U.S. National News

Gay marriage opponents vow to fight Calif. ruling

From left, Ernie Frausto, Ricky Terry, Ben Holder, and Eric Shangle, all of San Francisco, dance as they celebrate California's supreme court decision on Castro Street in San Francisco, Thursday, May, 15, 2008. A huge crowd gathered in the Castro district to celebrate, after the California Supreme Court overturned a voter-approved ban on gay marriage Thursday in a ruling that would allow same-sex couples in the nation's biggest state to tie the knot. (AP Photo/Darryl Bush)
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AP - 1 hour, 32 minutes ago

SAN FRANCISCO - Even as same-sex couples across California begin making plans to tie the knot, opponents are redoubling their efforts to make sure wedding bells never ring for gay couples in the nation's most populous state.

  • Sheila Dulien stands outside her Ninth Ward home that is under renovation in New Orleans Monday, April 28, 2008. Much of the work on the home was done by foreign labor, but now many immigrants who swelled New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina have begun leaving as work dries up, and deportation fears rise. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)
    Ex-Army Corps consultant indicted in bribery case AP - 2 hours, 26 minutes ago

    NEW ORLEANS - A former Army Corps of Engineers consultant and a dirt subcontractor were indicted Thursday on bribery charges stemming from an investigation into levee work after Hurricane Katrina.

  • Prosecutor: Landlord tried to kill man over rent AP - 2 hours, 27 minutes ago

    NEW YORK - Prosecutors say a New York landlord who tried to kill a tenant with a bomb has been indicted on attempted murder and other charges. The tenant lost a leg in the blast.

  • This undated photo provided by the Palm Bay Police Dept. shows Brian Crowder. Crowder, accused of throwing a Molotov cocktail into woods that are among thousands of acres that have burned along Florida's Atlantic coast, set several other fires to throw off officers who were pursuing him, police said Thursday, May 15, 2008. (AP Photo/Palm Bay Police Dept.)
    Police: Man a prime suspect in Florida fires AP - Fri May 16, 12:29 AM ET

    PALM BAY, Fla. - A man accused of throwing a Molotov cocktail into the woods as firefighters battled large blazes nearby set several other small fires to throw off officers who were pursuing him, police said Thursday.

  • Controversy sizzles over taco truck restrictions AP - Thu May 15, 7:12 PM ET

    LOS ANGELES - Jose Ochoa has parked his taco truck on the same stretch of road since 1989, and, like scores of other lunch vendors around Los Angeles, he refused to pack it up Thursday, the first day for a new law requiring food wagons to move every hour or face $1,000 fines.

  • Flight attendant accused of setting fire on airplane AP - Fri May 16, 12:14 AM ET

    FARGO, N.D. - A flight attendant angry about his work route set a fire in an airplane bathroom, forcing an emergency landing, authorities said.

  • The Boeing Aircraft Corporation in Ridley Park Pa. is seen Thursday May 15, 2008, where the Chinook helicopter is built. Two military helicopters were vandalized on the production line at the Boeing factory near Philadelphia, the Defense Department said Thursday as it offered a reward in the case. (AP Photo/Joseph Kaczmarek)
    DoD: Chinook helicopters at Pa. plant vandalized AP - Thu May 15, 5:24 PM ET

    RIDLEY PARK, Pa. - Two military helicopters were vandalized on the production line at a Boeing factory near Philadelphia, the Defense Department said Thursday as it offered a reward.

  • This undated booking photo provided by the Cleveland Police Dept. shows Terrance Hough Jr. A jury convicted a city firefighter Thursday, May 15, 2008 of fatally shooting three people and wounding two others during a late-night Fourth of July celebration, rejecting defense claims that he was angered by the noise and snapped. (AP Photo/Cleveland Police Dept.)
    Jury in triple murder trial convicts firefighter AP - Thu May 15, 10:28 PM ET

    CLEVELAND - A jury convicted a city firefighter Thursday of fatally shooting three people and wounding two others during a late-night Fourth of July celebration, rejecting defense claims that he was angered by the noise and snapped.

  • Colombian pleads not guilty to US drug charges AP - Thu May 15, 5:11 PM ET

    WASHINGTON - Days after being hurriedly extradited from Colombian prisons, a group of right-wing paramilitaries expressed surprise Thursday as they stood in a U.S. courtroom, flanked by armed marshals and wearing bright orange jumpsuits and slippers.

  • Matt Munekata, left, and Alicia McConnell share an umbrella to keep out of the rain in front of Jackson Square in the French Quarter of New Orleans Thursday, May 15, 2008.(AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
    Storms kill 1 in South, damage Texas Capitol AP - Thu May 15, 6:20 PM ET

    NEW ORLEANS - Severe storms with damaging winds and possible tornadoes pounded the South, killing at least one person in Louisiana and shattering windows at the Texas Capitol.

  • Members of the Alliance of Guestworkers for Dignity from the New Orleans Workers Center, demonstrate in front of the White House in Washington, Wednesday, May 14, 2008. The workers were recruited from India in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina to work in the marine construction. (AP Photo/Ron Edmonds)
    Immigrant workers in New Orleans start leaving AP - Thu May 15, 4:33 AM ET

    NEW ORLEANS - Josue Vega was one of thousands of immigrant workers who flocked to New Orleans in 2005 in hopes of finding a rebuilding job in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.

