U.S. News Topics Overviews

Digests of U.S. NEWS stories

Saturday

May-18 -- Hitchhiker Kai, arrested in murder, was recognized by neck tattoo
Caleb McGillvary, who is better known as "Kai the Hatchet Wielding Hitchhiker," has been charged with the murder of 73-year-old Joseph Galfy in Clark, NJ. He was arrested at a Philadelphia bus station, said Union County Prosecutor Theodore Romankow.
An autopsy completed Tuesday determined Galfy died of blunt force trauma, the prosecutor said. More...

May-18 -- Treasury Knew of IRS Inquiry in 2012, Official Says
J. Russell George, the Treasury Department's Inspector General, disclosed during Congressional testimony on Friday that Obama administration officials in the Treasury Department knew about inappropriate targeting of conservative groups during the 2012 election.
In all, the report found that 160 of the 296 applications in question were never processed, and that some had remained open for more than three years. 28 applications were withdrawn by groups, presumably due to intense scrutiny, while the other 108 were approved. More...

May-18 -- GOP hopes IRS scandal will snag health care law
Comstock Images/Thinkstock (WASHINGTON) -- Despite her congressional testimony, the Internal Revenue Service on Friday denied that the former commissioner of tax exempt and government entities -- now running the agency's health care office -- was in charge of the unit's day-to-day operations after Dec. 2010.
Sarah Hall Ingram was appointed as Commissioner of the Tax-Exempt and Government Entitles Division of the IRS in 2009 and made sure conservatives were silenced before the 2012 election. More...

May-18 -- President Obama Asks Marine to Hold Umbrella, Sparks Controversy
Did you know that the U.S. Marine Corps has a policy on umbrella holding? Uniform regulations state that a male Marine can't hold an umbrella (ella, ella) while wearing his uniform, presumably because he can't salute at the same time.
During the press conference under a light drizzle, Obama allowed the First Head to be protected from the elements by an umbrella held by a male Marine corporal. More...

Friday

May-17 -- Boston Suspect: Bombing Was Retribution For US Actions - VOA
The information was first reported by CBS, which described the note as scrawled with a pen on the interior wall of the boat's cabin.
Boston bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev reportedly left a message in the Watertown, Mass., boat that authorities found him in last month. More...

May-17 -- LA-area schools return to normal after gun threat
Police arrested a college student accused of making telephone threats that sparked security alerts across the Los Angeles area on Thursday, including the evacuation of a community college and the lockdown of a second college campus and numerous public schools.
According to local media reports, the phone call was received at about 7:14 am local time and the authorities took preventive actions immediately, including evacuations of the schools and closing of nearby roads. More...

May-17 -- President Obama privately dreams of 'going Bulworth': report
WASHINGTON-- It takes a keen and measured political mentality to go from little-known state senator, to U.S. senator, to two-term president in just a few short years.
President Obama will never go Bulworth but that doesn't mean that there isn't a desire for an honest politician. More...

May-17 -- Top appeals court nominee sails toward confirmation - USA Today
If Srinivasan is confirmed, there would be four Republican and four Democratic nominees serving there.
Citing the court's lighter workload when compared to other federal courts, Republican senators said they will need to be convinced that other vacancies need to be immediately filled. More...

Thursday

May-16 -- Judge Dismisses Charges Against Officer in Unarmed Teenager's Death
A Bronx judge threw out the manslaughter indictment against NYPD police officer Richard Haste, who fatally shot 18-year-old Ramarley Graham last year, over an error in court proceedings, according to ABC News.
One photograph that showed Davis lying face down in a pool of blood did escape, an image many feel is emblematic of the value the NYPD places on life in communities of color. More...

May-16 -- Hospitals, South Carolina sued over child's sex surgery - USA Today
A Columbia couple is suing the Medical University of South Carolina, Greenville Hospital System and the S.C. Department of Social Services on behalf of their 8-year-old son for performing “medically unnecessary” sex assignment surgery on the child in 2006.
The disorder is also known as hermaphroditism, where a baby is born with ovaries and testicles, a rare intersex condition. More...

