KMPH Fox 26 Central San Joaquin Valley News Source in Fresno, California Entertainment, News, Sports and Weather | AP Top News at 10:35 p.m. EDT - September 09

AP Top News at 10:35 p.m. EDT - September 09

Obama: Time for 'bickering' is over on health care

WASHINGTON (AP) - Shaking off a summer of setbacks, President Barack Obama summoned Congress to enact sweeping health care legislation Wednesday night, declaring the "time for bickering is over" and the moment has arrived to protect millions who have unreliable insurance or no coverage at all. Obama said the changes he wants would cost about $900 billion over decade, "less than we have spent on the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, and less than the tax cuts for the wealthiest few Americans" passed during the Bush administration.

FACT CHECK: Obama drops iffy line on health plan

WASHINGTON (AP) — The change was subtle, but significant. In his speech to Congress on Wednesday night, President Barack Obama gave a more accurate — and less reassuring — account of the impact of his proposed health care overall than he has done in the past. It went by in a blink. He told Americans that nothing he is proposing will force businesses or consumers to change their existing insurance coverage. That much is true.

Fanatic hijacked Mexican plane after 'revelation'

MEXICO CITY (AP) - A Bolivian religious fanatic briefly hijacked a jetliner from the beach resort of Cancun as it landed in Mexico City on Wednesday, police said. All passengers and the crew were released unharmed. The Bible-carrying hijacker used a juice can he said was a bomb to hold the 103 passengers and crew on the tarmac for more than an hour. Masked police stormed the aircraft with their guns drawn and escorted several handcuffed men away without firing a shot. Police later said there was only one hijacker.

Photos released of terrorist mastermind at Gitmo

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) - The first photographs of the self-proclaimed 9/11 mastermind at Guantanamo Bay have cropped up on the Internet, and experts say the images of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed are being used by terrorist groups to inspire attacks against the United States. The photographs, taken in July by the Red Cross at the detention center on a U.S. naval base in Cuba, show Mohammed sitting serenely wearing a white robe, a red-patterned headdress and a long salt-and-pepper beard.

Lockerbie bomber weak, pale in public appearance

TRIPOLI, Libya (AP) — The ailing Lockerbie bomber looked weak and pale, sitting in a wheelchair, as he was visited by a group of African parliamentarians Wednesday in a rare appearance in the hospital where he is being treated for prostate cancer. Abdel Baset al-Megrahi appeared for only five minutes and did not speak during the visit in the Tripoli Medical Center. Dressed in hospital scrubs, he wore a surgical mask over his mouth and nose and a traditional embroidered cap.

Suspect in slayings well-known in his neighborhood

MILWAUKEE (AP) - Walter Ellis was anything but unknown in his north side neighborhood in Milwaukee - a mix of condemned and run-down houses with some nicer, newer homes. Even as the bodies of suspected prostitutes began turning up in garbage bins and abandoned buildings near his home, the stocky Ellis had regular - sometimes violent, often friendly - interaction with neighbors and family, and more than a dozen run-ins with police.

Walruses congregate on Alaska shore as ice melts

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) - Thousands of walruses are congregating on Alaska's northwest coast, a sign that their Arctic sea ice environment has been altered by climate change. Chad Jay, a U.S. Geological Survey walrus researcher, said Wednesday that about 3,500 walruses were near Icy Cape on the Chukchi Sea, some 140 miles southwest of Barrow.

Fox says DeGeneres is new 'American Idol' judge

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Ellen DeGeneres is dancing her way into the fourth judge's seat on "American Idol." Fox announced Wednesday the talk show host and comedian, who admittedly has no formal music experience other than a passion for tunes, would join Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson and Kara DioGuardi for the ninth season starting in January. The announcement all but seals the departure of Paula Abdul, who announced she was quitting the show amid a contract dispute in July.

Man allegedly flings jellyfish at teens at beach

MADEIRA BEACH, Fla. (AP) - A 41-year-old man was arrested on Monday at at Madeira Beach after witnesses said he repeatedly pretended to drown, then allegedly began tossing jellyfish at nearby teenagers. According to a sheriff's office report, Keith Edward Marriott caused "concern for his safety" when he repeatedly submerged himself and floated back to the top of the water. He was also "loud and disruptive." He then started throwing the sea creatures.

Jeter ties Yankees hit record; Posada's HR wins it

NEW YORK (AP) - Derek Jeter tied Lou Gehrig atop the Yankees hit list and New York rallied for a 4-2 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday night thanks to a three-run homer by pinch-hitter Jorge Posada in the eighth inning. Jeter got three hits to match Gehrig with 2,721 in a Yankees uniform, a mark the Hall of Famer had held by himself for more than 70 years. Jeter had a chance to break the record, but he walked against reliever Grant Balfour after New York's comeback in the eighth.

Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.