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AP Top News at 7:49 p.m. EST - November 21

Historic health care bill nears key Senate vote

WASHINGTON (AP) - Invoking the name of the late Edward M. Kennedy, Senate Democrats sealed a 60-vote majority needed to advance health care legislation Saturday ahead of an evening showdown with opposition Republicans eager to inflict a punishing defeat on President Barack Obama. Two final holdouts, Sens. Mary Landrieu of Louisiana and Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas, announced in speeches a few hours apart on the Senate floor that they would join in clearing the way for a bruising, full-scale health care debate after Thanksgiving.

Fort Hood suspect in confinement in hospital

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — The Army psychiatrist charged in one of the worst mass shootings on a U.S. military base will be confined until his military trial, initially staying in a hospital where he is recovering from gunshot wounds, his attorney said Saturday. During a hearing at Maj. Nidal Hasan's hospital room in San Antonio on Saturday, a magistrate ruled that there was probable cause that Hasan committed the Nov. 5 shooting at Fort Hood, said his civilian attorney, John Galligan. Hasan has been at Brooke Army Medical Center since the shooting that killed 13 and wounded two dozen others.

Levin: More e-mails from Ft. Hood suspect possible

WASHINGTON - The government intercepted at least 18 e-mails between the alleged FortHood gunman and a radical Muslim cleric, and a key senator says there could be more communications that might have tipped off law enforcement or military officials. Federal investigators say they intercepted the messages between the suspect, Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, and Anwar al-Awlaki, a radical American-born cleric. They were passed along to two Joint Terrorism Task Force cells led by the FBI, but a senior defense official said no one at the Defense Department knew about the messages until after the shootings. The official spoke on condition of anonymity in order to discuss intelligence procedures.

Restored machine to explore mysteries of Big Bang

GENEVA (AP) - Scientists are preparing the world's largest atom smasher to explore the depths of matter after successfully restarting the $10 billion machine following more than a year of repairs. When the machine is fully operational, its magnets will control the beams of protons and send them in opposite directions through two parallel tubes the size of fire hoses.

Ex-Air Force nurse acquitted of killing patients

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — A court martial acquitted a former military nurse of murder Saturday after he was accused of giving lethal doses of painkillers to hasten the deaths of three terminally ill patients at the Air Force's largest hospital. Capt. Michael Fontana, wearing his Air Force uniform, showed no emotion as a military judge cleared him of three counts of murder, then collapsed into the arms of weeping family members inside a Lackland Air Force Base courtroom.

More Americans expected to travel for Thanksgiving

WASHINGTON (AP) - The number of Americans traveling away from home for Thanksgiving will be up only slightly this year from 2008, according to a report from the AAA auto club. The group, which surveyed 1,350 households, said there will be about 33.2 million people traveling by car this year - a 2.1 percent increase from last year.

Astronauts finish another spacewalk, still no baby

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) - A spacewalking astronaut put aside the impending birth of his daughter and blazed through his first-ever venture outside the International Space Station on Saturday. Expectant father Randolph Bresnik and Michael Foreman were so far ahead despite their late start and interrupted sleep the night before - false fire and decompression alarms jolted them awake - that their commander handed them extra work.

Jackson moonwalk glove sells for $350K in NYC

NEW YORK (AP) — The gleaming glove Michael Jackson wore when he premiered his trademark moonwalk dance in 1983 has been auctioned off for $350,000. As the glove's price soared Saturday, fans roared and squealed with pleasure — echoing the kind of frenzy that accompanied the late pop star on his tours.

Police: Ohio suspect may have eaten evidence

STREETSBORO, Ohio (AP) - Police say a bank robbery suspect in Ohio may have eaten evidence when he gobbled a piece of paper while handcuffed and lying across the hood of a police cruiser. A police video camera captured the 35-year-old John Ford of Cleveland grabbing the paper with his mouth as police emptied his pockets.

McCluster passes Ole Miss to 25-23 win over LSU

OXFORD, Miss. (AP) - Dexter McCluster ran for 148 yards and passed for a touchdown, and Mississippi survived a last-ditch drive by 10th-ranked LSU for a 25-23 victory Saturday. After recovering an onside kick, LSU's Jordan Jefferson heaved a pass to Terrance Tolliver that he caught at the Ole Miss 6 with one second left. The Tigers had no timeouts and didn't send the field goal unit onto the field, and the clock expired as they tried to spike the ball.

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