Kansas City Star: Nation

Software companies eye key patent case in Supreme Court

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 10:51 CST

With the technology industry looking on, the Supreme Court on Monday will explore what types of inventions should be eligible for a patent in a pivotal case that could undermine such legal protections for software.

Office shooting suspect's life spiraled downward

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 12:56 CST

Jason Rodriguez's marriage long ago went sour, his home taken in foreclosure, his job lost to incompetence, his finances sunk in bankruptcy. It was a "stress overload" for the man accused of a deadly shooting rampage at his former office, his lawyer said Saturday.

Honolulu Symphony cancels remaining 2009 concerts, files for bankruptcy

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 22:51 CST

The Honolulu Symphony said Friday it's canceling concerts for the rest of the year and filing for bankruptcy, citing a big drop in donations.

Navy ship built with World Trade Center steel goes into service

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 05:01 CST

The USS New York, built with steel from the rubble of the World Trade Center, was put into Navy service Saturday both as a symbol of healing and strength.

Philly transit strike in 6th day; no new talks

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 13:01 CST

No new talks are scheduled as the strike by Philadelphia bus drivers, subway and trolley conductors and mechanics enters its second work week following the collapse of a proposed deal.

What recovery? Unemployment shoots past 10 percent

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 10:45 CST

Just when it was beginning to look a little better, the economy relapsed Friday with a return to double-digit unemployment for only the second time since World War II and warnings that next year will be even worse than previously thought.

Obama asks House to vote on health care bill

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 19:16 CST

President Barack Obama summoned Democrats to "answer the call of history" Saturday as the House pushed toward a vote on a landmark health care bill holding out the promise of coverage for tens of millions who lack it.

But for heroes, bloodbath could have been worse

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 17:46 CST

Pfc. Marquest Smith, on his way to Afghanistan in January, was completing routine paperwork about a bee-sting allergy when the sounds erupted.

Exhaust cone falls off jet onto NY home's lawn

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 08:15 CST

An engine tailcone fell off a Delta Air Lines jet shortly after takeoff Thursday and plummeted thousands of feet before landing harmlessly on a lawn in a Long Island residential neighborhood.

Seattle team wins $900,000 in Space Elevator Games

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 21:21 CST

A Seattle team has collected a $900,000 prize in a NASA-backed competition to develop the concept of an elevator to space - an idea spurred by science fiction novels.

High court to look at life in prison for juveniles

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 22:15 CST

WASHINGTON | Joe Sullivan was sent away for life for raping an elderly woman and was judged incorrigible, though he was only 13 at the time of the attack. Terrance Graham, implicated in armed robberies when he was 16 and 17, was given a life sentence by a judge who told the teenager he threw his life away.

Talkers | Why Meadow can lark

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 22:15 CST

Why Meadow can lark ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. | Meadow the yearling Black Angus calf spends her days frolicking in northeastern New Mexico’s cattle country with her prosthetic hind legs.

Neighbors say suspected serial killer seemed harmless

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 22:15 CST

CLEVELAND | The man who lived in the house of rotting corpses never gave people a reason to wonder what he was really doing behind closed doors. Anthony Sowell was the guy who liked to sit on his front steps drinking malt liquor, sometimes in the company of a woman. He was the guy who scrounged around sidewalks and backyards for empty cans and scrap metal to sell.

Alabama county will celebrate Obama holiday

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 22:15 CST

MARION, Ala. | The sign going on the front door at the Perry County Courthouse reads: “Closed for the Obama holiday.” The rural, mostly black county has proclaimed Monday as an official holiday celebrating the election of the nation’s first black president, Barack Obama. It’s one of Alabama’s poorest counties, but it’s sparing little during five days of festivities.

Revolutionary War hero becomes honorary U.S. citizen

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 22:15 CST

WASHINGTON | Finally, Gen. Casimir Pulaski became an American citizen on Friday, 230 years after the Polish nobleman died fighting for the as yet-unborn United States. President Barack Obama signed a joint resolution of the Senate and the House that made Pulaski an honorary citizen.

