FEINSTEIN ON A LOSER

California Sen. Dianne Feinstein renewed one of Washington's long- running and most bitterly fought battles Friday, saying she will introduce legislation seeking to reinstate the federal assault weapons ban that expired in September after 10 years. Gun control has been a signature issue for Feinstein since she arrived in the Senate in 1993. But the odds she faces to pass the weapons ban in the current Congress are probably steeper than they were in 1993, when the Senate narrowly approved the ban, or last March, when it passed 52-47 before dying in the body.

November's election increased the 100-member Senate's number of Republicans from 51 to 55, and there are at least four new solid votes against Feinstein's proposal. In the House, gun control advocates face an even tougher time because Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., and Majority Leader Tom DeLay, R-Texas, have said they won't let the renewal legislation come up for a vote.

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Stun guns will soon be available for ordinary citizens: "The Taser guns currently used by the military and police will soon be in the hands of ordinary citizens. Taser International has announced plans to offer a $1000 version of its electric weapon to the general market. The guns are somewhat controversial, though, with some saying that they can cause cardiac arrest. The company states that there is no link between cardiac arrest and its products."