November 2009 Current Events: U.S. News

World News | Business/Science News

Here are the key events in United States news for the month of November 2009.

• Maine Voters Overturn Same-Sex Marriage Law (Nov. 3): Maine voters overturn a law allowing same-sex marriage, which had been instated by the state governor in May 2009. Maine is the 31st state to block same-sex marriage through a public referendum. All of the five states that currently allow same-sex marriage instituted the law via legislative action and court rulings.
• NY Yankees Win World Series (Nov. 4): The New York Yankees win their 27th World Series title, and their first since 2000, against the Philadelphia Phillies. The Yankees led the Phillies three games to two when they clinched the series with a score of 7–3. Yankees' left fielder, Hideki Matsui, wins the Most Valuable Player award. The 2009 season was the Yankees' first in their new stadium.
• Shooting at Fort Hood Leaves 13 Dead, 29 Injured (Nov. 5): A shooting at the Fort Hood army post in Texas kills 13 and injures 29. Ten of those killed are military personnel, while one is a civilian. The alleged shooter is Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, an army psychiatrist, was shot four times by an officer on the scene, but he survived the attack. Hasan's motive is unknown, though he was slated to deploy to Iraq or Afghanistan soon. (Nov. 12): Hasan is charged with 13 counts of premeditated murder; he will be tried in military court. If convicted, he could face the death penalty.
• D.C. Sniper Who Killed 10 in 2002 Is Executed (Nov. 10): John Allen Muhammad, known as the D.C. sniper who killed 10 people in shooting spree in Maryland and Virginia in 2002, is executed in a Virginia prison.
• Accused 9/11 Organizer Faces Civilian Trial in NY (Nov. 13): Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, the self-professed organizer of the Sept. 11 attacks on the U.S. that killed about 3,000 people, will stand trial in criminal court in Manhattan, the Obama administration announces. Attorney General Eric Holder will ask prosecutors to seek the death penalty for Mohammed and four co-conspirators. Five other detainees will be tried in military court.
• Gov. Sanford Faces 37 Charges from S.C. Ethics Board (Nov. 23): Governor Mark Sanford, who in June 2009 made headlines after a brief disappearance from office and then the admittance of an extramarital affair, is facing 37 counts of using his office for personal financial gain. The charges, brought by the Ethics Board of the state of South Carolina, are based on activities made from Sept. 2005 until April 2009.