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Automatically compiled digests of U.S. NEWS stories
(originally clustered by the Google News):


Sunday


  • July-06-2008 -- Bush honors troops, new Americans in radio address
    ' People lined up to be sworn in as new U.S. citizens were unwitting witnesses Friday to a constitutional object lesson at President Bush's expense on the grounds of Thomas Jefferson's home, Monticello.
    God Bless you, your family and your fellow soldiers. More...

  • July-06-2008 -- Tropical Storm Bertha approaches warmer waters
    MIAMI, July 5 (Reuters) - Tropical Storm Bertha was expected to become the 2008 Atlantic storm season's first hurricane as it steamed toward the United States over open waters between Bermuda and the Caribbean islands, U.S. weather forecasters said on Saturday.
    The project also said there is a 69 percent probability that at least one major storm one with wind speeds of 111 mph or higher will make landfall along the U.S. coast. More...

  • July-06-2008 -- Truth and the Gitmo detainees
    O n June 23, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia overturned the government's classification of a Guantanamo Bay detainee as an enemy combatant.
    For all of the real diplomatic costs incurred over Guantanamo, that base was admirably suited to house captured enemy combatants. More...

  • July-06-2008 -- Supreme Court on guns: It's an individual right
    In a landmark ruling, District of Columbia v. Heller, the court unequivocally confirmed that gun ownership is an individual right.
    The ruling will change the legal landscape of gun rights laws in every state. More...

  • July-06-2008 -- Marines act as paymasters to Afghans
    Maj. David Nevers, a Marine Corps spokesman, confirmed that Gates had authorized an extension for up to 30 days for the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, an air-ground task force that deployed to Afghanistan in February and March.
    Michael Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said Wednesday that more U.S. troops are needed in Afghanistan. More...

  • July-06-2008 -- Florida's Crist has pressing engagement
    Crist was married for six months in 1979 to Amanda Morrow, a fellow student at Florida State University.
    There was that one time Jeb Bush called a reporter a jackass for asking about Crist's sexytime or something. More...

  • July-06-2008 -- Funeral for Brooke Bennett, 12, of Vermont to Be Held Wednesday
    Some state officials are calling for Jessica's Law to be passed, while others say Vermont's laws are stronger than ever and will continue to be improved, but that long, mandatory sentences are not the answer.
    Again, police want to hear from anyone who may have information about Brooke Bennett or any child or teenager who may have had contact with Michael Jacques. More...

  • July-06-2008 -- Wrong-way driver, woman die in I-80 crash in PA
    Rev. Timothy Wright, a much-loved Brooklyn pastor and gospel singer was seriously injured and his wife was killed in a car crash in central Pennsylvania, when a wrong-way driver hit the vehicle they were in, according to the local police.
    A special prayer service will be held Sunday for gospel singer and Brooklyn pastor Timothy Wright, who was critically injured when his car was struck by a driver going the wrong way. More...

Sunday


  • July-06-2008 -- Rising Convention Costs and Delays Worry Democrats
    The post-convention bounce is critical for Democrats, although it hasn't been enough in most cycles.''
    Wow, you McSame supporters sure are jealous, aren't you? Your guy can barely fill a highschool gym. More...

  • July-06-2008 -- Marines act as paymasters to Afghans
    Maj. David Nevers, a Marine Corps spokesman, confirmed that Gates had authorized an extension for up to 30 days for the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, an air-ground task force that deployed to Afghanistan in February and March.
    Michael Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said Wednesday that more U.S. troops are needed in Afghanistan. More...

  • July-06-2008 -- US government rushes to secure terror prisoners
    O n June 23, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia overturned the government's classification of a Guantanamo Bay detainee as an enemy combatant.
    The administration argued that ample rights were provided by two ad-hoc laws passed by Congress in the face of earlier court challenges that solidified the 'combatant status review tribunals''Pentagon reviews set up by order of then-Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz. More...

  • July-06-2008 -- Hippie Arrests Draw ACLU's Attention
    The decision by the Forest Service to evict the Scouts left local Wyoming leaders infuriated.
    National Forest Service officials, surrounded and attacked yesterday in Wyoming with sticks and stones by 400 members of the Rainbow Family , were given reason to regret their decision to cancel a long-planned national service project by the Boy Scouts of America in favor of the unorganized annual gathering of hippies, anarchists and "free spirits" who commune with nature and each other. More...

  • July-06-2008 -- Offer of a Vote for Sale Draws Unwanted Attention
    Sanders, a 19-year-old University of Minnesota student, was charged with a felony Thursday, after placing an auction ad on eBay with the headline, "I'm selling my vote in the Presidential Election."
    Max P. Sanders, 19, was charged with a felony Thursday in Hennepin County District Court after allegedly asking for a minimum of $10 in exchange for voting for the bidder's preferred candidate. More...

  • July-06-2008 -- Detroit Faces Probe Over Sludge Contract
    DETROIT, July 3 (UPI) -- An FBI investigation of Detroit's contracting practices may be moving closer to embattled Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, sources told the Detroit News.
    The probe also includes council staff members, city employees and others outside city government, according to the Detroit Free Press, which cites people it doesn't name. More...

  • July-06-2008 -- Funeral for Brooke Bennett, 12, of Vermont to Be Held Wednesday
    Some state officials are calling for Jessica's Law to be passed, while others say Vermont's laws are stronger than ever and will continue to be improved, but that long, mandatory sentences are not the answer.
    Surveillance footage from the Cumberland Farms store, which police have so far declined to release, showed the girl being dropped off. More...

  • July-06-2008 -- Coast Guard suspends search for missing man
    A 60-year-old Quincy man is missing at sea after he fell overboard yesterday afternoon shortly before a violent storm moved in, officials said.
    Two small Coast Guard boats and a Jayhawk helicopter stopped searching around 10 p.m. and are expected to return at sunrise, Terrell said. More...





Saturday


  • July-05-2008 -- Skycaps too feel the effects of airline crunch
    A man was detained Wednesday after allegedly making a bomb threat to police at Los Angeles International Airport, prompting authorities to ground several flights and halt traffic into the area.
    Airport spokeswoman Nancy Castles says no one has been evacuated from inside terminals, but the upper and lower roadways near Terminal 3 have been closed. More...

  • July-05-2008 -- White House debates the future of Guantanamo
    O n June 23, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia overturned the government's classification of a Guantanamo Bay detainee as an enemy combatant.
    The officials said the administration was not on the verge of shutting down Guantanamo. More...

  • July-05-2008 -- Offer of a Vote for Sale Draws Unwanted Attention
    Sanders, a 19-year-old University of Minnesota student, was charged with a felony Thursday, after placing an auction ad on eBay with the headline, "I'm selling my vote in the Presidential Election."
    University of Minnesota student Max Sanders posted an auction on the popular website in May. More...

  • July-05-2008 -- Missing girl case looked outward, turns to home
    Some state officials are calling for Jessica's Law to be passed, while others say Vermont's laws are stronger than ever and will continue to be improved, but that long, mandatory sentences are not the answer.
    The FBI affidavits support the charges against Jacques and against Bennett's former stepfather, Raymond Gagnon, who is charged with obstructing justice. More...

  • July-05-2008 -- Memorial dedicated to 9/11 airline crew
    GRAPEVINE, Texas (AP) - Hundreds of people gathered on the Fourth of July to dedicate a memorial honoring the pilots and flight attendants who died in the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
    Hundreds of people gathered in Grapevine, Texas on Friday to dedicate a memorial to the airline crew killed on that day. More...

  • July-05-2008 -- Town fireworks display accident in Iowa injures 12
    Most of the victims suffered minor injuries.
    In Union Township outside Cincinnati, police say a woman suffered second-degree burns and a child was injured after a fireworks accident Friday night. More...

  • July-05-2008 -- Car Thief Finds Bomb-Packed Van in New York City
    Investigators believe that the van had been parked at 53rd St. and Second Ave. for more than a month, and its dangerous cargo was discovered only after a car thief broke into the vehicle Thursday afternoon.
    A car thief on Thursday night found a bomb-laden van wired to detonate by remote control that likely had been sitting there for more than five months, sources said. More...

  • July-05-2008 -- Gay Episcopal bishop sees hope for progress
    The fault lines became apparent with the Episcopal Church's 2003 election of New Hampshire's openly gay bishop, V. Gene Robinson, and have since spiraled into a worldwide debate over the future of Anglicanism.
    Reports had initially indicated that a new group formed by the Bishops would be led by a Primates Council. More...

