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MONDAY, JANUARY 28, 2002

As a Cabinet official, Secretary of Interior Gale Norton receives a lot of gifts. But perhaps none so interesting as one from Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah).

According to Al Kamen of The Washington Post's "In the Loop", Norton received a commemorative Winter 2002 Olympic Games CD, courtesy Hatch. What she didn't count on was the added touch of the U.S. Postal Service, which -- in its attempt to stamp out anthrax -- irradiated the CD so much that the gift melted shut.

"The good news is that it arrived, and it definitely doesn't have any anthrax," press secretary Mark Pfeifle is quoted in as saying. "But the bad news is it looks like it was cooked in a microwave for about two hours."

Kamen also makes note of Norton's recent communique praising the Interior for paying for itself.

Get the Story:
In the Loop: A Well-Done CD (The Washington Post 1/28)

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