story

PHILADELPHIA – A city councilman was indicted on federal fraud and bribery charges Tuesday, five days after he was talked down from the City Hall observation deck. Rick Mariano (search), 50, was accused of giving favors to friends and businesses that paid his personal expenses. Prosecutors said he helped one …

This is a partial transcript from “Hannity & Colmes,” June 22, 2005, that has been edited for clarity. Watch “Hannity & Colmes” weeknights at 9 p.m. ET! SEAN HANNITY, CO-HOST: He is the most popular preacher in America. And this weekend, the Reverend Billy Graham will lead his — maybe …

WASHINGTON – Impotence drugs such as Viagra (search) would not be covered by Medicaid (search) and Medicare (search), the government health programs for the poor and the aged, under new prohibitions approved by the House on Friday. By a 285-121 vote, the House approved an amendment by Rep. Steve King …

DETROIT – General Motors Corp. (GM) could trigger a potentially crippling strike by the United Auto Workers (search) union should it push too hard to slash the health-care benefits it provides to UAW members, union officials said on Wednesday. The UAW has said it is willing to work with GM …

SAN JOSE, Calif. – A convicted child molester jailed in California may have committed sex crimes against thousands of victims, police said Thursday after finding computers, notebooks and meticulous, handwritten lists of boys’ names and apparent codes for various sex acts. San Jose Police Lt. Scott Cornfield described 63-year-old Dean …

HAGEN, Germany – Three men dubbed the “Grandpa Gang” (search) because of their advanced ages were convicted Friday of robbing 14 banks of more than $1.23 million, sometimes using guns dating back to World War II. The oldest, Rudolf Richter, 74, was sentenced to nine years, while Wilfried Ackermann, 73, …

WASHINGTON – Reaction continues to reverberate on Capitol Hill in response to the Supreme Court’s ruling that local governments may take private property for private economic development that could benefit the community as a whole. Lawmakers are considering a new legislative effort to curb some of the effects of that …

Creating a timeline is essential to an investigation. It is sometimes hard to create the perfect one but you take pieces of the puzzle and do the best you can. In creating a timeline for Natalee Holloway (search), we needed to figure out where Natalee was last seen or known …

GUANTANAMO BAY NAVAL BASE, Cuba – Progress has been made to improve conditions and protect detainees’ rights at the U.S. prison for suspected terrorists, House Republicans and Democrats, including one who has advocated closing the facility, said Saturday. The U.S. lawmakers witnessed interrogations, toured cell blocks and ate the same …

WASHINGTON – Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice gave no indication on Sunday that the Bush administration would accede to Democrats’ demands for more information about John R. Bolton’s (search) requests for classified intelligence. Senate Democrats say they will continue to try to block President Bush’s nomination of Bolton as U.N. …