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U.S. closes consulate in Mexico’s Ciudad Juarez (Reuters)
Thursday, 29 July 2010, 7:20 pm

Reuters – The U.S. government has shut indefinitely its consulate in Ciudad Juarez, the city wracked by drug violence just over the border from El Paso, Texas, to evaluate security conditions.

Top Mexican drug lord killed in clash with army (AP)
Thursday, 29 July 2010, 7:18 pm

AP – One of the top three leaders of Mexico’s most powerful drug cartel died in a gunfight with soldiers Thursday, ending the long run of a mysterious capo considered a founder of the country’s massive methamphetamine trade.

Oswalt traded to Phillies; Tejada, Cantu also move (AP)
Thursday, 29 July 2010, 6:58 pm

AP – Roy Oswalt granted his own wish: He’s now part of a pennant race. Miguel Tejada and Jorge Cantu joined the mix, too.

Ellen DeGeneres out as ‘American Idol’ judge (AP)
Thursday, 29 July 2010, 6:56 pm

AP – Ellen DeGeneres is dancing off “American Idol” after one season, leaving Fox’s hit show with two vacancies on its judging panel.

Pentagon: Leak investigaton may go beyond military (AP)
Thursday, 29 July 2010, 6:36 pm

AP – A criminal investigation into the leak of tens of thousands of secret Afghanistan war logs could go beyond the military, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Thursday, and he did not rule out that WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange could be a target.

As many as 6,600 Arlington graves mixed up (AP)
Thursday, 29 July 2010, 6:32 pm

AP – 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.

Panel hits Rangel with 13 ethics charges (AP)
Thursday, 29 July 2010, 6:32 pm

AP – 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.

Ariz. files appeal as sheriff launches new sweep (AP)
Thursday, 29 July 2010, 6:32 pm

AP – 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.

Dems, GOP warily eye Arizona immigration ruling (AP)
Thursday, 29 July 2010, 6:29 pm

AP – On the surface, a judge’s decision to block tough provisions of Arizona’s immigration law was a defeat for the state’s Republican governor and a win for the Democratic Obama administration. But neither party is sure it will play out that way politically, either this fall or beyond.

Ousted USDA employee Sherrod plans to sue blogger (AP)
Thursday, 29 July 2010, 6:29 pm

AP – 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.

Police: Cheeseburger found in SC woman’s gas tank (AP)
Thursday, 29 July 2010, 6:25 pm

AP – A South Carolina woman found out fast food won’t make your car go fast. The Herald of Rock Hill reported Thursday a 30-year-old woman made a complaint to police after she took her car to a Rock Hill mechanic last week because it would suddenly stop running.

Four killed in Air Force plane crash in Alaska (Reuters)
Thursday, 29 July 2010, 5:50 pm

Reuters – All four crew members were killed in a U.S. Air Force cargo plane that crashed in flames while practicing for an aviation show at Elmendorf Air Force Base, the Air Force said Thursday.

Arizona appeals immigrant law ruling amid protests (Reuters)
Thursday, 29 July 2010, 5:37 pm

Reuters – Arizona on Thursday appealed a judge’s decision to block key parts of the state’s crackdown on illegal immigrants and police in Phoenix arrested scores of activists protesting the remaining measures in the law.

BP lawsuits over oil spill take center stage (Reuters)
Thursday, 29 July 2010, 4:35 pm

Reuters – More than 2,000 miles from the Gulf of Mexico shoreline, a panel of U.S. judges heard arguments from lawyers on Thursday on how piles of oil spill-related lawsuits against BP Plc should be merged.

WikiLeaks may have blood on its hands, U.S. says (Reuters)
Thursday, 29 July 2010, 3:52 pm

Reuters – The whistle-blowing website WikiLeaks may have blood on its hands, the Pentagon said on Thursday, warning its unprecedented leak of secret U.S. military files could cost lives and damage trust of allies.

Fed officials clash on need for more stimulus (Reuters)
Thursday, 29 July 2010, 2:40 pm

Reuters – Federal Reserve officials clashed on Thursday over whether the central bank should be more aggressive in supporting the stumbling economy and one said the Fed’s current policy may be contributing to worryingly low levels of inflation.

Unemployment claims fall, but still elevated (Reuters)
Thursday, 29 July 2010, 2:37 pm

Reuters – New claims for unemployment benefits slipped last week, but stayed at a stubbornly high level that underscored the labor market recovery was having trouble gaining traction.

Special Report: A Mississippi Yankee in BP’s battered court (Reuters)
Thursday, 29 July 2010, 2:09 pm

Reuters – Bob Dudley is not one to wear his disappointment on his sleeve.

French mother confesses to eight infant murders (AFP)
Thursday, 29 July 2010, 1:00 pm

AFP – A French nursing assistant Thursday admitted suffocating eight newborn babies because she did not want more children and wished to avoid seeing a doctor for contraception, a prosecutor said.

Monsoon hampers Pakistan black box search (AFP)
Thursday, 29 July 2010, 9:45 am

AFP – Monsoon rain and clouds on Thursday hampered the search for the black box of a Pakistani airliner that slammed into hilly woodland killing all 152 people on board, the nation’s worst aviation disaster.