Ken Lucas

They're billed as "Ken and Casey--a man and his duck." "I know it's rather unusual for a full-grown man to be working with a duck," ventriloquist Ken Lucas concedes to his audience as Casey the duck stares at his partner. 'Well, hey," the canary-yellow fowl says in his nasal voice, "George Bush works with a Quayle. . . . Frankly, between you and Bush, you've got the better deal.' " That could very well be the case.

They're billed as "Ken and Casey--a man and his duck." "I know it's rather unusual for a full-grown man to be working with a duck," ventriloquist Ken Lucas concedes to his audience as Casey the duck stares at his partner. 'Well, hey," the canary-yellow fowl says in his nasal voice, "George Bush works with a Quayle. . . . Frankly, between you and Bush, you've got the better deal.' " That could very well be the case.

Nick Clooney, father of actor George Clooney and brother of the late singer Rosemary Clooney, said Monday that he will run for Congress from a district in northern Kentucky. Clooney, 67, will campaign as a Democrat to succeed three-term Democrat Rep. Ken Lucas, who in his retirement announcement backed Clooney's candidacy. Clooney, who writes a thrice-weekly column for the Cincinnati Post, has never run for public office. He is a former TV news anchor, having worked at L.A.'

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Joey Harrington took the hit. Alge Crumpler did the rest. Just before he was drilled to the turf, Harrington found Crumpler over the middle for a 30-yard touchdown with 20 seconds left to give the Atlanta Falcons a 20-13 win over the Carolina Panthers. Crumpler, who returned after missing the previous two games because of ankle and knee injuries, caught the short pass over the middle and sliced between safeties Chris Harris and Quinton Teal for the score.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Steve Smith raced 56 yards for a touchdown, then did perhaps his most important work. Nearly two months after he broke teammate Ken Lucas' nose with a sucker punch in training camp, Smith retrieved the ball and handed it to Lucas. "He took the high road, and that showed a lot about him as a person," Lucas said. Smith's first touchdown after his two-game suspension helped the Carolina Panthers beat the Atlanta Falcons, 24-9.

Beazer Homes USA Inc., which has recently suffered hefty losses amid a downturn in the housing market, now faces a federal investigation of mortgage fraud and other allegations involving the home builder. Beazer shares plunged in after-hours trading Tuesday. The FBI and the U.S. attorney's office in Charlotte, N.C., along with the Internal Revenue Service and the U.S.

The Times takes a position-by-position look at the top college prospects and veteran free agents still available: TOP CORNERBACK PROSPECTS Nate Clements, Ohio State, 5-11, 207--Has all the tools to become a top-flight NFL player. Great open-field tackler. Sometimes too aggressive, must work on reading and anticipation skills. First rounder. Jamar Fletcher, Wisconsin, 5-8, 180--Possesses excellent ball-hawking ability. Closes well on the ball and has great hands.

Pro Bowl defensive end Michael Strahan of the New York Giants is expected to have surgery Wednesday for a torn chest muscle and is out for the season. Strahan, the NFL's all-time season sacks leader, was injured while trying to tackle Anthony Thomas in the third quarter of the Giants' 28-21 loss to the Chicago Bears on Sunday. Strahan was not immediately available for comment.

Deuce McAllister's one-yard touchdown run with 31 seconds remaining lifted Mississippi to a 34-31 victory over Marshall in the inaugural Motor City Bowl before 43,340 at the Silverdome Friday night. Marshall's last-ditch bid for a comeback ended when Randy Moss, who finished fourth in the Heisman Trophy voting, had the ball stripped away by linebacker Broc Kreitz after a 40-yard completion on the final play of the game.

The Carolina Panthers were chased off the field by boos at halftime. Even Steve Smith's stomach was turning. As the second half wore on, Smith was feeling better, the Panthers got it turned around -- and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were feeling all the worse for it.

The Oakland Raiders took a big step toward improving their struggling run defense by acquiring five-time Pro Bowl defensive lineman Richard Seymour from the New England Patriots on Sunday. The move does not come without its risks, as the Raiders gave up a first-round pick in 2011, which could be in the top 10 based on Oakland's recent history, to acquire a lineman who turns 30 next month and is in the final year of a contract paying him $3.7 million this season. Raiders owner Al Davis wanted immediate help for a defense that has struggled to stop the run in recent seasons.