From NPR News in Washington, I'm Lakshmi Singh.

The San Diego Chargers former linebacker junior Seau has been found dead at his southern California home. Police are investigating the death is a possible suicide. Authorities say the 43-year-old was found with a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Seau spent most of his 20-season career with the Chargers.

Thirteen people are charged in the alleged hazing death of a Florida A&M University drum major. Prosecutor Lawson Lamar, says most of the suspects will face a felony hazing charge.

Attaining justice for Robert champion, his family and I extension, the university family is paramount. We never shield away from difficult prosecutions.

The charge has come more than five months after the 26-year-old band member died aboard a chartered bus  in Orlando.

More conflicting reports are surfacing on the condition under which a Chinese dissident left the US embassy in Beijing today was a free ** under government threat. The Associated Press is now reporting that Chen Guangcheng wants to seek asylum in the United States, but there has been no confirmation of that from Washington, which has been eager to move beyond the diplomatic ** ahead of crucial talks with the Chinese government. We have this from NPR's Louisa Lim.

Speaking from his hospital bed, activist Chen Guangcheng told AP that a Chinese official threatened to beat his wife to death, if he didn't leave the embassy. The AP report quotes a US official who denies knowledge of the threat, but he acknowledges that Chen was told his family would be sent home if he stayed in the embassy. Friends of the dissident had warned he had been threatened and had reached his decision under the US. These latest revelations will undermine US relief at reaching an agreement with Beijing on the eve of high level diplomatic talks. Senior US officials have said that Chen had received assurances he will be able to live in safety and study at a university away from his home province.  Louise Lim NPR News, Beijing.

Newt Gingrich has formally announced his exit from the GOP presidential campaign, more from NPR's Kathy Lohr.

Almost a year after announcing he would make a run for the GOP presidential nomination, Gingrich ended it.

Suspending the campaign, does not mean suspending citizenship, Callista and I are committed to be active citizens.

The former speaker won just two primaries, South Carolina and Georgia, where he represented in congress for two decades. During the campaign, Gingrich fiercely attacked his opponent Mitt Romney,  now the presumptive GOP nominee. The former speaker didn't announce that he would endorse Romney today. He did say he would work to get Republicans elected across the spectrum, saying the election just starts the dance, he does end it. Kathy Lohr, NPR News.

The Dow is down 11 points. This is NPR.

The NFL is suspending without pay for a current and former New Orleans Saints' players for their participation in a cash for its bounty system, intended to knock out opposing player out of the game, among those punish for the entire 2012 season, linebacker Jonathan Vilma.

The  Drug Enforcement Administration is reportedly apologizing to a 23-year-old California student who was arrested during a drug raid and left in a holding cell for several days without food, water or access to bathroom. It says in a statement that the treatment of Daniel Chong is not consistent with the Agency's practice and an investigation is underway.

Well, one of the art world's most iconic images, the Scream, is being auctioned at in New York tonight. NPR's Margot Adler reports the best selldown in 1895 could go for as much as 80 million dollars.

The Scream is a symbol of the anxiety of ** is being on T-shirts, keychains and inflatable dolls. It has spoken to millions as both a personal scream from the abyss and the symbol of modern horrors like World War Two and the holocaust. The hairless figure, hands blocking the sound of the scream, under a blood red sky is one of four versions among created, the others are in museums in Norway. The original frame includes the hand painted poem that inspired the image Munch described himself as shivering with anxiety, I felt the great scream in nature. The ** is owned by Norwegian businessman Peter Olsen, whose father was a friend and patron of the artist, also plans to use the money to create a museum and art center. Margot Adler, NPR News, New York.

Before the close, US stocks mixed with the Dow down 11 points, NASDAQ up 9, S&P500 down 4.

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