Gustav pounds Jamaica; death toll rises

Nearly a hurricane, Tropical Storm Gustav swamped Jamaica on Thursday after pounding other parts of the Caribbean and leaving at least 67 people dead in its wake.

GOP considers delaying convention
Republican officials say they are considering delaying the start of the GOP convention in Minneapolis-St. Paul because of Tropical Storm Gustav, which is on track to hit the Gulf Coast early next week.

College president quits after beer pic
An Iowa community college president resigned less than a week after a photo was published appearing to show him pouring beer into a young woman's mouth.

Abramoff lobbies for early release

Defense attorneys filed 95 letters in court Wednesday night as part of a bid to get Abramoff out of prison early.  They describe him as a humbled, changed man whose family is suffering.

Will Pawlenty be McCain's VP pick?

On the eve of what may be the most important event in his life — being chosen as Sen. John McCain's running mate on Friday — Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty seemed like one cool customer.

Obama accepts historic nomination

Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois accepted the Democratic presidential nomination Thursday night, declaring that his Republican opponent is not up to the task of resolving America's economic and foreign policy problems.

New Orleans faces evacuation

With Gustav showing no signs of veering off a track to slam into the Gulf Coast, authorities began laying the groundwork Thursday to get the sick, elderly and poor away from the shoreline.

Airline dumps life vests to save fuel
An official with Air Canada's regional carrier Jazz says the airline is removing life vests from all its planes to save weight and fuel.

1 in 10 Native American deaths alcohol related
Almost 12 percent of the deaths among American Indians and Alaska Natives are alcohol-related — more than three times the percentage in the general population, a new federal report says.