Rangers' Hamilton will return Monday
Rangers outfielder Josh Hamilton will be reinstated from the 15-day disabled list Monday, in time to return to Texas' lineup for the team's game against the Los Angeles Angels.

Feldman, Murphy send Rangers past Rays
Scott Feldman allowed three hits in six innings, David Murphy had three hits and an RBI, and the Texas Rangers completed a three-game sweep of the Tampa Bay Rays with a 5-2 victory Sunday night.

Gator protecting nest relocated
Who you gonna call?

Rangers 5, Rays 2

Tenn. police rule ex-QB McNair's death a homicide
Shot twice in the head and two more times in the chest, former NFL quarterback Steve McNair was the victim of a homicide, police declared Sunday. But authorities wouldn't say it was a murder-suicide — even with his 20-year-old girlfriend dead at his feet from a single bullet.

Cornyn draws boos during Austin 'tea party'
Texans tired of big government and taxes rallied on courthouse and Capitol lawns on the Fourth of July, at times interrupting the remarks of Sen. John Cornyn in Austin.

4-year-old dies after being struck by SUV
Harris County authorities are investigating a traffic accident in which a 4-year-old boy died after being struck by a sport utility vehicle as the driver backed out from a curb.

Marquis, Hawpe earn All-Star bids for Rockies
Now that Jason Marquis made his first All-Star team, his family's trip to Disneyland is going to have to wait.

Oswalt, home runs pace Astros 7-1 victory
The Houston Astros received an All-Star effort from Roy Oswalt and he's hoping it could spark a run in the second half.

Rain possible in Dallas and Houston
Rain was possible across parts of Texas on Monday, along with hot conditions, according to National Weather Service forecasts.

Astros 7, Giants 1
Roy Oswalt pitched eight solid innings in the Houston Astros' 7-1 victory over the San Francisco Giants on Sunday.

Cavendish wins Tour stage; Armstrong plays it safe
Lance Armstrong just wanted to stay out of trouble on a scorching day one rider felt was better suited for baking bread.

San Antonio man arrested in triple homicide
A San Antonio man was arrested Sunday in the killings of his girlfriend, their 2-year-old daughter and another man, police said.

Man jumps to his death after chase in Houston
A man who was speeding away from authorities struck a concrete wall and jumped 50 feet to his death off a Houston highway exit ramp Sunday morning.

Nut growers look to space for support, guidance
Space is preparing to go a little nuts.

Cowboys Stadium likely off-limits for drilling
The Dallas Cowboys' new $1.15 billion stadium would probably be off-limits for underground drilling under the team's contract with the city of Arlington.

Records identify cab driver slain in North Texas
Records identify a suburban Dallas man as the North Texas cab driver whose body was found partially burned, stabbed and with his throat slashed.

Texas teen says father wrapped chain around him
A Southeast Texas man is accused of wrapping a 20-foot chain around his teenage son's neck and spraying him in the face with Mace.

Cunningham's 2 goals lift FC Dallas past Red Bulls
Jeff Cunningham scored twice in a 2-minute span of the first half to lead FC Dallas to a 2-1 victory Saturday night that extended the New York Red Bulls' road winless skid to 23 games.

Pick 3 results _ nighttime drawing
The winning Pick 3 numbers drawn Saturday night by the Texas Lottery, in order:

Winning Lotto Texas numbers
Results of the Lotto Texas drawing Saturday night:

Kamara's goal gives Dynamo 1-0 win over Wizards
Kei Kamara scored on Mike Chabala's first career assist, giving the Houston Dynamo a 1-0 victory over the Kansas City Wizards on Saturday night.

Cash Five Texas results
Results of the Cash 5 drawing Saturday night:

Daily 4 results _ evening drawing
The winning Daily 4 numbers drawn Saturday night by the Texas Lottery, in order:

Steve McNair Quote Box
Comments on the death of former NFL quarterback Steve McNair on Saturday:

Pilot in good condition
A retired Vietnam veteran was in good condition after his antique military aircraft crash-landed in a field just a few minutes after takeoff.

