US & World News, Thursday 11/1

US & World Summary: Halloween Marred By New York, Chicago Shootings (Chicago, IL) -- Two separate shootings last night marred Halloween celebrations in New York and Chicago. A Windy-City woman was killed after going trick-or-treating with her three children. She was shot in the head in front of her home. Police are looking for two suspects. In New York, an overnight shooting in Manhattan left five people injured, one critically. Authorities say the incident began at an area McDonalds and may have been gang related. Authorities say surveillance video is helping their investigation. --- High Winds And Rain From Noel Close Florida Beaches Tropical Storm Noel is already teasing Floridas Atlantic coast. High winds and occasional squalls led to closed beaches and flying debris yesterday along the states Treasure Coast, and one school bus was hit by a flying street sign. Meanwhile Tropical Storm Warnings remain in effect for parts of the southeastern Florida coast, while a hurricane watch is in effect for the northwest Bahamas. The National Hurricane Center says Noel is centered about 180 miles southeast of Miami, packing maximum sustained wind speeds near 60-miles-per-hour as it heads north. --- New Oklahoma Immigration Law Goes Into Effect Today (Tulsa, OK) -- Oklahoma now has whats being called one of the nations toughest illegal immigration laws. The law, which goes into effect today, makes it a felony for anyone to transport or harbor an illegal immigrant. It also requires public employers to verify the work status of new employees and requires proof of citizenship for identification documents and certain government benefits. Opponents say the law is unconstitutional, but the first lawsuit opposing the bill was dismissed. The judge ruled the plaintiffs couldnt show how theyve been harmed by the law that hadnt yet gone into effect. --- "Dog The Bounty Hunter" Star Caught Up In Word Scandal A man who makes a living catching bad guys on TV is now on the hot seat himself. According to TMZ.com, A&E has suspended production of "Dog the Bounty Hunter" after the shows star allegedly made racially insensitive remarks. The incident stems from an audio recording on which Duane "Dog" Chapman can be heard using a racially-offensive word excessively. The tape, obtained by "The National Enquirer," is reportedly part of a phone call "Dog" had with his son Tucker about Tuckers African-American girlfriend. --- Governors From Drought-Stricken States Meeting (Washington, DC) -- The governors of three southern states are meeting with Bush administration officials today over the water crisis brought on by a lengthy drought. Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue and the governors from Florida and Alabama will try to work out a temporary deal over sharing water from Lake Lanier. Georgia officials are trying to reduce the amount of water flowing out of the lake in order to save Atlantas water supply, while Alabama is fighting that effort. Florida also wants the water flow to continue as is. --- Chrysler To Keep PT Cruiser, Cut Convertible Model (Auburn Hills, MI) -- Chrysler is keeping the PT Cruiser in the companys product line but wont make the convertible model. The automaker is expected to cut three other models from production because of slow sales, including the Pacifica, Crossfire coupe, and the Dodge Magnum. The PT Cruiser is the third best-selling model in Chryslers lineup. --- Gay Lance Bass Admits He Married A Girl In Vegas Lance Bass says he was once married. The openly gay member of N Sync is the only member of the popular boy band to come out of the closet and was also the first one to get married. According to E! Online, the singer got a quickie Las Vegas wedding about seven or eight years ago. Lance wont name the woman, whom he calls a "just a friend of mine." Bass, who came out in a "People" magazine interview last year, has a new book in stores called "Out of Sync." It deals with his struggles to hide his sexuality while performing in the popular boy band. (Copyright 2007 by Newsroom Solutions) RNS-11-01-07 0841CDT