A 16-year old California girl died Tuesday morning when she was ejected from the back of a pickup that rolled after losing control on Highway 97 about 13 miles south of Biggs Junction. Four others, including three members of her family, were injured in the crash as they were returning to Lindsay, California from a Thanksgiving holiday trip to Washington.   One person was killed and four were injured in a rollover crash south of Biggs Junction ... [full story]

A traffic stop by an Oregon State Police (OSP) trooper Monday night south of Klamath Falls found an unusual wrapped Christmas present that turned out to be nearly two pounds of marijuana. A total of about three pounds of marijuana and four firearms were seized, and a Montana man and his son were arrested.   Troopers seized almost 3 lbs. of marijuana and 4 firearms during a traffic stop for speeding, arresting a Montana man and his ... [full story]

WASHINGTON -- Health researchers from U.S. academic institutions issued a letter to Congress seeking a reduction in or elimination of funds targeted for abstinence education.Citing "multiple scientific and ethical problems," the letter questions the viability of withholding "potentially life-saving information" regarding birth control and the neglecting the health issues of homosexual, bisexual and transgender youths, the Washington Times reported Wednesday."We strongly urge Congress to reconsider federal support for abstinence-only education programs and policies," the letter ... [full story]

OKLAHOMA CITY -- Police and volunteers began searching Wednesday for a 20-year-old pregnant woman last seen Friday at her home northwest of Oklahoma City.Bethany, Okla., police Sgt. Sharon Cadle told reporters Lauren Barnes is five months pregnant and needs daily blood-thinning medication. She was reported missing early Friday evening after not showing up to meet friends, Cadle said.Bethany Police Chief Neal Troutman said Barnes was supposed to meet the baby's father at a park Friday, ... [full story]

WASHINGTON -- U.S. President George Bush said he can move the Mideast peace process along without traveling to the region, a White House spokeswoman said.Bush Tuesday announced at the Middle East peace conference at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md., an "understanding" between Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and the immediate start of negotiations on a peace treaty. Bush scheduled meetings Wednesday with both leaders in the Oval Office ... [full story]

WASHINGTON -- The issue of Iran's influence in the Middle East was on Israel's agenda in Israeli-Palestinian peace discussions in Washington Wednesday.Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Mark Regev made the announcement Tuesday after talks in Annapolis, Md., the Chicago Tribune reported.Progress for the day included Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas agreeing to start negotiations on an agreement Dec. 12, with the goal of establishing a peaceful two-state solution by the end ... [full story]

WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will amend decisions regarding the habitat of seven endangered species made by a disgraced California official. Wildlife regulators notified the House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Nick J. Rahall II, D-W.Va., it may reinstate the federal protection status for several endangered species, the Los Angeles Times reported Wednesday.Former Deputy Assistant Interior Secretary Julie MacDonald made the controversial decisions during her tenure despite her lack of training in natural ... [full story]

WASHINGTON -- U.S. transportation officials, ramping up anti-terror efforts, said background checks would be made on more than 1 million aviation workers starting in January.The move comes as the U.S. Department of Homeland Security increases security measures aimed at deterring possible attacks by aviation workers not subject to security checks at airports.The Transportation Security Administration will take over background checks of 1.2 million aviation workers from the Federal Aviation Administration starting in January, USA Today ... [full story]

PHILADELPHIA -- The Philadelphia trial for five Muslim men accused of plotting an attack on Fort Dix, N.J., has been delayed based on their complaints of access to evidence.U.S. District Judge Robert Kugler heard defense lawyers complain Tuesday they haven't been given enough time in jail to review the voluminous evidence, including transcripts of about 200 hours of secretly recorded conversations, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported Wednesday.The men were arrested in May and are being held ... [full story]

WASHINGTON -- A survey of war correspondents working in Iraq suggests conditions are far worse than public perceptions among Americans indicate.The survey by the Project for Excellence in Journalism, a division of the Pew Research Center in Washington, says perilous conditions in Iraq affect their reporting more than any other factor.The majority of journalists surveyed said much of Iraq is unsafe, with 90 percent saying that includes half of Baghdad.U.S. journalists said they have to ... [full story]