AP - The nation's response to a flu pandemic could not succeed without a strong effort by state and local governments because the battle might have to be fought on "5,000 fronts," Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt says.

AP - Opponents of a proposed constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriages in Texas have a message for you: The proposition could mean trouble for marriage between a man and woman.

AP - The parents of a young cancer patient who have been fighting state officials over their daughter's care can now make all her medical decisions. In a ruling Wednesday, a judge also ordered that 13-year-old Katie Wernecke be consulted in her treatment.

AP - Job losses related to the devastating Gulf Coast hurricanes climbed to 521,400 last week with layoffs from Hurricane Wilma showing up for the first time, the government reported Thursday.

AP - A small-town judge who has three wives should not be removed from the bench because his private behavior has not tarnished the office he holds, the judge's attorney told the Utah Supreme Court on Wednesday.

AP - The nation's response to a flu pandemic could not succeed without a strong effort by state and local governments because the battle might have to be fought on "5,000 fronts," Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt says.

AP - A seven-hour funeral celebrating the life of civil rights pioneer Rosa Parks was not only a day of remembrance for the 4,000 mourners who gathered, but also a call to action.

AP - A Pakistani activist who was gang-raped at the orders of a tribal council was honored by Glamour Magazine as Woman of the Year for her fight against oppression in her homeland. Mukhtar Mai braved social stigma by going public with her 2002 assault, and used the international attention she attracted to set up a girls school in her rural community.

AP - Black residents in an upscale housing development have filed a civil rights lawsuit against five white men accused of setting the subdivision on fire last year, claiming the act was racially motivated.

AP - The parents of a young cancer patient who have been fighting state officials over their daughter's care can now make all her medical decisions. In a ruling Wednesday, a judge also ordered that 13-year-old Katie Wernecke be consulted in her treatment.

AP - Hurricane Wilma destroyed John Gula's Miami Beach apartment and forced him into a shelter, but the 64-year-old still hasn't escaped the rain.

AP - Just as she was trying to rebuild her own life after Hurricane Katrina, Elaine Oneto was told by military officials that her soldier son lost his in Iraq.

AP - The government wants to offer airline passengers the chance to avoid extra security checks.

AP - A jury was selected Thursday for the trial of an Army reservist accused of attacking a detainee at an Afghanistan detention center and then lying about it.

AP - A Pakistani activist who was gang-raped at the orders of a tribal council was honored by Glamour Magazine as Woman of the Year for her fight against oppression in her homeland. Mukhtar Mai braved social stigma by going public with her 2002 assault, and used the international attention she attracted to set up a girls school in her rural community.

AP - Federal prosecutors have subpoenaed personnel records from the state Corrections Department, expanding an investigation of hiring practices under Gov. Rod Blagojevich.

AP - Black residents in an upscale housing development filed a civil rights lawsuit against five white men accused of setting the subdivision on fire last year, claiming the act was racially motivated.

AP - Charging that the Supreme Court undermined one of the pillars of American society, the House took up legislation Thursday to block court-sanctioned seizings of people's homes for use by private developers.

USATODAY.com - The federal government aims to slow illegal immigration dramatically by hiring more Border Patrol agents, building more fences and ending a policy that has allowed thousands of captured illegal immigrants to be released within the USA, Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff says.

AP - The government wants to offer airline passengers the chance to avoid extra security checks.

AP - Two violent felons who escaped from a maximum-security prison by hiding on a trash truck were captured early Thursday afternoon, a State Law Enforcement Division official said.

AP - Three pit bulls mauled a 10-year-old boy in his back yard two days after the city banned new fighting dogs and added limits on those already owned.

AP - A federal appeals panel has suggested it might require the government to permit libraries, major corporations and other groups to challenge FBI demands for records under the Patriot Act.

AP - Job losses related to the devastating Gulf Coast hurricanes climbed to 521,400 last week with layoffs from Hurricane Wilma showing up for the first time, the government reported Thursday.

AP - The federal government will install a new quarantine station at Logan International Airport to evaluate travelers who may pose a health threat to the region, officials said.

AP - An Army reservist at an Afghanistan detention center struck and taunted a detainee who may have been mentally disabled, a former soldier testified as a military trial began Thursday.

AP - Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman has suggested that those who deface freeways with graffiti should have their thumbs cut off on television.

AP - There are signs the economy is shaking off the effects of the devastating Gulf Coast hurricanes.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - It began as a book written to help her cope with the sudden death of her husband. But Joan Didion's 'The Year of Magical Thinking' became something much bigger than she expected.

AP - Contending that the Supreme Court has undermined a pillar of American society, the sanctity of the home, the House overwhelmingly approved a bill Thursday to block the court-approved seizure of private property for use by developers.

AP - A federal appeals court on Thursday nullified a California criminal law adopted after the Rodney King beating that made it unlawful for citizens to knowingly lodge false accusations against police officers.

AP - A judge declared Missouri's child abuse registry unconstitutional Thursday, ruling that suspected offenders deserved a court-like hearing before being listed.