Events Calendar
Most Read Stories
Robbers order bar patrons to empty pockets
Family found dead in Ohio home
Akron man turns himself in after authorities turn up heat
Man gets 3 years in prison for having sex with horse
Sex-toy study at Duke University raises some eyebrows
Akron police follow blood trail to murder suspect
Boy tells 911 operator he shot father in anger
Man appears alive at own funeral
Blogs:
Pets:
Not 101 Dalmations…but close!
The Heldenfiles:
Friday Notebook
Patrick McManamon:
We interrupt today's entertainment …
Akron Zips:
UA adds Euton, a former Kentucky men's basketball recruit
Tribe Matters:
Tribe makes roster moves
Cleveland Browns:
Lewis doesn't like boycott
Kent State Sports:
Kent State @ Akron | Preview
Cleveland Cavaliers:
Gameblog: Cavs at Knicks
Buckeye Blogging:
Weekly ‘B’ Deck Report – New Mexico St.
Varsity Letters:
Wrestling, bowling teams prepare for season
All Da King's Men:
Bigger And Better Boondoggles
Blog of Mass Destruction:
The Shooter
Akron Law Café:
NEW U.S. Supreme Court Database
See Jane Style:
Muffle Your Muffler
Car Chase:
Perfect Weather for an Autumn Drive
Let's Talk Real Estate:
RUMORS: Downtown Restaurant Explosion
Ohio Travels with Betty:
Jack is looking for a trip to Southern Ohio the week of November 16.
Sound Check:
The Black Keys to perform benefit concert at Musica on November 27
HRLite House:
Personal Rant – Why People Do Not Live in Northeast Ohio
Akron Gamer:
New 'Call of Duty' could set entertainment record
National News
Big questions, small answers
Military refuses to release details about Fort Hood shooting spree or whether assailant acted alone
KILLEEN, TEXAS: On Wednesday and Thursday, Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan seemed in a hurry to give his worldly belongings to a neighbor. First a Quran. Then bags of vegetables. Finally a mattress, clothing and odds and ends from his bare one-room apartment.
Poll finds shortages of swine flu vaccine
U.S. officials say supplies increasing. 8 million doses are expected to arrive soon
ATLANTA: Only about a third of American adults who have tried to get a swine flu vaccine have been able to get it, according to a poll released Friday.
National news briefs - Nov. 7
MILWAUKEE
PepsiCo penalty set aside
A judge has tossed out a default judgment — for now at least — that could have cost PepsiCo Inc. $1.26 billion after the soft drink maker didn't respond to a lawsuit claiming it stole the idea for bottled water. The decision Friday by a Wisconsin court means PepsiCo will get its say in court — now that it has found out about the case. Two men claim PepsiCo violated trade secrets and stole their idea to sell bottled water.
Suspect in shooting in Florida blames debt
Man says he owes nearly $90,000 and can't afford to visit his son 30 minutes away
ORLANDO, FLA.: A man so broke that he said he didn't have the money to visit his son 30 minutes away opened fire Friday at the engineering firm that dismissed him two years ago, killing one person and wounding five others, authorities said.
Ads fuel gay marriage defeat
Movement hits stride by focusing on what children will be taught in schools
SAN FRANCISCO: Gay marriage opponents pulled off another victory at the ballot box this week by using a tried-and-tested argument: approve it and children will be taught homosexuality in school.
President confronts sobering numbers
Jobless rate becomes president's problem; more spending likely
WASHINGTON: For months he had warned it was coming but that didn't ease the political shock waves for President Barack Obama when unemployment topped 10 percent.
Obama seeking health-care votes
White House staff calling Democratic holdouts. Pelosi offers concessions to abortion opponents
WASHINGTON: Amid intense lobbying by the Obama administration, House Democratic leaders struggled Friday for the final votes needed to pass sweeping health-care legislation, offering fresh concessions to abortion opponents and working to ease concerns among Hispanic holdouts.
Leaders needed at climate talks to cut deal
Nations getting close to reaching an agreement, but some argue emissions pledges are too small
BARCELONA, SPAIN: After two years of tough U.N. climate talks often pitting the world's rich against the poor, negotiators said Friday a new global agreement rides on industrial nations pledging profound emissions cuts next month in Copenhagen.
Base pulls together to help shooting victims
Despite the gunfire, community responds to stop gunman and save the wounded
From Beacon Journal wire services
FORT HOOD, TEXAS: From the first frantic 911 call that a shooter was rampaging through the Readiness Processing Center on this sprawling Army base, it took police officer Kimberly Munley just four minutes to get there.
Boy tells 911 operator he shot father in anger
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.: ''Just get a doctor over here!'' the desperate 10-year-old boy begs a 911 operator. ''Please hurry up. It looks like he's dying.''
Poll: One-third can find, get swine flu vaccine
ATLANTA: Only about a third of adults who have tried to get a swine flu vaccine have been able to get it, according to a new national poll.
1 dead, 5 hurt in Orlando shooting; gunman caught
ORLANDO, Fla.: A gunman opened fire Friday in the offices of an engineering firm where he was let go more than two years ago, killing one person and injuring five others.
Striking Philly transit union mulls new proposal
PHILADELPHIA: The city's largest transit union today was reviewing a new contract proposal that Gov. Ed Rendell hoped could end a four-day-old strike that has idled subways, trolleys and buses and snarled the commutes for thousands of people.
Sex-toy study at Duke University raises some eyebrows
DURHAM, N.C.: A campus religious leader is unhappy about a study at Duke University that invites female students to attend parties where they can buy sex toys.
Suspect arrested in Milwaukee theft of flu vaccine
MILWAUKEE: Milwaukee police have arrested a man accused of stealing a truck carrying 900 doses of swine flu vaccine.
Airplane part falls onto home's front lawn
ROOSEVELT, N.Y.: An airplane part fell from the sky and landed on the front lawn of a home on Long Island, New York. Authorities are looking into how it happened.
Fort Hood suspect reportedly shouted ‘Allahu Akbar’
13 dead, 30 hurt in shooting spree; Army psychiatrist suspected in attack wounded
FORT HOOD, TEXAS: Soldiers who witnessed the shooting rampage at Fort Hood that left 13 people dead reported that the gunman shouted ‘‘Allahu Akbar!’’ before opening fire, the base commander said today.
Deadly shooting spree at Army base in Texas
12 killed, 31 wounded in Fort Hood rampage
In an act of violence that sent shock waves through the American military establishment and raised questions about base security, an Army psychiatrist armed with two handguns opened fire Thursday afternoon on the grounds of Fort Hood, authorities said.
Relatives say suspect feared deployment
Parents immigrate from Middle East
WASHINGTON: Born and reared in Virginia, the son of immigrant parents from a small town near Jerusalem, he joined the Army right out of high school, against his parents' wishes. The Army, in turn, put him through college and then medical school, where he trained to be a psychiatrist.
Big NYC companies get vaccines
Health officials make H1N1 shot available to high-risk employees
Associated Press
NEW YORK: Some of New York City's largest employers — including Wall Street firms like Goldman Sachs and big universities — have started receiving doses of the much-in-demand swine flu vaccine for their at-risk employees.
National news briefs - Nov. 6
Democrats confident health reform will pass
Two endorsements increase chances. Opponents protest
WASHINGTON: Buoyed by two major endorsements, House Democratic leaders on Thursday predicted swift passage of President Barack Obama's historic health overhaul initiative. The president himself declared, ''We are closer to passing this reform than ever before.''
Congress votes for increased aid
Bill extends homebuyer tax credit, jobless benefits
Associated Press
WASHINGTON: Congress took further steps to right the staggering economy by expanding a popular tax credit for homebuyers and extending unemployment checks for the growing legions of people running out of benefits with few job prospects.
FBI: Arrest made in slaying of New Mexico nun
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.: Federal agents descended on a small community on the Navajo Indian reservation early today to make an arrest in the slaying of a nun whose body was found in her home on church property.
Student may not get $10,000 prize for field goal
MISSOULA, MONT.: A University of Montana student who kicked a field goal to win a $10,000 prize likely won't get the money because he hadn't been away from the sport long enough.
Former New York police commissioner pleads guilty
WHITE PLAINS, N.Y.: Former New York City Police Commissioner Bernard Kerik pleaded guilty today to lying to the White House and said he would also admit to tax crimes.
Senate Democrats advance climate bill without GOP
WASHINGTON: Senate Democrats sidestepped a Republican boycott today, pushing a climate bill out of committee in an early step on a long and contentious road to passage.
Officials: Mom gave missing Florida infant to baby sitter
CHIPLEY, FLA.: A mother who reported her infant daughter missing had secretly turned her over to her baby sitter, who hid her in a box under a bed, authorities said today.
Inmates who came to guard's rescue get help, too
TAMPA, FLA.: Four inmates who came to the rescue of a Florida jail guard when he was attacked by another inmate may be getting some help of their own.
SUV hits elephant that escaped from circus
ENID, OKLA.: An Oklahoma couple driving home from church hit an animal — a really big one. An elephant that escaped from a nearby circus collided with the couple's SUV Wednesday night when it ran across a rural highway in Enid, about 100 miles north of Oklahoma City.
Northwest pilots appeal license revocation
WASHINGTON: The Northwest Airlines pilots who overshot Minneapolis by 150 miles have filed appeals of their license revocations with the National Transportation Safety Board.
Rail worker killed in Philly on third day of strike
PHILADELPHIA: Hundreds of commuters were stranded at a regional rail station today after service was suspended when a worker was struck and killed on the tracks, creating further havoc on the system already crippled by a transit strike.
Bill would give homebuyers a $6,500 tax break
WASHINGTON: Buying a home is about to get cheaper for a whole new crop of homebuyers — $6,500 cheaper.
Baby missing for 5 days found alive under bed
CHIPLEY, FLA.: A baby missing for five days was found alive and well under her baby sitter's bed, and Florida authorities said today they plan to charge the sitter, her husband and the child's mother.
Elections unsettle moderate Democrats
Results don't bode well for Obama and party
WASHINGTON: What we learned from the off-year elections: The president's influence is limited, independents rule, incumbents beware, issues trump ideology and, once more, ''It's the economy, stupid.''
Senate approves extending aid to jobless
Recognizing that a weak economy still needs a government boost, the Senate voted overwhelmingly Wednesday to provide the jobless with up to 20 weeks in additional unemployment benefits and expand a first-time homebuyer tax credit.
Gay-rights leaders look for blame
They point to scary ads, missing support of Obama in Maine election setback
SAN FRANCISCO: Stunned and angry, national gay-rights leaders Wednesday blamed scare-mongering ads — and President Barack Obama's lack of engagement — for a bitter election setback in Maine that could alter the dynamics for both sides in the gay-marriage debate.
Clunker pickups traded for new ones
Program purchases boast only slightly better gas mileage
WASHINGTON: The most common deals under the government's $3 billion Cash for Clunkers program, aimed at putting more fuel-efficient cars on the road, replaced old Ford or Chevrolet pickups with new ones that got only marginally better gas mileage, according to an analysis of new federal data by the Associated Press.
National news briefs - Nov. 5
Flu shows up in Indiana pigs and Iowa cat
Associated Press
WASHINGTON: The U.S. Department of Agriculture said Wednesday that pigs in a commercial herd in Indiana have tested positive for swine flu, marking the first time the virus has been found in such hogs.
AARP to give key endorsement to health reform
Action may be decisive for Democrats' agenda. Seniors' group knows many members will object
WASHINGTON: In a coup for House Democrats, AARP will endorse sweeping health-care overhaul legislation headed for a history-making floor vote, officials told the Associated Press on Wednesday.
Italian judge convicts 23 CIA agents in absentia
U.S. accused of taking terror suspects, moving them to countries where torture was permitted
Associated Press
MILAN: An Italian judge found 23 Americans and two Italians guilty Wednesday in the kidnapping of an Egyptian terror suspect, delivering the first legal convictions anywhere in the world against people involved in the CIA's extraordinary renditions program.
Strike-crowded Philly commuter train catches fire
PHILADELPHIA: A Philadelphia commuter train caught fire today, complicating the morning rush already hampered by the city's transit strike. Officials said no injuries were reported.
Government agrees to pay $3 million in CIA lawsuit
WASHINGTON: The government has agreed to pay $3 million to a former agent of the Drug Enforcement Administration who sued CIA officers for illegal eavesdropping.
Sheriff: 3 North Dakota students likely didn't see pond
DICKINSON, N.D.: Three college softball players found dead after their sport utility vehicle went into a pond on a North Dakota farm during a stargazing trip likely drove straight into the water in the dark, authorities said today.
House Democrats clear the way for health care vote
WASHINGTON: House Democrats cleared the way today for a pivotal floor vote on health care overhaul as early as the weekend, after tweaking their 1,900-page bill to crack down harder on insurance companies.
Video: Good samaritan doused in urine
Robbery victim identifies suspect from old yearbook
ERIE, PA.: After being robbed of his jacket, cell phone, keys and $300, a Pennsylvania man was left with the odd feeling that his assailants looked familiar. Police say that's because they went to school together about 15 years ago.
Man gets 3 years in prison for having sex with horse
CONWAY, S.C.: A man caught having sex with a horse in a South Carolina stable has been sentenced to three years in prison.
New Mexico calf fitted with prosthetic legs
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.: Meadow the yearling Black Angus calf spends her days frolicking in northeastern New Mexico's cattle country, all with her prosthetic hind legs.
Democrat wins House seat in heavily Republican area in New York
ALBANY, New York: A Democrat running in a historically Republican stronghold won a closely watched special congressional election in northern New York state, capitalizing on a split that emerged between moderates and conservatives for control of the Republican Party.
Judge says man who claims workers shot, beat him after robbery can sue store
MOUNT CLEMENS, MICH.: A Michigan judge says a man who claims he was chased, shot and beaten by workers at a store he'd just robbed can sue the men. But only if he comes up with $10,000 within two weeks.
National news briefs - Nov. 4
Obama half brother recalls abusive father
Author Mark Ndesandjo says he wrote new novel partially to raise awareness of domestic violence
GUANGZHOU, CHINA: President Barack Obama's half brother has broken his media silence to discuss his new novel — the semi-autobiographical story of an abusive parent patterned on their late father, the mostly absent figure Obama wrote about in his own memoir.
Republicans sweep Va., N.J. governor races
Contests in both states signal possible problems ahead for Obama as he seeks to achieve policy goals
WASHINGTON: Independents who swept Barack Obama to a historic 2008 victory broke big for Republicans on Tuesday as the GOP wrested political control from Democrats in Virginia and New Jersey, a troubling sign for the president and his party heading into an important midterm election year.
Voters in Maine repeal same-sex marriage
Failure is first time law enacted by legislature is defeated at the polls
PORTLAND, MAINE: Maine voters have torpedoed a state law that would have allowed gay couples to marry. With 84 percent of the precincts reporting, gay-marriage foes had 53 percent of the vote Tuesday.
Aspiring rapper indicted in 4 Virginia bludgeoning deaths
FARMVILLE, VA.: An aspiring California rapper has been indicted on capital murder charges in the deaths of four people found bludgeoned to death at a central Virginia home in September.
Python hunters bag 37 in Florida hunting season
WEST PALM BEACH, FLA.: Expert snake hunters snared 37 pythons in South Florida during a trial hunting season to eradicate the invasive species.
Seventh suspect arrested in California rape outside dance
RICHMOND, CALIF.: A seventh suspect was arrested today in the gang rape of a 15-year-old girl outside a high school homecoming dance while as many as 20 people watched without calling police.
Police: Lake search finds no trace of North Dakota students
DICKINSON, N.D.: Police say a dive team found nothing during a search of a North Dakota lake for signs of three missing college softball players .
Authorities find slain New Mexico nun's vehicle in Arizona
NAVAJO, N.M.: Investigators say a vehicle belonging to a nun slain on the Navajo Indian reservation has been recovered in Arizona.
House GOP pens 230-page health bill draft
WASHINGTON: After months spent criticizing Democrats' health overhaul plans, House Republicans have produced a draft proposal of their own. It's much shorter and focuses on bringing down costs rather than extending coverage to nearly all Americans.
Madoff's longtime auditor pleads guilty to fraud
NEW YORK: Bernard Madoff's longtime auditor pleaded guilty to securities fraud charges today, saying he failed to do his job to verify the disgraced money manager's financial records but did not know Madoff was running history's biggest Ponzi scheme.
Police: North Carolina father killed wife, 2 children, self
FAYETTEVILLE, N.C.: North Carolina police say a real estate developer known as an active member of his church shot and killed his wife and two teen children and then committed suicide in their Fayetteville home.
Germany's Merkel calls for strong deal on climate change
WASHINGTON: German Chancellor Angela Merkel marked the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall today in a speech to Congress, exhorting the world to ''overcome the walls of the 21st Century'' and reach a deal to combat global warming.
Man charged with torturing kitten, making video
SYRACUSE, N.Y.: Police are accusing a 22-year-old upstate New York man of hanging his girlfriend's 4-month-old kitten with a belt and making a video of the animal struggling.
Lawmakers seek ban on laptops in airliner cockpits
WASHINGTON: Lawmakers are moving to ban the use of computer laptops and other personal electronic devices in airline cockpits to prevent another incident like the Northwest Airlines plane that overshot Minneapolis by 150 miles.
Buses, subways halted by Philly transit strike
PHILADELPHIA: Commuters scrambled to find other ways to get to their destinations as Philadelphia transit system's largest union went on strike early today, stalling the city's buses, subways and trolleys a day after the World Series shifted to New York.
Sniper attorneys plan to appeal to U.S. high court
WASHINGTON: Attorneys for sniper mastermind John Allen Muhammad plan to file an appeal with the U.S. Supreme Court in an effort to stop next week's execution.
NIH official vouches for safety of flu vaccine
WASHINGTON: A leading government health figure says tests on millions of people who have received the H1N1 flu vaccine show that it's safe and effective.
Navy ship saluted by city that gave its name
USS New York arrives with hull made of steel taken from 9/11 towers
Associated Press
NEW YORK: The new Navy assault ship USS New York, built with World Trade Center steel, arrived in its namesake city Monday with a military salute near the site of the 2001 terrorist attack.
