Nation briefs 2/25/05

Two killed during rampage at Texas courthouse

TYLER, Texas -- A man with a high-powered rifle opened fire Thursday in the town square near the courthouse, killing two people and wounding two law officers and one other person, authorities said. The gunman fled the scene but was shot and later arrested; he was being treated at a hospital. A Smith County Sheriff's deputy, a Tyler police officer and a civilian were wounded, police spokesman Don Martin said. A man and a woman were killed.

Judge: Newspaper can stop phone record inquiry

NEW YORK -- The New York Times has a First Amendment right to protect the confidentiality of its sources by denying the government phone records in certain instances, a judge ruled Thursday. Saying that secrecy in government appears to be on the rise, Judge Robert W. Sweet refused to toss out a First Amendment lawsuit the newspaper filed last year to stop the Department of Justice from getting records of phone calls between two veteran journalists and sources. "The free press has long performed an essential role in ensuring against abuses of governmental power," the judge said.

Manslaughter conviction upheld for S.D. governor

PIERRE, S.D. -- The state's highest court on Thursday upheld Bill Janklow's conviction for a 2003 crash that killed a motorcyclist, rejecting the former congressman's argument that there wasn't enough evidence for a guilty verdict. Ruling unanimously, the South Dakota Supreme Court also found that Janklow had received a fair trial. Janklow, 65, was convicted of second-degree manslaughter and reckless driving for killing 55-year-old motorcyclist Randy Scott in August 2003 on a rural highway near Trent.

Wal-Mart not coming to Queens neighborhood

NEW YORK -- A real estate developer scrapped plans to build the city's first Wal-Mart store amid intense pressure from residents and union leaders. The decision, announced by city officials Wednesday, comes as a blow to the retail giant, which has sought for years to move into the lucrative New York City market. The company had announced Dec. 6 that it would open a new store in the Rego Park neighborhood of Queens.

Calif. crews struggle against storm damage

LOS ANGELES -- For firefighters, there's little time to stop and eat or even use the restroom. For road crews, there are thousands of potholes -- some the size of cars. While skies cleared Wednesday over Southern California, a six-day drenching left city workers scrambling to keep up with a rush of calls for collapsing homes, roads choked with mud -- not to mention house-sized boulders seemingly ready to tumble down hillsides. At least nine people have died in the deluge. In Los Angeles, city engineers slapped red or yellow tags on more than 100 homes, rendering them temporarily uninhabitable or safe for only limited entry.