NATION IN BRIEF : NEW YORK : Boy Set Alight by Bully Fights for Life

David Aupont spent his 12th birthday fighting for his life in a New York City hospital after a bully allegedly beat him with a bat, tied him up, soaked him with gasoline and set him afire in a garage because he refused to smoke crack. While David couldn’t celebrate, former President Ronald Reagan, the White House and Mayor David N. Dinkins were among well-wishers who showered him with cards, gifts, balloons, flowers and messages, a hospital spokeswoman said. A suspect just a year older than David was arrested and charged in the attack.