Saturday


  • July-05-2008 -- White House debates the future of Guantanamo
    O n June 23, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia overturned the government's classification of a Guantanamo Bay detainee as an enemy combatant.
    National security analysts say if the matter remains in the hands of civilian courts, there is the possibility that detainees could be released in the United States. More...

  • July-05-2008 -- AFGHANISTAN: 30 days to scrounge more troops?
    Maj. David Nevers, a Marine Corps spokesman, confirmed that Gates had authorized an extension for up to 30 days for the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, an air-ground task force that deployed to Afghanistan in February and March.
    The move comes amid U.S. concern about rising violence in Afghanistan from Taliban Islamist militants and other groups. More...

  • July-05-2008 -- Americans Celebrate Nation's 232nd Birthday
    Cops make an explosive arrest in S.I. A Staten Island man was busted for having nearly $10,000 worth of illegal fireworks in his home, cops said Thursday.
    Some 30,000 shells were to be set off more than 1,000 per minute. More...

  • July-05-2008 -- Missing girl case looked outward, turns to home
    BURLINGTON, Vt. - Prosecutors on Thursday filed federal kidnapping charges that carry the death penalty against a man whose niece was found buried near his home after being missing for a week as new details emerged about the uncle's arrest record.
    Baker said Gagnon is suspected of sexually assaulting another child in 2007. More...

  • July-05-2008 -- Supreme Slip-Up
    The decision nullified a Louisiana law that provided capital punishment for raping a child under 12.
    Child rapists "butcher the child's soul," Schneider said. More...

  • July-05-2008 -- National Speed Limit May Help Fuel Costs
    In 1974, Congress set the national speed limit at 55 miles per hour because of energy shortages caused by the Arab oil embargo.
    The national speed limit of 55 was imposed in 1974 when the country was dealing with an energy shortage caused by an Arab oil embargo. More...

  • July-05-2008 -- 5 arrested in Rainbow Family clash with feds
    CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — About 400 members of the Rainbow Family threw rocks and sticks at 10 federal officers as they tried to arrest a member of the group, the U.S. Forest Service said Friday.
    As the ten officers were taking the two people out of the area, ''about 400 Rainbows surrounded the squad trying to leave,'' according to the statement. More...

  • July-05-2008 -- US hunt for Osama to be allowed: report
    WASHINGTON - Pakistan long ago gave Washington the right to launch an immediate Predator drone strike on Osama bin Laden, without first notifying Islamabad, if he is located in Pakistani tribal areas, The Washington Times reported Wednesday.
    According to The Washington Times, President Musharraf granted the right to launch attacks to the U.S. when Pakistan joined the war against terrorism in 2001. More...

Friday


  • July-04-2008 -- Tropical Storm Bertha churns in the Atlantic
    Tropical Storm Bertha formed far out in the Atlantic, near the Cape Verde Islands off the coast of Africa.
    The storm, with sustained winds of about 70 miles (113 kilometers) an hour, was 830 miles southwest of the tip of the Baja California peninsula at 2 a.m. Pacific Daylight Time. More...

  • July-04-2008 -- Obama may accept nomination at NFL stadium
    DENVER Barack Obama's campaign is considering having the Democratic presidential nominee make his acceptance speech at Invesco Field at Mile High instead of the Pepsi Center, which is hosting the Democratic National Convention, according to two people in a position to know details of the idea.
    In an open-air football stadium, it will look more like genuine enthusiasm (whether it really is or not). More...

  • July-04-2008 -- Obama Responds to FISA Protest on His Web Site
    After more than a week of growing criticism of his support for a flawed surveillance bill, Barack Obama quietly responded late Thursday evening.
    The irony is that we were better off with a complete @ss like Saddam - in a contained manner- subjugating 'his own' pets. More...

  • July-04-2008 -- TEXT MESSAGE SCANDAL Worthy obtains messages of 10 linked to mayor
    DETROIT (AP) - Documents that include about 200 pages of text messages have been ordered sealed to allow a judge time to determine if their release threatens the ability of Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick and his ex-top aide to receive a fair trial.
    Arguing against putting some of the texts under seal on Thursday, Assistant Prosecutor Robert Moran said the defense has only claimed that that disclosure might embarrass some people. More...

  • July-04-2008 -- Minn. teen charged with offering his vote on eBay
    Sanders, a 19-year-old University of Minnesota student, was charged with a felony Thursday, after placing an auction ad on eBay with the headline, "I'm selling my vote in the Presidential Election."
    Sanders agreed to meet with investigators but later rescinded. More...

  • July-04-2008 -- NJ troopers join mourners at soldier's funeral
    Family members, friends and soldiers were followed by hundreds of New Jersey state troopers.
    Patriot Guard flag bearers and New Jersey state troopers stand at attention as Maj. Dwayne Kelley's casket leaves the church on Thursday. More...

  • July-04-2008 -- Arizonans may face 9 initiatives on Nov. 4
    In the coming weeks, Nebraskans United will work to get as many of the petition signatures invalidated as possible, Kramer said.
    Businessman Ward Connerly, who led successful efforts to ban affirmative action in California and Michigan, poured nearly $1 million into the Arizona group's signature-gathering campaign. More...

  • July-04-2008 -- Foundation of Washington's home lies in Fredericksburg, Virginia
    WASHINGTON (AFP) — U.S. archaeologists believe they have found the long-sought childhood home of George Washington, the United States' first president, siting it close to Fredricksburg in the state of Virginia.
    Three likely locations were excavated over seven years. More...

Friday


  • July-04-2008 -- Jacques could face death penalty if convicted
    RANDOLPH, Vt. (AP) — Instead of gathering at a vigil to offer prayers for the safe return of a missing 12-year-old girl, residents found themselves mourning the news that her body had been found.
    A State Trooper stands guard at the end of Crocker Road in Randolph, N.H., Wednesday, July 2, 2008. More...

  • July-04-2008 -- Tropical Storm Douglas weakens
    Tropical Storm Bertha formed far out in the Atlantic, near the Cape Verde Islands off the coast of Africa.
    Forecasters at the National Hurricane Center in Miami started watching the collection of thunderstorms and low pressure just after it emerged in the Atlantic Ocean, saying on Tuesday it had the potential to become better organized. More...

  • July-04-2008 -- Court strikes down Florida-Seminole gaming deal
    TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — The Florida Supreme Court on Thursday overturned an agreement Gov. Charlie Crist signed with the Seminole Tribe to expand gambling at its casinos, saying the governor had no right to allow games that are illegal elsewhere in the state.
    Seminole Hard Rock in Tampa was slated to receive table games by the end of the year. More...

  • July-04-2008 -- Judge rules state can hold seized fireworks
    Attorney General Richard Blumenthal charged Tuesday that the confiscated fireworks, which shoot off fountains of sparks, exceed state maximums for pyrotechnic mixtures.
    The attorney general said the situation is like prescription pills someone sells illegally. More...

  • July-04-2008 -- Gov. Blagojevich gets heated with reporters
    Rezko also was a prominent fundraiser for likely Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama .
    Witnesses at Rezko's trial described conversations in which Blagojevich suggested favors in exchange for contributions. More...

  • July-04-2008 -- Father without baby sitter accused of caging kids
    Chicago Tribune reporters 10:06 PM CDT, July 3, 2008 Posen Deputy Chief Vickie Paggi explains the conditions inside a Chevrolet truck where two girls were found in a cage on Monday.
    The alleged discovery of cage not only led to the girls being placed in foster care, but sent shockwaves through the village of Posen. More...

  • July-04-2008 -- Judge orders motion to admit text messages sealed
    DETROIT (AP) - Documents that include about 200 pages of text messages have been ordered sealed to allow a judge time to determine if their release threatens the ability of Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick and his ex-top aide to receive a fair trial.
    Spokeswoman Maria Miller said the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office is confident the text messages will withstand a challenge: "Everything we have was obtained legitimately. More...

  • July-04-2008 -- Police hunt man accused of shooting estranged wife
    Authorities say a man who allegedly shot his estranged wife and abducted their 9-year-old son may be driving a rented RV. A man who allegedly shot his estranged wife and kidnapped his 9-year-old son may now be driving a rented RV and not the red Porsche or Chevy Suburban authorities have been looking for since last night, authorities said today.
    The 41-year-old victim, whose name has not been released, was in the car with her friend and the friend's 4-year-old daughter when she shot at least once in the upper torso, Amormino said. More...