Breast-cancer fight slowed by stigma
Women in developing countries lacking support from husbands if the treatment includes surgery
WASHINGTON: Nurses were training women in rural Mexico to examine their breasts for cancer when one raised her hand to object. If she lost her breast, Harvard public health specialist Felicia Knaul recalls the woman saying, ''My man would leave me'' — and with him, the family's income.
Half of U.S. kids on food stamps at some point, new study finds
Children at risk for malnutrition, other issues, authors say
CHICAGO: Nearly half of all U.S. children and 90 percent of black youngsters will be on food stamps at some point during childhood, and fallout from the current recession could push those numbers even higher, researchers say.
Closely watched elections to gauge sentiment
Republicans sense opportunity today to begin comeback
WASHINGTON: For Republicans, an election win of any size today would be a blessing. But victories in Virginia, New Jersey or elsewhere won't erase enormous obstacles the party faces heading into a 2010 midterm election year when control of Congress and statehouses from coast to coast will be up for grabs.
Study finds antibiotics, birth defects linked
Medication used to treat urinary tract infections may be hurting fetuses
Researchers studying antibiotics in pregnancy have found a surprising link between common drugs used to treat urinary infections and birth defects. Reassuringly, the most-used antibiotics in early pregnancy — penicillins — appear to be the safest.
National news briefs - Nov. 3
Democrats add billions in costs to new health bill
Officials say legislation totals $1.2 trillion, far higher than earlier goal
WASHINGTON: The health-care bill headed for a vote in the House this week costs $1.2 trillion or more over a decade, according to numerous Democratic officials and figures contained in an analysis by congressional budget experts, far higher than the $900 billion cited by President Barack Obama as a price tag for his reform plan.
One dose of flu vaccine working in pregnant women
WASHINGTON: A single dose of the swine flu vaccine works well for almost all pregnant women, but young children will still need two doses for best results, federal health officials said today.
Soldier arrested over explosives in field outside his home
CLARKSVILLE, TENN.: An Army Special Forces soldier has been arrested following the discovery of about 100 pounds of explosives outside his Tennessee home.
Infant missing from home on Florida Panhandle
CHIPLEY, FLA.: A 7-month-old infant has gone missing from her home in a small town in the Florida Panhandle.
CDC: Contaminated beef in notheastern U.S. may be linked to 2 deaths
ROCHESTER, N.Y.: Two deaths and 26 other illnesses may be linked to fresh ground beef that has been recalled because it might be contaminated with E. coli bacteria, a federal health official said today.
Tribes say wind farm would destroy sacred ritual
MASHPEE, MASS.: From a blustery perch over a Cape Cod beach, Chuckie Green gestures toward a stretch of horizon where he says construction of the nation's first offshore wind farm would destroy his Indian tribe's religion.
Romney says Obama economic stimulus plan is a failure
WASHINGTON: Former Mass. Gov. Mitt Romney says the time has come to stop the economic stimulus program, contending that it has not worked as the Obama administration planned.
Ranks of millionaire college presidents up again
The fast-growing group of millionaire private college and university presidents hit a new record in recent years, and it's likely more college leaders will make seven-figure salaries once the slumping economy rebounds.
Man charged with killing 4 in Mayberry model town
MOUNT AIRY, N.C.: Police arrested a man early today in the parking lot slayings of four men shot in the North Carolina small town that was the inspiration for Mayberry in television's The Andy Griffith Show.
Teen suicides spur action in California community
Parents, city officials look for answers after four deaths on train tracks
PALO ALTO, CALIF.: Grim news hit this town in late October, just two days before a PTA forum on teenage stress: Another Palo Alto teen had died after stepping in front of a commuter train, the fourth such suicide in less than six months.
Overhaul might cap flex health accounts
Employee contribution may be limited to $2,500 in pretax income a year
Associated Press
WASHINGTON: Those tax-free spending accounts that you and your co-workers use to help pay for dental work, insurance co-payments or over-the-counter drugs face a hit under the health overhaul bills in Congress — unless a coalition that includes a powerful union, insurers and others can stop it.
Maine vote to decide same-sex marriage
Repeal of statewide law Tuesday would be seen as defeat for gay rights
PORTLAND, MAINE: Gay marriage has lost in every single state in which it has been put to a popular vote. Come Election Day, gay-rights supporters are hoping to make Maine the exception.
National news briefs - Nov. 2
Hard-hit factory towns slow to see stimulus relief
Roadwork and government aid can't fill gap left by shuttered businesses
WASHINGTON: Many communities hit hardest by job losses, those built around dying factories and mills, have been slowest to see relief from the federal government's stimulus plan, underscoring how hard it is for Washington policymakers to create lasting work in areas that need it most.
National news briefs - Nov. 1
Afghan official says 8 linked to U.N. attack arrested
Associated Press
KABUL: Authorities have arrested eight people, including one in Saudi Arabia, in connection with last week's deadly attack on a guest house used by United Nations employees, the Afghan intelligence chief said Saturday.
Ford employees reject changes
Contract adjustments would have allowed automaker to cut labor costs
DETROIT: Ford Motor Co. workers have overwhelmingly rejected contract changes that would have allowed the automaker to cut labor costs, leaving Ford at a disadvantage to its Detroit rivals as it struggles to return to profitability.
Few are expected to sign up for public option
Private insurers may lose 2 percent of market under Democrats' plan
WASHINGTON: What's all the fuss about? After all the noise over the Democrats' push for a government insurance plan to compete with private carriers, coverage numbers are finally in:
GOP leader believes Republicans have right answers on health care
WASHINGTON: Republicans have the answers to lower health costs and expanded coverage, not the Democrats who hold power in Washington and are creating more problems as they ''recklessly pursue'' a government takeover of the health-care system, a GOP leader said.
Clinton calls concessions by Israel 'unprecedented'
She's still unhappy with work in settlements but says talks should go on
JERUSALEM: U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said Saturday that Israel is making ''unprecedented'' concessions on West Bank settlement construction — a position clearly at odds with the prevailing Palestinian view.
Calif. searchers scour sea 2 days after crash
Associated Press
SAN DIEGO: Rescuers are still searching for survivors from a midair crash between Marine Corps and Coast Guard aircraft, a top commander said Saturday, as families of the nine military members lost in the Pacific more than two days ago held out hope their loved ones would be found alive.
Small terrorism plots are a threat, officials say
Such operations seen as more difficult to detect, but more likely to succeed than grandiose attacks
WASHINGTON: After disrupting two recent terrorism plots, American intelligence officials are increasingly concerned that extremist groups in Pakistan linked to al-Qaida are planning smaller operations in the United States that are harder to detect but more likely to succeed than the spectacular attacks they once emphasized, senior counterterrorism officials say.
Not all booming counties cough up gains in recession
Analysis shows that fastest-growing regions do worse than average, but some bucking trend
RALEIGH, N.C.: In the state capital's downtown core, $500,000 decorative streetlights beam down on bustling crowds who've come to dine and play along a recently revitalized pedestrian plaza.
Allure of candy, Obamas attracts thousands
First couple hands out treats to droves of kids, hosts holiday reception
WASHINGTON: President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama on Saturday doled out presidential M&Ms and dried fruit mixes to more than 2,000 trick-or-treaters, marking their Halloween at a White House event partly aimed at honoring military families.
Passengers faint on flight from U.S. to London
LONDON: Six people fainted on board a British Airways flight from Newark Liberty Airport to London's Heathrow today, prompting emergency crews to check the plane for hazardous materials.
Philly transit workers could still walk tonight as Game 3 starts
PHILADELPHIA: Negotiators for Philadelphia's transit agency and its largest union bargained today in the shadow of an evening strike deadline that could send workers off the job just before Game 3 of the World Series.
Ethics report scrutinizes lawmakers
Leaked account mentions dozens of House members
WASHINGTON: Dozens of lawmakers have drawn scrutiny from their ethics monitor this year for everything from financial dealings to travel and campaign donations, according to a leaked account showing an active House panel secretly at work.
National news briefs - Oct. 31
Search for crash victims continues
Nine are feared dead in midair collision
Associated Press
SAN DIEGO: The nighttime collision of a Coast Guard aircraft on a rescue mission and a Marine helicopter left nine people feared dead at sea Friday as investigators tried to solve the mystery of how the crews failed to see each other in a heavily used military training area.
'Side effects' not always due to swine flu shot
Study says people shouldn't jump to conclusions, linking coincidental events to getting new vaccine
LONDON: Hundreds of people on any given day will die, develop the paralyzing Guillain-Barre syndrome or have spontaneous abortions, and that doesn't necessarily mean that their swine flu vaccination shot was to blame, a new study says.
House liberals clear path for health bill
Many plan to vote for weakened public option despite earlier reservations
WASHINGTON: They may not like it, but many House liberals look ready to accept a compromise health-care bill, putting Democratic leaders well on the way to delivering on President Barack Obama's call for overhaul.
Police seek shooter who wounded 2 at LA synagogue
LOS ANGELES: Police on Friday pressed forward with their hunt for a gunman, a day after he wounded two men in the parking garage of a Los Angeles synagogue.
Obama calls experience at air base 'sobering'
President on hand as cases holding war dead return from Afghanistan
WASHINGTON: Hours after a personal encounter with the grim cost of war, President Barack Obama said Thursday that the sight of 18 flag-covered cases holding the remains of Americans killed this week in Afghanistan can't help but influence his thinking about sending more troops overseas.
West Virginia tops U.S. for sleeplessness
About 1-in-9 Ohioans also reporting difficulty getting their needed rest
ATLANTA: Sleepless in Seattle? No, make that Charleston. West Virginia is where people are really staying awake, according to the first government study to monitor state-by-state differences in sleeplessness.
National news briefs - Oct. 30
Senate OKs bill to avoid shutdown of agencies
Measure gives Congress until Dec. 18 to finish seven funding measures
WASHINGTON: The Senate Thursday cleared a stopgap spending measure to avoid shutting down most federal agencies at midnight Saturday.
House Dems' health plan faces challenges
Members of conservative Blue Dog coalition not ready to join party's liberal leaders in backing bill
WASHINGTON: Democratic leaders Thursday invoked the spirit of generations of party heroes to rally their members of the House of Representatives behind a new health-care plan — but it's clear that winning a majority will be a tough fight.
Florida man creates giant rubber band ball
LAUDERHILL, FLA.: Look, over there. Under that blue tarp in a suburban driveway. That thing that's the size of a Smart car?
Storm dumps snow on Rockies, Plains; more forecast
DENVER: A slow-moving autumn storm showed no signs of letting up in Colorado and the western Plains today, blanketing areas already buried with as much as 3 feet, closing schools and businesses and delaying flights.
Report: States set low bar for student achievement
WASHINGTON: Many states set achievement standards so low that they can say their students are reading and doing math at their grade level when they haven't truly mastered the subjects, the Education Department asserted today.
Pelosi: New health care bill is 'historic moment'
WASHINGTON: After months of struggle, House Democrats unveiled sweeping legislation today to extend health care coverage to millions who lack it and create a new option of government-run insurance. A vote is likely next week on the plan patterned closely on President Barack Obama's own.
Coast Guard searching for missing Navy plane
CORPUS CHRISTI, TEXAS: The Coast Guard says an overnight search yielded no sign of a Navy plane and two pilots who failed to return from a flight.
National news briefs - Oct. 29
Democrats in House to unveil health plan
Legislation would extend coverage to about 95% of Americans if passed
WASHINGTON: House Democrats reached agreement Wednesday on key elements of a health-care bill that would vastly alter America's medical landscape, requiring virtually universal sign-ups and establishing a new government-run insurance option for millions.
Obama signs ban on gay hate crimes
Move considered first of promised reforms on president's agenda
WASHINGTON: President Barack Obama on Wednesday signed the first major piece of federal gay-rights legislation, a milestone that activists compared to the passage of 1960s civil-rights legislation empowering blacks.
NASA moon rocket completes test flight
White House could still decide to dump program
Associated Press
CAPE CANAVERAL, FLA.: NASA's newest rocket successfully completed a brief test flight Wednesday, the first step in a back-to-the-moon program that could still be shelved by the White House.
Trustee says $530 million-plus paid to Madoff victims
NEW YORK: The trustee overseeing the liquidation of Bernard Madoff's assets says more $530 million has been paid so far to victims of the disgraced financier's massive fraud.
13 couples claim N.Y. man orchestrated adoption scam that included Ohio
MINEOLA, N.Y.: Prosecutors have charged a New York attorney with victimizing 13 couples in a multistate, Ponzi-like adoption scam.
Michigan teen guilty in beating death of homeless man
PONTIAC, MICH.: A 15-year-old was found guilty today in the fatal beating last year of a homeless man, a day after a second teenager was convicted and a third was taken into custody.
Man pleads guilty, is fined in massive South Carolina wildfire
MYRTLE BEACH, S.C.: A man fined for starting a blaze several days before the most destructive wildfire in South Carolina history has pleaded guilty and will pay $732.
3 arrested in California in alleged gang rape of girl
RICHMOND, CALIF.: Three more people have been arrested in connection with the gang rape and beating of a 15-year-old girl outside her high school homecoming dance in an attack that has generated widespread outrage.
Police say ex-lawmaker caught with stripper in cemetery
COLUMBIA, S.C.: A former South Carolina legislator has been fired from the state prosecutor's office after authorities say he was discovered in a Columbia cemetery with a stripper.
NASA's new moon rocket makes first test flight
CAPE CANAVERAL, FLA.: NASA's newest rocket successfully completed a brief test flight today, taking the first step in a back-to-the-moon program that could yet be shelved by the White House.
Tough commute likely after Bay Bridge rod snaps in California
SAN FRANCISCO: The San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge has been closed indefinitely after a rod installed during last month's emergency repairs snapped, causing a traffic nightmare for the 280,000 motorists who cross the landmark span every day.
Too fat to kill? Man uses weight as a defense
TRENTON, N.J.: A Florida man accused of killing his son-in-law in New Jersey is arguing that he was unable to commit the crime because he was too fat.
District attorney to investigate balloon boy sheriff
FORT COLLINS, COLO.: A special prosecutor has been appointed to investigate allegations the Larimer County sheriff violated privacy laws in the case of the runaway balloon that was believed to be carrying a young boy.
Lawmaker falls during third DUI arrest
TOMAH, WIS.: A squad car video shows a Wisconsin lawmaker falling down during a sobriety test that led to his third arrest in less than a year on suspicion of driving under the influence.
National news briefs - Oct. 28
Government insurance divides Senate Democrats
Moderates oppose latest health-care option unveiled by majority leader
WASHINGTON: Democratic moderates who control the balance of power on health-care legislation balked Tuesday at a government-run insurance option for millions of Americans, underscoring the enormity of the challenge confronting Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid one day after he unveiled the plan as a consensus product.
Senators grapple over cost of climate legislation
Bill focuses on restricting greenhouse gas pollution from industrial facilities
WASHINGTON: Senators tussled over the cost of climate legislation Tuesday with the leading author of the bill maintaining that while energy prices will increase, inaction on global warming would cause even worse economic and security problems.
Senate votes to take up jobless benefit extension
Unemployed would get up to 20 more weeks of aid; bill could be used to extend homebuyer credit
WASHINGTON: After weeks of political haggling, the Senate agreed Tuesday to take up legislation that would give people running out of unemployment insurance benefits up to 20 more weeks of federal aid.
Asylum seekers citing sexual orientation
More immigrants hope to escape persecution in their native countries
WORCESTER, MASS.: For weeks, Nathaniel Cunningham and his boyfriend secretly lived together in rural Jamaica. They showed no affection in public and rarely spoke to neighbors.
Sales of raw Gulf oysters face ban
FDA plans to pull plug in warm months due to deadly bacteria
NEW ORLEANS: Federal officials plan to ban sales of raw oysters harvested from the Gulf of Mexico unless the shellfish are treated to destroy potentially deadly bacteria — a requirement that opponents say could deprive diners of a delicacy cherished for generations.
Behavior medicine creating heavier children
Study links alarming weight gain in kids with psychiatric drugs
CHICAGO: Children on widely used psychiatric drugs can quickly gain an alarming amount of weight; many pack on nearly 20 pounds and become obese within just 11 weeks, a study found.
2 Chicago men accused of plotting terror attacks
CHICAGO: Two Chicago men are charged with plotting terrorist attacks against overseas targets, including at a Danish newspaper that sparked outrage throughout the Muslim world by publishing cartoons depicting the Prophet Muhammad, prosecutors announced today.
Attorney says student hit by California police was at fault
SAN JOSE, CALIF.: The attorney for a police officer shown on video striking an unarmed San Jose State University student with a baton says the student was to blame for the incident.
Lawyer says confession in fatal beating of homeless man was jumbled
PONTIAC, MICH.: A defense attorney says a ''jumbled'' police interview elicited an apparent confession from a Michigan teenager accused of helping beat a homeless man to death.
Funeral held for slain Florida girl found in landfill
ORANGE PARK, FLA.: Mourners said farewell today to a 7-year-old Florida girl whose body was found in a Georgia landfill after she vanished on her way home from school, and they honored her favorite color by releasing hundreds of purple balloons into the sky.
Obama putting $3.4B toward a 'smart' power grid
ARCADIA, FLA.: President Barack Obama made a pitch for renewable energy today, announcing $3.4 billion in government support for 100 projects aimed at modernizing the nation's power grid.
D.C. sniper set to be executed next month
RICHMOND, VA.: The mastermind of the 2002 Washington, DC-area sniper attacks will die by lethal injection next month, Virginia officials said today.
Soldiers accused in marriage scam for benefits
WILMINGTON, N.C.: Sgt. Jason Hawk and his bride met for the first time when he picked her up at a bus stop near his Army base a day before their wedding. Prosecutors say the speedy romance was echoed by a fast honeymoon: Ayna Ivanova returned to New York soon after.
Police say motorist drove more than mile with man stuck in windshield
PROVIDENCE, R.I.: Providence, R.I., police say a motorist hit someone with his car and then drove a more than a mile with him stuck in his windshield.
New safety worry: Laptops, devices in the cockpit
WASHINGTON: Two Northwest Airlines pilots who flew 150 miles past their destination because they were focused on laptop computers instead of cockpit displays may have opened a new avenue of concern for safety regulators — distracting personal electronic devices on the flight deck.
