U.S. News
Michael Jackson's doctor pleads not guilty (AP)
AP - Michael Jackson's doctor pleaded not guilty Monday to involuntary manslaughter in the death of the pop star at a brief hearing that had all the trappings of another sensational celebrity courtroom drama.
Rep. John Murtha, Iraq war critic, dies at 77 (AP)
AP - Rep. John Murtha, the tall, gruff-mannered former Marine who became the de facto voice of veterans on Capitol Hill and later an outspoken and influential critic of the Iraq War, died Monday. He was 77. The Pennsylvania Democrat had been suffering from complications from gallbladder surgery. He died at Virginia Hospital Center in Arlington, Va., with his family at his bedside, the hospital said.
Criminal probe is launched in Conn. plant blast (AP)
AP - Authorities launched a criminal investigation Monday into the cause of an explosion that killed five people at a power plant under construction, saying they couldn't rule out negligence.
Man arrested after Detroit airport security breach (AP)
AP - A portion of a terminal at Detroit Metropolitan Airport was evacuated Monday after a man without a boarding pass walked through a passenger screening checkpoint and refused to obey security officers, officials said.
Seats at a premium on planes, trains out of DC (AP)
AP - A $20 cab ride to the airport skyrocketed to the "snow rate" of $100 in the nation's capital, and those travelers who could get to the airport or train station still had to haggle or wait in long lines to escape the snowbound Mid-Atlantic.
AP Interview: NY's Paterson lashes back at rumors (AP)
AP - New York Gov. David Paterson on Monday lashed back at what he called a "callous and sleazy" assault on his character in statehouse rumors and media reports that include accusations about womanizing and drug use, allegations he flatly denied.
Buffalo man accused of imprisoning 13-year-old (AP)
AP - A 26-year-old Buffalo man remained jailed Monday on charges of holding a 13-year-old runaway in his house for six months, having sex with her more than 100 times and making her baby-sit his 1-year-old son.
Lawyer: Wife mulled extorting Ill. murder suspect (AP)
AP - Days before a former suburban Chicago police officer's fourth wife vanished in 2007, she told a divorce attorney that her husband thought she suspected he had killed his previous wife and suggested extorting money from him to keep quiet, the lawyer testified Monday.
Attorney: Brooke Sheen wants case dismissed (AP)
AP - Charlie Sheen and his wife were reunited Monday after a judge modified a restraining order and allowed them them to work out their differences following a Christmas Day domestic violence dispute in which the actor allegedly pinned his spouse on a bed with a knife to her throat.
NYC man pleads guilty to killing girlfriend's cat (AP)
AP - A graphic designer accused of surreptitiously killing a series of his girlfriend's cats pleaded guilty Monday to aggravated animal cruelty, ending an eerie case in which authorities said the unsuspecting woman kept replacing her dying pets.
APNewsBreak: Officer to retrieve Edwards sex tape (AP)
AP - A North Carolina judge wants a security officer to accompany a former John Edwards aide as he goes to retrieve a sex tape of the two-time presidential candidate, increasing the court's control of the disputed video.
Chinese spy gets more than 15 years in prison (AP)
AP - A Chinese-born engineer convicted in the United States' first economic espionage trial was sentenced Monday to more than 15 years in prison for stealing sensitive information on the U.S. space program with the intent of passing it to China.
Saints raise their city's spirits, maybe for good (AP)
AP - People lined up by the hundreds to buy Monday's Times-Picayune, which hollered "AMEN!" from its front page. The Saints' Super Bowl victory was a prayer answered in this struggling city, and New Orleans itself seemed different for it.
AP IMPACT: Credibility key in 9/11 health trials (AP)
AP - As the first cases in a massive battle over illnesses linked to 9/11 near trial, an Associated Press investigation has found that several of the initial 30 suits contain inconsistent or exaggerated claims about how the workers got sick or how much time they spent at ground zero.
A hoarse Who Dat Nation savors Saints' victory (AP)
AP - Jubilant fans greeted the Super Bowl-winning Saints Monday, showering them with "Who Dat!" chants as they returned to their home city as champions.
Celebrity photographer Felice Quinto dies at 80 (AP)
AP - Felice Quinto, a renowned celebrity photographer and the likely model for the character Paparazzo in Federico Fellini's 1960 film "La Dolce Vita," has died. He was 80.
Retired NC fire department worker wins $47 million (AP)
AP - Retired Asheville Fire Department employee Frank Griffin is $47 million richer, but he has few grand plans for the money. He mainly wants to spend more time with his wife.
New legal issue: Payment for child porn victims (AP)
AP - It's been more than a decade since "Amy," as she's known in court papers, was first sexually abused by her uncle. The abuse ended long ago and he's in prison, but the pictures he made when she was 8 or 9 are among the most widely circulated child pornography images online.
LA-area cleans up from storms, new round coming (AP)
AP - Homeowners shoveled mud from living rooms and workers scooped debris from catch basins in a foothill neighborhood slammed by weekend rains as yet another storm takes aim at the region.
Space shuttle blasts off on last night flight (AP)
AP - Endeavour and six astronauts rocketed into orbit Monday on what's likely the last nighttime launch for the shuttle program, hauling a new room and observation deck for the International Space Station.