07/04/2009

Powerful sedative found in Michael Jackson's home

The powerful sedative Diprivan was found in Michael Jackson's home, a law enforcement official said Friday as the city planned for a massive crowd at the singer's memorial service.

South Carolina officials say evidence links fatal shootings of 4 to a serial killer
GAFFNEY, S.C. – Terrified residents canceled Fourth of July plans and holed up in their homes Friday as investigators hunted a serial killer believed to have shot four people to death.

Analysis: Once again, Palin plays by her own rules
Sarah Palin showed again Friday that she's one of America's most unconventional politicians, traveling an unpredictable path to an uncertain future.

07/03/2009

Connecticut man beat up after sex screams misinterpreted
HARTFORD, Conn. – A 16-year-old girl thought she heard her mother being assaulted by her boyfriend and rounded up some friends who beat him up, only to learn later that the couple actually were having sex, the woman and police said.

South Carolina governor's wife says reconciliation possible, but would take time
COLUMBIA, S.C. – South Carolina first lady Jenny Sanford says she may be able to forgive her husband's much-publicized affair, but true reconciliation will take more time.

Rhode Island town takes pride in having nation's oldest Independence Day celebration
BRISTOL, R.I. – In July 1785, the residents of this waterfront town assembled to heap praise on their newly minted nation and to thank God for helping them survive a fierce assault by the British during the Revolutionary War.

COURT OF APPEALS
PHILADELPHIA – A high-ranking federal judge who made sexually explicit material available on the Internet was cleared of judicial misconduct with an admonishment Thursday by fellow judges.

SINGER'S DEATH
LOS ANGELES – The future of Michael Jackson's children was thrown into question Thursday when his ex-wife emerged and won a delay in a custody hearing while she decides whether she wants to raise her two offspring.

WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON – The King of Pop had a fan in the White House.

Jermaine Jackson: I'd be hurt if Michael used drugs
LOS ANGELES – Jermaine Jackson said he would be "hurt" if toxicology reports show that Michael Jackson abused prescription drugs, but that he did not know about any drug use by his younger brother.

Fewer people died in highway accidents in early '09
WASHINGTON – Fewer people died on the nation's highways during the first three months of 2009 as traffic fatalities continued to fall to levels not seen in nearly 50 years.

SENATE COMMITTEE
WASHINGTON – To warm words from President Barack Obama, the Democratic leaders of the Senate health committee unveiled a revised plan Thursday to provide health coverage to nearly all Americans.

Judge to dismiss MySpace case tied to teen's suicide
LOS ANGELES – A federal judge tentatively decided on Thursday to dismiss the case against a Missouri woman who had been convicted of computer fraud stemming from an Internet hoax that prompted a teenage girl to commit suicide.

PUBLIC POLICY
CHICAGO – When carpenter Greg Douglas rolled his pickup truck, his toolbox hit him and smashed his ribs and collarbone. After a month in the hospital, the medical bills hit him even harder, totaling $165,000.

07/01/2009

FDA orders strongest warning label for 2 anti-smoking drugs, including one taken by slain Dallas musician
The Food and Drug Administration will require two smoking-cessation drugs, Chantix – blamed by friends and family of a Dallas musician for the violent behavior that led to his death in 2007 – and Zyban, to carry the agency's strongest safety warning over side effects including depression and suicidal thoughts.

07/02/2009

Perry formally applies for $4B in stimulus money for education
AUSTIN – On the last day to do so, Gov. Rick Perry formally applied Wednesday for $4 billion in federal stimulus money to fill gaps and boost state education needs.

Sears Tower officials to visitors: Do look down!
Visitors to the Sears Tower 's new glass balconies in Chicago all seem to agree: The first step is the hardest. "It's like walking on ice," said Margaret Kemp, of Bishop, Calif., who was among visitors who got a sneak preview Wednesday. "That first step you take – 'am I going down?' "

Pet python strangles 2-year-old in Florida
OXFORD, Fla. – A 12-foot pet Burmese python broke out of a terrarium and strangled a 2-year-old girl in her bedroom Wednesday at a central Florida home, authorities said.

Report: Nation's obesity problem will soon weigh on Medicare
WASHINGTON – Mississippi is still king of cellulite, but an ominous tide is rolling toward the Medicare doctors in neighboring Alabama: obese baby boomers.

