U.S. News
Runaway Prius driver: Brakes were 'almost burned' (AP)
AP - Before he called 911, James Sikes says he reached down with his hand to loosen the "stuck" accelerator on his 2008 Toyota Prius, his other hand on the steering wheel. The pedal didn't move.
Calif. jury recommends death for serial killer (AP)
AP - It was 2005 when Bruce Barcomb received the call he'd been awaiting for nearly three decades: Police had finally identified the man who raped and murdered his little sister in a remote canyon on a dark night in 1977.
Roberts: Scene at State of Union 'very troubling' (AP)
AP - U.S. Chief Justice John Roberts said Tuesday the scene at President Barack Obama's first State of the Union address was "very troubling" and that the annual speech to Congress has "degenerated into a political pep rally."
In rare case, Pa. woman accused of aiding terror (AP)
AP - An indictment against a suburban Philadelphia woman accused of recruiting jihadist fighters online and moving to Europe to try to kill a Swedish artist is a rare case of an American woman aiding foreign terrorists, authorities say, and shows the evolution of the threat of terrorism.
Dozen same-sex couples tie knot in DC (AP)
AP - At least a dozen couples tied the knot in the District of Columbia on the first day same-sex ceremonies were legally allowed, and many more unions were on the way.
Workers urge faster rebuilding at ground zero site (AP)
AP - Hundreds of construction workers raised a rallying cry of "Build it now!" on Tuesday, gathering with elected officials at the World Trade Center site to urge a quick rebuilding of the complex.
Ex-Edwards aide narrowly avoids jail over sex tape (AP)
AP - A former aide to John Edwards has been given until Friday to provide a judge with a full explanation of how he handled materials including a videotape purportedly showing the two-time presidential candidate in a sexual encounter.
NH campaign finance activist Granny D dies at 100 (AP)
AP - Doris "Granny D" Haddock, a New Hampshire woman who walked across the country at age 89 to promote campaign finance reform and later waged a quixotic campaign for U.S. Senate, has died. She was 100.
Texas ed board set to take 1st vote since primary (AP)
AP - Texas' state education board, rocked by primary elections that may push the influential panel's far-right leanings toward the center, is set to take its first vote on a new social studies curriculum that could reverberate in classrooms nationwide.
Ohio State janitor's gunfire kills co-worker, self (AP)
AP - An Ohio State University janitor who was about to lose his job walked into a maintenance building for his early morning shift Tuesday and shot two supervisors, killing one of them and fatally shooting himself. No students were hurt.
All 6 dead in Ariz. crash were Mexican citizens (AP)
AP - Authorities say all six people killed in last week's pre-dawn bus crash on an Arizona interstate were Mexican citizens.
Assisted suicide network members indicted in Ga. (AP)
AP - A grand jury indicted four members of an assisted suicide group Tuesday on charges they helped a 58-year-old man with cancer kill himself, clearing the way for a trial that could not only decide their fate but also help validate — or repudiate — their work.
Probation report cites predatory traits of suspect (AP)
AP - A decade-old probation report on a sex offender accused of murdering California teenager Chelsea King contained a psychiatrist's conclusion that the defendant had "significant predatory traits" toward underage girls and should be kept in prison for as long as possible.
Calif. test-taking case shows gap in visa security (AP)
AP - A ring accused of helping people from the Middle East obtain student visas by taking their proficiency exams and classes has exposed vulnerability in the nation's security tracking system for foreigners who attend U.S. schools, experts said Tuesday.
Man who caused Newark airport breach pleads guilty (AP)
AP - A lovesick graduate student from China who slipped under a rope barrier at Newark Liberty International Airport to say goodbye to his girlfriend, prompting a security breach and leading to worldwide flight delays, pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge Tuesday and apologized publicly for the first time.
Letterman: Case against producer handled properly (AP)
AP - From the start, David Letterman made sure the story of a $2 million shakedown attempt over his sex life was one he narrated himself.
Analysis: Greece's crisis could presage America's (AP)
AP - Greece is a financial basket case, begging for international help. Is America heading down that same road?
Outside science academies to review warming panel (AP)
AP - The beleaguered global warming panel has found an outside group to review how it writes its reports.
Opponent files ethics complaint on La. Sen. Vitter (AP)
AP - A challenger to Louisiana Sen. David Vitter filed an ethics complaint Tuesday, claiming a fundraising letter for the Republican incumbent's campaign makes illegal use of a government emblem.
Texas judge rescinds anti-death penalty ruling (AP)
AP - A Texas judge criticized for declaring the death penalty unconstitutional took back his controversial ruling Tuesday but scheduled a hearing for next month to hear evidence on the issue.