News For Wednesday Nov 19, 2008 News For Wednesday Nov 19, 2008

U.S. U.S.

Elderly women win battle over crab apple tree - Added 7 weeks ago

Two elderly women who tied themselves to a crab apple tree to protest its removal have rescued the tree and saved themselves from eviction. Lea Perrone, 64, and Pat Henry, 65, spent several days tied to the tree at...

W.Pa. pooch freed after paw gets stuck in drain - Added 7 weeks ago

Chalupa the Chihuahua may understandably be a little bath shy in the future. The tiny dog created a big fuss when one of her rear paws got stuck in a kitchen sink drain at her owner's Homer City home Sunday night. Ruth...

Former Tenn. lawmaker gets 14 years for fraud - Added 7 weeks ago

A former Tennessee state senator has been sentenced to 14 years in prison for accepting more than $800,000 from companies and pushing for laws that favored them. John Ford of Memphis is already serving a 5 1/2-year...

4 girls from Alamo compound to stay with state - Added 7 weeks ago

Four girls taken from an evangelist's compound in southwest Arkansas will remain in state custody after their parents waived a probable-cause hearing, a state official said Monday. Julie Munsell, a spokeswoman for the...

Jury says it's near deadlock in Fla. boat killings - Added 7 weeks ago

A federal jury in Miami indicated Monday it was nearing a deadlock over whether a second man should be convicted in the shooting deaths of four people last year aboard the "Joe Cool" fishing charter boat. The judge told...

Breakdown of report on fired prosecutors - Added 7 weeks ago

A summary of the findings from a Justice Department investigation into why nine U.S. attorneys were fired in 2006-2007. ___ Daniel Bogden, former U.S. attorney for Nevada: Bogden was told to resign in December 2006....

Pa. early inmate releases halted, review ordered - Added 7 weeks ago

Gov. Ed Rendell on Monday halted the early release of state prison inmates, days after a recently paroled felon shot and killed a Philadelphia police officer. The governor also named a Temple University professor to...

Police: Teen killed woman, used stolen $6 for beer - Added 7 weeks ago

A Florida teenager told police Monday that he slashed a woman to death during a burglary and a witness said the teen used the $6 he stole during the burglary to buy beer. Alan Michael Tanguay, 16, faces a charge of...

Typical nursing home generates 7 deficiencies - Added 7 weeks ago

The typical nursing home was cited for seven health and safety deficiencies last year, with for-profit homes more likely to have problems than facilities run by local governments or non-profits, federal investigators...

Bank consolidations raise specter of higher fees - Added 7 weeks ago

The sale of Wachovia's deposits and other assets to Citigroup on Monday leaves the nation with three superbanks, reshaping the U.S. banking landscape in the midst of unprecedented financial upheaval. For customers of...

Teen: I shot NY guard who chased Halloween rascals - Added 7 weeks ago

A teenager has admitted in a New York court that he shot and killed a security guard who confronted egg-throwing youths on Halloween. Westchester County District Attorney Janet DiFiore said 19-year-old Nyanda Charley...

3 more Hurricane Ike victims raises toll to 67 - Added 7 weeks ago

Three more bodies were discovered over the weekend in areas of Texas ravaged by Hurricane Ike, increasing the storm's toll to 67 deaths nationally. The discoveries in Galveston and Orange counties raised the toll in...

Bush disappointed by House vote, vows to press on - Added 7 weeks ago

President Bush voiced disappointment Monday at the House vote rejecting his administration's rescue plan for the nation's financial industry. "We've put forth a plan that was big because we've got a big problem," the...

House-Senate dispute over tax breaks continues - Added 7 weeks ago

House Democrats said Monday they would not relent in their dispute with the Senate on a major tax relief package, increasing odds that businesses could lose out on critical tax breaks and millions could get hit by the...

Air Force says officer stole launch control device - Added 7 weeks ago

A Minot Air Force Base officer accused of stealing a classified missile launch control device faces a hearing to determine whether he will face a court martial. The Air Force said a hearing is scheduled Tuesday at the...

Dispute over witness disrupts Stevens trial - Added 7 weeks ago

A behind-the-scenes move by prosecutors _ sending an ailing potential witness home to Alaska _ has angered a federal judge and given Sen. Ted Stevens an opening to renew allegations that the government isn't playing...