At a glance: Obesity figures for the U.S.
Texas tied with Georgia at No. 14 for the rate of adult obesity at 27.9 percent. For the percent of overweight and obese children, Texas ranked No. 20 at 32.2 percent.

Audience helps Obama make health care pitch
ANNANDALE, Va. – President Barack Obama wanted to put a human face on his plans to overhaul health care, and a Virginia supporter did just that Wednesday.

Take the Medicaid quiz
WASHINGTON – Because of its size and cost, Medicaid has been called the "workhorse" of the U.S. health system. Now it's front and center in the debate on overhauling the U.S. health system and expanding coverage to the uninsured.

Heady days for freedom
NEW YORK – It's crowded. It's hot. You have to climb hundreds of steps to get there. And throngs of people can't wait to visit.

Neverland burial rejected for Michael Jackson
LOS ANGELES – A plan to bury Michael Jackson at his sprawling Neverland Ranch fizzled Wednesday, leaving details about his funeral undecided as another mystery was solved: His will says his mother should raise his children or, failing her, longtime friend Diana Ross.

07/01/2009

Eldest Jonas brother, Kevin, gets engaged to girlfriend
The eldest Jonas brother, Kevin, and his girlfriend Danielle Deleasa (DAH'-lees-ah) were engaged Wednesday.

Michael Jackson's will cuts out ex-wife Debbie Rowe
Michael Jackson's will has been filed in a Los Angeles court. The will, dated July 7, 2002, says Jackson chose not to provide for his former wife Debbie Rowe.
Download: See Michael Jackson's will

List of 10 fastest-growing U.S. cities includes McKinney, Fort Worth
Reversing a decade-long trend, many of America's largest cities are now growing more quickly than the rest of the nation, yet another sign of an economic crisis that is making it harder for people to move.

Panel urges new limits on Tylenol
ADELPHI, Md. – Government experts called for sweeping safety restrictions Tuesday on the most widely used painkiller, including reducing the maximum dose of Tylenol and eliminating prescription drugs such as Vicodin and Percocet.

06/30/2009

Minnesota court rules for Al Franken in fight for U.S. Senate seat
The Minnesota Supreme Court rejected a legal challenge from Republican Norm Coleman, whose options for regaining the Senate seat are dwindling.

07/01/2009

Social Security report says dead people still receiving checks
WASHINGTON – The Social Security Administration has continued to pay millions of dollars in benefits to dead people, and other elderly U.S. residents are at risk of losing badly needed aid because they're improperly recorded as deceased, federal investigators warn in a new report.

Will puts Michael Jackson's children in custody of singer's mother
LOS ANGELES – A person with knowledge of Michael Jackson's will says the singer's mother gets custody of his children and his assets are to be placed in trust.

Hundreds mourn at funeral of Texas-born actress Farrah Fawcett
LOS ANGELES – The life of Charlie's Angels star Farrah Fawcett was celebrated Tuesday at a private funeral in the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels.

06/30/2009

'Skip promotion' settled in Dallas in '90s
The U.S. Supreme Court decision that white firefighters in Connecticut were the victims of illegal racial discrimination is not expected to have much effect in Dallas.

06/29/2009

Caps on student loan payments to take effect this week
Thousands of college graduates across the country will be able to get some relief from their student loan bills under a new federal program that goes into effect Wednesday.

Supreme Court rules for white firefighters in discrimination case
A sharply divided Supreme Court ruled Monday that New Haven, Conn., had discriminated against white firefighters, reversing a key decision by an appeals court that included high court nominee Sonia Sotomayor.

Medical examiner: Pitchman Billy Mays had heart disease
A Florida medical examiner says television pitchman Billy Mays likely died of a heart attack but further tests are needed.

06/28/2009

Lawyer: Doctor didn't give excessive drugs to Michael Jackson
The cardiologist who was with Michael Jackson during the pop star's final moments sat down with investigators for three hours to explain his actions, and his spokeswoman says he is not a suspect.

TV pitchman Billy Mays found dead at Florida home
Billy Mays, the burly, bearded television pitchman known for his boisterous hawking of products such as Orange Glo and OxiClean, has died. He was 50.

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