T O D A Y ' S H E A D L I N E S
The end of
Christian America
The percentage of self-identified Christians has fallen 10 points in the past two decades. How that statistic explains who we are now -- and what, as a nation, we are about to become.
As the American West warms, some fear for tiny mountain dweller
The American pika -- a short-legged, hamster-sized fur ball that huddles in high mountain slopes -- isn't built for long-distance travel.
Threat to shut Boston Globe
shows no paper is safe
 When it bought the Boston Globe for a record $1.1 billion in 1993, the New York Times Co. added one of the nation's most acclaimed and profitable newspapers to its empire.
Arabic inscriptions of Muslim
Spain's Alhambra decoded
For centuries visitors to the Alhambra fortress-palace in Granada, built by Spain's medieval Moorish rulers, have wondered what the thousands of Arabic inscriptions that are carved into its walls and ceilings mean.
Recession outlasts even
extended jobless benefits
 In the coming weeks and months, hundreds of thousands of jobless Americans will exhaust their unemployment benefits, just when it's never been harder to find a job.
Verizon's Hub: Reinventing
the home phone
 The landline replacement offers kid-tracking and other cool Web-enabled features, but it's limited by Verizon's proprietary ways
NATO backs Obama Afghan
plan, but troops short-term
President Barack Obama won NATO backing on Saturday for his new approach to Afghanistan but his European allies stopped short of offering long-term troop deployments for the war effort.
Shrinking airlines park
more planes in the desert
Old jets come here, empty engine pods shrink-wrapped in white, tall red tails fading to pink in the desert sun. More will come soon. Some will never fly again.
Gunman 'lying in wait'
killed 3 Pittsburgh officers
A gunman wearing a bulletproof vest and "lying in wait" opened fire on officers responding to a domestic disturbance call Saturday, killing three of them and turning a quiet Pittsburgh street into a battlefield, police said.
Receptionist a 'hero' at
NY center where 14 killed
The two receptionists at the American Civic Association community center barely had time to react when a gunman stormed in the front door and shot them at close range before firing on a roomful of immigrants taking a citizenship class.
Palin sister-in-law accused
of breaking into home
Police say Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's sister-in-law is accused of breaking into the same home twice to steal money.
Gay marriages expected to
begin in Iowa April 24
Gay marriage, seemingly the province of the nation's two coasts, is just weeks away from becoming legal in the heartland and apparently it will be years before social conservatives have a chance to stop it.
Republican-appointed judges keep legalizing gay marriage
Man, those activist judges, out in Iowa, Massachusetts, California, and Connecticut. Those damn liberals keep making us get gay married, all the time! Thanks a lot, Republicans.
Anti-Obama talk
worries some on right
While Washington policy makers coped with 21st century political problems this week, some conservative talkers were dredging up 20th-century "-isms."
One in 10 Americans gets
help to buy food
A record 32.2 million people -- one in every 10 Americans -- received food stamps at the latest count, the government said on Thursday, a reflection of the recession now in its 16th month.
Gallup poll: Americans
don't like Bush, Cheney
Neither George W. Bush's deliberate silence about the Obama administration nor Dick Cheney's ready criticism of it appear to have altered U.S. public perceptions about either man. The former president and former vice president are each viewed unfavorably by 63% of Americans.
New York Times threatens
to shut Boston Globe
The New York Times Co has threatened to shut The Boston Globe unless the newspaper's unions quickly agree to $20 million in concessions, the Globe reported on Friday, quoting union leaders.
Obama to abolish limits
on U.S.-Cuba family ties
In a move that could herald better ties between Cold War foes, the Obama administration is planning to abolish limits on family travel and cash remittances between the United States and Cuba, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday.
Fannie, Freddie worker
bonuses total $210M
Mortgage finance giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac plan to pay more than $210 million in bonuses through next year to give workers the incentive to stay in their jobs at the government-controlled companies.
Peter Madoff can spend
$10K a month on expenses
Bernard Madoff's brother Peter gets access to $10,000 a month for living expenses under an agreement approved Friday in a lawsuit accusing him of swindling a college student.
Houses for sale
E A R L I E R H E A D L I N E S
President Obama says America
has shown 'arrogance'
 At a town hall meeting before a mix of French and German citizens, President Obama said he came to Europe to "renew partnerships" and repair relations between the United States and its allies that had been damaged because of the Iraq War.
