Augusta Chronicle, The

New Office in Session Board of Education's Headquarters to Debut

Residents accustomed to standing at crowded school board meetings in Richmond County can finally rest their feet. The new boardroom will open Wednesday inside the $11 million central office headquarters on Broad Street, featuring 222 cushioned seats and state-of-the-art sound and lighting systems. The public will no longer have to cram into the Heckle Street offices, where the board held monthly meetings in a room the size of a two-car garage.

Today in History

1872 Fire destroyed nearly 1,000 buildings in Boston.

The World

Iran expected to signnuclear agreement VIENNA, AUSTRIA - Iran is expected to announce this week a full suspension of activities that can be used to make nuclear arms as part of a deal with European powers, diplomats said Monday.

Heart Pill Helps Black Patients

A two-drug combination pill dramatically reduced deaths among blacks with heart failure, a landmark finding that is expected to lead to government approval of the first medication marketed for a specific race. Heart failure affects 5 million Americans, but blacks are 2 1/2 times more likely to develop it. Earlier research suggested that standard heart failure drugs do not work as well in blacks, and that blacks may have lower amounts of nitric oxide, which plays many roles in heart healt...

In the Spotlight

Letterman appears on morning show NEW YORK - David Letterman cracked a few jokes, showed some baby pictures and, yes, was a little cranky about going on television so early in the morning.

The Nation

Senators compromiseon intelligence bill WASHINGTON - Senators on Monday gave in to several House demands on compromise legislation dealing with the Sept. 11 commission's anti-terrorism recommendations, including keeping the intelligence budget secret, increasing border security forces and banning aliens who have been trained by terrorist groups.

Troops Launch Ground Attack

U.S. troops backed by thunderous air and artillery barrages launched a ground offensive Monday to seize key insurgent strongholds inside Fallujah, the city that became Iraq's major sanctuary for Islamic extremists who fought Marines to a standstill last April. Two Marines were killed when their bulldozer flipped over into the Euphrates River near Fallujah, and a military spokesman estimated 42 insurgents were killed across the city in bombardment and skirmishes before the main assault began.

Leader Wants Arena Panel

The curtain might have closed on a sports and entertainment arena in Augusta, but that might not stop a vote on whether the show should go on in Columbia County. Ron Cross, the chairman of the Columbia County Board of Commissioners, said Monday he hopes to form a committee to determine the feasibility of such a facility.

Families Urged to Discuss Health

WASHINGTON - Medical officials are urging families to talk not just turkey this Thanksgiving but also medical history - generations of it - to help identify the risk of breast cancer or heart problems early enough to prevent them. "Knowing your family's history can save your life," Surgeon General Richard H. Carmona said.

Drink Up Glass of Casserole This Year

SEATTLE - Jones Soda Co. takes the idea of a liquid diet to a new low. How does Green Bean Casserole Soda strike you? And how about an aggressively buttery-smelling Mashed Potato Soda? Even the creators of the fizzy concoctions at the small Seattle soda company can hardly stomach the stuff. But last year's unexpected success of the Turkey & Gravy Soda means another round of bizarre food-flavored soft drinks.

Today in History

1872 Fire destroyed nearly 1,000 buildings in Boston.

Driver for Bin Laden Will Get Pow Hearing

A U.S. federal court ruled Monday that Osama bin Laden's driver was entitled to a legal hearing on whether he is a prisoner of war - a landmark opinion that could prevent military trials of alleged enemy combatants held at Guantanamo Bay. The government said it would immediately seek a stay of that ruling and file an appeal.

Crowd Guards Home of Leader

ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast -Thousands of government loyalists massed outside the home of Ivory Coast's president Monday, facing off against French armored vehicles in response to urgent appeals for a "human shield" around the hard-line leader, amid fears of an overthrow. French and Ivory Coast military leaders, appearing together on state television, appealed for calm after three days of violent protests the Red Cross said had wounded more than 500 people. Two hospitals reported five dead and 2...

Program Reduces Generic Drug Fee

WASHINGTON - St. Louis-based Express Scripts Inc., facing scrutiny of its generic drug prices, is offering discounts on dozens of generic medicines to low-income Americans. The program includes prescription drugs for arthritis, asthma, cancer, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, depression and heartburn. It is open to people who earn no more than $23,000 a year, or $47,000 for a family of four, regardless of age or insurance coverage.

Liberals Mobilize Claim On `Values'

NEW YORK- Family values, traditional values and now, "moral values." Most American adults would say they have them, and yet that two-word phrase is the focus of an ideological tug-of-war heightened by President Bush's re-election, with conservatives declaring principal ownership and liberals scrambling to challenge them. "We need to work really hard at reclaiming some language," said the Rev. Robert Edgar, the general secretary of the liberal-leaning National Council of Churches. "You can't ...

Doctors Might Keep Arafat Deputies Out

CLAMART, France - Palestinian leaders rushed to Paris on Monday to check on the critically ill Yasser Arafat, but hospital officials said visiting rights were restricted - setting the stage for a dramatic showdown between the delegation and Mr. Arafat's wife. Early Monday, Suha Arafat accused the leadership - including top lieutenants Ahmed Qureia and Mahmoud Abbas - of coming to the French capital with the sole intention of usurping her husband's role as head of the Palestinian Authority.

President Keeps Staff Chief to Mold New Cabinet

WASHINGTON - Beginning to put his team in place for his second term, President Bush decided to keep Andy Card as White House chief of staff, retaining an unflappable veteran of the Reagan and first Bush presidencies. Mr. Card's first assignment: Help the president reshape the administration for the term that begins in January, sorting through possible personnel changes in the Cabinet and elsewhere.