Police: Man shot kids, self

Police: Man shot kids, self
GUSTINE, Calif. -- A man who was seen arguing with his wife Tuesday later killed his four young children with a hunting rifle before turning the gun on himself, officials said.
Authorities identified the dead siblings as Aubrie Branscum, 12; Jacob, 10; and twins Taylor and Alyssa, both 5. The children apparently died of gunshots to the head, according to Mayor Jim Bonta.
Their father, Trevor Branscum, 38, died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Authorities told the mayor that Branscum had to reload the rifle before each shot.
Bonta said that the family had lived in Gustine for several years and that police were unaware of any previous problems with the family.
The bloodshed came about an hour after a store owner called police to report that Branscum and his wife, Amanda, were having an argument. Police said that as the woman drove away in a van, her husband dove through the window.
A 6th wiener-contest win
NEW YORK -- A 160-pound wonder from Japan set a new record by devouring 533/4 frankfurters in 12 minutes to win the annual Independence Day hot dog eating competition on Coney Island.
The feat earned Takeru Kobayashi, 27, his sixth straight title in the event, held at the original Nathan's Famous hot dog stand on Brooklyn's seashore. His prize: the coveted Yellow Mustard Belt.
He broke his own record of 531/2 hot dogs, set at the same competition two years ago.
Thousands of raucous spectators jammed the streets in front of the hot dog stand, a block from the famed Coney Island boardwalk, to watch the competition and Kobayashi.
Demanding a recount
MEXICO CITY -- The party of leftist presidential candidate Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador demanded a ballot-by-ballot recount Tuesday in Mexico's closest presidential race, claiming the vote was manipulated and renewing fears of violent protests if the fiery politician doesn't get his way.
Lopez Obrador's demand for a full recount of all 41 million votes cast in Sunday's election set up a possible showdown that could go to Mexico's electoral courts, stirring memories of the bitter Florida recount in the 2000 U.S. presidential race.
At the close of voting Sunday, volunteers at tens of thousands of polling places counted the ballots in each box and attached a report, sending it to district headquarters. A preliminary count of those tallies gave conservative candidate Felipe Calderon of the ruling National Action Party a 400,000-vote advantage -- about 1 percentage point -- over Lopez Obrador of the leftist Democratic Revolution Party.
Baroness is Lord Speaker
LONDON -- A baroness from Britain's governing Labour Party was confirmed Tuesday as the first elected Lord Speaker of the House of Lords -- part of Prime Minister Tony Blair's project to remodel the unelected upper chamber of Parliament.
Helene Hayman is the first person to fill the new position, which replaces the centuries-old office of Lord Chancellor.
Baroness Hayman, who was appointed to the House of Lords in 1996, finished first in a field of nine candidates.
Associated Press