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TOKYO – An earthquake centered north of Tokyo (search) rattled the Japanese capital early Wednesday, jarring buildings and knocking goods off store shelves. There was no threat of tsunami (search), and there were no immediate reports of injuries or major damage. The 5.4-magnitude quake was centered in southern Ibaraki prefecture …

ALBANY, N.Y. – Howard Dean (search), the new chairman of the Democratic National Committee (search), called on the head of New York’s Republican Party to apologize or resign Wednesday over remarks linking the Democrats to a civil rights lawyer convicted of aiding terrorists. Dean called Stephen Minarik’s (search) comments offensive, …

BERKELEY, Calif. – Medical-marijuana growers in Mendocino County — a Northern California outpost that is home to vegans, vintners, libertarians and aging hippies — want to have their pot certified as organic. The notion of pesticide-free pot is making some people smile. But county officials say the issue is serious, …

CHICAGO – It’s a mixed bag for recycling (search) these days. The National Recycling Coalition reports more newspapers, glass, aluminum (search) and steel cans are being recycled than in the past, but that is only because Americans are using more of those products. In fact, the recycling rate is on …

WASHINGTON – The Supreme Court on Tuesday said it will hear a challenge to the nation’s only assisted suicide law, taking up a case embracing the Bush administration’s appeal to stop doctors from helping terminally ill patients die more quickly. Justices will review a lower court ruling that said the …

WASHINGTON – It’s enough to cause a momentary panic, to make your heart race and blood pressure rise. A letter from the Internal Revenue Service just can’t be good. The government has been examining more tax returns (search), doing more audits and independently verifying more information. Large corporations and wealthy …

IASI, Romania – A 33-year-old Romanian woman who gave birth to a son in December on Monday gave birth to his twin brother almost two months later in what has been called a medical first in Romania. The mother, Maricica Tescu, has two uteruses due to a rare congenital malformation, …

If you’ve got a gun, and you’ve got a kid, you’ve got a problem. The problem is child and teenage suicide (search) and unintentional shootings. Suicide is more common when there are guns in kids’ homes, their relatives’ homes or their friends’ homes. It may be true for accidental shootings, …

ANCHORAGE, Ala. – Scientists continue to monitor two volcanoes that the Alaska Volcano Observatory (search) says could send dangerous ash into the air at any time. Mount Spurr (search), 80 miles west of Anchorage across Cook Inlet, shook itself from a 12-year sleep in early July and has been in …

This is a partial transcript of “Special Report With Brit Hume,” Feb. 1, 2005, that has been edited for clarity. Watch “Special Report With Brit Hume” weeknights at 6 p.m. ET BRIT HUME, HOST: Defense Secretary Rumsfeld’s interview with FOX News correspondent Bret Baier, beginning with the secretary’s reaction to …