AP Network News. I’m John Belmont.
The uncomfortable spotlight of the expanding doping investigation now shines on an Olympian. Let’s get the story live from sports correspondent Jim Bell.
--- John, it was IOC president Jacques Rogge who today ordered an investigation into allegations by BALCO founder Victor Conte that he supplied Marion Jones with performance enhancing substances before and after her five-medal showing at the 2000 Sidney Olympics. Now Rogge’s a staunch advocate of a zero tolerance policy on doping and says his organization’s taking Conte’s allegations, made on last week’s 20/20 TV program, very seriously, will dig hard to find the truth. And Jones once again finds herself in the position of having to deny allegations. She’s threatening to sue Conte for defamation.
More flu vaccine is on the way. The government says more than a million doses should be here from a German company this month. The company hasn’t been licensed to sell the vaccine in the US just yet, but officials say the shots are safe and are being used elsewhere. The bottom line from health secretary Tommy Thompson.
--- The FDA estimates there will be enough medicine to treat tens of millions of people through the heart of the flu season.
The buzz in the music world is centered on the late Ray Charles.
--- He’s back in town …
And producer and rapper Kanye West. Charles is up for record of the year for “Here we go again” with Nora Jones, and Kanye West has nabbed 10 Grammy nominations for his debut album, “The College Dropout.” Usher and Alicia Keyes each receiving eight nominations.
One of the most closely watched bills in years and lawmakers on Capitol Hill say a House vote on intelligence reform could be just hours away. Michigan congressman Peter Hoekstra says the bill will update the nation’s intel operations.
--- We are going to create a more aggressive, a more vibrant and a more organized intelligence community.
Both Democrats and Republicans say this bill should be on the president’s desk soon.
This is AP Network News.
This is not what you want to hear just before Christmas. A new report says employers announced plans for more than 100k more job cuts again last month.
--- Over a 100,000 cuts were announced. Now that’s three consecutive months. We haven’t seen that since January to April of 2002. There are 104,530 job cuts announced in the month of November.
Even so, John Challenger, CEO of the outplacement firm Challenger, Gray and Christmas, says we’re running 19% behind last year on job cuts.
When it comes to reducing pollution, environmentalists say Japanese automakers fair best. The Union of Concerned Scientists says Honda vehicles produced less than half the pollution of the industry average last year. General Motors gets the lowest ranking, with a fleet that produced a third more pollution than average. Nissan ranked second in this, and Toyota came in third.