WASHINGTON -- A group of senators sent President Bush a letter on Thursday asking him to release 15 million barrels of oil from the domestic petroleum reserves unless Saudi Arabia increases its oil exports to the United States.

Charging that the recent spike in gas prices is due to the decrease in Saudi oil exports, the 32 senators said the higher costs are hindering America's economic growth.

By tapping the reserves, they said, "the United States can protect its economic stability and force oil producers from the Middle East to engage in fair production and export policies."

According to the Energy Department, Saudi oil exports dropped by 500,000 barrels a day in early August -- a 25 percent decrease.

The senators noted that when gas prices soared in the summer and fall of 2000, President Clinton tapped the petroleum reserves, releasing 30 million over 30 days. The release triggered a drop in gas prices.

All the senators who signed the letter are Democrats, except Sen. Jim Jeffords, I-Vt.

Central Oregon fires grow; evacuations forced again

CAMP SHERMAN, Ore. -- Two big wildfires jumped containment lines Thursday in central Oregon, again forcing the evacuation of about 300 residents of this mountain community, officials said.

The fires were "large and getting larger. In terms of acres, it's probably close to 80,000," said firefighting spokesman Tom Lavagnino. The blazes were fueled by heavy undergrowth, combined with low humidity and high winds.

Authorities said the fires were threatening to merge.

The evacuation marked the second time in less than a month that Camp Sherman residents were forced from their homes. They were allowed back Saturday after a 12-day evacuation.

Heavy rains linked to Legionnaires outbreak

PHILADELPHIA -- Investigators say heavy rains are a likely reason that cases of Legionnaires disease have more than doubled this year in several East Coast states.

The most noticeable increase in the sometimes deadly disease came in May and June after heavy spring rains, and it started to taper off by the end of August, said Dr. Daniel Feiken of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta.

"There's potential that, if there were more nutrients in the water because of runoff from overflooded rivers ... it may lead to a bloom in legionella," said Feiken, an epidemiologist.

Several East Coast states have seen Legionnaires cases double this year. The number of cases in Pennsylvania so far this year is 163, compared to 69 cases at the same time last year.

Florida's cases rose from 53 to 103, Maryland's cases went from 22 to 83 and Virginia increased from 16 to 65.

CIA seeking to recruit more linguists by ads

WASHINGTON -- The CIA is beginning a recruitment drive aimed at attracting linguists to teach Arabic, Chinese and other languages.

Ads will begin appearing in major newspapers this weekend, agency spokesman Mark Mansfield said Thursday. The campaign will continue for at least a month. The ads bear the headline "Intelligence speaks many languages."

"Improving the foreign language capabilities of our employees, whether they are operations officers, analysts or support personnel, is a top priority and will enhance our ability to carry out the agency's mission," Mansfield said. "We hope this new advertisement will reach people who are fluent in foreign languages, have the capacity to teach, and may not have otherwise considered a career in the CIA."

Languages of particular interest are Arabic, Chinese, Dari, Pashto, Korean, Farsi and Thai, he said.

Skilled linguists are a perpetual need at the CIA, officials say. The congressional inquiry into the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks concluded the U.S. intelligence community had a critical shortfall of linguists.

-- From wire reports