WASHINGTON – Shoddy electrical work by private contractors on U.S. military bases in Iraq is widespread and dangerous, causing more deaths and injuries from fires and shocks than the Pentagon has acknowledged, according to internal Army documents. Read more...

WASHINGTON – Who knew a cup of coffee could create such a tempest in a teapot? Read more...

AUSTIN, Texas – Texas, headquarters of America’s oil industry, is about to stake a fortune on wind power. Read more...

American Special Forces troops and Afghan commandos killed two influential tribal leaders and a number of their followers in western Afghanistan in a joint airborne operation Wednesday night amid more accusations about civilian casualties, military officials said Thursday. Read more...

WASHINGTON – A historic war crimes trial targeting Osama bin Laden’s former driver is now set to start Monday at a remote site in Cuba, following a federal judge’s ruling Thursday. Read more...

A bear attacked a person sleeping inside a tent early Thursday, leading authorities to close two campgrounds near Yellowstone National Park. Read more...

Merrill Lynch reported a $4.65 billion loss during its second quarter Thursday, surpassing the expectations of the most pessimistic analysts and underscoring the continued toll of the subprime mortgage meltdown even as economists and policymakers turn their attention to other economic threats such as inflation. Read more...

Democrat Barack Obama raised $52 million last month for his presidential campaign, more than twice as much as Republican rival John McCain in a significant boost to his financial cache for the fall contest. Read more...

WASHINGTON – Wearing a pink-and-green T-shirt, Anne Sims rode down Pennsylvania Avenue to the Capitol in her motorized scooter Thursday as her Alpha Kappa Alpha sisters marched with her. Read more...

Former Vice President Al Gore, seeking to shake up an energy debate that’s focused mostly on drilling, challenged the United States to shift its entire electricity sector to carbon-free wind, solar and geothermal power within 10 years, and use that power to fuel a new fleet of electric vehicles. Read more...

WASHINGTON – More babies were born in the United States last year than ever, according to preliminary data, but it’s not another baby boom just yet. Read more...

WASHINGTON – Global warming will affect the health and welfare of every American, but the poor, elderly, and children will suffer the most, according to a new White House science report released Thursday. Read more...

WASHINGTON – It’s OK to eat all kinds of tomatoes again, the U.S. government declared Thursday – lifting its salmonella warning on the summer favorites amid signs that the record outbreak, while not over, might finally be slowing. Read more...

LONDON – Some doctors have long suspected that if the plaque that builds up in the brains of patients with Alzheimer’s disease could be removed, they could be saved. But a new vaccine that did just that suggests the theory is wrong. Read more...

HOLLYWOOD – FX’s “Damages” and AMC’s “Mad Men” made history Thursday morning when they became the first basic-cable series to earn Emmy nominations for best drama, edging out such favorites as “Grey’s Anatomy.” Read more...