Modesto's Breaking News

Invoking the name of Edward M. Kennedy, Democrats united Saturday night to push historic health care legislation past a key Senate hurdle over the opposition of Republicans eager to inflict a punishing defeat on President Barack Obama. There was not a vote to spare.

Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., left, accompanied by Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, and Senate Minority Whip Jon Kyl of Ariz., right, lifts copy of the Democratic health care reform bill, Friday, Nov. 20, 2009, during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington. - AP Photo - Manuel Balce Ceneta

Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., left, accompanied by Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, and Senate Minority Whip Jon Kyl of Ariz., right, lifts copy of the Democratic health care reform bill, Friday, Nov. 20, 2009, during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington. - AP Photo - Manuel Balce Ceneta

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.

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The shimmering, white glove Michael Jackson wore when he premiered his trademark moonwalk dance in 1983 was auctioned off for $350,000 - plus tax - on Saturday.

In this Tuesday, March 24, 2009 photo, Michael Jackson's Crystal Shoe is on display at the Hard Rock Cafe, in New York's Times Square. Michael Jackson memorabilia, including the iconic rhinestone-studded glove he wore when he danced the first Moonwalk in 1983, is to be auctioned in New York City. . - AP Photo - Mary Altaffer

FILE -This undated file photo released by Julien's Auctions shows Michael Jackson's glove from his 1983 performance of Billie Jean at the Motown 25 television special where he performed the Moonwalk for the first time. The glove and othe Jackson items will be auctioned on Saturday, Nov. 21, 2009, at the Hard Rock Cafe in New York City's Times Square. - AP Photo - Julien's Auctions, File

A spacewalking astronaut put aside the impending birth of his daughter and blazed through his first-ever venture outside the International Space Station on Saturday.

In this Nov. 18, 2009 photo released by NASA, the International Space Station and Space Shuttle Atlantis' payload bay are seen as Atlantis and the station approach each other during rendezvous and docking activities on flight day three. A pair of spacewalking astronauts, one of them a surgeon, hustled through antenna and cable work Thursday outside the International Space Station. - AP Photo - NASA

This image provided by NASA TV shows the Space Shuttle Atlantis as it completes a pirouette for the space station cameras, for a final check to make sure there's no damage to the thermal tiles on its belly Wednesday Nov. 18, 2009. Atlantis arrived at the International Space Station on Wednesday for a weeklong stay, and the astronauts quickly unloaded a huge platform full of spare parts needed to keep the outpost running for another decade. - AP Photo - NASA

Looks like South African runner Caster Semenya will be able to keep the gold medal she won at the recent world championships in Berlin.

FILE - This Aug. 20, 2009 file photo shows South Africa's Caster Semenya displaying her gold medal after the ceremony for the Women's 800m final at the World Athletics Championships in Berlin. Semenya will keep her 800-meter gold medal from the world championships, and the results of her gender tests will be kept confidential, the South African sports ministry said Thursday, Nov. 19, 2009. - AP Photo - Markus Schreiber, File

Sprint stars Usain Bolt of Jamaica and Tyson Gay of the United States will race each other at least three times at elite Diamond League meets next year.

In a show of unity, Senate Democrats sealed a 60-vote majority needed to advance health care legislation Saturday ahead of an evening showdown with Republicans eager to doom the bill and inflict a punishing defeat on President Barack Obama.

Senate Majority Whip Richard Durbin of Ill., right, accompanied by Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., gestures during a health care reform news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, Friday, Nov. 20, 2009. - AP Photo - Manuel Balce Ceneta

Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J., center, accompanied by Senate Majority Whip Richard Durbin of Ill., right, and Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., speaks during a health care reform news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, Friday, Nov. 20, 2009. - AP Photo - Manuel Balce Ceneta

Italian police on Saturday arrested a Pakistani father and son who allegedly spent just over $200 to set up a reliable and untraceable phone network that was used by the militants who carried out last year's terror attacks in Mumbai, India.

A cameraman films the bullet riddled wall outside Nariman House after a multi-faith candle light vigil to commemorate last year's terror attacks at the house in Mumbai, India, Tuesday, Nov. 17, 2009. Nariman House is the Jewish center where the attackers killed a rabbi, his wife and a National Security Guard commando in 2008. - AP Photo - Rafiq Maqbool

A Jewish man stands behind a candle during a multi-faith candle light vigil to commemorate last year's terror attacks at Nariman House in Mumbai, India, Tuesday, Nov. 17, 2009. Nariman House is the Jewish center where the attackers killed a rabbi, his wife and a National Security Guard commando. - AP Photo - Rafiq Maqbool

Sri Lanka will release next month the remaining 136,000 Tamil refugees still in the squalid and overrun government camps where they've been detained since the country's civil war ended six months ago, a top official said Saturday.

