Clinton goes from inevitable nominee to on the ropes

By Don Ryan (AP)

Barack Obama erased Hillary Rodham Clinton\'s once-imposing lead among superdelegates Saturday when he added more endorsements from the group of Democrats who will decide the party\'s nomination for president.

Obama added superdelegates from Utah, Ohio and Arizona, as well as two from the Virgin Islands who had previously backed Clinton. The additions enabled Obama to surpass Clinton\'s total for the first time in the campaign. He had picked up nine endorsements Friday.

The milestone is important because Clinton would need to win over the superdelegates by a wide margin to...

By Joel Page (AP)

The Navy\'s newest guided missile destroyer was christened Saturday with the name of a fighter pilot who spent 7 1/2 years in captivity in North Vietnam, received the Medal of Honor and served as presidential candidate Ross Perot\'s running mate.

Four Medal of Honor recipients and seven former prisoners of war attended the ceremony at Bath Iron Works that marked a milestone in construction of the 9,200-ton ship named for Vice Adm. James Stockdale.

Stockdale\'s widow, Sybil, who suffers from Parkinson\'s disease and uses a wheelchair, let loose a champagne bottle propelled by...

By Ryan Gardner (AP)

The amazement was on their faces. Hundreds waited for Barack Obama on that evening in South Carolina, 15 weeks ago, to claim victory _ a surprising victory, surprisingly large.

And amazing it was. It made it possible for him to stand today on the verge of being the first black person ever nominated for president by a major party.

One could guess the thoughts of the blacks and whites in that crowd: Can you believe that our state _ South Carolina, first to secede and first to open fire in the Civil War _ is now catapulting a black man to the front of the presidential contest in...

By Charles Rex Arbogast (AP)

The amazement was on their faces. Hundreds waited for Barack Obama on that evening in South Carolina, 15 weeks ago, to claim victory _ a surprising victory, surprisingly large.

And amazing it was. It made it possible for him to stand today on the verge of being the first black person ever nominated for president by a major party.

One could guess the thoughts of the blacks and whites in that crowd: Can you believe that our state _ South Carolina, first to secede and first to open fire in the Civil War _ is now catapulting a black man to the front of the presidential contest in...

By Michael Conroy (AP)

Since they first walked the planet, humans have either buried or burned their dead. Now a new option is generating interest _ dissolving bodies in lye and flushing the brownish, syrupy residue down the drain.

The process is called alkaline hydrolysis and was developed in this country 16 years ago to get rid of animal carcasses. It uses lye, 300-degree heat and 60 pounds of pressure per square inch to destroy bodies in big stainless-steel cylinders that are similar to pressure cookers.

No funeral homes in the U.S. _ or anywhere else in the world, as far as the equipment...

By Pablo Martinez Monsivais (AP)

Barack Obama\'s sprint to the Democratic nomination received another boost Friday as two more superdelegates pledged their support, including one who dropped his backing for Hillary Rodham Clinton\'s faltering White House bid.

The two Democrats have been lobbying superdelegates _ who are not bound by state results _ to line up behind them in the final push for the nomination. While Obama has presented himself, albeit subtly, as the inevitable candidate, Clinton\'s efforts have been to ward off further defections and convince the crucial voting block that her candidacy still...

By Pablo Martinez Monsivais (AP)

Hillary Rodham Clinton, defying electoral math stacked against her, is urging supporters to ignore predictions that her White House bid was over. Barack Obama, meanwhile, was reaching out to top Democrats who could help seal a historic nomination well within his grasp.

Clinton spent some of Thursday in West Virginia _ the next battleground and where she is favored to win _ telling supporters that she had faced similar pressure to withdraw before she went on to win New Hampshire, Ohio, Texas and Pennsylvania\'s primaries.

\"I\'m running to be president of all 50 states,\" said...

By Luis M. Alvarez (AP)

Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Thursday the U.S. military was stepping up preparations for a relief mission in Myanmar, but he said he couldn\'t imagine air dropping aid without permission from the closed regime.

His comments followed those earlier Thursday by Ky Luu, director of the U.S. Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance, that an air drop was one option being considered as Myanmar\'s junta continued to stall on accepting assistance from the United States.

