Trial Begins In Fatal Hotel Fire

Jury selection begins today for the man who is charged with one federal count of arson resulting in death. Brenda Brazell still remembers waking to the screams of "Help! My Baby" and then desperately searching a smoke-filled hotel hallway for her son and granddaughter, who were staying a few rooms away. Brazell's family survived, but the crying woman and her baby boy were among the six guests who died in the early morning hotel blaze in Greenville, South Carolina in 2004.

Ford Preparing To Sell Volvo

Ford Motor Company is preparing to sell its money-making Volvo luxury brand as it works to return its North American operations to profitability. An unnamed source in London. said the decision to sell Volvo, which is a part of Ford's Premier Automotive Group, was made in the past two weeks, but the timing of the sale had yet to be decided.

Experts Puzzled over Brazilian Plane's Speed

Experts puzzled over why a jetliner raced down a runway instead of slowing down before it crashed in a fireball that killed 189 people July 17 in Sao Paulo, Brazil. This accident set off a fierce debate over whether to close Brazil's busiest airport. Security video released by the air force showed TAN flight 3054 speeding down the tarmac more than four times as fast as other planes landing around the same time. That raised the possibility of pilot or mechanical error instead of a slick and short runway widely cited as a likely cause. They hope the analysis of the two flight recorders will explain why the jet went so fast after touching down. The recorders were sent to the U.S. for study.

Bush and the Middle East Conflict

President Bush is set to renew his commitment to Mideast peace and announce new aid to help the embattled Palestinian president create a viable state that can exist with Israel. Bush, taking on a more personal, high-profile role in the conflict, planned to speak July 16, at the White House about U.S. financial and diplomatic support for President Mahmoud Abbas. He controls just the West Bank after the Islamic militants group Hamas gained authority in Gaza in June.

A Fireworks Maker Set His House On Fire

In Centerville, Virginia, a man who was apparently trying to make fireworks, touched off an explosion in his garage and set his house on fire. No one was hurt, fortunately, but I bet his face was red. Flash powder, used in fireworks, was found among chemicals in the garage. A side of the attached garage was gutted, but the house didn't appear to be badly damaged. It just looked like he was wanting to make his own fireworks.

Latest Scandal in Tour De France

They are halfway through the Tour de France and no newcomer has broken through, no favorite has emerged and doping allegations have surfaced yet again. Cedric Vasseur became the first French rider to win a stage this year, but his victory and the Tour were overshadowed by the announcement of the doping test on cyclist Patrik Sinkewitz during a training session last month that turned up high levels of testosterone.

DNA Reveals Greenland's Lush Past

In the region of Greenland, now covered with thick ice, armies of insects once crawled through lush forests. They extracted DNA from the ice cores and it showed moths and butterflies were living in forests of spruce and pine in the area between 450,000 and 800,000 years ago. They believe these DNAs are the oldest pure samples obtained. The ice cores also suggest that the ice sheet is more resistant to warming than previously thought according to the scientists.