Bay Ledger News Zonebill@blnz.comtag:www.blnz.com,2009:people/eric_walshtag:www.blnz.com,2009:2012/03/05/court_sets_arguments_human_rights_efe3

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Supreme Court said on Monday it would hear arguments next term on whether an 18th century U.S. law can be used to sue multinational corporations or others in American courts for alleged human rights abuses committed abroad.

2012-03-05T20:01:59ZReuters US Online Report Domestic News James Vicinitag:www.blnz.com,2009:2012/03/03/US_government_ultimately_paid_bail_3be3

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The bail paid for U.S. pro-democracy activists facing charges in Egypt ultimately came from the U.S. government, the State Department said on Friday.

2012-03-03T04:55:37ZReuters US Online Report World NewsBy Staff Reportertag:www.blnz.com,2009:2012/03/02/Obama_taps_York_donors_despite_84a7

NEW YORK (Reuters) - President Barack Obama returned to New York on Thursday for a series of high-end fundraising events, tapping Wall Street donors whose generosity has been strained by U.S. financial reforms that many bankers oppose.

2012-03-02T06:41:31ZReuters US Online Report Politics News Alister Bulltag:www.blnz.com,2009:2012/03/02/jailed_Arizona_school_shooting_injured_d40d

PHOENIX (Reuters) - A man suspected of opening fire with a rifle outside an Arizona high school on Thursday, leaving one teenage boy slightly injured, was arrested and jailed on attempted murder, assault and weapons charges, authorities said.

2012-03-02T06:13:43ZReuters US Online Report Domestic NewsBy Staff Reportertag:www.blnz.com,2009:2012/03/02/Senator_Snowes_retirement_causes_chaos_8f5d

(Reuters) - Senator Olympia Snowe's decision to not seek re-election in November has roiled politics in Maine with both of the state's U.S. House members and at least two former governors considering runs for her seat.

2012-03-02T04:44:16ZReuters US Online Report Politics News Jason McLuretag:www.blnz.com,2009:2012/03/02/US_NATO_ambassador_says_Afghan_6b60

CHICAGO (Reuters) - The U.S. ambassador to NATO said on Thursday the alliance is committed to its policy in Afghanistan despite recent attacks on military advisers and U.S. soldiers in a violent outcry against the burning of copies of the Koran at a NATO military base.

2012-03-02T04:38:32ZReuters US Online Report World News Andrew Sterntag:www.blnz.com,2009:2012/03/02/Arizona_sheriff_says_Obamas_birth_ab5e

PHOENIX (Reuters) - A tough-talking Arizona sheriff, already embroiled in a Justice Department bias investigation, waded deeper into controversy on Thursday with an assertion that a probe by his office found President Barack Obama's birth certificate was a forgery.

2012-03-02T04:11:46ZReuters US Online Report Domestic News Tim Gaynortag:www.blnz.com,2009:2012/03/01/Senate_heads_showdown_over_contraceptives_b891

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Democratic-led U.S. Senate is expected on Thursday to defeat a largely symbolic measure that would exempt employers such as Roman Catholic hospitals, universities and charities from a controversial White House rule requiring free birth control coverage.

2012-03-01T01:21:38ZReuters US Online Report Health News David Morgantag:www.blnz.com,2009:2012/03/01/least_killed_tornadoes_strike_Midwest_57fa

NASHVILLE, Tennessee (Reuters) - Powerful storms that spawned tornadoes ripped through the U.S. Midwest on Wednesday, killing at least 12 people, including six in Illinois who were crushed when a house was lifted up and fell on them, authorities said.

2012-02-29T21:45:38ZReuters US Online Report Domestic News Tim and Ghiannitag:www.blnz.com,2009:2012/03/03/Tornadoes_slam_US_Midwest_least_9748

INDIANAPOLIS (Reuters) - Powerful tornadoes ripped through the U.S. midsection on Friday, killing at least 27 people in Indiana, Kentucky and Ohio as they splintered homes, damaged a prison and tossed around vehicles across the region.

