RICHMOND, Va. -- Former Virginia governor Bob McDonnell was sentenced to two years in prison for taking money and gifts in exchange for promoting a dietary supplement while he was in office. McDonnell, a Republican, was once on the short list to be Mitt Romney's vice presidential running mate. He was sentenced Tuesday after being convicted of 11 counts of corruption. The former governor and his wife, Maureen, were found guilty in September. She was convicted of eight counts and will be sentenced in February.
WASHINGTON -- Former Florida governor Jeb Bush on Tuesday announced the formation of a political action committee designed to lay the groundwork for a 2016 presidential campaign. In a video posted in English and Spanish on Facebook, the Republican said the "Right to Rise PAC" will allow him to "support candidates who believe in conservative principles to allow all Americans to rise up." An aide confirmed the organization also allows Bush to hire staff, conduct polling, and pay for travel as he courts key donors and Republican officials across the country.
YULEE, Fla. -- With gay marriage now legal in Florida, same-sex couples from around the Deep South crossed the border Tuesday as the Sunshine State became a prime regional destination for gay and lesbian weddings still banned back home. Out-of-state couples lined up outside county courthouses early Tuesday in the Panhandle and northern Florida counties. Some drove for hours to get marriage licenses at the first opportunity. The U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear a request by Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi to maintain the state's marriage ban until a final resolution.
PANGKALAN BUN, Indonesia -- Strong currents forced Indonesia to expand the search area for the crashed AirAsia plane Tuesday, as rough seas and bad weather pushed debris and made it difficult to reach suspected chunks of the fuselage on the ocean floor. Two more bodies were retrieved Tuesday, bringing the total to 39. But there are concerns it will become harder to find the remaining corpses from Flight 8501, which crashed Dec. 28. The search operation will expand by about 70 square miles, search and rescue chief Henry Bambang Soelistyo said.
FRESNO, Calif. -- California's high-speed rail project reached a milestone Tuesday as officials marked the start of work on the nation's first bullet train, which is designed to whisk travelers at 200 mph between Los Angeles and San Francisco in less than three hours. The ceremony in Fresno comes amid challenges from Central Valley farmers and communities in the train's path who have sued to block it and from Republican members of Congress who vow to cut funding for the $68 billion project. Dan Richard, chairman of the California High-Speed Rail Authority, acknowledges the it has been slow to buy up the land needed for laying track, but he is confident the system will be built, making California a model for high-speed rail.
-- From wire reports
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