Iraq’s Largest Refinery Ablaze As Militants, Government Fight For Control
By Mitchell Prothero, McClatchy Foreign Staff IRBIL, Iraq — Skirmishes over Iraq’s largest oil refinery left part of the facility ablaze Wednesday as Islamic militants battled Iraqi security forces for control. Iraqi state television reported that security forces remained in control of the refinery and electric-generation plants in Baiji, just north of the rebel-held city of […]
Kerry Says Five Released Taliban Risk Death If They Fight Again
By Katherine Skiba, Chicago Tribune WASHINGTON — Secretary of State John F. Kerry, in his first remarks on the prisoner swap involving American soldier Bowe Bergdahl, warned Sunday that the five released Taliban leaders risk being killed by the United States if they re-enter the fight. He spoke as reports emerged that Bergdahl, held for five […]
Detroit Teacher Who Broke Up Fight With Broom Gets Her Job Back
By Robert Allen, Detroit Free Press DETROIT — A Detroit high school teacher fired after using a broom to break up a vicious fight in a classroom is getting back her job with retroactive pay, school district officials announced Tuesday. Tiffani Eaton was fired May 1, one day after the incident at Pershing High School, where […]
Fight Over Boy Led Girl To Kill Another Girl, Police Say
By Deanese Williams-Harris and Meredith Rodriguez, Chicago Tribune CHICAGO — A 14-year-old girl shot to death another 14-year-old girl because of an argument over a boy, Police Supt. Garry McCarthy said Tuesday as murder charges were filed. The gun used to kill Endia Martin had been stolen from a car on April 14, McCarthy said, adding […]
Pawlenty, Bachmann Spar Over Qualifications for Presidency
Former Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty once again used the Sunday shows–“Meet the Press” in this case–to go after a rival Republican in the presidential race, this time fellow Minnesotan and rising Iowa contender Michele Bachmann. Pawlenty said “her record of accomplishment in Congress is non-existent” and that their party’s choice to take on the president […]
Canada Ends Combat Mission in Afghanistan
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — Canada formally ended its combat mission in Afghanistan on Thursday after years of being on the front lines of the fight against Taliban insurgents in the south. The withdrawal of 2,850 Canadian combat troops comes at a time the Taliban continue to show their resilience, peace talks are in their infancy […]
Obama Shoots For Fences on Debt Deal
At his late-afternoon press conference on the debt ceiling fight yesterday, the president made clear he doesn’t want a short-term fix. “I don’t think that the American people sent us here to avoid tough problems,” he said. “That’s, in fact, what drives them nuts about Washington — when both parties simply take the path of […]