Thursday


  • July-03-2008 -- The Safest Places to Drive
    The company's fourth annual Allstate America's Best Drivers Report ranked Fort Collins motorists behind Sioux Falls, S.D. The average Sioux Falls driver gets into an auto collision every 14.6 years compared to the national average of every 10 years, and it's the third straight year Sioux Falls has held the top spot in the report.
    Allstate honored drivers in Sioux Falls with a celebratory free gas giveaway. More...

  • July-03-2008 -- Child abuser gets 4060-year prison sentence
    The Parker County jury found James Kevin Pope guilty of sexually abusing three teenage girls in 2006 and 2007.
    Pope was convicted on 43 child sexual abuse counts and sentenced to a total of 4,060 years in prison in a trial that concluded in Weatherford. More...

  • July-03-2008 -- 14-Year-Old South Carolina Boy Charged With Raping, Killing 8-Year ...
    Greenville County sheriff's deputy Michael Hildebrand says the teen was charged Wednesday with murder and first-degree criminal sexual conduct in the death of Dymia Janae Woody, who was reported missing Monday.
    "I can't stay here and look and know my child was killed there." More...

  • July-03-2008 -- Suit accusing Bush of acting illegally tossed
    The act, known as FISA, was passed by Congress in 1978 and requires government investigators to obtain a warrant from a secret court in Washington to conduct electronic eavesdropping of suspected terrorists inside the country.
    All of which means Walker's circular ruling, at least for now, has little meaning in the real world. More...

  • July-03-2008 -- Budget showdown'again
    The state is supposed to have a new budget in place today to cover spending for the next 12 months.
    The House refused to go along with the Senate on a variety of proposals to help cover the proposed spending. More...

  • July-03-2008 -- Remnants cannot tell a lie: George Washington's boyhood home found
    WASHINGTON (AFP) — U.S. archaeologists believe they have found the long-sought childhood home of George Washington, the United States' first president, siting it close to Fredricksburg in the state of Virginia.
    Archaeologists have been conducting large-scale excavations at the site of George Washington's boyhood home since 2001. More...

  • July-03-2008 -- Priority security lines are coming to Delta terminal at LAX
    A man was detained Wednesday after allegedly making a bomb threat to police at Los Angeles International Airport, prompting authorities to ground several flights and halt traffic into the area.
    At 12:45 p.m., police removed the bag. More...

  • July-03-2008 -- Bush says US Deaths in Afghanistan Are From 'Taking the Fight' to ...
    Last month 49 NATO and U.S. led coalition soldiers died, the highest fatality figure since the 2001 ouster of the Taliban militia.
    Military officials say security has deteriorated in large part because of the lawless, tribal border region between Afghanistan and Pakistan. More...

Thursday


  • July-03-2008 -- Authorities mull reasons for alleged killing spree
    STERLING, Ill. (AP) — The FBI launched a manhunt Tuesday for an ex-con suspected of killing eight people in two states, including a 93-year-old man, a child, and a couple whose blood-soaked dogs were found roaming a motel parking lot.
    ST. LOUIS - An exhaustive, two-state manhunt for an ex-convict suspected in eight grisly slayings ended Tuesday night with the man quietly arrested outside a bar known as a police hangout. More...

  • July-03-2008 -- Ga. authorities probe 1946 unsolved lynchings
    MONROE, Ga. (AP) — Federal and state agents swarmed the backyard of a modest white house along a windy stretch in rural northeast Georgia this week in search of clues that could be linked to living suspects involved in the 1946 unsolved lynchings of four people.
    Federal and state agents dug up the backyard of a Walton County home as part of the investigation into the 1946 lynching of two young black couples at Moore's Ford bridge. More...

  • July-03-2008 -- DC Council to Meet on Handgun Law
    July 2, 2008 at 8:57 p.m. Mark as Offensive Fenty, Lanier and the rest of the Washington politicians quoted in this article fundamentally misunderstand what has transpired.
    Council member Phil Mendelson (D-At Large) has decided to introduce legislation tomorrow that will address the Supreme Court ruling on the city's gun ban. More...

  • July-03-2008 -- Man arrested, no explosives found at LA airport
    A man was detained Wednesday after allegedly making a bomb threat to police at Los Angeles International Airport, prompting authorities to ground several flights and halt traffic into the area.
    Police tried to blow up the bag and a robot was brought in to examine it but no explosives were found inside, airport officials said. More...

  • July-03-2008 -- Bin Laden May Die of Kidney Disease in 6 Months, Time Reports
    Details of the deal were leaked to the Washington Times newspaper yesterday amid growing discontent from the U.S. military at the failure of the Pakistani government to let American ground troops take up the search for the al Qaeda leader.
    With Qaeda operatives now described in intelligence reports as deeply entrenched in the tribal areas and immersed in the civilian population, there is also a view among some military and CIA officials that the opportunity for decisive U.S. action against the militants may have been lost. More...

  • July-03-2008 -- Flood warning issued for Chicago beaches, lakefront
    "A rapid 2-foot drop of Lake Michigan water levels on the east side of Lake Michigan is evidence that a 2-foot rise or better is possible at the Chicago beaches," the Weather Service reports.
    The agency has also notified the Chicago Park District, Navy Pier and McCormick Place. More...

  • July-03-2008 -- In Court Ruling on Executions, a Factual Flaw
    The decision nullified a Louisiana law that provided capital punishment for raping a child under 12.
    "A lot of times (the choice to not seek the death penalty) was a consideration of the family members who didn't want to go through the case again," Wood said. More...

  • July-03-2008 -- Marine sniper says he shot Syrians to save his men
    CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. (AP) — A Marine sniper believed he was shooting at insurgents planting a roadside bomb when he killed two Syrian truckers in Iraq last year, platoon members testified in military court Tuesday.
    The hearing officer will recommend to the commanding general whether the case should go to court martial, be dropped or be handled through an administrative process. More...

Wednesday


  • July-02-2008 -- DC Council to Meet on Handgun Law
    WASHINGTON -- D.C. Council member Phil Mendelson plans to introduce legislation this week in response to the Supreme Court's decision to overturn the city's handgun ban.
    July 1, 2008 at 11:51 a.m. Mark as Offensive When are the residents, and especially the moronic politicians in DC going to start using a bit of common sense? It has been shown time and time again that a LAW ABIDING citizen in possession of a handgun is absolutely no threat to you! No law you are going to pass is going to keep a gun out of the hands of a criminal. More...

  • July-02-2008 -- Survey Finds US Leads World in Substance Abuse
    According to a new survey the USA has highest level of illegal cocaine and cannabis use in the world.
    Males were more likely than females to have used all drug types; younger adults were more likely than older adults to have used all drugs examined; and higher income was related to drug use of all kinds. More...

  • July-02-2008 -- Atlanta airport gun ban is challenged
    The lawsuit states that until the new Georgia law took effect, anyone carrying a firearm inside Georgia airports faced a penalty of up to 20 years in prison and a $15,000 fine.
    Last year Georgia lawmakers passed legislation ensuring only the state could regulate firearms to prevent confusing city and county ordinances. More...

  • July-02-2008 -- In Court Ruling on Executions, a Factual Flaw
    The decision nullified a Louisiana law that provided capital punishment for raping a child under 12.
    The furious public outcry after the ruling was a pretty good sign that something was amiss in the majority's survey. More...

  • July-02-2008 -- The Criminal Past of Brooke's Uncle
    BROOKFIELD, Vt. (AP) — The search for a missing 12-year-old Vermont girl who triggered the state's first Amber Alert centered Friday on the social networking site MySpace after divers discovered nothing in a lake near where some of her belongings were found, police said.
    The man police are calling a person of interest in the case of his missing 12-year-old niece Brooke Bennett. More...

  • July-02-2008 -- Game-changer in the Everglades
    The position paper outlined specific concerns and recommendations and included the need to buy back the Everglades Agricultural Area so it can be used to re-establish the natural flow of water south from Lake Okeechobee to the Everglades.
    The Miccosukee Tribe also objected, saying the deal could delay Everglades restoration projects already in the works. More...

  • July-02-2008 -- National Guard troops set to relieve fire crews
    Occupants of at least 75 homes evacuated from the same general area earlier, and have not been allowed to return.
    Shasta County sheriff's officials say in the Coram Ranch area that one house, a cabin, a garage and three outbuildings were burned. More...

