Texas/Southwest

McGrady wants to play, Rockets say no
Tracy McGrady is eager to play. The Houston Rockets say he'll have to wait.

Mexico shifts strategy in border city violence
Mexico's top domestic security official said Friday that sectors of the general public have cooperated with drug cartels in the violent border city of Ciudad Juarez, and the government is about to launch new social programs there to combat gangs.

Six-man football playoff scores and pairings
Follett (9-1) vs. Petersburg (11-0), 7:30 p.m. Friday, Childress

Rain forecast in parts of Texas on Saturday
A slight chance of rain was forecast in parts of Texas on Saturday, according to the National Weather Service.

Warrant: Drug in Jackson case came from Vegas firm
Michael Jackson's doctor bought a powerful anesthetic in Nevada and had it shipped to California, where it was found at the pop singer's bedside after he died, court documents released Friday show.

Levin: May be more troubling emails from Hasan
There may be additional e-mails that could have tipped off law enforcement or military officials to the Fort Hood shooter before he went on his deadly rampage, the chairman of the Senate Armed Forces Committee said Friday.

Idle Ochoa leads LPGA Tour Championship
Sophie Gustafson moved within two shots of leader Lorena Ochoa at the LPGA Tour Championship on Friday before second-round play was suspended because of bad weather.

Astronauts await word of baby girl on Earth
Atlantis' astronauts anxiously awaited word Friday on the birth of a crewman's daughter as they moved more supplies into the International Space Station and geared up for another spacewalk.

Border agent indicted for assaulting teen
A Customs and Border Protection agent has been indicted for allegedly assaulting a 15-year-old in custody.

Texas senator stands firm, stalling others' plans
It's too early to say whether Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison will succeed in her run for governor, but she has already upset a slew of ambitious politicians who are having to delay or rethink their plans for moving up the food chain.

Texas high court agrees to rehear Exxon case
The Texas Supreme Court on Friday said it will again hear arguments in the nearly 15-year legal battle over accusations that Exxon Mobil Corp. loaded abandoned wells with junk, sludge and even explosives to keep other companies from drilling there.

Neb. ethanol plant fire produces lawsuit
The owners of a Lexington ethanol plant and their insurer are suing a subsidiary of a Houston-based natural gas provider they say is responsible for an explosion and fire that shut down the plant for weeks.

D.R. Horton sees 26 perecent spike in 4Q orders
Homebuilder D.R. Horton Inc., saw new home orders spike 26 percent from a year ago in the latest quarter as buyers raced to close deals and take advantage of a federal tax credit. But a wider-than-anticipated loss fueled by write-downs sent shares tumbling more than 15 percent Friday.

Louise, Bronte advance to Class 1A finals
Amber Bain slammed 26 kills to lead Louise past Normangee in UIL Class 1A state volleyball semifinal playoff action.

Texans can check Web site for swine flu vaccine
The Texas health department is making a flu vaccine locator available on its Web site — TexasFlu.org — to help people find the vaccines for both seasonal flu and swine flu.

Man shot near Beaumont school dies
Authorities have identified a man a Beaumont school district police officer shot dead during an altercation near a school campus.

Revamped Spurs stumbling to meet expectations
Manu Ginobili swatting down a wayward bat on Halloween is one thing. But who saw this coming?

3 dead, 3 hurt in 2-vehicle crash in north Texas
Three people are dead and three others are hurt after a head-on collision between a sport-utility vehicle and a minivan on a rain-slick north Texas highway.

NHL suspends Stars' Neal for 2 games
The NHL has suspended Dallas Stars forward James Neal two games for a boarding infraction that injured the Columbus Blue Jackets' Derek Dorsett.

San Angelo cattle auction report
San Angelo cattle auction Thursday close and weekly report:

Baylor finally comes to Bay Area to face Cal
Alexis Gray-Lawson and her California teammates are long overdue to face Baylor on their home court. Little did they know they would have to prepare for defending the dunk.

Fort Worth cash grain prices for Friday
Fort Worth grain report for Friday:

Grain quotes, High Plains & Gulf
Texas High Plains cash grain markets closed 7 cents lower on grain sorghum, mostly 4 cents lower on wheat, 7 cents higher on soybeans and 4 cents lower on corn.

Real estate agents see return of foreign buyers
Canadian investor Arthur Wong is buying condos in Las Vegas and Phoenix like a shopper at Costco: In bulk, with slashed prices.

Texas high court agrees to rehear Exxon case
The Texas Supreme Court has agreed to grant a rehearing in the nearly 15-year legal battle over accusations that Exxon Mobil Corp. sabotaged abandoned wells.

Dallas man gets 30-year term in fed drug case
A 23-year-old Dallas man has been sentenced to 30 years in federal prison on drug trafficking and money laundering charges tied to Mexico's Gulf Cartel.

Resignation hitch freezes some political ambitions
It's premature to know whether Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison will succeed in her run for governor, but she's already upset ambitious politicians having to delay or rethink plans for moving up the political ranks.

