Howard News Blog @newzblogz.com

FORT CAMPBELL, Ky. A soldier from Texas faces military trial tomorrow in Kentucky over the rape and murder of a 14-year-old Iraqi girl and the slaying of her family.Twenty-three-year-old Private First Class Bryan Howard of Huffman was initially described as a lookout for the crime.Other soldiers from the 101st Airborne have said Howard wasn't directly involved in the attack last March.The Houston Chronicle reports the defense is considering an agreement to let Howard plead guilty to a lesser off...

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CANBERRA, Australia Prime Minister John Howard concedes that his country's commitment to the Iraq war is unpopular but he says he plans to stay the course politically.Howard says he's willing to sacrifice his government over the issue in elections this year. His standing has been battered according to recent opinion polls, as the opposition Labor Party gains popularity with its promise to withdraw troops from Iraq.Australia has 14-hundred troops in and around Iraq.

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NASSAU, Bahamas - A Bahamian judge ordered a DNA test Tuesday on Anna Nicole Smith's infant daughter to identify the girl's father, an attorney for the baby's grandmother said, the latest chapter in a bitter custody feud sparked by the pinup's death last month.Larry Birkhead, an ex-boyfriend of the former Playboy playmate who asked the judge to order the test on 6-month-old Dannielynn, pumped his fists in the air and jumped up and down as he emerged from the private court hearing."It's been a go...

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NASSAU, Bahamas A judge in the Bahamas has reportedly ordered a D-N-A test for Anna Nicole Smith's infant daughter to identify the girl's father.That word from an attorney for the baby's grandmother.The legal development could signal an end to a bitter custody feud sparked by the death of the former reality T-V star last month.Smith's ex-boyfriend, Larry Birkhead, had asked for the D-N-A test. He pumped his fists in the air and jumped up and down as he emerged from the private court hearing.An a...

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WASHINGTON - A bipartisan immigration bill set to be introduced in the House later this week includes a path to legalization for undocumented immigrants but would also require these residents to leave the United States and return legally before being eligible to change their status.

A draft summary of the bill, obtained late Tuesday by the Orange County Register, includes most of the basic elements in the comprehensive immigration bill that passed the Senate.

But what will make or break this legislation will be the details. The measure is to be introduced Thursday by Reps. Luis Guitierrez, D-Ill., and Jeff Flake, R-Ariz. The two were expected to jointly introduce their bill in the House with a measure being drafted by Sens. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., and John McCain, R-Ariz.

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FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) -- How much would you pay to cook up a few steaks on a fancy grill? If you buy it from Manny Ramirez, prepare to shell out more than $20,000 - but it comes with an autographed baseball. The Red Sox quirky slugger with the $160 million contract is selling on eBay a JENN-AIR grill he said he bought for about $4,000. "Manny, get over here now," teammate David Ortiz bellowed when he saw a television report about Ramirez's move into the luxury appliance trade before Tuesday ...

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HOUSTON (AP) -- Even with two fingers taped together, Yao Ming showed a deft shooting touch Tuesday night to lead the Houston Rockets past the Indiana Pacers. His dribbling was another story. Yao had 32 points and 14 rebounds and went 12-for-13 from the free-throw line to help the Rockets to an 86-76 victory. But he also coughed up six turnovers, most of them Indiana steals coming after Yao tried to put the ball on the floor. "The way to cut down turnovers is to limit the dribble," said Yao,...

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Granger 1-7 2-2 5, O'Neal 9-24 7-11 25, Foster 2-2 0-0 4, Dunleavy 3-13 1-2 7, Tinsley 11-19 0-1 22, Murphy 2-6 0-0 4, Williams 1-5 0-0 2, Armstrong 0-4 1-2 1, Diogu 3-4 0-0 6. Totals 32-84 11-18 76.

HOUSTON (86)

Battier 3-7 0-0 8, Hayes 3-4 0-0 6, Yao 10-17 12-13 32, McGrady 7-21 5-6 20, Alston 1-8 0-0 2, Head 1-9 0-0 3, Mutombo 0-1 2-2 2, Howard 3-8 0-0 6, Snyder 3-4 0-0 7. Totals 31-79 19-21 86.

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HOUSTON ? Even with two fingers taped together, Yao Ming showed a deft shooting touch Tuesday night to lead the Houston Rockets past the Indiana Pacers.

His dribbling was another story.

Yao had 32 points and 14 rebounds and went 12-for-13 from the free-throw line to help the Rockets to an 86-76 victory. But he also coughed up six turnovers, most of them Indiana steals coming after Yao tried to put the ball on the floor.