Soldier who fought in pink boxers home for the 4th
The soldier who was photographed fighting the Taliban in his pink boxer shorts said Saturday he was glad to be back home in Texas after his yearlong deployment to Afghanistan — especially for the Fourth of July.

Soldier who fought in pink boxers home for Fourth
A week before he was to go away to college on an ROTC scholarship, Zachary Boyd shocked his parents: He wasn't going.

Pricey 'Dallas' TV show fundraiser being planned
Two cast members of the TV show "Dallas" say they will not participate in a fundraiser being planned New Year's Eve in Florida that has outraged some fans because of steep ticket prices.

Small town America pins hopes on West trade route
For Joe Kiely, the drone of thousands of trucks passing his Colorado plains town signals economic prosperity.

TSA agent arrested after avoiding screening in NJ
A Transportation Security Administration agent was arrested at a New Jersey airport after authorities say she avoided a pre-flight screening and boarded a plane.

Chicken farming growing trend in suburbia
Some North Texas residents are going clucky over chickens, bringing the farm fowl home to raise in their backyards.

Man killed setting up for computer street sale
A man is dead after shots were fired into a crowd of vendors setting up for a sidewalk computer street sale in downtown Dallas.

Father, son pastry chefs share bond
Fathers and sons often have powerful bonds

Texas brewer, once near defeat, still shines
By all accounts, Shiner beer shouldn't have made it this long. The Spoetzl Brewery ferments its brew in a one-stoplight town that's not on the way to anywhere, and much larger regional brewers long ago succumbed to consolidation and the muscle of national brewers.

North Texas student crowned Miss Texas
Kristen Blair, competing as Miss North Texas, has won the Miss Texas crown and will represent the Lone Star State at the Miss America pageant.

Texas judge orders inmate to be force fed
A federal judge has ordered an illegal immigrant at a South Texas facility to be force fed after the man went on a hunger strike that started last month.

Young leads Silver Stars over Sky
Sophia Young had 19 points, eight rebounds and four assists in leading the San Antonio Silver Stars to an 85-72 win over the Chicago Sky on Friday night.

Rain forecast in Texas on Independence Day
Rain could dampen Fourth of July festivities in Texas — but it may be a welcome relief with highs near 100 forecast throughout the state.

Ryan said it's still business as usual for Rangers
Texas team president Nolan Ryan said Friday that the club is not hamstrung by owner Tom Hicks' financial difficulties, a day after a report that Major League Baseball loaned millions to the team owner.

Sailor's family say death motivated by hate
Relatives of a slain sailor are calling the 29-year-old's death a hate crime.

Communities bug out over cuts to mosquito control
Millions of mosquito eggs laid across southern Texas after Hurricane Ike hit the coast last summer are waiting for the little bit of rain and hot summer days they need to hatch. That's got the man whose job it is to fight the bugs worried — he's already running out of money.

Fort Worth mayor seeks fed review of gay bar raid
Fort Worth Mayor Mike Moncrief is asking federal prosecutors to review findings of a police inquiry into a recent gay bar raid.

Sullivan hired as Ark. women's tennis assistant
The women's tennis program at Arkansas has a new paid assistant who will be a familiar face to some players, SMU assistant coach Patrick Sullivan.

Man gored by bull at Falfurrias rodeo
A 52-year-old man was expected to leave the hospital after being gored by a bull at a rodeo in South Texas.

Galveston police baffled by burnt palm trees
Galveston officials are investigating after 30 palm trees were burned in the last two months.

Math-based summer class prepares future engineers
When 15-year-old Jose Chavez tells friends that he's going to summer school and taking math, he quickly adds a disclaimer.

