News Cycles: Top Stories

Death toll in Pakistani floods surges past 800 (AP)

AP - The death toll in the massive flooding in Pakistan surged past 800 as floodwaters receded Saturday in the hard-hit northwest, an official said. The damage to roads, bridges and communications networks hindered rescuers, while the threat of disease loomed as some evacuees arrived in camps with fever, diarrhea and skin problems.

Chelsea Clinton weds at exclusive New York estate (AP)

AP - Chelsea Clinton wed her longtime boyfriend under extraordinary security at an elegant Hudson River estate late Saturday.

Wildfire smolders in desert north of Los Angeles (AP)

AP - A wildfire smoldered in the high desert north of Los Angeles Saturday, spewing plumes of thick smoke into a nearby town as hundreds of firefighters worked to contain the 2-day-old blaze.

3 squabbling companies must cooperate to plug well (AP)

AP - On shore, BP, Halliburton and Transocean are engaging in a billion-dollar blame game over the blown-out oil well in the Gulf of Mexico. At sea, they're depending on each other to finally plug up the environmental disaster.

Rangel using 3-way defense against ethics charges (AP)

AP - To rebut a lengthy list of alleged ethical misdeeds, Rep. Charles Rangel is trotting out this three-way defense: I didn't do it. I did it, but was inattentive. Others lawmakers were allowed to do the same thing without penalty.

3 inmates escape from northwest Arizona prison (AP)

AP - Police were using helicopters and dogs Saturday to search for three convicted murderers who escaped from a northwest Arizona prison, kidnapped two semi-truck drivers at gunpoint and used the big rig to flee.

Hacker builds $1,500 cell-phone tapping device (AP)

AP - A computer security researcher has built a device for just $1,500 that can intercept some kinds of cell phone calls and record everything that's said.

Yellow lobster pulled from RI's Narragansett Bay (AP)

Snooki of 'Jersey Shore' arrested in NJ beach town (AP)

AP - "Jersey Shore" cast member Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi has been arrested in the New Jersey beach town where the MTV show is based.

Ex-All-Stars shipped in baseball's deadline deals (AP)

AP - Former All-Stars Jake Westbrook, Ted Lilly, Ryan Ludwick and Kerry Wood were traded Saturday as pennant contenders played a game of beat-the-clock. Lance Berkman went to the World Series champion New York Yankees after rejecting the Chicago White Sox.

BP to try well kill Tuesday (Reuters)

Reuters - BP said on Friday it could seal its ruptured Gulf of Mexico oil well by next week as the House of Representatives voted to toughen regulation of offshore energy drilling.

Bill and Hillary Clinton's daughter marries in NY (Reuters)

Reuters - Bill and Hillary Clinton's daughter married her long-time boyfriend in the picturesque New York village of Rhinebeck on Saturday in what has been dubbed America's royal wedding.

Obama hopes Rep. Rangel can leave "with dignity" (Reuters)

Reuters - President Barack Obama called ethics charges against Representative Charles Rangel "very troubling" on Friday and said he hoped the lawmaker could end his career "with dignity."

Sri Lanka, Hawaii sites get world heritage status (Reuters)

Grand jury eyes monitor shutdown at Massey mine: report (Reuters)

Congress to probe Michigan oil spill (Reuters)

Pakistan spy chief scraps UK trip on "terror" remarks (Reuters)

Reuters - Pakistan's spy chief has canceled a trip to Britain, a spokesman said on Saturday, but Islamabad played down a row over remarks by British Prime Minister David Cameron suggesting Pakistan was not doing enough to fight terrorism.

Nebraska's Nelson first Democratic senator to oppose Kagan (Reuters)

Reuters - Nebraska Senator Ben Nelson has announced he will oppose the nomination of Elena Kagan to the U.S. Supreme Court, making him the first Democrat to declare against her.

Rescuers battle to reach Pakistan flood victims (AFP)

AFP - With roads and bridges washed away, rescuers were Sunday struggling to reach people in northwest Pakistan trapped by the worst floods in living memory which have killed 800 so far.

Engineers prepare to seal ruptured BP oil well (AFP)

AFP - Engineers Saturday readied a plan to permanently seal a damaged Gulf of Mexico well, despite delays to the process caused by debris left behind by a recent tropical storm.