Nation news briefs

THE VALLEY

Defense cuts could hit civilian workforce

NBC tops $1 billion in Olympics ad sales despite weak economy

NEW YORK (AP) - NBC said Wednesday that it has topped the $1 billion mark in advertising sales for the Olympic Games beginning this week in London.

GOP puts Obama on defense for a bit

Sound Bites

HEALTH

Report: Suspect described killings in package to University of Colorado

DENVER (AP) - The university once attended by a man accused of killing 12 people in a Colorado movie theater confirmed on Wednesday that it received a suspicious package two days earlier that was turned over to authorities, but it wouldn't confirm its contents or sender. The University of Colorado, Denver said the U.S. Postal Service delivered the package to its medical ...

Many drugs remain legal that can give users high after 'bath salts' ban

Skydiver Fearless Felix jumps from 18 miles up

New Tonto, familiar feelings for Native Americans

Fear prompts gun sales, panic after massacre

Wal-Mart sued by disabled over payment machines

Romney seeks independent probe of White House national security leaks

Federal report shows Obama’s proposal to allow young illegals to stay could cost $585M

'Medical Center' TV series star Chad Everett dies at 75

Developer of loved-and-loathed home treadmill dies

Teen accused of plot spoke about bombs

ALBANY, Ore. (AP) - Classmates of an Oregon teenager accused of planning to blow up his high school say the 17-year-old discussed bomb-making in the weeks before his arrest, but did not speak of a plot to inflict damage.

Fire breaks out aboard cruise ship

BALTIMORE (AP) - A fire that broke out aboard a Royal Caribbean ship Monday did enough damage that the rest of the cruise was canceled and the company said the more than 2,200 passengers will be flown from the Bahamas back to Baltimore where the trip began.

NYC launches bike share program

NEW YORK (AP) - The nation's biggest bicycle-sharing program got rolling Monday, as thousands of New Yorkers got their first chance to ride a network billed as a new form of public transit in a city known for it.

Gunman in Texas rampage was Marine

EDEN, Texas (AP) - A man suspected in a West Texas shooting rampage that left one woman dead and five others wounded was a Marine who was wanted for questioning in a slaying in North Carolina, officials said Monday.

Senator: New Statue of Liberty security risky

NEW YORK (AP) - New security plans for the Statue of Liberty could leave visitors vulnerable when it reopens July Fourth, New York officials said Monday.

Medical pot laws & treats may send more kids to ER

CHICAGO (AP) - Increased use of medical marijuana may lead to more young children getting sick from accidentally eating food made with the drug, a Colorado study suggests.

Man charged with raping toddler is sex offender

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) - A man who has been charged with killing an elderly Alaska couple and raping their 2-year-old great-granddaughter is a registered sex offender convicted of breaking into a home and assaulting an 11-year-old girl four years ago.

Nation news briefs

• SURGING WILDFIRE FORCES EVACUATIONS IN CALIFORNIA: SANTA BARBARA (AP) - A surging wildfire has forced dozens of residents and Memorial Day campers to evacuate the mountains of Santa Barbara County in California.

Deal helping Valeant cash on increase in diabetes rate

NEW YORK (AP) -Canadian drugmaker Valeant Pharmaceuticals said Monday that it will pay $8.7 billion to buy Bausch + Lomb, one of the world's best-known makers of contact lenses, in a massive expansion of Valeant's smaller ophthalmology business.

Coastal Commission imposes property ‘caps

SOLANA BEACH (AP) - Atop the ocean bluff are the homes of those fortunate to own a piece of land overlooking the dramatic California coastline. Down on the beach are the surfers, swimmers and beachcombers lucky for a sliver of sand that skirts caves and coves in this paradise north of San Diego.

NBC will air Shelton concert for victims of Okla. tornado

Furlough Friday: Unpaid day off for many in gov't

Trucker bumps I-5 bridge, sees horror behind him

Yahoo, pay-TV operators among Hulu bidders

Penn.. parents face murder charge in faith-healing death