  • July-02-2008 -- Taking Children Can Bring Sense of Identity, Self-Worth ...
    A 23-year-old woman of Laotian descent from Kennewick, Washington, described as being severely mentally disturbed, stabbed a pregnant woman to death and cut the child from her womb, on June 27, 2008.
    Sisouvanh is being held on investigation of aggravated first degree murder. More...

Wednesday


  • July-02-2008 -- Serbia launches national manhunt for fugitive who bolted US
    Witnesses tell police that an argument started that night between Steinhaur and three other men, and then Kovacevic jumped in.
    "A lot of people don't believe it." More...

  • July-02-2008 -- Airport's Ban on Guns Is Disputed in Atlanta
    Airport General Manager Ben DeCosta said the city's legal team has studied the new law and determined the airport still falls under a "public gathering" exception in the Georgia Code.
    Today the new Georgia law went into effect. More...

  • July-02-2008 -- Living Politics: Running Against Osama Bin Laden
    A knowledgeable official disclosed the arrangement to The Washington Times at a time of growing frustration in the Pentagon and in the CIA that bin Laden remains at large seven years into the war and as President Bush's term approaches an end.
    L ong accused of signature dishonesty, the Bush Administration now stands twice indicted, by Scott McClellan's book and by two damning reports from Jay Rockefeller's Senate Select Committee on Intelligence--the "Phase II" documents. More...

  • July-02-2008 -- Staten Island Man Is Mauled by Neighbor's Pit Bulls
    NEW YORK -- Two pit bulls named Popeye and Brutus attacked a 90-year-old man in his yard on Tuesday, leaving him critically wounded and their owner facing possible criminal charges, police said.
    Euthanize all Pit Bulls and Rottweilers Now. More...

  • July-02-2008 -- US leads world in substance abuse, WHO finds
    "Estimates were lower in the Middle East and Africa (40 percent to 63 percent)" the researchers wrote.
    We have higher drug use rates, a higher crime rate, many things that go with a highly free and mobile society." More...

  • July-02-2008 -- Feds: Two gave out fake badges
    Associated Press Writer July 1, 2008 NEW YORK - A former police detective and another man were arrested Tuesday on charges that they distributed phony law enforcement badges at bounty hunting schools whose graduates included dozens of convicted felons.
    The suspect, Neves, was a cop until being fired in the mid-1990s for filing false police reports. More...

  • July-02-2008 -- Possible Flaws in State Plan to Rescue the Everglades
    Jun. 30--Despite the fears of rural communities of a body blow to their economies, the South Florida Water Management District gave unanimous approval Monday to the blockbuster plan for acquiring U.S. Sugar and using the company's land to help restore the Everglades.
    Advocates say the plan is the largest restoration project in American history. More...

  • July-02-2008 -- Sen. Marzilli indicted in four attacks on women
    E mbattled Arlington state Sen. Joseph James Marzilli has just been indicted by a Middlesex grand jury on charges he sexually accosted four different women on June 3 in Lowell.
    State Senator James Marzilli, D-Arlington, has been indicted by a Middlesex grand jury for allegedly accosting four women on June 3 in Lowell. More...

Tuesday


  • July-01-2008 -- Man Cleared for Killing Neighbor's Burglars
    HOUSTON (AP) -- A Texas prosecutor says a grand jury didn't believe that a homeowner's use of deadly force against two suspected burglars was a criminal offense.
    "The grand jury concluded that Mr. Horn's use of deadly force did not rise to a criminal offense." More...

  • July-01-2008 -- Pentagon seeks death penalty in Cole bombing
    Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri, a Saudi Arabian national of Yemeni descent, faces charges including murder and terrorism for the attack that took place in the Yemeni port of Aden.
    The next step is for an appointee at the Defense Department to study the charges and decide on which to proceed and whether to keep it as a capital case. More...

  • July-01-2008 -- Bobby Jindal, a possible recall and political reality
    BATON ROUGE -- Facing unrelenting public pressure, Gov. Bobby Jindal suddenly reversed course Monday and vetoed a controversial bill that would have doubled the pay of state lawmakers.
    Even some of Gov. Bobby Jindal's staunch local supporters think he's making a mistake by not vetoing the 123 percent pay raise legislators gave themselves. More...

  • July-01-2008 -- US Leads The World In Illegal Drug Use
    In the Netherlands, where people can go to cafes to smoke marijuana, 20 percent have tried that drug and 1.9 percent sampled cocaine.
    In the Americas, Europe, Japan, and New Zealand, alcohol had been used by the vast majority of survey participants, compared to smaller proportions in the Middle East, Africa, and China. More...

  • July-01-2008 -- Renton man sued in Iraq torture claim
    NEW YORK - June 30 - Four former Abu Ghraib detainees who were wrongly imprisoned, tortured and later released without charge are suing two U.S. military contractor corporations and three individual contractors, according to four separate lawsuits being filed today by their U.S. legal team.
    At Abu Ghraib, the complaint alleges, Al-Ogaidi was tortured for more than a year before being released in December 2004. More...

  • July-01-2008 -- No Retrial in '88 Double Killing on Long Island
    SUFFOLK COUNTYIt'''s finally over for Martin Tankleff.
    Fox 5's Rosanna Scotto followed the case closely over the years. More...

  • July-01-2008 -- EPA to seek Superfund status for Detrick dump site
    In separate letters in May to the White House budget office and the Justice Department, Pentagon officials challenged the EPA's authority to issue orders under other environmental laws to force Superfund cleanups at Air Force bases in New Jersey and Florida and at the Army's Fort Meade in Maryland.
    FREDERICK, Md. ( Map, News ) - The federal Environmental Protection Agency aims to add a dump site at Fort Detrick in Frederick to its list of the nation's most polluted places. More...

  • July-01-2008 -- Helicopter crash leaves a mother-to-be in mourning
    HELENA, Mont. (AP) — A soon-to-be father who loved being a firefighter was among six people killed when two medical helicopters collided in Arizona.
    National Transportation Safety Board and Federal Aviation Administration workers survey the damage left by the crash of two medical helicopters in Flagstaff, Ariz., on Monday. More...

Tuesday


  • July-01-2008 -- White House Blocking Search for Bin Laden
    Citing "more than four dozen interviews in Washington and Pakistan," The New York Times said Monday that "American intelligence officials say that the Qaeda hunt in Pakistan, code-named Operation Cannonball by the CIA in 2006, was often undermined by bitter disagreements within the Bush administration and within the CIA, including about whether American commandos should launch ground raids inside the tribal areas" in an effort to capture or kill Al-Qaeda leaders.
    The Times quoted a senior Defence Department official as saying there was "mounting frustration" in the Pentagon at the continued delay in deployment of special operations teams into Pakistan's tribal regions, where senior al-Qaeda operatives are thought to be hiding. More...

  • July-01-2008 -- In Turnaround, Louisiana Governor Vetoes Bill Doubling Lawmakers' Pay
    The latest tally of recall petitions filed against state legislators stands at five, with Jindal facing one himself as of Friday afternoon.
    Inappropriate? Alert us. More...

  • July-01-2008 -- What might the hands-free law accomplish?
    After the hands-free law takes effect, the state should expect 300 fewer traffic fatalities every year, according to the Public Policy Institute of California.
    Getting people to not initiate calls without a hands-free device will be hard enough. More...

  • July-01-2008 -- Search for missing girl turns to uncle's property
    The family of Brooke Bennett believes the girl made up the story of accompanying a friend to visit a sick relative in the hospital, police said Thursday.
    VERMONT (NBC) -- Police in Vermont are now saying they are "gravely" concerned about the welfare of a 12-year-old girl that has been missing since Wednesday. More...

  • July-01-2008 -- With Some Trepidation, Bronx Bus Riders Test New System of Pay ...
    The new Select Bus Service is running only on the Bx12's cross-Bronx route between Co-op City and Inwood in Manhattan.
    New York City Transit staff were there to help and riders definitely had questions. More...

  • July-01-2008 -- Midnight Deadline for Consolidated Edison, Union Talks
    NEW YORK (AP) - Negotiations continued Saturday evening between Consolidated Edison and the union representing almost two-thirds of its work force, but a union spokesman said the outlook wasn't promising as a midnight deadline loomed for a possible strike.
    Union spokesman Joe Flaherty said a new deadline was set for Tuesday at 11:59 p.m. 'We hope Con Ed will come to its senses and start bargaining in good faith in the interest of the good people of New York City and Westchester County, who would be inconvenienced' by a strike, Flaherty said. More...