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A Bahamian judge ordered a DNA test Tuesday on Anna Nicole Smith's infant daughter to identify the girl's father, an attorney for the baby's grandmother said, the latest chapter in a bitter custody feud sparked by the pinup's death last month.

Larry Birkhead, an ex-boyfriend of the former Playboy playmate who asked the judge to order the test on 6-month-old Dannielynn, pumped his fists in the air and jumped up and down as he emerged from the private court hearing.

"It's been a good day in court for me," he told reporters. Asked if he thought he would see the girl soon, he only smiled and winked.

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USD$500 Million Investment Will Focus on Retail and Soft Lines

BEIJING and NEW YORK, March 20 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- The Bear Stearns Companies Inc. ("Bear Stearns"), a leading financial services firm, and Eagle Investment Group ("Eagle"), a Chinese investment firm, today announced the formation of a strategic investment alliance focusing on opportunities in the retail sector in China in conjunction with Bear Stearns' private equity arm, Bear Stearns Merchant Banking ("BSMB"). BSMB is widely known for its experience in investing in successful retail ...

To view the Multimedia News Release, go to:

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The hunger comes from years of rejection in all aspects of his life as a student, father, businessman and candidate.

Classmates rejected Redner, a slow learner who finally gave up and dropped out of high school. The parents of his daughters' friends rejected him, refusing to allow their children to sleep over at his house. City leaders rejected him, trying to shut down his adult businesses.

And voters rejected him six times, always choosing the more mainstream candidate over the nude club king.

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Lawyer: Paternity test ordered for Anna Nicole Smith's daughter

Associated Press Writer

NASSAU, Bahamas

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Prime Minister John Howard conceded Wednesday that his country's commitment to the Iraq war is unpopular, but said he is willing to sacrifice his government over the issue in elections this year.

Howard's standing has been battered according to recent opinion polls, as the opposition Labor Party gains popularity with its promise to withdraw troops from Iraq.

Howard maintains that his center-right coalition government is determined to keep 1,400 Australian troops in and around Iraq regardless of that policy's popularity.

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NASSAU, Bahamas -- A Bahamian judge ordered a DNA test Tuesday on Anna Nicole Smith's infant daughter to identify the girl's father, an attorney for the baby's grandmother said, the latest chapter in a bitter custody feud sparked by the pinup's death last month.

Larry Birkhead, an ex-boyfriend of the former Playboy playmate who asked the judge to order the test on 6-month-old Dannielynn, pumped his fists in the air and jumped up and down as he emerged from the private court hearing.

"It's been a good day in court for me," he told reporters. Asked if he thought he would see the girl soon, he only smiled and winked.

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Premier Tumbling and Dance of Loveland won several awards at Encore Talent's regional dance competition in Columbus:

"We Got the Beat" won first place overall in petite groups.

"Romeo" won second place overal in junior groups.

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Comments about Iraq (etc.) from across the ideological spectrum. . .

Abu Hamza al-Muhajir, the terrorist leader of al-Qaida in Iraq: "The American people.voted for something reasonable in the last elections."

Republican Sen. John McCain: "We are paying a very heavy price for the mismanagement - that's the kindest word I can give you - of Donald Rumsfeld, of this war. . . . I think that Rumsfeld will go down in history as one of the worst secretaries of defense in history."

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The Press-Gazette only publishes real estate transactions filed with the Brown County Register of Deeds, 305 E. Walnut St., involving sales of $30,000 or more. They are listed by municipality, with the recording date at the end of each listing.

* 2366 Woodrow Way, Laurie R. and Timothy A. Douglas to Robert R. and Jennifer A. Gagan, $246,000, Dec. 26.

* 3909 W. Ontonagon Lane, James Selwitschka to Judith Wotruba, $214,800, Dec. 26.

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NEW YORK — Pfizer Inc.'s Lipitor, which has been steadily losing market share, faces more pressure as health plans unleash a new wave of programs promoting the use of generic cholesterol drugs.

Lipitor's market slide was triggered last June when Merck & Co. lost patent protection on its own cholesterol-reducing Zocor, known generically as simvastatin. On Monday, WellPoint Inc., the nation's largest health insurer, announced it will offer its members four months of the generic drug free. Two other plans recently launched moves to promote generic cholesterol drugs, joining those initiated since Zocor's patent expiration.

