Recently in National Category

An Illinois appellate court reversed a man's conviction for rape and murder Friday.

The man, Juan Rivera, has spent the last 19 years in jail on the charges, according to the New York Times.

The Chicago Sun-Times reports that the court found that the rape and murder of an 11-year-old babysitter could not have been done by Rivera, as various DNA evidence has proven.

The only evidence that could connect Rivera to the crime is a confession, which the defendant's attorneys claim was fed to him by investigators, the Chicago Sun-Times goes on to say.

Ron Paul has called the idea of Donald Trump hosting a Republican debate "absurd."

Paul's main concern with a Trump led debate is how it would affect the brand of the Republican Party, according to Yahoo! News.

The presidential candidate also has trouble understanding why his fellow Republicans continue to take Trump seriously, the New York Daily News reports.

Jon Huntsman, a fellow presidential nominee candidate, echoed Paul's concerns. The only candidate to accept Trump's inclusion as host is Newt Gingrich, who is the current front-runner.

Eddie L. Long, a televangelist for the New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Atlanta, is taking time off from preaching to be with his family.

The temporary time off comes after various legal battles, including sexual abuse allegations from young men were made public, according to the USA Today.

Long's wife has since filed for divorce, which led to Long announcing that he'd need time off to help save his marriage, the New York Times reports.

Protesters have assembled outside the church calling for Long to resign from his position as senior pastor.

Sidney Crosby will make his first appearance of the season Monday after missing the last 61 games with concussion-like symptoms.

Crosby took head shots in consecutive games last season and has spent the last 10 months in recovery, according to ESPN.com via the Associated Press.

The USA Today reports that Crosby has been participating in contact practice since being cleared on Oct. 13.

Crosby's debut will come against the New York Islanders, and he is expected to get about 12 minutes on the ice.

Mitt Romney has set his sights on winning the Iowa caucus.

Romney, a Republican presidential favorite and Mormon, is expected to struggle in Iowa, which is a strongly evangelical state, according to the New York Times.

The Washington Post reports that Evangelical Christians made up more than half of voters in the Iowa caucus in 2008 and will likely be a crucial voting bloc again this time around.

Romney's nomination hopes are expected to struggle in the Iowa and South Carolina caucuses, and an inability to muster support among the Social Conservatives may derail his campaign.

The United States mens soccer team lost to France 1-0 to drop them to a record of 1-4-1 under the leadership of new coach Jurgen Klinsmann.

France was the dominant side, but didn't break the deadlock until Loic Remy scored in the 72nd minute, according to ESPN Soccernet. They outshot the United States 14-5.

The United States has struggled since Klinsmann took over the team, particularly in the scoring department, where they've been shut out four times in six games, the Associated Press via the Salt Lake Tribune reports.

One bright spot for the US team was the debut of Fabian Johnson, a promising German-born prospect who has chosen to represent the United States.

Herman Cain's wife, Gloria, said in her first television interview that sexual harassment allegations against her husband "don't square" with the man she knows he is.

Gloria Cain, married to Herman for the last 43 years, has been brought into the spotlight after the allegations surfaced 2 weeks ago, according to the Washington Post.

The New York Times reports that Cain's campaign has stalled because of the reports of harassment.

The interview, set to be broadcast by Fox News on Monday, is an attempt to get past the allegations.

Louisiana State (LSU) took down Alabama 9-6 in a battle between the top two teams in the college football rankings Saturday.

LSU, on the road, outlasted Alabama in overtime and won on a short field goal, according to the Associated Press via ESPN.com.

Field goals were an issue all night, as Alabama's two kickers combined to miss four in the game, the New York Times reports.

With the loss, Alabama only dropped to No. 3 in the rankings, and there is still a chance that they could make it to the title game for a rematch.

A storm in the Northeast left millions of people without power Sunday.

The New York Times reports that more than 2.3 million people in the Northeast were without electricity as a record amount of snow for an autumn snow hit the area.

Electricity wasn't the only thing affected, as roads, flights and Halloween plans were complicated for many, according to The Associated Press, via The Atlanta Journal Constitution.

Downed trees are partly responsible for knocking down power lines, which caused the power outages, The New York Times went on to say.

Three chemicals used in bath salts were banned by the Drug Enforcement Agency Friday.

The action, deemed an "emergency" by The New York Times, is meant to give the D.E.A. time to study the effects of the chemicals and determine if a permanent ban is necessary.

The New York Times goes on to report that the effects of these chemicals mimic the effects of cocaine, LSD, and methamphetamine.

Thirty-three states have already made measures to control the sale of bath salts, but legislature is trying to place a national ban, according to ABC News.

The ban will take effect in 30 days.