WASHINGTON — The White House on Thursday made fun of former President Clinton and his wife, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, for criticizing President Bush's decision to erase the prison sentence of former aide I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby.

"I don't know what Arkansan is for chutzpah, but this is a gigantic case of it," presidential spokesman Tony Snow said.

In his commutation decision, Bush left a $250,000 fine. Libby paid the fine on Thursday.

Libby's friends and supporters have raised more than $5 million to cover legal fees and were continuing to raise money but Libby paid the fine himself, according to someone close to the fund who spoke on condition of anonymity because details of the account are private. The cashiers check filed with the court was issued in Libby's name.

Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich., has scheduled hearings Wednesday on Bush's commutation of Libby's 2 1/2-year sentence.

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BRITISH INVESTIGATORS SEARCH FOR TERROR LINKS

British investigators press to ferret out web of contacts tying together failed terror plot

GLASGOW, Scotland — When two doctors crashed a Jeep Cherokee into Glasgow's Airport and then set it on fire in a desperate attempt to ignite crude bombs it was clear to a policeman on the scene that they were on a suicide mission.

"They did not have a plan B," said Sgt. Torquil Campbell, who apprehended suspects Bilal Abdulla and Khalid Ahmed after the botched attempt to wreak havoc among Scottish vacationers packing the airport terminal.

"They both appeared very calm and collected, very assured of themselves," Campbell said Thursday on Sky TV. "They had nothing else to do — it was as if they were waiting there to get blown up."

Baggage handler John Smeaton jumped into the fray, helping police grappling with the suspects. "I got a kick in," he told The Guardian newspaper. "Other passengers were getting kicks in. The flames were going in two directions."

The eight suspects arrested in Saturday's airport attack and two failed car bombings a day earlier in London were all foreigners working for Britain's state health system, and investigators are pressing to find what brought them together. They also are looking for links between the six Middle Eastern suspects and two Indian nationals arrested in the case.

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HEAT WAVE BROILS WEST

BOISE, Idaho — Sweltering residents across the West headed for lakes and rivers on Thursday, seeking relief from triple-digit temperatures expected set records through at least Friday.

Some office workers were given the option to float on inner tubes down the Boise River instead of sitting at stuffy desks, with temps in Boise expected to reach 105 degrees. Forecasters predicted a high of 107 on Friday — six degrees higher than the 101 record for that date set in 1985.

"Once it gets that high — 105, 107, 109 — it just feels hot," said Rick Overton, a copywriter who arranged the float trip for the digital marketing firm Wirestone. "I'm going to keep a tube under my desk for the whole summer and whenever it gets this hot I'm going to escape."

But temperatures in part of the West were climbing so high that authorities warned residents of southern Nevada, southeastern California and northwestern Arizona to avoid any outdoor activity except during the cooler early morning hours. Phoenix was expected to reach 115 degrees; forecasters predicted a high of 123 degrees in Baker, Nev.

In St. George, Utah, a high of 115 was predicted for Thursday, just two degrees shy of the state's all-time temperature record set in 1985. St. George Police Sgt. Craig Harding has been giving out heat safety tips to residents in radio announcements and in a column he writes for a local newspaper. But some still aren't paying attention.

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AL-QAIDA VIDEO REFLECTS CURRENT TROUBLES

BAGHDAD — A new video by al-Qaida's deputy leader Thursday left no doubt about what the terror network claims is at stake in Iraq — describing it as a centerpiece of its anti-American fight and insisting the Iraqi insurgency is under its direct leadership.

But the proclamations by Ayman al-Zawahri carried another unintended message: reflecting the current troubles confronting the Sunni extremists in Iraq, experts said.

The Islamic State of Iraq, the insurgent umbrella group that is claimed by al-Qaida, has faced ideological criticism from some militants, and rival armed groups have even joined U.S. battles against it. A U.S.-led offensive northwest of Baghdad — in one of the Islamic State's strongholds — may have temporarily disrupted and scattered insurgent forces.