  • July-01-2008 -- Charging Documents Say Suspect in Officer's Death 'Intentionally ...
    Investigators say the truck had been reported stolen, and that's why officers were following it.
    Police officials said during a news conference just before 5 p.m. that Corporal Richard Findley, 39, was the officer who died. More...

  • July-01-2008 -- Man Taken Into Custody by Police in Boston Dies
    BOSTON -- The Boston police Internal Affairs Division and Suffolk County District Attorney's office are investigating the death of a 22-year-old who collapsed during the celebration of the Boston Celtics NBA Championship victory.
    The Suffolk County District Attorney's Office continues to investigate. More...

Monday


  • June-30-2008 -- Stubborn fire threatens California's scenic coast
    As of Friday, the blazes have destroyed 42 square miles of Los Padres National Forest along with 16 homes in the Big Sur area.
    The Lime Complex Fire has burned more than 4,000 acres. More...

  • June-30-2008 -- Drivers in 2 more US states must use hands-free phones while on ...
    A state rule that takes effect Tuesday prohibits 16- and 17-year-olds from using any device to talk or text while driving, except in an emergency.
    The law applies to drivers only -- not to motor vehicle passengers. More...

  • June-30-2008 -- Gay Revelers Celebrate Pride and Marriage Rights
    Here come the brides — and grooms.
    As of Thursday afternoon, 206 same-sex couples had appointments to get marriage licenses at City Hall today, making it the busiest day so far. More...

  • June-30-2008 -- Bear mauls teen during 24-hour bike race in Alaska
    Alaska Department of Fish and Game wildlife biologist Rick Sinnott told the Anchorage Daily News that the bear could have been a mother that charged two runners on a nearby trail two weeks ago.
    ANCHORAGE A teenage girl riding in an all-night bicycle race suffered severe injuries early Sunday when a bear attacked her on a trail in Far North Bicentennial Park, authorities said. More...

  • June-30-2008 -- In Flag City USA, False Obama Rumors Are Flying
    "I'm almost starting to feel like the best choice is not voting at all."
    Peterman, 74, is a retired worker at Cooper Tire, a father of two, an Air Force veteran and a self-described patriot. More...

  • June-30-2008 -- Four Oakley residents presumed dead in plane crash
    OAKLEY (CBS13/AP) A candidate for Contra Costa County supervisor and Oakley official, his wife and two others are missing and presumed dead after a plane crash over the weekend.
    The 37-year-old Erik Nunn was chairman of the Oakley Planning Commission and a candidate for District 5 supervisor. More...

  • June-30-2008 -- Bus taking students to church camp crashes in Ala.
    DOTHAN, Ala. (AP) - Police say 22 people were injured when a bus taking Kentucky students to a Panama City, Fla., church camp collided with a pickup truck in Dothan, Ala.
    Two or three adults from the church group were to stay in the hospital overnight for injuries that included a concussion and a fractured hip. More...

  • June-30-2008 -- Morning Bell: The Left's Undemocratic Blueprint for Carbon Capping
    "We are obviously disappointed by today's ruling,'' said Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley.
    Let's settle this scientifically: put "Patrick Henry" into an hermetically sealed chamber and see whether he ever realizes that CO2 can be harmful. More...

Monday


  • June-30-2008 -- Con Edison Contract Talks Suspended
    June 28, 2008 NEW YORK - Negotiations continued Saturday evening between Consolidated Edison and the union representing almost two-thirds of its work force, but a union spokesman said the outlook wasn't promising as a midnight deadline loomed for a possible strike.
    The only motivation is profit - whether it come from soaring customer bills, work contracts from our city budget or from the wallets of workers. More...

  • June-30-2008 -- Letter, soldier probed in pregnant GI's death
    Authorities discovered the body of 23-year-old Specialist Megan Lynn Touma (TOO-mah) at a Fayetteville motel on Sunday.
    Police are calling Touma's death suspicious. More...

  • June-30-2008 -- Great Lakes compact focus shifting to Congress
    TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) — A year ago, it seemed a proposed interstate compact designed to prevent thirstier regions from raiding the Great Lakes might be sunk by squabbles among the eight states with jurisdiction over the vast reservoir.
    Congress has endorsed more than 200 interstate compacts over the years, including 41 dealing specifically with water management. More...

  • June-30-2008 -- Family mourns teen hit by roller coaster in Ga.
    Family mourns teen hit by roller coaster in Ga. 3 hours ago AUSTELL, Ga. (AP) — The father of a South Carolina teenager decapitated by a roller coaster at a Georgia amusement park said Sunday that family members may never know why he hopped two fences to enter a restricted area.
    Police said Ferguson and another teen tried to re-enter the park without going to the entrance. More...

  • June-30-2008 -- Calif. cell phone laws at a glance
    California and Washington are the latest two states to enact a law prohibiting talking on cell phones while driving.
    New York, Connecticut, New Jersey and the District of Columbia have similar laws, while Washington state's also goes into effect Tuesday. More...

  • June-30-2008 -- Midwest floodwaters falling, costs rising
    The Missouri National Guard moved into the Deerfield Mobile Home Park; the mission build a 400 foot long sandbag wall around the back of the neighborhood of 225 or so homes and close to 600 residents.
    June 24 (Bloomberg) -- The Mississippi River may remain at flood stage for another month as cities north of St. Louis battled the deluge and water breached another levee in the area, according to federal officials. More...

  • June-30-2008 -- A less deferential high court
    Twenty-four cases were resolved by 5-4 votes, and on some key issues there was no majority at all.
    In that decision, Boumediene vs. Bush, some court observers felt Roberts exhibited a lack of leadership. More...

  • June-30-2008 -- Southwick man who collapsed during Celtics celebration dies in ...
    BOSTON -- The Boston police Internal Affairs Division and Suffolk County District Attorney's office are investigating the death of a 22-year-old who collapsed during the celebration of the Boston Celtics NBA Championship victory.
    While homicide officers are investigating, there is no expectation that murder charges will be filed, Chrispin said. More...

Sunday


  • June-29-2008 -- The ideology of teen pregnancy
    The mayor decided to interject herself into the brouhaha over whether there was a "pact" among teenage girls at Gloucester High School to become pregnant.
    The "pact" idea was an inventive claim by a principal obviously too blindly conservative to admit that the real reason so many girls in his school are pregnant is the dangerous and archaic stigma his community has towards teaching kids about safe sex methods. More...

  • June-29-2008 -- Congress stunned by Bush officials disdain on torture
    Washington, D.C. (AHN) - Two authors of the Bush Administration's harsh interrogation techniques sparred with House Democrats on Thursday during a hearing on whether the government's treatmnt of detainees had been just.
    Controversial U.S. interrogation policies outlined in two 2002 and 2003 memoranda were reviewed by top Department of Justice (DOJ) officials, including former Attorney General John Ashcroft , according to two former Bush administration officials testifying before the House Judiciary Committee Thursday. More...

  • June-29-2008 -- Huge crowds expected for SF gay pride parade
    Here come the brides — and grooms.
    I would have said 'no' last year. More...

  • June-29-2008 -- As Gas Prices Rise, Teenagers' Cruising Declines
    The Great White Wedding might have been held at the One and Only Resort in the Bahamas, but Greg Norman and Chris Evert were not the only ones tying the knot on Paradise Island.
    The two-day extravaganza at one of the world's most exclusive private resorts was the biggest celebrity wedding for an Australian since James Packer married Erica Baxter on the French Riviera last year. More...

  • June-29-2008 -- Roberta McCain steals reporter's heart, strikes fear in handlers'
    The Great White Wedding might have been held at the One and Only Resort in the Bahamas, but Greg Norman and Chris Evert were not the only ones tying the knot on Paradise Island.
    AUTHORITIES in the Bahamas have been using intimidation and threats of jail to keep media at bay before Aussie golfer Greg Norman's wedding. More...

  • June-29-2008 -- No expenses to be spared for Norman-Evert wedding in the Bahamas
    The Great White Wedding might have been held at the One and Only Resort in the Bahamas, but Greg Norman and Chris Evert were not the only ones tying the knot on Paradise Island.
    Officers from the Royal Bahamas Police Force and local security staff kept reporters, photographers and television crews from straying beyond checkpoints set up well around the perimeter of the One & Only Ocean Club resort where the celebrity couple tied the knot at sunset. More...

