Nation Digest
Two subway trains crash in nation's capital; 20 injured

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The occupied train had pulled into the city's Woodley Park-National Zoo Metro station moments before the empty train backed into it. Most of the 75-foot rear car of the empty train came off the tracks and about one-third of its aluminum shell was pulled apart.

None of the injuries was life-threatening, said Alan Etter, a fire department spokesman. He said it was "astounding," given the force of the crash, that more people weren't hurt more seriously. The worst injury appeared to be a broken leg, he said.

The National Transportation Safety Board took control of the scene late yesterday. Metro officials said the trains won't be moved until the NTSB completes its probe.

Closing arguments made in Peterson trial

REDWOOD CITY, calif. — Prosecutors in the Scott Peterson murder trial wrapped up closing arguments yesterday with a hard choice: either Peterson was framed by strangers, or he killed his pregnant wife and tossed her corpse into San Francisco Bay.

A stone-faced San Mateo County jury began deliberations at noon, capping a five-month trial in which nearly 200 witnesses were called. Peterson, 32, is facing two counts of murder, which carry the ultimate penalty of death by injection.

The bodies of Laci Peterson and her fetus washed ashore in mid-April, about one mile from where the Modesto salesman said he went fishing in a new boat on Christmas Eve 2002, the day his wife vanished.

Defense attorneys have argued that Laci Peterson may have been kidnapped, perhaps by members of a satanic cult. But the defense did not call any witnesses to support that theory.

Siblings convicted of felony spamming

LEESBURG, Va. — A brother and sister who sent junk e-mail to millions of America Online customers were convicted yesterday in the nation's first felony prosecution of Internet spam distributors.
 
Jurors recommended that Jeremy Jaynes be sentenced to nine years in prison and fined Jessica DeGroot $7,500 after convicting them of three counts each of sending e-mails with fraudulent and untraceable routing information.

A third defendant, Richard Rutkowski, 30, was acquitted of similar charges.

Sentencing was set for February.

Driver who killed 10 at market faces trial

LOS ANGELES — An 87-year-old man whose car plowed into a Santa Monica farmers market last year, killing 10 people, was ordered yesterday to stand trial for manslaughter.

The Santa Monica man is to be arraigned Nov. 17. Weller, who has pleaded not guilty, could be sentenced to up to 18 years in prison if convicted of all charges.

ALSO

Thousands of striking Atlantic City, N.J., casino-hotel workers voted overwhelmingly yesterday to approve a contract offer from seven casinos, ending their monthlong strike.

A death-row inmate was found hanging by a sheet in his cell in an apparent suicide, Texas prison officials said yesterday. Deon Tumblin, 27, was found Tuesday night, officials said.

Retired Chicago police Sgt. Herbert Redmond, 62, died of injuries suffered in a tour-bus crash, becoming the 15th fatality in the accident near Memphis, Tenn., last month.