Mom Describes Beating, Killing 'Baby Grace'

Mother, stepfather held in case of child whose body washed ashore

(NEWSER) - The remains of a young girl whose body washed ashore in a storage bin were tentatively identified by Texas officials yesterday, and the child's mother and stepfather have been arrested on charges related to her death. The child called Baby Grace is now thought to be 2-year-old Riley Ann Sawyer, based in part on a description from the baby's grandmother in Ohio. More»

Spill has now affected every Gulf state

(NEWSER) - Oil from the BP spill has now reached the shores of every Gulf state. Tar balls from the spill were found over the weekend on a Texas beach 400 miles from the Gulf gusher, AP reports. Authorities—who rapidly dispatched cleanup crews and sent BP the bill—believe the tar balls may have dropped off a passing ship instead of drifting all the way from the Deepwater Horizon. More»

Cellphone and pelican conspire against Texas driver

(NEWSER) - A Texas driver distracted by a low-flying pelican took an unexpected detour—into 3 feet of water. Andy House, 34, drove a Bugatti Veyron EB, worth about $1 million, into a saltwater lagoon near Galveston. "He was calm,” the driver of the wrecker that took away the waterlogged French sports car told the Houston Chronicle . “If it had been me, I'd have been cussing, but he was calm." More»

(NEWSER) - Officials in the coastal Texas town of Galveston are baffled by a series of arson fires targeting palm trees, the Houston Chronicle reports. “This is strange,” the town’s fire marshal says of the spree, which has hit 30 trees since May. “It’s the first case in my experience dealing with a tree arsonist.” More»

Kent headed to jail, but won't lose job without impeachment

(NEWSER) - US District Judge Sam Kent pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice today, as part of a deal that will allow him to duck a messy trial on sex crime charges, the Houston Chronicle reports. He then retired from the bench. “A trial would have been long, embarrassing, and difficult for all involved,” said Kent’s attorney. The 59-year-old judge faces up to 20 years in prison, but those close to the case expect him to get three. More»