  • June-29-2008 -- Statement of Brian Roehrkasse, Director of Public Affairs, On ...
    The settlement, consisting of $2.825 million in cash and an annuity worth $1.8 million that will pay Hatfill $150,000 a year for 20 years, brings to an end a five-year legal battle.
    Ashcroft had labeled Hatfill as a "person of interest'' in the anthrax probe. More...

  • June-29-2008 -- Lotuses in LA's Echo Park all but disappear
    The count as of Saturday: 12 tattered leaves.
    Gone are the hundreds of pink- and cream-colored flowers atop a lush green expanse of umbrella-like leaves that were once described as the largest lotus beds in the nation. More...

Sunday


  • June-29-2008 -- What the GIs Deserve
    Congress will soon be sending the GI Bill to the White House and President Bush has promised to sign the bill.
    Dorgan says the legislation has already gone through the House. More...

  • June-29-2008 -- Surgery for Paterson
    Paterson's spokeswoman, Risa Heller, says the governor, who is legally blind, will undergo the procedure at Mount Sinai Medical Center.
    The procedure took just under two hours. More...

  • June-29-2008 -- Congress stunned by Bush officials disdain on torture
    Washington, D.C. (AHN) - Two authors of the Bush Administration's harsh interrogation techniques sparred with House Democrats on Thursday during a hearing on whether the government's treatmnt of detainees had been just.
    Inside the committee room, subcommittee Chair Jerry Nadler, John Conyers, Artur Davis, Keith Ellison and Debbie Wasserman-Schultz all took turns grilling Yoo and Addington on the role they played in creating the policy framework for the administration's use of torture on detainees. More...

  • June-29-2008 -- Bias in High Places
    Wrote Cicero, the great Roman philosopher.
    The Honors Program is a hiring program for entry-level attorneys in the Department of Justice. More...

  • June-29-2008 -- Reyes role in abduction release draws more scrutiny
    U.S. law enforcement authorities helped facilitate a $32,000 ransom payment in Mexico for a relative of a U.S. congressman who was kidnapped last week by gunmen in Ciudad Juarez, a border city with rampant drug smuggling, gunfights and corruption.
    ''- The following statement was released by the Office of Congressman Silvestre Reyes, following reports that a relative of Rep. Silvestre Reyes was kidnapped in Ju''rez, Mexico. More...

  • June-29-2008 -- US Senate moves to lift Mandela's 'terror' label
    A same legislation was passed on May 8 at the House of Representatives.
    When the time came in 1999 for Parliament to bid farewell to Mandela, I could inform the House with utter sincerity, that paying tribute to the President, objectively a political opponent, was one of the easiest speeches I had ever had to make. More...

  • June-29-2008 -- Obama's wife says he'll fight for gay equality
    Michelle Obama also drew a connection between the struggles for gay rights and civil rights.
    "Five years ago today, the Supreme Court delivered justice with the decision in Lawrence v. Texas that stated that same-sex couples would never again be persecuted through the use of federal alarm." More...

  • June-29-2008 -- Man in Slave Case Sentenced to 3 Years
    A prosperous New York woman was sentenced on Thursday to 11 years of imprisonment for enslaving and persecuting two Indonesian maids.
    A wealthy New York woman has been sentenced to 11 years in jail for keeping two Indonesian women as slaves. More...





Saturday


  • June-28-2008 -- Dobson vs. Obama
    "And even if we did have only Christians in our midst, if we expelled every non-Christian from the United States of America, whose Christianity would we teach in the schools?" Obama asked.
    Jesus taught of love, the Kingdom of God, doing to others as you would have them do to you. More...

  • June-28-2008 -- Police Find Few Clues in Search for Brooke Bennett
    BROOKFIELD, Vt. (AP) — The search for a missing 12-year-old Vermont girl who triggered the state's first Amber Alert centered Friday on the social networking site MySpace after divers discovered nothing in a lake near where some of her belongings were found, police said.
    VERMONT (NBC) -- Police in Vermont are now saying they are "gravely" concerned about the welfare of a 12-year-old girl that has been missing since Wednesday. More...

  • June-28-2008 -- Mystery Letter Claims Responsibility for Pregnant Army Dentist's Death
    Authorities discovered the body of 23-year-old Specialist Megan Lynn Touma (TOO-mah) at a Fayetteville motel on Sunday.
    A memorial service at Fort Bragg for Touma, who was seven-months pregnant, has been scheduled for Friday. More...

  • June-28-2008 -- Did immigration kill Chris Cannon's career?
    Republican Rep. Chris Cannon lost his bid for a seventh term on Tuesday when he was defeated by 20 points in the GOP primary in Utah's 3rd district on Tuesday by newcomer Jason Chaffetz, a former BYU football player who served as chief of staff for Republican Gov. Jon Huntsman.
    Republicans on Wednesday were attributing Cannon's loss to that anti-incumbent sentiment. More...

  • June-28-2008 -- Body-snatch ringleader Michael Mastromarino, gets 18-54 years
    Michael Mastromarino, 44, in March admitted to leading a $4.6 million (2.3 billion pound) operation that stole body parts from funeral homes in New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
    NEW YORK (Reuters) - A New Jersey dentist behind a scheme to steal body parts from corpses, including that of journalist Alistair Cooke, was sentenced on Friday to a minimum of 18 years and a maximum of 54 years in prison. More...

  • June-28-2008 -- Bush gets bill to end blocks to Mandela
    A same legislation was passed on May 8 at the House of Representatives.
    The ANC was banned by South Africa's white minority government in 1960. More...

  • June-28-2008 -- Fed Board Nominee Duke Gets Confirmed by US Senate (Update3)
    The deal, however, didn't include former Capital One Financial Corp. (COF) executive Larry Klane, another of President George W. Bush's nominees for the Fed board, or Fed Gov. Randall Kroszner, whose term expired in January.
    Democrats refused to confirm all three of Bush'''s nominees to the Federal Reserve Board, given the fact that each would serve a term lasting far beyond Bush'''s. More...

  • June-28-2008 -- The following is a transcript of President Bush's weekly radio ...
    WASHINGTON (AP) — President Bush said Saturday that religious charities, partly financed with federal money, have helped reduce homelessness, found jobs for former inmates and helped combat malaria and HIV/AIDS overseas.
    More...

Saturday


  • June-28-2008 -- US says Taliban attacks may rise this year
    The new report offers a rather dim view of progress in the nearly 7-year-old war, declaring that the Taliban has "coalesced into a resilient insurgency."
    WASHINGTON, June 27 (Xinhua) -- Taliban has regrouped and is likely to boost its presence in new areas of Afghanistan, said a Pentagon report released on Friday. More...

  • June-28-2008 -- Fed Board Nominee Duke Gets Confirmed by US Senate (Update3)
    The deal, however, didn't include former Capital One Financial Corp. (COF) executive Larry Klane, another of President George W. Bush's nominees for the Fed board, or Fed Gov. Randall Kroszner, whose term expired in January.
    Democrats refused to confirm all three of Bush'''s nominees to the Federal Reserve Board, given the fact that each would serve a term lasting far beyond Bush'''s. More...

  • June-28-2008 -- Mayor Bloomberg warns that New York City budget could shrink
    June 27 (Bloomberg) -- New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and City Council leaders agreed to a $59.1 billion budget yesterday that avoids increasing property taxes during the fiscal year beginning July 1.
    The $442million project, which will include the old Louisville Water Co. block, is expected to include shops, a hotel, nightclubs, restaurants, a cinema complex and a refurbishing of Louisville Gardens. More...

  • June-28-2008 -- Louisiana gov. signs controversial education bill
    The AP is reporting that four lawmakers, including House Speaker Jim Tucker, are targets of recall efforts after voting to double legislative pay.
    Before becoming governor, Jindal, who had run unsuccessfully for governor in 2003, served two terms in Congress, winning the support of four in five voters in Louisiana's most conservative district. More...

  • June-28-2008 -- Staten Island's Fossella says he won't re-enter race
    The Staten Island ferry in October 2005.
    The chaos erupted as the Powers funeral party waited outside Our Lady Queen of Peace Church in the New Dorp section of Staten Island for the funeral Mass of a retired NYPD detective to end. More...

  • June-28-2008 -- Autopsy Awaited in Mysterious Death of Pregnant Soldier Found in ...
    Authorities discovered the body of 23-year-old Specialist Megan Lynn Touma (TOO-mah) at a Fayetteville motel on Sunday.
    Exactly how Touma died is unknown. More...