May-16 -- Sources: Weiner To Launch Mayoral Campaign Next Week
Anthony Weiner is still mulling whether to mount a run for mayor of New York this fall, and the former Democratic congressman's latest campaign filings do not indicate any concrete movement in that direction that haven't previously been disclosed.
Politico reported last night that Mr. Weiner's campaign manager will be Danny Kedem, a recent Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee adviser who worked briefly on Mark Murphy's failed bid to unseat GOP Rep. Michael Grimm last year. More...

May-16 -- Women in Lopez sex harass case want reforms
ALBANY -- A special prosecutor has cleared grabby Brooklyn Assemblyman Vito Lopez of criminal charges but slammed top state leaders for trying keep a lid on the sexual harassment scandal.
The JCOPE report found no evidence that Schneiderman had personally been informed of the settlement talks. More...

Wednesday

May-15 -- Paroled swindler Billie Sol Estes says wheeler-dealer days are over
LUBBOCK, Texas (AP) -- Billie Sol Estes, a flamboyant Texas huckster who became one of the most notorious men in America in 1962 when he was accused of looting a federal crop subsidy program, has died.
"Estes' name was synonymous with Texas-sized schemes, greed and corruption. More...

May-15 -- US Defense Department civilians to go on unpaid leave for 11 days
Most of the U.S. Defense Department's civilian employees will be forced to take 11 days of unpaid leave before the end of September to help the Pentagon slash its spending, Defense officials said today.
The furloughs will save $1.8 billion, according to two defense officials who briefed reporters today on condition of anonymity to discuss details of the plans. More...

May-15 -- Judge likely to allow James Holmes insanity plea in theater shooting
James Holmes will learn May 31 whether he can plead insanity to charges of murdering 12 people in a shooting rampage at a Colorado movie theater, a judge said.
The death penalty sought by prosecutors along with Samour's expected acceptance of the insanity plea will "stop the clock" on the case and likely delay a trial scheduled for February 2014 while Holmes undergoes psychological testing, Steinhauser said. More...

May-15 -- Hard to separate the IRS from Benghazi
On Tuesday's broadcast of Thomas Robert's 11 a.m. MSNBC program, NAACP President Emeritus Julian Bond defended the Internal Revenue Service's targeting of tea party groups, which he described as "admittedly racist."
There's no way Media Matters qualifies as a nonpartisan, tax-exempt group. More...

Tuesday

May-14 -- Rubio's PAC Releases Ad Defending Kelly Ayotte On Guns
This cell phone video shows part of the police response at the Cleveland home where three women were held captive for years.
"Michelle Knight has been discharged from MetroHealth," the hospital said in a statement. More...

May-14 -- Cell phone camera records Cleveland rescue of kidnapping victims Amanda ...
The residents of Seymor Avenue, one of Cleveland's oldest neighbourhoods - Tremont in the U.S., woke up to the noises of police cars and sirens and a buzzing crowd on May 6, 2013.
Castro forced Knight to deliver Berry's daughter and threatened to kill Knight if the baby died, according to a police report. More...

May-14 -- Photos: The rise and fall of OJ Simpson
LAS VEGAS (AP) -- It's been more than four years since O.J. Simpson was handcuffed in a Las Vegas courtroom and hauled off to prison for nine to 33 years.
"An O.J. case is never like any other case." More...

May-14 -- Biggest lottery jackpots in U.S. history - Philly.com
Since there was no winner of the Powerball jackpot on May 8, the annuity prize for the game of Saturday May 11 will be $270 million, and the lump sum payout is an estimated $175.8 million.
After posting a whopping jackpot of $270 million, no one was able to correctly pick all six winning numbers, failing to bring home the prize. More...

