Police kill man who fatally beat tot

Police fatally shot a 27-year-old man as he kicked, punched and stomped a toddler to death despite other people's attempts to stop him, authorities in Turlock, Calif., said.

Investigators Sunday were trying to establish the relationship between the man and the child they say he killed Saturday night. The Stanislaus County coroner said the boy appeared to be between 1 and 2 years old, county sheriff's Deputy Royjindar Singh said.

Singh said that because his injuries were so severe, the child will have to be identified through a blood or DNA test.

Washington

FCC boss backs XM-Sirius merger

Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Kevin Martin said Sunday he will support a $5 billion merger between the nation's sole satellite-radio operators, XM and Sirius, a decision that could remove the last regulatory hurdle in the lengthy and heavily criticized move to make the companies one.

Martin came to the decision after the companies agreed last week to several commitments intended to prevent the monopoly from raising programming prices and from stifling competition among radio makers, aides to the chairman said. Conditions include a three-year price freeze for consumers.

As early as this week, Martin is expected to issue an order calling for approval of the merger, which requires approval of at least two of the remaining four commissioners, the aides said.

"I am recommending that with the voluntary commitments [Sirius and XM] have offered, on balance, this transaction would be in the public interest," Martin said.

San Diego

Mexico's cheap gas lures U.S. drivers

Mexico may have a remedy for pain at the pump.

A gallon of regular unleaded gasoline in San Diego retails for an average price of $4.61 a gallon. A few miles south, in Tijuana, it's about $2.54, less if paid in pesos.

The differential in diesel is even greater, selling at $5.04 a gallon in San Diego County and $2.20 in Tijuana.

More people appear to be taking advantage of the lower price. "I used to buy exclusively in the U.S. before gas started really going up," said Patrick Garcia, a drama teacher at an elementary school in San Diego who lives in Tijuana. "Since then, I've been buying all my gas in Tijuana."

International gas-buying trips don't make sense for everyone. The wait getting at the border in Tijuana frequently takes longer than two hours and cars can burn about a gallon of gas for each hour they idle.

Seattle Times news services