GM CEO says bankruptcy
will be fast if needed: report
U.S. automaker General Motors will move quickly into bankruptcy if necessary, chief executive Fritz Henderson said in an interview with the Financial Times newspaper published on Friday.
Banks could bet on sour assets
with taxpayers' money
U.S. banks that received billions of dollars of taxpayer money to bolster their capital could place bets on the same toxic assets that got them into trouble in the first place -- and with government support.
President's approval rating leaps to 69%, First Lady at 72%
A new survey by Gallup shows first lady Michelle Obama surpassing her husband in popularity, with a 72 percent favorable rating to his 69 percent.
Journalists get shock
with 'sexy' White House call
Journalists based in the United States got a shock Thursday when they dialed a toll-free number to join a conference call with senior officials accompanying US President Barack Obama in London.
Arctic sea ice melting
faster than expected
Arctic sea ice is melting so fast most of it could be gone in 30 years. A new analysis of changing conditions in the region, using complex computer models of weather and climate, says conditions that had been forecast by the end of the century could occur much sooner.
NBC affiliate in Boston
nixes new Jay Leno show
Boston's NBC affiliate says it will air a local newscast instead of Jay Leno's new 10 p.m. talk show.
The move by WHDH has prompted a threat from NBC to strip the TV station of its network affiliation.
Gingrich: GOPers may
split and form third party
Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich is warning fellow Republicans that conservatives may leave the GOP for a third party in 2012. "If the Republicans can't break out of being the right wing party of big government, then I think you would see a third party movement in 2012," Gingrich said.
Congress approves budget
plans, long road ahead
The Democratic-controlled U.S. Congress on Thursday approved budget blueprints embracing President Barack Obama's agenda but leaving many hard choices until later and a government deeply in the red.
Budget approved with
no GOP votes
The House and Senate approved federal budgets of about $3.5 trillion with no Republican support, "a sign of deep partisan tensions likely to color Congressional efforts to enact major policy initiatives sought by President Obama," the New York Times reports.
New signs emerge that
recession may be
near bottom
New signs that the recession could be nearing a bottom emerged Thursday, as factory orders were far better than expected and the Dow industrials surged over 8,000 for the first time in two months.
Blagojevich indicted
A sweeping federal indictment charges former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich with scheming to auction off President Barack Obama's U.S. Senate seat, pressuring a congressman for campaign money and lying to FBI agents.
Just published photos
show MLK killing aftermath
Almost 41 years to the day after the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated, newly published photographs of the aftermath of his shooting at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tenn., are on a magazine's Web site.
CDC: Rocket fuel chemical
found in baby formula
Traces of a chemical used in rocket fuel were found in samples of powdered baby formula, and could exceed what's considered a safe dose for adults if mixed with water also contaminated with the ingredient, a government study has found.
Woman divorces husband
for cleaning too much
A woman has divorced her husband because she was fed up with him cleaning all the time.
'ER' says goodbye after 15 years
NBC's "ER" ended its 15-year run Thursday much like it began, with a pulse-quickening symphony of life and death.
Mrs Obama chokes up
during British school event
As she addressed the crowd, Mrs Obama choked up, saying: "Wow. I can't follow that. Let me tell you, I am just very touched and moved by all of you."
First Lady's arm around
Queen was not offensive
 A Buckingham Palace spokesman who asked not to be identified because of palace policy said he could not remember the last time the queen had displayed such public affection with a first lady or dignitary.
"It was a mutual and spontaneous display of affection," he said.
Obama plays peacemaker in
French-Chinese heated argument
According to sources inside the room, President Obama played peacemaker in a spat between French President Nicolas Sarkozy and Hu Jintao, President of the People's Republic of China.
G-20 gives $1 trillion
to fight global crisis
World leaders pledged $1.1 trillion in loans and guarantees to impoverished countries and agreed Thursday to crack down on tax havens and hedge funds but failed to reach sweeping accord on stimulus spending that would directly attack the global economic decline.
21st Century
insurance is AIG
All those ads for 21st Century insurance? Well, it's actually troubled AIG.