Ohio peace museum angling for Obama's prize money
DAYTON, OHIO: A fledging museum devoted to the pursuit of peace is hoping its mission is just what President Barack Obama is looking for when he decides what to do with the $1.4 million cash award that comes with his Nobel Peace Prize.
Wisconsin nonprofit gets $3.3 million grant for solar training, will work with Ohio groups
MADISON, WIS.: A Wisconsin nonprofit will train solar power instructors throughout the Midwest with a $3.3 million federal grant.
Artists plan to encase vacant Detroit home in ice
DETROIT: A photographer and an architect plan to freeze one of Detroit's thousands of abandoned homes this winter, encasing it in ice to draw attention to foreclosures that have battered the region.
Senate health bill to include public option
Majority Leader says program would ensure competition, level playing field for patients with the insurance industry
WASHINGTON: Health-care legislation heading for the Senate floor will give millions of Americans the option of purchasing government-run insurance coverage, Majority Leader Harry Reid announced Monday, although he stopped short of claiming the 60 votes needed to pass a plan steeped in controversy.
National news briefs - Oct. 27
Most statisticians figure world climate warming
Blind test by Associated Press debunks global-cooling claims by skeptics
WASHINGTON: Have you heard that the world is now cooling instead of warming? You may have seen some news reports on the Internet or heard about it from a provocative new book.
Hundreds charged in child prostitution crackdown
Nearly 700 arrests made and 52 children rescued in nationwide operation
WASHINGTON: Federal officials announced Monday that 52 children had been saved and nearly 700 people had been arrested and charged over the past three days in a nationwide crackdown on child prostitution.
Hospitals are set to tighten delivery rules
Labor being induced too early, study finds, putting babies at risk
Associated Press
WASHINGTON: Hoping to schedule your baby's birth while your mother's in town, or before the doctor goes on vacation? Labor is becoming less of a late-night surprise, but some hospitals are starting to tighten the rules for elective deliveries — because some babies are being delivered too early.
Bank oversight plans leave lawmakers wary
Some worry handing Fed expanded powers could prove distraction
WASHINGTON: The chairman of a key congressional panel Monday scaled back important parts of the Obama administration's plan to dismantle financial institutions that are deemed ''too big to fail.''
Carrots and Sticks: Obama's split media strategy
WASHINGTON: The same president who aggressively harnesses the power of the press to promote his agenda has taken to lacing his comments with criticisms of the media, with no bigger target than the gabby culture of cable television.
14 Americans killed in 2 Afghan helicopter crashes
Helicopter crashes killed 14 Americans on Monday in the deadliest day for the U.S. mission in Afghanistan in more than four years. The deaths came as President Barack Obama prepared to meet his national security team for a sixth full-scale conference on the future of the troubled war.
National news briefs - Oct. 26
Employer mandate to be cut
Large firms would owe penalties if workers need aid, officials say
WASHINGTON: Businesses would not be required to provide health insurance under legislation being prepared for Senate debate, but large firms would owe significant penalties if any worker needed government subsidies to buy coverage on their own, according to Democratic officials familiar with talks on the bill.
1 in 5 children may be short of Vitamin D
Studies suggest it can help prevent diseases, infections, weak bones
At least one in five U.S. children from age 1 to 11 doesn't get enough vitamin D and could be at risk for a variety of health problems, including weak bones, the most recent national analysis suggests.
Risks in 'natural' menopause remedies
Experts warn women about hormone mixes sold as 'bioidenticals'
Miserable in menopause, Elizabeth Alsgaard pondered an awful choice: drenching hot flashes or hormone therapy that might raise the risk of cancer. What former actress Suzanne Somers raved about held much more appeal: custom-mixed ''bioidentical'' hormones, just like ones the body makes.
Unproven drugs stay on market
Investigators say FDA fails to follow up on benefits
WASHINGTON: The Food and Drug Administration has allowed drugs for cancer and other diseases to stay on the market even when follow-up studies showed they didn't save lives, say congressional investigators.
U.S. declares H1N1 a national emergency
Obama gives his health chief the power to allow hospitals to set up off-site centers to care for patients with swine flu
WASHINGTON: President Barack Obama declared the swine flu outbreak a national emergency, giving his health chief the power to let hospitals move emergency rooms off-site to speed treatment and protect uninfected patients.
National news briefs - Oct. 25
Health-care premiums rise for small businesses
Insurance brokers, benefits consultants say clients facing 15% hike. Wall Street pressure is one factor
As Congress nears votes on legislation that would overhaul the health-care system, many small businesses say they are facing the steepest rise in insurance premiums they have seen in recent years.
Kid's no genius? Disney offers Baby Einstein refunds
Advocacy group opposes company marketing the DVDs as educational
New York Times
Parent alert: The Walt Disney Co. is now offering refunds for all those Baby Einstein videos that did not make children into geniuses.
Janitor faces charges in N.J. priest slaying
Prosecutor contends church worker killed pastor after argument
MORRISTOWN, N.J.: A janitor was charged with murder Saturday in the slaying of a priest whose body was found in the rectory of his northern New Jersey church.
S.C. diocese votes to distance itself from national church
Associated Press
MOUNT PLEASANT, S.C.: The Diocese of South Carolina voted Saturday to distance itself — but not completely split — from the national Episcopal Church because of church positions on same-sex unions and ordination of gays.
Lawyer bashes release of affidavit
He says mother's confession in case of 'balloon boy' should not be public
Associated Press
FORT COLLINS, COLO.: A mother's confession that she and her husband faked their 6-year-old son's disappearance in a runaway balloon shouldn't have been made public, an attorney for the father said.
Experts debate whether naps make flying safer
Mid-flight snoozing not allowed on U.S. airplanes but NASA research says it cuts the risk of fatigue among pilots
MINNEAPOLIS: Charles Lindbergh famously fell asleep while crossing the Atlantic, and despite strict federal rules against it, experienced airline pilots say it's not uncommon to sneak a nap inside the cockpit.
Top prize in humor will go to Cosby
Comedian and educator finally says yes to award he's turned down twice
Bill Cosby still thinks America is funny — like the name-calling over health care and the way we drink so much water from plastic bottles that could be toxic — even though he says the nation has some serious problems it needs to tackle.
U.S. declares H1N1 a national emergency
Obama gives his health chief the power to allow hospitals to set up off-site centers to care for patients with swine flu
WASHINGTON: President Barack Obama declared the swine flu outbreak a national emergency, giving his health chief the power to let hospitals move emergency rooms off-site to speed treatment and protect uninfected patients.
National news briefs
1ST. MARTINS, MO.
Juvenile charged
Juvenile authorities said Saturday that a 15-year-old has been charged with first-degree murder for the death of a 9-year-old central Missouri girl found in the woods two days after she went missing. Police did not release the teen's gender or name and provided few other details about the person suspected of killing Elizabeth Olten.
Health-care premiums rise for small businesses
Insurance brokers, benefits consultants say clients facing 15% hike. Wall Street pressure is one factor
As Congress nears votes on legislation that would overhaul the health-care system, many small businesses say they are facing the steepest rise in insurance premiums they have seen in recent years.
Kid's no genius? Disney offers Baby Einstein refunds
Advocacy group opposes company marketing the DVDs as educational
New York Times
Parent alert: The Walt Disney Co. is now offering refunds for all those Baby Einstein videos that did not make children into geniuses.
Janitor faces charges in N.J. priest slaying
Prosecutor contends church worker killed pastor after argument
MORRISTOWN, N.J.: A janitor was charged with murder Saturday in the slaying of a priest whose body was found in the rectory of his northern New Jersey church.
S.C. diocese votes to distance itself from national church
Associated Press
MOUNT PLEASANT, S.C.: The Diocese of South Carolina voted Saturday to distance itself — but not completely split — from the national Episcopal Church because of church positions on same-sex unions and ordination of gays.
Lawyer bashes release of affidavit
He says mother's confession in case of 'balloon boy' should not be public
Associated Press
FORT COLLINS, COLO.: A mother's confession that she and her husband faked their 6-year-old son's disappearance in a runaway balloon shouldn't have been made public, an attorney for the father said.
Experts debate whether naps make flying safer
Mid-flight snoozing not allowed on U.S. airplanes but NASA research says it cuts the risk of fatigue among pilots
MINNEAPOLIS: Charles Lindbergh famously fell asleep while crossing the Atlantic, and despite strict federal rules against it, experienced airline pilots say it's not uncommon to sneak a nap inside the cockpit.
Top prize in humor will go to Cosby
Comedian and educator finally says yes to award he's turned down twice
WASHINGTON: Bill Cosby still thinks America is funny — like the name-calling over health care and the way we drink so much water from plastic bottles that could be toxic — even though he says the nation has some serious problems it needs to tackle.
Rising bank failures only tell part of woes
106 so far in 2009, the most since 1992. But there are dozens in trouble because of real estate and construction defaults
WASHINGTON: The cascade of bank failures this year surpassed 100 on Friday, the most in nearly two decades. And the trouble in the banking system from bad loans and the recession goes even deeper than the number suggests.
National news briefs - Oct. 24
Strict abortion laws spark court fights in Oklahoma
Opponents say forcing women to take survey intimidating and Draconian
OKLAHOMA CITY: Two new laws being challenged in the Oklahoma courts would give the state some of the strictest abortion laws in the country by forcing women to answer questions about race and their relationships, and to listen to a doctor talk them through an ultrasound.
How could pilots miss landing by 150 miles?
Captains say error caused by a heated discussion; investigators suspect they fell asleep during flight
WASHINGTON: Were the pilots distracted? Catching up on their sleep? Federal investigators struggled to determine what the crew of a Northwest Airlines jetliner were doing at 37,000 feet as they sped 150 miles past their Minneapolis destination and military jets scrambled to chase them. Unfortunately, the cockpit voice recorder may not tell the tale.
House health-care bill exceeds $1 trillion
Officials say measure will cost $150 billion more than earlier estimate. Democrats are aiming for vote next month
WASHINGTON: Health-care legislation taking shape in the House carries a price tag of at least $1 trillion over a decade, significantly higher than the target President Barack Obama has set, congressional officials said Friday as they struggled to finish the measure for a vote early next month.
EPA to limit power-plant emissions
New regulations will clean up harmful pollutants such as mercury. Rules will go into effect in 2011
WASHINGTON: The Environmental Protection Agency will put controls on the emissions of hazardous pollutants such as mercury from coal-fired power plants for the first time by November 2011, according to an agreement announced Friday to settle a lawsuit against the agency.
More Americans getting flu shots than ever before
Swine strain widespread in 46 states; U.S. deaths have surpassed 1,000
ATLANTA: More Americans have been vaccinated against seasonal flu this fall than ever before by this time of year, federal health officials said Friday.
Bank plan might not curb risk
Fed oversight would do little to discourage traders from gambling on stocks and bonds
NEW YORK: It's the boldest idea yet to rein in Wall Street recklessness: Put the Federal Reserve in charge of policing not just the nation's banks, but also how much their employees are paid.
Fed to police banks' compensation
Plan aims at discouraging recklessness, risk-taking
WASHINGTON: The Federal Reserve would police banks' pay policies to ensure they don't encourage employees to take reckless gambles like those that contributed to the financial crisis, according to a proposal unveiled Thursday.
U.S. slashes executive pay for companies in bailout
Firms that haven't repaid funds targeted for cuts
WASHINGTON: The government zeroed in on corporate excess and recklessness Thursday with deep, unprecedented cuts in executive compensation at companies living on taxpayer money.
Comedian Soupy Sales dies
Soupy Sales, the rubber-faced comedian whose anything-for-a-chuckle career was built on 20,000 pies to the face and 5,000 live TV appearances across a half-century of laughs, has died at 83.
National news briefs - Oct. 23
NEW YORK
Chart-topper pleads guilty
Rap star Lil Wayne is bracing for a year behind bars after pleading guilty Thursday to a two-year-old gun charge. A glum Lil Wayne said little as he admitted illegally having a loaded gun on his tour bus in 2007. The plea came as he boasted the country's No. 1 pop song, Down.
Panel urges NASA to look past moon
U.S. committee calls for fresh destinations
WASHINGTON: NASA needs to make a major detour on its grand plans to return astronauts to the moon, an independent panel told the White House Thursday.
Scams crop up as flu crosses nation
Many dubious claims involve new Web sites, but even soap doubted
Air ''sterilizers.'' A photon machine. Supplement pills to boost the immune system. Protective shampoos and face masks. Even fake Tamiflu.
Body found in landfill is missing Florida girl, 7
Garbage trucks lead officers to discovery of homicide victim
ORANGE PARK, FLA.: After 7-year-old Somer Thompson vanished on her way home from school, investigators tailed nine garbage trucks from her neighborhood to a Georgia landfill nearly 50 miles away, then methodically picked through the trash as each rig spilled its load.
Agents arrest 300 in drug cartel raids
U.S. authorities target Mexican meth mob known as La Familia
WASHINGTON: In the largest single strike at Mexican drug operations in the United States, federal officials on Thursday announced the arrests of more than 300 people in raids across the country aimed at the newest and most violent cartel.
Congress is scrutinizing homebuyers' tax credit
Treasury official questions eligibility of 100,000 claims during hearing
WASHINGTON: The rush to implement a tax credit for first-time homebuyers opened the program to potential fraud by people who hadn't bought a home or already owned one, Congress was told Thursday.
Public option is back on table
Report from secret talks distressing to moderates
WASHINGTON: Senior Senate Democrats at work with White House officials on health-care legislation are strongly considering a requirement for the federal government to sell insurance in direct competition with private industry, officials said Thursday, with individual states permitted to drop out of the system.
House backs federal agency for consumers
Banks and businesses protest bill to regulate U.S. financial services
WASHINGTON: A federal agency to regulate home loans, credit cards, savings accounts and other financial services won the approval of a House committee on Thursday in spite of loud complaints from banks and businesses.
Hate-crimes law extended to gays
Voinovich and Brown vote for federal measure expanding protection
WASHINGTON: Physical attacks on people based on their sexual orientation will join the list of federal hate crimes in a major expansion of the civil rights-era law Congress approved Thursday and sent to President Barack Obama.
Head-butting defendant gets 39-year murder sentence
YAKIMA, WASH.: A man who headbutted his attorney during his murder trial has been sentenced to 39 years in prison for shooting a man he believed was having an affair with his girlfriend.
Friend says balloon boy's mom will 'go down with the ship'
FORT COLLINS, COLO.: On an episode of ABC's Wife Swap, Mayumi Heene pounds her fists and shouts in frustration because she believes her co-star isn't paying enough attention to one of his sons.
Philadelphia homeless man crushed in trash truck
PHILADELPHIA: Police in Philadelphia say a homeless man sleeping in a trash bin wound up in the back of a garbage truck and was killed by the vehicle's compactor.
Propane tanker explodes on Indianapolis highway ramp
INDIANAPOLIS: A liquid propane tanker has exploded on an Indianapolis highway ramp, closing Interstates 69 and 465.
Official says arsonist burns Seattle police vehicles
SEATTLE: The Seattle Fire Department says several police vehicles were set aflame by an arsonist at a city maintenance and storage yard.
Man pleads guilty to driving motorized La-Z-Boy while drunk
DULUTH, MINN.: A Minnesota man has pleaded guilty to driving his motorized La-Z-Boy chair while drunk.
More than 1,100 feds, L.A. police conduct gang sweep
LOS ANGELES: More than 1,100 FBI agents and police officers spread out through South Los Angeles, banging on doors before dawn today in a crackdown against a gang implicated in drug dealing and violent crime, authorities said.
Deal on Medicare payments boosts House health bill
WASHINGTON: House Democrats have reached a deal on Medicare payments that will secure critical support from heartland and Pacific Coast lawmakers for President Barack Obama's goal of revamping health care.
Drug raids targeting Mexican cartel nab 300-plus
WASHINGTON: Attorney General Eric Holder calls it the largest single strike at a Mexican drug cartel operating in the U.S. — the arrest of more than 300 people in a series of drug raids across the country.
Burglar gets prison time in cop-shoots-cop case
NEW YORK: A man will spend 11/2 years in prison for breaking into the car of an off-duty New York City police officer who was then killed in a friendly fire shooting.
Man accused of drugging young girls, filming them
KANSAS CITY, MO.: Prosecutors say a Kansas City, Mo., man gave sedative-laced ice cream to several young girls and filmed them in pornographic poses while they were unconscious.
Police: Man robs bank, then turns himself in
GRAND RAPIDS, MICH.: A man robbed a Michigan bank and got away — but didn't stay away. WOOD-TV reports that a 40-year-old Comstock Park resident later called 911 and confessed.
Poll: Americans' belief in global warming cools
WASHINGTON: The number of Americans who believe there is solid evidence that the Earth is warming because of pollution is at its lowest point in three years, according to a survey released today.
Sheriff: Clothes, birthmark identify Florida girl's body
ORANGE PARK, FLA.: Authorities believe a body found under trash in a landfill is that of 7-year-old Somer Thompson, a north Florida girl who vanished on her walk home from school, the sheriff in charge of the case said today.
Poll finds 58 percent would give pet CPR
Most pet owners would leap into action for an injured pet, even if it meant risking dog breath by going mouth-to-snout.
Democrats go after antitrust exemption
Lawmakers work on legislation to change insurance industry standards
WASHINGTON: Democrats launched a drive at both ends of the Capitol on Wednesday to strip the insurance industry of its decades-old exemption from federal antitrust laws, part of an increasingly bare-knuckled struggle over landmark health-care legislation sought by President Barack Obama.
New edited ACORN video released
Activists say it shows they were never told to leave, but only part of Philadelphia visit is shown
Associated Press
WASHINGTON: Two conservative activists released a new undercover video targeting the community organizing group ACORN on Wednesday, an attempt to reignite a simmering political controversy surrounding the Democratic-leaning organization.
National news briefs - Oct. 22
Woman in torture case says accusations are a lie
22-year-old claims she wanted revenge against boyfriend who beat her
COLUMBUS: Megan Williams' shocking accusations initially strained the imagination: Seven white people beat her with sticks, forced her to eat feces, raped her and taunted her with racial slurs over several days in a ramshackle trailer in West Virginia.
