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MONTGOMERY, Ala. – This city was gearing up to celebrate the 50th anniversary of what many view as the start of the modern civil rights movement (search). Those ceremonies must now go on without one of its greatest heroes. Rosa Parks (search), whose Dec. 1, 1955, arrest for not giving …

LUSBY, Md. – Pushing for the construction of nuclear power plants, President Bush on Wednesday pressed Congress to send him an energy bill (search), though he acknowledged that even when he signs the legislation, gasoline prices at the pump won’t fall overnight. Bush is promoting nuclear power as a way …

SEOUL, South Korea – Top North Korean envoys declined to set a date for returning to international nuclear disarmament talks but returned home Friday with a pledge of food aid from Seoul and accords on resuming family reunions and other cooperation across their tense border. During Cabinet-level talks ending Thursday, …

WASHINGTON – Military and Justice Department officials told members of the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday that major steps are being taken to protect the rights of prisoners at the terrorist detention center at Guantanamo Bay (search), Cuba, and to process their cases. Detention “serves the vital military objectives of …

Salem, Mass. – Welcomed by many — including the mayor and some city councilors — but reviled by others, a statue of 1960s TV icon Samantha Stephens of “Bewitched” (search) was unveiled amid a puff of smoke in Salem on Wednesday. The statue depicts the late actress Elizabeth Montgomery (search), …

MANCHESTER, N.H. – After two weeks of being unable to identify a toddler in pornographic photographs, police released nonsexual photos of her nationwide. Within a day, her grandfather was in custody on child pornography charges. Richard Hawes (search), 63, was arraigned Thursday in District Court here on five counts of …

SAN FRANCISCO – A boy was fatally mauled in a pit bull attack at his San Francisco (search) home. Police killed one of two dogs in the house, and captured the second. The attack occurred in the city’s Sunset District, about a block from Golden Gate Park (search). Neighbors said …

VERACRUZ, Mexico – Tropical Storm Bret (search) was downgraded to a tropical depression Wednesday after moving inland from the Gulf coast of Mexico about 360 miles south of the Texas border, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center (search). Mexican civil protection authorities suggested some residents in low-lying areas leave …

WASHINGTON – A federal grand jury has ordered Rep. Randy “Duke” Cunningham to produce certain documents as it investigates his real estate deal with a defense contractor, but the California Republican refused Wednesday to answer press questions about the transaction. “You have my statement right there and that answers all …

DALLAS – A group for mothers whose children died in war voted Monday to allow non-U.S. citizens to join, after coming under criticism for denying membership to a Filipina mother whose son was killed in Afghanistan. The 1929 charter of American Gold Star Mothers (search) had prevented foreign citizens from …