Nation - Wednesday

American's life expectancy rises

The National Center for Health Statistics said that a child born in '05 can expect to live 77.9 years, up from 77.8 in '04. Death rates fell for heart disease, cancer and stroke, but rose for Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. Infant mortality for black babies was 13.69 per 1,000 live births, compared to 5.76 for white babies.

Another Warner seeks Va. office

Mark Warner, the popular former Democratic governor of Virginia intends to run for Senate in '08 to replace Republican Sen. John Warner, who is retiring after 30 years, party officials said. Mark Warner raised $9 mil in '06 for a potential White House bid.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid vowed to block ex-Solicitor General Theodore Olson from becoming attorney general if President Bush nominates him. The New Jersey Supreme Court ruled 5-0 that a doctor has no duty to tell a woman considering an abortion that her embryo is an "existing human being," averting a trial over when human life begins. Sen. Hillary Clinton won the support of the National Association of Letter Carriers in her bid for the Democratic nomination. The union represents 300,000 active and retired U.S. Postal Service carriers.