House committee deals blow to banks
Panel ensures states would have oversight
Associated Press
WASHINGTON: The House Financial Services Committee agreed Wednesday to ensure that states can impose their own tough consumer protection laws against big banks, dealing a blow to a financial industry blamed for bringing down the U.S. economy and lobbying furiously against more government oversight.
Administration to force bailout companies to cut pay
Seven corporations with largest government help would slice top executives' compensation by 90%
Associated Press
WASHINGTON: The Obama administration plans to order companies that received huge government bailouts last year to sharply cut the compensation of their highest-paid executives, according to a person familiar with the decision.
Swine flu vaccine arriving too late for many
Full delivery weeks away. Old technology called slow
The federal government originally promised 120 million doses of swine flu vaccine by now. Only 13 million have come through.
Video makers release tape of Philadelphia ACORN visit
WASHINGTON: Two conservative activists released a new undercover video targeting the community organizing group ACORN on Wednesday, an attempt to reignite a simmering political controversy surrounding the Democratic-leaning organization.
Marine pleads guilty in Virginia hero hoax case
QUANTICO, VA.: A Marine Corps sergeant pleaded guilty today to faking post-traumatic stress disorder and pretending to be an injured hero to get in free to rock concerts and professional sporting events.
First sweat lodge survivor speaks out
FLAGSTAFF, ARIZ.: A woman who took part in an Arizona sweat lodge ceremony tells the Associated Press that the spiritual guru who led the event pushed participants too far in what was supposed to be a life-expanding experience that culminated with people vomiting and passing out on the floor.
Woman in West Virginia torture case now says she lied
CHARLESTON, W.VA.: A black woman whose racially charged allegations of horrific abuse helped put several people in prison now says she lied when she alleged she was kidnapped, sexually assaulted and tortured in a ramshackle West Virginia trailer.
Wrongfully convicted man awarded $14 million
BOSTON: A federal jury awarded $14 million today to a man who spent nearly 15 years in prison after he was wrongly convicted in the 1988 slaying of a 12-year-old Boston girl.
Miami judge gives cocaine kingpin 45 years in jail
MIAMI: A kingpin from a cartel that once sent more Colombian cocaine into the United States than any other has been sentenced to 45 years in prison.
Gunman prays with clerk before finishing robbery
INDIANAPOLIS: Police say an armed robber spent nearly 10 minutes on his knees praying with a clerk at an Indianapolis check-cashing business before fleeing with $20 from the register.
Video: Police say men had sex with horses on Tenn. farm
Ohio man indicted again in 1982 N.J. murder
CAPE MAY COURT HOUSE, N.J.: An Ohio man has been indicted a second time on charges that he's responsible for a 1982 killing in New Jersey.
Feds say man planned terror attacks on U.S. malls
BOSTON: A 27-year-old Massachusetts man conspired to kill two prominent U.S. politicians and carry out a holy war by attacking shoppers in U.S. malls and American troops in Iraq, federal prosecutors said today as they announced his arrest.
Taser issues advisory on use of stun guns
PHOENIX: Taser International is advising police agencies across the nation not to shoot its stun guns at a suspect's chest.
Investigators baffled by missing Florida girl
JACKSONVILLE, FLA.: Investigators have no clues three days after a 7-year-old girl vanished on her way home from school, a sheriff in north Florida said today.
CDC concedes swine flu vaccine production is behind schedule
WASHINGTON: A top-ranking official of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says production of a vaccine for swine flu virus is behind schedule and people should take precautionary steps to prevent its spread.
Obama honors squadron that served in Vietnam
Army soldiers who rescued colleagues receive highest unit award in military
WASHINGTON: President Barack Obama on Tuesday awarded an Army squadron the military's highest unit honor for its daring Vietnam War rescue of fellow soldiers, saying he wanted to help right ''one of the saddest episodes in American history.''
Senate OKs transfer of suspects for trials
Guantanamo detainees will face prosecution in U.S. as part of bill
WASHINGTON: President Barack Obama won a modest victory Tuesday in his continuing effort to close the Guantanamo Bay prison in Cuba, allowing the government to continue to transfer detainees at the facility to the U.S. to be prosecuted.
National news briefs - Oct. 21
High court will decide on release of detainees
Chinese Muslims being held at Guantanamo not thought threat, may end up in U.S.
WASHINGTON: The Supreme Court agreed Tuesday to decide whether Guantanamo detainees who are considered no threat can be ordered released in the United States — over the objections of the Obama administration and Congress — if the prisoners have nowhere else to go.
College tuition increases in U.S.
Average cost rises 6.5% for public education and 4.4% for private
With the economy struggling, parents and students dared to hope this year might offer a break from rising college costs. Instead, they got another sharp increase.
Political crisis ebbs but more troubles are sure to surface
Relief about election masks problems ahead
WASHINGTON: No matter who wins the November election runoff that Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai agreed to during pressured consultations with American leaders, the United States is wedded to a shaky government in which corruption has become second nature.
Revised formula puts 1 in 6 Americans in poverty
WASHINGTON: The level of poverty in America is even worse than first believed. A revised formula for calculating medical costs and geographic variations show that approximately 47.4 million Americans last year lived in poverty, 7 million more than the government's official figure.
Associate of balloon boy's father questioned
FORT COLLINS, COLO.: An investigation into possible criminal charges for a Colorado couple who told authorities their son floated off in a balloon shaped like a flying saucer has spread to those who worked with them.
Police: Virginia college student vanished after concert
CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA.: Police searched today for a Virginia Tech student who hasn't been seen since she was separated from her friends at a Metallica concert Saturday.
College tuition cost rising again this fall
Average tuition prices rose sharply again this fall as colleges passed much of the burden of their own financial problems on to recession-battered students and parents.
Man charged with printing phony $50 bills to pay dancer
CHEYENNE, WYO.: A Wyoming man has been charged with counterfeiting money to pay an exotic dancer for a private performance.
New report looks at the hidden health costs of energy production
Using fossil fuels is costing $120 billion in damages, including early deaths
WASHINGTON: Generating electricity by burning coal is responsible for about half of an estimated $120 billion in yearly costs from early deaths and health damages to thousands of Americans from the use of fossil fuels, a federal advisory group said Monday.
National news briefs - Oct. 20
Scientists find new planets outside of the solar system
Associated Press
WASHINGTON: European astronomers have found 32 new planets outside our solar system, adding evidence to the theory that the universe has many places where life could develop.
Hawaii cuts back on school hours
No classes on Fridays as state slashes budget in order to save money
HONOLULU: At a time when President Barack Obama is pushing for more time in the classroom, his home state has created the nation's shortest school year under a new union contract that closes schools on most Fridays for the remainder of the academic calendar.
Medical pot policy eased
Obama administration says it will not pursue prosecuting sick users
WASHINGTON: The Justice Department said Monday that it would mellow out on prosecuting medical marijuana users in the 14 states in which therapeutic pot smoking is allowed.
Higher unemployment may be the new normal
WASHINGTON: Even with an economic revival, many U.S. jobs lost during the recession may be gone forever, and a weak employment market could linger for years.
FBI accuses scientist of spying on the U.S.
Man who found water on moon charged with giving classified info
WASHINGTON: A scientist credited with helping discover evidence of water on the moon was arrested Monday on charges of attempting to pass along classified information to an FBI agent posing as an Israeli intelligence officer.
Lots more planets found outside solar system
WASHINGTON: European astronomers have found 32 new planets outside our solar system, adding evidence to the theory that the universe has many places where life could develop.
Toddler OK after 30-foot fall onto rocks
ANTIOCH, CALIF.: Talk about a tough kid: A California toddler is alive after falling 30 feet from an apartment window and landing on concrete and rocks.
Wayward manatee missing in N.J. waters
LINDEN, N.J.: Officials have lost sight of a wayward Florida manatee that they wanted to rescue from frigid New Jersey waters.
Boy, 1, in critical condition after California shooting
LOS ANGELES: Los Angeles police said a 1-year-old boy was in critical condition one day after his mother wounded him and fatally shot his older brother.
Officials say 250,000 teaching jobs aided by stimulus
WASHINGTON: The Obama administration says spending aimed at boosting the economy has created or saved 250,000 teaching or other education jobs this year.
Subway train rolls over man, who escapes unhurt
JERSEY CITY, N.J.: Officials say a man who appeared to be drunk fell onto train tracks at a New Jersey subway station just before a train ran over him — and he walked away unharmed.
Autopsies expected after 3 die during Detroit marathon
DETROIT: Autopsies were planned today a day after three half-marathoners collapsed during the Detroit marathon and died, organizers said.
Sheriff: Balloon boy hoax may have conspirators
FORT COLLINS, COLO.: Investigators say they want to question an associate of Richard Heene after e-mails surfaced showing the two had discussed a balloon hoax months ago as part of a public relations campaign for a reality TV show.
Boy in balloon was all a hoax, authorities say
Parents may face felony charges after the alleged publicity stunt
FORT COLLINS, COLO.: The story that a little boy had floated away in a giant helium balloon was a hoax concocted to land a reality television show, authorities said Sunday, and the boy's parents could face felony charges.
Appliances might not be Energy Stars
Audit reveals U.S. agency doesn't track whether products meet efficiency criteria
WASHINGTON: The Energy Department has concluded in an internal audit that it does not properly track whether manufacturers that give their appliances an Energy Star label have met the specifications for energy efficiency.
Federal bonds worth billions go unclaimed
Several states suing U.S. for right to take over job of notifying lost owners
The federal government is facing a lawsuit over billions in unclaimed bonds that date back to the patriotic fundraising efforts of World War II, leading to a showdown between states that say they should be given the money and a Treasury Department that claims ownership.
Health-care bills test political skills of Pelosi, Reid
Leaders' success or failure at passing Obama priority could affect many in party
WASHINGTON: As she pulls together a health-care bill, Speaker Nancy Pelosi has been exceedingly direct, lawmakers say, asking them explicitly what it will take to win their vote.
DETROIT Three runners die at rac...
DETROIT
Three runners die at race
A half-marathoner and two other runners died during the Detroit marathon Sunday, organizers said. Daniel Langdon, 36, of Laingsburg, collapsed about 9 a.m. between the 11- and 12-mile markers, said Rich Harshbarger, a spokesman for the Detroit Media Partnership. Rick Brown, 65, of Marietta, Ohio, collapsed at 9:17 a.m., near the spot where Langdon went down, and 26-year-old Jon Fenlon of Waterford collapsed about 9:18 a.m., just after finishing the half-marathon in 1:53:37, Harshbarger said.
Afghan president accused of stalling on fraud report
U.S. says it won't add troops until government becomes stable partner
KABUL: Afghanistan's political opposition accused President Hamid Karzai on Sunday of delaying release of a U.N.-backed investigation into fraud in the August presidential balloting and pressuring election officials to declare him the winner.
Homeless shelters assisting more foreclosure victims
In Midwest, 15 percent of those in need of beds lost houses as economy shed jobs, report says
Growing numbers of Americans who have lost houses to foreclosure are landing in homeless shelters, according to social services and a recent report by a coalition of housing advocates.
Another person dies after sweat lodge stint
Death toll up to three. Investigators treating the case as homicide
FLAGSTAFF, ARIZ.: The family of a Minnesota woman who died more than a week after being overcome in an Arizona sweat lodge ceremony said Sunday that she prided herself on leading a healthy and active life.
Salmonella linked to turtles puts children in hospitals
Sale as pets was banned in 1975 but parents find animals at stores, online
Two girls who swam with pet turtles in a backyard pool were among 107 people sickened in the largest salmonella outbreak blamed on turtles nationwide, researchers report.
Third person dies in sweat lodge case
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz.: A third person has died after after participating in a sweat lodge ceremony that hospitalized nearly two dozen people.
UConn football player stabbed to death
STORRS, Conn.: A University of Connecticut football player was stabbed to death early today after a campus dance, hours after the team's homecoming weekend victory over Louisville.
How Moody's sold ratings
Company purges executives who warned service was risking its reputation
WASHINGTON: As the housing market collapsed in late 2007, Moody's Investors Service, whose investment ratings were widely trusted, responded by purging analysts and executives who warned of trouble and promoting those who helped Wall Street plunge the country into its worst financial crisis since the Great Depression.
Dems don't see eye to eye
House, Senate intraparty disputes over health-care overhaul draw attention
WASHINGTON: You may think Democrats and Republicans are at odds over health care. Well, they've got nothing on House and Senate Democrats going after each other.
Flu fears curbing common traditions
From work to church, virus brings new rules, standards of etiquette
Yolanda Ray works in the kind of place where people ''really love to eat and snack.'' Colleagues are quick to tempt one another, she says, with homemade dishes and sugary treats laid bare for the taking on desktops.
GOP revels in ethics woes facing Dems
Republicans hope probes of Rangel and others help party regain seats in 2010
WASHINGTON: Rep. Charles Rangel endured one of those unflattering television moments that political opponents love when a reporter approached him last week and asked how he allegedly had failed to include hundreds of thousands of dollars in personal assets on congressional disclosure forms.
Debt collection industry booming in recession
Established agencies are expanding operations, but people are less likely to pay up in a tough economy
WASHINGTON: In the often murky waters of the debt collection industry, United Recovery Systems in Houston is considered a ''whale hunter.''
Los Angeles police to raid medical marijuana stores
Officials cracking down on cannabis dispensaries that profit from sales
LOS ANGELES: There are more marijuana stores here than public schools. Signs emblazoned with cannabis plants or green crosses sit next to dry cleaners, gas stations and restaurants.
Sheriff: Charges will be filed in balloon saga
FORT COLLINS, COLO.: A Colorado sheriff said he was pursuing criminal charges in the case of a 6-year-old boy who vanished into the rafters of his garage while the world thought he was zooming through the sky in a flying saucer-like helium balloon.
CIA's secrecy fuels suspicion
Failure to release papers on deceased agent keeps Kennedy questions alive
WASHINGTON: Is the CIA covering up some dark secret about the assassination of John F. Kennedy? Probably not. But you would not know it from the agency's behavior.
2009 federal deficit soars to $1.42 trillion
Some economists fear another crisis is looming
WASHINGTON: What is $1.42 trillion? It's more than the total national debt for the first 200 years of the Republic, more than the entire economy of India, almost as much as Canada's, and more than $4,700 for every man, woman and child in the United States.
National news briefs
NEW YORK
Billionaire under arrest
One of America's wealthiest men was among six hedge fund managers and corporate executives arrested Friday in a hedge fund insider trading case that authorities say generated more than $25 million in illegal profits. Raj Rajaratnam, a portfolio manager for Galleon Group, a hedge fund with up to $7 billion in assets under management, was accused of conspiring with others to use insider information to trade securities in publicly traded companies.
Police investigate nurse in suicides
Minn. man encouraged depressed people to kill selves, authorities say
MINNEAPOLIS: A nurse who authorities say got his kicks by visiting Internet suicide chat rooms and encouraging depressed people to kill themselves is under investigation in at least two deaths and could face criminal charges that could test the limits of the First Amendment.
Family in balloon saga facing tough scrutiny
Did self-promoting dad hide son, 6, for 5 hours as TV publicity stunt?
FORT COLLINS, COLO.: By all accounts, Richard Heene is an unapologetic self-promoter who would pursue all sorts of off-the-wall stunts to get media attention. Flying saucers, mountaintop helicopter stunts, storm chasing, reality TV shows — no gag was beyond his limits.
Swine flu claims 11 more children
Infections speeding up as delays cut expected doses of H1N1 vaccine
Associated Press
WASHINGTON: Swine flu is causing unprecedented illness for so early in the fall — including a worrisome count of child deaths — and the government warned Friday that vaccine supplies will be even scarcer than expected through this month.
Sweat lodge deaths cast negative light on guru
Man's self-help empire is thrown into turmoil when two followers die
SEDONA, ARIZ.: James Arthur Ray led a group of more than 50 followers into a cramped, sauna-like sweat lodge in Arizona last week by convincing them that his words would lead them to spiritual and financial wealth.
Obama salutes elder Bush for legacy of service
President says predecessor's call for volunteerism with 'points of light' inspired national movement
COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS: President Barack Obama offered a powerful homage Friday to George H.W. Bush at a forum on public service, crediting his GOP predecessor with inspiring legions of Americans to improve their communities.
Manatee stuck in New Jersey as temps fall; rescue planned
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J.: A rescue attempt is being planned for Ilya, a Florida manatee stuck near an oil refinery in New Jersey where plunging temperatures and a lack of food are endangering his life.
Government says swine flu linked to 11 more child deaths
WASHINGTON: The swine flu is causing an unprecedented amount of illness for so early in the fall — and federal health officials said today that 11 more children have died in the past week.
Judge won't throw out Casey Anthony murder charge
ORLANDO, FLA.: A judge has dismissed a request to throw out the most serious criminal charges against a Florida mother accused of killing her 2-year-old daughter.
Lawsuit says nursing home neglected penile cancer
EVERETT, WASH.: A lawsuit has been filed against a Washington state nursing home accused of neglecting a 97-year-old man's penile cancer.
Pennsylvania man who shot cannonball into home faces felony
UNIONTOWN, PA.: A Pennsylvania Civil War buff faces a felony charge for accidentally firing a 2-pound cannonball through the wall of his neighbor's home.
Oregon student editors sorry for 'kill Jews' humor
PORTLAND, ORE.: A student editor at a college campus-run humor publication in Portland says he and others plan to be more cautious when making decisions about the newspaper's content after running a phony article that said students at another college killed all the Jews at their school.
Florida teen set ablaze screams in agony on 911 tape
MIAMI: A teen who police say was set ablaze by five other boys screamed in agony as a breathless 911 caller pleaded for help because ''a little boy just caught on fire,'' according to a recording released today.
Northeast fall snowstorm breaks record in Pennsylvania town
STATE COLLEGE, PA.: An autumn storm brought snow to parts of Pennsylvania, New York and New Jersey, the earliest snow on record in one town.
For Alabama man, XXXXXXX license plate marks spot for ticket-magnet
BIRMINGHAM, ALA.: ''Racer X's'' vanity plate just does not compute in city computers — and it's helped him rack up about $19,000 in tickets in Birmingham, Ala.
