In 1 month, a vigil, a special salute and goodbyes _ war in Afghanistan ripples across America
Every afternoon, seven days a week, Ed Epley has a 5 p.m. appointment with the war....

EPA: Uranium in Nev. wells; whistleblower, preacher's wife helped crack toxic mining mystery
YERINGTON, Nev. (AP) -- Peggy Pauly lives in a robin-egg blue, two-story house not far from acres of onion fields that make the northern Nevada air smell sweet at harvest time....

Jury finds NC man scared grandmother to death during kidnapping; he faces life in prison
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) -- A man will spend the rest of his life in prison after he was found guilty in what prosecutors said was a case of scaring a 79-year-old North Carolina grandmother to death....

More Americans expected to travel for Thanksgiving after last year's drop; most opt for car
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The number of Americans traveling away from home for Thanksgiving will be up only slightly this year from 2008, according to a report from the AAA auto club....

Fort Hood shooting suspect will remain hospitalized initially during pretrial confinement
FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) -- The Army psychiatrist charged with killing 13 people at Fort Hood will be confined until his military trial, initially staying in a hospital where he is recovering from gunshot wounds, his attorney said Saturday....

On college campuses, atheist student groups search for acceptance and struggle for identity
AMES, Iowa (AP) -- The sign sits propped on a wooden chair, inviting all comers: "Ask an Atheist."...

Atlantis astronaut finishes 1st spacewalk, still waiting for birth of daughter back on Earth
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) -- A spacewalking astronaut put aside the impending birth of his daughter and blazed through his first-ever venture outside the International Space Station on Saturday....

Court-martial finds ex-Air Force nurse not guilty of killing 3 terminally ill patients
SAN ANTONIO (AP) -- A court-martial acquitted a former military nurse of murder Saturday after he was accused of giving lethal doses of painkillers to hasten the deaths of three terminally ill patients at the Air Force's largest hospital....

Hawaii anxiously watching tuna supply amid fears parts of bigeye fishery will be off-limits
HONOLULU (AP) -- On New Year's Eve each year, thousands line up at fish counters across Hawaii to buy blocks of raw tuna, hoping that eating it will bring good luck and prosperity in the new year. This year, the long tradition may get a little more difficult to observe....

Mental health cases stress police, emergency workers; patients end up in justice system
BURLINGTON, Vt. (AP) -- Police found him sitting on the floor of his old apartment near a bucket of urine, still dressed in his hospital gown....