The soft-spoken Miers has described herself as a "Texan through and through." White House deputy chief of staff Karl Rove said she can be "tough as nails." Bush once called her "a pit bull in size 6 shoes."

She was Bush‘s personal lawyer in Texas, took on the thankless job of cleaning up the Texas Lottery when he was governor, and followed him to Washington to serve as staff secretary until Bush appointed her White House counsel, succeeding Alberto Gonzales when he was named attorney general.

Miers withdrew her nomination after intense scrutiny by lawmakers and observers wary of her lack of judicial experience.

Causey's plea deal came just days before the scheduled trial of fellow ex-Enron executives Kenneth Lay and Jeffrey Skilling, who were both later convicted of conspiracy and fraud. Lay's conviction was vacated after he died before sentencing and Skilling began serving his 24-year sentence last month. Former Enron CFO Andrew Fastow was sentenced to six years in prison in September 2006 for his role in the accounting fraud.

An Egyptian man holds a photograph of Iraq's late president Saddam Hussein during a condolence service held at the local lawyers syndicate in Cairo, 3 Jan 2007
An adviser to Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki said Wednesday that an individual has been detained and is under investigation for having made the video of Saddam's execution.

The identity of the person detained has not been released.

The film had poor audio and grainy pictures, but clearly showed the former Iraqi strongman at the gallows and then in some Internet versions, falling through the trap door and hanging to death.

In the accompanying audio, persons in the room could clearly be heard shouting taunts at Saddam in his last moments, telling him to "go to hell" and chanting the names of two Shi'ite rivals of Saddam. The former dictator shouted back at them, "Is this how you show your bravery as men?" and told them to "go to hell."

The Iraqi government announced Tuesday that it was launching an investigation into the matter. Only about 17 people were present in the execution chamber.

Munqith al-Faroon, one of the prosecutors in the trial that sent Saddam to the gallows, was a witness at Saturday's execution. He told an Arabic-language television channel that only two officials had camera phones in the room and that he knows who they are but would not name them to the press.

In earlier media reports, al-Faroon allegedly accused Iraqi National Security Adviser Mouffac al-Rubaie of being one of two people who used a mobile phone to videotape the execution. Al-Faroon later denied those reports.

The video has further inflamed sectarian tensions between Iraq's Shi'ite and Sunni Arabs. Sunnis in Iraq and Jordan have staged demonstrations since the execution, saying it was purely an act of Shi'ite revenge, and the Shi'ite-led government has come under criticism from other Islamic nations for carrying out the hanging on the morning of a major Muslim religious holiday, Eid al-Adha.

An Iraqi special tribunal condemned Saddam to death on November 5 for his role in ordering the executions of 148 Shi'ites from the town of Dujail after a failed assassination attempt against him there in 1982.

Meanwhile, there are media reports that two of Saddam's lieutenants who helped carry out the Dujail executions will be hanged soon, possibly as early as Thursday: his half brother, Barzan Ibrahim al-Tikriti, who was head of intelligence in 1982, and Bawad al-Bandar, the chief Judge of the Revolutionary Court that handed down the Dujail death sentences.

The Iraqi court that upheld the death sentences said they must be carried out by January 27. On the day of Saddam's execution, National Security Adviser al-Rubaie said al-Tikriti and al-Bandar's sentences would be carried out after the Muslim holiday, but did not specify when. Al-Rubaie said the government wanted to execute the former dictator alone, to make it a "special day" for Saddam.

Some brewers, especially small ones, already offer tastings at their own facilities, as does Anheuser-Busch at its Fairfield plant. But previously, companies couldn’t offer free samples outside their own tasting rooms.

The new law allows beer tastings at bars and restaurants. It limits the amount to no more than 8 ounces per person a day and requires the beer to be served in a glass. Tastings cannot last more than an hour and there are also annual limits on the number of tastings a single manufacturer, importer or wholesaler can offer at a particular establishment.

In addition, U.S. district courts will be closed today, as will the offices of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. All appointments and interviews originally scheduled for USCIS will be rescheduled. The New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq will also be closed today.

Ford, whose presidency in the 1970s was defined by his controversial pardon of former President Richard Nixon, died Dec. 26 at age 93. President Bush has declared today a national day of mourning. All flags should be flown at half-staff.

A memorial service is scheduled for today at the National Cathedral in Washington.

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In an environmental initiative, California will force coal-burning plants selling power in the state to install eco-friendlier technology. In Illinois, music groups that misrepresent themselves as the original artists will face fines of up to $50,000. The new law requires live acts to make it clear in their advertising that they are a salute or a tribute band, rather than the real thing.

Dealing with imigration issues on its own, South Carolina will require nurses from other countries to have English-language proficiency to practice in the state. Illinois has delved into the area of eminent domain by requiring local governments to pay more and meet a higher legal threshold before seizing private property. North Carolina and Pennsylvania have set stricter campaign finance rules.

Alaska and South Carolina have passed legislation aimed at preventing harassment in schools. Alaska will provide training to help school systems prevent bullying, while South Carolina will require school districts to adopt policies banning harrassment and intimidation.

Wisconsin seeks to protect the rights of the wrongfully convicted by passing a law requiring law-enforcement agencies to record all interrogations of felony suspects, with either video or audio.

Alabama and West Virginia cut taxes on its poorest wage earners, while North Carolina lowered taxes on those in its highest tax bracket. New York and Oklahoma eliminated the marriage penalty that imposed higher taxes on married couples than on single people. South Dakota and Texas raised taxes on cigarettes.

Massachusetts' new health-care law hits a new milestone, allowing those earning up to 300 percent of the federal poverty level to buy into subsidized plans. (Those at or below the poverty level are already being signed up for virtually free health care.)