Ground broken for Flight 93 memorial

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 22:15 CST

SHANKSVILLE, Pa. | With the words “Let’s roll,” U.S. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar and relatives of United Flight 93 victims have turned shovels of dirt at a groundbreaking ceremony for a permanent national memorial at the western Pennsylvania crash site. The memorial is set to open by Sept. 11, 2011, the 10th anniversary of the terrorist attacks.

Guests on Sunday's TV news shows

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 22:15 CST

Guests on today’s TV news shows: •ABC’s “This Week,” 9:30 a.m. — Guests: Tim Kaine, Democratic national chairman; Michael Steele, Republican national chairman; Gen. George Casey, Army chief of staff.

Unique homecoming to Vietnam for U.S. commander

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 22:15 CST

DANANG, Vietnam | On the day his side lost the Vietnam War, Hung Ba Le fled his homeland at the age of 5 in a fishing trawler crammed with 400 refugees. Thirty-four years later, he made an unlikely homecoming — as the commander of a U.S. Navy destroyer.

Officer describes firefight that downed Hasan

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 22:15 CST

KILLEEN, Texas | One of two police officers who confronted the alleged Fort Hood killer said he shot Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan before kicking the man’s weapon away, handcuffing him and ending the nation’s deadliest rampage on a military base. Sgt. Mark Todd joined Sgt. Kimberly Munley, hailed as a hero for her actions, in a firefight with Hasan that lasted less than a minute. Todd was not wounded, but the exchange left Munley injured and Hasan critically wounded.

Obama's half brother recalls their abusive father

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 22:15 CST

GUANGZHOU, China | President Barack Obama’s half brother has broken his media silence to discuss his new novel — the semi-autobiographical story of an abusive parent patterned on their late father, the mostly absent figure Obama wrote about in his own memoir. In his first interview, Mark Ndesandjo said he wrote “Nairobi to Shenzhen” in part to raise awareness of domestic violence.

Last chapters | Recent deaths in the news

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 22:15 CST

Sheldon Dorf, who founded the world famous Comic-Con International comic book convention, died in San Diego. He was 76. Dorf, a freelance artist and comic strip letterer, founded Comic-Con in San Diego in 1970. Today the convention draws 125,000 fans a year and is a major gathering for comic book fans, artists, writers and movie stars.

Military deaths

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 22:15 CST

The latest U.S. Defense Department identification of casualties: •Army Staff Sgt. Amy C. Tirador, 29, of Albany, N.Y., died Nov. 4 in Kirkush, Iraq, of injuries suffered in an incident unrelated to combat.

Los Angeles moves to ban declawing of cats

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 22:15 CST

LOS ANGELES | The City Council has given preliminary approval to a measure to ban the declawing of cats. The unanimous vote Friday follows a similar action by the Beverly Hills City Council a day earlier. A final vote in both cities is expected Nov. 17.

The Buzz | No discussion, no debate, no death match

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 22:15 CST

Also, no cage match A February appearance featuring former presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton has been nixed because the promoter overhyped it as a “death match faceoff between the men,” according to the New York Post.

Legislators can review report on Sanford

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 22:15 CST

COLUMBIA, S.C. | South Carolina’s Supreme Court ruled Thursday that an ethics investigation into Gov. Mark Sanford’s travel can be made public, clearing the way for lawmakers considering impeachment to review a report on the probe. Sanford’s lawyers had tried keep a report on a criminal investigation by the State Ethics Commission from being released to the House of Representatives as leaders there decide whether to move forward with impeachment efforts. They argued that Sanford should first have a chance to respond to the report.

Impostor apparently wanted scholarship

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 22:15 CST

YUMA, Ariz. | A 22-year-old man accused of posing as a student at two Arizona high schools wanted to play basketball and hoped to get a college scholarship, authorities said. Yuma police on Wednesday arrested Anthony M. Avalos on charges of forgery and sexual conduct with a minor. They said he fraudulently attended Kofa High School and Vista Alternative School intermittently since September 2008. He was a center on Kofa’s basketball team.