Daily 4 results _ afternoon drawing
The winning Daily 4 numbers drawn Friday afternoon by the Texas Lottery, in order:

Pick 3 results _ afternoon drawing
The winning Pick 3 numbers drawn Friday afternoon by the Texas Lottery, in order:

Armstrong under doping watch at Tour de France
France's sports minister says Lance Armstrong will be "particularly monitored" for doping during the Tour de France.

Antigua's new top financial regulator steps aside
The man appointed to replace Antigua's disgraced financial regulator is stepping aside to avoid a possible conflict of interest.

Average fuel prices fall across Texas
Retail gasoline prices are falling this week heading into the July 4th holiday.

San Antonio woman sentenced in baby's death
A San Antonio grandmother has been sentenced to 18 years in prison in connection with the 2005 drowning death of her 3-month-old granddaughter.

11 horses found dead on North Texas ranch
Authorities in North Texas are investigating the deaths of 11 horses, possibly from a lack of food and water.

Country singer Ferlin Husky hospitalized
A spokesman for country star Ferlin Husky says the singer has been hospitalized in Tennessee.

Sastre: Armstrong needs to learn about respect
Defending Tour de France champion Carlos Sastre says Lance Armstrong could use a lesson in respect after the Texan reportedly called the race last year "a bit of a joke."

Man condemned a second time in Dallas slaying
A man has been sentenced to death for a second time in the 1989 slaying of an 81-year-old Dallas woman.

Father finds daughter dead in closet
A suburban Houston man returned home from work to find his 18-year-old daughter dead in her closet.

Texas Temperatures

San Antonio standoff ends with house found empty
What San Antonio police thought was a standoff with a barricaded man and a female hostage ended early Friday with an empty house.

Un-bee-lievable: Bee swarm delays Astros' 7-2 win
You had to see it to bee-lieve it.

Texas hit man gets life in Michigan killing
A Texas man who killed a suburban Detroit couple has been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of release.

Giant 'tea party' slated for Southfork on the 4th
Organizers of America's Tea Party hope to attract 50,000 people to Southfork Ranch on the Fourth of July.

Astros 7, Padres 2
Ron Artest is joining Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers.

Artest going to Lakers
Ron Artest is joining Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers.

Yao Ming will wait week before surgery decision
Houston Rockets All-Star center Yao Ming will have to wait up to a week before he knows whether he will need surgery on his broken left foot.

Navy investigates gay sailor's death in Calif.
The death of a gay sailor who was killed as he stood guard at Camp Pendleton doesn't appear to be a hate crime, officials said.

Preliminary autopsy report issued
Preliminary autopsy results say a man whose body was found in the rubble of a Corpus Christi house leveled by an explosion died of soot inhalation and severe burns.

Urine monitor accused of bribery
A second Harris County employee is accused of accepting bribes to provide clean urine to defendants out on bail.

Source: Rockets agree on multiyear deal with Ariza
The Houston Rockets have reached a multiyear deal with free agent Trevor Ariza, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press on Thursday night.

82-year-old twins found dead in San Antonio
Police believe heat may have played a role in the deaths of 82-year-old identical twin sisters in San Antonio.

Judge will consider Stanford request for money
A federal judge in Dallas said he will consider a modest request for money to pay lawyers and accountants to look through R. Allen Stanford's personal assets to find money untainted by an alleged $7 billion fraud.

Report: MLB loans millions to Rangers owner
Major League Baseball has loaned millions to Texas Rangers owner Tom Hicks, Yahoo! reported.

Un-bee-lievable: Bee swarm delays Astros' 7-2 win
It was the kind of late-inning buzz that none of the players had experienced before.

Lab slated for Kansas still needs fed. permission
Kansas state officials have agreed to give the Homeland Security Department land for a national lab to research deadly germs, but the Justice Department noted Thursday that the agency still needs permission and money from Congress to build the facility.

7 more banks fail as FDIC mulls rules for sales
Six Illinois banks and one bank in Texas were shuttered Thursday as government regulators proposed new rules for private equity firms seeking to take over failed banks.

