Southern Coastal Cable

By LARRY MARGASAK and LAURIE KELLMAN 2010-07-29T19:01:07Z WASHINGTON (AP) -- People familiar with the talks say representatives of New York Democrat Charles Rangel and lawyers for the House ethics committee have reached a plea deal in his ethics case. However, committee members have not agreed to the settlement....

By BOB CHRISTIE 2010-07-29T18:29:18Z PHOENIX (AP) -- Opponents of Arizona's immigration crackdown went ahead with protests Thursday despite a judge's ruling that delayed enforcement of most the law, and dozens of people in Phoenix were arrested after peacefully confronting officers in riot gear....

By ANNE FLAHERTY 2010-07-29T18:27:34Z WASHINGTON (AP) -- Estimates of the number of graves that might be affected by mix-ups at Arlington National Cemetery grew from hundreds to as many as 6,600 on Thursday, as the cemetery's former superintendent blamed his staff and a lack of resources for the scandal that forced his ouster....

By JESSE WASHINGTON 2010-07-29T18:13:41Z SAN DIEGO (AP) -- Ousted Agriculture Department employee Shirley Sherrod said Thursday she will sue a conservative blogger who posted a video edited in a way that made her appear racist....

By HOWARD FENDRICH 2010-07-29T17:31:48Z WASHINGTON (AP) -- Rookie right-hander Stephen Strasburg went on the 15-day disabled list Thursday with inflammation in his throwing shoulder, the latest indication of how careful the Washington Nationals are being with their prized pitcher....

By AMIR SHAH and DEB RIECHMANN 2010-07-29T16:43:48Z KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) -- A second U.S. Navy sailor who went missing in a dangerous part of eastern Afghanistan was found dead and his body recovered, a senior U.S. military official and Afghan officials said Thursday....

By HARRY WEBER and TAMARA LUSH 2010-07-29T16:27:28Z NEW ORLEANS (AP) -- The government's point man for the Gulf spill met with coastal parish officials Thursday to talk about what's next now that the oil has stopped flowing....

By RAQUEL MARIA DILLON 2010-07-29T16:25:10Z TEHACHAPI, Calif. (AP) -- Calm, cool weather Thursday morning dampened a wildfire that destroyed 25 buildings north of Los Angeles, but crews were prepared for afternoon winds that could kick up the flames again, a fire spokesman said....

By CHRISTOPHER S. RUGABER 2010-07-29T15:19:24Z WASHINGTON (AP) -- New jobless claims fell last week for the third time in four weeks but remain elevated. The decline is a sign that the economy likely added jobs in July, although not enough to lower the nation's high unemployment rate....

By PATRICE CITERA 2010-07-29T15:08:46Z KINSHASA, Congo (AP) -- A boat ferrying about 200 passengers to Congo's capital capsized after hitting a rock, and a government spokesman said Thursday at least 80 people were confirmed dead....

By JULIE PACE 2010-07-29T15:00:25Z NEW YORK (AP) -- President Barack Obama said Thursday that the racial firestorm that led to the ouster of a black Agriculture Department official was a "phony controversy" generated by the media. He said his administration overreacted by forcing her out....

By BRETT BARROUQUERE and DYLAN T. LOVAN 2010-07-29T14:44:04Z LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) -- Louisville basketball coach Rick Pitino and the attorney for a woman accused of attempting to extort him have started the trial's fourth day of testimony with a heated exchange....

By 2010-07-29T14:15:26Z RHINEBECK, N.Y. (AP) -- Chelsea Clinton's wedding along the Hudson River will be under a no-fly zone....

By 2010-07-29T13:36:21Z NEW YORK (AP) -- Wearing saggy pants is not a crime, just foolish....

By RACHEL D'ORO 2010-07-29T13:30:42Z ELMENDORF AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska (AP) -- Four airmen were killed when a cargo plane crashed during a training run at an Alaska Air Force base, sending a fireball hundreds of feet into the air, military authorities and witnesses said....

By JOE KAY 2010-07-29T12:50:00Z GEORGETOWN, Ky. (AP) -- Terrell Owens is a late arrival....

By STEPHEN BERNARD 2010-07-29T12:37:23Z NEW YORK (AP) -- Stock futures are rising following a new batch of upbeat earnings and a slightly better-than-expected drop in unemployment claims....

By MIKE STOBBE 2010-07-29T11:25:08Z ATLANTA (AP) -- More bystanders are willing to attempt CPR if an emergency dispatcher gives them firm and direct instructions - especially if they can just press on the chest and skip the mouth-to-mouth, according to new research....

By MICHAEL TARM 2010-07-29T11:24:51Z CHICAGO (AP) -- As jurors retired to deliberate Wednesday in the corruption trial of former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, they entered a cocoon of privacy not all jurors in high-profile cases enjoy....

By NAHAL TOOSI 2010-07-29T11:09:28Z ISLAMABAD (AP) -- As the U.S. searches for an exit from Afghanistan, it is increasingly relying on Pakistan's powerful army chief to help pave the way - despite fresh allegations that spies under his command have long aided the Taliban....