Justice: Abortion will stay accessible

ATLANTA - Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg said yesterday that even if the court's Roe v. Wade decision is reversed - which she doesn't think will happen - it has made access to abortion permanent. She said women who can afford train or plane tickets could get abortions in states that legalize the practice, and only poor women would be hurt. Ginsburg spoke to about 500 people at Atlanta's Ahavath Achim synagogue. (AP)

ATLANTA - Georgia has declared a state of emergency amid its worst drought in decades and appealed for federal aid. Low rainfall in the Southeastern United States has caused a drought in several states, including parts of Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, and North and South Carolina. Governor Sonny Perdue asked for the disaster designation, which would help state and local governments, and provide loans to small businesses. (Reuters)

NEW YORK - A 24-foot fishing boat collided with a barge and overturned off Coney Island, killing two men and injuring two others, officials said yesterday. A tugboat, which was navigating the barge through the Ambrose Channel, reported the collision Saturday night. One man was rescued by a fishing vessel and another was pulled from under the overturned craft by police divers. They are in stable condition. (AP)

NEW YORK - A taxi union angry about installation of global positioning systems and credit card machines in cabs are planning a second one-day strike in six weeks today. The Taxi Workers Alliance opposes monitors that let fares pay by credit card, get news and information, and map their location. It says a 5-percent surcharge on credit transactions amounts to a wage cut and the CPS device allows drivers to be tracked. (AP)

HARRISON TOWNSHIP - A plane carrying 26 people on its way from Canada to Detroit made an emergency landing yesterday after the crew saw a smoke indicator in the cockpit. The Mesaba flight, carrying 23 passengers and three crew members, landed safely at Selfridge Air National Guard Base. No smoke was detected. (AP)

The Department of Veterans Affairs has doubled the disability benefits of a West Virginia soldier who has been fighting for more compensation since he returned from Iraq in 2004, and assured him that he will get more treatment for his post-traumatic stress disorder. The action followed a news report on the hardship faced by Army Specialist Troy Turner. (Washington Post)