Two suspects were arrested yesterday for their role in the shooting rampage in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Officials say that revenge may have been a motivation for the killings. In other headlines: reports that the proposed cease-fire in Syria is unravelling; North Korea appears to be on-track to launching a long-range missile; possible link reported between obesity in pregnant woman and autism in her child; and "The Hunger Games" wins the box office war over "American Reunion" and "Titanic" in 3D.
Syrian rebels have rejected a new demand by the government for a guarantee in writing to stop fighting. The demand came yesterday, less than 48-hours before a cease-fire is scheduled to go into effect. In other headlines: reports of a long-range rocket in North Korea; rumors of a third nuclear test in North Korea; two men arrested in shooting rampage in Tulsa, Oklahoma; and Bubba Watson beats Louis Oosthuizen in the Masters golf tournament in dramatic fashion.
The Labor Department issues its Employment Report for March this morning, with new numbers for job growth and unemployment rate. In other headlines: President Obama signs the JOBS bill into law; Russia's government condemns a prison sentence that's been handed to convicted arms smuggler Viktor Bout; after drifting aimlessly since the tsunami last year, a Japanese freighter ship finally sinks in the Gulf of Alaska; and a U.S. Marine Sergeant is in trouble after criticizing President Obama on Facebook.
Best-selling author Greg Mortensen has been ordered to pay back $1 million after an investigation has found he diverted money that was donated to his charity. In other headlines: President Obama has signed the JOBS bill into law, a measure that is designed to help businesses raise capital; a Marine Board recommends Sergeant Gary Stein be dismissed with a less-than-honorable discharge after he posted critical comments about President Obama online; the Labor Department will issue its March jobs report this morning; and Russia criticizes a prison sentence that has been handed to convicted arms smuggler Viktor Bout.
The U.S. is ready to begin easing sanctions against Myanmar after Sunday's elections in which pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi and her party won 43 of the 45 seats up for grabs in the country. In other headlines: Syrian troops launch assaults in several towns, casting doubt on the country's ceasefire agreement; former Penn State assistant coach Jerry Sandusky is due in court today; and new Census figures show a distinct shift from outer suburbs to U.S. cities. It's the first time in two decades that the annual growth rate in cities has outpaced those "exurbs."
Despite Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's acceptance of a U.N. peace plan, activists say government troops launched assaults on several towns today outside Damascus and the northern city of Aleppo where the target is rebel army defectors. In other headlines: the U.S. is ready to ease sanctions against Myanmar; the Pentagon announces the accused mastermind of the 9/11 terror attacks will stand trial before a war crimes tribunal; a population shift is underway from the outer suburbs into cities; and the Masters Tournament starts today at the all-male Augusta National Golf Club.
Residents in North Texas are cleaning up this morning after tornadoes tore through the Dallas metro area. We speak with Lieutenant Tim Jones from the Sheriff's Office in Johnson County about the damage and cleanup. In other headlines, Romney sweeps primaries in Wisconsin, Maryland and Washington, DC; five former New Orleans police officers will be sentenced today for their roles in the deadly shootings of unarmed residents after Hurricane Katrina; and a popular spicy tuna roll could be the cause of a massive salmonella outbreak across 19 states.
Mitt Romney has more than half the delegates needed to clinch the GOP presidential nomination after wins in three more presidential primaries Tuesday. In other headlines, the Dallas-Fort Worth metro area was struck by as many as a dozen tornadoes yesterday; President Obama will sign the STOCK Act today, which bars members of Congress from profiting from information gained from their jobs; 200 U.S. Marines arrive in Australia for a permanent joint-training mission; and Baylor topped off a perfect 40-0 season with a win against Notre Dame in the Women's NCAA Basketball Championship last night.
Police in northern California have no motive for a deadly shooting spree Monday on the campus of a small Christian university, where seven people were killed and at least three more wounded. In other headlines, voters in two states and the District of Columbia cast their ballots today for the presidential primary; the United States is offering $10 million for the capture of Pakistani militant leader Hafiz Saeed; more than 3,100 illegal immigrants have been arrested in the country's largest-ever operation to crack down on illegal immigration; and the Kentucky Wildcasts are NCAA Division I champions after a 67-59 win.
