HOUSTON – Defense witnesses in the fraud and conspiracy trial of former Enron Corp. chiefs Kenneth Lay and Jeffrey Skilling picked away at parts of the government’s allegations Tuesday, disputing earlier testimony that layoffs were disguised as reassigned jobs and that a troubled power project in India helped spell financial …

WASHINGTON – Squabbles over special treatment for bankrupt airlines and beleaguered auto companies are delaying final action in Congress on a pension bill that would affect millions of workers, retirees and taxpayers. Lawmakers trying to merge House and Senate versions already have missed one deadline, April 15, when some companies …

These days, it seems like so many rappers want to become actors that we’ve dubbed a new term for them: raptors. Outkast’s Andre “Dre 3000” Benjamin and Antwan “Big Boi” Patton will star in this summer’s “Idlewild,” a movie musical set in the South during the Prohibition era, and Benjamin …

WHEELING, Ill. – A twin-engine airplane crashed Monday near the Palwaukee Municipal Airport, killing all four people aboard, authorities said. The plane appeared headed for an arrival when it went down about 6:30 p.m., Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman Elizabeth Isham Cory said. The aircraft went down in an industrial park …

NEW YORK – Sanaa Lathan denies she had an affair with Denzel Washington, her co-star in the 2003 thriller “Out of Time,” in the February issue of Vibe. “(The rumor) got started because the movie had a love scene with Denzel, and people took that and translated it to real …

GUERNEVILLE, Calif. – With entire trailer parks and farms submerged in the floodwaters, some residents took to canoes and officials warned they would have to wait at least another day for the Russian River to recede below flood stage. Meanwhile, the heavy rain that swamped Northern California for two days …

PITTSBURGH – Dr. Cyril Wecht, a county coroner who has consulted on deaths from Elvis Presley to JonBenet Ramsey, was indicted on federal charges of using government resources to further his private practice. The 84-count indictment includes mail fraud, wire fraud, theft of honest services and theft from the Allegheny …

Join host Brit Hume and FOX’s Team Washington weekdays at 6 p.m. ET for “Special Report” — Find out what’s happening inside the Beltway and on the world stage. • In the second day of Senate hearings, Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito said no president or court is above the …

NEW YORK – More guys want Jessica Alba for their girlfriend than any other woman, according to AskMen.com’s top 99 list for 2006. The 24-year-old actress tops the Web site’s list ranking female celebrities on their “long-term relationship material.” Alba is followed by “Alfie” star Sienna Miller and the ubiquitous …

NEW YORK – Google Inc. will let consumers buy video over the Internet from CBS, the NBA and other providers, becoming the latest company to explore the new method of distributing TV content, according to a report Thursday. The Wall Street Journal, citing unnamed people familiar with the matter, said …