Rhode Island

MILWAUKEE (Reuters) - The American Civil Liberties on Tuesday sued the state of Wisconsin over its voter ID law, claiming it is unconstitutional and will deprive citizens of their basic right to vote.

More than 3,700 couples in Illinois have applied for a civil union license during the first six months since the law took effect. More than 3,700 couples in Illinois have applied for a civil union license during the first six months since the law took effect, ChicagoPride.com reported. ?The large numbers of people getting their civil unions is further evidence of how urgent these rights and protections are,? said Equality Illinois CEO Bernard Cherkasov. ?Every single one of these families, as well as thousands of families whose relationships are already recognized, also deserve federal protections and we must work to make that a reality.? More than half (50.4%) of all licenses were issued in Cook County, which includes Chicago, the third most populous city in the United States. Illinois' civil union law was approved by lawmakers after years of intense lobbying from activists. It went into effect on June 1. A civil union law in Hawaii takes effect on January 1. Three additional states ?

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republicans in Congress on Thursday sought to shift attention back to public pension shortfalls, with estimates of the total deficit ranging from $600 billion up to $3 trillion.

(Reuters) - The American Civil Liberties Union said on Wednesday it will oppose a new ordinance allowing a Rhode Island town to charge the hosts of noisy house parties for the cost of sending police to investigate complaints.

CONWAY, Mass (Reuters) - A college student admitted his role on Friday in a violent luxury car theft in Rhode Island in which he stuffed a woman into a suitcase and a male classmate into a storage bag, authorities said.

CAMBRIDGE, Massachusetts (Reuters) - A man who admitted online fraud and helped federal agents investigate search engine giant Google was sentenced in Rhode Island on Friday to more than five years in jail and ordered to pay $10 million.

A pair of US governors have filed a petition asking the US federal government to allow wider use of medical marijuana by authorizing doctors to prescribe it and pharmacies to provide it.

SEATTLE (Reuters) - The governors of Washington state and Rhode Island filed a petition with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration on Wednesday that would allow doctors to legally prescribe marijuana as a medical treatment.

SEATTLE (Reuters) - The governors of Washington state and Rhode Island filed a petition with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration on Wednesday that would allow doctors to legally prescribe marijuana as a medical treatment.

SEATTLE (Reuters) - The governors of Washington state and Rhode Island have filed a petition with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration that would allow doctors to legally prescribe marijuana as a medical treatment.

CAMBRIDGE, Mass (Reuters) - Birthing hospitals in Rhode Island have stopped giving away free samples of infant formula to new mothers in an effort to encourage breast-feeding, a spokeswoman for the state health department said on Tuesday.

A 47-year-old Utah man was arrested and charged with possession of child pornography yesterday after he allegedly viewed pornographic images of children on his laptop computer during a flight from Utah to Boston, according to State Police. Grant Smith, of Cottonwood Heights, Utah, was arrested after troopers interviewed him when the flight landed at 4:12 p.m. at Logan International Airport. State Police had received a report that a man on a Delta Air Lines flight was viewing pornographic images of children. A passenger allegedly saw the images on Smith's computer screen and informed the flight crew. Smith was seated in first class. He was being held at the Logan Airport barracks and his bail was set at $15,000. Smith is set to be arraigned tomorrow in East Boston District Court. Police are investigating the incident, and will determine whether any further charges are warranted.

MEN'S

The writing doesn't come easy, let me tell you. I am well aware of the typical holiday letter pattern of restrained boast (Kelly's disappointment at getting wait-listed at Georgetown was offset by her early acceptance from Dartmouth), coupled with banal household updates (``Steve has re-sodded the side lawn. Again'') and tales from abroad (``It was our third time in Tuscany, and we're still just scratching the surface!''). Inevitably, along with the breezy news, comes pathos (``Stephanie, our bearded dragon lizard, has been doing poorly; let's hope the new year brings some improvement''). There's a lot there to laugh at.

``It's like going to a funeral,'' said Tines, who has made the early morning road trip an annual tradition with her husband, Andrew Smith, who shopped in the men's store across the street.

Jeremy Lamb had 15 points for the defending national champion Huskies (5-1), who lost for the first time since March 5, against Notre Dame. Alex Oriakhi added 14 points and 10 rebounds.

``This is a big step to returning the city to normalcy,'' Flanders said. ``It's a tremendous relief, because, absent agreement, we would have had to duke this out in bankruptcy court.

MADISON, Wis (Reuters) - Wisconsin's election board on Tuesday authorized a state university to issue identification cards that students can use to comply with the new law requiring voters to present photo ID at polling places.

Michael Dearington, New Haven state's attorney, would not discuss why Connecticut decided to extradite Thomas, who is planning to challenge the move to another jurisdiction.

This time of year lodging bargains abound. Close to hiking hot spots such as Burlingame State Park is the Windswept Inn (10 Prosser Trail, 401-364-3421, www.thewindsweptinn.com, rates from $75), a renovated 19-room property. Like walking in the sand? Not far from Charlestown Beach is the Surfside Motel (334 Narrow Lane, 401-364-1010, www.thesurfsidemotel.com, rates from $60), built in 1938 and renovated in 2008 into a 15-room motel. Another budget-conscious choice is the Krystal Penguin Inn (5399 Post Road, 401-364-0062, www.krystalinn.com, rates from $49). Just over the town line in Westerly is the historic 24-room Shelter Harbor Inn (10 Wagner Road, Westerly, 401-322-8883, www.shelterharborinn.com, rates from $96), which early in the last century was part of what was known as the ``Musicolony,'' a place where musicians and their families relaxed between performing seasons in Newport and New York.