Monday

May-13 -- Sen. Rand Paul laying groundwork for possible presidential run
Enter Rand Paul : Still almost 1,000 days before the first votes in the 2016 contest, Republicans right now are split into two camps about how to move forward after their two-straight presidential losses.
Rand, who is the son of former presidential candidate Ron Paul, was against the nomination of John Brennan to head the CIA and the Obama administration's use of drones. More...

May-13 -- Interstate 95 northbound in Laurel has one lane open, traffic to continue for hours
Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg has lost two of his major financial backers for his Fwd.US project, which is pushing for immigration reform in the U.S., after it bankrolled adverts in the home states of a number of Senators who support the campaign, including those who advocate oil-drilling.
"FWD.us remains totally committed to supporting a bipartisan policy agenda that will boost the knowledge economy, including comprehensive immigration reform." More...

May-13 -- Washington Politics Splits Silicon Valley On Keystone XL
Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg has lost two of his major financial backers for his Fwd.US project, which is pushing for immigration reform in the U.S., after it bankrolled adverts in the home states of a number of Senators who support the campaign, including those who advocate oil-drilling.
"FWD.us remains totally committed to supporting a bipartisan policy agenda that will boost the knowledge economy, including comprehensive immigration reform." More...

May-13 -- Overheated Transformer Forces The Evacuation of The West Wing of The White ...
WASHINGTON -- White House offices were evacuated briefly yesterday morning when an electrical transformer near the West Wing malfunctioned and set off a smoke alarm, a White House official said.A Secret Service official said President Barack Obama was not in the area at the time.
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Sunday

May-12 -- 3D-printed gun blueprints pulled from Internet, at request of State Department
The reason for the takedown is that the State Department's Office of Defense Trade Controls Compliance wants to check the files "for compliance with arms export control laws," according to a letter Defense Distributed provided to Forbes .
The State Department, Greenberg also reports , has sent the company a letter, calling for them to take down the computer-aided design, or CAD, files, citing a potential violation of export control laws. More...

May-12 -- GOP pushes paid time off in lieu of overtime
Labor advocates, however, are worried that because the measure would decrease overtime costs to employers, employers would pressure workers into opting for comp time in lieu of additional pay.
Time to be parents and not just employees. More...

May-12 -- One by one, homes in Calif. subdivision sinking - USA Today
LAKEPORT, Calif. (AP) -- Scott and Robin Spivey had a sinking feeling that something was wrong with their home when cracks began snaking across their walls in March.
Scott and Robin Spivey had a sinking feeling that something was wrong with their home when cracks began snaking across their walls in March. More...

May-12 -- Some Pa. state schools allow guns amid review - Newsday
KUTZTOWN, Pa. (AP) -- Students on some of Pennsylvania's college campuses might be carrying more than books.
Per Kutztown University's policy, any employee or student with said legal permit and "compelling" personal safety reasons can request authorization from campus security. More...

Saturday

May-11 -- Gosnell jurors say they are "drained" - Philly.com
PHILADELPHIA -- The jury in the murder trial of a Philadelphia abortion doctor enters its ninth day of deliberations Friday, pondering trial testimony from former clinic staffers about snipping the spinal cords of premature babies allegedly born alive.
What's the difference between the abortion business, funded by giants like Planned Parenthood, and Dr. Gosnell's Philadelphia house of horrors? Not much. More...

May-11 -- Man who stripped at Portland airport fights $1G TSA fine
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) A man who stripped naked during a security check last year at Portland International Airport said Friday he expects the U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to uphold its $1,000 fine at a May 14 hearing.
Certain heart medications that contain nitroglycerines can set of false positives, as well as small traces of fertilizer often found on farms. More...

May-11 -- I-81 Accident Causes Traffic Headaches, What you Need to Know Before Driving ...
Dauphin County's Wildwood Park is closed to the public Thursday because of the heavy smoke caused by a fuel tanker fire along Interstate 81.
E-ZPass used must use the E-ZPass lane, said Carl Defebo Jr., spokesman for the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission. More...

