St. Louis Post-Dispatch from St. Louis, Missouri • Page 1

VOOdS b8gmS d6feilS6 Challenging course in suburban -x II llnAM till lAUi. Chicago could turn major into a Of U.S. Open title tOday free-for-all. SPORTS, Dl Red Sox drill Cards Boston has a season-high 19 hits in 13-1 win. Dl The show returns to town this week.

GET OUT ET3 PIUI We? 2003 PROUDLY SERVING ST. LOUIS FOR 125 YEARS 50 ft if 1 5 i Congress "I strongly urge all of you to fight off terror, to cut off money to organizations such as Hamas, to isolate those who hate so much that they're willing to kill to stop peace from going forward." President George Bush, addressing world leaders hi the wake of renewed violence in the Middle East gets behind bipartisan Medicare drug plan Passage appears likely even though compromise "makes some unhappy (Si US 1 MOHAMMED ABED AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE Palestinians gather around a car attacked by an Israeli helicopter Wednesday in Gaza City. Strikes in Gaza killed nine Palestinians, including four Hamas militants, and wounded at least 30. Israel then launches attacks in Ga 2 By James Kuhnhenn and Diego Ibarguen Knight Ridder Newspapers WASHINGTON Congress is uniting behind a prescription drug plan for older Americans that would be the biggest single increase in social spending in nearly 40 years. For the first time since lawmakers began trying to give Medicare recipients subsidies for drugs four years ago, they appear to have the ingredients for success: By Margaret Corku Cox News Service JERUSALEM U.S.' peacemaking efforts suffered another blow Wednesday when a Palestinian suicide bomber disguised as an Orthodox Jew blew himself up on a bus in Jerusalem, killing at least 16 other people and wounding almost 70.

Israeli helicopters retaliated into this morning, firing rockets into cars in Gaza City, I Separate Israeli attacks Wednesday night and early today killed nine Palestinians, including four members of the Islamic militant group Hamas, and wounded at least 30. The carnage capped a wave of violence that has made last week's summit meeting between President George W. Bush and the Israeli and Palestinian prime ministers seem like ancient history. Israel has executed military operations against Palestinians that have killed at least 24 people; attacks by Palestinian militants have left 21 Israelis dead. As anger, grief and pessimism convulsed both communities, officials weighed in after See Middle Past, A12 Senate panel i backs bill to generic drugs to store shelves: Legislation that i would save consumers billions gets unanimous support.

All substantial money, a bipartisan plan and White House encouragement. The Senate Finance Committee is expected today or Friday to put the finishing touches on a plan that -wJgrirtM -i im iii i -jtfii jrw i ii ifti -i, i MiMiftHTiiHi i rrrti irTfi r- GAU TIBBON AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE A bus was destroyed Wednesday on Jaffa Street, the main thoroughfare in west Jerusalem's commercial district A Palestinian dressed as an Orthodox Jew boarded the bus and detonated explosives a few seconds after the bus pulled away from the stop, police said. The blast killed the bomber and at least 16 others and wounded at least 68. the full Senate will debate over the next two weeks in hope of passing a bill before the Fourth of July congressional recess, drug coverage would begin in 2006. In the interim, Medicare recipients would receive government drug-discount cards.

The House is working on similar legislation that may contain one notable difference: Many House Republicans think -n. See Medicare, All Alert is called for missing disabled boy Monkeypox outbreak prompts prairie dog ban lllinois monkeypox cases Alert, the St Louis region's equivalent of an Amber Alert And they repeated the details they were told about a car-jacker who drove away with Christian Ferguson in his fa KANECMMTK 1 CONFIRMED (WOMtRFROM PH'l'S POCUFT PfTS IH VILLA JMMC DUPAer Bounty: Key points in bipartisan prescription drug plan: Medicare recipients would pay $35 a month to participate. Insurance would pay for 50 percent of the cost of drugs above an initial $275 deductible. Coverage would lapse once total drug costs for a beneficiary reached $3,450. Then once an individual's total costs reached about $5,300, coverage would kick in again and Medicare would pay 90 percent of the costs of drugs.