With fuel demand week, refineries shutting down
Refineries from New Mexico to New Jersey are under severe economic pressure because of falling demand for fuel, with a number of facilities shutting down in recent months.

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

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

Class 4A football playoff scores and pairings
EP Chapin (9-2) vs. Wolfforth Frenship (7-4), 5 p.m. Saturday, EP's Irvin Memorial Stadium

Class 1A football playoff scores and pairings
Canadian (9-1) vs. Wellington (10-1), 7 p.m. Friday, Canyon's Kimbrough Stadium

Class 3A football playoff scores and pairings
Abilene Wylie (9-1) vs. Andrews (5-6), 7:30 p.m. Friday, Midland's Grande Communications Stadium

Class 2A football playoff scores and pairings
Amarillo River Road (8-3) vs. Littlefield (10-1), 7:30 p.m. Friday, Plainview

Class 5A football playoff scores and pairings
Odessa Permian (8-3) vs. Arlington Martin (7-4), 1 p.m. Saturday, Abilene's Shotwell Stadium

Pacquiao's PPV numbers add to megafight momentum
Manny Pacquiao proved he can be a box office hit. Now it's up to Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. to see what they can do together.

"The Blind Side" director remembers coach-dad
To hear Sue Hancock tell it, for years her husband asked their son, film director John Lee Hancock Jr., when he was going to make a football movie. Today, that football movie is in theaters.

Texas jobless rate up, but so is number of jobs
Texas' unemployment rate inched up to 8.3 percent in October while the state bucked a yearlong trend by adding jobs, officials said Friday.

Record, title, turmoil in Kansas vs. No. 3 Texas
When Colt McCoy started his first game at Texas in 2006, the second pass of his career was a sign of things to come: a 60-yard touchdown in a rout of North Texas.

Seminole hammer thrower up for Rhodes Scholarship
For the second straight year a Florida State athlete is a semifinalist for a Rhodes Scholarship.

Dell's profit, stock drop on weak quarterly report
Some of the computer industry's biggest players — such as IBM Corp., Intel Corp. and Hewlett-Packard Co. — have wowed Wall Street this fall with stronger-than-expected profits.

Valero shuts refinery as conditions worsen
Valero Energy says it is permanently closing its Delaware oil refinery, where 550 workers will lose their jobs.

Electrical fire knocks KXAS-TV off the air
An electrical fire forced evacuation of KXAS during a newscast and knocked the state's longest-serving TV station off the air.

Archipelago shares leap in 1st day of trading
Shares of Archipelago Learning are rising Friday after its initial public offering priced near the top of its expected range, raising $103.1 million.

Pa. residents sue gas driller over polluted wells
More than a dozen families have filed suit against one of the nation's largest natural gas drillers after the company polluted their water wells in northeastern Pennsylvania.

Palin's book tour to include stop at Fort Hood
Sarah Palin's tour to promote her new memoir will include a stop at Fort Hood to benefit the victims of the shooting rampage and their families.

Texas Temperatures

Rain forces closing of schools in Aransas County
Heavy rain in southeast Texas led to the closure of public schools in Aransas (uh-RAN'-zuhs) County.

Chances for rain return to Oklahoma
A chance of rain is returning to Oklahoma's forecast for the weekend, although temperatures should remain mild.

3 teens accused in Killeen youth's death
Killeen police detained three teens over the slaying of a 16-year-old boy who had been missing more than a week.

More than 160 Texas businesses to be checked
A nationwide review of about 1,000 employers to check for the hiring of illegal immigrants will include more than 160 businesses in Texas.

Heritage group against governor's mansion addition
A group that made the first $10,000 private donation to rebuild the fire-gutted Texas Governor's Mansion is opposed to changing its look.

Lawsuit over liquor seized in South Texas
Some liquor is in limbo in South Texas.

Aggies look for bowl eligibility _ again
Two weeks ago, the Texas A&M Aggies spoke confidently about achieving bowl eligibility and finishing the season strong.

Texas Tech needs win to become bowl eligible
Mike Leach wants his Texas Tech team to leave behind last year's loss at Oklahoma when the Red Raiders play the Sooners on Saturday.

TCU not wanting to repeat past in Wyoming
The last time TCU played at Wyoming, the Horned Frogs lost. The last time they were 10-0, they lost.

Cougars prepare for struggling Memphis
Through the big wins and high rankings of this season, the Houston Cougars remained focused on a goal of winning the West division of Conference USA.

Trained students help Arizona past Rice 66-49
Sean Miller isn't just coaching the basketball players at Arizona. He's coaching the students who root for the Wildcats, too.

Texas Tech tops Northwestern State 94-75
Mike Singletary had a game-high 25 points to lead Texas Tech past Northwestern State 94-75 Thursday night.

Military experiment seeks to predict PTSD
Two days before shipping off to war, Marine Pfc. Jesse Sheets sat inside a trailer in the Mojave Desert, his gaze fixed on a computer that flashed a rhythmic pulse of contrasting images.