May-11 -- Why does Prince Harry make Washington swoon? (+video)
WASHINGTON: Britain's Prince Harry broke hearts in Washington's corridors of power Thursday, showing more interest in land mines than in the excited fans who greeted him at the start of a week-long U.S. visit.
Prince Harry also sat with the young children for an afternoon tea with Michelle Obama and Vice President Joe Biden's wife, Jill. More...

Friday

May-10 -- Blumenthal blocks abortion resolution
Lee's resolution has 11 co-sponsors.
Introduced to the Senate on Monday, Lee said his resolution was in response to the trial of Philadelphia abortion doctor Kermit Gosnell, who is accused by authorities of killing four babies born-alive during botched abortions. More...

May-10 -- California accuses JPMorgan Chase of debt-collection abuses
While JPMorgan's debt-collection practices are under scrutiny, flaws are increasingly common in credit card lawsuits filed by rival banks, according to interviews with dozens of state judges, regulators and lawyers who defend consumers.
Attorney General Kamala Harris' office said the company's methods included "robo-signing" legal documents, a practice that was widely used in mortgage foreclosures until it was outlawed. More...

May-10 -- Video of Texas student scolding teacher goes viral
DUNCANVILLE, Texas -- A YouTube video of a Duncanville High School student giving his history teacher a lesson has gone viral, and has his district talking.
The honors classes were much more challenging and made you work harder. More...

May-10 -- Bittersweet update from family devastated by marathon bombing
The little girl has fought off infections and other medical complications.
"By closing the wound, the incredible medical team at Boston Children's Hospital laid the groundwork for Jane to take an important step forward on the long and difficult road ahead of her." More...

Thursday

May-09 -- Jessica Heeringa's blood found outside gas station where she vanished
Police said DNA analysis determined blood outside the gas station in west Michigan where a 25-year-old woman vanished is from Jessica Heeringa, who has been missing nearly two weeks.
Shaw told WWJ-AM in Detroit. More...

May-09 -- Michelle Obama: Chris Christie is 'terrific' - USA Today
Michelle Obama didn't exactly come out and say what she thinks about New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie's weight-loss surgery, but she tied his long struggle with his heaviness to her quest for children to adopt healthier lifestyles.
WASHINGTON - First lady Michelle Obama says her campaign to improve young people's health is about the government providing information, not "telling people what to do." More...

May-09 -- Utah teen charged with homicide in death of referee
A public wake for Ricardo Portillo, 46, will run from 1-7 p.m, followed by a religious service.
"We're trying to balance between a youth who is close to being 18 with the amount of harm that has been caused," said Gill. More...

May-09 -- Brother of woman who died at Wrigley: 'It felt hopeless'
The Chicago Cubs are joining the local community in mourning a fan that choked to death on a hot dog before Sunday's game against the Cincinnati Reds. The team expressed its "deepest sympathy" to friends and family of Maureen Oleskiewicz, a 28-year-old teacher who died of cardiac arrest as a result of food asphyxiation, WLS-TV of Chicago reported.
"The Chicago Cubs are saddened to hear news of the untimely death of Maureen Oleskiewicz. More...

Wednesday

May-08 -- Watch: Harry Reid calls Ted Cruz 'a schoolyard bully'
In a tense exchange on the Senate floor yesterday, Harry Reid attacked freshman Republican senator Ted Cruz.
Now if Bammy really was born in Kenya, it would be hidden. More...

May-08 -- Boy's encounter with Las Vegas cop becomes viral video smash
A 12-year-old has called out a cop for parking illegally in Las Vegas, questioning the officer about whether he was attending to an emergency when he parked in a restricted spot.
Watch the video of the brave 12-year-old boy calling out the cop here. More...

May-08 -- 'Girls Gone Wild' founder guilty of assaulting women, faces jail
Famous smut-peddler Joe Francis , the creator of the popular Girls Gone Wild series of films, has been convicted of assault, false imprisonment, and dissuading a witness.
Playboy model Jayde Nicole had previously accused the Girls Gone Wild creator of physical assault, which was also at a Hollywood nightclub. More...

