LANCASTER, Pa. – A Pennsylvania man accused of killing his wife with an ax on Christmas Eve was pronounced dead after a suicide attempt left him brain-dead, authorities said. Dustin Lee Klopp, 36, was rushed to a hospital Wednesday night after hanging himself in his county prison cell, according to …

MANILA, Philippines – The Philippine government said Wednesday it had received 87 million pesos ($1.97 million) from the United States to pay for damage caused by a U.S. Navy minesweeper to a protected reef two years ago. Manila received the compensation last month for the damage that resulted from the …

AKRON, Ohio – Police say a 60-year-old man has been crushed to death at a machine shop in Ohio. An Akron police spokesman said the accident occurred sometime between 10 p.m. Friday and around 4:45 a.m. Saturday, when co-workers found him. The spokesman says co-workers used a crane to lift …

After tonight, I’ll be taking a few days off, so I want to wish you all a very merry Christmas and a prosperous 2008. By the way, on Christmas Eve, we’ll have a special on my trip to Afghanistan that you might find interesting. For us, 2007 has been another …

Now some fresh pickings from the Political Grapevine: Republican Defector? Chicago Sun-Times columnist Jennifer Hunter is taking heat for a recent story headlined “GOP Lawyer Sold on Dems.” She wrote that after watching the top Democratic presidential candidates speak —one “staunch republican” lawyer said he will not vote for anyone …

PATRICK, Nev. – An Oregon rugby player remains in jail Tuesday after being arrested on charges he left his 2-year-old daughter in a vehicle in the parking lot of a Nevada brothel on a 95-degree day. Lucien Hoffman, of Bend, Ore., is being held in the Storey County Detention Center …

Now some fresh pickings from the Political Grapevine: Significance of Zarqawi’s Death in the Long Run? A majority of Americans believe the U.S. is safer after the death of Al Qaeda terrorist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi in Iraq. But even more — 59 percent — say Zarqawi’s death will make no …

Now some fresh pickings from the Political Grapevine: Real Beauty, Real Advice? As part of a national campaign to promote self-esteem among young girls, the makers of Dove soap have provided teens with information on everything from politics to sex, but some of the content may raise The Campaign for …

The terrorist attacks in Iraq deserve wide coverage; even if that coverage is partially what terrorists are after. But complaints have been made that positive stories about Iraq are often ignored. And now we’ve got an inside glimpse of how such decisions are made by a former NBC correspondent. Dr. …

In a political climate where everyone dreads surprises, few people want to wait until Judge John G. Roberts (search) jumps out of a giant cake in the Supreme Court building to see what they’re really getting. Roberts’ confirmation has been all but declared a done deal. The 50-year-old’s gleaming resume, …