March 6, 2008 in Nation/World on Page A1 NEW YORK – Oil prices surged Wednesday, rising a remarkable $5 a barrel to a record of more than $104 after the government reported a surprise drop in crude oil …

March 6, 2008 in City on Page A1 An economic downturn appears to have quashed the sales tax windfalls local governments have collected the past two years. Sales taxes received in February were down 5 percent from a …

March 6, 2008 in City on Page A2 Wednesday’s Washington Daily Game: 5-3-1. Wednesday’s Washington Lotto: 1-8-32-41-43-47.

March 6, 2008 in Nation/World on Page A2 LONDON – A funny thing happened last November when Britain launched a righteous protest over the arrest in Sudan of a British school teacher who was accused of insulting religion …

March 6, 2008 in Nation/World on Page A2 NEW YORK – American men still don’t pull their weight when it comes to housework and child care, but collectively they’re not the slackers they used to be. The average …

March 6, 2008 in Nation/World on Page A3 JUNEAU, Alaska – Gov. Sarah Palin and her husband are expecting their fifth child in May, she announced Wednesday. Palin, 44, who just two months ago was modeling for the …

March 6, 2008 in Nation/World on Page A3 WASHINGTON – Eight years ago, their rivalry came to a head in South Carolina when George W. Bush put an end to John McCain’s presidential ambitions. Now, they are standing …

March 6, 2008 in Nation/World on Page A3 WASHINGTON – The Food and Drug Administration has detected a “contaminant” in many samples of Chinese-supplied heparin that may be the cause of hundreds of severe and sometimes deadly allergic …

March 6, 2008 in Nation/World on Page A4 WASHINGTON – House Democrats want to use a parliamentary maneuver to push a $70 billion tax increase through a reluctant Senate, a move intended to spare millions of taxpayers from …

March 6, 2008 in Nation/World on Page A4 WASHINGTON – The House voted Wednesday to require equal health insurance coverage for mental and physical illnesses when policies cover both. The 268-148 roll call was cheered by advocates who …

March 6, 2008 in Nation/World on Page A4 PAGE, Ariz. – Four arcs of water unleashed from a dam coursed through the Grand Canyon on Wednesday in a flood meant to mimic the natural ones that used to …

March 6, 2008 in Nation/World on Page A5 BOGOTA, Colombia – Even as relations remained tense between Colombia and Venezuela, there were signs Wednesday that the Andean region’s most serious crisis in recent years might be easing. In …

March 6, 2008 in Nation/World on Page A5 The U.S. military will court-martial four Marines in Japan for the alleged rape of a Japanese woman, a Marine Corps official said today. The general courts-martial will begin next month, …

March 6, 2008 in Nation/World on Page A5 JERUSALEM – The moderate Palestinian leadership agreed under heavy U.S. pressure Wednesday to resume peace talks with Israel, dropping a demand that Israel first reach a truce with Islamic Hamas …

March 6, 2008 in Nation/World on Page A7 A powerful explosion flattened a house in suburban Pittsburgh on Wednesday, killing a man, injuring his 4-year-old granddaughter and damaging more than a dozen neighboring homes, authorities said. Natural gas …

March 6, 2008 in Nation/World on Page A7 LOS ANGELES – Federal prosecutors Wednesday released a list of more than 120 witnesses – including actors Sylvester Stallone, Chris Rock and Farrah Fawcett – whom they plan to call …

March 6, 2008 in City on Page A8 CAPITOL HEIGHTS, Md. – Multiple sclerosis gave Monica Spann bouts of debilitating fatigue, weakness in her legs and vision problems. It also left her scrambling for a place to live. …

March 6, 2008 in Business on Page A8 Coldwater Creek Inc. Wednesday reported a loss for 2007, its first ever, and anticipated a 2008 with break-even results the best likely outcome. The news cut the price of Coldwater …

March 6, 2008 in Business on Page A8 SRM Development LLC is moving forward with a condo tower proposed for the YWCA site near downtown Spokane, more than a year after announcing the project. The Spokane-based development company …

March 6, 2008 in City on Page A8 WASHINGTON — Cable television operators discriminate against the NFL even though professional football is the nation’s most popular spectator sport, the league’s commissioner told lawmakers Wednesday. The league-owned NFL Network …

March 6, 2008 in City on Page A8 The economy has weakened since the start of this year as shoppers turned even more cautious given the severe housing slump and painful credit crunch. Manufacturers and other businesses, meanwhile, …

March 6, 2008 in City on Page A9 BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – If $200 laptop computers are good for kids in Peru and Mongolia, why not Alabama? Birmingham’s City Council has approved a $3.5 million plan to provide schoolchildren …

March 6, 2008 in City on Page A9 BOSTON – Warehouse clubs Costco and BJ’s reported substantially higher profits Wednesday, with both benefiting as cost-conscious shoppers worried about the economy shunned department stores and specialty retailers in favor …