Nation & World news

Bozo popularizer Larry Harmon, 83, dies

LOS ANGELES – Larry Harmon, the entrepreneur who brought Bozo the Clown to television as a children's show host in the late 1950s and spent the next 50 years promoting the flame-haired circus character, died Thursday. He was 83.

'Last shot' for longtime fireworks show manager

INDIANAPOLIS – One of the fireworks bursting above the city this year will contain a bit of cremated remains – a fitting tribute, organizers say, to the man who ran the annual event for 40 years.

Audit finds workers opened passport records

WASHINGTON – Government workers repeatedly snooped without authorization inside the electronic passport records of entertainers, athletes and other high-profile Americans, a State Department audit has found. One celebrity's records were breached 356 times by more than six dozen people.

Dazzling fireworks are also quite dirty

When the rockets and bombs burst in air tonight, spectators will experience more than a spectacular show celebrating America's birthday.

Hopefuls differ on Latin America

MEXICO CITY – Sen. John McCain's trip to Colombia and Mexico this week made one thing clear: The shape of the United States' relationship with Latin America will hinge on the outcome of the 2008 election.

Obama may revise Iraq troop removal timetable

FARGO, N.D. – Democrat Barack Obama emphasized Thursday that he might revise his proposed timetable for pulling U.S. combat troops from Iraq, saying he needed to consult with U.S. commanders and do a "thorough assessment of the situation."

DNA exonerates man after 15 years

A Texas man who spent more than 15 years in prison after being wrongly convicted of kidnapping and robbery raised both arms skyward and collapsed in his mother's embrace Thursday after being told he was a free man.

Goleta fire California's top priority

BIG SUR, Calif. – The fires that are bedeviling California took another ominous turn Thursday as a blaze near Goleta triggered additional evacuations and authorities shut another 10 miles of Highway 1 along the flaming Big Sur coast.

George Washington's boyhood home unearthed

Iraq war limiting U.S. troop options

Palestinian's rampage kills 3, injures dozens

Daring ruse frees hostages in Colombia

Betancourt rankled many across political spectrum

Prince William's ship makes coke bust

Deal for U.S. forces to stay in Iraq near

McCain shakes up campaign staff

FBI may use profiling to investigate Americans

Cell phone traffic stop prompts high-speed chase (Los Angeles)

Nation in brief: Fire officials order Calif. town's evacuation

Midwest under attack by pesky mosquitoes

Scientists say watermelon has Viagra-like effects

Obama embraces federally funded religious charities

Georgia lawmaker vows to test airport gun ban

In Illinois, police catch man suspected of killing 8

U.S. aims spy satellites at Iraqi army

Mugabe evades African Union rebuke

Police 'torture' videos upset Mexicans

World in brief: Iranian minister dismisses threats

Smoke, ash wreaking havoc on California air quality

Whistle-blower fraud cases lag at Justice

Nation in brief: Feds investigating Google-Yahoo deal

McCain backs free trade pact with Colombia

Obama got discount on mortgage

Iraq opens bidding for its oil, gas fields

U.S. seeks sanctions over Zimbabwe vote

Guantanamo detainee charged in Cole attack

In brief: Medicare fee cut put on hold

Man cleared in 2 suspects deaths

Deflecting attacks, Obama professes patriotism

Report by Army cites war missteps

Pentagon fights EPA on cleanup of bases

Same-sex marriage adds to parade festivity

Israel OKs Hezbollah hostage swap

Mugabe sworn in for 6th term

World in brief: Shooting exercise leaves 16 wounded

U.S. covert action rising in Iran, Hersh reports

Nation in brief: Fires in check, for now

Death list an elegy to democracy in Zimbabwe

Pot-friendly coffee shops take hit on smoking ban

Lottery numbers

Pakistan forces attack Taliban strongholds

Beef concerns trump North Korea progress

Officials seize 4.6 tons of cocaine

McCain, Obama promise to revamp immigration

He'll have the steak

Nation in brief: Roller coaster beheads teen

Middle Eastern nations on Obama's itinerary

Rising fuel costs cut down tuna fishing

Experts attest to safety of smasher

Attack strains relations with Iraq

Air quality at emergency level

Archbishop named to Vatican post

Kermit Love, muppet-maker

Zimbabwe faces more sanctions

Afghan fighters proving resilient

This summer may see first ice-free North Pole

Muskrat undermines work, causes Missouri levee break

Gangs coerce Zimbabweans to vote in flawed election

Nation in brief: NRA sues city over handgun law

Former foes make a show of Unity

Unlikely endorsement for McCain

Taliban, warlords threaten Pakistani city

Militants execute men accused of spying for U.S.

