U.S. National News

• Murder indictments in 'Baby Grace' case AP - 45 minutes ago

  HOUSTON - A couple accused of beating their toddler to death, tucking her body in a plastic box and dumping it in Galveston Bay were indicted Wednesday on charges of capital murder.

• Peterson attorney seeks items' return AP - 1 hour, 18 minutes ago

  JOLIET, Ill. - Guns, two vehicles and other items seized from Drew Peterson's home after his wife disappeared should be returned, an attorney for the former police officer said Wednesday, arguing authorities are trying to "vex" his client.

• Closing arguments begin in Marine trial AP - 1 hour, 53 minutes ago

  CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. - A prosecutor asked a jury Wednesday to hold a Marine reservist responsible for killing an Iraqi soldier at a guard post in Fallujah, saying he lied when he claimed the slaying was self defense.

• Board OKing Blackwater plan recalled AP - 1 hour, 32 minutes ago

  SAN DIEGO - Government security contractor Blackwater Worldwide reaffirmed plans Wednesday to build a rural training camp, a day after residents recalled five town officials who endorsed the project.

• Woman sentenced in baby swinging AP - 2 hours, 33 minutes ago

  ERIE, Pa. - A woman convicted of swinging her newborn son like a weapon at her boyfriend and fracturing the infant's skull was sentenced Wednesday to five to 10 years in prison.

• Lawsuits proceed in park jogger case AP - Wed Dec 12, 10:06 AM ET

  NEW YORK - A judge gave a tentative go-ahead to lawsuits filed on behalf of five men wrongly convicted in the notorious 1989 Central Park jogger attack, tossing out some claims but allowing others to proceed against the city.

• Rapist hid killing spree for decades AP - Wed Dec 12, 8:55 AM ET

  CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - In his early 30s, fresh off his release from prison on a rape charges, Timothy Krajcir enrolled in college to study psychology and the criminal justice system.

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  Hayden knew of interrogation videotapes AP - 2 hours, 12 minutes ago

  WASHINGTON - The CIA failed to fully inform Congress that it was videotaping the harsh interrogations of terrorist suspects and that it destroyed the tapes in 2005, the bipartisan leaders of the House Intelligence Committee said Wednesday.

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  Last mall shooting victim mourned AP - Wed Dec 12, 1:35 PM ET

  OMAHA, Neb. - Mourners streamed past photographs and mementos at a funeral Wednesday for a woman killed during a teenage gunman's rage at a shopping mall. The service was the last memorial for the eight victims.

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  Republicans retain 2 vacant House seats AP - Wed Dec 12, 8:27 AM ET

  TOLEDO, Ohio - Republicans maintained control of both congressional seats that were up for grabs in special elections Tuesday in Ohio and Virginia, disappointing Democrats who had hoped to extend their gains in the House.

• US families race to adopt from Guatemala AP - Wed Dec 12, 7:57 AM ET

  PHILADELPHIA - Meghan Wall's marathon effort to start a family has come down to a sprint at the finish line.

• Doors opening for Chinese tourists to US AP - Wed Dec 12, 8:00 AM ET

  NEW YORK - Chinese citizens flush with cash from their booming economy will find it easier to vacation in the U.S. following a long-awaited agreement that the American travel industry hopes will bring in billions of dollars.

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  Oregon clears highway-blocking mud slide AP - Wed Dec 12, 2:25 PM ET

  PORTLAND, Ore. - A highway blocked by a landslide had been cleared of a soupy mixture of gravel, mud and trees Wednesday but it remained closed because water was still rushing across the pavement.

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  Sgt. shot unarmed Iraqi, soldier says AP - Tue Dec 11, 8:35 PM ET

  FORT HOOD, Texas - An Army sergeant kicked and shot an Iraqi insurgent who lay bleeding from nearly two dozen gunshot wounds, then after he was dead told fellow soldiers to say the man had been armed, a private at the scene testified Tuesday.

• U.S. refuses `Any Wounded Soldier' mail AP - Tue Dec 11, 2:22 PM ET

  BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Hundreds of thousands of holiday cards and letters thanking wounded American troops for their sacrifice and wishing them well never reach their destination. They are returned to sender or thrown away unopened.

Crimes and Trials News

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  `Sopranos' creator Chase in fed court AP - 2 hours, 2 minutes ago

  TRENTON, N.J. - A federal jury was told Wednesday that "Sopranos" creator David Chase got help in developing HBO's Emmy-winning mob drama and owes a former municipal judge for that assistance.

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  Judge rejects automaker suit over California emissions limits AFP - 2 hours, 47 minutes ago

  SAN FRANCISCO (AFP) - A California court on Wednesday dismissed a lawsuit filed by car-makers demanding state authorities be barred from setting tough new standards aimed at slashing greenhouse gas emissions.

• Urban crime rate unchanged in 2006: Justice Dept Reuters - 2 hours, 50 minutes ago

  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The crime rate in U.S. cities and suburbs remained essentially unchanged in 2006, the Justice Department said in a report on Wednesday that conflicts with other crime surveys.

• Man convicted in NY courtroom shooting AP - Wed Dec 12, 12:10 PM ET

  NEW CITY, N.Y. - A jury on Wednesday convicted a man of firing a sawed-off rifle inside a courtroom in an attempt to kill the woman who had accused him of groping her.

• Lawsuits proceed in park jogger case AP - Wed Dec 12, 10:06 AM ET

  NEW YORK - A judge gave a tentative go-ahead to lawsuits filed on behalf of five men wrongly convicted in the notorious 1989 Central Park jogger attack, tossing out some claims but allowing others to proceed against the city.