 Missing girl's mom faces murder charges
 Associated Press
 The mother of a missing 3-year-old Florida girl went before a judge Wednesday to hear charges she killed her daughter, a day after she was indicted after four months of searches yielded no sign of the child. |
In many U.S. airports, guns are OK outside security
ATLANTA, 1:43 p.m. Oct. 15 (AP)
Flying in the U.S. has been transformed since Sept. 11, with passengers forced to remove their shoes, take out their laptop computers and put liquids and gels in clear plastic bags. Yet it's perfectly legal to take a loaded gun right up to the security checkpoint at some of the nation's biggest airports.
An Associated Press survey of the 20 busiest U.S. airports found that seven of them – Philadelphia, Detroit, Phoenix, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Dallas/Fort Worth, Los Angeles and San Francisco – let people with gun permits carry firearms in the general public areas of the terminal.
More National News
WASHINGTON, 2:05 p.m. Oct. 15 (AP)Cheney treated successfully for abnormal heartbeat: Vice President Dick Cheney was treated “without complication” Wednesday for an abnormal heartbeat, his office said, making a short visit to a hospital to restore his normal rhythm with an electric shock. WASHINGTON, 1:54 p.m. Oct. 15 (AP)
Rockefeller: White House stonewalling interrogation probe: The chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee accused the White House on Wednesday of withholding documents showing it authorized the CIA to use waterboarding and other tough interrogation tactics on suspected terrorists.
WASHINGTON, 11:37 a.m. Oct. 15 (AP)
Fed: Economy sinks deeper into rut: The country has sunk deeper into an economic rut, the Federal Reserve reported Wednesday, reflecting mounting damage from the financial and credit crises.
ADA, Mich., 12:55 p.m. Oct. 15 (AP)Bush: Federal intervention in banks is 'temporary': President Bush said Wednesday he's against government taking part ownership in private businesses, but that it's necessary this time – for a while. “In the long run it's not good for the country,” he said. WASHINGTON, 1:20 p.m. Oct. 15 (AP)
EPA faulted on waterway pollution from sprawl: The Environmental Protection Agency is failing to stem the pollution washing into waterways from cities and suburbs, the National Academy of Sciences reported Wednesday. WASHINGTON, 1:36 p.m. Oct. 15 (AP)
Friend denies saying Stevens didn't want bills: A close friend of Sen. Ted Stevens on Wednesday denied ever telling a crooked businessman that the Republican icon didn't expect to pay for his home renovations, a key charge in the Alaska senator's federal corruption trial. ATLANTIC CITY, N.J., 1:38 p.m. Oct. 15 (AP)
Atlantic City's casino smoking ban now in effect: Gamblers were barred from lighting up Wednesday when a blanket smoking ban went into effect over the objections of the casino industry. BOSTON, 1:46 p.m. Oct. 15 (AP)
Mass. man on trial in death of Mormon-devoted wife: Carla Souza was a dutiful member of the Mormon church, hosting dinner meetings at her house, taking care of children in the nursery school and going out with missionaries to spread the word about her faith. TERRE HAUTE, Ind., 2:11 p.m. Oct. 15 (AP)
ACLU: Federal death row inmates denied health care: Death row inmates at the federal prison in Terre Haute are routinely denied access to medical, dental and mental health care, the American Civil Liberties Union said Wednesday in a letter to a governmental official. 2:41 p.m. Oct. 15 (AP)
AIG executives spent thousands during hunting trip: CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP ) – A handful of top executives from American International Group Inc. spent thousands of dollars during a recent English hunting trip, even as the New York-based insurer asked for an additional $37.8 billion loan from the Federal Reserve. EDMOND, Okla., 2:45 p.m. Oct. 15 (AP)
Okla. mayor nixes plan to help fund Jesus statue: The mayor of this conservative Oklahoma City suburb on Wednesday retreated from a board's decision to help buy a bronze sculpture depicting Jesus Christ and said a private group will buy out the city's commitment. LEESBURG, Va., 2:52 p.m. Oct. 15 (AP)
Rights leader sentenced to 15 years for incest: A one-time top lieutenant to Martin Luther King Jr. was sentenced Wednesday to 15 years in prison for having sex more than a decade ago with his then-teenage daughter. MIAMI, 3:13 p.m. Oct. 15 (AP)
'Casino' movie inspiration Rosenthal dead at 79: Frank “Lefty” Rosenthal – sports handicapper extraordinaire, Las Vegas gaming executive and the inspiration for the blockbuster movie “Casino” – died Monday. He was 79. WASHINGTON, 3:13 p.m. Oct. 15 (AP)
Black employees accuse U.S. Marshals Service of bias: Black employees of the U.S. Marshals Service filed a racial discrimination lawsuit Wednesday, saying they have been denied promotions by managers who belittled them as lazy.
