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NJ man charged with murdering NY boy Patz in 1979
NEW YORK (AP) — The anniversary of the day 6-year-old Etan Patz vanished on his way to school dawned with his suspected killer in police custody, but it ended with a muddled portrait of the man who confessed to strangling the little boy and dumping his body in the trash.A former neighbor who knew Pedro Hernandez as a teenager says he was someone you wouldn't want to cross — a reserved but "pent-up" young man. But the pastor of his church says Hernandez, now 51, is simply a shy and timid man who faithfully attends Sunday services.
Tropical storm warnings for Southeast coast
MIAMI (AP) — Tropical storm warnings have been issued for the Southeast coast from north Florida to South Carolina as a cluster of thunderstorms was gathering strength early Saturday and expected to become Tropical Storm Beryl over the Memorial Day weekend.The National Weather Service said that the storm's maximum sustained winds were at 45 mph. But they are expected to increase as the storm moves over the waters of the Atlantic.
Dragon makes history with space station docking
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — The private company SpaceX made history Friday with the docking of its Dragon capsule to the International Space Station, the most impressive feat yet in turning routine spaceflight over to the commercial sector.It marked the first time a business enterprise delivered a supply ship to the space station.
Edwards juror issue arises; case stops for weekend
GREENSBORO, N.C. (AP) — The judge in the John Edwards trial abruptly closed the courtroom Friday to talk to attorneys about an issue with a juror and sent the panel home after six days of deliberations with a stern warning not to talk about the case.U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Eagles did not indicate what the problem was after meeting with prosecutors and defense lawyers for about 35 minutes, but when she reopened the courtroom, she admonished the jury before dismissing them until Tuesday.
Bus driver taking kids to Disneyland arrested
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — An alert police officer who boarded a bus full of recent Utah high school graduates headed to Disneyland averted what could have been a deadly road trip after arresting the driver for suspicion of being under the influence of drugs, authorities said Friday."There's no other way to put it," said Cedar City police Lt. Darin Adams. "I really hate to think of what would have been. We may have been getting calls today that the bus had crashed and students were dead or injured."
Bud weakens to tropical storm off Mexico's coast
PUERTO VALLARTA, Mexico (AP) — Bud weakened to a tropical storm Friday as heavy rain began to pelt a string of laid-back beach resorts and small mountain villages on Mexico's Pacific coast south of Puerto Vallarta.The National Hurricane Center in Miami, Florida, said that maximum sustained winds that were once blowing at 115 mph (185 kph) had slowed to 60 mph (95 kph) by Friday night. The government of Mexico changed the hurricane warning for the coast of Mexico from Manzanillo to Cabo Corrientes to a tropical storm warning. Hurricane watches were also discontinued.
Ind. man takes hostages, shoots self in office
VALPARAISO, Ind. (AP) — Accountant Carolyn Biesen was working in her Indiana real estate office when she heard a commotion near the front desk. She walked out, saw a man standing over her injured co-worker on the ground, then yelled at him to leave."That's when he pulled his gun out — and pointed it in the air," she told The Associated Press late Friday, several hours after she and several other people were taken hostage by the gunman.
Who's an American Indian? Warren case stirs query
What, exactly, makes someone American Indian? Even Indians themselves don't agree as they debate the case of Senate candidate Elizabeth Warren, whose disputed claim of Native American identity is shining a rare spotlight on the malleable nature of Indian heritage and the long history of murky claims to such ancestry.Warren, a Harvard Law School professor and Democrat who is running in Massachusetts against Republican incumbent Sen. Scott Brown, was listed as Native American in several law school directories. Warren has said that her "family lore" described Indian ancestors, and the New England Genealogy Association said it found indications — but not proof — that Warren had a Cherokee great-great-great grandmother, which would make her 1/32 Indian.
Typical CEO made $9.6M last year, AP study finds
NEW YORK (AP) — Profits at big U.S. companies broke records last year, and so did pay for CEOs.The head of a typical public company made $9.6 million in 2011, according to an analysis by The Associated Press using data from Equilar, an executive pay research firm.
Raid admiral's toughest fight: winning Washington
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — The commander in charge of the raid to kill Osama bin Laden is defending his proposal that would give him more authority to send special operations forces overseas to address problems like terrorism or sudden Arab Spring-style unrest.At a rare press conference during a weeklong meeting of international special operations forces, Adm. Bill McRaven said the plan would also trim some of the limits on where and how special operations troops work. But those troops would still answer to U.S. commanders overseas, not him, and missions would be coordinated with and approved by the U.S. ambassadors, he said.
- Today in History
Today is Friday, May 25, the 146th day of 2012. There are 220 days left in the year.