Gates said the military was moving aircraft, ships and Marines closer to Myanmar in case permission is granted...

By Randy Snyder (AP)

Kriss Riggs isn\'t one to spend her money on politicians.

\"Even the place you can donate a dollar on your taxes, I refuse to do it,\" says the 60-year-old photographer from Blue River, Ore.

Likewise for Kate Schwartz, a 24-year-old marketing expert from Chicago. Past elections, she says, always seemed far removed from young people.

\"A lot of people felt like it wasn\'t happening in my demographic,\" Schwartz said.

Not this time.

Riggs and Schwartz are foot soldiers in Barack Obama\'s 1.5-million-strong army of campaign contributors. Dozens of Associated...

By Janet Hostetter (AP)

A week from Saturday, 453 new graduates will cross the commencement stage on the lawn of Macalester College in St. Paul, Minn. Among them: Nokuthula Sikhethiwe Kitikiti, Udochukwu Chinyere Obodo, and Baitnairamdal Otgonshar.

Jayne Niemi will be ready.

No-oo-TOOL-a SEE-kay-tee-way Ki-tee-ki-tee. Oo-DO-chu-koo CHIN-yea-ray Oh-boe-doe. Bat-NAI-ram-dal OT-gone-shar.

Niemi\'s job is to read out the graduates\' names without mangling them.

\"People invest a lot of time and money and commitment to be here at Macalester and get this education, and they get one day of...

By Al Behrman (AP)

Joey Votto and his Cincinnati teammates made like the Big Red Machine and the Colorado Rockies found some of that Rocktober magic for one of the few times this season.

Votto hit three of Cincinnati\'s seven home runs, four came in one inning off Chicago starter Jon Lieber, and the Reds beat the Cubs 9-0 at home on Wednesday.

Later in Denver, Chris Iannetta\'s two-run triple off Jason Isringhausen capped a four-run eighth inning and the Rockies rallied to beat the St. Louis Cardinals 4-3.

On a wet, windy afternoon at Great American Ballpark, the home run was...

By Elise Amendola (AP)

Her voice raspy, her tone determined, Hillary Rodham Clinton urged cheering supporters on Thursday to ignore the political pundits who have declared her toast.

The former first lady declared she would move forward with her campaign and insisted anew that she, not rival Barack Obama, would be the stronger Democratic candidate to face Republican John McCain in November.

At a rally under the dome of the West Virginia Capitol, Clinton dismissed calls for her to drop out, calling the situation \"deja vu.\" She said she had faced similar pressure before going on to win New...

By Bob Child (AP)

Facebook, the world\'s second-largest social networking Web site, will add more than 40 new safeguards to protect young users from sexual predators and cyberbullies, attorneys general from several states said Thursday.

The changes include banning convicted sex offenders from the site, limiting older users\' ability to search online for subscribers under 18 and building a task force seeking ways to better verify users\' ages and identities.

\"The agreement marks another watershed step toward social networking safety, protecting kids from online predators and inappropriate...

By Evan Agostini (AP)

Mariah Carey really did get married to Nick Cannon in the Bahamas last week _ and they have the tattoos to prove it.

The 38-year-old singer and the 27-year-old actor confirmed to People magazine that they tied the knot at Carey\'s Bahamian estate April 30 after a courtship that began in late March.

In an interview from the magazine\'s May 19 issue, Cannon said they clicked instantly when Carey cast him as a lover in the video for her new single, \"Bye Bye.\"

\"From the first time we sat down to discuss the video at the Beverly Hills Hotel, we connected,\" Cannon said....

By Pat Wellenbach (AP)

For the first time in 24 years of building lobster boats, Wayne Beal doesn\'t have any job orders.

He has a 42-footer under construction at his boatyard _ but he\'s building it for himself, so he can give up boat building and go lobster fishing instead.

In Maine, where lobster is king, Beal and other lobster boat builders are braving tough times. With the lobster catch down and fishermen feeling an economic squeeze, boat sales have hit the skids.

So even with the uncertainties facing lobster fishermen, Beal believes he\'s better off doing that than sitting around and...

