News Buzz: Iran Sanctions, Tainted Tomatoes, and More

With President Bush saying today that a nuclear-armed Iran would endanger world peace, he and European allies threatened tougher sanctions to keep Iran from developing a nuclear weapon. Speaking in Slovenia at his final EU-U.S. summit, Bush said of Iran's leaders, "They can either face isolation or they can have better relations with all of us." The president and EU leaders said they will impose more financial sanctions on Iran unless it verifiably suspends its nuclear enrichment. They also said Iran must fully disclose any nuclear weapons work and permit the International Atomic Energy Agency to verify that work. While Iran insists that it has only civilian uses in mind for its nuclear program, the president flatly said Iran "can't be trusted with enrichment."

Tomatoes are being pulled off shelves and restaurants' menus everywhere as the FDA continues to look for the source of the 17-state salmonella outbreak potentially caused by three varieties of tomatoes. Large companies like Burger King, McDonald's, Wal-Mart, and Winn-Dixie have stopped selling red plum, red Roma, and round red tomatoes unless they come from certain areas known to be safe. Since mid-April, 167 people have been infected with salmonella.

As gas prices now average $4 a gallon, Senate Democrats are considering imposing a windfall profits tax on America's top five oil companies and also rescinding the $17 billion in tax breaks the companies are set to receive over the next 10 years. This move would show that there is a limit on how much profit the companies could make in the stumbling economy, explained Sen. Richard Durbin of Illinois. Democrats will have to fight staunch opposition to this maneuver from the GOP.