• Calif. ex-Assembly speaker's son a murder suspect 12/3/2008, 9:51 p.m. EST
SAN DIEGO (AP) — The 19-year-old son of former California Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez is among four men accused of stabbing a college student to death after being turned away from a fraternity party in October.

• Lots of eggs, but no babies for Galapagos tortoise 12/3/2008, 9:36 p.m. EST
QUITO, Ecuador (AP) — By this point in his long life, Lonesome George should be at least a grandfather.

• NJ girl paralyzed in crash by Giants fan gets $26M 12/3/2008, 9:18 p.m. EST
NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — A stadium vendor has settled a lawsuit by the family of a girl paralyzed in a car accident caused by a drunken New York Giants fan for $26 million.

• Obama is delivering diversity, but some seek more 12/3/2008, 9:18 p.m. EST
WASHINGTON (AP) — Barack Obama, soon to be the first black U.S. president, is on the road to making good his pledge to have a Cabinet and White House staff that are among most diverse ever, although some supporters are asking him to go even further. He added to the minority representation at the top of his administration Wednesday when he named New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, a Hispanic, as Commerce Secretary.

• Palin files late disclosure for free 2007 trips 12/3/2008, 9:17 p.m. EST
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Gov. Sarah Palin has added to her financial disclosure forms two free trips that she took nearly two years ago but failed to report. Palin, who was Republican presidential candidate John McCain's running mate, made the disclosures last month, but after Election Day when she and McCain lost to Barack Obama and Joe Biden. The trips were first revealed in a story by The Associated Press in October.

• Bombs found in Mumbai train station a week later 12/3/2008, 9:15 p.m. EST
MUMBAI, India (AP) — Police searching a mound of baggage abandoned amid the carnage of the attack on Mumbai's main train station found two bombs Wednesday — nearly a week after they were left there by gunmen — in a stunning new example of the botched security that has become a major issue in India since the three-day siege.

• Police: Shackled Calif. boy jumped fence to escape 12/3/2008, 9:14 p.m. EST
TRACY, Calif. (AP) — After being held captive for about a year, an emaciated and shackled 17-year-old boy climbed out a window in the home of his captors and walked into a nearby gym in search of help, police said Wednesday.

• On recording, suspects talked about holy war in US 12/3/2008, 9:02 p.m. EST
CAMDEN, N.J. (AP) — One of the men accused of plotting to attack soldiers on Fort Dix said it was time to bring holy war to American soil after listening to an Islamist lecture, an informant testified Wednesday.

• Lungs from NJ church shooting victim transplanted 12/3/2008, 8:55 p.m. EST
CLIFTON, N.J. (AP) — Thanks to a set of transplanted lungs from a young man killed in a New Jersey church shooting, John Muscarella can breathe a little easier now.

• Arkansas officials seize 6 Alamo compound children 12/3/2008, 8:40 p.m. EST
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — Arkansas child welfare officials seized six more children Wednesday from the Tony Alamo Christian Ministries as authorities in California visited another church compound, officials said.

• Small plane crashes east of PR capital 12/3/2008, 8:40 p.m. EST
RIO GRANDE, Puerto Rico (AP) — Search teams slogged up a muddy, densely-wooded mountainside on Wednesday to locate a small plane with three people on board — including two American tourists — that crashed into a fog-shrouded forest east of Puerto Rico's capital.

• Judge issues gag order in TV anchorwoman's slaying 12/3/2008, 8:23 p.m. EST
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — A judge imposed a gag order Wednesday in the capital murder case against a man accused of fatally beating a Little Rock television anchorwoman.

• US military deaths in Afghanistan region at 556 12/3/2008, 8:20 p.m. EST
(AP) — As of Wednesday, Dec. 3, 2008, at least 556 members of the U.S. military had died in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Uzbekistan as a result of the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan in late 2001, according to the Defense Department. The department last updated its figures Wednesday at 10 a.m. EST.

• US military deaths in Iraq war at 4,207 12/3/2008, 8:19 p.m. EST
(AP) — As of Wednesday, Dec. 3, 2008, at least 4,207 members of the U.S. military have died in the Iraq war since it began in March 2003, according to an Associated Press count.

• NYC restaurant owners charged with cooking books 12/3/2008, 8:11 p.m. EST
NEW YORK (AP) — Prosecutors charged the owners of a group of Vietnamese restaurants Wednesday with allegedly cooking their books to hide the pay and hours of immigrant workers, sending a stern warning to eateries that commit similar violations.

• Polygamist Jeffs appeals 2007 Utah conviction 12/3/2008, 8:02 p.m. EST
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Attorneys for polygamous sect leader Warren Jeffs asked the Utah Supreme Court to reverse his 2007 criminal conviction and direct a judge to order a new trial.

• Judge: Lawsuit over flawed terror case can proceed 12/3/2008, 8:00 p.m. EST
DETROIT (AP) — A man whose conviction in the first terror-related case after 9/11 was thrown out can sue a former federal prosecutor over his handling of the case, a judge said Wednesday.

• Quake with magnitude of 6.1 hits northern Japan 12/3/2008, 7:50 p.m. EST
TOKYO (AP) — A 6.1-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of northern Japan on Thursday, the Meteorological Agency said. There were no immediate reports of damage or casualties.

• Prosecutor: Jealousy behind Hudson family killings 12/3/2008, 7:34 p.m. EST
CHICAGO (AP) — A prosecutor alleged Wednesday that Jennifer Hudson's brother-in-law killed three of her relatives — with a gun stolen from one of the victims — because he was angry his estranged wife, the singer's sister, was dating another man.

• Texas time warp? State criticized for mental care 12/3/2008, 7:27 p.m. EST
DENTON, Texas (AP) — For more than a century, thousands of mentally disabled Americans were isolated from society, sometimes for life, by being confined to huge state institutions.

• US releases first part of drug aid for Mexico 12/3/2008, 7:21 p.m. EST
MEXICO CITY (AP) — The U.S. government finally released the first part of a $400 million aid package Wednesday to support Mexico's police and soldiers in their fight against drug cartels.

• Experimental cotton unlikely to pose feed hazard 12/3/2008, 7:20 p.m. EST
WASHINGTON (AP) — An unauthorized strain of genetically modified cotton was accidentally mixed in with other harvested cotton in Texas last month, but government officials on Wednesday played down any safety concerns.

• World leaders press UN chief on Myanmar prisoners 12/3/2008, 7:00 p.m. EST
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — A letter signed by 112 former presidents and prime ministers urged U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Wednesday to return to Myanmar and press its military junta to free all political prisoners.

• US releases first part of drug aid for Mexico 12/3/2008, 6:58 p.m. EST
MEXICO CITY (AP) — The U.S. government finally released the first part of a $400 million aid package Wednesday to support Mexico's police and soldiers in their fight against drug cartels.

• Obama is delivering diversity, but some seek more 12/3/2008, 6:54 p.m. EST
WASHINGTON (AP) — Barack Obama, soon to be the first black U.S. president, is on the road to making good his pledge to have a Cabinet and White House staff that are among most diverse ever, although some supporters are asking him to go even further.