House Republicans urge leadership vote

The move illustrated that many House Republicans think their leaders need to do more to respond to the corruption scandal involving disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff if the party is going to keep its majority in November elections.

Under a petition from Rep. John Sweeney, R-N.Y., House Republicans would hold elections for five leadership posts, in addition to picking a successor to Tom DeLay, who permanently resigned his No. 2 post as majority leader Saturday.

No bomb on plane

after woman's claim

A woman scuffled with flight attendants and passengers on a United Express flight Wednesday and said a bomb was on board after the plane was diverted, authorities said.

No bomb was found on the aircraft, which left Eugene, Ore., for Denver but was diverted to Salt Lake City due to the disturbance, authorities said. The woman was charged with interference with a flight crew.

Bogdana Georgieva, 35, of Bulgaria threw a passenger into the aisle, yelled, tried to remove her shirt and threw items at other passengers, court documents said.

During landing, flight attendants stopped her as she ran toward the cockpit, documents said. Passengers subdued her. After the plane landed, she said there was a bomb on board, documents said.

Los Angeles

Schwarzenegger

won't be charged

California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's weekend motorcycle crash left him with a fat lip and a political black eye, but he won't be charged with a driving violation, officials said Wednesday.

Schwarzenegger was on his Harley-Davidson, with his 12-year-old son in a sidecar, when he collided Sunday with a car. Police said he was driving without a license, but the city attorney declined to file charges after reviewing the accident report.

The governor acknowledged he had driven a motorcycle for years without a proper license.

Washington

Former mayor mum

about drug report

District of Columbia Councilman and former Mayor Marion Barry is not talking about reports that he failed a court-ordered drug test in November.

The Washington Post reported that Barry, 69, tested positive for cocaine after an Oct. 28 guilty plea to misdemeanor tax charges.

But Barry refused to address the issue Wednesday as he was discharged from Howard University Hospital, where his doctors said he had been treated the past two days for diabetes and high blood pressure.

Also

Ten Commandments: Former Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore, fired in 2003 for refusing to remove a Ten Commandments monument from a state courthouse, officially entered the race for Alabama governor Wednesday.

Jet crash: The wreckage of a Navy jet that had carried four aviators was found Wednesday in northwest Georgia, the Civil Air Patrol said. No survivors were found. The jet disappeared after taking off Tuesday from Chattanooga, Tenn.

Compiled from The Associated Press, Los Angeles Times and Reuters