Wisc. Shooting Kills 6, Wounds Toddler

DELAVAN, Wis. - A shooting inside a home killed six people, and a toddler was found in a nearby vehicle with a gunshot to the chest, the police chief said Sunday.

Police found the bodies while investigating a report of shots fired Saturday night in the small southern Wisconsin town, Chief Tim O'Neill said. Police interviewed friends and relatives of the victims Sunday morning, but released no details on the investigation or whether they had identified a suspect.

The wounded child, a 2-year-old girl, was listed in serious condition Sunday at the University of Wisconsin Hospital in Madison, O'Neill said.

O'Neill withheld the victims' names and declined to take …

Judge upholds $100M Mattel verdict over Bratz

A federal judge upheld a $100 million jury verdict Monday for Mattel Inc. in a lengthy legal battle over rights to the Bratz doll, a rival to Mattel's Barbie.

U.S. District Judge Stephen Larson also confirmed in his ruling late Monday that the Bratz doll _ marketed by MGA Entertainment Inc. since 2001 _ is Mattel property. He appointed a temporary federal receiver to take control of the Bratz brand and MGA's assets.

The receiver will decide who produces the doll and under what terms, but the order authorizes the receiver to maximize profits by "selling Bratz-branded dolls and other goods through appropriate channels of trade and distribution."

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Title insurance not tied to hike in home value

Q. When I bought my house many years ago, I got a titleinsurance policy in the amount of its cost. The house is now worthmany times over what I paid for it. Shouldn't I have increased theamount of my title insurance to keep pace with the rising value ofthe house, just as I do with my fire insurance? Am I grosslyunderinsured?

A. You don't have to increase the amount of title insurance ona house as it increases in value. Title insurance is not like fireinsurance. It's greatly different from any other kind of insuranceyou have.

Regardless of the amount of title insurance listed on thepolicy, the mere fact that a title insurer was willing to insure yourtitle in …

Monday, October 4

Today is Monday, October 4, the 277th day of 2010. There are 88 days left in the year.

Highlights in history on this date:

1830 - The provisional government of Belgium proclaims the country's independence from The Netherlands.

1853 - Turkey declares war on Russia, which occupied modern Romania three months earlier. Later Britain, France and Sardinia join the Crimean War on Turkey's side.

1865 - Napoleon III of France agrees to Prussian supremacy in Germany and to a united Italy after meeting Otto von Bismarck in Biarritz.

1895 - The first U.S. Open golf tournament is held, at the Newport Country Club in Rhode Island.

1910 - Portugal's King Manuel II …

Tens of thousands of South Koreans protest against US beef

Tens of thousands of people demonstrated in South Korea's capital Saturday against U.S. beef imports, as a pro-government group staged a counter rally calling for an end to weeks of sometimes-violent protests.

Police estimated that 50,000 people jammed a plaza in front of Seoul's City Hall and an adjacent 14-lane boulevard, holding candles and anti-government signs. The protesters, including Catholic priests and Buddhist monks, sang songs and chanted slogans.

About 20,000 riot police were deployed around the site, but there were no immediate reports of clashes.

It was the second-largest rally in a series of near-daily protests held for the past …

Doctor's wife and two kids murdered

Raiders murdered a doctor's wife and two daughters after breakinginto their house.

Dr William Petit, who was severely injured, told police inCheshire, Connecticut, his family had been held hostage for hours.

Then a family member, who has not been identified, was taken tothe bank with a suspect to withdraw cash.

But …

Preparing for a crisis [Suggestions from the Bible]

One could get the impression from news sources that January 1, 2000 will bring some crisis to all of us. For those who think the crisis will be large, preparations are time consuming and expensive -- storing up food and water, purchasing a generator, having adequate cash on hand, and possibly being ready to defend yourself against the breakdown of law and order.

Suggested preparations are almost entirely individual or, at best, family. We also notice that they are primarily physical. Neighbourhoods do not seem to be sponsoring seminars on how to resolve conflicts in a crisis.

Is there something we can learn from the Bible about preparing for a crisis? There are texts about …