health care pre-debating...Gas Prices down...Redhead attack

Washington (AP) The nearly $1 trillion Senate health care measure could be facing a fiery debate on the floor. Moderate Democrat Sen. Ben Nelson tells ABC he doesn't want the bill to become a "big-government, Washington-run operation" that would undermine private insurance. But independent Sen. Bernie Sanders says he is among senators who won't support the bill without a "strong" public insurance option. The full-scale debate gets started after Thanksgiving.

CAMARILLO, Calif. (AP) There's been some good news at the gas pump. The Lundberg Survey finds the average price of regular gas nationwide has dropped nearly 4 cents a gallon over a two-week period. It's now about $2.65. Cheyenne, Wyo., had the lowest price among cities surveyed at $2.38 a gallon for regular. Anchorage, Alaska was the highest at $3.30.

LONDON (AP) A leading climate change scientist whose private e-mails were posted online says the leaks may have been aimed at undermining next month's global summit in Denmark. Hackers stole a decade's worth of correspondence from a British university's computer server. In one e-mail, a research director wrote that he had used a "trick" to "hide" a recent drop in global temperatures.

SEATTLE (AP) A new study suggests that preschoolers are spending a lot more time watching TV in day care than most parents may have thought as many as two hours a day. Add that to the two to three hours many parents already admit allowing the kids watch at home, those preschoolers may be spending more than a third of their 12 waking hours in front of the electronic baby sitter. The findings are published in the journal Pediatrics.

CALABASAS, Calif. (AP) Authorities say a 12-year-old Southern California boy attacked by a group of classmates may have been targeted after a Facebook posting urged students to beat up redheads on "Kick a Ginger Day." The posting may have been inspired by an episode of the TV show "South Park." The child was not seriously hurt.

(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.) APNP 11-22-09 2343CST | save this article / add to your favorites list