• Mother, son die as Alabama flooding swamps car 1/8/2009, 7:38 a.m. EST
REFORM, Ala. (AP) — An Alabama mother and her infant son are dead after floodwaters swept their vehicle off a rural road.

• Ore. teens largely ignoring cell phone driving ban 1/8/2009, 7:27 a.m. EST
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — The chances that a teenager will be cited for talking on a cell phone while driving are pretty much zero in Oregon, a consequence of the way the law is written and a problem other states may be facing.

• The Nation's Weather 1/8/2009, 7:27 a.m. EST
(AP) — Storms were to continue flaring up across the Northwest and Northeast on Thursday. The rest of the country was to see dry conditions and benign weather.

• Rain and melting snow bring floods to Washington 1/8/2009, 7:26 a.m. EST
SNOQUALMIE, Wash. (AP) — More than 30,000 people were urged to leave their flood-endangered western Washington homes as swollen rivers, mudslides and avalanches engulfed neighborhoods and roadways.

• Ill. panel to grill Burris on Senate appointment 1/8/2009, 7:24 a.m. EST
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — Illinois Republicans are promising tough questions Thursday for Senate-appointee Roland Burris on why he accepted a position offered by disgraced Gov. Rod Blagojevich and whether he promised the governor anything in return.

• Religion news in brief 1/8/2009, 7:22 a.m. EST
LAS VEGAS (AP) — The Roman Catholic Diocese of Las Vegas is developing a plan to add religious schools to the region, shifting focus from adding churches as local growth slows.

• Religion today 1/8/2009, 7:22 a.m. EST
WAXAHACHIE, Texas (AP) — Moments after flying headfirst onto the arena floor dirt, the man gets up and brushes off his protective vest as rodeo clowns rush in to distract the still-bucking bull.

• NY lawmaker sworn in amid assault investigation 1/8/2009, 6:57 a.m. EST
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — A former police officer and councilman was sworn in as a new state senator, despite facing charges that he slashed his girlfriend's face with a piece of broken glass in a jealous rage.

• Defense wants conviction dismissed in Web hoax 1/8/2009, 6:52 a.m. EST
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Contending it's not a federal crime to violate the service terms of a Web site, a defense attorney has asked a judge to dismiss the conviction of a Missouri mother in a cruel Internet hoax on a 13-year-old girl who committed suicide.

• Ill. panel to grill Burris on Senate appointment 1/8/2009, 6:31 a.m. EST
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — Illinois Republicans are promising tough questions Thursday for Senate-appointee Roland Burris on why he accepted a position offered by disgraced Gov. Rod Blagojevich and whether he promised the governor anything in return.

• ACLU criticizes police data in Newark, NJ 1/8/2009, 6:27 a.m. EST
NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — The American Civil Liberties Union is calling for an outside auditor to review civilian complaints against the Newark Police Department, which the group said are underreported.

• Firefighters battle wildfire near Denver 1/8/2009, 6:24 a.m. EST
BOULDER, Colo. (AP) — More than a hundred firefighters spent the night battling a stubborn, wind-driven wildfire that triggered the evacuations of more than 900 homes as it scorched grasslands near Denver.

• Rain and melting snow bring floods to Washington 1/8/2009, 5:59 a.m. EST
SNOQUALMIE, Wash. (AP) — More than 30,000 people were urged to leave their flood-endangered western Washington homes as swollen rivers, mudslides and avalanches engulfed neighborhoods and roadways.

• Extreme Alaska cold grounds planes, disables cars 1/8/2009, 5:59 a.m. EST
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — Ted Johnson planned on using a set of logs to a build a cabin in Alaska's interior. Instead he'll burn some of them to stay warm.

• Ore. teens largely ignoring cell phone driving ban 1/8/2009, 5:58 a.m. EST
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — The chances that a teenager will be cited for talking on a cell phone while driving are pretty much zero in Oregon, a consequence of the way the law is written and a problem other states may be facing.

• Ill. sec. of state feels the heat in Burris flap 1/8/2009, 4:52 a.m. EST
CHICAGO (AP) — Until recently, Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White may have been best known on the national stage for establishing an inner city tumbling team. No longer.

• USDA taking applications for Cattail eradication 1/8/2009, 4:40 a.m. EST
BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — Federal wildlife officials are taking applications from farmers who want the government to remove cattail-infested wetlands, the preferred habitat of sunflower-snacking blackbirds.

• Study: Bad judgment leads to peril in Utah parks 1/8/2009, 4:35 a.m. EST
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — If you're a guy on a day hike in a national park in Utah, step carefully. You're among the most likely to need rescuing.

• More species invasions feared for Great Lakes 1/8/2009, 4:34 a.m. EST
TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) — Dozens of foreign species could spread across the Great Lakes in coming years despite policies designed to keep them out, causing significant environmental and economic damage, a federal report says.

• Fla. couple share tale of accidental trip to Cuba 1/8/2009, 3:17 a.m. EST
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Robert Vassallo and Angellette Smith never meant to spend the holidays in Cuba.

• Fatal Calif. train station shooting sparks anger 1/8/2009, 3:12 a.m. EST
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Protests over the fatal shooting of an unarmed man by a Bay Area Rapid Transit police officer turned violent Wednesday night with windows broken, fires set and train stations closed.

• Today in history- Jan. 8 1/8/2009, 12:00 a.m. EST
(AP) — Today is Thursday, Jan. 8th, the eighth day of 2009. There are 357 days left in the year.

• FBI: Man allegedly threatened to bomb LA-bound jet 1/7/2009, 11:37 p.m. EST
LOS ANGELES (AP) — A Kentucky man who claimed to have a bomb aboard a Los Angeles-bound jetliner and was then tackled and bound by other passengers will not face federal charges, the FBI said Wednesday.

• Richardson adviser worked for firm feds probing 1/7/2009, 11:36 p.m. EST
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — One of Gov. Bill Richardson's close friends and advisers worked as a consultant for the California firm at the center of a federal pay-to-play probe that derailed the governor's appointment as commerce secretary.

• Disney's Space Mountain to close for renovations 1/7/2009, 11:33 p.m. EST
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Space Mountain — one of Walt Disney World's most iconic attractions — will be closing this spring for a makeover.