  • June-28-2008 -- Obama to visit Colorado Springs on Wednesday
    "And even if we did have only Christians in our midst, if we expelled every non-Christian from the United States of America, whose Christianity would we teach in the schools?" Obama asked.
    Wow--some people need to check their facts before posting comments. More...

  • June-28-2008 -- Bush gets bill to end blocks to Mandela
    A same legislation was passed on May 8 at the House of Representatives.
    RALEIGH, N.C.-- Before we begin, I just want to take a minute to thank Senator Clinton for the kind and generous support she offered on Saturday. More...

Friday


  • June-27-2008 -- Dems apologize for using 'Sopranos' theme in video about Italian ...
    The Italian Club of Seattle says a new video from the state Democratic Party is "racist" and "beyond offensive" because it "aims to link Italian-American gubernatorial candidate Dino Rossi to Italian-American criminals through the use of the theme song to The Sopranos," according to The Seattle Times .
    The video played the theme song from the hit series about Italian-American mobsters, while criticizing Rossi's ties to the Building Industry Association of Washington, a powerful lobby group in the state. More...

  • June-27-2008 -- Bee decline could raise food costs more, panel told
    "I haven't had any beekeeper tell me of (a case) Colony Collapse Disorder," said Mark Longstroth, Michigan State University Extension district horticulture and marketing agent for southwestern Michigan.
    '''The importance of bees and other pollinators cannot be underestimated,''' said Subcommittee Chairman Dennis Cardoza, D-Calif. '''Nearly 130 different crops -- totaling over $15 billion in annual farm gate value -- depend on pollination to grow. More...

  • June-27-2008 -- Green Campaign Watch: Obama Meets With Detroit & Schwarzenegger ...
    At a Florida conference on global warming, California's governor says drilling will not bring down oil prices, and he urges consumers to use more renewable resources.
    I don't understand why some leaders (McCain and Bush) don't see that money needs to be put into alternative energy and not exploring for oil. More...

  • June-27-2008 -- DCCC Spends $4M To Reserve Ad Time
    The Staten Island ferry in October 2005.
    Fossella, whose 13th Congressional District includes Staten Island and part of Brooklyn , is the lone Republican member of the New York City congressional delegation. More...

  • June-27-2008 -- Bloomberg: Budget Reflects Economic Reality
    June 27 (Bloomberg) -- New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and City Council leaders agreed to a $59.1 billion budget yesterday that avoids increasing property taxes during the fiscal year beginning July 1.
    Answers for how to deal with the shrinking budget are in short supply. More...

  • June-27-2008 -- Wife gets 11 years, husband next in NY `slavery' case
    A prosperous New York woman was sentenced on Thursday to 11 years of imprisonment for enslaving and persecuting two Indonesian maids.
    The years of abuse ended in May 2007 when 1 of the women escaped and wandered into a doughnut shop. Varsha Sabhnani faces up to 15 years in prison when she's sentenced today in federal court in Suffolk County. More...

  • June-27-2008 -- Sheriff offers $5000 for arrest in pool killing
    A 31-year-old mother watching her son taking swimming lessons was shot to death in front of her older child at a Montclair YMCA last night, and authorities said they are searching for the children's father.
    Authorities on Friday were searching for Kenneth Duckett, who fled the shooting at the Montclair YMCA pool in a white Jeep driven by another man Thursday night. More...

  • June-27-2008 -- Immigration crackdown in Arizona yields arrests, protests
    MESA, Ariz. (AP) - About 80 immigrant rights advocates gathered outside a government complex Thursday to protest the latest crackdown by the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office on immigration and other criminal violators.
    After a day of keeping them in the dark, Maricopa County Sheriff's Office told the Mesa Police Department on Wednesday that it will follow through on plans to do a crime suppression sweep in the city Thursday. More...

Friday


  • June-27-2008 -- MySpace at center of missing girl investigation
    BROOKFIELD, Vt. (AP) _ An Amber Alert was issued Thursday for a 12-year-old girl who disappeared after being dropped off at a convenience store where she told family members she was going to meet a girlfriend.
    BROOKFIELD, Vt. -- The Vermont State Police issued an Amber Alert Thursday as part of the search for missing 12-year-old girl, Brooke Bennett. More...

  • June-27-2008 -- Decline of bees could put freeze on ice cream
    "I haven't had any beekeeper tell me of (a case) Colony Collapse Disorder," said Mark Longstroth, Michigan State University Extension district horticulture and marketing agent for southwestern Michigan.
    McClatchy-Tribune 4:34 PM CDT, June 26, 2008 WASHINGTON - A record 36 percent of U.S. commercial bee colonies have been lost to mysterious causes so far this year and worse may be yet to come, experts told a congressional panel Thursday. More...

  • June-27-2008 -- Woman gets 11 years in prison in US slavery case
    NEW YORK (CBS News) A judge has given an 11-year prison sentence to a millionaire who inflicted years of abuse on two Indonesian housekeepers held as virtual slaves in her Long Island mansion.
    Mahender Sabhnani is yet to be sentenced. More...

  • June-27-2008 -- Rise in Taliban attacks worries US
    WASHINGTON, June 26 (Reuters) - The United States hopes a promise by Pakistan not to let militants use its territory to attack Afghanistan will lead to a crackdown on the fighters by Islamabad, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said on Thursday.
    The Pakistani government statement said all agreements with tribes would be "backed by a robust enforcement mechanism" with the authorities reserving the right to use force. More...

  • June-27-2008 -- More rains hit flooded US Midwest; corn at record
    Additional heavy rains in the past two days have added new stress to levees along the Mississippi River north of St. Louis, Missouri, though no new breaches were reported Thursday.
    Beretta said the Lower Mississippi has a much bigger flood plain, and its better protected with levees and flood walls. More...

  • June-27-2008 -- Green Demands for Democratic Convention
    OLYMPIA, Wash. -- The Washington state Democratic Party says it will change a video ad that pictures Republican gubernatorial candidate Dino Rossi accompanied by the theme song from "The Sopranos," after a Seattle group said the ad was offensive to Italian-Americans.
    Donations to the state Democratic Party between the December 2004 gubernatorial recount and end of the legal challenge in June 2005. More...

  • June-27-2008 -- Blagojevich: campaign donors not helping him, but children
    There was no sign that the ultimatum will work.
    The governor says that's when things have to be resolved by, and that is, by coincidence the same day the first state employee paychecks of the new fiscal year are due to go out. More...

  • June-27-2008 -- 'God takes good ones' says mom of girl, 15, slain in Queens bus melee
    Keyanna Jones, 15, was stabbed in the chest.
    The Trinidad native was being held on manslaughter charges and was expected to be arraigned later Thursday. More...

Thursday


  • June-26-2008 -- Senate approves transportation funding bill
    As C-VILLE went to press on Monday, state legislators were setting to work in Richmond on Governor Tim Kaine's transportation bill.
    House Republicans also have called for an independent audit of the Virginia Department of Transportation to ensure existing funds are being used efficiently. More...

  • June-26-2008 -- Patrick unveils extensive education plan for next decade
    BOSTON - The governor yesterday began a three-day series of press conferences and meetings to provide details of a potentially costly program to improve public schools, eliminate the achievement gap experienced by many minority and low-income students, and eventually offer tuition-free community college courses to all residents.
    Mr. Patrick said children of illegal immigrants who have earned high school diplomas here should pay the same tuition rates at state colleges as other residents. More...

  • June-26-2008 -- Global Warming as Security Issue:
    WASHINGTON, June 25 (UPI) -- The largest threat global warming poses to U.S. security is linked to how it impacts countries less prepared to manage climate change, studies indicate.
    The report says no country will be immune from the effects of climate change, but that sub Saharan Africa, the Middle East and central and south-east Asia are the most vulnerable to drought, flooding and hunger. More...

  • June-26-2008 -- Thursday: Around the political blogosphere
    "Mr. Steen's lifelong farm experience, history of public service, and active involvement in all that is Missouri agriculture will build on our successful efforts to Missouri agriculture," Gov. Blunt said.
    Fired Up! Missouri speculates on why Katie Smith is stepping down as the head of the Department of Agriculture in Missouri. More...

  • June-26-2008 -- Rain threatens fragile Mississippi River towns
    In central Missouri's Lincoln County, 90 per cent of the levees that line the riverbanks were allowing water to flow into the surrounding countryside and threatening to completely deluge the town of Foley, emergency management spokesman Andy Binder said.
    Heavy rains once again doused portions of southeast Iowa and northwest Missouri in the past twenty-four hours. More...