Participants could choose between traditional Medicare or subsidized private health care plans. Either way, the drug benefit would be the same. Knight Ridder Newspapers about 6 a.m. Wednesday to say someone had driven off in his maroon 1999 Ford Expedition after he got out to place a call at a pay phone at Skinker and Page boulevards in St Louis. He said Christian, wearing a diaper and wrapped in a red and blue blanket, was still inside.

There was no sign of the child when police recovered the SUV about two hours later where Ronbar Lane dead-ends at railroad tracks in the city of Ferguson, about 5 miles away. Officers searched with dogs but found no sign of the boy. Christian is described as a light-complexioned African-American with a short Afro haircut He is about 4 feet tall See Child, A6 4 kim 1 Father tells police SUV was stolen in St Louis with 9-year-old inside By Bill Bryan Of the Post-Dispatch Police raced against time Wednesday night to find a profoundly disabled 9-year-old boy whose father reported him kidnapped and whose chance of survival more than a day without medication is considered slim. Publicly, officers called a SL Louis Area Regional Abduction SUiPLCrCASE El Christian Ferguson Needs constant medical attention S) COUNTY. MODULI ther's SUV detectives ques- Privately, r- 1 1 members, too, tioned family and said they were considering all possibilities.

The father, Dawan Ferguson, 30, of Pine Lawn, called police U.S. order also prohibits sale of African rodents to try to halt spread of disease By Tina Hesman Of the Post-Dispatch The federal government banned the sale of prairie dogs and six types of African rodents Wednesday to try to stem the further spread of monkeypox in the United States. Health officials were investigating 63 cases of monkeypox in humans. All of the ill people had reported direct contact with prairie dogs. Also Wednesday, federal health officials approved the use of the smallpox vaccine for people who may have been exposed to monkeypox but are leaving the decision about whether to give the controversial vaccine up to state and local health departments, the exposed people and their doctors.

Health and agriculture officials in several states are working with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. De- wfiereV i 7 Qj Counties ooeswere praine House colleagues rip Blunt over attempt to alter bill sold Counties where Gambian rats were sold Counties where both were sold Source: Illinois Department of Public Healtn; Illinois Department of Agriculture POST-DISPATCH Missouri Democrats swarm around the sons of Rep. Roy Blunt The top target is Secretary of State Matt Blunt, the. GOP's favorite candidate to take on Holden. A4 "The thing that troubles me about it," said Rep.

Kenny Hul-shof, "is that anytime a bill is changed or modified at the 11th hour, it doesn't give me a chance to consider the merits of the proposal. Anything inserted at the end of the process sort of abrogates my responsibility as a legislator." See Blunt, A4 fall to insert a last-minute provision helpful to Philip Morris USA in the bill that created the Department of Homeland Security. Fellow Missouri Republicans raised some of the sharpest questions about Blunfs actions, which would have benefited a tobacco company to which he has personal and political links. Some suggest he abused trust By Philip Dine Post-Dispatch Washington Bureau WASHINGTON House Majority Whip Roy Blunt came under bipartisan fire Wednesday for his efforts last partment of Agriculture to track prairie dogs and Gambian rats. Phil's Pocket Pets, an exotic pet dealer in Villa Park, 111., was at See Monkeypox, All Blunt De fended process as well as the provision INSIDE IN THIS SECTION IN METRO I IN BUSINESS I WEATHER I Business ci Inquiry Into Iraq war intelligence Is blocked Power remains out for many after storms Feds begin criminal Today SKUUrDUOGER Classified El Top Republican lawmakers rejected calls by Utility crews scrambled to repair power lines to Inquiry of Freddie Mac I gj-jy ijjen (m Cofjectjons Democrats for an investigation into whether thousands of residents in Jefferson, St Clair and The investigation by U.S.

cloudy some President George W. Bush's south St Louis counties after storms Tuesday. Bl prosecutors comes two rain Hieh83 tWl3-L toitonai bo administration distorted days after the government- ti'rM Everyday Fl information to justify the Lambert rolls out new carpet in corridors sponsored company shook Friday Movies Get Out 15 24 invasion-A2 The work is part of a larger $7.1 million airport 128 33 its leadership because Thunderstorms, viy lr tP--iii') rT7 face lift Also, American Airlines will begin re- of accounting problems. CI Low 67 High 83. ftp Qbrtuanes B4-5 Ancient remains Show placing carpeting in gate areas in September.

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