Former D.C. mayor blasts sting operation targeting him

WASHINGTON, D.C. (AP) -- Former Washington Mayor Marion Barry is calling on Attorney General Janet Reno to investigate a police and FBI sting operation designed to catch him accepting a bribe.Barry called the planned sting "appalling and outrageous" and said to even think of accepting a bribe would be "out of character for me."

The sting, which never took place and produced no charges, was planned after a Washington policeman was secretly arrested on corruption charges. Lt. Yong H. Ahn agreed to help law enforcers by having his wife try to buy a job with the city, according to court documents.

In the court papers, Ahn's wife quotes an FBI agent as saying "they would get him (Barry) with a felony, and he would never get away with this."

Touting healthfulness o.j.? Don't use AMA's name in ads

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) -- After getting an angry letter from the American Medical Association, the state decided to stop mentioning the association's journal in ads touting the health benefits of orange juice.

An AMA lawyer sent the sternly worded letter urging the Florida Department of Citrus to stop using the journal's name in 15-second commercials meant to draw attention to a recently published study.

The Harvard University study found a link between consumption of fruits, vegetables and citrus juice and a lower incidence of the most common form of stroke.

AMA senior counsel Wayne G. Hoppe complained that the commercials were oversimplified and misleading and failed to note that the Florida agency helped pay for the study.

"Clearly, the advertisements' use of the name of the Journal of the American Medical Association is for a commercial purpose," Hoppe wrote in the letter.

Prosecutors seek to free man framed on drug charges

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- As part of an ongoing corruption probe, prosecutors are expected to ask a judge today to free a man framed on drug charges by a Los Angeles police officer.

Former officer Rafael Perez, the central figure in the corruption scandal, admitted Wednesday that he wrongly accused Oscar Francisco Lafarga of violating probation in 1996, District Attorney Gil Garcetti said Thursday.

Lafarga had been on parole for a 1995 conviction for receiving stolen property when he was arrested in May 1996 and charged with possessing cocaine.

The drug charge was dismissed in September 1996 when Lafarga received a 16-month prison term for violating his probation.

Garcetti's office said it will support a public defender's request to reinstate probation for 40-year-old Lafarga.

Activist emerges from hiding after faking his own death

RENO, Nev. (AP) -- Ten days after he mysteriously disappeared, leaving behind his bloodstained car in close proximity to two brothels, an anti-prostitution crusader came out of hiding and admitted to faking his own death.

Milo John Reese said the stunt was intended to bring attention to his cause.

"I'm sorry I put everybody up to this, but I thought it was the only way to do it," said Reese, 54.

Investigators who launched an extensive search effort now say they are considering charges against Reese.

"We are also exploring any potential for recovering our costs and expenses for looking for Mr. Reese," Washoe County Sheriff's Lt. Doug Gist said Thursday.

No chalupa? Football player charges drive-up, gets stuck

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) -- A 270-pound University of Kansas football player became stuck in a Taco Bell drive-thru window when he tried to charge employees who left a chalupa from his order, authorities said.

Dion Rayford, a senior defensive end, was suspended from Saturday night's upcoming game against Iowa State, the final game of the season.

Rayford, 24, pleaded not guilty on Wednesday to charges of disorderly conduct, misdemeanor property damage and having an open container of alcohol. He was released on his own recognizance.

Authorities say Rayford became angry about 2 a.m. on Wednesday when he didn't get a requested chalupa in his order and tried to climb through the 14-by-46-inch drive-thru window.

The window couldn't support the 6-foot, 3-inch Rayford and broke.

Man who murdered woman, daughter is executed in N.C.

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) -- A man convicted of repeatedly stabbing a young mother and her 9-year-old daughter to death nearly 20 years ago was executed by lethal injection early Friday.

David Junior Brown, 51, was pronounced dead at 2:21 a.m. following a lethal injection at Central Prison in Raleigh, said Tracy Little, a state Corrections Department spokeswoman.

Brown was sentenced to die for the Aug. 25, 1980, murders of Shelly Chalflinch, 26, and her daughter, Christina. He was a co-worker of Chalflinch's at a Pinehurst hotel.

Among evidence linking him to the slayings was his silver signet ring found inside the dead woman's body.

Brown said he removed the ring at a party the night before the murders and never saw it again. He said someone set him up by stealing the ring and inserting it into Chalflinch's body.

NASA finds more wire woes aboard shuttle Discovery

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) -- More wiring problems have been found on space shuttle Discovery, but NASA says it is too soon to determine whether repairs will delay next month's planned launch to the Hubble Space Telescope.

Discovery is due to blast off Dec. 6 with crucial replacement parts for Hubble.

On Thursday, technicians found minor flaws in the insulation of wiring needed to relay electrical power from the shuttle to the external fuel tank and solid rocket boosters, said NASA spokesman Joel Wells.

The discovery was made after cracks were found in similar wiring aboard Endeavour.

The solution could be as fast and easy as applying tape for extra insulation, or could be much more complicated, Wells said. All work can be done at the launch pad, he said.

Texas Tornado musician found dead in N.M. lodge

SAN ANTONIO, Texas (AP) -- Doug Sahm, leader of the Sir Douglas Quintet and one of the principals of the Grammy-winning Texas Tornados, was found dead Thursday in Taos, N.M.. He was 58.

Sahm, a San Antonio native, was discovered Thursday afternoon in a room at the Kachina Lodge, said a Taos police spokesman, who said he apparently died of natural causes. An autopsy was ordered.

A regular performer on San Antonio radio stations before he was 10 years old, he was a steel guitar prodigy who also was proficient on fiddle, mandolin and guitar.

His music went in many different directions, mixing '60s pop with psychedelia, swing, country, blues and Mexican conjunto.

"Musically speaking, this is the end of an era," Sahm's oldest son, Shawn, 34, told the San Antonio Express-News. "He went from sitting on Hank Williams' knee to being an English rock star to doing the Texas Tornados. From T-Bone Walker to Roky Erickson, he played it all."

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Sir Douglas Quintet started charting hits in 1965 with the song "She's About a Mover." He later recorded with Bob Dylan and Dr. John.

The Texas Tornados were formed in 1989 with Sahm, Augie Meyers, vocalist and guitarist Freddy Fender and accordionist Flaco Jimenez. They won a 1991 Grammy for their first album.

"He left his mark in the world," said Meyers, Sahm's musical partner for 35 years. "The good Lord wanted to hear some Quintet and they weren't playing enough on the radio, I guess."

Sahm is survived by three children and two grandchildren.

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