More than 12,000 are dead in the Sichuan province alone in the 7.9 earthquake that struck southwestern China yesterday. In Mianzhu, not far from the center of the quake officials believe over 18,000 people are buried in one city.

The earthquake that struck China’s central region yesterday is the deadliest the country has seen since 1976. We talk with Roger Bilham, professor of geological sciences at the University of Colorado at Boulder, about how both natural and man-made factors created such devastation.

The battle over global warming is being fought over a large white mammal — the polar bear. The polar bear's habitat is melting away and a collection of environmental groups including Greenpeace and the Center for Biological Diversity have come together to pressure the government to list polar bears as an endangered species.

President Bush is going to Israel, Saudi Arabia and Egypt for meetings with Middle Eastern leaders this week. Few are optimistic for major diplomatic results despite a schedule filled with world leaders.

For the first time in almost 50 years, West Virginia matters. The polls already foretell West Virginia primary’s likely outcome — a victory for Hillary Clinton — but the Democratic nomination race continues to energize young voters across the state.