Seismic ruling on gun law

Oil spike triggers big selloff of stocks

Bill would improve health care for female veterans

FCC targets product placement

Mars soil much like Earth's

U.S. eases sanctions against North Korea

After the flood, what to do with all the sandbags?

Man convicted in 2005 L.A. train disaster

Congress gives final approval on war funding

World in brief: Suicide attack kills 3 Marines, others

Mars pours millions into unlocking cocoa genome

Court slashes punitive award in Exxon Valdez oil spill case

Court rules child rapists can't be executed

Nevada senator blocks housing rescue plan

Laptops seizure raises questions

Nation in brief: Worker kills co-workers, self

Mandela condemns Zimbabwe's rulers

World in brief: Olmert reaches deal with partners

Jardine cribs recalled

No pact, pregnant teen claims

Florida Everglades get a helping hand

Pentagon worried by surge of violence in Afghanistan

U.S. soldiers, employees killed in blast

World in brief: Rockets interrupt Gaza cease-fire

Housing rescue bill clears Senate hurdle; Bush may veto

Poll puts Obama ahead by 12 points

Colleagues applaud Clinton's Senate return

Nation in brief: 8 percent in U.S. have diabetes

Illegal hiring practices at Justice Department

Religion poll finds diversity, wide tolerance

Zimbabwe opposition leader seeks refuge

High court won't hear border fence concerns

U.S. considering diplomatic outpost in Iran

World in brief: Court rules Sharif ineligible for office

Muslim detainee wrongly labeled, U.S. court rules

Two U.S. soldiers killed when Iraqi politician opens fire

TSA collects more than $1 million in forgotten change

Research puts a date on Homer's 'Odyssey'

McCain takes risk with energy stance

Saudis will increase oil output if needed

Charity giving steady in '07, study finds

Mississippi approaches cresting point

Zimbabwe candidate quits, citing violence

Typhoon death toll reaches 163 in Philippines

Israel relaxes blockade of Gaza

Iraq suicide bomber kills 15, wounds 40

In brief: Fourth Bolivian state votes for autonomy

Campaign rhetoric, fiscal reality at odds

Crested dog named hardest on the eyes

Lottery numbers

Critics fear rule change on plants, parks

Amid ruin, Iowa town begins flood cleanup

Vehicle hits pedestrians in N.Y., again

Iran strike would be dire, nuclear regulator warns

South Korea OKs U.S. beef imports

Scots who quit smoking can get free food vouchers

In brief: Typhoon deaths reach at least 80

Teen girls may have made pregnancy pact

Israeli military conducts war games

McClellan repeats critique of Bush before Congress

McCain, GOP raise more in May

At least 10 dead in Mexican nightclub raid

Officials investigate tainted tomatoes in Florida, Mexico

Flooding may worsen gulf 'dead zone'

