AP U.S. NewsBrief at 12:54 p.m. EST

RI bishop asked Kennedy in 2007 to avoid Communion

EAST PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — The Roman Catholic bishop of Rhode Island said Sunday that he asked Rep. Patrick Kennedy in a 2007 letter to stop receiving Communion, the central sacrament of the church, because of the congressman's public stance on moral issues. Bishop Thomas Tobin divulged details of his confidential exchange with Kennedy after the Democratic lawmaker told The Providence Journal in a story published Sunday that Tobin had instructed him not to receive Communion. The two men have clashed repeatedly in the past few weeks over abortion.

Senate moderates frustrate other Democrats on bill

WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate moderates on Sunday threatened to scuttle the health care bill if their demands weren't met, frustrating rank-and-file Democrats who say their colleagues' views were out of step with American voters. The inter-party dispute foretells of a rowdy floor debate next month as Democratic leaders try to push through legislation that would extend health care coverage to roughly 31 million people who lack it. This weekend, the Senate voted 60-39 to open debate on the bill.

Lawyer: 9/11 defendants want platform for views

NEW YORK (AP) — The five men facing trial in the Sept. 11 attacks will plead not guilty so that they can air their criticisms of U.S. foreign policy, the lawyer for one of the defendants said Sunday. Scott Fenstermaker, the lawyer for accused terrorist Ali Abd al-Aziz Ali, said the men would not deny their role in the 2001 attacks but "would explain what happened and why they did it."

Iraqi refugees move to Mich. despite poor economy

DETROIT (AP) — The U.S. government resettled Mazen Alsaqa in Massachusetts in February. Within a month, the Iraqi refugee moved to Michigan. It wasn't that Alsaqa disliked Worcester, Mass. But he never thought twice about staying. Even though the U.S. government tried to keep him away from the Detroit area and its soaring unemployment, that was the only place Alsaqa wanted to live.

Radiation detected at Three Mile Island; public OK

MIDDLETOWN, Pa. (AP) — A small amount of radiation has been detected in a reactor building at the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant in central Pennsylvania. Officials say there is no public health risk. About 150 employees were sent home after the radiation was detected Saturday afternoon.

Fort Hood suspect ordered held until court-martial

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — The Army psychiatrist charged with killing 13 people at Fort Hood will be confined until his military trial, initially staying in a hospital where he is recovering from gunshot wounds, his attorney said Saturday. During a hearing at Maj. Nidal Hasan's hospital room in San Antonio on Saturday, a magistrate ruled that there was probable cause that Hasan committed the Nov. 5 shooting spree at Fort Hood, said his civilian attorney, John Galligan. Hasan has been at Brooke Army Medical Center since the shooting, and his attorney said Hasan has been told he has permanent paralysis.

Police identify gunman in deadly Saipan rampage

SAIPAN, Northern Mariana Islands (AP) — The gunman who killed four people and wounded nine in a shooting rampage on the Pacific island of Saipan was identified Sunday as a Chinese national believed to be employed at the shooting range where the deaths occurred. Li Zhongren, 42, who killed himself after Friday's shooting spree, left several notes and authorities suspect the violence was linked to his personal finances and frustrations.

Va. Military Institute faces sexism accusations

LEXINGTON, Va. (AP) — Virginia Military Institute is defending itself against a lengthy investigation into accusations that the school's policies are sexist and hostile toward female cadets, a dozen years after women won the right to enroll. The federal Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights has an ongoing investigation of a sex discrimination complaint at the small, state-supported school that so far has taken nearly a year and a half — three times longer than usual.

Astronaut's wait over as daughter born back home

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — Astronaut Randolph Bresnik is a new dad again, after launching into space and taking a spacewalk, all for the first time. He announced the birth of his daughter, Abigail, on Sunday morning on NASA's airwaves.

More Americans expected to travel for Thanksgiving

WASHINGTON (AP) — The number of Americans traveling away from home for Thanksgiving will be up only slightly this year from 2008, according to a report from the AAA auto club. The group, which surveyed 1,350 households, said there will be about 33.2 million people traveling by car this year — a 2.1 percent increase from last year.