Apparently swayed by pressure from thousands of stranded evacuees, Mayor C. Ray Nagin said that all checkpoints into the city have been lifted.

When John McCain greeted his own family, and that of his running mate, he lingered a little extra when he got to Bristol Palin, Ms. Palin's 17-year-old, whose pregnancy made national news this week.

Baghdad's Mustansariya University after a bombing in 2007. (Photo by Max Becherer for The New York Times) Ali Hameed is an Iraqi employee of The New York Times. BAGHDAD - No one can deny that Iraqis are fond of education. They spend hundreds, even thousands, of dollars to provide the proper atmosphere to their sons and daughters [...].

At least initially, the stock market seemed less than impressed with Coca-Cola's $2.4 billion acquisition of the Chinese juice maker Huiyuan. In late-morning trading Wednesday, shares of the Atlanta-based drink maker were down slightly. But while the price that Coca-Cola paid -- three times the juice maker's market value -- seems heady, it could eventually [...].

New health department data for 2007 showed a drop in infant mortality in New York City and a surge in births, particularly among Asians.

The leaders of the two states of the long-divided island of Cyprus met in Nicosia, the capital of both states, Tuesday to restart talks on reunification that stalled in 2006.

Two helicopters carrying coalition forces opened fire in a village near the Afghan border, killing seven people, according to a Pakistani military spokesman.

Sales of Ford’s trucks fell even more in August, and the news from Chrysler and G.M. is not expected to be better.

BBC News
Nagin Opens Doors to New Orleans as Traffic Builds
ABC News - 29 minutes ago
By MARY FOSTER and BECKY BOHRER AP Writers AP Traffic comes to stop on the Interstate 10 freeway over Lake Pontchartain between New Orleans and in Slidell, La.
New Orleans residents can return immediately, Mayor Nagin says Los Angeles Times
Nagin opens doors to New Orleans as traffic builds The Associated Press
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National Institutes of Health (press release)
Federal Health Experts Remain Concerned About BPA Safety
Wall Street Journal Blogs - 29 minutes ago
The volume in the debate over the safety of bisphenol-A, a chemical used in everything from plastic baby bottles to sunglasses, just got turned up a notch.
Chemical Bisphenol A May Harm Children, US Says (Update2) Bloomberg
Concerns Linger Over Safety Of Chemical Used in Baby Bottles Wall Street Journal
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USA Today
Searchers Continue Hunt for Missing Toddler Caylee, Determined to ...
FOXNews - 31 minutes ago
Searchers didn't give up on finding missing tot Caylee Anthony Wednesday in spite of scant numbers and the dismal news that she is now feared dead.
Sheriff Offers Airboats, Patrols, $5K To Keep Search For Caylee Going Local6.com
Immunity offer for Casey Anthony expires NECN
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ABC News
Convention Showcases Female Veterans of Political Combat
New York Times - 32 minutes ago
By Jill Abramson ST. PAUL - Parties plan their conventions to be festivals of party unity, but they are often a vantage point for watching longtime political combatants.
Sarah Palin to address Republican convention tonight Los Angeles Times
Palin speech to tout reform, change USA Today
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The action threatens to sabotage five years of talks with the five powers seeking to end North Korea’s nuclear arms program.

Voice of America
Hearing on Detroit mayor's fate begins
CNN - 36 minutes ago
(CNN) -- Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm began hearing testimony Wednesday to help her decide whether to remove Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick from office over allegations of misconduct.
Video: Governor Begins Hearing to Remove Detroit Mayor AssociatedPress
Governor's hearing to remove Detroit mayor begins The Associated Press
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The announcement was coming as Vice President Dick Cheney arrived in the region to signal support for Georgia and other nations neighboring Russia.

Russell Fine, co-founder of Opposing Views, a site where experts debate issues, aims to provide an alternative to the glut of opinions on the Web.

Canada.com
iPhone ire: AT&T's wireless data network knocked out in East
The Star-Ledger - NJ.com - 51 minutes ago
by AP AT&T's wireless data network was down this morning in parts of the eastern United States, according to user reports and the company.
AT&T wireless data outage hits East Coast Yahoo! Tech
Have iPhones slowed AT&T 3G service out West and crashed it in the ... Dallas Morning News
Reuters
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Seattle Times
Gonzales 'Couldn't Remember' Combo For His Safe
Washington Post - 58 minutes ago
Former Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales failed to keep classified documents in a secure location in his Alexandria home, claiming that he simply "couldn't remember the combination" on a in-home safe three years ago.
Hot Docs: Mishandling Secret Documents, Gustav Aftermath, Flood ... U.S. News & World Report
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Thousands of protesters kept Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej from entering his office for the eighth day and the army declined to enforce his emergency decree.

Gov. Jennifer M. Granholm of Michigan opened a hearing Wednesday morning that could lead to the ouster of Kwame M. Kilpatrick as mayor of Detroit.