Intruder scales White House fence

A man from Arkansas was immediately captured by Secret Service officers after scaling the fence surrounding the White House on Sunday while President Bush was inside.

Secret Service spokesman Jonathan Cherry identified the jumper as Shawn A. Cox. Cherry said Cox was being charged with unlawful entry and was expected to appear today in U.S. District Court.

Cox has previously come to the attention of the Secret Service, Cherry said, but he would not provide details.

Cherry said he did not know where Cox was from in Arkansas or why he wanted to get on the White House grounds. Cox did not have a weapon, Cherry said.

"I won't," he said on NBC's "Meet the Press" when asked whether he would compromise with the Bush administration. He is insisting on his language that no person in U.S. custody should be subjected to "cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment."

The Arizona Republican said he had met several times with the president's national-security adviser, Stephen Hadley, on the issue, and both McCain and Hadley said Sunday they were working toward an agreement.

McCain sponsored an anti-torture measure that passed the Senate by a 90-9 vote. But the White House has threatened to veto any bill that contained the McCain language.

Stateline, Nev.

Tahoe casino gunman identified

A California man with a previous drug arrest was identified as the gunman killed Saturday afternoon in a shootout with sheriff's deputies inside Harrah's Tahoe casino, but what set off the shooting remained a mystery.

The trouble started after an acquaintance of the shooter, 53-year-old Harvey Ex, told casino security that she was concerned about his behavior, Douglas County Sheriff Ron Pierini said. The security guards found Ex uncooperative and called the sheriff's department, which sent two deputies. They were in a high-stakes players' lounge off the main casino gambling floor when the shots rang out, Pierini said.

Ex was hit multiple times and died at the casino. Deputy Dan Nelson was shot in the arm and hip and released Sunday from a Reno hospital, and Deputy Erik Eissinger's bulletproof vest deflected a shot to his abdomen. It wasn't immediately clear who fired first or why Ex had a gun, and toxicology test results could take several weeks.

Vernon, N.J.

Black-bear hunt begins today

New Jersey hunters take to the woods today to thin the state's growing population of black bears.

Up to 5,000 hunters were expected to take part in the six-day hunt, only the second in New Jersey in 35 years.

Black bears have rebounded from near extinction in the state, but the loss of habitat to development is forcing many of the animals to seek food in populated areas.

The hunt has been sharply criticized by animal-rights advocates.

Compiled from The Associated Press