Megan Wegge twice donated her long, blond hair to “Locks of Love” and started her own business to raise money for pediatric cancer research. Now diagnosed with a rare form of cancer herself, she and her mom are temporary residents of Bloomington, Ind., preparing for a form of radiation treatment available in nine places in the country.
Millions displaced by natural disasters last year
About 42 million people were forced to flee their homes because of natural disasters around the world in 2010, more than double the number during 2009, according to a report presented by the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre. That was an increase from 17 million displaced people in 2009. More than 90 percent of the disaster displacements were caused by weather-related hazards.
Army’s 101st pays high price for Afghan surge year
The soldiers of the Army’s 101st Airborne Division came to Afghanistan confident that their counterinsurgency expertise would again turn a surge strategy into a success. Now they are headed home uncertain of lasting changes on the battlefield but certain of one thing: 131 of their number died during the deployment.
Pope in Zagreb backs Croatia’s bid to join EU
Pope Benedict XVI strongly backed Croatia’s bid to join the European Union as he arrived in the Balkan nation Saturday, but said he could understand fears among euroskeptics of the EU’s “overly strong” centralized bureaucracy.
Brother Ali joins tornado benefit
Hip-hop artist Brother Ali, The New Standards and “American Idol” finalist Paris Bennett are among artists joining a benefit concert for victims of the North Minneapolis tornado.
Somali suicide bomber from Minnesota, militants say
The man who carried out a suicide bomb attack on a base in Mogadishu this week was a Somali-American from Minneapolis, according to the militant group al-Shabab. Abdullahi Ahmed, 25, was the suicide bomber who attacked an African Union peacekeeping base in Mogadishu, Somalia’s capital, on Monday, killing three, Al-Shabab said on its website.
Prayer, politics collide on midnight pilgrimage
A modest stone building holy to Jews in the midst of Nablus, an Arab city in the West Bank, is becoming an increasingly volatile friction point, drawing growing numbers of pilgrims on nighttime prayer visits, unnerving Palestinian residents and putting Israel’s military into conflict with some of the worshipers it is meant to protect.
Women breaking barriers in Navy, not SEALs
While America’s last 10 years of war have propelled women into new and far more risky roles across the military, there are still some doors that are closed. Chief among those are the special operations forces. But perhaps that door is inching open.
Empty summer in the city for kids hit by cutbacks
A rising number of children can look forward to excruciatingly boring school breaks this year as budget crises in many cities rob them of activities and programs that have defined summer in the city. Swimming pools are being closed. Recreation centers are locking their doors. Library summer reading programs are suffering. It’s a headache for parents but an economic reality for cities.
GOP presidential hopefuls shift on global warming
One thing that Tim Pawlenty, Jon Huntsman, Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney have in common is that they are distancing themselves from their past positions on global warming, driven by their party’s loud doubters who question the science and disdain government solutions. All four have stepped back from previous stances on the issue.
After European tour, challenges at home
While President Obama has traveled Europe, he has kept watchful on events at home as he’s devoted the week to the business of strengthening relationships with Western allies and marshaling support for democratic stirrings in the Middle East and North Africa. On Friday he arrived in Poland, the final stop on his itinerary.
Compressed air turns NZ trucker into human balloon
A New Zealand truck driver said he blew up like a balloon when he fell onto the fitting of a compressed air hose that pierced his buttock and forced air into his body at 100 pounds a square inch.
Steven McCormack was standing on his truck’s foot plate Saturday when he slipped and fell, breaking a compressed air hose off an air reservoir that powered the truck’s brakes.
Senator Franken calls for smartphone app privacy policies
Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., sent letters to the two companies Wednesday asking that all apps for the iPhone, iPad and devices running Google’s Android software provide “clear and understandable privacy policies.” Such policies would tell users what personal information the app collects and how that information is used and potentially shared. Right now, it’s up to individual developers whether to spell that out.
Volunteers sought for Mpls. post-tornado outreach
The University of Minnesota is seeking volunteers for outreach teams following Sunday’s tornado that ripped through north Minneapolis.
The University of Minnesota is seeking volunteers for outreach teams following Sunday’s tornado that ripped through north Minneapolis.
High school baseball unifies tsunami-hit Japan
TOKYO — If Japan has a field of dreams, it’s a well-groomed patch of grass and dirt called Koshien. Twice a year, high school baseball teams compete at the field outside Kobe in nationally televised tournaments that rivet the country. Last week, at the start of the spring tournament, a teen stood on a podium …
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