Israel lifts closure of West Bank as tensions calm after conflictsJERUSALEM (AP) — Israel lifted its tight restrictions on Palestinian access to Jerusalem’s holiest shrine Wednesday and called off an extended West Bank closure after days of clashes between Palestinians and Israeli security forces. Police officers were still kept on alert.—Yemeni-American imam calls for U.S. Muslim revoltCAIRO (AP) — A Yemeni-American Muslim preacher known for his ties to extremists operating in the U.S. called on American Muslims in a new audio message to turn against their government because of its actions against Muslims around the world.Anwar al-Awlaki’s latest message, excerpts of which were aired on CNN Wednesday, described his radicalization after U.S. operations against Muslims and called on those in the U.S. to follow his path.—Police probe death of Mass. student in Rhode Island riverPROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — Police say they’re investigating as suspicious the death of a college student whose body was pulled from a Rhode Island river this week.Gregory Hart was last seen Sunday morning in Providence, where he and friends had visited a nightclub.A body preliminarily identified as Hart’s was removed Tuesday from the 18-mile-long Woonasquatucket River.—Dozens arrested in California biker gang crackdownRIVERSIDE, Calif. (AP) — Authorities in California say they’ve arrested several dozen people in a statewide crackdown on an outlaw motorcycle club, and there may also be some arrests in other Western states.A spokesman for the Riverside County district attorney says federal, state and local agents began serving warrants for crimes such as drug, weapon and parole violations Wednesday morning.The spokesman, John Hall, isn’t identifying the motorcycle gang involved.—Jury sides with New Orleans in police taping caseNEW ORLEANS (AP) — A federal jury on Wednesday rejected allegations that New Orleans police unlawfully arrested two men who were videotaping them along a Carnival parade route in 2007.Greg Griffith and Noah Learned sued in 2007, arguing the city’s police department has a habit of arresting or threatening people who videotape or photograph officers. Several journalists also testified about their encounters with police.The seven jurors deliberated less than three hours before unanimously concluding that officers Brian Harrison and D’Meecko Hughes had probable cause to arrest Griffith and Learned and did not use excessive force. The jury did not get to weigh in on the allegation that the department “has a custom or policy of violating a person’s First Amendment right to photograph or film police activity.”—Death penalty ordered for man convicted of killing 2-year-old child(AP) — A jury in Baton Rouge has ordered the death penalty for a St. Louis man convicted of killing his girlfriend’s 2-year-old son in 2007.The verdict was returned Wednesday against 32-year-old Dacarius Holliday, who had been convicted of first-degree murder in the beating death of Darian Coon. The jury deliberated the punishment for about 90 minutes.—Former DSS state employee wins benefits on state appeal(AP) — A former state Department of Social Services employee accused of disaster food stamps fraud after Hurricane Katrina has won her unemployment benefits appeal.Melody Teague, a former DSS contract grants reviewer, she was fired in October one day after criticizing government inefficiencies before the state’s Commission on Streamlining Government.____Contact The Daily Reveille’s news staff at [email protected]