Top Stories

Economy, War To Dominate State of Union...

For years, President Bush and his advisers expressed frustration that the White House received little credit for the nation's strong economic performance because of public discontent about the Iraq war. Today, the president is getting little credit for improved security in Iraq, as the public increasingly focuses on a struggling U.S. economy.

Still more rain in sodden California...

Fast-moving thunderstorms brought new waves of rain on Sunday to Southern California, following days of drenching weather and heavy mountain snowfall and raising fears of mudslides and flooding.

US shift seen to Pakistan, Afghanistan...

In a shift with profound implications, the Bush administration is attempting to re-energize its terrorism-fighting war efforts in Afghanistan, the original target of a post-Sept. 11 offensive. The U.S. also is refocusing on Pakistan, where a regenerating al-Qaida is posing fresh threats.

Police, rioters clash in fresh Kenya violence...

Police battled rioters in the west of Kenya on Monday as tribal clashes that left 130 dead over four days spread further across the country.

Iraqi forces positioning for battle with al Qaeda loyalists...

A major movement of Iraqi forces gathered on Sunday in Mosul as a prelude to a planned offensive against Islamic fighters loyal to al Qaeda, an Iraqi government spokesman said.

Hussein was surprised U.S. invaded...

Saddam Hussein let the world think he had weapons of mass destruction to intimidate Iran and prevent the country from attacking Iraq, according to an FBI agent who interviewed the dictator after his 2003 capture.

Chicago church offers sanctuary to 2nd illegal immigrant...

The tiny storefront church that sheltered Elvira Arellano in yearlong defiance of a federal deportation order is poised to give sanctuary to another undocumented immigrant facing deportation, church leaders said Sunday.

Raw Politics

Kennedy Chooses Obama, Spurning Bill Clinton Plea...

Senator Edward M. Kennedy, rejecting entreaties from the Clintons and their supporters, is set to endorse Senator Barack Obama's presidential bid on Monday as part of an effort to lend Kennedy charisma and connections before the 22-state Feb. 5 showdown for the Democratic nomination.

Romney, McCain battle for Fla. votes...

Republican Mitt Romney sought to lock up the Florida primary by refusing to talk Sunday about little else but the economic jitters confronting the nation. His rivals took different tacks toward the same goal as they fanned out across the Sunshine State.

Races Entering Complex Phase Over Delegates...

The presidential campaign is entering a new phase as Democratic and Republican candidates move beyond state-by-state competition and into a potentially protracted scramble for delegates Congressional district by Congressional district.

Obama says SC win turns a page...

Democrat Barack Obama said Sunday that his landslide win in South Carolina's presidential primary marks a turn in political history, showing that a black candidate can appeal to voters of all colors and in all regions.

Super Tuesday looks close for Democrats...

In eight days, on Feb. 5, Obama and his principal rival, New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, face off in the contest dubbed Super Tuesday, the biggest day of presidential primary voting in U.S. history

Top Candidates' Teams Look to the Lawyers...

As the race for the Democratic presidential nomination raged on in South Carolina and across the country this weekend, America's top trial lawyers became the focal point of a different aspect of the campaign at a seaside resort here.

Crime & Punishment

Wanted: Someone to kill my boyfriend's wife...

A US woman was arrested this week after she allegedly tried to hire a hit man to murder her married lover's wife by posting an ad on the popular website craigslist, law enforcement officials said Sunday.

Ohio DNA program flawed...

Ohio's DNA testing program for inmates seeking to prove their innocence is deeply flawed, with police routinely discarding evidence after trials and court-ordered tests never getting done, a newspaper reported Sunday.

Keeping Them Honest

U.S. mine violations ignored...

The federal agency that regulates the nation's mining industry says it has failed to issue penalties for hundreds of citations issued since 2000, and the problem could extend as far back as 1995.

360º Follow

Calif. needs more firefighting resources...

A panel reviewing last fall's deadly Southern California wildfires called Friday for additional personnel and equipment as a means of responding quickly and with overwhelming force before small blazes spread.

What You Will Be Talking About Today

Brattleboro to vote on arresting Bush, Cheney...

Brattleboro residents will vote at town meeting on whether President George Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney should be indicted and arrested for war crimes, perjury or obstruction of justice if they ever step foot in Vermont.

'Old Men' makes Oscar case at SAG Awards...

"No Country for Old Men" emerged as the Oscars favorite Sunday by taking top honors for overall cast along with Javier Bardem's supporting-actor prize at the Screen Actors Guild Awards, the lone gathering of A-list stars in an awards season hobbled by the writers strike.

Wild elephant attacks tourist in China...

A wild elephant in southern China picked up an American tourist with its trunk and threw him in the air, causing the man to suffer from fractured ribs and stomach injuries, an official said Monday.