Republican voters in Wisconsin, Maryland, and the District of Columbia go to the polls this morning in another round of presidential primaries. Rick Santorum is trying to stop the momentum of Mitt Romney, but is facing an uphill battle after Romney received the endorsement of several of the state's top Republicans. In other headlines: seven were killed in a deadly shooting spree at a Christian university in Oakland, California; the Supreme Court rules officials can strip search after an arrest no matter the crime; and Syrian officials have agreed to comply with a UN brokered peace plan by next Tuesday.
The U.S., Saudi Arabia and dozens of other countries have pledged new support for Syrian rebels. Kofi Annan, peace envoy to Syria, is scheduled to give the UN Security Council a progress report on his efforts today. In other headlines, opposition leader in Myanmar Aung San Suu Kyi claims victory for Parliament, a dozen people survive a plane crash in Siberia, a rally for Trayvon Martin draws several thousand people, and the Kentucky Wildcats face off against the Kansas Jayhawks tonight in the College Men's NCAA Basketball Championship.
In Myanmar, opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi declared victory in a landmark election for Parliament. After spending 15 years under house arrest, her victory will mark the first time in a quarter-century that she will have been allowed to hold public office. In other headlines, GOP candidates stump in the states of Wisconsin, Maryland, and Washington, D.C., where primary elections will be held Tuesday; and new research says that the nation's airlines are doing a better job than in the past.
In a series of dawn raids, French police this morning arrested 19 suspected Islamist militants. The raids come only a week after 23-year old Mohammed Merah, who admitted to killing seven people in three separate attacks, was killed in a shootout with police.
The U.S. Supreme Court justices meet today to vote on the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act, but today's decision won't be announced until June. In other headlines, the House approved a bill to avoid the shutdown of government construction projects; French police arrest suspected Islamists; South Korean officials report that North Korea has test-fired short-range missiles; and a wildfire in Colorado continues to burn.
Three explosions have been heard in the Iraqi capital of Baghdad, where the Arab League summit has just convened. In other headlines, the House considers the $3.5 trillion budget package proposed by Paul Ryan; Spain sees a general strike over labor reform; and Earl Scruggs has died at the age of 88.
Today, members vote on House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan's plan (R-Wis.) after the GOP-dominated house rejected both President Obama's proposed budget and a bipartisan measure that combined spending cuts with tax hikes. In other headlines, Supreme Court justices begin their private debate over health care reform; an ambush of a NATO supply convoy in Afghanistan killed 19 during a 3-hour fire fight; and the emir of Kuwait is the only Gulf Arab leader to attend the Arab League summit in Baghdad.
Pakistani military officials will hold their first set of meetings with American commanders since the accidental drone strike killed two dozen Pakistani soldiers last year. In other headlines, the Supreme Court continues to debate President Obama's health care overhaul legislation; more details on the JetBlue flight that was forced to take an emergency landing after its pilot went on a rant; and Newt Gingrich is reshuffling his senior campaign staff.
Lawyers on both sides of the health care debate have one final day of hearings to argue their case before the Supreme Court today. In other headlines, Newt Gingrich has asked his campaign manager to resign, laid off about a third of his staff, and reshuffled his campaign schedule; a "medical situation" involving the pilot of a cross-continental flight forced a JetBlue emergency landing in Texas; and former Cuban President Fidel Castro meets with Pope Benedict the 16th later today.
Syria has accepted a United Nations plan to end violence, including a two-hour ceasefire to provide humanitarian aid. In other headlines, the Supreme Court hears another round of arguments today on President Obama's health care reform law; Obama meeting Pakistan's prime minister in Seoul, South Korea; Cuba welcomes Pope Benedict the 16th; and a wildfire in Colorado causes the evacuation of 900 homes.
Justices of the Supreme Court will today hear a second day of hearings regarding President Obama's health care overhaul. In other headlines, President Obama acknowledges a strained relationship with Pakistan from the nuclear security summit in Seoul, South Korea; civil rights leaders continue to call for the arrest of the man who shot and killed teenager Trayvon Martin in Florida last month; and a new poll from The New York Times and CBS finds 69 percent of Americans believe the U.S. should not be at war in Afghanistan.