By Jae C. Hong (AP)

The reaction _ or lack of it _ by Indiana and North Carolina voters to the Rev. Jeremiah Wright\'s incendiary comments emphasizes how deeply entrenched the racial lines of support are for the two Democratic presidential rivals.

It doesn\'t seem likely that the renewed focus on Wright has helped Barack Obama, and it is all but certain that he\'ll hear more about it from Republicans should he win his party\'s nomination. But for now, there\'s little evidence it hurt him much in this week\'s Democratic contests.

After all the attention to Wright and Obama\'s disavowal of his...

By Rob Carr (AP)

The federal government\'s new advice to doctors for helping smokers quit recommends the drug Chantix, which has recently been linked with depression and suicidal behavior.

The new guidelines mention the psychiatric risks but also say the popular Pfizer Inc. drug is the most effective at helping people get off cigarettes. The guidelines mention other options, too, and highly recommend combining counseling and medication. But doctors are encouraged to talk to all smokers who want to quit about trying medication.

Consumer advocates cautioned that the safety picture on Chantix is...

By Reed Saxon (AP)

John Maine became the first New York Mets starter this year to reach the eighth inning, taking a shutout into the ninth Wednesday during a 12-1 rout of the Los Angeles Dodgers and Brad Penny.

Maine (4-2) hit a two-run single and was two outs from his third shutout and complete game in the majors when Matt Kemp hit an RBI single, extending his hitting streak to 12 games. A day before his 27th birthday, Maine allowed four hits in 8 1-3 innings and won his third straight start _ all following Mets\' losses.

Penny (5-3) allowed 10 runs in 4 2-3 innings, the most off him in 236...

By Jim Mone (AP)

In the days since Cyclone Nargis struck Myanmar, Eh Taw Dwe has heard only snippets about the villages he left behind when he fled the country.

Zin Moe has lived with the anguish of not knowing whether his mother and five siblings are alive _ and not being able to help directly.

They are among thousands of Burmese immigrants around the United States who are desperately scrambling to organize relief to their ravaged homeland. In the process, they are hearing about a bleak situation: No electricity. Dirty water. Rampant diarrhea and malaria.

\"Some people here, they have...

By Jeff Chiu (AP)

Republican John McCain pretended to snarl when asked about his temper Wednesday in Michigan. \"How dare you ask that question!\" McCain said, chuckling. His questioner persisted, reading a comment by a fellow Republican, Mississippi Sen. Thad Cochran, that the idea of McCain as the GOP presidential nominee sent a chill down his spine.

\"I\'m all too familiar with the quote,\" said McCain, who has since smoothed things over with his colleague.

McCain, whose temper has earned him the nickname \"Senator Hothead\" by more than one publication, said he does get angry _ about...

By Jeff Chiu (AP)

Republican John McCain pretended to snarl when asked about his temper Wednesday in Michigan.

\"How dare you ask that question!\" McCain said, chuckling. His questioner persisted, reading a comment by a fellow Republican, Mississippi Sen. Thad Cochran, that the idea of McCain as the GOP presidential nominee sent a chill down his spine.

\"I\'m all too familiar with the quote,\" said McCain, who has since smoothed things over with his colleague.

McCain, whose temper has earned him the nickname \"Senator Hothead\" by more than one publication, said he does get angry _ about...

By Seth Wenig (AP)

Saxophonist Sonny Rollins will headline this year\'s jazz festival in Newport, Rhode Island.

The JVC Jazz Festival Newport will be held August 8 through August 10 at Fort Adams State Park and at the International Tennis Hall of Fame.

More than two dozen acts are scheduled to perform, including pianist-composer Herbie Hancock and trumpeter Chris Botti. Tickets go on sale Thursday morning.

The first Newport Jazz Festival was held in 1954.

By Mike Groll (AP)

As other cars zipped by at 70 mph or more, Mike Papin and his wife, Joann, kept rolling along just below the 65 mph limit as they made their way from their winter home in Florida to a summer place in Vermont.

They\'ve typically done six or seven miles above the speed limit during the annual migration, but with gasoline prices roaring toward $4 a gallon nationally, Joann suggested they ease off the pedal during the 1,500-mile drive this year.

\"I read somewhere that around 62 or 63 was the best speed to drive to make the most of your gas,\" she said.

Drivers have known...