Foes, backers weigh in on health care

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 22:15 CST

W ASHINGTON | Chanting “Kill the bill,” thousands of conservatives rallied Thursday at the Capitol against the Democrats’ health care overhaul plan, calling it a government takeover of the U.S. medical system. “This bill is the greatest threat to freedom that I have seen,” House Republican leader John Boehner of Ohio told the crowd gathered on the lawn near the West Front of the Capitol.

Orlando office shooting stuns city, nation

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 22:15 CST

ORLANDO, Fla. | A man so broke that he said he didn’t have the money to visit his son 30 minutes away opened fire Friday at the engineering firm that fired him two years ago, authorities said. The shooting killed one person and wounded five. As officers led a handcuffed Jason Rodriguez into a police station, a reporter asked the divorced 40-year-old why he had attacked his former colleagues.

Louisiana justice of the peace quits after interracial wed flap

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 22:15 CST

BATON ROUGE, La. | A justice of the peace who refused to marry a couple because the bride was white and groom was black quit Tuesday. Keith Bardwell, who is white, refused to perform the ceremony for Beth Humphrey and Terence McKay.

House cat comes down with H1N1

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 22:15 CST

Some of Wednesday’s biggest news on the H1N1 flu virus centered on animals, not people. A 13-year-old domestic shorthair cat in Iowa was found to be infected with the flu.

Cash for Clunkers deals come under scrutiny

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 22:15 CST

WASHINGTON | The government’s $3 billion Cash for Clunkers program aimed at putting more fuel-efficient cars on the road. But the most common deals in the program replaced old Ford or Chevrolet pickups with new ones that got only marginally better gas mileage, according to an analysis of new federal data by The Associated Press. The single most common swap — which occurred more than 8,200 times — involved Ford F150 pickup owners who took advantage of a government rebate to trade their old trucks for new Ford F150s. They were 17 times more likely to buy a new F150 than, say, a Toyota Prius. The fuel economy for the new trucks ranged from 15 mpg to 17 mpg based on engine size and other factors, an improvement of just 1 mpg to 3 mpg over the clunkers.

Tornado damages homes in northwestern Oregon

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 20:11 CST

The National Weather Service has confirmed it was a tornado that tore through a coastal area of Lincoln City in northwestern Oregon, damaging about a dozen homes.

Police: 3 women gunned down while in car with kids

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 19:51 CST

Investigators on Sunday captured a man they believe opened fire on a car parked at a gas station, killing three women, including an acquaintance of the suspect, state investigators said. Children inside the bullet-riddled vehicle escaped harm.

US military deaths in Afghanistan region at 833

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 19:41 CST

As of Sunday, Nov. 8, 2009, at least 833 members of the U.S. military had died in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Uzbekistan as a result of the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan in late 2001, according to the Defense Department. The department last updated its figures Friday at 10 a.m. EDT.

Investigator: Utah explosion caused by burst pipe

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 17:46 CST

A refinery explosion that severely damaged 10 homes this week was caused by a burst pipe that sprayed hydrogen gas onto a nearby heater, the U.S. Chemical Safety Board's lead investigator said.

AP News in Brief

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 17:16 CST

Democrat senators divided on government health insurance, so House's bill has nowhere to go

Lieberman: Senate to investigate Ft. Hood shooting

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 16:46 CST

A key U.S. senator said Sunday he would begin an investigation into whether the Army missed signs that the man accused of opening fire at Fort Hood had embraced an increasingly extremist view of Islamic ideology.

Fort victims had different reasons for enlisting

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 15:41 CST

The 13 people killed when an Army psychiatrist allegedly opened fire on fellow soldiers at Fort Hood, Texas, included several people who shared the same profession as the alleged shooter, a father of three with ties to Laos whose family had a history of military service, a civilian who had returned to work a week after suffering a heart attack, and a psychiatric nurse who arrived at Fort Hood a day before the shooting. Here is a look at the victims.

Philly transit strike in 6th day; no new talks

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 15:36 CST

Commuters in the City of Brotherly Love have been told to gear up to begin a second week of finding other ways to work following the collapse of a proposed deal to end a six-day-old strike by about 5,000 bus drivers, subway and trolley conductors and mechanics.