Jazz get first win in San Antonio since 1999
A decade of misery for the Utah Jazz in San Antonio is over.

Thursday's Scores
Albany 33, Petrolia 6

Nash, Huselius lead Blue Jackets past Stars
The Columbus Blue Jackets didn't back down in a fight-filled first period, using a pair of special-teams goals to maintain the best start in franchise history.

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

Texas Two Step results
Results of the Texas Two Step drawing Thursday night:

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

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

NYC stamp auction raises $3.2 million for museum
A New York City gallery has auctioned over 200 rare postage stamps to raise $3.2 million for the Smithsonian National Postal Museum in Washington, D.C.

Prairie View A&M downs Florida Gulf Coast 69-54
Michael Griffin scored 14 points Thursday night to lead Prairie View A&M to a 69-54 victory over Florida Gulf Coast.

Blue Jackets-Stars Sums
Rick Nash scored on a power play and Kristian Huselius added a short-handed goal in the final seconds of the fight-filled opening period, sending the Columbus Blue Jackets to a 4-1 victory over the Dallas Stars on Thursday night.

Jazz-Spurs, Box

Texas A&M-Corpus Christi rolls to 77-55 victory
Kevin Palmer had a game-high 17 points and Horace Bond added 15 to lead Texas A&M-Corpus Christi past Texas-Pan American 77-55 Thursday night.

Middle Tennessee holds off Lamar 74-66
James Washington scored 19 points and had six assists to lead Middle Tennessee to a 74-66 victory over Lamar on Thursday night.

Rain forecast throughout Texas on Friday
Rain was forecast across Texas on Friday, according to the National Weather Service.

Wie withdraws from LPGA event with ankle injury
Michelle Wie withdrew from the LPGA Tour Championship on Thursday after hobbling through her first round on a sprained left ankle.

Spurs' Ginobili expected to miss 1 week
Manu Ginobili is expected to miss about a week for the San Antonio Spurs because of a strained left groin.

Former players say Kansas coach is abusive
University of Kansas officials are willing to talk with former players about allegations of abusive behavior by football coach Mark Mangino — and two former players had plenty to say on Thursday.

Linebacker's words may stir up rivalry with Texans
The fans in Houston always have hated the Titans as the team that left town without looking back. Now Tennessee linebacker Keith Bulluck may have stirred up things between the players.

Schools file lawsuit over new minimum grade ban
Five Houston-area school districts filed a lawsuit against the state education commissioner over his interpretation of a new law prohibiting minimum grading policies, a lawyer said Thursday.

Haskins leads Champions Tour Q-school
Steve Haskins shot his second straight 6-under 65 on Thursday to take a four-stroke lead over Ronnie Black after the third round of the Champions Tour National Qualifying Tournament.

San Angelo national sheep auction report
San Angelo national sheep auction report for Thursday, Nov. 19, 2009:

El Paso customs tech arrested
A U.S. Customs and Border Protection technician is accused of conspiring to smuggle marijuana and illegal immigrants into the U.S.

Cotton quotes, Texas and southern region
A New York City man imprisoned for nearly 20 years for a now-overturned murder conviction is set to be freed within days after a judge Thursday ordered him released while authorities determine whether he must serve an unrelated drug sentence.

Buffett's Berkshire secures $8B loan for BNSF deal
Warren Buffett's company has lined up an $8 billion loan to help pay for its $26.3 billion acquisition of Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corp.

Houston police recover baby corpse kept under sink
Houston police are waiting on autopsy results on a baby boy whose mummified corpse was found beneath his mother's bathroom sink.

Gov't rewarding firms checking immigrant status
The Homeland Security Department will give a seal of approval to businesses volunteering to use an electronic program to check workers' immigration status.

UT grad Harden to be commencement speaker
Oscar winner Marcia Gay Harden is returning to the campus where the acting bug led her to earn a degree.

Texan in 5-state dogfighting sting pleads guilty
An east Texas man arrested in a five-state dogfighting sting operation has pleaded guilty to a federal charge.

Marathon cuts 2010 capex by $1B, shares fall 4 pct
Marathon Oil will cut capital expenditures by about $1 billion in 2010, the company said Thursday, with a larger percentage of funds going toward exploration and production and a smaller percentage toward its hard-hit refining business.

Man makes $3,000 bond after large cocaine seizure
Lawrence Martin was arrested early Saturday morning in a parking lot outside a Detroit bar when police found five kilograms of cocaine in his car.

Hutchison to air campaign TV ad
U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, who's running for Texas governor, will begin airing television spots a day after she began broadcasting radio spots.

Woman awarded $3M in assault claim against KBR
A woman who claimed she was raped in 2005 while working in Iraq for a former Halliburton Co. subsidiary has been awarded nearly $3 million by an arbitrator to settle her case.

San Angelo national sheep auction report
San Angelo national sheep auction report for Thursday, Nov. 19, 2009: