Ill. set to toughen mine safety standards

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. - Illinois coal mines would have new safetystandards under a bill Gov. Rod Blagojevich intends to sign into law.

The Senate on Wednesday approved the measure 57-1, and the Houseoverwhelmingly supported the proposal Tuesday.

The action comes in response to the Sago Mine disaster in WestVirginia that killed 12 miners in early January.

The bill's House sponsor, Rep. Dan Reitz, said the disaster servedas "a wake-up call" for legislators.

The measure would require mine operators to build rescue …

US Seeks Mideast Deal Next Year

The United States will try to close an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal before President Bush's term expires, giving the administration a little over a year to help the two sides craft a resolution to one of the world's longest and most intractable conflicts.

But Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice warned Wednesday that the task will be difficult and fraught with entrenched positions on both sides that have led to the failure of all previous attempts.

"The parties have said they are going to make efforts to conclude it in this president's term, and it's no secret that means about a year," Rice said. "That's what we'll try and do. Nobody can …

Braithwaite, Nicholas (Paul Dallon)

Braithwaite, Nicholas (Paul Dallon) English conductor, son of (Henry) Warwick Braithwaite; b. London, Aug. 26, 1939. He studied at the Royal Academy of Music in London, at the Bayreuth Festival master classes, and with Swarowsky in Vienna. He was assoc. conductor of the Bournemouth Sym. Orch. (1967–70), assoc. principal conductor of the Sadler's Wells Opera in London (1970–74), and music director of the Glyndebourne Touring …

Dr. Jekyll, Mr. Hide

To diddle an old saying: You can't judge a gay author - or his book - by the cover.

Case in point: Groundbreaking 1 95 1 sociological expose, "The Homosexual in America.55 Gay nom de plume: Donald Webster Cory. Real name: Edward Sagarin. Outed dramatically 24 closeted years later. (A gay Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hide, er, Hyde.)

Cory's "Homosexual55 followed three years after Alfred Kinsey 5S shelf- shocker, "Sexual Response in the Human Male.55 Both books provided in-your-face facts, focus, insights on a previously little discussed - statistically undocumented subject - homosexuality.

Kinsey, a biologist and authority on Gall Wasps, turned his scientific cataloging to …

Huckabee in Market for Chief Fundraiser

WASHINGTON - Wanted: A top-notch, slow-talking fundraiser willing to move to Arkansas.

Former Gov. Mike Huckabee on Friday blamed campaign finance laws and a failing within his own campaign for his poor fundraising record. He hopes to fix things by recruiting a national finance chairman who fits the aforementioned description.

"I don't want some fast-talking, slick guy. I want somebody who believes in me," Huckabee said, before joking: "That's the hard part: finding somebody who believes in me."

Huckabee raised about $1 million this summer for his GOP presidential campaign, one-tenth the total of front-running rivals Mitt Romney and Rudy Giuliani, and one-fifth …

GM says bondholder offer fails; bankruptcy likely

A General Motors Corp. bankruptcy filing seemed inevitable after a rebellion by its bondholders forced it to withdraw on Wednesday a plan to swap bond debt for company stock.

GM has until Monday to complete a government-ordered restructuring that includes debt reduction, labor cost cuts and plant closures. But a Chapter 11 reorganization is likely after the company said its offer to exchange $27 billion in unsecured debt for 10 percent of the company's stock had failed. GM has received $19.4 billion in federal loans.

The move came as crosstown rival Chrysler LLC headed to court Wednesday to ask bankruptcy judge for permission to sell the bulk of its assets to a …

SNEED

Rumorville

Sneed hears the feds are zeroing in on a former Chicago aldermanfor allegedly selling contracts to the office of a former Cook Countysheriff. Stay tuned. The City Maul . . .

Sneed's dumber than a picnic box of rocks award goes to 6th WardAld. John Steele, who stopped by long enough at Wednesday's CityCouncil subcommittee hearing on cabdriver safety to proffer his mostimportant concern: his summer vacation. Opined Steele: "I thought we had the month of August off." Retorted Ald. Pat Huels, who was chairing the meeting: "I'm sorry Iinterrupted your summer recess picnic, but cabdrivers are beingkilled in Chicago." Gulp. Alive Jive . . .

The …