U.N. Humanitarian Chief John Holmes, left, speaks as Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama looks on during a media briefing in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Thursday, Nov. 19, 2009. Holmes visited northern Sri Lanka to study the welfare of war-displaced civilians held in camps and those recently resettled. - AP Photo - Eranga Jayawardena

UN Humanitarian chief John Holmes looks on during a media briefing in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Thursday, Nov. 19, 2009. Holmes visited northern Sri Lanka to study the welfare of war-displaced civilians held in camps and those recently resettled. - AP Photo - Eranga Jayawardena

Prosecutors on Saturday requested life in prison for an American student and her ex-boyfriend accused in the fatal stabbing of her British roommate during a drug-fueled sex game - charges the U.S. woman dismissed as "pure fantasy."

U.S. murder suspect Amanda Knox, left, is escorted by a penitentiary police officer as she arrives at Perugia's court, Italy, Saturday, Nov. 21, 2009. Prosecutors are set to make their sentencing requests for an American student and her former boyfriend accused of killing a British woman in Italy. - AP Photo - Alessandra Tarantino

U.S. murder suspect Amanda Knox reacts prior to the start of a hearing at Perugia's court, Italy, Saturday, Nov. 21, 2009. Prosecutors are set to make their sentencing requests for an American student and her former boyfriend accused of killing a British woman in Italy. - AP Photo - Stefano Medici

A rocket hit outside the luxury Serena Hotel in Afghanistan's capital late Saturday, wounding two people, the Interior Ministry said.

In this Monday, Nov. 16, 2009 photo, Afghan policemen man a mobile checkpoint in Kabul, Afghanistan. Underpaid, under-equipped and under-trained, Afghanistan's 93,000-member police force is the weak link in an ambitious security strategy to hand over defense of the country to Afghans so American and other foreign troops can go home. - AP Photo - Anja Niedringhaus

An Afghan police officer rushes to the scene where a rocket hit outside the luxury Serena Hotel in Kabul, Afghanistan, Saturday, Nov. 21, 2009. At least two people were injured, the Afghan Interior Ministry said. - AP Photo - Anja Niedringhaus

There may be additional e-mails that could have tipped off law enforcement or military officials to the Fort Hood shooter before he went on his deadly rampage, the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee said Friday.

A U.S. Army honor guard carrie the body of Pvt. Francheska Velez at the Mt. Olive Cemetery Thursday, Nov. 19, 2009 in Chicago. Velez, 21, Velez, who was pregnant, was among 13 people killed when a fellow soldier allegedly opened fire at Fort Hood earlier this month. - AP Photo - Charles Rex Arbogast

Defense Secretary Robert Gates, left, accompanied by Joint Chiefs Chairman Adm. Michael Mullen, gestures during a news conference at the Pentagon, Thursday, Nov. 19, 2009, to discuss the Fort Hood shootings. - AP Photo - Kevin Wolf

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The U.S. Army said Friday it would open Sarah Palin's appearance on Fort Bragg to media, a reversal from earlier in the week when the military wanted the event closed out of fears it would prompt political grandstanding against President Barack Obama.

Sarah Palin signs her autograph at Barnes and Nobles during the first stop of her book tour in Grand Rapids, Mich. on Wednesday, Nov. 18, 2009. - AP Photo - Adam Bird

Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin signs a copy her autobiography, "Going Rogue", at Joseph-Beth Booksellers in in Norwood, Ohio, on Nov. 20, 2009. - AP Photo - Tom Uhlman

A gas explosion tore through a coal mine in northern China on Saturday, killing 31 people and trapping 82 others nearly a third of a mile under ground, government authorities said.

Police say a woman has died after being struck along with nine children by a car outside an Alabama middle school.

Listening to her coach paid off for Joannie Rochette.

Caydee Denney and Jeremy Barrett from the United States perform their short program in the pairs competition at the Skate Canada figure skating competition on Friday, Nov. 20, 2009 in Kitchener, Ontario. - AP Photo - The Canadian Press, Paul Chiasson

Canada's Joannie Rochette, left, and her coach Manon Perron react as her marks are posted for her short program to place first in the ladies competition at the Skate Canada figure skating competition on Friday, Nov. 20, 2009 in Kitchener, Ontario. - AP Photo - The Canadian Press, Paul Chiasson

U.S. skier Resi Stiegler is out for the season after breaking two bones in her left leg in a crash during giant slalom training.

Ski Patrol members pull a sled with U.S. Ski racer Resi Stiegler, of Jackson Hole, Wyo., on it to an ambulance after she was injured in a crash while downhill training at Copper Mountain, Colo., on Friday, Nov. 19, 2009. - AP Photo - Ed Andrieski

U.S. Ski racer Resi Stiegler, of Jackson Hole, Wyo., is loaded into an ambulance by rescue workers after she was injured in a crash while downhill training at Copper Mountain, Colo., on Friday, Nov. 19, 2009. - AP Photo - Ed Andrieski