Seeking to gum up meth production

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) - More often than not, pharmacist Samuel Arco can tell whether a potential customer is looking for allergy relief or looking to cook up meth.

Readying rationale for possible Syria strike

WASHINGTON (AP) - The Obama administration tried to bolster its case Tuesday for possible military action against Syria within days, with intelligence agencies preparing to release intercepted communications aimed at proving Bashar Assad perpetrated a large-scale chemical weapons attack on civilians. "There's no doubt who is responsible for this heinous use of chemical weapons in Syria: the Syrian regime," Vice President Joe Biden said.

Hole will make giant pumpkin ineligible for fair

KENAI, Alaska (AP) - J.D. Megchelsen holds the record for giant pumpkins in Alaska, and the Nikiski gardener knew he had a candidate this year to beat the record of 1,287 pounds set in 2011.

Body found in jilted girlfriend's freezer.

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - A Minnesota woman beat her boyfriend to death, wrapped his body in plastic and duct tape, then hid it in a freezer because he was trying to break up with her, prosecutors said.

Nation news briefs

DETROIT MAN PLEADS GUILTY IN THEFT OF DAD'S BODY: DETROIT (AP) - A man accused of stealing his father's body from a Detroit cemetery with the hope of bringing him back to life has pleaded guilty in exchange for avoiding prison.

County told to issue same-sex marriage licenses

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) - A New Mexico judge on Monday declared same-sex marriage legal, ordering the clerk of the state's most populous county to join two other counties in issuing licenses for gay and lesbian couples.

Can strippers save Atlantic City?

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) - What if, after seven years of plunging casino revenues and fleeing customers, Atlantic City's real problem was this: People are wearing too much clothing?

Heat prompts early dismissals in Midwest schools

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) - An unusual, late-summer heat wave enveloped much of the Midwest on Monday, putting schools and sports events on hold.

$2M bail set in death of WWII veteran

SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) - A 16-year-old Spokane boy was ordered held on $2 million bail Monday and will be tried as an adult in connection with last week's beating death of an 88-year-old World War II veteran. A second teen was arrested in the case early Monday morning.

Medal of Honor for Afghan war veteran

Ohio couple married 65 years die 11 hours apart

DAYTON, Ohio (AP) - Relatives of an Ohio couple who died at a nursing home 11 hours apart on the same day said their love story's ending reflects their devotion over 65 years of marriage.

Request for lawyer not proof of guilt

NEW YORK (AP) - Prosecutors cannot use a defendant's request for a lawyer as evidence of guilt, a federal appeals court ruled Monday as it ordered a new trial for a man convicted of trying to sneak an alien into the United States.

Nation news briefs

WOMAN CHARGED IN DEATH OF BABY FOUND IN PA. PUB: EASTON, Pa. (AP) - A Pennsylvania woman gave birth to a son in the bathroom of a sports bar, then abandoned him to die in the restaurant's toilet, authorities said Monday in charging her with the baby's death.

Mormon authors back gay writer in dispute

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - More than 40 Mormon authors are backing a gay writer in his dispute with a Utah publisher over a reference to the writer's boyfriend.

Would shooter’s execution make him a martyr?

FORT HOOD (AP) - Maj. Nidal Hasan and many of his victims in the Fort Hood shooting seem to want the same thing - his death. But while survivors and relatives of the dead view lethal injection as justice, the Army psychiatrist appears to see it as something else - martyrdom.

Texas marijuana fields valued at $175M

GOODRICH, Texas (AP) - Authorities in East Texas said Tuesday that they have cleared more than two dozen marijuana fields that were discovered over the weekend in the woods and which contained about 100,000 plants worth an estimated $175 million.

2 charged in death of teen who stole bike

CLEVELAND (AP) - Two northeast Ohio brothers used separate cars to fatally hit a 17-year-old boy who had robbed them of a dirt bike at gunpoint in Cleveland, police reports said.

Girl struck by plane on beach dies

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) - A 9-year-old girl who was struck by a plane that crash-landed on a beach while she vacationed with her family died from her injuries, law enforcement officials said Tuesday.

Woman forgives husband who left son in hot car

NEW HAVEN, Conn. (AP) - A Connecticut woman whose 15-month-old son died this month after her husband left him in a car on a hot day said Tuesday he's an amazing father and she forgives him.

Immigration concerns rise with tide of kids

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) - A 9-year-old girl who was struck by a plane that crash-landed on a beach while she vacationed with her family died from her injuries, law enforcement officials said Tuesday.

School sued over death inside gym mat

VALDOSTA, Ga. (AP) - The parents of a south Georgia teenager found dead inside a rolled-up gym mat at school filed a wrongful death lawsuit against local school administrators Monday.

Man charged in teen’s 9-month disappearance

CONCORD, N.H. (AP) - A New Hampshire man was arrested Monday and charged with kidnapping 15-year-old Abigail "Abby" Hernandez more than nine months ago sometime after she left Kennett High School in Conway.

Beach town ban prompts battle over shave ice

WESTERLY, R.I. (AP) - A $3 cup of shave ice is at the center of a dispute in this beach town between street vendors trying to stay in business and town officials who say the vendors cause traffic congestion and increase the potential for accidents.

Abuse suspect dead; 3 officers hurt

NEW YORK (AP) - A California man who skipped town after being accused of molesting a boy was killed and three law enforcement officers trying to arrest him were wounded in a daytime shootout inside a small smoke shop in one of New York's most bustling neighborhoods, officials said Monday.

Furor engulfs red-light cameras

CHICAGO (AP) - Mayor Rahm Emanuel's administration is scrambling to contain a furor over the city's red-light camera system, which may have ticketed thousands of motorists under questionable circumstances.

Police charge 2 men in fatal carjacking

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Two men who carjacked a woman and sexually assaulted her in her SUV before plowing into a family selling fruit on a street corner, killing three children, were charged with murder on Monday, police said.

Mayor: Times Square characters should be licensed by NY City

NEW YORK (AP) - Cookie Monster may soon need a license.

NEWS FROM ACROSS THE NATION

SARAH PALIN LAUNCHES ONLINE SUBSCRIPTION CHANNEL: NEW YORK (AP) - Sarah Palin has started her own subscription-based online network.

Man seeks Oklahoma City bombing video

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - One man's quest to explain his brother's mysterious jail cell death 19 years ago has rekindled long-dormant questions about whether others were involved in the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing.

Judge strikes down DC handguns ban

WASHINGTON (AP) - A federal judge struck down the District of Columbia's ban on carrying guns outside of a person's home, concluding it violates Second Amendment rights.