May-08 -- Corker: US moving closer to arming Syrian rebels
White House press secretary Jay Carney says there is no specific agenda for President Obama's golf game with GOP senators Monday, hinting that the president is simply continuing his gambit to find members of the "common sense" caucus who are willing to work with him on any part of his agenda.
"The president looks forward to discussing with, and is probably discussing as I speak with the senators, a range of topics. More...

Tuesday

May-07 -- Foxborough in the Civil War: Part 24
LOWER POTTSGROVE TWP., PA. (CBS) - Police say a body was discovered Sunday afternoon on the side of a road in Lower Pottsgrove Township, Montgomery County.
Authorities say the 19-year-old, identified as Kareem Ali Borowy was found dead on the side of a road five miles from the scene. More...

May-07 -- Murdered Teen Arrested on Felony Drug Charges in March
LOWER POTTSGROVE TWP., PA. (CBS) - Police say a body was discovered Sunday afternoon on the side of a road in Lower Pottsgrove Township, Montgomery County.
Neighbors told television reporters outside the West Pottsgrove home that police had previously responded there several times, primarily for domestic violence issues. More...

May-07 -- Sit-in, open forum planned after LAPD arrests 6 at party near USC
About 80 Los Angeles Police officers arrived at a party on West 23rd Street and Hoover, responding to a noise complaint, in riot gear, armed and apparent ready for a large confrontation.
It's that time of the year; a period when the end of finals for undergrads across the country is celebrated with partying. More...

May-07 -- PokerStars Seeks Court Order to Buy AC Casino
Today, PokerStars filed a civil lawsuit against the Atlantic Club owners.
The parties' deal to finalize a purchase of the casino by April 26 did not take into account how long it might take to assemble and submit the many documents and exhibits necessary to win approval from the Casino Control Commission, which was considered to still be months away from an examination of whether the Rational Group would qualify for a casino license in New Jersey. More...

Monday

May-06 -- Harper Lee sues agent. Who owns 'To Kill a Mockingbird' copyright? (+video)
Acclaimed author HARPER LEE is taking legal action against her literary agent over allegations he duped her into assigning him the copyright on her classic book TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD. The Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist filed her lawsuit against Samuel Pinkus in a New York federal court on Friday (03May13).
The author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel 'To Kill a Mockingbird' has filed a New York lawsuit to re-secure the copyright to it. More...

May-06 -- Brenda Heist, missing Pennsylvania mom-turned-Fla. beach bum, back in jail
A Pennsylvania woman who was missing and presumed dead for 11 years turned herself in to Florida police, CNN reports.
A photo of how Brenda Heist looked in 2002 and on the right when she was booked into the Pinellas County Jail in Jan. 2013. More...

May-06 -- Cops: LI Mother Left 4 Kids Unattended In Car As She Drank At A Bar
A Long Island woman was arrested after police say she left her four children unattended in a car while she went drinking in a bar early Sunday morning.
Cepparo's children, a 13-year-old son, who is autistic, an 8-year-old boy and 6-year-old twin daughters, were left in the car with no heat and the doors unlocked. More...

May-06 -- Alleged mastermind behind "SpyEye" botnet tools extradited to US
Hamza Bendelladj, known for years in underground computer forums simply as Bx1, was accused in a 23-count indictment of crimes including computer and bank fraud.
Hamza Bendelladj, also known as Bx1, faces 23 charges in an indictment returned in December 2011 and unsealed Friday. More...

Sunday

May-05 -- Norton Shores Police Chief: If search for Jessica Heeringa fails, it will fall on my ...
Editor's note: This is the second in a three-part series providing an in-depth look into the investigation of Jessica Heeringa's alleged abduction.
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May-05 -- Experts: Feds pressure widow, friends in Boston Marathon bombing investigation
Federal authorities are placing intense pressure on what they know to be the inner circle of the two Boston Marathon bombing suspects, arresting three college buddies of surviving brother Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, and keeping Tamerlan Tamerlan's 24-year-old widow, Katherine Russell, in the public eye with their open surveillance and leaks to media about investigators' focus on her.
The lawyers for the Kazakh students said their clients had nothing to do with the bombing and were shocked by the crime. More...