Experts said Lipitor faces a greater risk than competing brands Vytorin and Crestor because patients on low doses of the Pfizer brand can get similar levels of cholesterol reduction from using high doses of simvastatin. Pfizer estimates that 76 percent of Lipitor patients take the two lowest doses.

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In his first year as an assistant under Rick Stansbury, Stan Jones helped Mississippi State capture the SEC tournament championship. The Bulldogs were on their way back to the NCAA tournament for the first time in six years.

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Corralling an energetic baby or toddler to sit on your lap and then reading

a book to her is one of life's more interesting challenges.

But it's a challenge worth meeting, as study after study shows how important

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In the 1960s, Pierre Cardin had earned a big name in the fashion

world with edgy costumes, avant-garde menswear and elegant women's

apparel characterized by bold colors, inventive bias cuts and

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The Dolphins defeated the Wildcats in District 1-4A play on Monday night, 3-2.

In the second inning, Washington's Cambreon Howard scored a run for the Cats gave Washigton an early 2-1 lead. That lead would hold until the sixth inning when Gulf Breeze battled back to score two runs for the game's final score.

In the seventh inning, Washington loaded teh bases off a single and two Dolphins errors but failed to plate a run.

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Emotional support comes in a variety of shapes and sizes. Having the desire

and ability to be giving to your partner is far more important than doing it

exactly right. Here are some tips to help you nourish each other's hearts.

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Here is The Associated Press 2007 All-State team for Minnesota prep girls basketball, as voted on by statewide media.

PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Angel Robinson, SR, St. Paul Central

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For my convenience, I am not supposed to buy drugs at the drugstore anymore.

Groceries, yes. Prescriptions, no.

For my convenience, prescriptions now come via the mail, arriving in bulk inside thick plastic envelopes.

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LOUISVILLE, Ky. The chant began before the eighth round flickered onto the screen, an echo from a day long past.

"Ali bomaye! Ali bomaye!"

Muhammad Ali shook slightly as the chant which means "Ali! Kill him!" washed over him. He looked up from his seat and smiled.

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PORTLAND (AP) The ride might have felt familiar to Howard Verne Ramsey, in a Liberty Truck like the one the drove to and from the front lines in France in World War I.

But Friday it took Ramsey, Oregon’s last-known World War I veteran, to his grave. He died Feb. 22 at age 108.About 36,000 Oregonians signed on for the “war to end all wars.” It seems Ramsey outlived them all.Zack Veselik, Ramsey’s great-grandson, said Ramsey was 83 when he was born and 93 the last time they arm-wrestled. “And he beat me,” he recalled.The story brought laughter from the nearly 200 people at Lincoln Memorial Park Funeral Home.He qualified for bu...

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Dear Lynne: As a major foodie who enjoys eating, it's a challenge for me to cook for my family because my 10-year-old son has many life-threatening food allergies, from peanuts, mustard and potatoes to peas, beans and lentils.

His newest one is garlic, and I'm stumped. It's in nearly every cuisine and recipe. Can I substitute shallots for garlic? Also, any ideas for a non-Asian salad dressing I can make without Dijon mustard or garlic? I'm afraid I'm forced to have ham for Easter because I don't think lamb would be the same without garlic. -Melanie from Charlotte

Dear Melanie: I can speak to your question only as a cook. You should check about shallots and any other ingredient ideas with your doctor and a nutritionist who specializes in these allergies. Shallots (along with onions and leeks) are part of the same plant family as garlic.

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Despite some legislators fears about creating rights for animals, a measure that would make torturing an animal a felony cleared a major hurdle in the Senate on Thursday.

Senate Bill 190 won approval on a 15-11 floor vote and needs one more formal reading before heading to the House. In the past, animal torture laws succeeded in the House but died in the Senate. Some would have liked that to happen again.

It almost establishes animal rights, which is a chilling idea under our Constitution, said Sen. Howard Stephenson, R-Draper.

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CLEARWATER, Fla. - Brett Myers and Scott Kazmir are ready for opening day, even if only one of them winds up pitching that day.

Myers tossed six-plus strong innings and Pat Burrell hit a two-run homer, but the Tampa Bay Devil Rays rallied against Philadelphia's bullpen for a 5-4 victory in a split-squad game Sunday.

Kazmir allowed three runs, five hits and struck out seven in 5 1-3 innings, his second consecutive outing against the Phillies.

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DENVER - The insider trading trial against former Qwest Communications Chief Executive Joe Nacchio promises to blend complicated accounting of billions in misstated revenue with secret government agencies and mysterious money pledges.

