WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States is urging its citizens to think twice about traveling to Venezuela, citing protests and political tensions over the closure of an opposition broadcaster in Caracas.

AP - A federal judge refused Friday to toss out FBI wiretap evidence in the Jose Padilla terrorism support case, rejecting an attempt by defense attorneys to prevent jurors from hearing conversations about Osama bin Laden and other well-known Islamic extremist leaders.

AP - Gov. Kathleen Blanco said her administration has found up to $700 million in state money to put into Louisiana's grant program for rebuilding hurricane-damaged homes, which faces a deficit of as much as $5 billion.

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Doctors should urge children involved in competitive sports to take plenty of time off to avoid physical injuries and mental strain, the American Academy of Pediatrics said on Monday.

AP - A supposed hostage standoff at a McDonald's restaurant Monday began with a hoax about a gunman and escalated when employees and customers retreated into a freezer after seeing a large police presence outside, authorities said.

AP - Michael Griffith is about to pay with his life for violating the law he once swore to enforce.

AP - Authorities are investigating how three workers were exposed to radioactive plutonium during environmental restoration work at the Nevada Test Site, the National Nuclear Security Administration said.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida (Reuters) - NASA is finally ready to fly its first mission of the year, with space shuttle Atlantis and seven astronauts scheduled for liftoff at 7:38 p.m. EDT on Friday from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

AP - Cindy Sheehan will sell her war protest site near President Bush's ranch to a California radio talk show host, who will preserve it as a peace memorial, her spokeswoman said.

AP - A retired soldier should face a court-martial where the death penalty could be ordered for a 1985 triple murder, according to an Army investigating officer's recommendation released late Saturday.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Harry Potter has no spell for bookstore profits.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. employers are still taking a wait-and-see approach to adding jobs, according to a Manpower Inc. survey released on Tuesday.

CLEVELAND (Reuters) - The San Antonio Spurs moved to the brink of clinching a fourth NBA title in the last nine years after grinding out a 75-72 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday, the win giving them a 3-0 finals series lead.

SHARPSBURG, Maryland (Reuters) - Two bronze cannons at Antietam battlefield lurched with a thunderous boom, enveloping gunners in Civil War garb with a cloud of smoke and drawing a titter of surprise and excitement from tourists watching the artillery demonstration.

AP - Gold and other 17th century artifacts treasure salvagers say they recovered from a shipwrecked Spanish galleon off Key West were brought ashore Thursday. Some estimate the findings could be worth more than $1 million.

AP - A small plane crashed in the wooded backyard of a home Friday, killing the three people aboard, authorities said.

AP - A former student at the University of California, Riverside was arrested Saturday after a homemade firebomb and threatening letters found on campus led to the cancellation of a graduation ceremony, authorities said.

LOS ANGELES (Billboard) - Jazz legend Ornette Coleman collapsed from heat stroke during his performance Sunday at the Bonnaroo festival in Manchester, Tenn. Sunday night he remained in a local hospital under doctor's supervision.

AP - At least two firefighters died battling a blaze at a furniture store and several other rescuers were missing, the mayor said early Tuesday.

AP - A Texas-based drag-racer whose car crashed into a crowd of spectators during a charity car show parade, killing six young people, was convicted of drunken driving in Virginia in 2000, court records show.

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Internet advertising and access spending by U.S. consumers will rise each year by double digits on average through 2011, fuelled by high-speed connections and social networking and entertainment sites, according to a forecast released on Thursday.

AP - Spurred in part by mistakes made in reporting former NFL player Pat Tillman's death to his family, a congressional panel will hear testimony next week about what the military has done to improve how families are notified about service members killed in action.

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Barry Bonds hit the 749th home run of his career on Friday to lie six short of Hank Aaron at the head of the all-time list.

LAS VEGAS (Reuters) - Britain's Ricky Hatton knocked out Jose Luis Castillo of Mexico in the fourth round to retain his IBO light welterweight title in Las Vegas on Saturday.

AP - A wind-driven wildfire destroyed at least 165 homes and other structures and scorched 750 acres just southwest of Lake Tahoe, a spokesman for the El Dorado County Sheriff's Department said Sunday.

AP - A 7-year-old boy fatally shot an 8-year-old cousin while they were playing with an illegal, unregistered gun at home, authorities said.

AP - Months before an Ohio police officer was accused of killing his girlfriend and her fetus, a California court suspended contact between him and his 9-year-old daughter based on evidence that he was emotionally and physically abusive, court documents show.

NEW ORLEANS (Reuters) - Louisiana will become the last U.S. state to outlaw cockfighting under a bill approved by the state legislature on Wednesday.

AP - A teenager who was at the wheel during a car crash that killed her and four other recent high school graduates only had a junior driver's license, according to state records.

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Joel Siegel, the upbeat and often joyous film critic for ABC television's 'Good Morning America' for 26 years, died on Friday at age 63 after a long battle against colon cancer, the network said.