Economy

Nurse accused in baby abduction to be in court

CONROE, Texas — A nurse who had suffered a miscarriage was desperate to find a child, so she went exactly where she knew she could find one: the suburban Houston clinic where she had taken her three children for checkups, authorities say.

But when Verna McClain went to the clinic ...

Newest Michigan museum showcases racist artifacts

BIG RAPIDS, Mich. — The objects displayed in Michigan's newest museum range from the ordinary, such as simple ashtrays and fishing lures, to the grotesque — a full-size replica of a lynching tree. But all are united by a common theme: They are steeped in racism so intense that it ...

Marine wife's death stuns neighbors in California

FALLBROOK, Calif. — Authorities have determined that a body found near a Southern California lake is that of Brittany Dawn Killgore, a Marine's wife whose disappearance has led to the arrest of another woman on suspicion of murder.

Neighbors were stunned Wednesday when coroner investigators announced that it was the ...

16 defendants due in court in Ohio Amish attacks

CLEVELAND — Sixteen Amish men and women face arraignment Thursday in federal court on charges involved in beard- and hair-cutting attacks against fellow Amish in Ohio.

An updated indictment filed last month added new allegations that the suspects tried to hide or destroy evidence, including a disposable camera, shears and ...

Doolittle Raiders lift spirits sky-high at commemoration

DAYTON, Ohio — The roar of B-25 bomber engines still echoed overhead as 96-year-old Richard E. Cole slowly walked to the podium Wednesday afternoon.

The Army Air Forces veteran, one of the five remaining survivors of Doolittle's Tokyo Raid, was unfazed by the pomp and circumstance around him, as well ...

American Scene: NYC subway plotter says making bombs 'very simple'

NEW YORK — The admitted mastermind of a foiled suicide attack on the New York City subways says he learned formulas for homemade bombs while at an al Qaeda training compound in Pakistan in 2008.

Najibullah Zazi testified for a second day Wednesday at the Brooklyn trial of Adis Medunjanin.

...

Lawmaker backs Catholic bishops

The author of the nation's laws to protect human-trafficking victims said Wednesday he supports Catholic bishops in their efforts to overturn a federal judge's ruling and correct what they view as an "abuse of power" by the Obama administration.

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) "has been a dedicated, ...

BP, claimants panel ask judge to OK class-action settlement

NEW ORLEANS — BP and attorneys for more than 100,000 people and businesses presented a federal judge Wednesday with a class-action settlement designed to resolve billions of dollars in claims spawned by the 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

The London-based oil giant and the attorneys are asking ...

Shooting case gets new judge

ORLANDO, Fla. — The Florida judge presiding over the Trayvon Martin shooting case removed herself Wednesday after the attorney for defendant George Zimmerman argued she had possible conflicts of interest that related to her husband.

Florida Circuit Judge Jessica Recksiedler had said she would make a decision by Friday, when ...

No charges in fight fatal to girl, 10

LONG BEACH, Calif. — Prosecutors Wednesday announced they had decided not to press charges against an 11-year-old girl who fought with a 10-year-old schoolmate hours before the younger girl died.

The death of Joanna Ramos, which attracted national attention and sparked a debate on school violence, came after a "fight ...

Judge quits Trayvon Martin case, cites conflict

ORLANDO, Fla. — The Florida judge presiding over the Trayvon Martin shooting case removed herself Wednesday after the attorney for defendant George Zimmerman argued she had a possible conflict of interest that related to her husband.

Judge Kenneth M. Lester Jr. will preside over the case. The next judge who ...

Retired Ill. couple claims share of $656M jackpot

RED BUD, Ill. (AP) — A retired southern Illinois couple claimed the third and final share of last month's record $656 million Mega Millions jackpot on Wednesday and said they plan to treat themselves — possibly even to a vacation — once they've sorted out how to invest their windfall.

...

Author faces civil suit over 'Three Cups of Tea'

HELENA, Mont. (AP) — After making a $1 million deal to settle allegations that he misused his charity's money and resources, author Greg Mortenson now must face accusations that he fabricated parts of his best-selling books "Three Cups of Tea" and "Stones Into Schools."

A hearing is set for Wednesday ...

Judge asked to sign off on $7.8B BP oil spill settlement

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — BP and a team of plaintiffs' attorneys have presented a federal judge with the details of a proposed class-action settlement designed to resolve billions of dollars in economic damage claims spawned by the 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

The company and lawyers representing ...

Body found might be Marine's wife; woman arrested

SAN DIEGO — One woman was arrested on suspicion of murder. The body of another was discovered near a lake some 70 miles away.

The connection between them, and just about everything else in the case, remained murky as authorities investigated the disappearance of a U.S. Marine's wife from San ...

Ohio executes man who fatally stabbed teen in 1985

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Ohio on Wednesday executed a man for fatally stabbing the 15-year-old son of his former employers during a 1985 farmhouse burglary, marking the state's first execution in six months.

Forty-nine-year-old Mark Wiles died by lethal injection, ending an unofficial moratorium on the death penalty that occurred ...

Texas nurse admits to shooting mom, abducting baby

SPRING, Texas (AP) — A nurse has admitted to fatally shooting a young mother in a town near Houston and abducting the dying woman's newborn son whom she apparently intended to adopt, authorities said Wednesday.

Verna McClain is charged with capital murder in the killing of 28-year-old Kala Marie Golden. ...

$1M lottery winner kept food stamps

LINCOLN PARK, Mich. — A Michigan lottery winner was charged with fraud Tuesday for collecting food stamps and public health insurance despite pocketing a $735,000 jackpot.

Amanda Clayton, 25, was silent during a brief court hearing after spending a night in jail. A not-guilty plea was entered, and her attorney ...

American Scene: Judge backs state in discrimination case

DES MOINES — A judge has ruled that Iowa's state government hiring policies have not discriminated against blacks.

District Judge Robert Blink ruled Tuesday against a class of up to 6,000 black employees and applicants passed over for jobs and promotions with Iowa's executive branch dating back to 2003. He ...

Police handcuff girl over tantrum

ATLANTA — Police in Georgia handcuffed a kindergartner with her arms behind her back after the girl threw a tantrum and the police chief defended the action as a safety measure.

The girl's family demanded Tuesday that their central Georgia city change the policy so that other children aren't treated ...

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