Jesse Jackson Endorses Barack Obama

NY mobsters used strip club for training: prosecutor:

Two accused members of a notorious New York crime family turned a strip club into a training ground for mobsters, prosecutors told the jury on Thursday in closing arguments in a Mafia extortion trial.

China cyberspace, outerspace war gains impress: U.S:

China's development of modern modes of warfare including military uses of outer space and cyberspace have yielded impressive gains that require U.S. vigilance, experts told a congressional panel on Thursday.

Jesse Jackson Endorses Barack Obama:

[...]he's backing Democrat Barack Obama in his presidential bid, giving his support to a new generation of black politicians. "He has my vote," the Rev. Jackson told The Associated Press in a telephone interview.

Ten-year-olds attack homeless man, police say:

Egged on by a 17-year-old, two 10-year-old boys joined in the attack of a homeless man, leaving him bruised and bloody Tuesday, Daytona Beach Police said.

Iraq War Funding Bill Passed by Senate:

As the Senate passes bill requiring combat troop withdrawal to begin within four months, the president summons GOP allies to the White House.

'Pork' to some; bread and butter to others:

A breakdown in the 2007 budget process halted most such earmarks this year. Fewer than 3,000 projects were funded, down from 10,000 in 2006, because Republicans passed only the defense and homeland-security spending bills before Democrats took control of Congress and placed a moratorium on earmarks. A renewed focus on ethics in Congress has prompted Democratic leaders to project 2008 earmarks at roughly half the 2006 level.

Some critics doubt the reductions will stick. They see earmarks as a way for lawmakers to direct money back home in order to curry favor and win re-election. At their worst, earmarks can be used as a quid pro quo between lawmakers and campaign donors. That's how Republican Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham of California used them when he was in Congress. Now he's in prison after pleading guilty to taking $2.4 million in bribes from defense contractors.

Witness Tampering In Wedding Day Shooting?:

A man has confessed to trying to stop a last-minute witness from testifying before a grand jury probe investigating the police shooting of a bridegroom on his wedding day, officials said.