Disabled mom's cigarette ignites oxygen supply; son charged
GREENSBURG, PA.: A western Pennsylvania man has been charged with neglecting his disabled mother who weighed just 70 pounds when she died of burns caused when her cigarette caught her oxygen supply on fire.
Balloon boy gets sick twice during TV interviews
FORT COLLINS, Colo.: The father of a 6-year-old boy who was thought to be in a helium balloon that floated away said Friday accusations that the ordeal was a publicity stunt are "extremely pathetic." The sheriff said he will be asking more questions.
Debris found during search for missing F-16 pilot
CHARLESTON, S.C.: Debris and an oil slick were spotted in the Atlantic off the South Carolina coast as the search expanded Friday for an F-16 fighter pilot whose jet collided with another during night training exercises.
Boy's balloon journey never quite lifts off
Six-year-old hides in house during strange flight of silvery craft. Story horrifies, mystifies viewers
FORT COLLINS, COLO.: For hours on Thursday, people around the country were gripped by television images of a homemade, silvery balloon careening through the Colorado skies, whooshing over fields and trees and yards with a 6-year-old boy believed inside.
Social Security won't increase 2010 payments
Lower energy costs to blame for no cost-of-living adjustment. Obama wants to send seniors $250
WASHINGTON: Social Security recipients won't get a cost-of-living increase next year for the first time in more than a third of a century, and that could boost President Barack Obama's plan to send seniors another round of $250 payments before the congressional elections.
Study finds public bans on smoking boost health
Nonsmokers reduce risk of heart attack and cancer by avoiding cloudy rooms
WASHINGTON: A major report confirms what health officials long have believed: Bans on smoking in restaurants, bars and other gathering spots reduce the risk of heart attacks among nonsmokers.
Research team grows piece of heart muscle
Doctors turn embryonic stem cells from mouse into new tissue that beats
WASHINGTON: Scientists have grown a piece of heart muscle — and then watched it beat — by using stem cells from a mouse embryo, a big step toward one day repairing damage from heart attacks.
National news briefs - Oct. 16
WASHINGTON
Justice hospitalized again
Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who had cancer surgery earlier this year, was kept at a hospital overnight after she became drowsy and fell from her seat aboard an airplane. Court officials blamed a reaction to medicine. Ginsburg, 76, also was taken to a hospital on Sept. 24 after falling ill at her Supreme Court office.
Mistrial in lobbyist case
Obama tells New Orleans he won't forget its needs
Residents describe slow recovery. President says of health-care plan: 'We're going to get this done'
NEW ORLEANS: On his first presidential visit to this still-struggling city ravaged four years ago by Hurricane Katrina, President Barack Obama promised residents Thursday, ''We will not forget about New Orleans.''
Republicans can't stop Guantanamo transfers to U.S.
House measure would allow suspected enemy combatants to be prosecuted
WASHINGTON: House Democrats on Thursday repelled a Republican effort to block transfer of the Guantanamo Bay inmates to the United States, handing President Barack Obama a partial victory in his effort to close the prison.
Indians interview manager candidate
Acta talks to Shapiro via phone for opening
Associated Press
Former Washington manager Manny Acta has been interviewed by the Cleveland Indians for their managerial opening.
Boy found safe at home after balloon episode
FORT COLLINS, COLO. A 6-year-old Colorado boy feared to have floated off in a helium balloon has been found safe at his home, hiding in a cardboard box in the garage attic.
Boy feared floating away in homemade balloon found
A 6-year-old boy was found hiding in a cardboard box in his family's garage attic Thursday after being feared aboard a homemade helium balloon that hurtled 50 miles through the sky on live television.
Federal contractors report 30,000 stimulus jobs
WASHINGTON: Businesses receiving federal contracts under President Barack Obama's economic stimulus program reported creating or saving more than 30,000 jobs in the first months of the program, according to data released today by a government oversight board.
Winter forecast says Midwest likely to be warmer than usual
WASHINGTON: The Midwest and Northern United States are likely to get a warmer winter, while the Southeast can expect just the opposite: cooler and wetter conditions.
41 people in Ohio, 3 other states charged in mortgage fraud
NEW YORK: A mortgage fraud crackdown announced today resulted in the arrests of dozens of people, including six lawyers, seven loan officers and three mortgage brokers in four states.
Biden's son says he's inclined to make Senate run
WASHINGTON: Vice President Joe Biden's son, who has returned after serving a tour with the Army National Guard in Iraq, says he'll take his time to decide whether to seek his father's Senate seat.
Mom gets at least 6 years for attempt to kill kids
MOUNT CLEMENS, MICH.: A woman with bipolar disorder ''forfeited'' her right to be a mother when she served her children drugged hot chocolate before setting the house on fire, a judge said today as he sentenced her to six to 20 years in prison.
Justice Ginsburg hospitalized overnight, released
WASHINGTON: Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who had cancer surgery earlier this year, was kept at a hospital overnight after she became drowsy and fell from her seat aboard an airplane. Court officials blamed a reaction to medicine.
Woman says man hit her autistic son in library
PROSSER, WASH.: A 76-year-old man in Washington state faces a misdemeanor assault charge after he was accused of hitting an autistic boy in a library.
Sniper to ask Virginia governor for clemency
FAIRFAX, VA.: The attorney for convicted sniper John Allen Muhammad says he plans to ask for clemency for his client who is scheduled for execution next month.
Mother of Florida teen set on fire says son is strong
MIAMI: The mother of a 15-year-old doused with rubbing alcohol and set on fire called the attack a nightmare today, but said her son was strong and would pull through despite the burns over much of his body.
Man gets 45 days for biting face of boy, 5
MUSKEGON, MICH.: A Michigan man has been sentenced to 45 days in jail for biting the face of his girlfriend's 5-year-old son.
N.Y. terror suspect had contact with al-Qaida official, sources say
U.S. intelligence won't discuss nature of interaction, but believe intermediary involved
NEW YORK: The airport shuttle driver accused of plotting a bombing in New York had contacts with al-Qaida that went nearly all the way to the top, to an Osama bin Laden confidant believed to be the terrorist group's leader in Afghanistan, U.S. intelligence officials told the Associated Press.
Health-care cost concern and mistrust spark debate
Democrats haven't abandoned the possibility of public option, leading to creative suggestions
WASHINGTON: Fears about high costs of the health-care overhaul and mistrust of insurers are rekindling interest in letting the government sell health insurance as part of the plan.
National news briefs - Oct. 15
Tiny Missouri town fights frustrating meth problem
Prescriptions for key ingredient slow relief from colds
UNION, MO.: The meth problem in Union has gotten so bad that someone with a drug habit stole the light shades outside Marilyn Roark's house. She got them back, but they were unusable.
Fingerprint links da Vinci to drawing worth $150 million
Art experts certain work purchased two years ago for $19,000 is by master
Mona Lisa has something new to smile about. A portrait of a young woman thought to be created by a 19th century German artist and sold two years ago for about $19,000 is now being attributed by art experts to Leonardo da Vinci and valued at more than $150 million.
Afghan officials face obstacles for runoff election
Decision on fraud in presidential vote expected. Snow could hamper preparations for new ballots
KABUL, AFGHANISTAN: Afghan officials would face a daunting task in organizing a runoff presidential election before the arrival of winter — including hiring unbiased staff and securing polling stations in areas under threat of Taliban attack.
NASA invites Twitterers to next shuttle launch
CAPE CANAVERAL, FLA.: NASA is inviting its Twitter followers to the next space shuttle launch. The shuttle Atlantis was moved to the launch pad today for its planned liftoff on Nov. 12. The shuttle will deliver more goods to the International Space Station.
Alabama party mistakenly taps dead man for panel
MOBILE, ALA.: Reynolds Smith Jr. was a stalwart Democratic voter in Alabama. But the Alabama Democratic Party overlooked another fact when it appointed Smith to an interim party panel: He died in November at age 83.
Kids under 10 may need 2 swine flu vaccine doses
Test results of its swine flu vaccine suggest that children under 10 may need two shots to be fully protected, vaccine maker Sanofi Pasteur said today.
Maryland father pleads guilty to drowning 3 children
BALTIMORE: A Maryland man has pleaded guilty to drowning his three young children in a Baltimore hotel bathtub.
Chimp owner seeks to limit mauled woman's claim
NEW HAVEN, CONN.: An attorney for the owner of a chimpanzee that mauled a Connecticut woman in February is arguing that the attack should be treated like a workers' compensation claim.
Teen-driving campaign urges parents' involvement
LITTLE ROCK, ARK.: For years, public service announcements warned parents to talk to their teens about alcohol and drugs. Now, a new campaign encourages parents to bring up something seemingly more benign, but ultimately more deadly: driving.
U.S. fourth-graders' progress on math tests stalls
After two decades of slow and steady progress in math, U.S. fourth-graders made no improvement over 2007, according to nationwide test scores released today.
Son of former Kentucky governor emerges as slaying suspect
FRANKFORT, KY.: Steve Nunn said nothing in court. His glum, unshaven face spoke volumes. The politician who had lived a life of privilege hobnobbing with Kentucky's political elite wasn't at all pleased with the Fayette County jail where he is being held on a murder charge for allegedly gunning down his ex-girlfriend.
Police say man tried to eat evidence after pot bust
CORTLAND, N.Y.: Deputies say an upstate New York man has been charged with evidence tampering after he was busted for growing marijuana — and then tried to eat the evidence.
Doctor: Burned Florida teen 'not out of woods yet'
MIAMI: A Miami doctor says a 15-year-old badly burned after other teens doused him with a flammable liquid and set him on fire is doing as well as can be expected.
First public photo of woman held captive 18 years in backyard shows her smiling
SAN FRANCISCO: The first photo of Jaycee Dugard since she was reunited with her family after 18 years in captivity shows a smiling woman with long, light brown hair.
South Carolina board pardons 2 black men executed 94 years ago
COLUMBIA, S.C.: A South Carolina board has unanimously pardoned two great-uncles of syndicated radio host Tom Joyner who were executed for the 1913 murder of a Confederate Army veteran.
6 alleged Mafia members to plead guilty in Florida
FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA.: Six people accused of being members of a South Florida crew for New York's Bonanno organized crime family are set to plead guilty.
Health care legislation back behind closed doors
WASHINGTON: Health care talks slip back behind closed doors today as Senate leaders start trying to merge two very different bills into a new version that can get the 60 votes needed to guarantee its passage.
First-grader who brought camping utensil to school has 45-day suspension lifted
BEAR, DEL.: A Delaware first-grader who was facing 45 days in an alternative school as punishment for taking his favorite camping utensil to school can return to class after the school board made a hasty change granting him a reprieve.
Health debate to only intensify
Senate Finance Committee OKs plan with one GOP vote. Obama admits hurdles remain
WASHINGTON: After nearly a year of congressional wrangling over how to reshape the nation's health-care system, the last of five congressional committees Tuesday endorsed its own sweeping blueprint for expanding coverage and beginning to whittle down costs.
Fallen Marine's father fighting new war rules
John Bernard's voice being heard after photographs of dying son appear in newspapers nationwide
NEW PORTLAND, MAINE: It was the last way John Bernard would have wanted his voice to gain prominence in the national debate over the war in Afghanistan.
Pilot's paycheck shrinks as airline cuts rank, costs
Layoffs not only way employers seek savings. Those working take hit
MECHANICSVILLE, VA.: The dark blue captain's hat, with its golden oak-leaf clusters, sits atop a bookcase in Bryan Lawlor's home, out of reach of the children. The uniform their father wears still displays the four stripes of a commercial airline captain, but the hat stays home. The rules forbid that extra display of authority, now that Lawlor has been downgraded to first officer.
Official trips by Obama are usually blue states
President, vice president tend to visit parts of U.S. that are key to 2012 vote
PITTSBURGH: For President Barack Obama, it's almost as if the election campaign never ended. Just look at his travel schedule.
Navy considers allowing women to serve on subs
Some sailors, wives warn of sexual harassment cases, wrecked marriages
ST. MARYS, GA.: Submariners sleep nine to a bunk room. There are four showers and seven toilets for the roughly 140 enlisted men. The passageways on board the vessel are so narrow that crew members can barely squeeze by each other without touching.
National news briefs - Oct. 14
Mormon leader says freedom is threatened
Speech suggests atheists, others seeking to silence, intimidate people of faith
The anti-Mormon backlash after California voters overturned gay marriage last fall is similar to the intimidation of Southern blacks during the civil rights movement, a high-ranking Mormon says in a speech.
Report focuses on effects of unsafe abortions
70,000 women killed each year worldwide, according to survey
Increased contraceptive use has led to fewer abortions worldwide, but women's deaths from unsafe abortion remain a severe problem, killing 70,000 a year, a research institute reported Tuesday in a major global survey.
Mudslide alert issued in California
Pacific storm dumps rain on burned slopes
LOS ANGELES: Residents across California braced for possible flash floods and mudslides Tuesday as a Pacific storm began showering foothill areas devastated by wildfires.
Army nominates Kansas priest for highest honor
Chaplain taken prisoner by Chinese in 1950. Wounded, sick, he cared for his men at camp
TOPEKA, KAN.: As his fellow prisoners of war returned home from the Korean War, they shared stories of self-sacrifice about the Rev. Emil Kapaun, the humble priest from Kansas.
Florida man says 'bad spirits' made him kill family
NAPLES, FLA.: Court documents show a Florida man told investigators ''bad spirits'' made him kill his wife and five children.
Wind farms interfering with weather radar in New York
SYRACUSE, N.Y.: Wind farms in upstate New York are interfering with National Weather Service Doppler radars, making it more difficult to detect and assess approaching lake effect snow storms.
School mistakenly buses boy, 5, to wrong stop
ALEXANDRIA, VA.: School officials are pledging improvements after a 5-year-old Virginia boy was mistakenly put on a bus and dropped off in an unfamiliar neighborhood.
GOP's Snowe voting for Democrats' health care bill
WASHINGTON: Forget Sarah Palin. The maverick female of the Republican Party is Maine Sen. Olympia Snowe.
New York dad sues over son's hazing drinking death
GENESEO, N.Y.: A New York City father is suing a group of college students accused of plying his son with so much alcohol during hazing at a banned college fraternity that the teen died.
Lotteries discuss cross-selling, national game
DES MOINES, IOWA: The organizations behind the nation's two biggest lottery games are talking about cross-selling tickets in all U.S. lottery jurisdictions with the potential for a national lottery.
Ship built with World Trade Center steel sails for namesake city
AVONDALE, LA.: A Navy assault ship built with tons of steel salvaged from the World Trade Center towers began its journey to New York today, sailing down the Mississippi River in a pea-soup fog as watchers along the levee strained for a glimpse.
Jesse Jackson escorts kids to school after beating death
CHICAGO: After an honor student's brutal beating, the Rev. Jesse Jackson is joining parents in escorting a group of students who attend a high school on Chicago's South Side.
Teen set on fire; 3 juveniles in custody
DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.: A 15-year-old was badly burned after other teens doused him with a flammable liquid and set him on fire, and authorities were investigating whether he was attacked because he stopped someone from stealing his father's bicycle a day earlier.
Tasered woman, 72, says next time she'll 'say nothing'
NEW YORK: A 72-year-old Texas woman who was Tasered during a traffic stop when she dared a deputy constable to use the stun gun said today that if she got pulled over again she would say nothing.
Family electrocuted putting up ham radio antenna
PALM BAY, FLA.: Police in Florida say a mother, father and 15-year-old son died after being electrocuted while putting up a ham radio antenna in their Palm Bay home.
First-grader facing reform school for bringing camping utensil to school likely to get reprieve
NEWARK, DEL.: A school board member says a Delaware first-grader who was suspended for bringing a camping utensil to school is likely to get a reprieve.
Health reform unlikely to lure top GOP
Prospects for bill passage seem to be improving, but Republicans' support may be limited to 1 vote
WASHINGTON: President Barack Obama's effort to overhaul the nation's health-care system is expected to clear its last committee hurdle today — but almost certainly without the strong bipartisan endorsement he and some moderate Republicans have sought.
Stimulus has saved thousands of teachers
States' early data show education, construction benefit most from aid
President Barack Obama's stimulus plan spared tens of thousands of teachers from losing their jobs, state officials said Monday amid a nationwide effort to calculate the effect of Washington's $787 billion recovery package.
National news briefs - Oct. 13
Indiana woman wins Nobel for economics
Winners Ostrom, Williamson argue workers rule business better than governments can
Associated Press
WASHINGTON: Elinor Ostrom became the first woman to win a Nobel Prize in economics, honored along with fellow American Oliver Williamson on Monday for analyzing economic governance — the rules by which people exercise authority in companies and economic systems.
Search of driver's licenses wrong, privacy advocates say
FBI uses experts and facial-recognition software to arrest suspect in N.C.
RALEIGH, N.C.: In its search for fugitives, the FBI has begun using facial-recognition technology on millions of motorists, comparing driver's license photos with pictures of convicts in a high-tech analysis of chin widths and nose sizes.
Cutbacks making graduation slower
Fewer college teachers mean students blocked from keeping on pace
SAN FRANCISCO: It isn't just tuition increases that are driving up the cost of college. Around the country, deep budget cuts are forcing colleges to lay off instructors and eliminate some classes, making it harder for students to get into the courses they need to earn their degree.
Conservatives say ACORN abuses rule on banking
Republicans accusing national activist group of 'legalized extortion'
WASHINGTON: Conservative Republicans are capitalizing on the troubles of community activist group ACORN — ranging from charges of voter registration fraud to embarrassing videos of its employees — to revive their long-standing fight against a federal law that grades banks on their investments in poor and minority neighborhoods.
Iowa-grown gourd no match for Ohio pumpkin
Christy Harp's world record-shattering pumpkin grown in Stark County remains the pride of the patch.
Sidekick contacts, data gone, T-Mobile says
NEW YORK: Owners of Sidekick phones may have lost all the personal data they stored on the phone, including contact numbers.
Survey: Most economists see recovery beginning
NEW YORK: More than 80 percent of economists believe the recession is over and an expansion has begun, but they expect the recovery will be slow as worries over unemployment and high federal debt persist.
