continues to drop

fide conservative. However, she is gaining the interest of businesses alike because of her business background in Texas. News analysts say Miers lacks judicial experience with hefty constitutional issues yet business supporters say she has worked 25 cases affecting businesses.

Miers has represented very high profile companies such as Disney, Microsoft, SunGuard, and Anros Thanksgiving Partners. According to NYtimes.com ,however, most of Mier's cases were settled out of court, leaving little for public record.

A top lobbyist for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce thinks differently having said "Having two justices, Chief Justice John Roberts and Miers, who we expect to join him shortly, that's adding two to nothing from the point of view of that kind of experience. That's big for the business community," according to csmonitor.com. The same lobbyist continued to state that other business groups, many for the first time in their histories, will take a higher profile role in court fights.

President Bush's approval rating continued to plummet with a 39 percent approval rating and 58 percent of Americans disapproving with his job performance. The approval rating dropped 45 percent from the last survey taken in late September, making the current rating the lowest during the Bush administration. Bush's previous low approval rating of 40 percent can be attributed to his response to Hurricane Katrina. Until then, Bush's slipping approval rating was due to the American's perception of how the was in Iraq was being handled.

The poll was based on interviews of 1012 adult Americans over the phone during Oct. 13-16. Bush has watch his approval rating drastically decline since his second term inauguration this past January when 57 percent of the American public approved how of he was handling the job and disapproved 40 percent, according to CNN.corn

Decline in US gasoline prices

US gasoline prices declined once again last week, with the cost of regular gasoline dropping 12.3 cents per gallon to $2.73, according to MSNBC.com. National gas prices haven fallen 20 cents over the past two weeks but are still up 69 cents from a year ago, based on the Environmental Information Administration's weekly survey. Fuel demanded has also dropped to the consumer cutting gasoline usage due to high gas prices from Hurricane Katrina and Rita.

US Energy Secretary Sam Bodman said that Americans are responding and finally getting use to the price jump. "Americans are feeling the pinch of higher energy prices these days," Bodman said. More oil refineries are corning back on board and producing gasoline again.

More oil refineries are corning back on board and producing gasoline again. The lower gasoline prices are a result of the drop in crude oil costs. In the EIA's weekly survey, the West Coast had the highest gas prices at $2.87 per gallon while the Midwest had the lowest at $2.59 per gallon gallon. San Francisco topped the list as the most expensive city with a staggering $2.95 per gallon. opposed Miers, are sifting Rita evacuee shot dead in Maryland through her corporate record for A Texas man and Hurricane Rita evacuee was shot and killed what it could mean for consumer during a robbery attempt while visiting relatives in Maryland, issues, according to according to MSNC.com. Alfredo Contreras, 48, his wife and two csmonitor.com. Not since sons left Beaumont, located on the Texas coast, as Rita stormed Richard Nixon tapped Lewis through and went to stay with relatives in North Carolina. Contreras Powell in 1971, who like Miers and his family were visiting family in Woodlawn, MD when he was had not been a judge prior to his killed Sunday. nomination, has a president • Contreras heard a commotion outside the relative's house and picked nominees with as much went outside to investigate. While trying to break up a fight between corporate experience as Chief a friend and an unknown man, Contreras was shot one in the upper Justice Roberts and more recent- body. Contreras was not out there to start a fight but just came to ly, Miers, according to csmoni- aide a friend police said. Contreras' relatives said that two men in tor.com. ski masks were trying to rob Contreras and his brother in law when However, according to the family rushed out to help.

Even though the Chamber and other business groups h,aveyet to formally endorse Miers, they are taking up her business credentials. Meanwhile, public interest groups, who have not yet

Johnathan Glater of The New Hurricane Wilma has been upgraded to a category one hurricane York Times, " In all of Ms. as it barrels its way through the Caribbean.It is the record-tying 21st Miers' cases on soured contracts hurricane of the year. It is supposed to hit Cuba and the Yucatan and other corporate matters, Peninsula before heading towards the Gulf of Mexico this weekend. there are scarcely even hints of It is the 12th hurricane of the season, a number last reached in 1969. what her thoughts on such issues The US Hurricane center said that Hurricane Wilma's path may might be." take it away from the gulf coast. However, New Orleans' Mayor Loquitur welcomes your com- Ray Nagin has forewarned his residents to get ready for yet another ments on this story. Please send evacuation if the storm moved toward the city. The city was only your comments to: pumped dry days ago from the floods of Hurricane Katrina and Stan Loquitur@yahoogroups.com. and the areas they are still trying to recover- Over 1,200 people were The editors will review your killed by Katrina within the US and hundred more were killed in points each week and corrections Mexico and Central American when Stan hit. Wilma has also raised if warranted. concerns regarded oil production in Mexico, according to BBC.com