Q: We bought a home that was sold 'as is' by the lender. The house sits on a 20-acre parcel of land. The home had been foreclosed upon.We understand that the "as is" referred to the structural parts of the house. We accepted the condition and had a plumber come in to check things out. After we closed, our new neighbor came over and informed us of two easements he had on the property.One easement ... [full story]

COLDWATER, Mich. - Assisted-suicide advocate Dr. Jack Kevorkian Friday walked out of a Michigan prison after serving more than eight years in the death of an ALS victim. Kevorkian, who earned the moniker "Dr. Death," characterized his release as "one of the high points of my life" as he exited the Lakeland Correctional Facility in Coldwater, Mich., WWJ-AM, Detroit, reported. Kevorkian was sentenced to 10- to 25-years in prison for second-degree murder in the death ... [full story]

HEIDELBERG, Germany - German and U.S. scientists said they have found a molecule in human genes that may cause fidgeting and make obesity less likely. The scientists found that mice with the molecule were more likely to be energetic and athletic, while mice without it were more likely to be lazy and put on pounds, the BBC reported Wednesday. The researchers said the genetic switch in the mice is also found in humans and is ... [full story]

WASHINGTON - Despite pledges of "openness and transparency" few members of the U.S. House of Representatives gave CNN a list of pet project funding requests. The offices of 31 of 435 members of the House supplied a list of so-called earmark budget requests for the fiscal year that begins Oct. 1, the cable news network reported. Sixty-eight representatives declined to provide a list of pet projects and 329 either didn't respond to the request or ... [full story]

I recently saw a sneak preview of Michael Moore's new movie "Sicko," and I can tell you honestly that the movie is both funny and poignant. Some of the stories Moore tells of Americans who have been caught up in the bureaucracy of the American health system are truly heart-wrenching. The insurance company bureaucrats he exposes are cruel and capricious. There is no doubt that Michael Moore is a skilled filmmaker and an effective propagandist, ... [full story]

MAYWOOD, N.J. - A man who helped at Ground Zero after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks is being investigated for traveling to Cuba with filmmaker Michael Moore. Bill Maher of Maywood, N.J., traveled with Moore to seek health treatment in Cuba, where universal healthcare is in place, The New Jersey Star-Ledger reported Sunday. Maher -- who has suffered more than five years with health problems brought on from his volunteer work at Ground Zero ... [full story]

WASHINGTON - The general nominated to be President George W. Bush's "war czar" told a U.S. Senate panel Thursday the Iraqi government has "shown little progress." The president named Gen. Douglas Lute to a position with the formal title of deputy national security adviser for Iraq and Afghanistan. Lute acknowledged at his confirmation hearing that he had been skeptical about the recent troop increase in Iraq, McClatchy Newspapers reported. Bush and his supporters say the ... [full story]

--Raids on ten Oregon locations result in a dozen arrests, seizure of meth, marijuana, cocaine, Ecstasy, assault rifles and other firearms, grenades, body armor, and $100,000 cash-- SALEM, Ore. - On Wednesday and Thursday of last week, State, Local and Federal law enforcement agencies served several search warrants and made multiple arrests, culminating an extensive and lengthy investigation into the distribution of methamphetamine and cocaine and the manufacture and distribution of marijuana throughout the U.S. and ... [full story]

SHIRQAT, Iraq - Fourteen Iraqi insurgents were killed Wednesday when a truck they were rigging with explosives blew up. Police said the blast occurred in the northern Iraqi town of Shirqat, CNN reported. People were picking up body parts of the insurgents when police arrived at the scene, the network said. Shirqat is a Sunni community in Salaheddin province. copyright © 2007, by United Press International. All Rights Reserved. [full story]

BAQUBA, Iraq - A mass grave in Baqubah contains the bodies of at least 15 people who appear to have been buried within the past two weeks, Iraqi police said Friday. The burial site contained the bodies of 15 unidentified people and the cause of their deaths was not immediately apparent, the Kuwaiti news agency KUNA reported. There were also human remains that appeared to have been hacked up with knives. The bodies appear to ... [full story]