May-05 -- Man bites dog that attacked wife
MADRID, Iowa (AP) -- An Iowa woman whose nose was severely injured by an attacking dog says her husband bit the animal to make it stop assaulting her.
DES MOINES, Iowa -- Caren and Laine Henry were walking their pet beagle along a familiar gravel road near Laine's father's rural Madrid, Iowa, home Sunday. More...

May-05 -- UT collector keeps his 29 boa constrictors for now - USA Today
SALT LAKE CITY -- A Utah collector of expensive, exotic snakes has won at least a temporary reprieve from the Cottonwood Heights City Council after he'd been ordered to remove more than two dozen rare boa constrictors from his home.
As a Cottonwood Heights resident (who does not particularly like snakes) I really want the Mayor and Council to show some leadership and common sense in applying an ordinance that is vague and probably not even worth having at all. More...

Saturday

May-04 -- Newest 'Most Wanted Terrorist': Should Assata Shakur make the list?
Assata Shakur, an ex member of the Black Panthers who escaped from prison and fled to Cuba in 1979, has officially been added to the FBI's Most Wanted Terrorist list, making her the first woman ever.
Joanne Chesimard, a left-wing militant, has a $2 million FBI bounty by the FBI. More...

May-04 -- Daniel Inouye's widow endorses Colleen Hanabusa over Brian Schatz
Irene Inouye acknowledged that conflict in her statement supporting Hanabusa, saying it was her way of honoring her husband's wishes and efforts in mentoring Hanabusa over the years.
Abercrombie rebuffed Inouye's request and appointed Lt. Gov. Brian Schatz to fill the vacant seat, saying that the late senator's wishes "were taken into account fully" but citing a desire to prevent the Democratic Party from possibly surrending Hanabusa's seat in the House to a Republican. More...

May-04 -- Man Robs Credit Union to Pay for Disney Cruise : Report
BREVARD COUNTY • SATELLITE BEACH, FLORIDA - Cedrick Royce Swinson of North Carolina was arrested today for attempting to rob the Navy Federal Credit Union on SR A1A, according to a Satellite Beach Police spokesperson.
Police said the man reportedly could not come up with the final money owed for the cruise, according to the Florida Today report. More...

May-04 -- U.S. Finds Porn Not Secrets on Suspected China Spy's Laptop
"None of the computer media that Jiang attempted to bring to the PRC on March 16, 2013, contained classified information, export controlled information, or NASA proprietary information," reads a statement of facts filed the case, which was heard in a federal court in Newport News, Virginia.
Jiang, 31, who lived in Norfolk before being held at the Chesapeake City Jail for the past six weeks, has a Saturday plane ticket to China, said his lawyer, Fernando Groene. More...

Friday

May-03 -- Obama Ally Likely Pick for FCC
As expected, President Obama on Wednesday expressed his intention to nominate former lobbyist, entrepreneur and venture capitalist Tom Wheeler to succeed Julius Genachowski as chairman of the FCC, and has tapped commissioner Mignon Clyburn as interim chair, a move that would make her the first woman to lead the agency.
The president had hardly gotten the announcement out -- that he was nominating Tom Wheeler to be the next FCC chair and Mignon Clyburn to be interim chair -- when the electronic floodgates opened with comments from across the industry and public interest spectrum. More...

May-03 -- 5-year-old shoots, kills 2-year-old: In Kentucky, kids get guns early
It was "just one of those crazy accidents," in the words of the local coroner: A 5-year-old in Cumberland County, Ky., accidentally shot and killed his 2-year-old sister yesterday with a.22-caliber rifle.
No one at the company answered the phone Wednesday. More...

