7/23/2008
Latest News and Local Weather
Their 'offense'? Shopping while black
Leah Wells and two girlfriends decided to ditch the gym during an office lunch break and do some "power-shopping" instead. The three young women, all in their 20s and all black, ended up detained for shoplifting. Their offense, as Wells sees it, was being black in America. It's a common refrain from black people in the U.S., says CNN's Soledad O'Brien.Hurricane Dolly whips coast
Hurricane Dolly was downgraded to a Category 1 hurricane today after it made landfall on South Padre Island, Texas, the National Hurricane Center said. But Dolly's sustained winds were still about 95 miles an hour. The storm is expected to produce from 8 to 12 inches of rain, with up to 20 inches in isolated spots, and widespread flooding is likely.Smugglers said to use Dolly for cover
Smugglers tried to use Hurricane Dolly as a cover in at least three unsuccessful attempts to move drugs or illegal aliens through Texas, border officials said Wednesday.House passes mortgage rescue
The House voted 272-152 to pass sweeping legislation that will offer up to $300 billion in aid to troubled homeowners and throw government support behind mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. The nearly 700-page bill will now go to the Senate, CNNMoney.com reports. Earlier in the day, President Bush withdrew a longstanding veto threat.Dad outraged by 'monster' molester's freedom
Jurors convicted the art teacher of forcing a boy to have sex with him repeatedly in a classroom supply closet. A judge sentenced him to 43 years. But Aaron Mohanlal has yet to spend a day or night in prison. "I try not to think about it, but it's hard because all I can think about is what if he's out there around other kids," the victim told CNN for an exclusive report.Oil spill closes miles of Mississippi River
The U.S. Coast Guard has closed 29 miles of the Mississippi River from New Orleans southward after a tanker and a barge collided, spilling more than 400,000 gallons of fuel oil into the river.Obama stands by plan to talk with Iran
Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama pledged Wednesday to maintain a close relationship between the United States and Israel.Senators squabble while drivers pay
A partisan squabble in the Senate Wednesday threatened to sink a bill meant to crack down on oil speculators.New look at Rosenberg spy case after decades
Cold War scholars are hoping secret grand jury transcripts will shed light on some nagging questions about the evidence in the Rosenberg espionage case. Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were convicted and given death setnences in the 1950s.
