ARK., MISS. BANS ON GAY MARRIAGE ARE OVERTURNED

Federal judges struck down gay marriage bans in Arkansas and Mississippi on Tuesday but stopped any rush to the altar by putting their orders on hold so the states can consider appeals.

U.S. District Judge Kristine Baker in Little Rock, Ark., ruled in favor of two same-sex coupleswho had challenged a 2004 constitutional amendment and earlier state lawdefining marriage as between aman and a woman, arguing the ban violated theU.S. Constitution and discriminated based on sexual orientation. U.S. District Judge Carlton Reeves in Jackson, Miss., ruled in favor of two lesbian couples and a gay-rights group challenging a similar 1997 lawand a 2004 voter-approved constitutional amendment.

EPA to propose stricter smog standard B »

washington Coming full circle on a campaign promise, the Obama administration will propose Wednesday to reduce the amount of smog-forming pollution allowed in the air.

The stricter standard makes good on a pledge President Barack Obama made during his first campaign for the White House and one of his first environmental actions as president: reversing a decision by President GeorgeW. Bush to set a limitweaker than scientists advised. In 2011, amid pressure from Republicans and industries, and facing a battle for re-election, Obama reneged on a plan by then-Environmental Protection Agency administrator Lisa Jackson to lower the permissible level to bemore protective of public health.

Police: Student led high school prostitution ring

venice, fla. » A 17-year-old recruited fellow high school students for a prostitution ring and coordinated deals on social media, charging $50 to $100 in cash and alcohol, police said.

Also arrested was John MichaelMosher, 21, who police say paid $40 and a bottle of liquor to have sex with a 15year-old girl. She did not want to participate in the sex act, according to police.

Buffalo dodges bad flooding

buffalo, n.y. » Some area residents dealt with flooded basements from melting snow the region dodged the widespread flooding that residents had feared a week after recordbreaking lake-effect storms.

The NationalWeather Service issued a flood warning for parts of a five-county area of western New York. Forecasters say moderate flooding is possible along some creeks in the area, but fears of disastrous conditions have eased.

Winds gusted to 40 mph, but few power outages were reported. Public schools have reopened after a week.

Nobel medal going up for auction B

new york » The 1962 Nobel Prize that James Watson won for his role in the discovery of the structure of DNA is going up for auction.

The auctioneer says the gold medal could bring $2.5 million to $3.5 million Dec. 4. Christie’s says it is the first Nobel medal to be offered at auction by a living recipient.

Watson made the 1953 discovery with Francis Crick and MauriceWilkins. Crick’s Nobel medal fetched $2.2 million last year. He died in 2004.

Man accused of Obama threats ruled incompetent

montgomery, ala. » An Alabama man is mentally incompetent to stand trial on charges of threatening President Barack Obama’s life, and prison officials should determine whether Deryke Matthew Pfeifer also was incapacitated at the time of the alleged offense, a federal judge ruled.

But, U.S. District JudgeMyron Thompson said, federal authorities can hold Pfeifer for as long as four months to determine whether he can regain his sanity.

Apartment building collapse kills 19

cairo » An apartment building collapsed, killing at least 19 people as rescuers and neighbors frantically dug through rubble with their hands to find survivors, authorities said.

The collapse in Cairo’s eastern Matariya district highlights the longtime problem of shoddy construction across Egypt, as neighbors said the sevenstory building had several floors illegally added onto it. Egyptian developers seeking bigger profits frequently build without permits amid a nationwide housing shortage, rampant corruption and lax government oversight.

Scores arrested in clash with police

hong kong » Police arrested at least 116 protesters, after an attempt to clear occupied streets descended into scuffles, confrontation and chaos.

Tuesday’s action cleared a 160-foot stretch of Argyle Street inMong Kok, one of three sites where pro-democracy protesters have occupied roads for the past two months.

Activists: Syrian strikes kill at least 60.

Syrian government warplanes carried out a series of airstrikes on the defacto capital of the Islamic State, killing at least 60 people, shattering shop fronts and setting dozens of cars ablaze, activists said.

Some of the air raids struck a popular market in the city of Raqqa along the Euphrates River in northeastern Syria, they said.

Two teen suicide bombers kill 40

maiduguri, nigeria » Two teenage female suicide bombers blewthemselves up in a crowded market inNigeria’s northeast, killing at least 40 people, according to witnesses and a security official. Islamic extremist rebels Boko Haram are suspected of the bombings, because they have carried out many similar attacks.