National and State News-Friday, June 1st

DENVER (AP) - The man at the heart of the tuberculosis scare says he feels awful about the anxiety he's caused. Andrew Speaker has told A-B-C's "Good Morning America" that he was told he wasn't contagious or a threat to anyone.

MIAMI (AP) - A lot of fingers are crossing today along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts as the hurricane season officially begins. Despite warnings that it could be "very active," a poll shows
many people along the coasts still have no hurricane survival plan.

MADRID, Spain (AP) - Iran is offering long-desired information about its nuclear program in what's seen as an effort to avoid new U-N sanctions. It's considered a major concession, but falls short of demands that Tehran drop its uranium enrichment program.

SINGAPORE (AP) - Defense Secretary Robert Gates will use a trip to Singapore to assure allies and warn potential foes that America is still committed to Asia. He is taking part in an Asia-Pacific security conference with one of America's top admirals.

ROMANCE, Ark. (AP) - An 18-month-old boy in Romance, Arkansas, was killed when he apparently climbed into a dishwasher designed to run automatically when the door is closed. He was found by his brother, who noticed the boy's blanket in front of the dishwasher.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - Governor Ed Rendell is off on a European trip to promote Pennsylvania trade. His first stop yesterday was in Madrid, Spain. He's also planning to visit the United Kingdom before returning to Pennsylvania on Tuesday. Pennsylvania Environmental Protection Secretary Kathleen McGinty is with Rendell in Spain.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - Governor Ed Rendell says he's appealing rulings that bar two Cabinet secretaries from approving future state grants to groups that employ their spouses. Rendell calls the State Ethics Commission rulings "inappropriately broad." He says they are impeding the ability of other state agencies to conduct business.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - State officials say revenue collections are ahead of expectations at 409 (m) million dollars through the end of May. Higher-than-expected personal income tax payments are part of the reason. Figures released yesterday show year-to-date collections for the general fund total roughly 25 (b) billion dollars. That's about two percent higher than expected.

ALLENTOWN, Pa. (AP) - Allentown Mayor Ed Pawlowski is taking responsibility for the collision of two police cruisers that killed a four-year-old boy. The mayor apologized yesterday and said the city will pay the funeral expenses of the family of Daviay Legrand. The crash also shattered both legs of Daviay's mother's the boyfriend.

DETROIT (AP) - A self-described scam artist who testified in a terrorism case that eventually fell apart is no longer in Pennsylvania's Allenwood federal prison. Officials say Youssef
Hmimssa is being held at an undisclosed location, pending proceedings that could result in deportation to his native Morocco.

ERIE, Pa. (AP) - Erie city and county authorities are investigating the death of a 10-year-old girl found in a bathtub last night. County Coroner Lyell Cook says he was called to meet
with police and District Attorney Brad Foulk but, so far, authorities aren't saying how the girl died or even releasing her name.

RENOVO, Pa. (AP) - Two people are confirmed dead in a fire that swept through their home in Renovo, and investigators are saying the cause of the fire is "suspicious." The Clinton County Coroner has yet to identify the victims, said to be a man and a woman. The home was engulfed in flames when fire crews arrived on the scene around 2:30 Thursday morning.

HOUSTON, Pa. (AP) - Western Pennsylvania's newest casino could use a little luck. Earlier this week, the company that owns the temporary slots casino at The Meadows harness racing track in Washington County said they are not ready to open as scheduled on Tuesday. And now, they're busy cleaning up a small fire that broke out last night.

FRIEDENS, Pa. (AP) - The National Transportation Safety Board says engine and fuel flow problems caused an airplane to stall and crash, killing both men aboard, at Somerset County Airport last year. Fifty-three-year-old pilot David Hickman and 59-year-old Richard Reitz, both of Saint Petersburg, Florida, died in the May 2006 crash.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - A new federal report shows the number of people sickened by salmonella-tainted peanut butter has now topped 600. A report in March put the number at 425. Now, it's 628, in 47 states. Only Hawaii, New Hampshire and Utah have reported no illnesses.