National
Florida shooter’s race a complicated matter
At first, the shooting death of an unarmed black teenager at the hands of a white neighborhood watch volunteer was playing out like many previous tragedies that cut short the lives of young black men.
Analysis: More domestic oil drilling doesn’t drop gas price
It’s the political cure-all for high gas prices: Drill here, drill now.
Giants edge Patriots in Super Bowl XLVI
INDIANAPOLIS — Take that, Brady. You too, Peyton.
Eli Manning is the big man in the NFL after one-upping Tom Brady and leading the New York Giants to a 21-17 victory against the New England Patriots on Sunday in Super Bowl XLVI — in older brother Peyton’s house, at that.
Florida highway patrol defends reopening I-75
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Minutes before two pileups killed 10 people on a highway shrouded in fog and thick smoke from a brush fire, the Florida Highway Patrol had reopened the always busy six-lane interstate after an earlier serious accident.
Once-homeless science whiz moves into new NY house
BAY SHORE, N.Y. — A New York teen who was living at a homeless shelter when she was picked as a semifinalist in a prestigious national science competition has moved into her new home.
Samantha Garvey and her family were handed the keys to their house in Bay Shore, Long Island on Saturday.
Struggling in US, F-35 fighter pushes sales abroad
TOKYO — Detractors say the F-35 stealth fighter, the costliest military plane ever, is destined to go down as one of the biggest follies in aviation history. But it may have found a savior: deep-pocketed U.S. allies hungry to add its super high-tech capabilities to their arsenal.
St. Louis hosts first big parade on Iraq War’s end
ST. LOUIS — Since the Iraq War ended there has been little fanfare for the veterans returning home. No ticker-tape parades. No massive, flag-waving public celebrations.
Prison dilemma: surging numbers of older inmates
NEW YORK — In corrections systems nationwide, officials are grappling with decisions about geriatric units, hospices and medical parole as elderly inmates — with their high rates of illness and infirmity — make up an ever increasing share of the prison population.
Obama decries rising cost of college education
ANN ARBOR, Mich. — President Barack Obama called Friday for an overhaul of the higher education financial aid system, warning that colleges and universities that fail to control spiraling tuition costs could lose federal funds.
Pentagon: Army, Marines to shrink as budget slows
WASHINGTON — The Pentagon outlined a plan Thursday for slowing the growth of military spending, including cutting the size of the Army and Marine Corps, retiring older planes and trimming war costs. It drew quick criticism from Republicans, signaling the difficulty of scaling back defense budgets in an election year.
Sundance documentary ‘The Invisible War’ examines rape in US military, lack of prosecution
PARK CITY, Utah — The Department of Defense estimates that more than 19,000 military men and women were sexually assaulted by fellow troops in 2010 while serving in the United States armed forces. At least 20 percent of servicewomen and 1 percent of men — an estimated 500,000 troops — have experienced sexual trauma while serving.
Council finds a growing number of states move to weaken teacher tenure
WASHINGTON — America’s public school teachers are seeing their generations-old tenure protections weakened as states seek flexibility to fire teachers who aren’t performing. A few states have essentially nullified tenure protections altogether, according to an analysis being released today by the National Council on Teacher Quality.
Convicted Marine apologizes to Iraqi civilians
CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. — When Staff Sgt. Frank Wuterich finally spoke in court, he did not address the judge but instead directed his words at the Iraqi family members who survived his squad’s attacks in 2005 that left 24 unarmed civilians dead.
Obama speech echoes in town with failed factory
MOBERLY, Mo. — After 19 years running state unemployment offices across northern Missouri, Steve Moore can rattle off the names of shuttered factories in this old railroad town with ease.
Marine denies firing at Iraqi women and children
CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. — A Marine facing sentencing over one of the worst attacks on civilians by U.S. troops during the Iraq War told a judge Tuesday in a surprise development that he never fired his weapon at any women or children.CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. (AP) — A Marine facing sentencing over one of the worst attacks on civilians by U.S. troops during the Iraq War told a judge Tuesday in a surprise development that he never fired his weapon at any women or children.
Supreme Court ruling confuses religious workers
DETROIT — Aleeza Adelman teaches Jewish studies at a Jewish school, yet she considers herself a teacher whose subject is religion, not a religious teacher. She’s rethinking how to define her job after a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling left her wondering what could happen if she ever needed to defend her right to keep it.
Former trailblazer Kodak files for Chapter 11
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Kodak’s moment has come and gone.
The glory days when Eastman Kodak Co. ruled the world of film photography lasted for over a century. Then came a stunning reversal of fortune: cutthroat competition from Japanese firms in the 1980s and a seismic shift to the digital technology it pioneered but couldn’t capitalize on. Now comes a wistful worry that this icon of American business is edging toward extinction.
Police chiefs meet at WH to discuss terror fight
WASHINGTON — The Obama administration is providing senior state and local police officials with its analysis of homegrown terrorism incidents, including common signs law enforcement can use to identify violent extremists.
Prekindergarten programs drop during recession
WASHINGTON — The expansion in public prekindergarten programs has slowed and even been reversed in some states as school districts cope with shrinking budgets. As a result, many 3- and 4-year-olds aren’t going to preschool.
