Yahoo! News: U.S. News

Teen arrested in killing of LA anti-gang counselor (AP)
Snow shuts down federal government, life goes on (AP)
Anthem asked to justify rate hike in California (AP)
ATF blames Texas church fires on serial arsonist (AP)
LA-area foothills under mudslide threat (AP)
Prosecutors: Andrews' stalker had other victims (AP)
Target pulls Valentine's toys over lead concerns (AP)
Kerrigan family disputes autopsy report on father (AP)
NY governor says he'll step aside only 'in a box' (AP)
Police debate use of family DNA to ID suspects (AP)
Nev. Medicaid cuts could lead to diaper rationing (AP)
Murtha's death sets stage for marquee House race (AP)
Lil Wayne NY sentencing put off for dental surgery (AP)
Cops search San Antonio landfill for missing baby (AP)
Workers spent 80-plus hours a week at Conn. plant (AP)
Parade for Saints gives New Orleans more euphoria (AP)
Lawmaker's death a reminder of surgery risks (AP)
Space shuttle on course for midnight rendezvous (AP)
Mass. mom guilty of murder in girl's fatal OD (AP)
Court halts rules on Edwards sex tape retrieval (AP)

Teen arrested in killing of LA anti-gang counselor (AP)

Posted: 09 Feb 2010 05:59 PM PST

AP - When Ronald "Loony" Barron urged a young graffiti tagger to put away his paint cans, he was doing what he viewed as his mission — steering kids away from crime — but he paid for it with his life.

Snow shuts down federal government, life goes on (AP)

Posted: 09 Feb 2010 05:34 PM PST

AP - If snow keeps 230,000 government employees home for the better part of a week, will anyone notice? With at least another foot of snow headed for Washington, Philadelphia and New York, we're about to find out. The federal government in the nation's capital has largely been shut down since Friday afternoon, when a storm began dumping up to 3 feet of snow in some parts of the region. Offices were remaining closed at least through Wednesday.

Anthem asked to justify rate hike in California (AP)

Posted: 09 Feb 2010 05:03 PM PST

AP - For the second time this week, President Barack Obama has pointed to one health insurer's major rate hike in California as a doomy harbinger of rising premiums across America.

ATF blames Texas church fires on serial arsonist (AP)

Posted: 09 Feb 2010 02:02 PM PST

AP - A spate of recent fires that destroyed or damaged several churches in eastern Texas were intentionally set, likely by the same person or group, federal authorities said Tuesday.

LA-area foothills under mudslide threat (AP)

Posted: 09 Feb 2010 05:01 PM PST

AP - Homeowners in mud-ravaged foothill towns north of Los Angeles packed their cars and left Tuesday as evacuation orders took hold and a new winter storm arrived.

Prosecutors: Andrews' stalker had other victims (AP)

Posted: 09 Feb 2010 05:54 PM PST

AP - The man who stalked ESPN reporter Erin Andrews and shot nude videos of her through a hotel room peephole videotaped 16 other women and ran background checks on 30 people, including female sports reporters and TV personalities, according to court documents.

Target pulls Valentine's toys over lead concerns (AP)

Posted: 09 Feb 2010 04:56 PM PST

AP - Target Corp. said Tuesday it was pulling its Valentine's Day "Message Bears" from store shelves after California's attorney general raised concerns that the toys have illegal levels of lead.

Kerrigan family disputes autopsy report on father (AP)

Posted: 09 Feb 2010 04:21 PM PST

AP - The family of Olympic skater Nancy Kerrigan insisted Tuesday that they do "not blame anyone" for her father's death and criticized a medical examiner's finding that Daniel Kerrigan died of a heart rhythm problem after a fight with his son.

NY governor says he'll step aside only 'in a box' (AP)

Posted: 09 Feb 2010 05:02 PM PST

AP - New York Gov. David Paterson, defying calls from even fellow Democrats to drop out of the race for a full term, said Tuesday that he would leave only if the voters turned him out through the ballot box, or "in a box."

Police debate use of family DNA to ID suspects (AP)

Posted: 09 Feb 2010 01:02 PM PST

AP - Police in at least two states are increasingly using a DNA crime-solving technique that some legal experts say amounts to guilt by association: If your brother, father, uncle or son has been in trouble with the law and is in a DNA database because of it, you, too, could fall under suspicion.

Nev. Medicaid cuts could lead to diaper rationing (AP)

Posted: 09 Feb 2010 04:07 PM PST

AP - Nevada officials on Tuesday outlined drastic cuts to the state's Medicaid program that include plans to ration adult diapers, eliminate denture and hearing-aid programs, and force personal care assistants to buy their own disposable gloves.

Murtha's death sets stage for marquee House race (AP)

Posted: 09 Feb 2010 05:02 PM PST

AP - Democrats have long dominated the late Rep. John Murtha's district in western Pennsylvania, but Republicans have made inroads in recent years that could help them win back the seat — and some longtime Murtha supporters say they're open to voting for a GOP candidate.

Lil Wayne NY sentencing put off for dental surgery (AP)

Posted: 09 Feb 2010 04:39 PM PST

AP - After rap star Lil Wayne spent months bidding farewell to his fans and his freedom, what loomed for him Tuesday was a dental chair, not a house of detention.

Cops search San Antonio landfill for missing baby (AP)

Posted: 09 Feb 2010 11:04 AM PST

AP - Police began excavating a landfill Tuesday in search of a body or other evidence in the disappearance of an 8-month-old Arizona boy who was last seen with his mother at a San Antonio hotel on the day after Christmas.

Workers spent 80-plus hours a week at Conn. plant (AP)

Posted: 09 Feb 2010 01:27 PM PST

AP - Some workers building a Connecticut power plant shattered by a gas explosion had been spending more than 80 hours a week there before the blast killed five Sunday, The Associated Press has learned. One employee said workers smelled gas less than an hour beforehand and were told to open doors wider for air.

Parade for Saints gives New Orleans more euphoria (AP)

Posted: 09 Feb 2010 03:34 PM PST

AP - The Super Bowl champion New Orleans Saints are celebrating Mardi Gras-style.

Lawmaker's death a reminder of surgery risks (AP)

Posted: 09 Feb 2010 03:48 PM PST

AP - Gallbladder surgery is usually a very safe operation, but a powerful congressman's death is a reminder of the known risks.

Space shuttle on course for midnight rendezvous (AP)

Posted: 09 Feb 2010 04:06 PM PST

AP - Endeavour zoomed toward a midnight rendezvous with the International Space Station late Tuesday, and NASA grew ever more optimistic that the shuttle is free of any launch damage.