Free Republic

CHICAGO, April 15 (UPI) -- While the odds of a single winner pocketing Tuesday's $325 million Big Game lottery jackpot remain 1 in 76.2 million, the dream of the "big score" provided respite for some harried taxpayers on tax day Lottery officials expected a spike in ticket sales Monday after adding $25 million to the top prize. "It's not because of April 15," said Illinois Lottery spokesman Ann Plohr Hayhill. "We see sales higher than usual whenever our jackpots increase substantially. "Some people may be picking up a lottery ticket after mailing their taxes but we don't have sales figures...

WASHINGTON- Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham gave notice late Monday that he is ready to begin shipments of plutonium into South Carolina by mid-May, despite the Democratic state governor's strong objections. Abraham in a letter to Gov. Jim Hodges said it was "essential" to begin the shipments around May 15, to meet a schedule for closing the Rocky Flats weapons facility in Colorado by 2006. By giving the 30-day notice, required by Congress, Abraham issued a clear signal to Hodges that the Bush administration intends to pursue the shipments, over the governor's objections if necessary, Department of Energy officials said. The...