May-03 -- 'Proof' Jamestown settlers turned to cannibalism
Archaeologists have discovered the first physical evidence of cannibalism by desperate English colonists driven by hunger during the Starving Time of 1609-1610 at Jamestown, Virginia opnbrktmapclsbrkt --the first permanent English settlement in the New World.
For centuries, historians have wondered if cannibalism occurred during the winter months as a means of survival. More...

May-03 -- Daughter voices anger at mom found after 11 years
Missing for 11 years and presumed dead, a Pennsylvania woman surfaced in Florida, telling police her depression caused her to hitchhike her way to Florida.
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - The teenage daughter of a woman who just revealed she abandoned her family 11 years ago said Thursday the disclosure has angered her and she is not eager to restart their relationship. More...

Thursday

May-02 -- How US Muslims are different: Pew poll sheds light on global contrasts
On the subject of suicide bombing or other violence used in the name of Islam, 81 percent of Muslims in the United States disapprove, with fewer than 1 in 10 saying violence is justified "often" or "sometimes" to defend Islam.
"I believe that if people were asked directly, "Do you want Shariah Law to be imposed by the state?' the amount who would say "yes' would be less than 50 percent," Ismail told the Jakarta Globe in a phone interview on Wednesday. More...

May-02 -- Much of California Is Placed on Red Flag Fire Warning
The National Weather Service has issued a Fire Weather Watch for San Bernardino County mountains-the Inland Empire-the mountain top and front country ranger districts of the San Bernardino National Forest beginning 5 am Wednesday morning and continuing into 5 pm Thursday afternoon for very low relative humidity and moderate Santa Ana winds.
The annual wildfire season has officially arrived in Prescott. More...

May-02 -- Missing Pa. woman, thought dead, surfaces in Fla.
Brenda Heist vanished one day in February 2002, leaving behind two children, her husband, her job and her suburban Lititz home.
Mrs. Heist's car was gone from the driveway, but there were no signs of a break-in or struggle at the home. More...

May-02 -- Ohio executes inmate convicted of killing girlfriend's 6-month-old daughter while ...
LUCASVILLE, Ohio A man convicted of killing a 6-month-old as he raped her was executed Wednesday despite his arguments that he never meant to hurt her.
Three are Smith's daughter, sister and niece. More...

Wednesday

May-01 -- Virginia gubernatorial candidate pitches ethics commission
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) -- Gov. Bob McDonnell said Tuesday his administration never gave special treatment to a dietary supplement company that is under a federal securities investigation, despite more than $100,000 in political contributions from its chief executive and thousands of dollars more in gifts to McDonnell's family.
Though the inquiry is part of a federal investigation of securities transactions involving Star Scientific, the agency is considering whether to broaden the probe to examine whether the Republican governor and his wife have promoted the company in exchange for monetary gain and other benefits. More...

May-01 -- Ariz. attorney general agrees to Bisbee civil-union changes - USA Today
As the battle over same sex marriage continues to remain in the spotlight nationally, Arizona Attorney General Tom Horne is taking on the issue locally.
Arizona's attorney general withdrew his threat Monday to sue the small city of Bisbee, Ariz., after its lawyers agreed to rewrite a controversial ordinance recognizing same-sex couples to remove rights that he said were reserved for married couples under state law. More...

May-01 -- Newborn Baby Abandoned At Hawaii Beach Remains at Local Hospital
Here's one thing you never expect to find on the beautiful beaches of Hawaii: an abandoned baby.
The infant's mother has not been identified, WSFA reports. More...

May-01 -- Alabama Mother Shot And Killed With Newborn Baby In Her Arms
Alabama police are currently looking for the man who fired a gun that shot and killed Sherri Williams while she was holding her newborn baby.
A tragic story from Alabama on Monday afternoon. More...

Tuesday

Apr-30 -- Justices Rebuff Alabama on Immigration Law
By an 8-1 vote, the justices let stand lower court rulings that said enforcing the immigration laws is the job of the federal government, not the states.
By refusing to hear the case the Supreme Court leaves in place a ruling by an appeals court blocking the law. More...