Jury selection was to begin Monday in the trial of Nacchio, 57, accused of improperly selling about $101 million worth of stock based on internal, nonpublic information that the telephone company was at financial risk. Qwest soon after became mired in an accounting scandal and was forced to restate $2.2 billion in revenue.

Nacchio, who resigned under pressure in 2002, is accused of 42 counts of insider trading for stock sales that occurred in the first five months of 2001 with transactions ranging from $191,000 to $13.6 million each. Each count carries a penalty of up to 10 years in prison and a $1 million fine.

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Friends of the three New Jersey men who died in a dangerous wreck dive are disputing official accounts that the men had no plan to navigate the sunken U.S. military ship off the Florida Keys.

"This should have been a very easy dive," said Tony Donetz, a New Jersey dive boat captain and friend of the men whose Friday dive ended in death. "Something else went wrong."

The bodies of Jonathan Walsweer, 38, and Scott Stanley, 55, of Westfield, N.J., were recovered inside the wreck of the USS Spiegel Grove on Saturday. Diver Kevin Coughlin, 51, of Chatham Borough, N.J., was found near an exit in the wreck by divers from another boat on Friday. He was pronounced dead at a local hospital.

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MIAMI (AP) -- Shaquille O'Neal summed up the Miami Heat's night in five quiet words. "Just one of those days," he said. There really was no other explanation, other than the Orlando Magic playing perhaps one of their most inspired games in weeks. Hedo Turkoglu scored 11 of his 20 points in the first quarter, Dwight Howard added 17 points and 11 rebounds, and the Magic ended Miami's nine-game winning streak with a 97-83 victory Sunday night. It snapped the Heat's run of 14 straight home victo...

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Scott Kazmir's out pitch is working again, helping him to his best outing of the spring.

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CLEARWATER - Scott Kazmir has thrown plenty of pitches this spring. Maybe too many.

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Public has one more chance to voice opinions on garbage rates

Sean Dugas

sdugas@pnj.com

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KEY LARGO ? Friends of the three New Jersey men who died in a dangerous wreck dive are disputing official accounts that the men had no plan to navigate the sunken U.S. military ship off the Florida Keys.

?This should have been a very easy dive,? said Tony Donetz, a New Jersey dive boat captain and friend of the men whose Friday dive ended in death. ?Something else went wrong.?

The bodies of Jonathan Walsweer, 38, and Scott Stanley, 55, of Westfield, N.J., were recovered inside the wreck of the USS Spiegel Grove on Saturday. Diver Kevin Coughlin, 51, of Chatham Borough, N.J., was found near an exit in the wreck by divers from another boat on Friday. He was pronounced dead at a local hospital.

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The Celina City Council has announced their acceptance of Jason Gray as the city administrator/city manager for Celina.Gray and his wife Kelli attended the March 12 City Council meeting, in which Gray’s acceptance to the position was announced. He has worked as the assistant city manager in Frisco for eight years and will begin working in Celina on March 26.“My family and I feel blessed to be a part of Celina as we continue to move forward here. We are so thankful and feel truly hu...

Gray and his wife have two boys, five and two years of age, and a nine month old daughter. They have already placed their Frisco home on the market and are actively looking for a house in Celina.“I personally believe it’s important that a manager live in the city in which they are serving. We’re excited to become a part of the Celina community not only professionally but personally as well.”Gray said there were about 28,000 people in Frisco when he began working there e...

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It might have been 20 days since Pat Riley last experienced a loss, but this one still felt awfully familiar.

The Orlando Magic was the last team to beat Miami before Riley went on his medical leave of absence, a 29-point pasting Dec. 30. And the Magic also contributed to the Heat's early-season struggles with a three-point win in Miami on Nov. 24.

On Sunday, the inconsistent Magic continued its dominance of the Heat this season, beating Miami 97-83 to snap the Heat's season-long win streak at nine games and its home win streak at 14.

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KEY LARGO - Friends of the three New Jersey men who died in a dangerous wreck dive are disputing official accounts that the men had no plan to navigate the sunken U.S. military ship off the Florida Keys.

"This should have been a very easy dive," said Tony Donetz, a New Jersey dive boat captain and friend of the men whose Friday dive ended in death. "Something else went wrong."

The bodies of Jonathan Walsweer, 38, and Scott Stanley, 55, of Westfield, N.J., were recovered inside the wreck of the USS Spiegel Grove on Saturday. Diver Kevin Coughlin, 51, of Chatham Borough, N.J., was found near an exit in the wreck by divers from another boat on Friday. He was pronounced dead at a local hospital.

