Yahoo! News: U.S. News

Former NFL quarterback McNair killed in Tennessee (AP)
Coroner: Teen 5th killed by apparent serial killer (AP)
Fireworks explosion on NC island kills 2, hurts 3 (AP)
Soldier who fought in pink boxers home for the 4th (AP)
Palin links resignation to 'higher calling' (AP)
Lady Liberty's crown reopens on July Fourth (AP)
Chestnut wins NY hot dog eating match, 3d in row (AP)
Calif. bullet train hits criticism on SF Peninsula (AP)
More than 1 million seek tix for Jackson memorial (AP)
Texas brewer, once near defeat, shines again (AP)
Jackson kids face hurdles to coping with his death (AP)
Jackson was loving and attentive father, many say (AP)
Calif. regulators warn of pot's cancer capability (AP)
Police: Arizona woman led sons on crime spree (AP)
AP Source: Detroit mayor firing police chief (AP)
Pachyderms outdo people in cross-species chow bout (AP)

Former NFL quarterback McNair killed in Tennessee (AP)

Posted: 04 Jul 2009 05:16 PM PDT

AP - Former NFL quarterback Steve McNair, whose most noted drive was the final one of the 2000 Super Bowl, was found dead with a gunshot wound to the head Saturday afternoon in a downtown condominium. Police said a woman was also shot dead.

Coroner: Teen 5th killed by apparent serial killer (AP)

Posted: 04 Jul 2009 01:03 PM PDT

AP - A teenage girl shot while helping her father in their family's small furniture and appliance store died Saturday, becoming the fifth victim of a suspected serial killer terrorizing a small South Carolina community, authorities said.

Fireworks explosion on NC island kills 2, hurts 3 (AP)

Posted: 04 Jul 2009 05:14 PM PDT

AP - A second worker has died from injuries he suffered after a fireworks truck exploded on a remote North Carolina Island.

Soldier who fought in pink boxers home for the 4th (AP)

Posted: 04 Jul 2009 04:04 PM PDT

AP - The soldier who was photographed fighting the Taliban in his pink boxer shorts said Saturday he was glad to be back home in Texas after his yearlong deployment to Afghanistan especially for the Fourth of July.

Palin links resignation to 'higher calling' (AP)

Posted: 04 Jul 2009 05:10 PM PDT

AP - Outgoing Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin on Saturday laid the groundwork to take on a larger, national role after leaving state government, citing a "higher calling" with the aim of uniting the country along conservative lines.

Lady Liberty's crown reopens on July Fourth (AP)

Posted: 04 Jul 2009 01:16 PM PDT

AP - The first visitors allowed into the Statue of Liberty's crown in nearly eight years made the arduous climb Saturday on an Independence Day journey laden with symbolism of freedom, national pride and for one couple, romance.

Chestnut wins NY hot dog eating match, 3d in row (AP)

Posted: 04 Jul 2009 02:41 PM PDT

AP - Joey Chestnut chomped down a record 68 hot dogs, capturing his third straight July Fourth hot-dog eating contest at Coney Island, an annual showcase for flamboyant hot dogging contestants eager to show they really are what they eat.

Calif. bullet train hits criticism on SF Peninsula (AP)

Posted: 04 Jul 2009 11:56 AM PDT

AP - Last November, more than 60 percent of voters on the San Francisco Peninsula supported a $9.9 billion bond measure to help pay for a high-speed rail line between San Francisco and the Los Angeles area.

More than 1 million seek tix for Jackson memorial (AP)

Posted: 04 Jul 2009 02:29 PM PDT

AP - More than 1.2 million people have now registered to get tickets for Michael Jackson's memorial service next week.

Texas brewer, once near defeat, shines again (AP)

Posted: 04 Jul 2009 07:35 AM PDT

AP - By all accounts, Shiner beer shouldn't have made it this long. The Spoetzl Brewery ferments its brew in a one-stoplight town that's not on the way to anywhere, and much larger regional brewers long ago succumbed to consolidation and the muscle of national brewers.

Jackson kids face hurdles to coping with his death (AP)

Posted: 04 Jul 2009 03:12 AM PDT

AP - No matter how unusual their lives may have been so far, Michael Jackson's children now face a universal trauma felt by all kids who suddenly lose a parent.

Jackson was loving and attentive father, many say (AP)

Posted: 04 Jul 2009 03:17 AM PDT

AP - When Rabbi Shmuley Boteach brought his children to play with Michael Jackson's kids at Neverland Ranch some eight years ago, the rabbi's youngsters naturally made a beeline for the fabulous rides the Ferris wheel, the roller coaster, the bumper cars.

Calif. regulators warn of pot's cancer capability (AP)

Posted: 04 Jul 2009 02:18 AM PDT

AP - It might take Californians a puff or two to get their heads around an apparent contradiction recently enshrined in state law. The same marijuana smoke that doctors can recommend to ease cancer patients' suffering must soon come with a warning saying it causes the disease.

Police: Arizona woman led sons on crime spree (AP)

Posted: 04 Jul 2009 11:26 AM PDT

AP - Cynthia Mary Roberson is an unemployed mother who police say led her 12- and 14-year-old sons and their friends to commit at least 20 armed robberies and assaults, including the beating of a teenage boy who had nothing more than an orange lollipop.