WASHINGTON -- Grape lovers could have an easier time finding Chilean bunches untouched by the potent chemical methyl bromide, under new rules proposed Wednesday by the Agriculture Department.

At Chile's request, and after at least six years of study, the Agriculture Department wants to lift the longstanding requirement that Chilean table grape producers eradicate mites with methyl bromide. Instead, Chilean producers would follow a new system of registration and inspections.

California table grape growers need not fear either infestation or competition, Bush administration officials insist. » read more

WASHINGTON — Hundreds of commercial airline flights were delayed across the Eastern half of the United States on Tuesday in what the Federal Aviation Administration said was an unprecedented glitch in the federal computer system that processes flight plans.

While the breakdown caused chaos at big-city airports — including Washington, New York, Atlanta and Boston — passengers were never in danger, FAA officials stressed. The agency was close to regaining control of the system by late afternoon East Coast time.

The problem began about 1 p.m. EDT with a computer breakdown at the FAA's primary flight plan-processing system in Atlanta, FAA officials said in a hastily arranged conference call. A backup system at Salt Lake City went into operation but became overloaded, compounding the delays. » read more

WASHINGTON — Wages for working Americans increased, the number of people without health insurance decreased and the poverty rate was essentially unchanged in 2007, according to census figures released Tuesday.

Experts cautioned, however, that the new data don't capture the effects of the economic slump that began late last year and has caused massive job losses, increased unemployment, high inflation and falling wages.

In 2007, though, median household income rose by 1.3 percent, from $49,568 in 2006 to $50,233. The portion of Americans in poverty increased slightly, from 12.3 percent to 12.5 percent. The number without health coverage fell from 47 million in 2006 to 45.7 million last year. It was the first annual decline in the uninsured population since President Bush took office in 2001. » read more