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DENVER ? The insider trading trial against former Qwest Communications Chief Executive Joe Nacchio promises to blend complicated accounting of billions in misstated revenue with secret government agencies and mysterious money pledges.

Jury selection was to begin Monday in the trial of Nacchio, 57, accused of improperly selling about $101 million worth of stock based on internal, nonpublic information that the telephone company was at financial risk. Qwest soon after became mired in an accounting scandal and was forced to restate $2.2 billion in revenue.

Nacchio, who resigned under pressure in 2002, is accused of 42 counts of insider trading for stock sales that occurred in the first five months of 2001 with transactions ranging from $191,000 to $13.6 million each. Each count carries a penalty of up to 10 years in prison and a $1 million fine.

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There really was no other explanation, other than the Orlando Magic playing perhaps one of their most inspired games in weeks.

Hedo Turkoglu scored 11 of his 20 points in the first quarter, Dwight Howard added 17 points and 11 rebounds, and the Magic ended Miami's nine-game winning streak with a 97-83 victory Sunday night. It snapped the Heat's run of 14 straight home victories, and got Orlando within a half-game of the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

"A statement game," Magic guard J.J. Redick called it. "We pretty much beat them from start to finish."

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The Tomball Cougars and Klein Collins Tigers have both qualified for the Class 5A state soccer playoffs.

But their match on Friday night could determine where they finish in the District 16-5A standings and who they will play in the first round of the Region II-5A playoffs.

"It doesn't matter who we play," said Klein Collins soccer coach Richard Elder earlier in the season, "we just want to make the dance."

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Authorities: Man killed at beachside motel during Spring Break

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) -- An 18-year-old man was shot and killed at a beachside motel during Spring Break, authorities said.

Lance David Ulland was shot once in the head at 3:30 a.m. Sunday after he opened the door to his motel room, authorities said. Police arrested Matthew Castro, 27, shortly after.

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BAGHDAD - Three suicide bombers driving trucks rigged with tanks of toxic chlorine gas struck targets in heavily Sunni Anbar province including the office of a Sunni tribal leader opposed to al-Qaida. The attacks killed at least two people and sickened 350 Iraqi civilians and six U.S. troops, the U.S. military said Saturday.There is a mounting power struggle between insurgents and the growing number of Sunnis who oppose them in Anbar, the center of the Sunni insurgency, which stretches from Bagh...

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KEY LARGO, Fla. (AP) -- Authorities on Saturday recovered the bodies of two divers from a sunken U.S. military ship off the Florida Keys. The bodies of Jonathan Walsweer, 38, and Scott Stanley, whose age was not known, had been trapped in the USS Spiegel Grove, authorities said. The body of a third diver, Kevin Coughlin, 51, was recovered Friday. The men, all from New Jersey, were exploring the wreck Friday and attempting to venture inside, the Monroe County Sheriff's Office said. It was not...

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KEY LARGO, Fla. (AP) -- Authorities on Saturday recovered the bodies of two divers from a sunken U.S. military ship off the Florida Keys. The bodies of Jonathan Walsweer, 38, and Scott Stanley, whose age was not known, had been trapped in the USS Spiegel Grove, authorities said. The body of a third diver, Kevin Coughlin, 51, was recovered Friday. The men, all from New Jersey, were exploring the wreck Friday and attempting to venture inside, the Monroe County Sheriff's Office said. It was not...

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BAGHDAD ? Three suicide bombers driving trucks rigged with tanks of toxic chlorine gas struck targets in heavily Sunni Anbar province including the office of a Sunni tribal leader opposed to al-Qaida. The attacks killed at least two people and sickened 350 Iraqi civilians and six U.S. troops, the U.S. military said Saturday.

There is a mounting power struggle between insurgents and the growing number of Sunnis who oppose them in Anbar, the center of the Sunni insurgency, which stretches from Baghdad to the borders with Syria, Saudi Arabia and Jordan. The Anbar assaults came three days after Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, a Shiite, traveled there to reach out to Sunni clan chiefs in a bid to undermine tribal support for the insurgency.

The violence started about 4:11 p.m. Friday when a driver detonated explosives in a pickup truck carrying chlorine at a checkpoint northeast of the provincial capital of Ramadi, wounding one U.S. service member and one Iraqi civilian, the military said in a statement.

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The Magic scored just 31 points over the final two quarters against one of the NBA's weaker defensive teams and lost 95-83 to the Kings at Amway Arena. For a team that still hasn't won consecutive games since early February, this might have been a new low point.