12:24 p.m. Oct. 15 (AP)
Gov't offices close, shelters open in Caribbean: CHARLOTTE AMALIE, U.S. Virgin Islands – Schools and businesses closed and shelters opened Wednesday on several Caribbean islands in the path of Hurricane Omar, which could rev up to a Category 2 storm before coming ashore overnight.
EL PASO, Texas, 11:04 a.m. Oct. 15 (AP)
Americans are too afraid to visit bloody Juarez: Mexican officials are trying to persuade Americans to visit Ciudad Juarez, touting the city in a new billboard campaign as a “land of encounters.” But on this side of the border, that sounds like a cruel joke.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M., 10:43 a.m. Oct. 15 (AP)
Former NM senator pleads guilty in corruption case: A once powerful New Mexico politician, former Sen. Manny Aragon, pleaded guilty Wednesday to conspiracy and mail fraud in a corruption case centered on construction of a courthouse.
DETROIT, 10:27 a.m. Oct. 15 (REUTERS)
Nissan to recall 204,361 vehicles: Nissan Motor Co Ltd plans to recall 204,361 vehicles from its 2007 and 2008 model years in the United States due to the possibility that a passenger side airbag could fail to deploy properly in an accident.
LOS ANGELES, 10:11 a.m. Oct. 15 (REUTERS)
Nancy Reagan hospitalized with broken pelvis: Former first lady Nancy Reagan has been hospitalized in Los Angeles for treatment of fractures to her pelvis and lower spine suffered in a fall at her home last week, her spokeswoman said Wednesday.
DEATSVILLE, Ala., 10:12 a.m. Oct. 15 (AP)
Govt wants kids to buckle up on small school buses: Smaller school buses will have to be equipped with lap-and-shoulder seat belts for the first time under a government rule drafted following the deaths of four Alabama students on a school bus that nose-dived off an overpass.
GALVESTON, Texas, 7:38 a.m. Oct. 15 (AP)
Ike may have dealt blow to endangered turtles: Hurricane Ike may have dealt a blow to the world's most endangered sea turtle. The storm erased nesting areas for Kemp's Ridley turtles by washing away dunes and beaches on battered Bolivar Peninsula and Galveston Island, said Andre M. Landry Jr., director of the Sea Turtle and Fisheries Ecology Research Laboratory at Texas A&M University in Galveston.
PITTSBURGH, 7:27 a.m. Oct. 15 (AP)
Penn. town allows pole dancing studio to open: A Pittsburgh suburb will allow a pole dancing studio to open, ending a federal lawsuit that accused the town of violating the First Amendment rights of the owner.
PHILADELPHIA, 7:27 a.m. Oct. 15 (AP)
Priest shortage could alter college identities: The shortage of Roman Catholic clergy isn't just being felt in church. Religious orders that have founded and run Catholic colleges and universities across the U.S. – in some cases for more than a century – are grappling with how to retain the institutions' distinct religious identities in the face of declining numbers of priests and nuns.
NEW YORK, 6:39 a.m. Oct. 15 (AP)
Identical triplets go home from NY hospital: Forgive Kerry and Desmond Lyons if they sometimes mix up their sons' names. After all, they're brand new and look alike.
WISCONSIN RAPIDS, Wis., 3:07 a.m. Oct. 15 (AP)
Dozens get gas in Wis. for 35 cents after mistake: Sure, gas prices have come down lately. But to 34.9 cents a gallon? That's what Kelly Joosten and dozens of other motorists paid at a Citgo station Monday. The sign advertised $3.43 for a gallon of premium fuel, but the pump cost read $0.349 a gallon.
LOS ANGELES, 1:40 a.m. Oct. 15 (AP)
Lawyer: 2nd teenager may be linked to MySpace hoax: The teenager who committed suicide after an Internet hoax was not the only girl exchanging messages with a fake MySpace address allegedly operated by a woman now charged in the girl's death, the woman's lawyer said.
SEATTLE, 1:17 a.m. Oct. 15 (AP)
5 Afghan students missing from U of Wash. program: Five Afghan scholars visiting the University of Washington to work on their master's theses were reported missing after failing to show up for training sessions, university officials said.
SEATTLE, 12:19 a.m. Oct. 15 (AP)
Border Patrol's expanded operation irking farmers: Expanded U.S. Border Patrol operations in Washington state have created friction between the agency and a farmers organization, underscoring the debate over immigration versus the labor needs of the state's agricultural industry.
