The Sunrise News Sampler

Today, Tuscaloosa voters in Districts 1 and 6 will head to the polls to cast their ballots in runoff elections. In citywide municipal elections, Councilman Bobby Howard received slightly fewer votes than Burrell Odom while Bob Lundell trailed Eddie Pugh by almost 80 votes. Neither lead was the majority of votes.

Yesterday, Northport Mayor Bobby Herndon formally apologized to Tuscaloosa Mayor Walt Maddox, the Tuscaloosa Police Department, the Tuscaloosa Transit Authority, and two Northport businesses for behavior by City Councilwoman Judy Hayes, which Herndon described as embarrassing. Hayes says the mayor should have addressed her directly rather than make public statements about her. She and the mayor have bumped heads ever since her election.

A 59-year-old man was expected to undergo surgery to remove a bullet that struck his leg and traveled up to his hip when the gun he was carrying Saturday night fell to the floor and fired while he was grocery shopping. The man was carrying the gun legally in a holster.

Former Secretary of State Nancy Worley has been elected as the first female leader of the Alabama Democratic Party. She's spent the last five months as the interim chair.

A formal petition has been sent to the Alabama Board of Pardons and Paroles seeking an official pardon for the Scottsboro Boys, who were false accused of raping two white women more than 80 years ago.

Three Republicans are competing in the special election to represent Alabama House District 74. If no one gets a majority in today's election, a runoff will be held Nov. 19.

In other news, Democrats who control the Senate will try as early as today to pass a stand-alone measure to raise the government's borrowing ability, giving it enough credit until next year's elections.

Meanwhile, those trying to sign up for health insurance under the new law are experiencing more problems, as the online enrollment system was down again early today for upgrades. Experts say there's time to fix glitches before the uninsured start getting coverage on January 1.

American children are always being compared to their international counterparts and found lacking, and now a comparison of adults is producing similar results with American adults scoring below the international average on a global test of math, reading, and problem-solving using technology.

U.S. interrogators are headed to a U.S. warship in the Mediterranean to question a Libyan suspected of taking part in the 1998 U.S. Embassy bombings and Kenya and Tanzia.

Advancements in medicine and technology have prolonged life expectancy and decreased premature deaths overall, but women in parts of the country like the South and the West have been left behind, according to MSN.