Teen goes on rampage in upscale neighborhood

ALISO VIEJO, Calif. -- A 19-year-old in a black cape and helmet went on a shooting rampage Saturday in his upscale Southern California neighborhood, killing a man and his daughter before committing suicide, authorities said. William Freund also fired shots into another house and confronted a neighbor outside, said Orange County Sheriff's Department spokesman Jim Amormino. There was no known link between the teen and the victims, police said. "It may have been random," Amormino said. Police tape blocked off much of the large subdivision in the hills above Aliso Viejo, a wealthy section of south Orange County.

Bush to unveil super flu strategy Tuesday at NIH

WASHINGTON -- The Bush administration's long-awaited plan on how to fight the next super flu will likely include beefed-up attempts to spot human infections early, both here and abroad. Expect recommendations on how to isolate the sick. Governors and mayors are on notice to figure out who will actually inject stockpiled vaccines into the arms of panicked people. Bush on Tuesday is visiting the National Institutes of Health to announce his administration's strategy on how to prepare for the next flu pandemic, whether it's caused by the bird flu in Asia or some other super strain of influenza. Federal health officials have spent the last year updating a national plan on how to do that. Stockpiling drugs and vaccines is just one component.

Prop. 75 targets unions' political influence in Calif.

SAN FRANCISCO -- Of all the measures Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is promoting on his special election ballot, none has energized conservatives and threatened Democrats as much as a measure to weaken the political clout of public employee unions. The initiative would require the unions to get written permission from members each year before using their dues for political purposes. If voters approve it Nov. 8, the initiative could reduce a rich source of campaign cash for Democrats and significantly weaken labor's influence in state politics. It's a prospect savored by Republicans, who complain that unions, particularly the powerful California Teachers Association, enjoy outsized influence over the Democrat-controlled legislature.

Paramount removes billboards after protest

LOS ANGELES -- Activists in a south Los Angeles neighborhood staged a rally to protest the billboard for the upcoming 50 Cent film "Get Rich or Die Tryin'." Paramount Pictures is removing some of the billboards as a result. The billboards depict the rapper, whose real name is Curtis Jackson, holding a gun in his left hand and a microphone in his right. At least two were near schools. A studio spokesman said Friday that Paramount was evaluating the locations of the billboards and taking some down. He declined further comment.

Alaska high court rejects ruling barring gay benefits

ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- Gay rights advocates claimed a major victory after the state Supreme Court ruled it unconstitutional to deny benefits to same-sex partners of public employees. In overturning a lower court ruling, the state high court said Friday that barring benefits for state and city employees' same-sex partners violates the Alaska constitution's equal protection clause. The ruling could influence courts in other states, said Michael Macleod-Ball, director of the Alaska American Civil Liberties Union. Alaska was one of the first states to pass a constitutional ban on homosexual marriage.

-- From wire reports