"Some of the developments suggest that it (the Islamic State) is more fragile than it was before," said Bruce Hoffman, a Washington-based terrorism expert at the Rand Corp. think tank.

Al-Zawahri "is trying to replenish the Islamic State brand," he said. "It's time to reassert its viability, but how connected to reality that is, is another issue."

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HUNDREDS RALLY FOR GEORGIA MAN IN JAIL

DOUGLASVILLE, Ga. — The Rev. Al Sharpton embraced the mother and sister of a man serving a 10-year sentence for consensual oral sex with a 15-year-old, joining hundreds of supporters Thursday demanding his immediate release from prison.

Genarlow Wilson has been in prison for two years for taking part in the sex act when he was 17 years old.

"This boy is not only her son, he's your son, he's my son," Sharpton told the cheering crowd from the steps of the Douglas County Courthouse. "We're here today because what affects you affects all of us."

State Rep. Alisha Thomas Morgan said Wilson's punishment was excessive and should be reduced, just like the prison sentence for former White House aide I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, which was commuted Monday by President Bush.

"Genarlow is the face of many other young black men who have received injustice," Thomas Morgan said. "Somebody's got to stand up for them."

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MICROSOFT INCURS $1.15B XBOX 360 CHARGE

SEATTLE — Microsoft Corp. on Thursday extended the warranty on its Xbox 360 to three years after too many of the video game consoles have succumbed to "general hardware failure."

The company said it will record a $1.05 billion to $1.15 billion charge for the fourth quarter that ended Saturday to pay for "anticipated costs."

Microsoft's entertainment and devices division, which makes the Xbox 360 and the Zune digital music player, reported an operating loss of $315 million on $929 million in sales in the third quarter this year.

"We don't think we've been getting the job done," said Robbie Bach, president of the division. "In the past few months, we have been having to make Xbox 360 console repairs at a rate too high for our liking."

Bach said the company made some manufacturing and production changes that he expects will reduce Xbox 360 hardware meltdowns, which are indicated by three flashing red lights on the front of the console.

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'SEX AND THE CITY' MOVIE FINALLY IN WORKS

NEW YORK — Are Carrie and Mr. Big still together? Did Charlotte adopt a baby from China? How is Miranda liking motherhood? Is Samantha still, uh, keeping things interesting?

Those questions, no doubt occupying the thoughts of many "Sex and the City" fans since the long-running HBO series ended in 2004, may finally be answered — in a much-talked-of but still unrealized feature film spun from the show.

New Line Cinema is close to inking a deal to finance and distribute the film in association with HBO, John Smith, a representative at New Line, confirmed Thursday. Daily Variety reported the news Wednesday. Smith said its report was accurate and did not provide further details.

The four principal actresses — Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, Kristin Davis and Cynthia Nixon — will reprise their roles. Michael Patrick King, who executive-produced the series, is slated to direct.

The making of a "Sex and the City" movie has been bandied about since the show left the air. There have been reports that the delay was due in some part to Cattrall, who played the sex-obsessed Samantha Jones, asking for a higher salary and creative input.

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GORE'S SON'S ARREST HIGHLIGHTS PRESCRIPTION DRUG ABUSE

CHICAGO — Drug abuse experts say the arrest of Al Gore's son underscores the growing problem of prescription drug abuse among America's youth. College students use the stimulant Adderall, an attention deficit drug, to get a speedy high or pull all-nighters.

The other drugs police say they found in Al Gore III's possession — marijuana, Xanax, Valium and Vicodin — also are campus favorites, experts say.

"Al Gore's son is just like everyone else's," said Dr. Donald Misch, director of health services at Northwestern University in Evanston. "The only thing missing was the No. 1 abused drug, which is alcohol."

Students commonly pair pills with beer and cigarettes, experts say. They trade tips about the effects of prescription drugs on networking sites like Facebook and trade pills they've stolen from home medicine cabinets, ordered on the Internet or taken from friends with legitimate prescriptions.