Americans win Nobel economics
STOCKHOLM: Americans Elinor Ostrom and Oliver Williamson won the Nobel economics prize today for their analyses of economic governance — the way authority is exercised in companies and economic systems.
Top German court receives Demjanjuk appeal
KARLSRUHE, Germany: Germany's highest court says it has received an appeal from the lawyer of accused Nazi prison camp guard John Demjanjuk seeking to block the 89-year-old's trial.
Swine flu vaccine in demand
Health officials say first doses not being widely distributed. Most people must wait
CHICAGO: In Alabama, Minnesota and Ohio, health and emergency medical workers have been given priority for swine flu immunization. In Illinois, and in parts of California and Indiana, young children and their families are first in line.
Students learn about Columbus' darker side
Some schools offer more balanced picture of discoverer
Jeffrey Kolowith's kindergarten students read a poem about Christopher Columbus, take a journey to the New World on three paper ships and place the explorer's picture on a timeline through history.
National news briefs - Oct. 12
Marchers demand Obama uphold gay-rights pledge
Tens of thousands in D.C. seek end to discrimination, open service in U.S. military
WASHINGTON: Tens of thousands of gay-rights supporters marched Sunday from the White House to the Capitol, demanding that President Barack Obama keep his promises to allow gays to serve openly in the military and work to end discrimination against gays.
Pakistan in control of arms, Clinton believes
British leader agrees threat from extremists is high, but nukes safe
BELFAST, NORTHERN IRELAND: U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said Sunday the Taliban siege of Pakistan's army headquarters showed extremists are a growing threat in the nuclear-armed American ally, but she contended they don't pose a risk to the country's atomic arsenal.
Outlawed Irish group renounces violence
Splinter organization of IRA says it will give weapons to authorities
DUBLIN: The Irish National Liberation Army, an IRA splinter group responsible for some of the most notorious killings of the Northern Ireland conflict, renounced violence Sunday and signaled it could hand over weapons soon to disarmament officials.
Gay-rights activists march on Washington
WASHINGTON: Thousands of gay and lesbian activists marched today from the White House to the Capitol, demanding that President Barack Obama keep his promises to allow gays to serve openly in the military and work to end discrimination against gays.
Lobbyists pare health-care savings
Organized interests help kill cost-saving efforts that don't jibe with agendas. Two surviving proposals face staunch resistance
WASHINGTON: As the health-care debate moves to the floor of Congress, most of the serious proposals to fulfill President Barack Obama's original vow to curb costs have fallen victim to organized interests and parochial politics.
Congress to vote on withholding abuse photos
Move would sidestep court efforts to release pictures of prisoners
WASHINGTON: Congress is set to allow the Pentagon to keep new pictures of foreign prisoners abused by their U.S. captors from the public, a move intended to end a legal fight over the photographs' release that has reached the Supreme Court.
National news briefs - Oct. 11
President promises to end 'don't ask, don't tell' policy
Speaking on eve of gay-rights rally, Obama tells activists progress is being made, urges patience
WASHINGTON: President Barack Obama pledged to end the ban on homosexuals serving openly in the military, but acknowledged in a speech Saturday to a cheering crowd that the policy changes he promised on the campaign trail are not coming as quickly as they expected.
Obama to visit Big Easy for post-Katrina survey
$1 billion in recovery aid brings positive feedback from Louisiana officials
WASHINGTON: When President Barack Obama visits New Orleans this week to survey how its recovery is going four years after Hurricane Katrina, he'll have a lot to tout about the help his administration has given — and plenty to worry about as the nation's top Democrat in a city quaking with political change.
Small bank failures grow to 98 this year
Additional closings put strain on FDIC and shake up communities
A year after Washington rescued the banks considered too big to fail, the ones deemed too small to save are approaching a grim milestone: the 100th bank failure of 2009.
Columbine killer's mom: No inkling son suicidal
Associated Press
DENVER: In the first detailed public remarks by any parent of the two Columbine killers, Dylan Klebold's mother says she had no idea her son was suicidal until she read his journals after the 1999 high school massacre.
Nobel prize a mixed blessing
Award a reminder of the gap between his promises and accomplishments
WASHINGTON: President Barack Obama is given to big events at big moments, replete with stirring speeches, lofty backdrops and stadium-size crowds.
Thieves find gold in stolen shingles
Police say truckloads, worth millions, taken from U.S. warehouses
Associated Press
DALLAS: Workers at Bradco Supply Corp. arrived one morning to find someone severed the heavy chain locks on the security fence at the Fort Worth shingle supply warehouse. Inside, empty wooden pallets were splintered and scattered across the floor.
National news briefs - Oct. 10
PHOENIX
Two die in sweat lodge
A saunalike sweat lodge at an Arizona resort meant to provide spiritual cleansing became the scene of a police investigation Friday when more than a dozen people became ill during a two-hour session and two died. In all, 21 of the 64 people crowded inside the sweat lodge Thursday evening received medical care at hospitals and a fire station.
Poll shows civil unions are gaining supporters
But only 39 percent approve of legalizing same-sex marriage
Associated Press
NEW YORK: An increasing majority of Americans favors allowing same-sex couples to obtain most of the same rights as married straight couples, but only 39 percent support legalization of same-sex marriage, according to a poll released Friday.
Reading a health-care bill not easy
Legislative jargon poses tremendous challenge. Changes are ongoing
WASHINGTON: Read the bill! It was a rallying cry at angry health-care town halls this summer and has evolved into something of a political movement. Many Americans are demanding that lawmakers actually read the comprehensive legislation they've written — or at least make it publicly available — before voting on it.
NASA hits the moon twice in search for ice
Result not as expected; no plume of debris and photos are fuzzy
WASHINGTON: NASA's great lunar fireworks finale fizzled. After gearing up for the space agency's much-hyped mission to hurl two spacecraft into the moon, the public turned away from the sky Friday anything but dazzled. Photos and video of the impact showed little more than a fuzzy white flash.
Questions and answers about Obama's prize
The Nobel committee sometimes uses award to encourage and promote future peace-related efforts
Below are some questions and answers about President Barack Obama's selection to receive the Nobel Peace Prize.
Republicans, some liberals dismiss president's award
Critics say he has not accomplished enough during his term to merit award
WASHINGTON: Gee, you'd think a U.S. president who won the Nobel Peace Prize might get rave reviews from his party's activists and polite congrats from top Republicans.
Al-Qaida fight is Obama's top goal, aides say
Taliban to have role in Afghanistan
WASHINGTON: President Barack Obama is prepared to accept some Taliban involvement in Afghanistan's political future and will determine how many more U.S. troops to send to the war based only on keeping al-Qaida at bay, a senior administration official said Thursday.
National news briefs - Oct. 10
500,000 homeowners get mortgage relief
Despite much criticism, Obama administration says program has helped
WASHINGTON: The Obama administration said Thursday that its mortgage relief effort has helped 500,000 homeowners, and officials maintain the program is on track despite its disappointing launch.
Youths no longer view suicide as taboo subject
Experts say public discussion may inspire peers in distress to get help
CHICAGO: The topic of suicide makes many people squirm. It's something we've been told we're not supposed to talk about. If you speak it, someone might do it.
Stop-and-frisk sets off alarm
Civil liberties groups say police practice racist. Authorities question 1 million-plus last year
NEW YORK: A teenager trying to get into his apartment after school is confronted by police. A man leaving his workplace chooses a different route back home to avoid officers who roam a particular street.
House expands hate crime measure
Legislation would extend federal law to cover attacks based on sexual orientation
WASHINGTON: A House vote Thursday put Congress on the verge of significantly expanding hate crimes law to make it a federal offense to assault people because of their sexual orientation. The legislation would bring major changes to law enacted in the days after Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination in 1968.
Reid rebukes Republicans on health plan
Senate majority leader says GOP detractors want country to fail
WASHINGTON: The Senate's top Democrat on Thursday accused Republicans of a strategy of ''distortion, distractions and deception'' on health care as he announced a pivotal committee will vote next week on a comprehensive bill. Republicans said the legislation still costs too much and expands the reach of government.
Defense bill gets through House
Measure passes despite Obama veto threat over alternative jet engine program
WASHINGTON: Despite a vague veto threat by President Barack Obama, the House on Thursday passed a major defense policy bill that calls for continued development of a costly alternative engine for the Pentagon's next-generation fighter jet.
Pastor who promoted guns in church quits
LOUISVILLE, KY.: A Kentucky pastor who hosted a rally celebrating God and guns a few months ago has resigned his ministry to promote gun rights and church security.
Investigator says nurse killed veteran with morphine overdose
LEXINGTON, KY.: A Kentucky nurse accused of killing a veterans hospital patient with an overdose of morphine also cared for two other patients whose deaths were considered suspicious, a federal agent testified today.
Girl, 5, killed when school cabinet falls on her
WACO, TEXAS: A large open cabinet with children playing inside toppled on a 5-year-old girl at a Texas middle school, killing her.
Police: Retirement community resident stabs 3
LINWOOD, N.J.: Authorities say a resident of a southern New Jersey retirement community stabbed at least three people after a feud with neighbors.
Sex crime charges shock Oregon wine country town
NEWBERG, ORE.: Darrin Daily's neighbors say they had no reason to suspect the depravity that police and court documents describe in the one-story apartment on River Street.
Dead deer in clown suit left on Iowa porch
SIOUX CITY, IOWA: You'll never see this clown in the circus. Animal control officers in Sioux City, Iowa, say someone dressed a dead deer in a clown suit and wig and put it on a family's porch.
Capone's Wisconsin hideout sells for $2.6 million
WAUSAU, WIS.: Chicago mobster Al Capone's former hideout in northern Wisconsin, complete with guard towers and a stone house with 18-inch-thick walls, was sold for $2.6 million today to the bank that foreclosed on it.
Police say karaoke singer attacked over performance
STAMFORD, CONN.: Police say a woman singing karaoke in a Connecticut sports bar was attacked by six other women who didn't like her performance.
Lesbians in military discharged more than gay men
SAN FRANCISCO: Pentagon statistics obtained by University of California researchers show that lesbians were discharged under the military's ''don't ask, don't tell'' policy at a much higher rate than gay men.
Relatives question why officials took Tennessee baby
NASHVILLE, TENN.: A mother whose baby was kidnapped said she was devastated when child welfare officials took him into state custody shortly after he was recovered, describing the pain of that separation as worse than the knife wounds that the kidnapper inflicted on her.
Gun-toting soccer mom, husband found shot dead
LEBANON, PA.: A mother of three who gained national notoriety after she openly carried a loaded handgun to her daughter's soccer game was shot dead along with her husband in what appeared to be a murder-suicide.
Ex-cop pleads not guilty to posing as twin for sex
MILFORD, CONN.: A former Connecticut police officer has pleaded not guilty to allegations he posed as his twin brother to have sex with a woman, and then raped her when she realized the ruse and tried to leave.
Scientists race to prevent ash tree's extinction
DES MOINES, IOWA: Mark Widrlechner is out to save a species from extinction. It's the native ash tree, and although it provides $25 billion worth of timber and decorates backyards across North America, an unstoppable bug has slowly killed millions of trees in 13 states and could cause the species' ultimate demise — unless Widrlechner is successful.
Woman's body found in home under 8 feet of trash
JACKSONVILLE, FLA.: Authorities have found the body of a 71-year-old woman after wading through a Jacksonville, Fla., home filled with garbage piled 8 feet high.
Parents opposing swine flu vaccine
Poll says more than a third worried about side effects
As the first wave of swine flu vaccine crosses the country, more than a third of parents don't want their kids vaccinated, according to an Associated Press-GfK poll.
Supreme Court debates cross on federal land
Justices divided over national war memorial installed in California 75 years ago
McClatchy Newspapers
WASHINGTON: A cross erected in California's remote Mojave National Preserve captivated the Supreme Court on Wednesday, as the justices clashed in a closely watched religion case.
National news briefs - Oct. 8
One-two punch headed for moon
NASA preparing to send spacecraft slamming into lunar surface
WASHINGTON: NASA will throw a one-two punch at the big old moon Friday and the whole world will have ringside seats for the lunar dust-up.
Report predicts health-care bill will cut deficits
U.S. budget experts say Senate plan would cover 94% of those eligible
WASHINGTON: Health-care legislation drafted by a key Senate committee would expand coverage to 94 percent of all eligible Americans at a 10-year cost of $829 billion, congressional budget experts said Wednesday, a preliminary estimate trumpeted by the White House and likely to power the measure past a major hurdle within days.
Lawmaker says Obama fleet plans costly
Associated Press
WASHINGTON: An internal Navy document shows new plans to replace the president's fleet of helicopters will cost taxpayers more and take years longer to deliver than a recently scrapped contract, a New York Democrat said Wednesday.
Obama, war council review Afghan strategy
President considering troop request as conflict reaches 8th anniversary
WASHINGTON: The Afghanistan war reached its eighth anniversary Wednesday as President Barack Obama, seeking a revamped strategy for the increasingly unpopular conflict, focused more closely with his war council on neighboring Pakistan's role in the fight against al-Qaida.
Ex-prep school dean charged with fourth sex assault
LITCHFIELD, CONN.: The former dean of an exclusive Connecticut boarding school has been charged with sexually assaulting a fourth student.
Police probe disease exposure at Florida hospital
WEST PALM BEACH, FLA.: Criminal negligence is among several potential crimes being investigated by police as they probe the actions of a nurse at a South Florida hospital who may have exposed more than 1,800 patients to HIV and hepatitis.
Pipe bombs, rifles found in car stopped in Connecticut
NEW HAVEN, CONN.: Police in Connecticut say they have arrested a man after stopping a car full of explosives in a New Haven residential neighborhood.
Man who pinned twin while parking van kills himself
BETHLEHEM, PA.: Authorities in eastern Pennsylvania say a man accused of killing his identical twin brother in a parallel parking accident has killed himself.
Statue of Helen Keller to be installed in Capitol
WASHINGTON: Alabama is updating its historical presence in the U.S. Capitol, swapping out a statue of a rather unknown former congressman for a new bronze likeness of Helen Keller.
Sebelius: Americans must get swine flu vaccination
WASHINGTON: Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius appealed anew today for widespread inoculation against a surging swine flu threat, calling the vaccine ''safe and secure.''
Obama says he won't narrow focus of forces in Afghanistan
White House rules out drastic troop reduction, still considering buildup
WASHINGTON: President Barack Obama on Tuesday ruled out shrinking the Afghanistan war to a counterterrorism campaign. Yet he did not signal whether he is prepared to send any more troops to the war zone — either the 40,000 his top commander wants or a smaller buildup, according to several officials.
Three Americans win Nobel Prize in physics
Fiber-optic developer, digital sensor inventors share $1.4 million award
NEW YORK: The next time you snap a digital photo and post it to Facebook, you can probably thank the three men who won the Nobel Prize in physics Tuesday.
National news briefs - Oct. 7
Poll says Obama's ratings increasing
56% approve president's job performance. Concerns remain about economy, war
NEW YORK: President Barack Obama's approval ratings are starting to rise after declining ever since his inauguration, new poll figures show as the country's mood begins to brighten. But concerns about the economy, health care and war persist, and support for the war in Afghanistan is falling.
Medicare schemes attracting violent criminals
Health-care fraud has greater payoff, carries shorter prison terms
MIAMI: Lured by easier money and shorter prison sentences, Mafia figures and other violent criminals are increasingly moving into Medicare fraud and spilling blood over what was once a white-collar crime.
High court weighs animal cruelty law targeting videos
Justices say ban might be too broad, could apply to films about hunting
WASHINGTON: Supreme Court justices, skeptical of a law aimed at graphic animal cruelty videos, touched Tuesday on dog fights, bull fights, cock fights, bow-and-arrow hunting, even a hypothetical television channel devoted to human sacrifice. Oh, yes, and freedom of speech.
Tasered woman takes Texas county's settlement bid
AUSTIN, TEXAS: A 72-year-old woman whose Tasering by a deputy constable was captured on video and shown nationwide has accepted a $40,000 settlement offer from a Texas county.
55 linked to motorcycle club indicted in West Virginia
CHARLESTON, W.VA.: National leaders of the Pagans Motorcycle Club and more than 50 members and associates of the outlaw biker gang have been indicted on federal charges including conspiracy to commit murder and racketeering, prosecutors said today.
2 guards at Indiana jail stabbed in escape attempt
VERNON, IND.: Three teenage inmates in a southern Indiana jail attacked three guards and briefly held them hostage early today during an escape attempt that left two guards hospitalized with stab wounds, authorities said.
Court delayed when flu-masked inmate spooks lawyer
SPOKANE, WASH.: A court hearing for a jail inmate in Spokane, Wash., had to be postponed a day because he was wearing a surgical mask and his defense lawyer refused to sit next to him.
Louisiana attorney general says ACORN embezzlement totaled $5 million, not $1 million
BATON ROUGE, LA.: An internal review by ACORN's board of directors found that $5 million was embezzled from the community organization, far more than a previously reported sum of $1 million, according to documents from the Louisiana attorney general's office.
Rich circus man says space trip worth $35 million
CAPE CANAVERAL, FLA.: The rich circus showman who bought a $35 million ticket to the International Space Station said today it's been worth every penny — and more.
Driving lesson ends with minivan in bedroom
LANHAM, MD.: Police in Maryland say a driving lesson on Good Luck Road ended with a minivan crashing through an apartment wall.
Family reportedly tried to sell snatched Tennessee baby
NASHVILLE, TENN.: A reunion between a Tennessee mother and her kidnapped newborn was brief when state officials placed him and his three siblings in foster care, they said for their safety.
Top U.S. commander treated for prostate cancer
WASHINGTON: Gen. David Petraeus, the top U.S. commander for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, was diagnosed with prostate cancer in February and has since undergone two months of radiation treatment.
White House won't pull troops
As war nears ninth year, Obama spokesman says 'I don't think we have option to leave'
WASHINGTON: President Barack Obama won't walk away from the flagging war in Afghanistan, the White House declared Monday as Obama faced tough decisions — and intense administration debate — over choices that could help define his presidency in his first year as commander in chief.
Court opens with case on interviewing suspects
Sotomayor asks many questions of attorneys who oppose time limits on request for lawyer
WASHINGTON: The Supreme Court began its new term Monday by indicating a willingness to limit how long a suspect's request for a lawyer should remain valid, and new Justice Sonia Sotomayor wasted little time in letting her voice be heard by questioning the lawyers.