Prep star Bone starts her time at South Carolina
It's been a life-changing summer for Kelsey Bone — and she hasn't even left for Bangkok yet.

Family baffled by parents' suicide on train tracks
After wildfires damaged Ringgold Baptist Church and nearly destroyed the small town, the Rev. Eldon Earl Johnson and his wife rushed to help their congregation members and others who lost homes and cattle.

Indictment reveals cartel's inner workings
Nearly two years ago Mexican soldiers acting on what they said was an anonymous tip seized more than 11 tons of cocaine being unloaded by Gulf Cartel members at a warehouse near the eastern coastal city of Tampico.

Astros-Padres game delayed by bees in outfield
Talk about adding a late-inning buzz to a ballgame.

Walsh says he could give more than 1-year deal
Donnie Walsh says he will consider giving more than a one-year deal to a free agent, following a report that he plans to do that with Jason Kidd.

Legislature hoping to wrap up special session
The Texas Legislature adjourned a two-day special session Thursday, finishing two of the issues assigned to them by Gov. Rick Perry while a measure to allow the state to continue contracting for privately built toll roads never made it out of committee.

Padres part-owner Aikman throws out first pitch
Twenty-five years after drawing interest from the New York Mets coming out of high school, Hall of Fame quarterback Troy Aikman is dabbling in baseball again.

Kids found in shed behind day care center
A Southeast Texas couple was in jail Thursday after authorities found a half dozen children locked and unsupervised in a tool shed behind an unlicensed day care center.

Exelon raises hostile bid for NRG to $8 billion
Exelon Corp. on Thursday sweetened its hostile takeover bid for NRG Energy Inc. by 12 percent to $8 billion in stock, citing newly identified cost savings along with NRG's recent deal for Reliant Energy's Texas retail business.

Stars sign Skrastins to 2-year deal
The Dallas Stars have signed free agent defenseman Karlis Skrastins to a two-year deal worth $2.75 million.

Source: Rockets GM meeting with Lakers' F Ariza
With question marks surrounding three of their top players, the Rockets met with Trevor Ariza on Thursday in hopes of bringing the Los Angeles Lakers forward to Houston, The Associated Press has learned.

Teen gets life in prison for homeless man's death
An Abilene teenager has been sentenced to life in prison for beating a homeless man to death in a trash bin.

NASA astronaut takes Twitter to space en Espanol
NASA has tweeted in space, but now one of its astronauts is breaking a new space Twitter barrier. He'll tweet from space in Spanish and English.

Bush to visit small Okla. town for 4th of July
When the middle-of-nowhere town of Woodward invited George W. Bush to its Fourth of July celebration, no one really expected the former president to accept. But he did.

El Paso man pleads guilty to corruption
El Paso businessman Bob Jones has pleaded guilty to bribing county and school officials in a widespread corruption case.

Governors don't have to look far for Fourth fare
On the day Americans celebrate the land of the free, a Maine man wants governors to feel free to live off the land.

Eating locally doesn't have to be a production
Tips on consuming more locally produced foods:

Community newspaper group in Dallas closes down
A group of community newspapers covering southern Dallas suburbs is printing its final editions.

Dallas corruption trial takes weeklong break
The trial of former Dallas City Hall officials accused of taking bribes is on hiatus after a juror's parent fell ill.

TV stations struggling with viewer loss on DTV
The government is helping two dozen TV stations that became difficult to receive by antenna when they switched to new frequencies as part of the digital TV transition, the Federal Communications Commission said Thursday.

House committee approves key bill
The House has passed a bill to keep a few important state agencies operating.

Texas man pleads not guilty in ND killing
A Texas man accused in the shooting death of a Dickinson man has pleaded not guilty to murder.

Foster Farms to reduce contracted growers in La.
A California-based poultry company that recently took over a closed Louisiana processing plant with assistance from the state says it will not extend contracts to all of the plant's former growers.