Society
American Red Cross Disaster Fund Is Depleted
The American Red Cross said yesterday that it has depleted its national disaster relief fund and is taking out loans to pay for shelters, food and other relief services across seven Midwestern states battered by floods.
Paterson undergoes another round of eye surgery
ALBANY - For the third time in less than a month, Gov. David A. Paterson underwent laser eye surgery yesterday to relieve pain caused by acute glaucoma.
Salmonella Cases in 5 More US States
The salmonella outbreak associated with tainted tomatoes has expanded to five more states and the District of Columbia, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Monday.
Flood victims worry: What's in the water?
OAKVILLE, Iowa (AP) — As southeastern Iowa prepared for the Mississippi River's wrath, the rest of Iowa began the slow move from protection to cleanup. In much of the state there were small signs of a return to normalcy: Interstate 80 reopened nea...
Gay couples are emphasizing low-key weddings
The gay and lesbian couples who packed a Hollywood auditorium last week had come seeking information about California's new marriage policies. But they also got some unsolicited advice. Be aware.
Local Memorial, DC Funeral For Tim Russert
Buffalo, NY (WBEN) - Hundreds of Western New Yorkers took part in a candlelight vigil in a West Seneca park for native son Tim Russert last night. The service took place in the aptly named "Tim Russert Park" on Indian Church Road, just over the c...
Lesbian pioneer activists see wish fulfilled
Lesbian rights pioneers Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon, together for more than half a century, will get married in San Francisco City Hall this evening wearing the same pastel-colored pantsuits they donned four years ago when they wed the first time.
In pictures: Iowa floods
Officials have declared most of Iowa a disaster zone after it was swamped by severe flooding following days of heavy rain.
Mexico, parts of Florida eyed as salmonella source
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The source of the Salmonella that has sickened hundreds of people through tainted tomatoes may be in Mexico and South and Central Florida, U.S. investigators said on Friday.
Caution advised on gay marriage
SAN FRANCISCO — California is gearing up for the "new summer of love": the legalization of same-sex marriage beginning Monday at 5:01 p.m. Unlike the Massachusetts law, California's new law does not limit marriages to residents of the state, and m...
Animal rescue efforts underway in Iowa
Iowans are attempting to cope with some of the worst flooding in the state in years, and some of that coping means dealing with thousands of stranded animals. The Des Moines Register reports:
Floods swamp Iowa town; Drinking water near gone
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa -- Days after it swamped Cedar Rapids and forced thousands of people out of their homes, the Cedar River has begun falling. But the misery could stretch on for days. Officials guess it will be four days before the Cedar River dr...
Cedar Rapids struggles to endure historic flood
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) — The Cedar River poured over its banks Thursday, forcing the evacuation of more than 3,000 homes, causing a railroad bridge to collapse and leaving cars underwater on downtown streets.
Tomato cases spread to 23 states
The toll from salmonella-tainted tomatoes jumped to 228 illnesses Thursday as the government learned of five dozen previously unknown cases. Officials said the bad tomatoes may have contributed to a cancer patient's death.
Boy Scouts recount survival stories of deadly Iowa tornado
The application for the annual Boy Scout leadership training conference called Pahuk Pride promised a seven-day "high-energy, outdoor, youth leadership development adventure." It also warned that the program would challenge participants' "mental, ...
Judge Assailed Over Sexually Explicit Images on Web Site
A federal appeals court judge came under fire yesterday after a news report disclosed that he was presiding over a criminal obscenity trial even as graphic, sexually explicit material appeared in what he thought was a hidden part of his own Web site.
Tragic News For Elderly Hit-And-Run Victim, 78-Year-Old Conn. Man Will Never Breathe Again by Himself
(CBS/ AP) Doctors say the victim of a hit-and-run that was caught on videotape and viewed by a national audience will never breathe again without a respirator.
Indian workers in US suspend hunger strike after 29 days
A group of Indian workers seeking action against a US company for alleged exploitation have suspended their hunger strike after 29 days with a rally in front of the US Justice Department. The workers, who were on a water-only hunger strike near th...
Iowans try to contain floodwaters
Students piled sandbags along the Iowa River on Tuesday to spare their university campus from floods that threaten to be worse than the devastating flooding that struck the Plains states 15 years ago.
Firefighters battle wind-driven fires across N. California
SACRAMENTO—Firefighters are battling a series of wind-driven fires that have destroyed dozens of homes and burned thousands of acres across a wide swath of Northern California.