2012-02-29T21:45:38ZReuters US Online Report Top News Susan Guyetttag:www.blnz.com,2009:2012/03/03/Tornadoes_kill_least_Midwest_South_b8ba

INDIANAPOLIS (Reuters) - Powerful tornadoes raked across a wide swath of the U.S. Midwest and South on Friday, killing at least 27 people in three states and bringing the death toll to at least 40 from a week of deadly late-winter storms.

2012-02-29T21:45:38ZReuters US Online Report Domestic News Susan Guyetttag:www.blnz.com,2009:2012/03/03/Tornadoes_kill_least_Midwest_South_4251

INDIANAPOLIS (Reuters) - Powerful tornadoes raked across a wide swath of the Midwest and South on Friday, killing at least 28 people in four states and bringing the death toll to at least 41 from a week of deadly late-winter storms.

2012-02-29T21:45:38ZReuters US Online Report Domestic News Susan Guyetttag:www.blnz.com,2009:2012/02/29/Long_divisive_White_House_fight_674c

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Mitt Romney's narrow win in Michigan is unlikely to ease lingering doubts about his candidacy or head off the possibility of a long and divisive presidential nominating fight that is damaging Republican chances in November's general election.

2012-02-29T16:50:42ZReuters US Online Report Politics News John Whitesidestag:www.blnz.com,2009:2012/02/29/Opportunity_lost_Santorum_retools_must-win_388a

GRAND RAPIDS, Michigan (Reuters) - After missing a golden opportunity to dethrone the front-runner, Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum has begun to retool his message as he turns his sights to Super Tuesday.

2012-02-29T07:43:36ZReuters US Online Report Domestic News Sam Youngmantag:www.blnz.com,2009:2012/02/29/Team_Ellison_blinks_Americas_development_43e3

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - A company owned by billionaire Larry Ellison that is hosting the 2013 America's Cup sailing race has cut back plans for developing the San Francisco waterfront, citing financial risks.

2012-02-29T04:44:19ZReuters US Online Report Sports News Peter Hendersontag:www.blnz.com,2009:2012/02/25/Global_politics_loom_over_Oscar_43a6

BEVERLY HILLS, California (Reuters) - Nominees for the best foreign language film Oscar gathered on Saturday for an annual symposium to discuss their films, but a cloud of global politics loomed over the event in which Iranian and Israeli filmmakers both took part.

2012-02-26T02:11:08ZReuters US Online Report Entertainment News Jordan Riefetag:www.blnz.com,2009:2012/02/22/US_wants_more_talks_Japan_6230

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States said on Wednesday it was still considering whether to support Japan's bid to join talks on a trans-Pacific regional free trade agreement, three months after Tokyo announced interest in the negotiations.

2012-02-23T02:28:53ZReuters US Online Report Business News Doug Palmertag:www.blnz.com,2009:2012/02/22/Obamas_Alzheimers_plan_focuses_treatment_a88b

CHICAGO (Reuters) - The Obama administration's plan to fight Alzheimer's disease aims to harness the nation's expertise to find real treatments by 2025 and improve the care and treatment of the 5.1 million Americans already afflicted with the brain-wasting disease.

2012-02-22T23:00:52ZReuters US Online Report Health News Julie Steenhuysentag:www.blnz.com,2009:2012/02/22/Cloud_computing_report_slams_Brazil_5667

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A U.S. software industry report on Wednesday chided Brazil, China and India for policies it said threatened the future of cloud computing, but also took aim at developed countries such as Germany that did well on its inaugural scorecard.

2012-02-22T05:34:13ZReuters US Online Report Technology News Doug Palmertag:www.blnz.com,2009:2012/02/21/Santorums_push_social_issues_challenge_cd66

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republican presidential hopeful Rick Santorum's hard-charging focus on social issues has created a quandary for rival Mitt Romney, who usually prefers to steer clear of such sensitive topics and stress his business credentials.

2012-02-22T00:42:21ZReuters US Online Report Politics News John Whitesides