Apr-30 -- Woman Guilty of Severing Estranged Husband's Penis
Catherine Kieu was found guilty of charges of torture and aggravated mayhem for a July 11, 2011 attack on her husband.
"As the doctor said, people function throughout the day with post- traumatic stress disorder," Christl said, referring to one of the defense experts who testified during the trial. More...

Apr-30 -- 3 abalone divers die off North Coast
On Saturday afternoon, a 66-year-old retired Pacifica firefighter was found in the water off of Shell Beach, several feet below the surface.
The sheriff's crew lowered rescue paramedic Scott Freedman into the water to look for the diver. More...

Apr-30 -- Deadly blaze engulfs a crowded Allston home
As many as 19 people lived in the house, occupying the basement, two main floors and attic, the fire department reported said.
An early morning fire in Mattapan injured three firefighters and displaced six residents, according to a Boston fire department spokesman. More...

Monday

Apr-29 -- Update: Long Beach Police Confirm Death of Man in Officer Involved Shooting
LONG BEACH, Calif. (KTLA) A man who was shot early Sunday Morning by a Long Beach police officer has died.
Sgt. Marander says an officer confronted the suspect and officer involved shooting occurred in which the suspect was shot by the officer. More...

Apr-29 -- WWII Vet Who Provided Flag on Iwo Jima Has Died
Five Marines and a Navy Corpsman raised the flag in a stirring moment captured by Associated Press photographer Joe Rosenthal.
This Feb. 23, 1945 file photo shows U.S. Marines of the 28th Regiment, 5th Division, raising the American flag atop Mt. More...

Apr-29 -- Feminist author Mary Thom, 68, killed in NY motorcycle crash
NEW YORK, April 28 (Reuters) - Renowned feminist and former women's magazine editor Mary Thom was killed in a motorcycle crash over the weekend in Yonkers, New York, friends and colleagues said.
Mary Thom, who was one of the founders of MS. Magazine, worked for the magazine for over two decades. More...

Apr-29 -- After long battle, Uber becomes first taxi app to get approved in New York City
The New York State Supreme Court on Tuesday ruled that the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC) may proceed with the e-hail pilot program, which was approved at the TLC's December 13, 2012 Commission meeting.
The company's service has finally been approved, which means you can stop flailing your limbs and hail a cab the same way humans today do everything else: with a smartphone. More...

Sunday

Apr-28 -- San Jose: Rollout of curb-sitting policy urged by police auditor, community groups
The two sides still plan to meet Friday morning with the retired judge acting as arbitrator to formalize the settlement.
Since the beginning of the year, the breakthrough policy has been batted back and forth within police ranks. More...

Apr-28 -- Employee accused of showing Lanza's body fired
Chief Medical Examiner Dr. H. Wayne Carver, in a dismissal letter to Jean Henry released Friday, wrote that bringing her husband into the morgue in December violated the agency's ethical mission and showed "extremely poor judgment."
The public cannot go in without signing in at the front office, and then being escorted by an employee and even that public access is limited to the administrative offices in the front of the building. More...

Apr-28 -- Economic development, Texas-style: What Illinois can learn
Texas Governor Rick Perry expressed disgust over a Sacramento Bee political cartoon depicting the governor boasting about "booming" business next to an explosion, an obvious allusion to the fertilizer plant explosion that killed 14 people in West, Texas on April 17.
While I will always welcome healthy policy debate, I won't stand for someone mocking the tragic deaths of my fellow Texans and our fellow Americans. More...

Apr-28 -- Remains identified as missing 13-year-old Texas cheerleader
SNYDER -- Remains found in a remote West Texas location last month are those of a 13-year-old middle school cheerleader missing since December 2010, authorities announced Friday.
Remains found in a remote West Texas location last month are those of a 13-year-old middle school cheerleader missing since December 2010, authorities announced Friday. More...