  • United States District Attorney Michael Garcia makes a statement during a news conference at the federal courthouse Friday, Nov. 9, 2007 in White Plains, N.Y. This year, Garcia drew unprecedented attention to himself — and his public corruption unit — with an investigation of a prostitution ring that took down former Gov. Eliot Spitzer, identified in court papers only as Client No. 9. (AP Photo/Julie Jacobson,FILE)
    NY prosecutor wins big with Spitzer investigation AP - Thu May 15, 6:29 AM ET

    NEW YORK - Michael Garcia's predecessors as U.S. attorney in Manhattan took on all five mob families, the titans of Wall Street, Osama bin Laden and even Martha Stewart. So it was largely unnoticed when Garcia wanted to attack public corruption.

  • HIV-positive man sentenced 35 years for spitting at officer AP - Thu May 15, 6:32 AM ET

    DALLAS - An HIV-positive man convicted of spitting into the eye and mouth of a Dallas police officer has been sentenced to 35 years in prison.

  • Ohio Attorney General Marc Dann, left, announces his resignation Wednesday, May 14, 2008 in the Cabinet room of Governor's office in Columbus, Ohio. At right is Gov. Ted Strickland. (AP Photo/Kiichiro Sato)
    Scandal-plagued Ohio attorney general resigns AP - Thu May 15, 2:17 AM ET

    COLUMBUS, Ohio - Ohio's attorney general resigned Wednesday under threat of impeachment because of a sexual harassment investigation in his office and his extramarital affair.

  • Pa. woman, brother separated by Nazis to reconnect AP - Thu May 15, 1:17 PM ET

    PHILADELPHIA - A Philadelphia woman separated from her family by the Nazis is preparing for a reunion with a brother she hasn't seen in 66 years.

  • This undated photo from the International Herald Tribune shows Michael Oreskes, editor of the International Herald Tribune and a longtime news executive for The New York Times, who has been named, Thursday, May 15, 2008, by The Associated Press to the new position of managing editor for U.S. news. At AP, Oreskes will oversee the work of bureaus in the 50 states, which will be reporting up to him through four regional operations being created in 2008 and 2009. He also will supervise the work of the Washington bureau, the news service's largest domestic bureau, and AP's national feature, beat and investigative reporters.(AP Photo/International Herald Tribune)
    IHT editor Oreskes named AP editor for US news AP - Thu May 15, 3:41 PM ET

    NEW YORK - Michael Oreskes, editor of the International Herald Tribune and a longtime news executive for The New York Times, has been named by The Associated Press to the new position of managing editor for U.S. news.

Crimes and Trials News

  • This artist drawing shows Hollywood private eye Anthony Pellicano and U.S. District Judge Dale Fischer Thursday, May 15, 2008, during his trial at the Federal Courthouse in Los Angeles. Pellicano was convicted on federal racketeering and other charges Thursday, for digging up dirt for his well-heeled clients to use in lawsuits, divorces and contract disputes against the rich and famous. (AP Photo/Mona Edwards)
    Wiretap victims grateful private eye is convicted AP - 3 minutes ago

    LOS ANGELES - The nine-week trial of Hollywood private investigator Anthony Pellicano often had seamy plot lines and suspense worthy of a movie: death threats, offers of murder and extramarital affairs.

  • Private detective Anthony Pellicano is shown in this 1993 file photo. Pellicano was convicted on May 15, 2008 of racketeering after a high-profile two-month trial that featured testimony from Hollywood celebrities. (Sam Mircovich/Reuters)
    Hollywood private eye convicted in wiretap Reuters - Thu May 15, 8:15 PM ET

    LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Anthony Pellicano, known as Hollywood's private eye to the stars, was convicted on Thursday of running a vast criminal enterprise involving wiretapping and bribery to fix the problems of his wealthy clients.

  • David Tuason is shown in this undated photograph provided by the United States Marshals. Tuason pleaded guilty Thursday, May 15, 2008, to all eight counts in the indictment for electronically transmitting or mailing threatening communications. His sentencing is July 24. The FBI says Tuason wrote threatening and derogatory letters over 20 years, often targeting black men seen with white women. (AP Photo/ United States Marshals via The Plain Dealer, HO)
    Ohio writer of racial hate letters pleads guilty AP - Thu May 15, 8:05 PM ET

    CLEVELAND - A man pleaded guilty in federal court Thursday to writing racially hateful letters and e-mails to black or mixed-race people, including Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas and New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter.

  • In this Jan. 13, 2006 file photo, rapper DMX is shown in New York. (AP Photo/Louis Lanzano, file)
    Rapper DMX enters not guilty plea AP - Thu May 15, 7:39 PM ET

    PHOENIX - DMX has pleaded not guilty to felony drug possession and misdemeanor animal cruelty charges.

  • Singer R. Kelly, left, arrives with bodyguards for the second day of jury selection in his child pornography trial at the Cook County Criminal Courthouse in Chicago, Monday, May 12, 2008. Kelly faces charges he videotaped himself having sex with an underage girl. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
    R. Kelly jury complete as sides argue racial makeup AP - Thu May 15, 5:57 PM ET

    CHICAGO - Jury selection was completed at R. Kelly's child pornography trial Thursday amid contentious exchanges between prosecutors and defense attorneys, who accused each other of trying to stack the panel along racial lines.