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A 12-year-old California boy is responsible for righting an error made in judging the finals of the National Spelling Bee contest. When Lucas Brown, a seventh-grader from Poway, Calif., realized the judges had mistakenly eliminated a contestant in round eight, he spoke up -- and Saryn Hooks returned to the competition.

Iraq's Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki presented a 24-point national reconciliation plan Sunday. It outlines terms under which some insurgents would be given amnesty. It also puts forward other initiatives, like a reconstruction campaign. But the specifics of the plan haven't been worked out.

Georges Simenon's Dirty Snow, a noir chronicle of a mean, vicious soul, is anything but the feel-good read of the summer. But novelist Jim Hynes is going to recommend it to you anyway.

The Supreme Court upholds most of the changes made in Texas's congressional districts, which were redrawn at the urging of former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay. But the justices ruled that in one district, the map failed to protect minority rights, saying that it violates the Voting Rights Act.

In 1925, the Church Hill tunnel caved in while a train was passing through it. At least two workers were killed at the site in southern Virginia, and the locomotive was never recovered. Now there are plans to uncover the site that has inspired many local legends and mysteries.

The three original members of the band Guster met as freshmen at Tufts University in Massachusetts, and never really quite gave up the college gig. And for their fans, that's a good thing. Their latest, critically lauded CD promises to make new fans off-campus.

Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki says several insurgent groups have inquired about the amnesty offer in his new national reconciliation plan. Maliki insists that amnesty would not apply to those who have killed U.S. soldiers or Iraqis. Iraqi officials are reportedly negotiating with some insurgent groups.

A federal grand jury returns guilty verdicts on four of five counts against David Safavian, the former chief procurement officer for the federal government. Safavian was convicted of lying and obstruction of justice. Prosecutors said he tried to cover up his business relationship with disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff.

Approaching death can be a long descent into pain and fear, and drugs and social support may not ease these worries. Alternative medicine is increasingly accepted as part of palliative care, and some studies show music is one method to ease pain and stress at the end of life.

A summer-solstice festival on the Tiber River in Rome revived the spirit of the city's ancient, pagan past. The dusk-to-dawn celebration included a sound-and-light show created by Italian and American composers and artists.