House passes new surveillance law

White House rebuffs House on EPA

Pentagon: POW buried in China

Deal reached on surveillance legislation

More levees give way; Bush visits flooded towns

McCain visits Iowa sites despite governor request

House boosts vets' GI Bill benefits

Oil firms ready to sign Iraq contracts

Troops fill city on Iran border

Obama spurns spending limit for campaign

Court revives age bias lawsuit

Mars lander might have found ice traces

World in brief: Troops, warplanes drive out militants

Americans rein in road time – and new habits might even stick

Man with skin cancer saved by new treatment

Obesity surgery may reduce cancer

Bush wants end to ban on offshore oil drilling

Bush guilty of war crimes, ex-general says

McCain champions new nuclear plants

Nation in brief: CDC has more salmonella cases

Israelis propose talks with Lebanon

Month after surviving earthquake, woman in China gives birth

World in brief: Offensive launched against Taliban

House, Bush reach deal on war funds

Officials seeing few cases of toxic floodwaters

Last surviving WWI veteran receives Capitol treatment

Pigs who survived flood shot at levee

Prognosis for health care reform is good

Speeding tickets to come with surcharge

Israel, Hamas agree to Gaza truce

Vehicle bomb kills dozens in Baghdad

Thousands of Afghans flee as Taliban take over area

Mexico amends justice system to require more open trials

Group says Iran executes minors

CIA played larger role in interrogations

Judge approves settlement in Virginia Tech shootings

Updated SAT is a better predictor

Girl, 12, puts the squeeze on lemonade stand robber

Workers rush to fortify threatened river levees

Senators deny knowing details of mortgage deals

Gay couples line up across Golden State

Convictions tossed in Abramoff case

Candidates square off on fight against terrorism

Midwest flood damage may push food prices higher

McCain supports lifting drilling ban

Gore endorses Obama, attends Detroit rally

Senate report questions accounts from Pentagon

Gay couples in California race to get legally married

Study: Brains of gay men and straight women are similar

Helmsley's dog has to learn to get by on $2 million

Nation in brief: Jury probes political meddling

Europe pledges support on Iran

Taliban launches major offensive, seizes villages

U.S. companies lagging in Iraq

Mugabe threatens to hold onto power

Engineers watch 27 levees

Coffee may cut risk of heart disease

Hunt continues for source of tainted tomatoes

Mexican tomato exporters angry about FDA investigation

Supreme Court to hear Ashcroft case

World in brief: Executions prompt arrests, outcry

Karzai threatens Pakistan incursion

In Congress, a surprising can-do attitude for wilderness bills

'In the Heights' wins best musical at Tonys

FCC chief paves way for radio merger

Flood devastates small town

Obama tells black dads to engage their children

Calif. police kill man after toddler beaten, killed

Nation in brief: Weather helps wildfire fight

Death toll rises to nine in Japan quake, slide

Dozens dead in China flooding

Suicide bomber kills 12 in Sri Lanka

World in brief: Saudis to boost oil production

Staged WWII photo honored at exhibit

Smuggling ring had advanced warhead blueprint

Fast facts about nuclear power

Bronx street sweeper swallows terrier on owner's leash

Al-Sadr pulls out of local elections

Cedar Rapids flooding begins to draw back

Saudi oil chief to comment on possible production boost

Bomb kills 4 Marines, injures 1 in Afghanistan

Statue hails 'Che,' a first for Argentina

World in brief: Rescuers dig for victims at resort

Conservative blacks grapple with their vote

McCain cancels event at Texas oilman's home

Iran rejects incentive deal

New rules allow oil companies to harass polar bears

Senator admits he got favorable loan deals

Astronauts return home safely

Philanthropist, GM heir Mott dies at 70

In Passing

Iowans survey damage from historic floods

Al-Maliki rejects terms; cleric urges offensive

Portion of D.B. Cooper loot fetches $37,000 at auction

Manson follower seeks release

Hundreds escape from Afghanistan jail

Political reporter Russert, 58, dies

Boy tied to tree as discipline found dead

Space shuttle cleared to return to Earth today

R. Kelly acquitted in child porn case

Nation in brief: Mistrial declared in obscenity case

Irish voters scuttle European treaty

World in brief: Strong earthquake rattles north Japan

Detainees can get day in court

South Carolina to get 'I Believe' plates

Detainees have habeas corpus right

Iowa residents evacuate during historic flood

Boy Scouts in twister praised for preparedness

Video shows attack on troops

Mexico halts tomato exports

Truce talks still stalled in Gaza

Picassos stolen from museum

House passes jobless benefits

Teachers defend shock tactics

Judge asks panel to investigate him

Irish voters decide fate of EU overhaul

Air Force admits picking costly contract

Sex-ring operator pleads guilty

McCain finds comfort zone

Obama site counters rumors

Storms steamroll U.S.