  • June-26-2008 -- Bush Meets With Talabani, Cites Progress in Iraq
    WASHINGTON (AFP) — U.S. President George W. Bush assured visiting Iraqi President Jalal Talabani on Wednesday that he wants a planned long-term US-Iraq security agreement that "suits the Iraqi government."
    At the White House, Bush and Talabani also discussed efforts to improve security within Iraq. More...

  • June-26-2008 -- Supreme Court overturns LA murder conviction
    WASHINGTON - A Supreme Court ruling Wednesday broadly interpreted defendants' rights to confront witnesses against them in an unusual case of a man accused of killing the witness.
    More...

  • June-26-2008 -- Fires prompt Calif. to warn of air quality
    Areas hit the hardest by the lightning storm also included Mendocino County, where 131 fires have burned more than 20 square miles and threatened about 500 homes, and the Shasta-Trinity Forest, where more than 150 fires have burned about 15 1/2 square miles and threatened 200 homes.
    About 19,000 acres of Mendocino County had been blackened by noon Tuesday as 120 fires raged for a second day, spewing a thick layer of unhealthy smoke across the region. More...

Thursday


  • June-26-2008 -- Many levees rarely inspected
    CHICAGO (Reuters) - A new round of storms dumped a half foot or more of rain across parts of the U.S. Midwest on Wednesday, dealing fresh trouble to a region already struggling with billions of dollars in flood damage.
    President Bush planned to travel today to Cedar Rapids and Iowa City, where the water is receding but families and businesses are knee-deep in the disheartening aftermath. More...

  • June-26-2008 -- White House Tried to Silence EPA Proposal on Car Emissions
    The White House in December refused to accept the Environmental Protection Agency's conclusion that greenhouse gases are pollutants that must be controlled, telling agency officials that an e-mail message containing the document would not be opened, senior E.P.A. officials said last week.
    The EPA concluded that the Clean Air Act does work - not what the White House wanted to hear. More...

  • June-26-2008 -- Throw 'em out: 3rd District voters set angry tone for November
    Republican Rep. Chris Cannon lost his bid for a seventh term on Tuesday when he was defeated by 20 points in the GOP primary in Utah's 3rd district on Tuesday by newcomer Jason Chaffetz, a former BYU football player who served as chief of staff for Republican Gov. Jon Huntsman.
    Chaffetz, a former chief of staff to Utah Governor Jon Huntsman, beat Cannon by more than twenty points. More...

  • June-26-2008 -- MTA Board Votes To Revoke Commuter Perks
    After weeks of mounting public outrage, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority Board has finally voted to shed its travel perks .
    Sander said the agency was facing a shortfall in real estate tax revenues because of the economic downturn. More...

  • June-26-2008 -- 'This evidence ended in one place' ' Entwistle guilty
    Neil Entwistle was sentenced to life in prison as the jury in his murder trial rendered a guilty verdict on all charges on Wednesday.
    "We know that our son, Neil, is innocent and we are devastated to learn that evidence points to Rachel murdering our grandchild and then committing suicide. More...

  • June-26-2008 -- Missing hikers found safe in Sierras
    "The kids are fine," Carla said by telephone shortly after 2:30 p.m. today.
    None of the group from the Outward Bound expedition was injured, Curtice said. More...

  • June-26-2008 -- Defendants in JFK terror plot head to US
    The Caribbean men, accused of conspiring with a fourth defendant to blow up fuel lines and tanks at the New York facility, face life in prison if convicted on all charges.
    In court documents, federal authorities allege that the men also discussed seeking funding for the plot from Iran. More...

  • June-26-2008 -- Questions Continue About Pregnant Soldier's Death
    Touma, a dental specialist from Cold Springs, Ky., recently arrived in the United States after spending three years in Germany at an Army dental clinic.
    Touma, 23, an Army dental specialist who was seven months’ pregnant, was found dead Saturday. More...

Wednesday (Update 1)


  • June-25-2008 -- American Airlines to test broadband connectivity on flights Wednesday
    A recent report by research firm MultiMedia Intelligence estimated that in-flight Internet could generate as much as $1 billion annually by 2012.
    Call me crazy dog lady, but when Amtrak allows me to bring my dog along, like the airlines do, then I'd consider taking a train. More...

  • June-25-2008 -- Woman Caught Speeding 22 Times in 45-Day Span
    Jennifer Bitton, 24, of Las Vegas, was arrested by Arizona Department of Public Safety officers on suspicion of criminal speeding, reckless driving and endangerment.
    The Loop 101 highway is equipped with robotic cameras that photograph vehicles breaking the speed limit and generate a ticket. More...

  • June-25-2008 -- Racism Not Always Black and White
    ATLANTA -- Closing arguments are under way in Atlanta in the case of a 68-year-old businessman accused of plotting to kill his daughter-in-law because she was black (read related story).
    None on the Rai family members have seen Ricky Rai's daughter, Analla, who was adopted by Sparkle's father, Bennett Reid, and her stepmother, Donna Lowry, a reporter with WXIA-TV in Atlanta. More...

  • June-25-2008 -- MENDOCINO COUNTY Some property owners hiring private crews ...
    South of San Francisco, a fire that burned homes and closed a stretch of highway was 90 percent contained and could be surrounded by the end of the day, according to officials of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
    Fire officials issued a no-burn proclamation for Southern California, including San Diego County. More...

  • June-25-2008 -- San Fran ballot initiative seeks to name sewage plant after Bush
    Someone in the group is usually toting a large American flag, and another is often carrying a boom box blaring patriotic music.
    Some residents were only too happy to sign the petition. More...

  • June-25-2008 -- MTA Revokes Travel Perks for Board
    "There's no admission of guilt or illegality," said MTA Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer Elliot "Lee" Sander.
    The public would be best served if the board did get free rides on the system, so that they can evaluate the operations and get the view from the trenches. More...

  • June-25-2008 -- Illinois man ships pile of pizza to war zones
    CHICAGO, June 25 (UPI) -- U.S. soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan will get a taste of Chicago this Fourth of July when thousands of frozen deep-dish pizzas from Lou Malnati's arrive.
    As of Tuesday, he was on track to send 3,000 of his favorite Chicago-style pizzas to the Middle East. More...

  • June-25-2008 -- Noose Incident Prof Fired Over Plagiarism Allegations
    The professor, Madonna G. Constantine, was a tenured professor of education and psychology at Columbia's Teachers College and had written extensively about race.
    "I am really devastated by it. More...

Wednesday


  • June-25-2008 -- Pentagon Contractor Was Suspect
    The State Department may have continued the cover-up by hiding information from Congress, charged House Oversight and Government Reform Committee chairman Henry Waxman, D-Calif., in a letter to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice Monday.
    The officials haven't discussed the alleged State Department cover-up yet. More...

  • June-25-2008 -- Afghanistan attacks up 40% in east, Pentagon says
    Schloesser attributed the increase partly to more enemy attacks and more coalition forces going into the troubled areas.
    Maj. Gen. Jeffrey J. Schloesser says there have been 40 deaths among uniformed and civilian coalition members in the east since the start of April. More...

  • June-25-2008 -- Patrick's plan for education
    BOSTON - The governor yesterday began a three-day series of press conferences and meetings to provide details of a potentially costly program to improve public schools, eliminate the achievement gap experienced by many minority and low-income students, and eventually offer tuition-free community college courses to all residents.
    "The real hard work comes in how you get people to do it and how do you pay for it. there will be lobbying all over the place and the Legislature's going to play a key role. More...

  • June-25-2008 -- In Ralph Nader's Race for Reform, This Is No Time to Slow Down
    Ralph Nader is angry with Democrats who he says are holding a grudge against him for George W. Bush's election in 2000.
    Don Lambro and Ralph Hallow discuss the days news.; politics; washington dc; washington times; Iraq's Ambassador to the United States, Samir Sumaida'ie, discusses Iraqi stability during a visit to The Washington Times Tuesday, May 6, 2008.; Ambassador; Iraq; War; community-technology-lifestyle; iran; Thousands greet Pope Benedict XVI as he drives through Washington, D.C., on April 16, 2008.; Benedict XVI; pope; washington dc; A Washington, D.C. -based cab driver recovered from a traumatic time in his life thanks to the power of music.; cab; karaoke; taxi; washington dc; Iraq's Ambassador to the United States, Samir Sumaida'ie, d