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Some undergrads shave a year off college to save
While educators debate the wisdom of three-year college degrees, some ambitious students are going ahead and finishing their coursework in three years anyhow as a way to save thousands of dollars in tuition. (For The Associated Press, 1:41 p.m.)
Campus cuisine: Dorm cooking, dining hall options
Once upon a time, eating in a college dorm meant soup in a hotpot or getting pizza delivered. The most interesting thing about the campus dining hall was often the salad bar. (Associated Press Writer, 1:41 p.m.)
Too much homework? Parents, schools seek balance
Christina Harris doesn't believe kindergarteners should have homework. So at the beginning of her son's kindergarten year, she flat-out told the teacher he wouldn't be doing any. (For The Associated Press, 1:41 p.m.)
School mascots get tips on sideline safety
When Jevin Fluegel took the job as his high school's mascot, "Ty the Tiger," he thought the gig would be all about generating school spirit and making people smile. (For The Associated Press, 1:41 p.m.)
Madoff's prison life begins in North Carolina
Bernard Madoff's prison life began on Tuesday, a long way from the luxury homes, sleek yachts and precious designer watches and clothes he accumulated in the years he ran Wall Street's biggest investment fraud. (Reuters, 2 p.m.)
Feds: NY woman misused UN funds meant for Iraq
A western New York woman is accused of misusing some of the $350,000 the United Nations gave her to start a radio station in Iraq. (AP, 1:22 p.m.)
Back-to-school fashion is a study of the '60s
Peace, love and neon. Those are the back-to-school buzzwords for a generation too young to remember those fashion themes the first time around, or even the second. (AP Fashion Writer, 1:22 p.m.)
Picking junior's teacher: Should parents weigh in?
After doing some research, including sitting in on classrooms, Valerie Gilbert thought she knew which third-grade teacher would be perfect for her son, Stanley. (For The Associated Press, 1:22 p.m.)
Feds reviewing Bay Area geothermal energy project
The Energy Department says a project to mine clean energy from the earth is on hold until more study is done to determine whether the drilling could produce earthquakes. (AP, 1:02 p.m.)
Hearings captivate nominee's former NYC neighbors
Sonia Sotomayor's (SUHN'-ya soh-toh-my-YOR') Senate confirmation hearing is drawing keen interest in the Bronx neighborhood where she grew up. (Associated Press Writer, 12:41 p.m.)
Eastern Iowa train crash kills 2 crew members
Transportation safety officials say two crew members have died in a freight train crash in eastern Iowa. (AP, 12:41 p.m.)
RNC Chairman: GOP, NAACP need to engage each other
Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele says the GOP and the NAACP have missed opportunities to engage with each other. (AP, 12:30 p.m.)
Check written by Neil Armstrong being auctioned
A check that astronaut Neil Armstrong wrote the morning he blasted off for the moon 40 years ago is being auctioned by a New Hampshire company. (AP, 12:23 p.m.)
Judge closing SC funeral home that cut corpse legs
A South Carolina judge has ordered the closing of a funeral home where a worker cut the legs off a body so it would fit in a casket. (Associated Press Writer, 12:50 p.m.)
Most jurors chosen in evangelist's sex-crime trial
Lawyers for evangelist Tony Alamo, who is accused of taking five underage girls across state lines for sex, asked potential jurors Tuesday whether they go to church and whether they have any children. (Associated Press Writer, 1:52 p.m.)
DC mom accused of killing 4 daughters cited demons
A Washington woman accused of killing her four daughters told police that her girls were possessed by demons. (AP, 11:52 a.m.)
2 more people arrested in slaying of Fla. couple
Two more people have been arrested in the slayings of a wealthy Florida Panhandle couple known for adopting children with autism, Down syndrome and other disabilities. (Associated Press Writer, 11:30 a.m.)
Southeast Texas deputy shot dead; gunman also dead
A gunman shot and killed a southeast Texas sheriff's deputy who was responding to a report that a woman opened fire on a utility worker sent to shut off water service to a mobile home, authorities said. (Associated Press Writer, 10:51 a.m.)
Suspected Wyoming kidnapper left ATM card at scene
Deputies say a man suspected of kidnapping a woman used an ATM card with his name on it to pop open a lock at her Wyoming home, and then left the card behind. (AP, 10:51 a.m.)
Actor LeVar Burton in car crash, not badly hurt
Los Angeles police say actor LeVar Burton was involved in a five-car accident but wasn't seriously injured. (AP, 10:51 a.m.)
Ex-defense contractor with ties to Murtha in court
The former chief executive officer of a defense contractor with ties to U.S. Rep. John Murtha is expected in federal court in northern Florida. (AP, 10:40 a.m.)
NJ man who stole 91 lobsters sentenced to 4 years
A New Jersey man has pleaded guilty to stealing 91 lobster tails from an Atlantic City casino's kitchen by cramming them into his jacket and backpack. He's been sentenced to four years in prison. (AP, 11:52 a.m.)
Achievement gap divides black, white students
An Education Department report finds that reading and math scores are rising for black students across the country, but not enough to close the gap between black students and their better-scoring white peers. (AP Education Writer, 9:42 a.m.)
Hoarded art by 'quirky' collector could net $20M
Charles Martignette's love of illustration art had largely gone unseen, an incredible collection tucked away in storage rooms and a sprawling warehouse before his death. But as auctioneers prepare for an expected $20 million sale, thousands of pieces of art -- from scantily clad pinup girls to wholesome works by Norman Rockwell -- will come out of the dust. (Associated Press Writer, 10:11 a.m.)
The Nation's weather
A large trough of low pressure will instigate unsettling weather in the Midwest on Tuesday. (For The Associated Press, 8:51 a.m.)