Americans' life expectancy hits record, study finds

Tornado hits Iowa Scout camp; 4 dead

House refuses to extend unemployment benefits

Effort to impeach Bush sent to panel

House overwhelmingly passes Amtrak funding

'We are sorry,' Harper tells native Canadians

Pakistan decries U.S. airstrike

World in brief: Nepal's deposed king quits palace

Congress' computers hacked; China suspected

Nation in brief: Tomato source still a mystery

Head of Obama search team quits

Democrats blast McCain on U.S. future in Iraq

Possible Iran strike gets new attention

Ahmadinejad supporter arrested

Judge in obscenity trial kept explicit photos on Web site

Tax on oil profits blocked in Senate

Southern Baptists reject database on sex abuse

Bush, EU threaten Iran with sanctions

Dozens reported dead in Sudan plane crash

Biggest Gulf of Mexico 'dead zone' predicted

Plan could bar unfit troops

Internet firms to block child porn

Judge: Ohio must change lethal injection drugs

Nation in brief: Ex-Nazi guard ordered deported

Iraq security talks face resistance

Chavez rejects claim that man is his son

Scientists say drilling caused Indonesia mud flow

World in brief: Blasts relieve pressure on lake

S. Korea unrest over beef growing

Canada apologizing for abuse of Indians

Candidates clash on economy

Former military on Obama VP list

Graham glides to S.C. victory

Food sellers react quickly on tomatoes

New direction for Air Force

Index takes happiness temperature

Elephant, 52, dies at zoo

Panel says Abramoff's sway underplayed

New tool in illegal worker crackdown

Nation in brief: Kennedy home after brain surgery

U.S.-Iraq pact may not get done this year

Iran leaders oppose security agreement

Obama, McCain talk about economy

Poll sees Clinton's strong negatives

Midwest deluge continues

Violent crime down, FBI says

Name check backlog clogs federal system

Zimbabwe runoff in peril, group says

Tokyo attacker posted plans to kill on Internet

Supplies reach new areas of Myanmar in need of aid

World in brief: Cabinet offers to quit over furor

Bush diplomacy focused on Iran

First lady tours Afghan sites

In Cuba, urban farms an unexpected success

Five rescued after boat capsizes in Gulf of Mexico

7 dead in Tokyo stabbing rampage

Chavez addresses Colombia rebels

Iran pushes ties with Iraq

World in brief: Suicide blast kills American soldier

Ohio plane crash kills six

At least eight dead in storms

Fire damages Texas governor's mansion

Lawyer challenging interrogation protocol

Judge bans use of word 'rape' at trial

Election a referendum on Obama

School names monkey god its chairman

Lottery numbers

Clinton endorses Obama

Despite sexism, run cleared way for next woman

Democrats back Franken for Senate

Abused Guantanamo detainee seeks dismissal

Oil producers get plea to add output

Hollywood pact goes to union

Flooding besets Midwest

Nation in brief: Woman in motorized chair falls down elevator shaft

Outcast writer gives voice to quake victims

Ruby Chow, Seattle's Chinese-American matriarch, dies

In Passing: Alton Kelley, 68, rock 'n' roll artist

South Koreans riot over U.S. beef imports

Kosovo leader's home attacked

Iraq car bombings kill six

Al-Maliki visits Iran for talks

World in brief: Lion cubs test sanctuary life

Double whammy for economy

Stem cells appear to cure boy's disease

Clinton must walk fine line

GOP senators block action on climate bill

Obama holds significant fundraising advantage

Feinstein brokered meeting

U.S. bishops fail to stop sex abuse book tour

California county clerk won't officiate at weddings

Vegas-Disneyland train study funded

Opposition says Zimbabwe has banned its rallies

Citizens can get free sex changes

Gates fires Air Force's top leaders

Alleged architect of Sept. 11 asks for execution

New York skyscraper climbed twice in one day

Obama visits Clinton, aims to unite party

McCain defends opposition to Everglades measure

Severe storms pop up across Plains

Panel criticizes pre-war claims

United Arab Emirates to establish Iraq embassy

Dignitaries talk of war at peace institute ceremony

Zimbabweans detain U.S. diplomats

Che's kids denounce overuse of image

Congress approves $3 trillion budget during election year

Jack Lucas, 80, Medal of Honor winner, dies

Oregon polluter sent to prison

Air Force identifies cause of B-2 crash

Clinton plans to quit race by Saturday

Ex-Obama fundraiser convicted of corruption

Decline in teen sex levels off, data show

Hispanic leaders worried as jobless rates jump

Astro-toilet repaired; new space lab open

Marine cleared in Haditha case

Judge allows Blackwater center

Alleged 9/11 plotters go to court at Guantanamo

Abbas says he'll talk with Hamas

France in uproar over virginity ruling

Police detain Zimbabwe opposition leader

World hails historic Obama victory

McCain proposes series of town hall debates

Medicare's drug benefit premiums rising quickly

Obama seals it up, looks ahead

Clinton says she's open to No. 2 spot

Frost home vandals given a dose of poetic justice

Gas prices blamed on speculation

Astronauts successfully link lab to space station

Lead poisoning afflicts seven condors

House Democrats alter war funding bill

Kennedy progresses after surgery

North Korea faces imminent famine

Ethanol dominates U.N. food conference

Iranian president berates U.S., Israel

Images reveal vast Amazon deforestation

South Korea reneges on importing U.S. beef

U.S. ships to leave Myanmar coast

McCain reaches out to Clinton backers

Lautenberg wins nod for fifth term

U.S. opens refugee office