Earthquake measuring 6.7 reported near Indonesia

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 15:11 CST

A strong earthquake was reported in the ocean off Indonesia on Sunday, the U.S. Geological Survey said.

Onlookers flock to site of Cleveland killings

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 14:46 CST

Reggie Turner stopped by a growing memorial to 11 victims of an alleged serial killer because he knew one of the women. Michelle Lee came to pay her respects as a mother and grandmother. Mark Mason and two buddies rode their motorcycles to just take a look.

Expanding drug treatment: Is US ready to step up?

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 13:36 CST

Based on the rhetoric, America's war on drugs seems poised to shift into a more enlightened phase where treatment of addicts gains favor over imprisonment of low-level offenders. Questions abound, however, about the nation's readiness to turn the talk into reality.

Utah girl's pierced nose: US-Indian culture clash

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 13:06 CST

To 12-year-old Suzannah Pabla, piercing her nose was a way to connect with her roots in India. To Suzannah's school, it was a dress-code violation worthy of a suspension.

Ill. prosecutors seek journalism students' grades

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 12:56 CST

A Northwestern University professor and journalism students who spent three years investigating the case of a man convicted in the 1978 killing of a security guard believe they have evidence that shows prosecutors put the wrong man behind bars. But in the quest to prove his innocence, they may have to defend themselves, too.

La. Gov. declares emergency ahead of Hurricane Ida

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 12:11 CST

Hurricane Ida, the first Atlantic hurricane to target the United States this year, plodded Sunday toward the Gulf Coast with 105 mph winds, bringing the threat of flooding and storm surges.

Beauty and tragedy in global network of war graves

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 10:46 CST

It is the British empire of the dead.

Correction: Immigrant Hate Crimes story

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 09:41 CST

In a Nov. 7 story about the racial issues in a New York community a year after the stabbing death of an Ecuadorean immigrant, The Associated Press misspelled the last name of one of the defendants charged in the immigrant's death. His correct name is Anthony Hartford, not Harfford.

Murder case a glimpse into stresses of caretaking

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 23:01 CST

The scenes seared into the minds of those who know Bobby Yurkanin differed only in place: Whether in the pool, around the dinner table or at the bowling alley, he was the 50-something man whose life had long before been handed over to the sickness of his parents. Always his father was by his side.

Suspect in Vail bar shooting faces murder charge

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 23:01 CST

A 63-year-old man suspected of fatally shooting one person and wounding three others in a Vail bar has been arrested in what authorities say was an apparently random shooting.

Va. Tech advises Army on Texas shootings response

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 20:06 CST

Virginia Tech administrators have been advising Pentagon officials on how to respond to the mass shootings at Fort Hood.

Army: Officer shot at Fort Hood in good condition

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 19:26 CST

Authorities say one of the officers who has been hailed as a hero in the Fort Hood massacre has had a second surgery and is grateful for all the good wishes.

Army: Shooting suspect is critical, but stable

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 19:16 CST

A U.S. Army spokesman says the man authorities say went on a shooting spree at Fort Hood is in critical but stable condition.

Suspect identified in Seattle police killing

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 19:06 CST

Police described a suspect in the shooting death of a Seattle policeman as a "lone domestic terrorist" and said he was also suspected of firebombing four police vehicles.

G-20 finance officials: Too early to end stimulus

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 13:01 CST

Finance officials from rich and developing countries have pledged to maintain emergency support for their economies until recovery is assured, but failed to reach a clear agreement to bear the cost of fighting climate change.

Mass. father of boy in cancer case dies

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 17:01 CST

The father of an autistic Massachusetts boy who died after his mother allegedly withheld cancer medication has died from injuries sustained in a motorcycle crash.

Brother: Shooting suspect is a peaceful person

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 16:56 CST

A brother of the man authorities say went on a shooting spree at Fort Hood says the Army psychiatrist is peaceful person - and hopes he will be treated fairly by the legal system.