9/11 commission gains access to NYC material

The federal commission studying the Sept. 11 attacks reached an agreement with New York City yesterday that will give the panel access to unedited 911 tapes and transcripts of firefighter interviews. The commission issued a subpoena on Nov. 21 demanding the materials. The city had until yesterday to comply. (AP)

Muslim group sues lawmaker for remarks

The Council on American-Islamic Relations, which promotes Muslim civil rights, has filed a defamation lawsuit against North Carolina Representative Cass Ballenger, who accused the group of funding terrorists. He also said the stress of living across the street from the group's offices contributed to the breakup of his marriage. Ballenger announced this week that he will retire after completing his ninth term in Congress next year. (AP)

NEW YORK

Man who attended Qaeda camp sentenced

BUFFALO -- A Yemeni-American man who attended an Al Qaeda training camp and met with Osama bin Laden shortly before the Sept. 11 attacks was sentenced to 10 years in prison yesterday. Mukhtar al-Bakri, 23, was the first defendant to be sentenced in the Lackawanna Six case that has been held up by the Bush administration as a model in pursuing and prosecuting terrorism suspects. (AP)

PENNSYLVANIA

Abortion foe convicted of mailing fake anthrax

PHILADELPHIA -- An antiabortion extremist was convicted of 51 counts yesterday for mailing hundreds of envelopes of fake anthrax to women's clinics. Clayton Waagner concluded his defense yesterday by telling the jury that people who provide abortions should be shot. (AP)

FLORIDA

AFL-CIO seeks probe of police at protests

MIAMI -- The AFL-CIO asked yesterday for investigations into police conduct during protests outside the Free Trade Area of the Americas meeting last month. A letter to US Attorney General John Ashcroft and Governor Jeb Bush also asked them to prosecute anyone who abused civil liberties and called for the resignation of Miami Police Chief John Timoney. (AP)