House Web site overwhelmed as bailout bill fails - Added 7 weeks ago

The House Web site was overwhelmed Monday as millions of computer users sought information about the financial bailout bill rejected by the House. "We haven't seen this much demand since the 9/11 commission report" was...

Woman, 85, foils robbery attempt at her Ore. home - Added 7 weeks ago

A robber with a ski mask tried to rob an 85-year-old woman at her Tigard-area home but fled with only $6. The woman opened her door at about 9 p.m. Saturday to find someone standing there in a ski mask. She couldn't...

NY judge: Nibble on cinema popcorn at own risk - Added 7 weeks ago

Movie munchers beware! A New York judge says popcorn purchasers worried about breaking a tooth on unpopped kernels should nibble carefully _ or eat something else. Insurance broker Steve Kaplan says he encountered a...

6 killed in Fla. tractor-trailer crash with van - Added 7 weeks ago

Six men in a van were killed when a tractor-trailer loaded with sand hit their vehicle Monday in south-central Florida. The Florida Highway Patrol said the tractor-trailer ran through a stop sign around 6:30 a.m. and...

Md. helicopter crash survivor recovering - Added 7 weeks ago

The father of a Maryland teen who survived a car accident and then her rescue helicopter's crash says his daughter can't speak but squeezes his hand. Scott Wells told reporters at a trauma unit Monday that his...

Attorneys say Dannehy good fit for investigation - Added 7 weeks ago

Federal prosecutor Nora Dannehy has taken on Connecticut's most powerful politicians, sending a governor, a state treasurer and others to prison for corruption. Now the nation's top law enforcement official wants her...

House Roll Call - Added 7 weeks ago

The 228-205 roll call Monday of the vote by which the House rejected a $700 billion emergency bailout for the nation's financial system. A "yes" vote is a vote in favor of the bailout package. Voting yes were 140...

Weather measurements help in air drops - Added 7 weeks ago

Apparently it does take a weatherman to know which way the wind blows. The military has improved the accuracy of its airdrops of supplies and other materials by up to 70 percent, thanks to technology developed by the...

Iowa AG seeks review of nude dancing ruling - Added 7 weeks ago

The state attorney general's office said Monday it asked the Iowa Supreme Court to review a judge's ruling that nude dancing is a legal art form. Assistant Attorney General Mary Tabor said the state is seeking a review...

Lawmakers discussing changes to safe-haven law - Added 7 weeks ago

Some key Nebraska lawmakers are discussing an age limit and other possible changes to the state's new safe-haven law that has led parents to abandon children as old as 17. The group of six met Sunday night to start...

Jury selection begins in Fort Dix plot case - Added 7 weeks ago

Jury selection began under tight security Monday in the federal trial of five men accused of planning an attack on Fort Dix. Lawyers were expected to take three weeks or more to seat 12 jurors and six alternates. The...

More foods getting labeled as US or foreign-grown - Added 7 weeks ago

No more wondering where your hamburger came from, or where your lettuce and tomatoes were grown: Starting this week, shoppers will see lots more foods labeled with the country of origin. It's a law years in the making...

Mo. man who posed as federal officer pleads guilty - Added 7 weeks ago

A Missouri man who impersonated a federal drug agent, conducting raids and making arrests, has pleaded guilty to federal charges. Bill Anthony Jakob pleaded guilty Monday to impersonating a federal law enforcement...

Marines train at Calif. post's Afghan `village' - Added 7 weeks ago

Marine Capt. Mike Hoffman sat on the floor of a shack with an Afghan mullah and village elders and accepted a meager meal as he sought their help in the fight against the Taliban. It was loud and confusing as he tried...

More than 1,100 arrested in Cal immigration sweep - Added 7 weeks ago

Federal immigration authorities say more than 1,150 people have been arrested in a special three-week sweep in California. The sweep targeted those who ignored deportation orders or returned to the U.S. illegally after...

Gates calls for a balanced military - Added 7 weeks ago

Defeating the enemies of tomorrow _ from rogue nations to terror networks _ will require a balanced and nimble military that can coax or confound an adversary as well as it can crush one, Defense Secretary Robert Gates...

Ex-CIA executive pleads guilty to wire fraud - Added 7 weeks ago

A former high-ranking CIA official pleaded guilty Monday to abusing his influence within the agency to direct lucrative contracts toward an old friend who showered him with tens of thousands of dollars worth of gifts. ...

