National and State News-Tuesday, June 5th

PRAGUE, Czech Republic (AP) - President Bush is meeting with leaders in the Czech Republic to discuss a missile defense shield that's drawn criticism from Russia. Bush will later give a speech at an international conference on democracy in Prague.

BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan (AP) - Defense Secretary Robert Gates is trying to nudge the Iraqi government to move faster toward political reconciliation. Gates says the government has missed a deadline for passing a hydrocarbons law, just one of many political obstacles that need to be overcome.

BAGHDAD (AP) - Iraqi officials say a female would-be suicide bomber is dead after police opened fire on her in eastern Baghdad today. Police say the woman was heading to a recruiting center and blew up after she was shot. Female bombers have been rare in Iraq.

CAPITOL HILL (AP) - Democrats and Republicans are working behind the scenes to strike a compromise on an immigration bill so it will gain support from both parties. Democrats want family ties to play a bigger part in the green card application process, while Republicans are looking to toughen the legalization process for illegal immigrants. The Senate takes up amendments today.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - The anti-violence group Men United for a Better Philadelphia plans to hold a meeting today of current and former gang leaders. The group is trying to broker a
cease-fire for the city. Philadelphia had more than 406 homicides last year and is on
pace to have even more this year. Yesterday, the group held a march and rally through
West Philadelphia that was attended by Bill Cosby. The entertainer called on parents and community elders to step up to stop the wave of violence. Cosby says parental guidance can make young people think of non-violent ways to settle disputes.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - Republican lawmakers and others plan to gather today in the state Capitol to discuss a bill that aims to end teachers' strikes. Pennsylvania law allows public school teachers to strike, but limits the length of strikes so pupils will get at least 180 days of instruction by June 15th. Some other states forbid public school teachers from striking
altogether, treating them like firefighters and police officers. A typical arrangement is to force the two sides to submit to a decision by a neutral third party if they can't work things out at
the bargaining table.

PITTSBURGH (AP) - A married couple acknowledges operating a chop shop where they sold parts from Harley-Davidson motorcycles they had stolen for more than a decade. Federal prosecutors say 60-year-old David Gebert and his wife, 59-year-old Linda Gebert of West Mifflin also pleaded guilty yesterday to money laundering and will have to pay 350-thousand dollars in restitution. Prosecutors say the Geberts ran Dee Gee Motors, also known as
Cash Auto, in Sarver, Butler County, as a chop shop for stolen vehicles. Prosecutors say that between 1991 and 2003, the Geberts stole at least 18 Harley-Davidson motorcycles at rallies in Florida, Georgia and South Dakota, and brought them to western Pennsylvania. David Gebert was transferred to Pittsburgh from a jail in South Dakota, where he was serving a 20-year sentence for grand theft. Sentencing for David and Linda Gebert is scheduled August 30th.

PITTSBURGH (AP) - The matriarch of T-V's "The Partridge Family" has been honored by the Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera for her lifetime contribution to musical theater. Film, stage and T-V actress Shirley Jones was presented the Richard Rodgers Award for Excellence in Musical Theater on Saturday. Previous recipients include actresses Mary Martin, Julie Andrews
and Bernadette Peters, and composers Stephen Sondheim and Andrew Lloyd Webber.
Jones, who was born in Charleroi, will appear this month as Aunt Eller in the Pittsburgh C-L-O production of "Oklahoma!" In the 1955 movie of the Rodgers and Hammerstein stage musical, Jones played Laurey Williams, a role that made her famous.

MANCHESTER, N.H. (AP) - Ten Republican presidential hopefuls debate tonight in New Hampshire, on the same stage where eight Democrats faced off two nights ago. The key issue is likely to be immigration.