Arizona

PHOENIX - The judge overseeing the deadly Tucson, Ariz., mass shooting case on Monday scheduled competency and change of plea hearings for defendant Jared Lee Loughner. U.S. District Judge Larry A. Burns' scheduling order confirms that a plea agreement has been reached in the shooting that left six dead and former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and 12 others wounded. Before Loughner can enter the plea, Burns must find that Loughner is mentally competent and understands what is happening.

PHOENIX - Arizona's ban on abortions starting at 20 weeks of pregnancy will take effect this week as scheduled after a federal judge ruled Monday that the new law is constitutional. U.S. District Judge James Teilborg said the statute may prompt a few pregnant women who are considering abortion to make the decision earlier. But he said the law is constitutional because it does not prohibit women from making the decision to end their pregnancies. He also wrote that the state had provided "substantial and well-documented" evidence that a fetus has the capacity to feel pain during an abortion by at least 20 weeks.

PHOENIX - Opponents of Arizona's hard-line immigration enforcement law launched a new effort Tuesday aimed at thwarting a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that will allow police to enforce the so-called "show me your papers" provision. A coalition of civil rights groups, religious leaders, and business organizations filed a new request seeking a court order that would prevent authorities from enforcing a rule that requires police to check the immigration status of people they stop for other reasons.

Posting themselves between Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell, a couple dozen demonstrators from civil rights and immigrant-aid groups took aim Wednesday at the only part of Arizona's immigration law that the U.S. Supreme Court did not overturn Monday. Their target was the provision known as "show me your papers," requiring police to verify the immigration status of anyone they detain for any offense. The practical result will be racial profiling, warned speakers from the American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania, the NAACP, the New Sanctuary Movement, and the Latino community support group Juntos.

OMAHA, Neb. - Brandon Dixon's tie-breaking double started a three-run ninth inning for Arizona, and the Wildcats won their first national title since 1986 with a 4-1 win over two-time defending champion South Carolina Monday night.  James Farris and Mathew Troupe combined to limit the Gamecocks to three hits as the Wildcats won their fourth title overall. The others came in 1976 and 1980.  Dixon, who entered the game in the sixth inning, sent a grounder down the third-base line past LB Dantzler for his first hit of the CWS to score Robert Refsnyder.  Tyler Webb relieved Matt Price (5-5)

MONDAY'S U.S. Supreme Court decision on Arizona's controversial immigration law would affect about half of the anti-illegal-immigrant bills pending before the Pennsylvania Legislature, says one close observer.   "Half could be a big problem if they were to pass," said Nadia Hewka, an attorney at Community Legal Services of Philadelphia and chairwoman of the board of the Pennsylvania Immigration and Citizenship Coalition. The bills would likely be challenged, then struck down, she said.

OMAHA, Neb. - Konner Wade threw his third straight complete game, Robert Refsnyder homered for the second game in a row, and Arizona beat two-time and defending national champion South Carolina, 5-1, in the opener of the College World Series finals Sunday night.  Wade (11-3) limited the Gamecocks to six hits in a steady outing to help the Wildcats (47-17) move within a win of their first national championship since 1986 and fourth overall.  The Gamecocks (49-19) must beat Arizona twice to become the first team since Southern California in the early 1970s to win three championships in a row.  Refsnyder, batting .444 (8 of 18)

OMAHA, Neb. - Arizona came to the College World Series as one of the hottest teams in the nation and swept three straight games to reach the final round. Yet coach Andy Lopez and his players know few outsiders are paying much attention to them as the best-of-three series starts Sunday. That's because South Carolina (49-18) has completed an improbable run to the finals, where the Gamecocks can become the first team in 40 years to win three straight titles. "We've got a pretty good team," coach Ray Tanner said, "but we're not the '27 Yankees.

OMAHA, Neb. - Arizona converted three errors into a six-run first inning and advanced to the College World Series finals with a 10-3 victory Thursday over Florida State at TD Ameritrade Park. Freshman starter Brandon Leibrandt was pulled after he recorded just one out for the Seminoles, who used eight pitchers to tie a CWS record for a nine-inning game. Robert Refsnyder and Bobby Brown homered in a span of three at-bats in the fourth as the Wildcats built their lead to 10-1 on their way to their ninth straight win. Kurt Heyer (13-2)

Halfway through the College World Series the top two seeds are gone. No. 2 UCLA (48-16) was ousted Tuesday night in a 4-1 loss to Arizona. No. 1 Florida (47-19) had gone a day earlier, after a loss to Kent State. Arizona (45-17) and Arkansas (46-20) are in the driver's seat now, as both are undefeated in the series and play Thursday against teams with one loss. Kent State (47-19) was scheduled to meet South Carolina (46-18) on Wednesday night in an elimination game, with the winner advancing to meet Arkansas on Thursday, but rain postponed the contest until Thursday morning.