"We've had a few days off here, and Sacramento is playing a fourth game in five days," Magic guard J.J. Redick said. "And they're the team that had more energy in the second half."

Leading 52-42 at halftime and 62-50 well into the third quarter, the Magic (30-37) quickly went into the tank and never recovered. And it could only get worse from here. Beginning tonight at Miami, four of their next five games are away from home, a schedule that should do nothing to help their chances of making the Eastern Conference playoffs.

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Senior forward Michael Budde scored on a layup with 2.3 seconds remaining, sending St. Xavier to the state Division I tournament for the second time in three years with a 51-48 victory over Withrow Saturday night in the regional title game at Xaviers Cintas Center.

St. X had to go the length of the court with 7.2 seconds remaining and trailing 48-47. The inbounds pass went to Walt Gibler near half-court, and he found a streaking Budde coming down the left side.

We were just trying to get it down the court, and I happened to get the open shot, said Budde, who finished with 10 points. It feels great.

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WACO Kyle Russell and Josh Prince (4-for-5) drove in two runs apiece as Texas scored seven times with two outs in the third inning en route to a 13-2 rout of Baylor on Saturday night.

The first two Longhorns struck out in the big inning before Texas strung together three walks and five hits. UT then added four runs in the fourth.

Russell hit his 11th home run, Bradley Suttle homered twice and Adrian Alaniz pitched four-hit ball over seven innings.

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Hitting the road for 10 days is never a cause for high-fives.

Players and coaches talk about bonding on long trips, of coming together as a team. Mavericks/NBA

Mavs blog | Inside the Mavs

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ORLANDO, Fla. - The Sacramento Kings' recent struggles continued on Saturday night in Orlando, with one notable exception: they won.

The Kings, losers of five straight coming into the game, shot 33.8 percent from the field and had only 11 field goals in the second half. Still, Sacramento rallied from 12 points down to defeat the Orlando Magic 95-83.

Sacramento scored 42 points from the free throw line and showed surprisingly strong defense in the second half to defeat a slumping Magic team. Orlando shot 30.3 percent in the second half and now has lost 10 of its last 13 games.

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ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) -- Kevin Martin scored 20 points, Ron Artest added 19 and the Sacramento Kings rallied past the Orlando Magic 95-83 on Saturday night. The Kings, trailing 62-50 with 4:47 left in the third period, went on a 17-2 run to end the quarter and ended the game on a 14-4 run to end a five-game losing streak. Mike Bibby had 16 points and John Salmons 13 for Sacramento, which won despite shooting 33.8 percent from the field. Jameer Nelson led the Magic with 23 points, but the rest o...

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Liars and politicians: Responses to Cynthia Tucker's column "Libby truly is not alone; liars fill Bush's team," @issue, March 11

Clinton-era officials did most of the lying

Is Cynthia Tucker serious? Did she get invited to a New York Times cocktail party or is she thinking of leaving us red-staters for that esteemed leftist rag?

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Orlando, the darling of the NBA after a 13-4 start that kept it in the driver's seat of the Southeast Division for 42 days, arrives in Miami today after having gone 17-32 in its past 49 games.

General Manager Otis Smith expressed his feelings about the team last week.

"I'm disappointed in the effort, I'm disappointed in the way we lose and the way we put our heads down when things are going bad," he said. "I'm disappointed in the way we react to losing. I don't take too kindly to guys smiling when we're down 20."

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I admit it. I watched portions of the Anna Nicole Smith custody hearing last week. Not, mind you, because I intended to, but because Im in the habit of keeping a muted TV set turned on in case some real news might intrude on the daily gossip roundups and grave reports of snow in February. After reading somewhere about the odd conduct of the judge in the case, when Fox News went to live court coverage, I decided to see for myself.

Usually, contact with network or cable television fare leaves me merely disgusted, but the sounds and sights of the goings-on in this case produced in me a profound state of sadness. Not just for Smith herself or her family, or the sorry cast of shysters, finaglers and hangers-on that modern wealth and fame seem to produce; but for our country. In a way, her piteous saga is a microcosm of much that is wrong in our once blessed and morally prosperous society.

Smiths is a modern-day American success story. She saw what she wanted and went out and got it. A sugar daddy, a new body and her own reality-TV show; in short, everything the new all-American girl could want. The price? Not too expensive when you consider that sex is todays currency. Its not a new story either; in fact, its one of the worlds oldest.

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