NEW YORK, 12:06 a.m. Oct. 15 (AP)
State news of national interest: An environmental group urged the city to install more drinking water fountains to help reduce bottled water consumption. The Riverkeeper-led coalition said the availability of the fountains in parks and public spaces would help reduce litter and carbon dioxide emissions. The group said only about 15 percent of plastic water bottles are recycled.
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla., 9:19 p.m. Oct. 14 (AP)Fla. Congressman said to be involved in 2nd affair: A married congressman who faces accusations that he had an affair with a former aide and paid her to keep quiet about it also was having an affair with a second woman around the same time, a person close to his campaign told The Associated Press on Tuesday.
9:01 p.m. Oct. 14 (AP)
Bottled water has contaminants too, study finds: Tests on leading brands of bottled water turned up a variety of contaminants often found in tap water, according to a study released Wednesday by an environmental advocacy group.
EL PASO, Texas, 7:18 p.m. Oct. 14 (AP)
3 former execs at Texas charity accused of fraud: Three former executives of a charity with $834 million in government contracts were arrested Tuesday in a contract fraud probe that has grown to ensnare public officials in El Paso, Texas.
LOS ANGELES, 7:08 p.m. Oct. 14 (AP)
Judge dismisses case against Japanese businessman: A judge on Tuesday formally dismissed the case against a Japanese businessman who hanged himself in a jail cell while awaiting trial for allegedly plotting his wife's death 27 years ago during a visit to Los Angeles.
GALVESTON, Texas, 7:03 p.m. Oct. 14 (AP)
Former presidents Bush, Clinton tour Ike damage: Former presidents George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton have asked Americans not to forget about the Gulf Coast communities hit hard this hurricane season.
WASHINGTON, 6:38 p.m. Oct. 14 (REUTERS)
U.S. lawmakers probe Health Net's Medicare plan sales: Two U.S. lawmakers Tuesday questioned Health Net Inc's marketing of its Medicare Advantage insurance plans and asked for a federal investigation.
SEATTLE, 6:06 p.m. Oct. 14 (AP)
New sentencing set for would-be millennium bomber: The resentencing for would-be millennium bomber Ahmed Ressam has been scheduled for December.
DENVER, 6:00 p.m. Oct. 14 (AP)
Hawaii quarters start rolling as series says aloha: Hawaii Gov. Linda Lingle led a delegation to the Denver Mint for the striking of the first of that state's commemorative quarters – and the last in a 10-year series commemorating the 50 states.
KANSAS CITY, Kan., 5:39 p.m. Oct. 14 (AP)
Cancer survivor donates $20M to U-Kansas hospital: The widow of an H&R Block founder donated $20 million Tuesday to the University of Kansas Hospital's cancer program, where she was successfully treated for breast cancer this year.
WASHINGTON, 5:09 p.m. Oct. 14 (AP)
Bush signs act banning mercury exports: The United States will eventually stop all exports of elemental mercury, a neurotoxin harmful to humans, under legislation sponsored by Democratic presidential nominee Sen. Barack Obama and signed into law by President Bush on Tuesday.
WASHINGTON, 4:01 p.m. Oct. 14 (AP)
Bush signs government watchdog legislation: President Bush signed legislation on Tuesday giving government watchdogs greater freedom and better protection from political interference.
WASHINGTON, 3:43 p.m. Oct. 14 (AP)
Chief justice channels his inner Raymond Chandler: The Supreme Court of the United States. Just after 10 o'clock. John Roberts was working his usual shift. Chief justice of the United States. Three years on the job. His reputation? Incisive questioner. Good writer. Fast. Funny.
WASHINGTON, 3:39 p.m. Oct. 14 (REUTERS)
U.S. lawmakers to probe FDA plastic panel's chairman: U.S. lawmakers said Tuesday they will look into a possible conflict of interest involving the head of a panel advising the government on the safety of a chemical used in many baby bottles and other plastic products.
WASHINGTON, 1:24 p.m. Oct. 14 (AP)
Budget deficit in 2008 surges to all-time high: The federal budget deficit soared to $454.8 billion in 2008 as a housing collapse and efforts to combat the economic slowdown pushed the tide of government red ink to the highest level in history.
LUCASVILLE, Ohio, 4:59 p.m. Oct. 14 (AP)Ohio executes inmate who argued was too fat to die: The first inmate to die by lethal injection in Ohio in more than a year argued to the end that his obesity would make it difficult for prison staff to find suitable veins in his arms to deliver the deadly chemicals.
