U.S. : Top Stories

Report: Records search on Joe the Plumber improper (AP)

AP - An agency director improperly used state computers to find personal information on "Joe the Plumber," a government watchdog said in a report released Thursday.

3 US airports open new runways amid economic woes (AP)

AP - Planes began taking off from new multimillion-dollar runways at three U.S. airports on Thursday with aviation officials heralding the increased capacity as crucial to reducing delays, even in the face of a slumping economy and a projected decline in domestic flights this winter.

Witness recalls last messages in MySpace hoax case (AP)

AP - Upon hearing about the suicide of a 13-year-old neighbor, a Missouri woman ordered her business assistant and daughter to delete the Internet account they are accused of using to harass the girl, the assistant testified Thursday.

NY hate crime suspect now charged with murder (AP)

AP - The killing of an Ecuadorean immigrant by seven high school students was part of a spree in which the teenagers tormented other immigrants while armed with knives and BB guns, prosecutors said.

Feds: FAA worker took plane, yachts as perks (AP)

AP - A Federal Aviation Administration employee from Southern California took illegal perks from his job � including a plane, yachts and heavy-duty trucks � and an investigation continues into how widespread the practice was, federal prosecutors said Thursday.

Calif. trains collide; no serious injuries (AP)

AP - A Metrolink commuter train sideswiped a freight train Thursday, causing no serious injuries but bringing back still-vivid memories of a deadly train wreck in the region just two months ago.

Astronauts end 2nd spacewalk at space station (AP)

AP - Spacewalking astronauts performed more repair work on a jammed joint at the international space station on Thursday, keeping a tight grip on all their tools so nothing would get away this time.

Bail denied Pa. woman accused of killing FBI agent (AP)

AP - A judge denied bail on Thursday for a woman accused of killing an FBI agent during a drug raid that led to her husband's arrest on cocaine-dealing charges.

Activists say tobacco settlement is being wasted (AP)

AP - In 2006, Alaska desperately needed cash to complete a museum featuring a mummified bison and other natural wonders of the frozen north. So the state dipped into its share of the landmark 1998 tobacco settlement.

Probes find no motive for Ark. Democrat's slaying (AP)

AP - City and state police have closed their investigations into last summer's shooting of Arkansas' Democratic Party chairman without offering an explanation of why the attack occurred.