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NYPD: Passenger kills bus driver in fare dispute - 12/02/2008
A man stabbed a city bus driver to death over being denied a free ride, then escaped on foot Monday in the first killing of an on-duty New York City bus driver in more than a quarter-century, authorities said. The man got on the bus in Brooklyn shortly after noon, swiped an invalid fare card, sat down and asked for a free card to chan

Car plows into parade crowd in Texas; several hurt - 12/02/2008
An elderly driver hurtled through barricades into a crowd lined up for a Christmas parade Monday and injured several people, some of them members of a Cub Scout troop, a city official and witnesses said. City Manager B.J. Potts said the driver was arrested, but alcohol was not detected. "It happened very quickly," Potts said

Parents: Slain anchorwoman was sexually assaulted - 12/02/2008
A television anchorwoman killed in her home had been sexually assaulted and beaten so badly in a suspected burglary that her jaw shattered and she broke a hand while trying to fend off her attacker's blows, her parents said Monday. "This monster stole my daughter's innocence," said Patti Cannady, the mother of Anne Pressly,

Indictments against Cheney, Gonzales dismissed - 12/02/2008
A judge dismissed indictments against Vice President Dick Cheney and former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales on Monday and told the southern Texas prosecutor who brought the case to exercise caution as his term in office ends. Willacy County District Attorney Juan Angel Guerra had accused Cheney and the other defendants of responsibi

Official: Bomb blast kills 2, wounds 30 in India - 12/01/2008
An Indian official says a bomb blast in a train has killed at least two people and wounded 30 in India's insurgency-hit northeast. District Magistrate M.C. Sahu says the blast occurred Tuesday morning in one of the coaches just after the train arrived at Diphu railroad station, about 200 miles (300 kilometers) south of Gauhati, the ca

Sen. Kennedy awarded honorary degree from Harvard - 12/01/2008
Saying he has "lived a blessed time," Sen. Edward Kennedy smiled broadly and flashed a thumbs up as he accepted an honorary degree Monday from his alma mater during a rare special convocation at Harvard University. The 76-year-old senator walked onstage to a standing ovation and leaned lightly on a cane. He made no mention o

Obituaries in the news - 12/01/2008
Hubert "Pit" Martin MONTREAL (AP) _ Hubert "Pit" Martin, a four-time NHL All-Star in the 1960s and '70s, died Sunday. He was 64. Martin was presumed dead after his snowmobile plunged into an icy lake, Quebec provincial police said. Divers were trying to recovery his body. Martin played 1,101 N

Van hits group of students in Calif.; teen killed - 12/01/2008
A 14-year-old boy is dead after a van jumped a curb and crashed into several students at a bus stop in Southern California. South Gate Police Lt. Russ Galbreath says the driver struck several students after classes let out at a nearby middle school. Galbreath says three 13-year-old boys and a 14-year-old girl were taken to

Pro-government protest targets court in Thailand - 12/01/2008
Hundreds of pro-government demonstrators swarmed around a court building Tuesday, forcing the relocation of judges who will rule on the fate of a Thai government beset by protests and a virtual shut-down of international air links. Judges of the Constitutional Court had to scurry to a suburban courtroom where they are to decide whethe

Police: Man swallows stolen earrings at Fla. mall - 12/01/2008
An X-ray marked the spot for southwest Florida police who say a teenager swallowed a $16 pair of earrings after taking them from a JCPenney store at a mall. Authorities say William Colburn faces charges that include retail theft and tampering with evidence. Naples Police say the 18-year-old was in the store on Saturday when

4 found fatally shot in Sacramento-area house - 12/01/2008
Authorities say four apparent family members were found shot to death in a house near Sacramento, Calif. Sheriff's deputies say a 911 caller reported "people bleeding" at a house south of downtown Sacramento on Monday morning. The caller was later identified as a relative. Sheriff's Sgt. R.L. Davis says investigat

Ex-mayoral aide pleads guilty in Detroit scandal - 12/01/2008
Stoic and publicly silent through months of a sex scandal, the woman whose relationship with former Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick led to his downfall fought tears Monday as she pleaded guilty and admitted to lying under oath. Christine Beatty, former chief of staff to Kilpatrick, accepted a four-month jail sentence in exchange for admitting

Lawyer: Trampled NY worker lacked crowd training - 12/01/2008
A worker trampled to death when customers stormed a Wal-Mart for bargains on the day after Thanksgiving had no experience in crowd control and was placed at the entrance because of his hulking frame, police and a lawyer said Monday. The details about the deadly stampede came out as police pored over video surveillance provided by the

Informant: Fort Dix suspects trained for 'jihad' - 12/01/2008
An FBI informant testified Monday that five men accused of plotting to kill soldiers at Fort Dix shopped for guns and practiced firing them during a trip to Pennsylvania they intended as training for a holy war. Besnik Bakalli (BES'-nik bah-KAHL'-ee) said he had hoped the week in Pennsylvania's Pocono Mountains in February 2007 would

Wintry storm strands travelers in Chicago airports - 12/01/2008
Stranded airline passengers lingered in Chicago's airports Monday as a storm tapered off after delivering a wintry mix to the Midwest including snow, gusty winds and ice that led to at least two traffic deaths. More snow is expected later in the week, followed by colder weather. Anywhere from 2 to 10 inches of snow fell in Illinois an

Venezuelan lawyer gets 2 years in suitcase plea - 12/01/2008
A Venezuelan lawyer dispatched by President Hugo Chavez's government to help cover up a cash suitcase scandal was handed a two-year prison sentence Monday by a judge who commended his prompt guilty plea and testimony against others. U.S. District Judge Joan Lenard imposed the sentence on Moises Maionica after prosecutors recommended p

Bush asked to commute sentence of ex-Ill. governor - 12/01/2008
Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin asked President Bush on Monday to consider commuting former Gov. George Ryan's 6 1/2-year racketeering sentence to time served, standing firm on his appeal for mercy despite an outpouring of criticism. "This action would not pardon him of his crimes or remove the record of his conviction, but it would al

Pa. ends moratorium on parole for violent felons - 12/01/2008
Gov. Ed Rendell lifted Pennsylvania's three-month moratorium on paroling violent felons Monday after a review found the state's evaluation and supervision of parolees were largely effective. The review, though, recommended that the state better identify felons who posed the greatest threat to public safety. Certain criteria

NY Times skyscraper climber pleads guilty - 12/01/2008
A French daredevil who climbed the outside of The New York Times' skyscraper has been sentenced to community service. Forty-five-year-old Alain Robert pleaded guilty Monday to disorderly conduct and was told to perform community service at the Gay Men's Health Crisis. He scaled the 52-story tower in June and unfurled a bann

Schwarzenegger declares fiscal emergency in Calif. - 12/01/2008
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger declared a fiscal emergency Monday and called lawmakers into a special session to address California's $11.2 billion deficit. The state's revenue gap is expected to hit $28 billion over the next 19 months without bold action. The emergency declaration authorizes the governor and lawmakers to change the exist