The AP is reporting that a Texas criminal court has denied Tom DeLay’s request that money laundering charges against him be dismissed or sent back to a lower court. The announcement came only days after DeLay announced he was stepping down as House majority leader. He is still planning on running for re-election next year, however.

In other news:

Both Vice President Dick Cheney and California Governor Arnold Schwarzeneggar have run into some health-related problems of their own, albeit not nearly as severe as Sharon’s.

Cheney was hospitalized at 3 a.m. this morning due to shortness of breath, and was released four to five hours later. Apparently he was running into fluid retention problems related to medication he takes.

Schwarzeneggar was in a motorcycle accident and had to get 15 stitches.

And finally, The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe was bumped off the top spot at the box office this week by, ironically enough, Hostel. The R-rated horror flick took in $20 million dollars, while Narnia fell to $15 million. King Kong was third at $12.5 million.