To the Point

Airport Security and Holiday Traveling

Singer and actress Patti LuPone was barred from boarding her flight in Fort Lauderdale because she wouldn-t take off her shirt, and at the airport in Kansas City, a 71 year-old woman who walks with a cane had her breasts patted down. The federal government wants travelers to be -partners- in airline safety this weekend, but women around the country say they-re humiliated by new rules imposed since 90 people were killed when two Russian planes were destroyed this summer, allegedly by female Chechen suicide bombers. As travelers prepare for long waits and intrusive inspections, we consider -excessive security- with a woman who was the subject of a pat-down, experts in aviation security, racial profiling and civil rights, and a spokesperson from the Transportation Security Administration. Making News: Kiev Protests Escalate as Presidential Winner Is Declared With massive crowds protesting that the election was rigged, Ukraine-s Central Election Commission has declared that Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych won Saturday-s presidential election. Secretary of State Powell says the US cannot accept that decision. Peter Finn, who is in the Ukrainian capital city of Kiev for the Washington Post, has an update. Reporter's Notebook: Is Colombia Really Winning the War on Drugs President Clinton sent $3 billion to Colombia to reduce the production and trafficking in cocaine. Though some critics warn that emphasis on military assistance could be counter-productive, this weekend, President Bush said he-ll push for new aid to the country that gets more American money than any nation outside the Middle East and Afghanistan. We hear more about Colombia's drug war from Adam Isacson of the Center for International Policy and equity fund manager Bernard Aronson, a former official at the State Department.