It's Craptastic!

The spiritually inclined band Creed, whose anthemic hits "Higher" and "With Arms Wide Open" helped them become one of the top-selling rock acts of the past decade, has called it quits.

Three former Creed members immediately announced they were forming a new band — minus singer Scott Stapp (news) — but were quick to say it was not "just Creed with a different singer."
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Stapp's first solo recording will be on a soundtrack of music inspired by the film "The Passion of the Christ."

Shortly before the Pentagon awarded a division of oil services contractor Halliburton Co. a sole-source contract to help restore Iraqi oil fields last year, an Army Corps of Engineers official wrote an e-mail saying the award had been "coordinated" with the office of Vice President Cheney, Halliburton's former chief executive.

The March 5, 2003, e-mail, disclosed over the weekend by Time magazine, noted that Douglas Feith, a senior Pentagon official, had signed off on the deal "contingent on informing WH [the White House] tomorrow."

"We anticipate no issues since action has been coordinated w VP's office," it continued.

Three days later, Halliburton subsidiary KBR was granted the contract, which was worth as much as $7 billion, according to information on the Army Corps of Engineers Web site.

President Bush has sought a lawyer to represent him in the criminal probe into who was responsible for a leak that was seen as retaliation against a critic of the Iraq war, CBS Evening News reported on Wednesday.

Who is eligible?

Anyone enrolled in Medicare is eligible for one of the new Medicare-approved discount prescription-drug cards.

What do the cards do?

Medicare officials say the cards will offer savings ranging from 16 percent to 30 percent, on average, off the retail price of brand-name drugs. Larger discounts are available by ordering drugs through a card sponsor's mail-order pharmacy or by buying generic drugs.

Are there special benefits for low-income Americans?

Yes. If your monthly income for 2004 does not exceed $1,047 if you are single or $1,404 if you are married, you might qualify for a $600 credit on your discount card to subsidize the purchase of prescription drugs.

Are there fees involved?

Yes. Card sponsors can charge up to $30 for an enrollment fee. Low-income Medicare beneficiaries who get the $600 credit must pay a co-payment -- 5 percent or 10 percent, depending on income -- each time they make a drug purchase using the subsidy.

Can I switch cards whenever I want?

No. Medicare regulations stipulate that seniors who choose a card must use that card the rest of the year. Seniors may choose a different card during an open enrollment period from mid-November through mid-December, but they can't begin using the new card until 2005.