Rail safety bill advances in Senate - Added 7 weeks ago

A sweeping rail safety reform bill that includes billions of dollars for Amtrak cleared a key vote in the Senate Monday, as lawmakers invoked the Sept. 12 train collision in Los Angeles that killed 25 people. Senators...

Maryland police find remains in freezer - Added 7 weeks ago

Maryland police say they have found human remains that could be those of two children in a home freezer. Calvert County authorities say they discovered the remains Saturday while they were investigating a report of a...

`Rockefeller' pleads not guilty to taking daughter - Added 7 weeks ago

A German citizen who calls himself Clark Rockefeller pleaded not guilty Monday to charges related to the kidnapping of his 7-year-old daughter off a Boston street in July. Magistrate Gary Wilson set bail at a sum...

Congress sends mercury export ban to president - Added 7 weeks ago

The House on Monday sent to President Bush a bill sponsored by Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama that would eventually ban the export of elemental mercury. The United States is one of the world's biggest...

Rock drummer released from Ga. burn hospital - Added 7 weeks ago

Former Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker has been released from a Georgia hospital after suffering severe burns in a fiery plane crash more than a week ago. Hospital spokeswoman Beth Frits says Barker was released on...

Tough week for Rice at UN - Added 7 weeks ago

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice made the best Monday of U.S. failure to win new U.N. punishments against Iran, a disappointment to the Bush administration that marked the nadir of a grueling week at the United...

Gun groups to appeal decision to toss Ga. lawsuit - Added 7 weeks ago

Gun rights groups are appealing a federal judge's decision to dismiss a lawsuit that sought to allow licensed gun owners to pack heat in parts of the world's busiest airport. U.S. District Judge Marvin Shoob tossed the...

Prosecutors may seek retrial in cat cruelty case - Added 7 weeks ago

Prosecutors said Monday they are considering a retrial of the former minor league pitcher and actor who killed his girlfriend's cat. Jurors deadlocked 11-1 on Friday at the felony aggravated animal cruelty trial of...

German company claims puzzle is world's biggest - Added 7 weeks ago

Some 15,000 enthusiasts have assembled the world's largest jigsaw puzzle in the southern German town of Ravensburg, Europe's biggest puzzle maker said. Puzzle maker Ravensburger AG said 1,141,800 pieces were put...

NYC sues reservation smoke shops over bootlegging - Added 7 weeks ago

New York City is suing eight smoke shops that have been selling tax-free cigarettes on an Indian reservation. The lawsuit accuses the small cluster of shops on the Poospatuck (POOS'-puh-tuhk) Indian Reservation of...

NYC sues reservation smoke shops over bootlegging - Added 7 weeks ago

New York City is suing eight smoke shops that have been selling tax-free cigarettes on an Indian reservation. The lawsuit accuses the small cluster of shops on the Poospatuck (POOS'-puh-tuhk) Indian Reservation of...

Maine spared rare hit by hurricane, Kyle in Canada - Added 7 weeks ago

!!-- hobj:224 -->It threatened to be the first hurricane in 17 years to make landfall in Maine. Instead, Kyle delivered little more than a glancing blow equivalent to that of a classic nor'easter. Heavy rain pounded...

Text of President Bush's statement - Added 7 weeks ago

Here is a text of the statement that President Bush made Monday morning on legislation to rescue the nation's reeling financial markets, as released by the White House: ___ Good morning. Yesterday, leaders here in...

Rhode Island art display to reflect on slavery - Added 7 weeks ago

One of Rhode Island's most celebratory occasions next weekend will also have reminders of one of the ugliest chapters in its history. WaterFire _ a nighttime public arts display that draws tens of thousands of people...

Tough week for Rice at UN - Added 7 weeks ago

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice returns to Washington after a grueling week at the United Nations, where U.S. prestige and influence took a beating at the hands of Russia, Iran and North Korea. In the midst of a...

SpaceX finally reaches orbit after fourth try - Added 7 weeks ago

An Internet entrepreneur's latest effort to make space launch more affordable paid off Sunday when his commercial rocket, carrying a dummy payload, was lofted into orbit from the South Pacific. It was the fourth...

Liberal DC suburb faces minority voting questions - Added 7 weeks ago

!!-- pobj:MDJM102-0826081215 -->!!-- pobj:MDJM104-0826081349 -->!!-- pobj:MDJM106-0818082021 -->!!-- pobj:MDJM103-0826081223 -->!!-- pobj:MDJM105-0827081229 -->In the racially diverse Washington suburb of Greenbelt, the...