US & World News, Wednesday 5/09

US & World Summary: California Firefighters Hope To Control Griffith Park Blaze (Los Angeles, CA) -- There have been about 200 mandatory evacuations in Los Angeles because of the Griffith Park fire. So far, the blaze has burned over 600 acres and is being fought by 500 firefighters. Helicopters have been dropping water on the flames that spent yesterday racing up the steep inclines to the top of the ridges in the famed park. The fire is south of the LA Zoo and near the Griffith Park Observatory. Fire is also a problem in Florida, where more than 200 wildfires are burning. More than 40-thousand acres have been scorched in the Sunshine State. --- President Bush Set To Visit Devastated Kansas Town (Washington, DC) -- After entertaining British royalty yesterday, President Bush heads to Kansas today to see first hand the tornado damage in Greensburg. The Administration is coming under some criticism over National Guard resources that are available in Kansas, since many of them are serving in Iraq. White House spokesman Tony Snow yesterday brushed off those concerns and said FEMA and other federal government agencies responded very quickly to the Greensburg disaster. Snow called National Guard deployments to Iraq a "separate issue." --- Six People Charged With Plot To Kill U.S. Soldiers (Fort Dix, NJ) -- Six people, including three living in the country illegally, have been arrested in a plot to kill U.S. soldiers. The arrests happened Monday night in New Jersey when two of the suspected terrorists allegedly met a secret government informant to buy machine guns. Authorities say the group planned to attack Jerseys Fort Dix with assault rifles and rocket-propelled grenades. Some of the suspects were also plotting attacks on military bases in Delaware and Philadelphia. --- VP Cheney Visits Baghdad, New Poll Out Regarding Iraq (Baghdad) -- Vice President Dick Cheney is in Iraq on an unannounced visit. According to a U.S. embassy officer, Cheney is scheduled to meet with senior Iraqi officials and General David Petraeus, the U.S. military commander in Iraq. Meanwhile, a new poll says 60-percent of Americans support setting a timetable to withdraw U.S. forces from the war-torn country. Cheney will be touring the Middle East as a follow-up to last weeks conference in Egypt on Iraq. The "USA Today"/Gallup Poll also said most Americans expect another terror attack on U.S. soil. --- Tennessee Executes Convicted Cop Killer (Nashville, TN) -- A convicted cop killer has been executed in Tennessee. Philip Ray Workman spent nearly 25 years on death row after his conviction for fatally shooting Memphis Police Lieutenant Ronald Oliver in 1981. Eyewitnesses say Workman initially appeared to be calm, but then became nervous before being put to death. He offered a prayer when asked if he would like to make a final statement. It was just the third execution in Tennessee since 1960 and took just 17 minutes. --- Starbucks To Cut Off Trans Fats From Its Stores (Seattle, WA) -- Starbucks is the latest company to cut trans fats from its stores. The Seattle-based company says it plans to stop using products that contain the ingredient at all its stores in the U.S., Alaska, and Canada by the end of the year. Health experts say artificial trans fats, such as partially hydrogenated oils, are more harmful than any other type of fat. Starbucks is also working to remove the additive from products marketed outside of North America. --- Disney Site Could Be Music To Parents Ears Disney is getting into the online music business. Thats according to "USA Today," which says the company is launching an online store to market singles, albums and music videos for kids. The service, known as "Disney Mix Central," will initially offer about 15-hundred songs and 19 music videos from Disney stars like Hannah Montana and The Cheetah Girls. Pricing will be similar to iTunes music downloads, with singles selling for 99-cents, music videos for 1-99 and albums for 9-99. (Copyright 2007 by Newsroom Solutions/Regional News Service) RNS-05-09-07 0841CDT