Obama talks reform to supportive doctors
Senate Finance bill awaits budget report. Ex-leaders from GOP back overhaul
WASHINGTON: On the cusp of a key legislative push, President Barack Obama on Monday filled the Rose Garden with doctors supportive of his health-care overhaul, saying ''nobody has more credibility with the American people on this issue than you do.''
National news briefs - Oct. 6
U.S. doesn't keep tabs on medical implants
Recalls of devices such as artificial hips soar; no system exists to track them
NEW YORK: Three years ago, the maker of a surgical clip called the Hem-o-lok issued an urgent recall notice warning doctors to stop using the fasteners on living kidney donors. It said the clips could dislodge in their bodies, with ''serious, even life-threatening consequences.''
NAACP registers prisoners to vote
Maine one of two states to allow inmates to cast ballots while behind bars
PORTLAND, MAINE: The NAACP is registering voters at prisons in Maine, one of just two states that allow all inmates to vote while behind bars, in what is apparently the nation's first such statewide drive.
Recession offers deals of a lifetime for young
Those in 20s, 30s suffer fewer losses than boomers, can buy homes and stocks at rock-bottom prices
NEW YORK: The Great Recession has turned into the best of times for young investor Daniel Lee. Early this year, the 30-year-old salesman in Scottsdale, Ariz., shelved expensive meals and vacation plans and threw ''every spare dollar'' into the stock market. The value of his portfolio has more than tripled as the market has rallied since March.
Turned-in live shell clears Philadelphia police station
PHILADELPHIA: A man who turned in an old artillery shell to Philadelphia police has learned a lesson: Call ahead.
Pack of raccoons mauls 74-year-old woman
LAKELAND, FLA.: Animal control officers hope to trap a pack of raccoons that mauled a 74-year-old Florida woman who tried to chase them from her yard.
Woman killed by pet bear caged near her home
ALLENTOWN, Pa.: A woman was killed by a captive 350-pound black bear as she cleaned its cage Sunday night, officials said Monday as they revealed her husband, an exotic pet dealer, was operating with an expired license.
Autism may affect 1 in 100 children in U.S.
Federal health officials trying to determine reasons for increased estimates
Two new government studies indicate about 1 in 100 children have autism disorders — higher than a previous U.S. estimate of 1 in 150.
Waves of new fund cuts put nursing homes in jeopardy
Enactment of Medicare change follows reductions at state level, with Congress considering even more
HARTFORD, CONN.: The nation's nursing homes are perilously close to laying off workers, cutting services — possibly even closing — because of a perfect-storm wallop from the recession and deep federal and state government spending cuts, industry experts say.
Adviser downplays Taliban threat
U.S. troop levels only one aspect of strategy under review in Afghanistan
WASHINGTON: A top U.S. commander's public plea for more troops in Afghanistan prompted a mild rebuke Sunday from the White House national security adviser, as the administration heads into a second week of intense negotiations over its evolving Afghan strategy.
Man dead 30 years apparently pulls treasure-hunting prank
Associated Press
ST. LOUIS: An Illinois woman who set out on a treasure hunt for buried gold coins after finding a cryptic note in an antique rocking chair might have been the victim of a prolific prankster who died more than 30 years ago.
Judge accused of trading sex for leniency
Trial to begin today in sodomy, kidnapping, extortion, assault
MONTGOMERY, ALA.: Herman Thomas had an enviable political record as a black Democrat elected and re-elected in a county overwhelmingly white and increasingly Republican. The respected circuit judge once was the Democratic Party's choice to be the first black federal judge in southern Alabama.
America on sale is new norm for retail
For those who can spend, it's a shopper's paradise with plummeting prices
There has never been a better time to be a consumer. America is on sale. The Great Recession has caused massive job losses and hardship for millions, but it has also fostered a shoppers' paradise. Anyone who still has the means to spend can find unheard of deals.
National news briefs - Oct. 5
Obama waits to overturn ban on gays in military
National security adviser says president will push for repeal 'at right time'
Associated Press
WASHINGTON: President Barack Obama will focus ''at the right time'' on how to overturn the ''don't ask, don't tell'' ban on gays serving openly in the military, his national security adviser said Sunday.
Mormons urged to set Christian example daily
SALT LAKE CITY: A church leader today counseled Mormons to look for opportunities to exemplify the Christian values of love and forgiveness in their daily lives.
Dems' confidence in overhaul grows
Senate Finance Committee nears OK, sending proposals on health-care system to floor debate
WASHINGTON: With the Senate Finance Committee set to approve its health-care bill this week, Democrats are tantalizingly close to bringing legislation to the floor of both houses of Congress that would make sweeping changes in the nation's health-care system.
National news briefs - Oct. 4
Detainees face hurdles leaving Guantanamo
Effort to close prison has proven more difficult than Obama had anticipated when he was elected
WASHINGTON: To understand how hard it is proving for President Barack Obama to close the American military prison at Guantanamo Bay, consider the case of Alla Ali Bin Ali Ahmed, Internee Security No. 692. His long-delayed departure last week leaves 97 Yemenis at the complex in Cuba, by far the largest remaining group.
States' finances to need several years to recover
Deeper cuts in services, higher taxes and tuition expected after revenue loss
The recession is probably over, which means states' financial troubles have only begun. History suggests it could take six or more years for sales and income taxes — which make up roughly two-thirds of states' revenue — to return to pre-recession levels. That could lead to deeper cuts to state jobs and services in order to maintain funding for core programs such as public schools and Medicaid.
Abuse bars some people from getting health care
Eight states allow use of domestic violence as pre-existing condition
WASHINGTON: Eight states and the District of Columbia don't have laws that specifically bar insurance companies from using domestic violence as a pre-existing condition to deny health coverage, according to a study from the National Women's Law Center.
Irish voters approve reform of EU
Plan's passage comes by a large majority on second attempt
DUBLIN, IRELAND: Ireland's recession-hit voters have overwhelmingly approved the European Union's ambitious and long-delayed reform plans, electoral chiefs announced Saturday in a referendum result greeted with wild cheers in Dublin — and nervous sighs of relief in Brussels, Belgium.
National news briefs - Oct. 3
Obama slower than Bush in naming federal judges
Pace of nominations for appeals, district courts apparently is slowed by search for U.S. justice
WASHINGTON: Eight months into office, President Barack Obama is moving far more slowly than his predecessor to fill federal court vacancies, leaving liberals waiting for the judiciary to tilt to the left.
Health overhaul debate intensifies
Capitol Hill politicians face minefield of issues as they hash out a bill
WASHINGTON: Eight months in office, Barack Obama has now pushed closer than any other president in generations to creating a basic health-care safety net for working Americans. Yet the fate of legislation delivering on his goal is far from certain: Republicans are nearly unified in opposition, Democrats hardly united in support.
Regulators close banks in Michigan, Minnesota
Associated Press
NEW YORK: Regulators have shut down Warren Bank in Warren, Mich., and a small bank in Minnesota, boosting the number of failed U.S. banks this year to 97 as loan defaults rise in the worst financial climate in decades.
Man charged in plot to blackmail Letterman
Prosecutors say CBS producer heavily in debt. Late night talk show host faces messy legal issues
NEW YORK: A CBS newsman who prosecutors said was desperate and deep in debt was charged Friday with trying to blackmail David Letterman for $2 million in a plot that forced the late night comic to acknowledge having sex with some of the women who work for him.
Letterman admits affairs, claims extortion
David Letterman acknowledged on Thursday's Late Show that he had sexual relationships with female employees and that someone tried to extort $2 million from him over the affairs.
Dems confront health-care backlash
Senators making progress, including one change in bill that would let states negotiate with insurers for coverage
WASHINGTON: Fearing a backlash, Democrats worked to smooth the impact of sweeping health-care legislation on working-class families Thursday as they pushed President Barack Obama's top domestic priority toward a crucial Senate advance. The most far-reaching overhaul in decades aims to protect millions who have unreliable coverage or none at all and to curb insurance company abuses.
Seasonal vaccine for flu in short supply
Some area residents waiting as drug makers are pressed to produce swine-flu doses
The biggest manufacturers of seasonal flu vaccines in the United States are delaying or reducing the number of doses shipping out across the nation — partly because of the crunch to produce millions of doses of the swine flu vaccine.
National news briefs - Oct. 2
Tips on tax cheats rise with rewards
Whistle-blowers must get at least 15 percent of the money collected
Associated Press
WASHINGTON: Dangle some cash and a lot of people are happy to turn in their employers for cheating on their taxes.
Autopsy: Jackson healthy at time of death
Anesthetic propofol, other sedatives were contributing factors
LOS ANGELES: Michael Jackson's outward appearance was marred when he died with puncture marks to his arms, surgical scars around his body and cosmetic tattoos on his lips and scalp.
U.S. might ban texting by bus drivers, truckers
Transportation secretary says distractions are deadly in interstate travel
WASHINGTON: The Obama administration said Thursday it will seek to ban text messaging by interstate bus drivers and truckers and push states to pass their own laws against driving cars while distracted.
Obama heads to Denmark to lobby for '16 Olympics
Chicago vies with Tokyo, Rio de Janeiro, Madrid. Winner too close to call
Associated Press
WASHINGTON: President Barack Obama traveled to Denmark on Thursday to help his adopted hometown of Chicago try to land the 2016 Summer Olympic Games.
Letterman admits affairs, claims extortion
David Letterman acknowledged on Thursday's Late Show that he had sexual relationships with female employees and that someone tried to extort $2 million from him over the affairs.
California to investigate ACORN operations and secret tapings
SACRAMENTO, CALIF.: Pushed by an ''outraged'' Calif. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, state Attorney General Jerry Brown has agreed to look into videos that purportedly show members of community organizing group ACORN giving advice on how to open a brothel. In a letter to Schwarzenegger dated Sept. 25 and made public Thursday, Chief Deputy Attorney General James M. Humes said the office has ''opened an investigation of both ACORN and the circumstances under which ACORN employees were videotaped.''
Parents accused of locking up 10-year-old girl
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.: A New Mexico couple is jailed after a 10-year-old girl told police her father and stepmother used a timer to allow her only a few minutes to eat, then locked her in her room to keep her from getting up and eating.
Seasonal flu vaccine delayed for some U.S. providers
The largest U.S. supplier of seasonal flu vaccines said it is running behind on shipping those vaccines — partly because of the crunch to produce millions of doses of the swine flu vaccine.
Elizabeth Smart says abductor raped her daily
SALT LAKE CITY: Elizabeth Smart says she was raped repeatedly each day after she was abducted from her bedroom seven years ago and told she would be killed if she yelled or tried to escape.
Hudson River 'miracle' pilots reunite for New York flight
NEW YORK: The ''Miracle on the Hudson'' pilots are back together. Capt. Chesley ''Sully'' Sullenberger and 1st Officer Jeffrey Skiles flew today from Charlotte, N.C., to New York — their first flight together since they were forced to ditch a disabled plane in the Hudson River, saving all 155 people on board.
Search continues for baby snatched from Tennessee home
NASHVILLE, TENN. Police worked today to retrace the steps of a mother whose newborn son was snatched from her home by a woman posing as an immigration agent who stabbed her several times.
Texas county makes $40,000 offer to Tasered woman, 72
AUSTIN, TEXAS: A Texas county has offered a $40,000 settlement to a 72-year-old woman whose Tasering by a deputy constable was captured on video and shown nationwide.
Moderate earthquake reported in central California
LOS ANGELES: The U.S. Geological Survey has reported a moderate earthquake in Central California. A preliminary earthquake report that had not yet been reviewed by a seismologist said the magnitude-5.1 quake hit at 3:01 a.m. today. It was centered in a rural area near Sequoia National Park and about 148 miles west of Las Vegas.
National news briefs - Oct. 1
Obama hears opinions on Afghan war
Members of national security team attend three-hour session at White House. No tactical decisions made
WASHINGTON: With top commanders and congressional Republicans pushing for more troops, President Barack Obama pressed key members of his national security team on their views on the Afghanistan war Wednesday during a three-hour marathon session that ended with no decisions on strategy changes or troop increases.
Congress approves funds for Pakistan
Aid to country would triple to $1.5 billion per year over the next five
WASHINGTON: Legislation to triple aid to Pakistan and stem the tide of radicalism and anti-Americanism in that Asian nation cleared Congress on Wednesday and moved to President Barack Obama for his signature.
Health-care overhaul survives GOP challenges
Baucus thinks bill has enough support to clear Senate Finance Committee
WASHINGTON: A White House-backed overhaul of the nation's health-care system weathered repeated challenges from Republican critics over taxes, abortion and more on Wednesday, and the bill's architect claimed enough votes to push it through the Senate Finance Committee as early as week's end.
High court will hear challenge to gun ban
If Chicago loses, appeals around country expected
Associated Press
WASHINGTON: The Supreme Court says it will take up a challenge to Chicago's ban on handguns, opening the way for a ruling that could set off a vigorous new campaign to roll back state and local gun controls across the nation.
Prosecutor say boy, 6, begged killers to 'let me go!'
BRUNSWICK, GA.: A 6-year-old boy pleaded with his captors — a man and his adult son — as they stripped and sexually assaulted the child inside a mobile home before strangling him, a prosecutor told jurors today.
Church ordains sex offender as minister
LOUISVILLE, KY.: A tiny Louisville church's newest minister is a gifted music leader and popular among its three dozen members.
Suspicious packages close Minnesota school district
PRINCETON, MINN.: A school district in eastern Minnesota has sent its 3,500 students home early after suspicious packages were found at three sites around the city of Princeton, including at the high school.
5-year-old found after California double shooting
ANAHEIM, CALIF.: Authorities say a 5-year-old boy has been found after he was apparently taken by his father, who is suspected of killing the boy's mother and another man at her apartment in Southern California.
Affidavit says man, woman admit to beating Oklahoma teen, locking him in closet
OKLAHOMA CITY: A man and woman arrested in Oklahoma on allegations of abusing the woman's 14-year-old son have admitted to police that they repeatedly beat the boy.
Search on for baby snatched by fake agent
NASHVILLE, TENN.: Police are looking for a newborn snatched from his mother's home in Tennessee by a woman posing as an immigration agent.
Police say woman fried, ate goldfish amid fight with ex
PASADENA, TEXAS: Authorities say a Houston-area woman who was burned up at her former common-law husband fried their pet goldfish and ate some of them.
18 men in Connecticut bird-fighting ring get probation
DERBY, CONN.: A Connecticut judge has granted probation to 18 of 19 men arrested in connection with a bird-fighting operation.
Man calls 911 to confess to robbery
PORT ORANGE, FLA.: Authorities in coastal Florida say a man called 911 to turn himself in about 20 minutes after robbing a Port Orange bank.
Senate panel rejects public option
Finance Committee shoots down two Democratic proposals for government health insurance
WASHINGTON: After an intense debate that captured the essence of the national struggle over health care, a pivotal Senate committee on Tuesday rejected two Democratic proposals to create a government insurance plan to compete with private insurers.
National news briefs - Sept. 30
Senate's climate bill stricter than House's
Greenhouse-gas proposal requires a 20% reduction with cap-and-trade method
WASHINGTON: Senate Democrats are pushing for a 20 percent cut in greenhouse gases by 2020 — deeper than what the House has passed and what President Barack Obama wants, according to a long-awaited bill that will test how serious the U.S. is about slowing global warming.
Afghan immigrant pleads not guilty to terrorist charges
Najibullah Zazi, suspected of trying to make a bomb, remains held without bail
NEW YORK: An Afghan immigrant pleaded not guilty Tuesday to planning a New York City terrorist attack with bombs made from beauty-supply chemicals — an alleged plot authorities say was helped by at least three accomplices whose whereabouts and level of involvement haven't been revealed.
Woman watching neighbors' kids gets warning
Act of kindness illegal? Michigan considers changing day-care law
IRVING TOWNSHIP, MICH.: Each day before the school bus comes to pick up the neighborhood's children, Lisa Snyder did a favor for three of her fellow moms, welcoming their children into her home for about an hour before they left for school.
Police say teen frequently tied up, kept in closet
OKLAHOMA CITY: A woman accused of beating her 14-year-old son frequently tied him up to prevent him from escaping and had a lock installed on a bedroom closet where he often was kept for days at a time, police said today.
Suspected wedding crashers arrested in Indiana theft
SEYMOUR, IND.: Police in southern Indiana have arrested two people suspected of crashing a wedding and taking off with a wire bird cage that held cards for the newlyweds filled with cash, checks and gift cards.
Authorities nab notorious swindler at U.S. border
MONTPELIER, VT.: Authorities say a con man who has made a living stealing from wealthy hotel guests around the world has been arrested in Vermont.
Palin finishes memoir, 'Going Rogue,' due out Nov. 17
NEW YORK: That was fast. Sarah Palin, the former Alaska governor and vice presidential candidate, has finished her memoir just four months after the book deal was announced, and the release date has been moved up from the spring to Nov. 17, her publisher said.
Coast Guard: Missing boaters located near Bahamas
LAKE WORTH, FLA.: Coast Guard officials in South Florida say three boaters reported missing on a trip from Lake Worth to the Bahamas have been located.
New York City terror suspect pleads not guilty, kept in jail
NEW YORK: An Afghan immigrant pleaded not guilty today to plotting a New York City terrorist attack with bombs made from beauty-supply chemicals and was ordered held without bail.
9 in 10 high schoolers short on fruits, veggies
Less than 10 percent of U.S. high school students are eating the combined recommended daily amount of fruits and vegetables, a finding that the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention called ''poor'' in a report today.
Boaters traveling to the Bahamas reported missing
LAKE WORTH, FLA.: Coast Guard officials in South Florida say a boat carrying three people went missing during a trip from Lake Worth to the Bahamas.
National news briefs - Sept. 29
U.S. president to lobby Olympic panel in person
Obama will join first lady in Copenhagen to boost Chicago's bid for 2016
COPENHAGEN, DENMARK: President Barack Obama is hitting the campaign trail again. Obama is going to Copenhagen after all, joining first lady Michelle Obama to support Chicago's bid for the 2016 Olympics. Obama plans to leave Washington on Thursday, senior adviser Valerie Jarrett told the Associated Press on Monday, getting to Denmark in time to be part of his adopted hometown's final presentation to the International Olympic Committee.
