Nation briefs 1/12/06

Alaska volcano erupts with two explosions

ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- A volcano on an uninhabited island erupted early Wednesday, spewing an ash plume about 5 miles into the sky. The ash from Augustine Volcano was expected to steer clear of Anchorage, meteorologists said. Two explosions at 4:44 a.m indicated an eruption at the volcano, said geologist Jennifer Adleman of the Alaska Volcano Observatory.

Bank standoff ends with no hostages injured

KISSIMMEE, Fla. -- A bank robber who was fatally shot, ending a 10-hour police standoff, had threatened to kill himself and his last hostage in his final moments, the Osceola County sheriff said Wednesday. A sniper killed the male suspect and a female suspect was taken into custody, said Osceola County Sheriff Bob Hansell. Four hostages were not injured. The suspects had escaped the Mercantile Bank, a mile west of Walt Disney World, with one hostage after authorities blasted through the rear door using an explosive device.

Jefferson to look you in the face from new nickel

WASHINGTON -- Coming soon to a cash register near you -- a smiling Thomas Jefferson looking straight at you from a new nickel that will end nearly a century of tradition for U.S. coins. The Mint plans to begin shipping 80 million of the coins to the 12 regional Federal Reserve Banks today. Since 1909 when Abraham Lincoln became the first president depicted on a circulating coin, all the presidential images have been in profile.

LSD inventor turns 100, taking trip to seminar

GENEVA -- The inventor of LSD celebrated his 100th birthday Wednesday -- in good health and with plans to attend an international seminar on the hallucinogenic. Albert Hofmann discovered lysergic acid diethylamide-25 in 1938 while studying the medicinal uses of a fungus found on wheat and other grains at the Sandoz pharmaceuticals firm, now part of Novartis. And he became the first person to test the drug when a tiny amount of the substance seeped on to his finger during a repeat of the laboratory experiment in April 1943.

-- From wire reports