Top Stories

Ariz. files appeal as sheriff launches new sweep
AP – 31 mins ago

AP

PHOENIX - The showdown over Arizona's immigration law played out in court and on Phoenix's sun-splashed streets on Thursday, as the state sought to reinstate key parts of the measure and angry protesters chanted that they refused to "live in fear." Dozens were arrested. Full Story »
Panel hits Rangel with 13 ethics charges
AP – 49 mins ago

AP

WASHINGTON - House investigators accused veteran New York Rep. Charles Rangel of 13 violations of congressional ethics standards on Thursday, throwing a cloud over his four-decade political career and raising worries for fellow Democrats about the fall elections. Full Story »
As many as 6,600 Arlington graves mixed up
AP – 4 mins ago

AP

WASHINGTON - Estimates of the number of graves that might be affected by mix-ups at Arlington National Cemetery grew from hundreds to as many as 6,600 on Thursday, as the cemetery's former superintendent blamed his staff and a lack of resources for the scandal that forced his ouster. Full Story »
Ousted USDA employee Sherrod plans to sue blogger
AP – 1 hr 5 mins ago

AP

SAN DIEGO - Ousted Agriculture Department employee Shirley Sherrod said Thursday she will sue a conservative blogger who posted a video edited in a way that made her appear racist. Full Story »
Key step to kill Gulf gusher may happen sooner
AP – Thu Jul 29, 3:35 pm ET

AP

NEW ORLEANS - A procedure intended to ease the job of plugging the blownout Gulf well for good could start as early as the weekend, the government's point man for the spill response said Thursday. Full Story »
Foreclosures up in 75 percent of top U.S. metro areas
Reuters – Thu Jul 29, 7:48 am ET

Reuters

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Foreclosures rose in 3 of every four large U.S. metro areas in this year's first half, likely ruling out sustained home price gains until 2013, real estate data company RealtyTrac said on Thursday. Full Story »
One year later: 3 American hikers still imprisoned in Iran
The Starting Point – Thu Jul 29, 9:16 am ET

AP

The Starting Point is a preview of the stories we expect to cover today and a snapshot of the news that occurred overnight. Full Story »
Republicans block small business lending bill
AP – 1 hr 10 mins ago

AP

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama's election-year jobs agenda suffered a new setback Thursday when Senate Republicans blocked a bill creating a $30 billion government fund to help open up lending for credit-starved small businesses. Full Story »
At least 140 dead in DR Congo river disaster
AFP – Thu Jul 29, 3:52 pm ET

AFP/Graphic

KINSHASA (AFP) - A river ferry disaster in the Democratic Republic of Congo has left at least 140 passengers dead, after the overcrowded boat hit a sandbank and capsized, officials said Thursday. Full Story »
Watch: Which state fair sells deep-fried lattes?
at Yahoo! News Who Knew? – Thu Jul 29, 8:15 am ET

Which state fair has featured a deep fried a latte? Full Story »
Al-Qaida plants flag, burns bodies in Iraq attack
AP – 2 hrs 13 mins ago

AP

BAGHDAD - Militants flew an al-Qaida flag over a Baghdad neighborhood Thursday after killing 16 security officials and burning some of their bodies in a brazen afternoon attack that served as a grim reminder of continued insurgent strength in Iraq's capital. Full Story »
Montana officials trap suspected killer grizzly
Reuters – Thu Jul 29, 2:05 pm ET

SALMON, Idaho (Reuters) - Montana wildlife officials have trapped an adult female grizzly they believe killed one camper and injured two others in predawn attacks near Yellowstone National Park on Wednesday. Full Story »
Colo. pot shops face closure under tough new rules
AP – 1 hr 50 mins ago

AP

DENVER - Nearly a fifth of Colorado's medical marijuana dispensary operators could be forced out of business in coming weeks because of new state rules barring some convicted felons from the pot business, federal drug authorities say. Full Story »
Afghan president asks why allies won't act on Pakistan
Reuters – Thu Jul 29, 6:05 am ET

Reuters

KABUL (Reuters) - Afghan President Hamid Karzai questioned on Thursday the willingness of his Western allies to strike insurgent bases in Pakistan given the strong evidence of Islamabad's support for the Taliban. Full Story »
Past problems for company at heart of oil spill
AP – 35 mins ago

AP

BATTLE CREEK, Mich. - A Canadian company whose pipeline leaked hundreds of thousands of oil into a Michigan river boasts on its website of being "an industry leader in pipeline safety and integrity." Full Story »
DC sniper claims conspirators in Shatner interview
AP – Thu Jul 29, 3:43 pm ET

AP

RICHMOND, Va. - Convicted DC sniper Lee Boyd Malvo tells actor William Shatner on a cable TV special that he and his partner tried to recruit fellow shooters for their 2002 spree and that his accomplice killed one man for backing out, according to the program set for airing Thursday. Full Story »
Toyota recalls 412,000 cars in US to fix steering
AP – Thu Jul 29, 4:58 pm ET

AP

NEW YORK - Toyota is recalling nearly half a million cars, most of them large sedans sold in the U.S., for problems that can cause the steering wheel to lock up. It's the latest indication that the automaker is still struggling with vehicle problems even as it works to overhaul quality control. Full Story »
US Passports still vulnerable to fraud
AP – Thu Jul 29, 3:33 pm ET

AP

WASHINGTON - Posing as someone else and using fake birth certificates and driver's licenses to get a U.S. passport can still work. For the second time in two years, government investigators exposed a gaping hole in the country's security by deliberately using fraudulent material to obtain passports. Full Story »