied the corps is cutting corners.
Federal agents in Alabama arrested three men today in a string of (a series of) church fires last month. All were college students in Birmingham. They were charged with church arson. On February 3rd, five churches were set afire south of Birmingham. Four days later, four more churches were burned in west Alabama. In Tuscaloosa today, investigators said it appeared to be a case of thrill seeking. "In the complaint, you'll see that they said that after they lit the first two fires in Bibb County, that it became too spontaneous. After they saw the fire trucks and the lights, it became very spontaneous. That’s in the complaint. That’s indicative of an excitement thrill motive. All of the churches were Baptist’s. Some of the congregations were mostly black, others mostly white".
Photographer and film director Gordon Parks died Tuesday at his home in New York City. He was the first black American to work as a photojournalist for Life magazine starting in 1948. Twenty years later, he moved into movies with “The Learning Tree.” That was followed by the crime thriller “Shaft” in 1971.
