Recently in National News Category

The son of Ponzi-schemer Bernard Madoff committed suicide Saturday in his Manhattan apartment.

According to the Associated Press, Mark Madoff, 46, hanged himself with a dog leash from a metal ceiling beam in his apartment. His death was ruled a suicide by the New York City medical examiner's officer on Sunday.

CNN reported that Madoff committed suicide on the two year anniversary of his father's arrest, while his wife was out of town and his 2-year-old son was asleep in the other room. His body was discovered by his father-in-law.

His immediate family have not commented on his death.

Supporters of WikiLeaks have been posting mirror sites Sunday, while the founder faces heavy pressure from the United States and allied countries.

CNN reported that WikiLeaks, a site that has been posting numerous confidential U.S. government documents online, has posted instructions on creating a mirror sites to keep the information available.

The New York Times reported that WikiLeaks posted the instructions after many Internet providers cut off services to WikiLeaks. Mirror sites are websites that host exact copies of another site's content. This makes censorship next to impossible.

The TSA and the White House are attempting to reach agreements on airport screenings.

The White House has said they are taking complaints into consideration, but for the time being, the current screenings are necessary due to current risks, the New York Times said.

According to the Associated Press, Transportation Security Administration head John Pistole said that the agency would work to make screening methods less invasive, but didn't say when the changes would take place.

The new full body scans are being used in 70 of the 450 airports in the United States, and thorough body pat-downs are offered for those who refuse the scan.

A 13-year-old Ohio girl, who has been missing since Wednesday, was found bound and gagged in a basement Sunday.

CNN reported that Matthew Hoffman was arrested on charges of kidnapping after police raiding his home early Sunday, and found Sarah Maynard in his basement. Maynard went missing Wednesday along with her mother, Tina Herrmann, 32, her brother Kody Maynard, 10, and Herrmann's friend Stephanie Sprang, 41.

According to MSNBC, Herrmann was reported missing after failing to show up for work on Wednesday. Blood was found in her home, where Sprang's vehicle was parked in the driveway. Herrmann's truck was found Thursday near Kenyon College campus.

Authorities had hoped to find all four of the missing in Hoffman's basement, but were only certain that they would find Maynard.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates is encouraging congress to act before the end of the year to repeal "Don't Ask, Don't Tell".

The Associated Press reported that Obama said he is simply doing what the American people want, stating that a large percentage of Americans are in favor of treating those who serve the country fairly and equally. A recent Gallup poll showed 70 percent of Americans in favor of repeal.

MSNBC reported that Obama and Gates are meeting opposition from the new commandant of the U.S. Marines Corps, who said that this is the wrong time to repeal the law, stating it would get in the way of combat effectiveness.

Many Republicans are opposed to voting on the repeal until the Pentagon releases its review of the impact on the military that repealing "Don't Ask Don't Tell" might have.

Explosive packages addressed to two Chicago synagogues were intercepted Friday, thwarting a terrorist attack aimed at the United States.

The packages were sent from Yemen, home to the most active al-Queda branch, according to Obama's counterterror chief, John Brennan.

The Associated Press reported that one of the packages was found on a cargo plane in Dubai, while the other was found in England. Tests showed that the packages contained a powerful industrial explosive.

In the U.S., cargo planes were diverted and searched.

CNN reported that synagogues in Illinois are on alert, and are being extra careful about accepting unexpected packages, especially from over seas.

Steven Bob, a rabbi at a western Chicago synagogue, said he doesn't expect that news of the event will deter worshipers from attending.

Former NPR news analyst signs on with Fox news, after being fired for comments made to Fox News' Bill O' Reilly.

CNN reported that Juan Williams said he gets nervous when he sees people in "Muslim garb" on his plane while a guest on the O' Reilly Factor.

NPR executives fired him for the comment, and have since backed up the decision, stating that this was not the first time Williams has crossed the line while working for NPR.

The Associated Press reported that Williams has received a lot of support in the aftermath, and NPR has reported that people have called in to complain about the way the situation was handled.

AP has also reported that some Republican leaders have asked congress to cut off federal funding for NPR.

NPR is in the middle of pledge season, and executives said it has not been affected by the termination of Williams. Many stations have been meeting or surpassing their fundraising goals.

A Rutgers football player was paralyzed from the neck down after making a tackle Saturday in a game against Army.

According to the Star Ledger, defensive tackle Eric LeGrand, a junior, was motionless for 7 minutes on the field after suffering a spinal cord injury before being rushed to Hackensack University Medical Center for emergency surgery.

The Associated Press reported that Rutgers football coach Greg Schiano said LeGrand is in intensive care after the surgery to stabilize his spine, and the team hopes that one day he will walk back onto the field. Schiano congratulated the medical team for the efficient response.

Eight gang members were arraigned Sunday in connection with an anti-gay hate crime in New York City.

Two 17-year-old boys and a 30-year-old man were tortured and sodomized in an abandoned apartment for being gay.

Eight members of the gang Latin King Goonies were arrested in connection to the tortures, five of which are 17, but are being charged as adults according to CNN.

According to USA Today, a ninth member was expected to turn himself in, but didn't show up. The members didn't enter pleas.

Foreclosure proceedings have been stopped by many lenders after faulty paperwork has been found.

The Associated Press reported that an executive from Wells Fargo admitted that he only checked the dates on up to 150 foreclosure cases, explaining that he assumed others would check the information.

The New York Times reported that other banks involved in faulty procedures include GMAC Mortgage, JPMorgan Chase and Bank of America. They may have to look into past evictions as well as those that are being under investigation now.