Seattle News Bites: April 28, 2001

In today's edition, we're going to look at KOMO TV-4's 8 AM broadcast. Here's a rundown:

Network news' top stories

World's 1st "Space Tourist" Tito, who paid $20 million of his own money to visit Mir, blasts-off into space for a rendezvous with the International Space Station
Protestors disrupt Naval bombing exercises on Vieques Island in Puerto Rico for a second day. At least 47 will be prosecuted
Chairman of the Colombine Investigation Committee says authorities ignored warning signs and police made matters worse
Judge rules that Santana High School shooting suspect Andy Williams can be tried as an adult. His defense lawyers questioned Proposition 21, a California law that says minors can be charged as adults in the commission of serious crimes. His lawyers say they'll appeal
Some educators are criticizing Bush's plan to test all students in grades 3 through 8 saying it would cost States billions.
California power buyers say they need an additional $5 billion, which will be repaid through the sale of State Bonds over 15 years
Funeral held for mother and bady killed in the downing of their small plane by the Peruvian military
Mississippi River flood update
Jenna Bush, the President's daughter cited for alcohol possession by a minor
Americans can expect to receive and extra $1.1 million from Social Security because of an error in calculations going back to January. The average individual check to make-up for this error will be around $19.
X-rays being taken of the Liberty Bell to discover the extent of the damage caused by someone yielding a hammer. Will be compared with x-rays taken 25 years ago
A fire damages Mike Tyson's Maryland home with the cause still under investigation

Network News' Top Business Stories:

A federal judge has ruled she has done all she can to stop Napster from allowing the illegal download of music over the internet. Unless the Court of Appeals clarifies their ruling, there's nothing else she can do
A federal judge dismissed a major antitrust lawsuit against American Airlines alleging they attempted to drive 3 competitors out by undercutting fares. This case began 2 years ago and was the 1st predatory pricing action to be brought against the airline industry since having been deregulated 23 yrs ago!
The government had accused American of undercutting fares and of offering a tremendous number of new flights on routes served by upstart carriers, only to cutback and then raise prices after the upstarts had failed.
In his opinion, Judge J. Thomas Marten wrote "There is no doubt that American may be a difficult, vigorous, even brutal competitor.....But here, it engaged only in bare, but not brass, knuckle competition."
A federal appeals court had blocked the proposed $185 million merger of 2 baby food makers, Heinz and Milnot; Milnot makes the brand Beachnut