News Briefs

Moore telecommutes to Portland
850 Michael Moore fans attended a live video conference with thedocumentary filmmaker in the Smith Memorial Student Union BallroomMonday night. The conference was broadcast live to 55,000 people in4600 “house parties” around the nation. Moore was on hand to answerquestions regarding his new film, Fahrenheit 9/11, a documentarycritical of the Bush administration, which is topping box officereturns. MoveOn PAC of Oregon, part organizer of the PSU event,reported that Portland’s event had the largest single turnout.

High court upholds block of Web pornlaw
WASHINGTON (AP) – The Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that a law meantto punish pornographers who peddle dirty pictures to Web-surfingkids is probably an unconstitutional muzzle on free speech. Thehigh court divided 5-to-4 over a law passed in 1998, signed bythen-President Clinton and now backed by the Bush administration.The majority said a lower court was correct to block the law fromtaking effect because it likely violates the First Amendment.

Army to call up retired, dischargedtroops
WASHINGTON (AP) – Digging deeper for additional personnel in Iraqand Afghanistan, the Army is preparing for an involuntary recall toactive duty of about 5,600 civilians who have either retired orwere discharged after previous service. Army officials said Tuesdaythe move would be the first sizable activation of the IndividualReady Reserve since the 1991 Gulf War. Several hundred people hadvoluntarily returned to service since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorattacks.

U.S. Forms Tribunal for 3 TerrorSuspects
GUANTANAMO BAY NAVAL BASE, Cuba (AP) _ The U.S. military has formeda five-member military tribunal to preside over the first trials ofterror suspects held at its naval base in Guantanamo Bay, officialssaid Tuesday. An Australian and two alleged bodyguards of Osama binladen will be the first defendants. The Pentagon announcement camea day after the Supreme Court ruled that prisoners at GuantanamoBay can appeal their detention to civilian courts.