Nuclear power giant quits business group
Third energy firm leaving U.S. Chamber of Commerce over climate-change stance
WASHINGTON: Exelon, the nation's biggest operator of nuclear power plants, said Monday that it's quitting the U.S. Chamber of Commerce because of the business group's lobbying against climate and energy legislation.
Insurance overhaul to target Medicare funding
Health-care reforms would slash billions from senior program
WASHINGTON: Medicare is looking like a big fat piggy bank for health-care overhaul. President Barack Obama and the Democrats want to pay for much of their plan to cover the uninsured by cutting hundreds of billions from the Medicare budget over the next 10 years.
Lawmakers defy health insurance mandate plans
If state amendments pass, some say legal battle over federal powers will ensue, delay changes
ST. PAUL, MINN.: In more than a dozen statehouses across America, a small but growing group of lawmakers has been pressing for state constitutional amendments that would outlaw a crucial element of the health-care plans under discussion in Washington: the requirement that nearly everyone buy insurance or pay a penalty.
Officials say teen wrapped cat in duct tape
PHILADELPHIA: Investigators say a Philadelphia teenager wrapped a cat in duct tape, put it in a shopping bag and left it in a neighbor's backyard.
Teen says he was held in closet for years
OKLAHOMA CITY: Authorities say the mother of a 14-year-old Oklahoma boy has been arrested after her child told police he had spent years locked inside a bedroom closet.
1,400-pound bull escapes from slaughterhouse, drags officers down street
PATERSON, N.J.: Police say a 1,400-pound bull that escaped from a northern New Jersey slaughterhouse dragged officers with a lasso down a street and ran 10 blocks before being captured and sedated.
Security beefed up at Chicago school after beating death
CHICAGO: Chicago police say they're bolstering security around a high school on the city's South Side after a student was beaten to death.
Ex-roommate says Dallas bomb plot suspect was suicidal
ITALY, TEXAS: A former roommate of the suspect in a failed bomb plot in Dallas says his friend was lonely and suicidal in recent months.
Man trying to park van pins his twin, who dies
ALLENTOWN, PA.: An eastern Pennsylvania man trying to parallel park a minivan pinned his identical twin brother, who later died at a hospital.
Homeless Georgia sex offenders directed to woods
MARIETTA, GA.: A small group of homeless sex offenders have set up camp in densely wooded area behind a suburban Atlanta office park, directed there by probation officers who say it's a place of last resort for those with nowhere else to go.
Economic meltdown's full cultural impact is unknown
Historians say backlash against consumption is cyclical throughout history
The economy is really bad, Jay Leno told his Tonight Show audience in March. How bad? ''So bad that on Sesame Street, they won't even talk about the letters A, I or G anymore.''
Obama wants schools to add time to classes
President says U.S. kids are at disadvantage with students around world
Students beware: The summer vacation you just enjoyed could be sharply curtailed if President Barack Obama gets his way.
Pulitzer-winning writer dies of pancreatic cancer
Conservative political columnist and expert on English language leaves legacy of wit and wisdom
William Safire, a speech writer for President Richard M. Nixon and a Pulitzer Prize-winning political columnist for the New York Times who also wrote novels, books on politics and a treasury of articles on language, died at a hospice in Rockville, Md., on Sunday. He was 79.
Job losses, early retirements taxing Social Security
Applications for benefits climb 23 percent; disability claims also increase
WASHINGTON: Big job losses and a spike in early retirement claims from laid-off seniors will force Social Security to pay out more in benefits than it collects in taxes the next two years, the first time that's happened since the 1980s.
Clinton doubts Iran can prove its nuclear program is peaceful
Secretary of state says tougher sanctions likely the best way to change Tehran's policies
WASHINGTON: Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton says she doesn't believe Iran can convince the U.S. and other world powers that its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes, putting Tehran on course for tougher economic penalties beyond the current ''leaky sanctions.''
Motherhood poses challenges for soldiers
Women who have been deployed find transition back to domestic life difficult
More than 100,000 female U.S. soldiers who have served in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq are mothers, nearly half the number of women who have been deployed.
Supreme Court considers Bush anti-terror policies
Justices will meet Tuesday to discuss controversial tactics Obama administration is defending
WASHINGTON: Graphic photos of U.S. troops abusing Iraqi prisoners present the Supreme Court with its latest national security legal dilemma.
Gay issues on ballots in 3 states
Washington, Michigan, Maine voters to decide on rights initiatives
OLYMPIA, WASH.: Nearly a year after California voters overturned same-sex marriage, voters in three other states will weigh in this fall on whether to reverse gay rights initiatives ranging from anti-discrimination measures to marriage benefits.
U.S. job seekers exceed openings by record ratio
Labor Department says they now outnumber available positions six to one
Despite signs that the economy has resumed growing, unemployed Americans now confront a job market that is bleaker than ever in the current recession, and employment prospects are still getting worse.
A deep divide over future role in Afghanistan
White House, military seem split on whether to send in more troops
WASHINGTON: The Potomac River is a physical as well as a figurative divide between the White House and the Pentagon, and occupants of each building often refer to the other address as a slightly foreign place ''across the river.''
National news
LANSING, MICH.
Shutdown threat looms
Economically beleaguered Michigan faces a possible government shutdown — shuttering highway rest areas, state parks, construction projects and the state lottery — if lawmakers fail to reach a budget deal in the next few days. The state with the nation's highest unemployment rate has a nearly $3 billion shortfall.
Artificial retina technology is helping blind people see
Electrodes implanted in eye allow subjects to tell grass from sidewalk, sort socks
Blindness first began creeping up on Barbara Campbell when she was a teenager, and by her late 30s, her eye disease had stolen what was left of her sight.
U.S. warns Iran over new nuclear plant
Obama demands Tehran allow international inspections of secret facility
PITTSBURGH: President Barack Obama and his allies raced Friday to use their revelation of a secret Iranian nuclear enrichment plant as long-sought leverage against Tehran, demanding that the country allow highly intrusive international inspections and propelling the confrontation with Tehran to a new and volatile pitch.
National news briefs - Sept. 26
House passes bill to avoid shutdown
Temporary spending measure on federal programs to keep government running for another month
WASHINGTON: The House passed legislation Friday to head off a government shutdown next week by temporarily extending spending on most federal programs at current levels, while boosting lawmakers' office budgets by more than 8 percent.
FDA admits pressure to OK device
New Jersey lawmakers lobby for approval of ReGen's Menaflex
WASHINGTON: The Food and Drug Administration has taken the unprecedented step of acknowledging that it buckled to ''extreme'' pressure from Capitol Hill in its approval of a knee repair device last year.
In 2 bomb cases, FBI lets the sting play out
CHICAGO: As Hosam Maher Husein Smadi prepared to remotely detonate what he believed was a powerful bomb underneath a Dallas skyscraper, his comrade-in-arms, who was actually an undercover FBI agent, offered him earplugs, authorities say.
Anniversary plot unfolds
Authorities contend man was targeting New York City commuter trains
DENVER: An Afghan immigrant was on the verge of unleashing a terrorist attack on New York City on the Sept. 11 anniversary but was scared off after drawing suspicion from police, prosecutors said Friday as they provided details about how far along the plot had developed.
Ginsburg is back at work after leaving the hospital
Associated Press
WASHINGTON: Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who had cancer surgery earlier this year, made a quick return to work Friday after feeling ill at the office and spending the night in a Washington hospital as a precaution.
Judge criticizes U.S. evidence on a Guantanamo detainee
She orders release of Kuwaiti man, says he was unfairly held for seven years
WASHINGTON: A federal judge has ordered the release of a Kuwaiti man held at Guantanamo Bay and rebuked the U.S. government for relying on scant evidence, noncredible witnesses and coerced confessions to hold him for more than seven years.
Witness describes discovery of body
Census worker found hanging naked, gagged
BIG CREEK, Ky.: A part-time census worker found hanging in a rural Kentucky cemetery was naked and gagged, and his hands and feet were bound with duct tape, according to an Ohio man who discovered the body two weeks ago.
Iran must open nuclear site, U.S., world chiefs demand
PITTSBURGH: President Barack Obama and the leaders of France and Britain declared today that the revelation of a previously secret Iranian nuclear facility puts heavy new pressure on Tehran to quickly disclose all its nuclear efforts — including any moves toward weapons development — ''or be held accountable.''
U.S. sends 2 missile defense satellites into orbit
CAPE CANAVERAL, FLA.: Two satellites are heading to orbit as part of a missile defense program demonstration.
Massachusetts judge rejects bid to delay Kennedy successor
BOSTON: A Massachusetts judge today rejected a Republican request to delay the swearing in of Sen. Edward M. Kennedy's temporary replacement.
New York City terror attack apparently was set for Sept. 11
DENVER: An Afghan immigrant wanted to carry out a massive New York City terror attack involving hydrogen peroxide bombs on commuter trains to coincide with the Sept. 11 anniversary before federal authorities foiled the plan, a U.S. prosecutor said today.
Police say Kentucky census worker died from asphyxiation
BIG CREEK, KY.: Authorities said a U.S. Census worker died by asphyxiation but were releasing few other details about the mysterious case nearly two weeks after Bill Sparkman's body — with the word ''fed'' scrawled on the chest — was found hanging from a tree near a family cemetery secluded by Appalachian forest.
Massachusetts judge considers delaying Kennedy successor
BOSTON: The Massachusetts Republican Party asked a judge today to delay the swearing in of the late Sen. Edward M. Kennedy's replacement, arguing Gov. Deval Patrick did an end-run on the constitution by appointing Paul G. Kirk Jr. before a traditional 90-day legislative waiting period had expired.
Ginsburg released from hospital, back to work
WASHINGTON: Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who had cancer surgery earlier this year, planned a quick return to work today after feeling ill at the office and spending the night in a Washington hospital as a precaution.
Sex offenders welcome: Florida apartments offer home
PAHOKEE, FLA.: No sign marks Miracle Park, a cluster of one-story yellow buildings surrounding a small church that caters to one of society's most despised demographics: sex offenders.
Pittsburgh braces for more clashes at G-20 summit
PITTSBURGH: Riot police turned back hundreds of protesters trying to march downtown on the first day of the Group of 20 summit, arresting nearly 70 people as authorities braced for smaller, scattered protests at dozens of businesses and organizations today.
Suspect used Web to find bomb supplies, feds say
NEW YORK: Najibullah Zazi went from Pakistan to suburban Denver beauty shops in a hunt for the supplies and skill to make hydrogen peroxide bombs for al-Qaida, authorities charged in papers describing one of the most significant post-9/11 terror threats to the United States.
Men accused of unrelated bomb plots in Illinois, Texas
CHICAGO: Two men unconnected to each other or to the investigation that has spawned recent national terrorism warnings are in federal custody after attempting to detonate what they thought were bombs outside an Illinois courthouse and a Texas skyscraper, authorities said.
AIDS vaccine showing first success in 26 years
Thailand study shows one in three participants are protected from getting HIV
Scientists and government leaders already have started mapping out how to try to improve the world's first successful AIDS vaccine, which protected one in three people from getting HIV in a large study in Thailand.
Leaders agree on bank limits
Protesters, estimated at about 1,000, make a lot of noise in Pittsburgh, but situation is relatively calm for a G-20 meeting.
PITTSBURGH: Police fired canisters of pepper spray and smoke at marchers protesting the Group of 20 summit Thursday after anarchists responded to calls to disperse by rolling trash bins, throwing rocks and breaking windows.
U.N. backs Obama goal of nuclear disarmament
Major world powers support lofty plans for globe free of atomic weapons
UNITED NATIONS: With President Barack Obama in the chair at an unprecedented meeting of the U.N. Security Council, major world powers on Thursday endorsed his goal of a nuclear-weapons free world and pledged to strengthen the shaky international system for preventing the spread of nuclear arms.
House passes bill stopping Medicare premium hikes
Measure eliminates increases for Part B, which provides coverage for doctor's visits. Bill now headed to Senate
WASHINGTON: Millions of Medicare patients would be spared monthly premium increases next year under a bill passed by the House on Thursday.
Governor chooses Kennedy's friend as interim senator
Former aide Paul G. Kirk Jr. to take oath of office today. Special election in January
New York Times
BOSTON: Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick today named Paul G. Kirk Jr., a former aide and longtime confidant of the late Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, to Kennedy's seat.
National news briefs - Sept. 25
FDA OK'd questionable knee device
Scientists had rejected product twice before. Probe looks at pressure
Associated Press
WASHINGTON: The Food and Drug Administration failed to follow its own rules when it approved a knee repair product last year against the recommendation of its own scientists, according to an internal probe.
Feds say terror suspect bought beauty supplies
Authorities say hydrogen peroxide, nail-polish remover purchased for bombs
NEW YORK: An Afghan immigrant who received explosives training from al-Qaida went from one beauty supply store to another, buying up large quantities of hydrogen peroxide and nail-polish remover, in a chilling plot to build bombs for attacks on U.S. soil, authorities charged Thursday.
Man in hospital standoff charged in parents' death
CHICAGO: Authorities say a Chicago man who barricaded himself in a hospital for hours has been charged in the shooting deaths of his parents.
Report: Sugar company ignored dangers before blast
SAVANNAH, GA.: Imperial Sugar Co. and managers of its Georgia refinery ignored known dangers of explosive dust for decades before a chain of dust-fueled fireballs erupted at the plant last year and killed 14 people, investigators said in a report today.
Another sibling reunites with two long-lost brothers, sister who had just reunited
WALDOBORO, MAINE: Two Maine men and a woman who reunited after discovering they were separated as youngsters have found another long-lost sibling.
North Carolina Marine calm in 911 call reporting wife's death
JACKSONVILLE, N.C.: A North Carolina-based Marine charged with killing his wife calmly told 911 dispatchers that he had written a suicide note but was unable to kill himself.
Feds file bomb plot charge against terror suspect
WASHINGTON: Terror suspect Najibullah Zazi has been indicted on a charge of conspiring to detonate bombs in the United States.
Insane killer says escape from fair was unplanned
SPOKANE, WASH.: The insane killer who walked away from a county fair field trip arranged by his Washington state mental hospital says he didn't plan his escape.
Police say pilot stalked ex-girlfriend with plane
CONCORD, CALIF.: Police have arrested a California pilot who they say stalked his ex-girlfriend by repeatedly flying his plane low over her house.
5 bikini baristas accused of prostitution in Washington
EVERETT, WASH.: Five Washington state baristas charged customers to touch their breasts and buttocks at an espresso stand where servers wear bikinis to draw business, police said.
Feds weigh cell phone ban for bus, truck drivers
WASHINGTON: Safety investigators told federal regulators three years ago that it was dangerous for bus drivers to talk on cell phones while driving and recommended a ban.
House passes bill stopping Medicare premium hikes
WASHINGTON: The House voted overwhelmingly today to eliminate monthly premium increases for millions of Medicare patients next year.
Feds probe U.S. Census worker hanging in Kentucky
MANCHESTER, KY.: When Bill Sparkman told retired trooper Gilbert Acciardo that he was going door-to-door collecting census data in rural Kentucky, the former cop drew on years of experience for a warning: ''Be careful.''
Lawyer: California woman kidnapped as a girl has mixed emotions
SAN FRANCISCO: The lawyer for a Northern California woman found alive 18 years after she was kidnapped said today his client has mixed emotions surrounding the arrest of her alleged captors, but realizes ''some bad and terrible things were done to her.''
Slain Texas teacher faced trouble at school before
TYLER, TEXAS: Special education teacher Todd Henry worked with troubled students for years and had been injured at school before.
Massachusetts governor set to name Ted Kennedy successor
BOSTON: Former Democratic National Committee chairman Paul G. Kirk Jr. was the favored pick today as Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick prepared to announce a temporary replacement for the late Sen. Edward M. Kennedy.
4 N.J. police officers shot serving search warrant
LAKEWOOD, N.J.: Gunfire erupted as a police tactical squad executed a no-knock search warrant in a New Jersey suburb today, leaving four officers and a suspect shot.
Obama says all nations must act
In U.N. speech, he urges leaders to join efforts to tackle the world's ills
UNITED NATIONS: President Barack Obama bluntly prodded world leaders Wednesday to join the U.S. in solving pressing global problems, challenging them to move beyond ''an almost reflexive anti-Americanism which, too often, has served as an excuse for collective inaction.''
IRS cuts its ties with ACORN
Volunteer tax-assistance program by group ended. Full review started after exposure by conservatives
WASHINGTON: The IRS announced Wednesday it was severing ties with ACORN, joining a growing list of government agencies to end relationships with the community activist group.
National news briefs - Sept. 24
Appetite for bullets exceeding production
Makers running all day; spike blamed on Obama
NEW ORLEANS: Bullet makers are working around the clock, seven days a week, and still can't keep up with the nation's demand for ammunition.
Obama urges world leaders to join together
Top nations still at odds over global challenges on eve of G-20 summit
PITTSBURGH: On the eve of a summit of the world's 20 top economies, the Obama administration pressed leaders Wednesday to overcome differences and work together more closely in confronting thorny financial and environmental problems.
U.S. Senator Ted Kennedy dies
BOSTON: Sen. Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts, the last surviving brother in a political dynasty and one of the most influential senators in history, died Tuesday night at his home on Cape Cod after a yearlong struggle with brain cancer. He was 77.
Live video: President Barack Obama to introduce mortgage relief plan, 12:15 p.m. EST
Live video: President Barack Obama to sign economic stimulus bill in Denver, 2:40 p.m. EST
1 dead, 18 injured in Atlanta bridge collapse
A pedestrian bridge under construction collapsed Friday morning near the entrance of the Atlanta Botanical Garden, killing one worker and injuring 18 others.
Mother of Palin daughter's boyfriend arrested
ANCHORAGE, Alaska: Alaska state police have arrested the mother of Bristol Palin's boyfriend on drug charges. Palin is the daughter of Gov. Sarah Palin.
Photos: In the wake of Gustav
Photos: GOP Convention Day two
Photos: Republican National Convention day one