N.Y. man in divorce wants kidney back he donated to wife, or $1.5M
A Long Island surgeon embroiled in a nearly four-year divorce proceeding wants his estranged wife to return the kidney he donated to her, although he says he'll settle for $1.5 million in compensation.

Funeral today for John Travolta's son
A private memorial service for Jett will be held Thursday afternoon for family and close friends in Ocala, his publicist said. Doctors in the Bahamas performed an autopsy on Jett on Monday but did not release results. A Bahamas undertaker said the teen's death certificate had "seizure" as the cause of death. The teen had a history of seizures; his body was cremated Monday and flown to the United States. the same night.

IRS tax compliance costly for individuals, businesses
The nation's tax code is so complex that taxpayers spend nearly $200 billion a year on the work required to comply with requirements, the government's taxpayer advocate said in a report released Wednesday. The report also said the Internal Revenue Service should do more to help financially strapped taxpayers meet their obligations, an issue addressed by the IRS on Tuesday.

Gas prices could hit $3 by summer
"It is reasonable to think that fuel prices for much of 2009 will be trading between $2 to $3 a gallon," said Gregg Laskoski, Tampa-based AAA Auto Club South spokesman.

Social Security goes online just in time for the Baby Boomer rush
The Social Security Administration, envisaging the near-future prospect of 10,000 baby boomers applying for benefits every day, has put together a new online service that will allow people to get their benefits without ever traveling to a Social Security field office.

Freshman congressmen from Treasure Coast prepare for new jobs on Capitol Hill
U.S. Congressmen-elect Tom Rooney, R-Tequesta, and Bill Posey, R-Rockledge, are stepping into a job this week that requires their immediate attention on a deepening global financial crisis.

What are crushed bugs doing as ingredients in food, makeup?
Got bugs? Got waffles, lipstick, yogurt or strawberry milk? How about candy, shampoo and nail polish? An array of products contain either carmine, a vivid red dye, or cochineal extract, an orange dye; both are from the same female beetle.

Freshmen congressmen settling in ahead of swearing-in Tuesday
U.S. congressmen-elect Bill Posey, R-Rockledge, and Tom Rooney, R-Tequesta, are stepping into a job this week that requires their immediate attention on a deepening global financial crisis. However, for a few moments on Tuesday they will get to bask in attention drawn their way as the 111th Congress is sworn into office.

Oregon kids alone 3 days as parents lay dead in locked room
A couple who hadn't been seen since New Year's Eve have been found dead inside their locked bedroom with their crying 9-month-old daughter, and three older children had been left out on their own. The bodies of Hannah Crowe and Julian Wallulatum were discovered Saturday after the older children asked a neighbor to help.

Richardson withdraws bid to be commerce secretary
New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson on Sunday announced that he was withdrawing his nomination to be President-elect Barack Obama?s commerce secretary amid a grand jury investigation into how some of his political donors won a lucrative state contract.

Travolta, wife 'heartbroken' over 16-year-old son's death
John Travolta said Saturday he and his wife Kelly Preston are ?heartbroken? over the death of their chronically ill 16-year-old son, who collapsed at the family?s vacation home on Grand Bahama.

Woman drowns retrieving dog from frozen pond
New Jersey authorities say a woman drowned trying to retrieve her grandson's dog from a frozen pond. Authorities say 61-year-old Janet Howard was walking a German Shepherd named Apollo on Saturday when it wandered onto the ice covering Plainsboro Pond. Police speculate that Howard went after the dog but the ice broke, plunging her and the animal into the water about 25 feet from shore.

Cops: Dad ordered to pay child support kills son
A man who initially told police gunmen kidnapped his 2 1/2-year-old son was arrested Saturday, accused of committing an "extremely hideous" murder because he was ordered to pay child support, New Orleans Police Superintendent Warren Riley said. Danny Platt confessed, told police where to find the child's body and will be booked on a charge of first-degree murder in the death of Ja' Shawn Powell, Riley said at a news conference.

John Travolta's 16-year-old son dies in Bahamas
John Travolta?s teenage son, Jett, died in the Bahamas after falling ill and hitting his head at his family?s vacation home, police said Friday.

9 Muslims removed from flight get AirTran apology
One of the passengers says the confusion started at Reagan National Airport in Washington, D.C., when his brother was talking about the safest place to sit on an airplane.

Louisiana dispatcher calls Fort Pierce police to report buried body call
The dispatcher, from the Lafayette, La., police department, told a sergeant that the caller told her he ?killed a person? in Jupiter, Fort Pierce, Yuma, Ariz.; and Lafayette.

9 Muslim passengers kicked off flight from Washington, D.C. to Florida
AirTran Airways spokesman Tad Hutcheson called the incident on the New Year's Day flight from Reagan National Airport to Orlando, Fla., a misunderstanding, but defended the company's response. He said the airline followed federal rules and did nothing wrong.

There is bad news with lower gas prices
Motorists are driving less and buying less gasoline, which means fuel taxes aren't raising enough money to keep pace with the cost of road, bridge and transit programs. That has the federal commission that oversees financing for transportation talking about increasing the federal fuel tax by 50 percent.

Vero man dies in S. Carolina ATV accident
Thomas Copeland of Vero Beach, died about 11 p.m. on New Year's Eve of multiple head and chest trauma after the all terrain vehicle he was driving flipped on a South Carolina road.

Panel: Increase fuel taxes 10 cents a gallon to fund highways
A 50 percent increase in gasoline and diesel fuel taxes is being urged by a federal commission to finance highway construction and repair until the government devises another way for motorists to pay for using public roads. Members of the infrastructure financing commission say they will urge Congress to raise the gas tax by 10 cents a gallon and the diesel fuel tax by 12 to 15 cents a gallon.