16 Alabama federal judges step aside from Scruggs contempt case

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Every eligible federal judge in north Alabama has stepped aside from presiding in the criminal contempt case of Mississippi trial lawyer Richard Scruggs, who is accused of disobeying an order by failing to turn over Katrina-related insurance documents to a court.
The 16 district judges and magistrate judges agreed to recuse themselves from the [...]

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Pakistan readies caretaker government as opponents begin talks on anti-Musharraf alliance
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (AP) — President Gen. Pervez Musharraf and his aides worked to finalize a caretaker government Thursday, while his two opposition rivals opened talks on forming an alliance against him.
A U.S. diplomat was allowed to cross the barricades and heavy police cordon surrounding the [...]

Unclaimed money awaits 1,024 Miss. residents, says IRS

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) - More than $669,000 in tax refund checks went uncashed this year by Mississippi residents, mostly because people did not tell the Internal Revenue Service or the post office when they moved, according to the government.
On Wednesday, the IRS said unclaimed checks in Mississippi averaged about $653.
Many people still don’t have direct-deposit features [...]