New Orleans police superintendent retires
The police superintendent of New Orleans announced his retirement Tuesday in the aftermath of the devastation from Hurricane Katrina.
Eddie Compass chose to retire after several hundred of his officers deserted the force during the hurricane and two officers committed suicide.
According to The Washington Post, New Orleans Mayor C. Ray Nagin praised Compass for carrying the city through such a tumultuous period.
"I understand where he is," Nagin said. "He decided to retire on top."
Compass appeared on the "Oprah Winfrey Show" earlier this month and discussed his frustration over temporary shelters set up in the Superdome.
Compass served the New Orleans police department for 26 years. His deputy, Warren Riley, was named acting superintendent.
Tom DeLay indicted Wednesday
Rep. Tom DeLay (R-Tex.) was indicted Wednesday on a criminal count of conspiring with two political associates to violate state campaign finance law.
DeLay called the charges "reckless" and called the Democratic district attorney an "unabashed partisan zealot" being vengeful for Democratic losses in Texas.
DeLay plans to resign for the time being as House majority leader.
"In accordance with the rules of the House Republican Conference, I will temporarily step aside as floor leader in order to win exoneration from these baseless charges," DeLay told reporters.
The fundraising activities behind the case were aimed at achieving DeLay's key goal of assuring Republican control of the Texas legislature, which enabled the body to redraw the state's 32 U.S. House districts in a way likely to secure more GOP victories.
The Texas legislature redrew the boundaries in a controversial redistricting in 2003, leading to the defeat of several Democratic House incumbents in the November 2004 elections.
