WASHINGTON - The Bush administration is searching for a new way to sell its financial rescue plan after acknowledging some blunders and missteps in presenting it the first time around. One big key: Insist it´s not a Wall Street “bailout.” Now it´s not about financial institutions. The focus has switched to everyday Americans. And it´s not an expenditure of taxpayer money, it´s an “investment.”

ROCKDALE - Citing an “uncompetitive power supply” and overall market conditions, Alcoa announced Tuesday it has begun shutdown of the remaining three potlines at its Rockdale smelter and would lay off about 660 employees over the next three months. Beginning immediately, Alcoa is curtailing the remaining production at its Rockdale aluminum smelter, comprising about 150,000 metric tons of production a year. Alcoa will adjust alumina production accordingly.

ROCKDALE - “We are devastated. Everyone is just reeling right now. We don´t even know what to think or say,” Rockdale Chamber of Commerce president Denice Doss said. Since the early 1950s, Alcoa´s Rockdale Operations has been the major employer in Milam County.

For the second time in a week, Texas District 55 candidates Ralph Sheffield and Sam Murphey squared off in a public forum. More than 150 people crowded into a large conference room at the Central Texas Council of Governments building in Belton on Tuesday. Unlike the previous meeting, in which Democrat Murphey came out verbally swinging at Republican Sheffield, most of the back and forth was between the three panel members and the candidates.

KILLEEN - Deba Swann is a product of her generation and it shows. On Tuesday afternoon, she sat at a small table tucked away in a corner of the student center dining room at Central Texas College, grasping a microphone as she goaded students to take on the issues of the day.

AUSTIN - Scientists from Texas universities on Tuesday denounced what they called supernatural and religious teaching in public school science classrooms and voiced opposition to attempts to water down evolution instruction. The newly formed 21st Century Science Coalition said so far it has 800 members who have signed up online.

The Temple College Lady Leopards could hardly wait to get on the court Tuesday night. And once they did, they took care of business quickly and efficiently. The Lady Leopards swept North Central Texas College 25-23, 25-10, 25-18 in the Northern Texas Junior College Athletic Conference volleyball opener at TC Gym.

BELTON - Shortly after Belton´s Kimesha Scott served the last of her five aces, she simply turned to her teammates and smiled. It was all smiles for the Lady Tigers as they whipped Killeen Ellison in the first two games, then rallied in the last to complete the sweep 25-16, 25-11, 25-21 on Tuesday night at Tiger Gym.

CHICAGO - For the first time in more than a century, Chicago has two opportunities for a baseball championship. A big swing by Jim Thome, a strong throw from Ken Griffey Jr. and the marvelous pitching of John Danks helped the White Sox beat the Minnesota Twins 1-0 on Tuesday night to finally decide an American League Central winner.

CHICAGO - Joe Torre no longer is bombarded by questions about his boss, no longer caught up in the New York tumult. One constant remains for him, though: October baseball. So here he is again, managing in the National League playoffs and leading the Los Angeles Dodgers against a Chicago Cubs team looking to break its 100-year championship drought.