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SANTA MARIA, Calif. – The site of Michael Jackson’s (search) child molestation trial has had brushes with celebrity before, as a stopover for the biggest stars of Hollywood’s golden age en route from Los Angeles to the Hearst Castle (search) and other Central Coast destinations. However, while residents of the …

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – An American citizen was charged Tuesday with conspiring to assassinate President Bush and with supporting Al Qaeda (search). If convicted of all the charges, Ahmed Omar Abu Ali (search), 23, faces a maximum sentence of 80 years in prison. Abu Ali, a former Virginia high school valedictorian, …

Because half of all children with autism (search) or similar developmental disorders aren’t diagnosed until age 4 to 6, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Monday was launching a campaign to make doctors and parents aware of the need of early diagnosis. Children can be diagnosed as early …

HOUSTON – A young couple are accused of critically injuring their 6-month-old baby, who police say was sexually assaulted, suffered broken bones from head to toe, and had her tongue nearly severed. Donna Marie Norman, 19, and her common-law husband, Ivan Castaneda, 21, were jailed without bail on charges of …

WASHINGTON – President Bush (search) was selling his budget to the American public on Tuesday in Detroit, where he was laying out his vision for a slimmed-down federal government. Meanwhile, Office of Management and Budget Director Josh Bolten (search) was on Capitol Hill, trying to sell to lawmakers the $2.5 …

CAIRO, Egypt – Middle Eastern governments say they hope to establish good relations with whatever leadership emerges from Iraq’s (search) landmark election but expressed concern over the low Sunni Muslim turnout and the rise in Shiite Muslim (search) influence. Some commentators and newspapers had warm words for Sunday’s election, in …

SALT LAKE CITY – Talking on a cell phone makes you drive like a retiree — even if you’re only a teen, a new study shows. A report from the University of Utah (search) says when motorists between 18 and 25 talk on cell phones, they drive like elderly people …

PORTLAND, Ore. – Olympic ski champion Bill Johnson (search) was charged with assaulting an officer and resisting arrest after punching a sheriff’s deputy in the face during a traffic stop, police said. Johnson was stopped in his pickup truck Friday by a Multnomah County sheriff’s deputy and a suburban Troutdale …

This is a partial transcript from “The Beltway Boys”, Feb. 12, 2005, that has been edited for clarity. Watch “The Beltway Boys” Saturday at 6 p.m. ET and Sunday at 1 and 6 a.m. EST. MORT KONDRACKE, CO-HOST: Let’s check the ups and downs. UP: newly minted secretary of state, …

NEW YORK – A former member of Tyco International’s (TYC) board of directors testified Thursday that the board never authorized then-chief executive L. Dennis Kozlowski (search ) to set his own pay or forgive his company loans. Frank E. Walsh Jr., 63, added that no single board member — including …