Oakland and hundreds of other police departments across the country are equipping officers with tiny body cameras to record anything from a traffic stop to a hot vehicle pursuit to an unfolding violent crime. The mini cameras have even spawned a new cable reality TV series.
Added pain in Minn. shutdown: It costs millions
“It’s going to be a slow force on the economy,” said Tom Stinson, a University of Minnesota professor who is laid off from his job as the state economist. “But it’s not going to be something that would create a recession or anything like that in Minnesota. It’s clearly not good the longer that it goes on.”
Fort Hood shooting suspect will face death penalty
Maj. Nidal Hasan is charged with 13 counts of premeditated murder and 32 counts of attempted premeditated murder in the November 2009 shooting spree on the Texas Army post.
Triangle of hunger batters millions Africa’s Horn
Thousands of families are walking for days in search of food in a triangle of hunger where the borders of Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia meet. Hundreds already have died, and images of children with skinny, malnourished bodies are becoming commonplace in this corner of Africa. WITH VIDEO
Cleanup under way after massive Ariz. dust storm
The huge dust wall that crossed the metro Phoenix area Tuesday night drastically reduced visibility, halting all flights coming in and out of Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport until conditions improved. Winds ripped up trees, tossed around lawn furniture and caused hazardous driving conditions. WITH VIDEO
Women re-enact Civil War as men, quite accurately
Women weren’t allowed into the military 150 years ago, so some masqueraded as men. As the country marks the 150th anniversary of the Civil War, some female re-enactors still cling to secrecy — and not just for historical accuracy.
State’s economy loses out in shutdown
Experts say an extended shutdown won’t send the state back into a recession but would have ripple effects statewide both predictable and unforeseen.
Shutdown leads to political blame game
With Minnesota’s state government closed for business, the focus shifted Friday to who’s to blame. The shutdown started at 12:01 a.m. Friday. Now the heads of the state’s Republican and Democratic parties each say the other side is responsible.
Pakistan college holds praise bin Laden contest
A competition at the prestigious Punjab University of Lahore, Pakistan, will reward the best poem or essay praising Osama bin Laden, indicating the gains made by hard-line Islamists on college campuses.
As China’s Communist Party turns 90, debate erupts
China is marking the 90th birthday of the Communist Party with celebrations — and an unusually rancorous debate about whether the government needs a major change in direction to sustain the country’s resurgence.
FBI terrorist profile merges two identities
The FBI’s most-wanted list shows a dated black-and-white photograph for the man wanted in connection with the 1998 U.S. embassy bombings in Tanzania and Kenya. Saif al-Adel, reads the glaring red banner, alias Muhammad Ibrahim Makkawi. But an Associated Press investigation found that they are two different men.
British allege Iran conducted missile tests
Iran has conducted covert tests of ballistic missiles in addition to a 10-day program of public military maneuvers, Britain alleges, including covert ballistic missiles tests and rocket launches, with some missiles capable of delivering a nuclear payload.
Survivors describe horrific Amtrak crash
Passengers tell of their escape from the smoke-filled Amtrak passenger train — some by jumping through windows — to avoid a tower of fire sparked when a big rig plowed into a double-decker car at a rural highway crossing about 70 miles east of Reno on Friday. WITH VIDEO
Sonar maps shipwrecks in high definition
World War II shipwrecks off North Carolina and Civil War shipwrecks in Virginia are being analyzed with sonar technology so sophisticated that the public could one day view near photographic images in detail even better than diving at some of the sites could provide.
A decade on, no clear answers in Afghanistan
The U.S. has had victories and setbacks during its 10-year war in Afghanistan. Observers have seen evidence of a more stable, safer Afghanistan and frequent, obvious evidence to the contrary. The story of the past decade is difficult to tell in a single, concise statement. VIDEO: Journalists debate withdrawal