Around the globe: Deadly day, Bombers kill at least 122
BAGHDAD — Five suicide bombers struck Shiite marketplaces in northeast Baghdad and a town north of the capital at nightfall Thursday, killing at least 122 people and wounding more than 150 in one of Iraq’s deadliest days in years.
U.S., Mexico discover two incomplete border tunnels
SAN DIEGO — Two incomplete tunnels were discovered along the U.S.-Mexico border in what authorities described as a failed attempt to sneak people into the U.S. illegally.
Grayson mother pleads guilty to sex with teens
MODESTO — A Grayson mother pleaded guilty to felony charges Thursday for having sex with her teenage son’s friends after a strip poker game at her home.
Tuskegee airmen awarded Congressional Gold Medal
WASHINGTON — Growing up in segregated times, Charles “A-Train” Dryden never thought he would fly war planes for the U.S. military, much less win an award for doing so.
Google Maps returns New Orleans to pre-Katrina status
NEW ORLEANS — Google’s popular map portal has replaced post-Hurricane Katrina satellite imagery with pictures taken before the storm, leaving locals feeling like they’re in a time loop and even fueling suspicions of a conspiracy.
Feinstein’s spouse takes center stage as head of UC Regents
They are one of California’s most influential political couples: four-term Democratic U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein and Richard Blum, a wealthy businessman, philanthropist and behind-the-scenes political adviser.
Lawmakers question CHP leadership, urge commander to resign his post
SACRAMENTO — Two state lawmakers on Thursday said the commissioner of the California Highway Patrol should resign after a series of problems they said illustrates a lack of leadership.
Arizona travel agency employees accused of helping illegal immigrants
PHOENIX — Fourteen travel agency owners or employees were indicted on human smuggling and other charges for allegedly selling airline tickets they thought would be used by illegal immigrants, officials said Thursday.
Antioch mom arrested for telling two daughters to steal neighbor’s dog
ANTIOCH — A woman who allegedly instructed her two young daughters to steal a neighbor’s dog was arrested on charges of contributing to the delinquency of a minor and grand theft.
Engineers look for ways to get around rockslide near Yosemite
EL PORTAL — State transportation officials are considering tunneling through the wall of the Merced River canyon as a possible solution to get around a rockslide outside the entrance of Yosemite National Park.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service agrees to consider Oregon and California salamander protection
GRANTS PASS, Ore. — Under court order, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service agreed Thursday to take another look at protecting two rare salamanders that live in old-growth forests in Oregon and California.
Muslims sue fellow passengers over their removal from airliner; chilling effect feared
12 p.m. MINNEAPOLIS -- Six Muslim men removed from a plane last fall after being accused of suspicious behavior are suing not only the airline but the passengers who complained - a move some fear could discourage travelers from speaking up when they see something unusual.
British marine on Iranian TV ''deeply'' apologizes for entering Iranian waters
12 p.m. TEHRAN, Iran -- One of the 15 British service members held captive in Iran appeared Friday on state television and said he apologized ''deeply'' for entering Iranian waters, and the country released a third letter supposedly from the one woman in the crew saying she has been ''sacrificed'' by Britain.
Officials caution about unhealthy Easter chicks
ATLANTA — Easter is right around the corner and so is the threat of salmonella carried by baby chicks often given to children as springtime gifts, health officials warned Thursday.
Storm spawns tornadoes in Rockies, Plains
HOLLY, Colo. — A massive spring storm spawned dozens of tornadoes from the Rockies to the Plains, killing at least four people in three states, including a woman who was flung into a tree by a twister as wide as two football fields.
Sadr City: An enclave of normalcy in fearful Baghdad
BAGHDAD, Iraq — In front of a blue metal gate, women in black abayas clutch food ration cards and exhibit a confidence rarely felt in the Iraqi capital.
Defense Secretary: Close Guantanamo
WASHINGTON — Congress and the Bush administration should work together to allow the U.S. to permanently imprison some of the more dangerous Guantanamo Bay detainees elsewhere so the facility can be closed, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Thursday.
Defiant Democrats OK troop withdrawal bill
WASHINGTON — A defiant, Democratic-controlled Senate approved legislation Thursday calling for the withdrawal of U.S. combat troops from Iraq within a year, propelling Congress closer to an epic, wartime veto confrontation with President Bush.