Former AIG CEO criticizes
successors, bailout
The man who built insurance giant American International Group Inc. from a startup to a global behemoth said he didn't mismanage the company — but the government did.
U.S. says North Korea missile
launch could come April 4
North Korea's missile preparations suggest Pyongyang could launch a satellite into space as early as Saturday, an American defense official said on Thursday as the U.S. military monitored the situation.
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Malawi Court Blocks
Madonna Adoption
A Malawi court has rejected a bid by Madonna to adopt another local child, reports the Times of London.
Senate Follows House
to Back $3.5T Budget
The Democratic-controlled Senate has passed a budget drafted to President Barack Obama's specifications, voting a few hours after the House approved a similar plan.
Blago, Top Aides Indicted;
'I'm Innocent,' He Says
A federal grand jury today indicted Rod Blagojevich on corruption charges, the Chicago Tribune reports.
G20 Measures 'Necessary, But
'No Guarantees': Obama
President Obama touted the resolutions of the G20 summit today in London, saying swift and muscular action was needed to reverse the global economic downturn, the AP reports.
New Photos Bare Aftermath
of King's Death
Newly published photographs by a Life magazine lensman capture the aftermath of the shocking assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., including a motel worker sweeping away the blood of the civil rights crusader.
Stanford Offers Free iPhone
App Developer Course
Stanford University is offering free online lessons to would-be iPhone application developers, reports Ars Technica.
Brits Stunned Most by
Queen in Feely Hugfest
Even more astonishing to many Brits than Michelle Obama touching their queen is the fact that the queen reached out to the First Lady, reports the Daily Mail.
French Cops Battle
NATO Rioters
French cops clashed violently with rioters in Strasbourg yesterday as G20 leaders prepared to head there for a NATO summit today.
British Village Chases Out
Google Street View 'Spy'
Google's attempt to add the scenic English village of Broughton to Street View was foiled by angry villagers, the Guardian reports.
Thai, Cambodian Troops
Trade Border Fire
Thai and Cambodian troops have clashed near a disputed temple in a border area, CNN reports.
Vermont House Passes
Gay Marriage Bill
The Vermont House of Representatives has followed the state senate in voting to legalize gay marriage, reports the Wall Street Journal.
Strapped Californians
Pan Like It's 1849
The miserable state economy and the soaring price of gold have sent Californians back into them thar hills, USA Today reports.
Alaska GOP Calls for
Senate Race Do-Over
The head of Alaska's Republican Party is calling for Democratic Sen. Mark Begich to step down and clear the way for a new election now that felony misconduct charges have been dropped against former Sen. Ted Stevens, reports the Anchorage Daily News.
School Fired Prof Over
9/11 Essay: Jury
A jury decided today that the University of Colorado unjustly fired one of its professors after he called 9/11 victims "little Eichmanns" in an essay.
UN Picks Judge to Probe
Israeli 'War Crimes'
The UN has named a Jewish judge from South Africa to lead a high-level mission to investigate alleged war crimes committed by Israel in the Gaza Strip.
'I'm Only 11 Years Old,
and I Have Bad Credit'
While 11-year-old Jake LeGette was saving the money he earned mowing lawns, a Florida woman was busy using his Social Security number to splurge on a house and nine cars, ABC News reports.
Oops: White House Sends
Journos to Phone Sex Line
That was most definitely not Hillary Clinton on the line. Journalists who called in to hear a NATO phone briefing from Clinton and another official instead got an offer for phone sex, Fox News reports.
German Town Docks Beggars'
Welfare Checks
Beggars can’t be choosers, and in Germany, they also have trouble being charity cases.One unemployed welfare recipient in the college town of Göttingen learned that lesson last week after officials discovered he was panhandling and threatened to yank $161 out of his monthly $470 welfare payment.
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> Click for photos of the Obamas' European trip
President Barack Obama said the U.S. will proceed with development of a missile defense system in Europe as long as there is an Iranian threat of nuclear weapons. He said that if that threat is removed, "The driving force for missile defense in Europe will be removed."
Angry residents of an English village blocked the driver of a Google Street View car who was filming the neighborhood, saying they feared he would encourage burglaries. "I don't have a problem with Google wanting to promote villages. What I have a problem with is the invasion of privacy, taking pictures directly into the home," Jacobs said.
