USTIN, Texas - Gov. George W. Bush, who has declined to say whether South Carolina should fly the Confederate flag over its State House, has weighed in on the flag's presence in Texas. In a letter to the Texas NAACP's president, Bush's top aide said the governor believes a plaque bearing the flag's image should remain in the Texas Supreme Court building, but be accompanied by an explanation of why it's there. While saying that Bush ''understands the sensitivity'' of the flag, executive assistant Clay Johnson wrote, the plaque was ordered by the Legislature in 1955 to reflect ''the will of the people.'' Johnson said state officials are exploring ways to clearly explain the plaque. (AP)
Americans alter how they get news
WASHINGTON - Americans are turning away from traditional media for news about the presidential campaign, according to a poll released yesterday. The mid-January poll by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press showed that 24 percent of the public cited network television as their main election news source, compared with 39 percent in April 1996. Those relying mainly on cable TV rose from 23 percent to 31 percent. In 1996, nearly half of Americans said newspapers were their main news source; fewer than one-third made the same choice this year. The Internet was the only other source to gain ground, climbing to 6 percent from 2 percent. (AP)
