In the Nation
CALIFORNIA
2 children found dead at hotel
Two children were found dead in an Orange County hotel room on Friday after police said an apparently suicidal woman made remarks that led authorities to them, authorities said.
Officers found the children dead in a third-floor room at the Hampton Inn & Suites about 9 a.m.. Police in nearby Costa Mesa had called to request that Santa Ana officers check on the children's welfare, Santa Ana Police Cpl. Anthony Bertagna said.
The children's identities were not immediately released.
About an hour before the discovery, Costa Mesa police were called to a supermarket parking lot where a woman had crashed her car, Costa Mesa Sgt. Tim Starn said. As paramedics were preparing to take her to a hospital, "she made some statements that indicated a crime might have occurred" in Santa Ana, Starn said.
Her relation to the children and her condition were not immediately disclosed. - AP
TEXAS
Ride reopens after death
Six Flags has reopened the Texas Giant roller coaster for the first time since a rider fell 75 feet to her death. The ride at the North Texas amusement park opened Saturday with new precautions that included redesigned restraint bars and new seat belts. Six Flags cautioned park-goers that the Texas Giant might not accommodate "guests with unique body shapes or sizes." The ride has been closed since the July death of Rosa Ayala-Goana, whose family has filed a wrongful-death lawsuit against Six Flags. Thousands of riders waited an hour or more Saturday to ride the twisting, wood-and-metal coaster. - AP
NEW YORK
Eternity near Fido
New regulations will allow New York animal lovers to spend eternity with their pets. The Daily News reports that officials have finalized rules allowing pet cemeteries to accept the cremated remains of humans. The cemeteries can bury pet owners' ashes as long as they don't charge a fee for it and don't advertise human burial services. New York's Division of Cemeteries put a halt to human burials at pet cemeteries in 2011 after an Associated Press story about the practice. It later relaxed the ban on a limited basis and began working on permanent rules. - AP
GEORGIA
Fading tradition
One college football tradition in Georgia will soon disappear: Letting politicians into the stadium for free. A new law taking effect Jan. 1 bans lobbyists from giving Georgia's politicians free college football tickets, a rite as well-established as Game Day beer and barbecue. As the season kicks off, lobbyists and lawmakers are squeezing in a few more free games. Disclosure reports show lobbyists have given state politicians nearly $1,400 in college football tickets and related entertainment since late August. - AP