Treasury secretary signals he is ready to resign

WASHINGTON -- Treasury Secretary John Snow, a loyal lieutenant on the White House economic team, has signaled he is ready to resign once President Bush picks a successor, administration officials and people close to Snow say. Snow has made clear to the White House that he intends to return to the private sector, these people said. They spoke on condition of anonymity because Snow is not ready to discuss his plans publicly. It was unclear when Snow would offer his resignation, these people said. Bush said he had heard nothing about it.

FDA approves vaccine for treating shingles

WASHINGTON -- A new and more potent version of the chickenpox vaccine has won federal approval to prevent shingles, the often painful disease that can strike the elderly when the chickenpox virus emerges after lying dormant for decades. The Food and Drug Administration announced Friday that it had licensed the vaccine Zostavax to reduce the risk of shingles in adults 60 and older. The Merck & Co. Inc. vaccine is only for adults who previously have had chickenpox. There are roughly 1 million new U.S. cases of shingles each year. It typically affects the elderly, though anyone with a weakened immune system is vulnerable.

6 people washed away after rain in Ind., Ky., Tenn.

INDIANAPOLIS -- Storms with harsh rain, hail and winds rushed across a region from Tennessee to Michigan, and rising waters swept away six people. A 15-year-old was found dead in Tennessee Friday and five others remained missing. Rescuers in Indiana were looking for a 4-year-old boy, his father and grandfather, whose pickup was carried off Thursday night. A hunt also continued in Kentucky for another 4-year-old washed away in a vehicle after two adults managed to get out. In Tennessee, Clarksville police officer Andy Bechtold said rescuers early Friday found the body of one of two 15-year-olds who went missing while swimming in a creek. Two rescue workers were injured, one critically, when their small boat tipped over in the rushing water. In central Kentucky, a 68-year-old woman was found dead early Friday on the sidewalk in front of her Lexington home. It appeared she was placing her yard waste container by the curb for pickup when she was struck by lightning, the Fayette County coroner's office said.

Gay rugby players gather for tournament

NEW YORK -- The Bingham Cup, a rugby tournament open to gay teams, will be held this weekend. It pays tribute to Mark Bingham, who was gay and believed to be one of the passengers who fought hijackers on the United flight that crashed in Pennsylvania five years ago. "Mark's legacy was that he showed a lot of people that a gay man can be a good athlete in a rough contact sport like rugby and that a gay man can also be heroic," said Scott Glaessgen of the New York Gotham Knights, who met Bingham through their shared interest in the sport. The tournament runs Friday through Sunday.

-- From wire reports