3/20 Yahoo! News: Top Stories

House votes to recoup bonuses from bailed-out firms (Reuters) March 19, 2009 at 7:54 pm Reuters - The U.S. House of Representatives swiftly passed a bill on Thursday to recoup controversial bonuses paid to American International Group Inc as Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner tried to calm the furor by taking responsibility. Dallas school accused of staging fights (AP) March 19, 2009 at 7:41 pm AP - The Dallas school system was rocked by allegations Thursday that staff members at an inner-city high school made students settle their differences by fighting bare-knuckle brawls inside a steel cage. Obama envoy Holbrooke served on AIG's board (AP) March 19, 2009 at 7:06 pm AP - Obama administration special envoy Richard Holbooke was on the American International Group Inc. board of directors in early 2008 when the insurance company locked in the bonuses now stoking national outrage. Holbrooke, a veteran diplomat who is now the administration's point man on Pakistan and Afghanistan, served on the board between 2001 and mid-2008. AP IMPACT: Many Iraqis held by US to go free (AP) March 19, 2009 at 7:06 pm AP - Thousands of Iraqis held without charge by the United States on suspicion of links to insurgents or militants are being freed by this summer because there is little or no evidence against them. UConn thrashes No. 16 Chattanooga without Calhoun (AP) March 19, 2009 at 7:05 pm AP - With their coach in the hospital, A.J. Price and Hasheem Thabeet scored 20 points apiece to lead top-seeded Connecticut to a 103-47 rout over Chattanooga on Thursday for its first postseason win in three years. Ex-Bush admin official: Many at Gitmo are innocent (AP) March 19, 2009 at 7:05 pm AP - Many detainees locked up at Guantanamo were innocent men swept up by U.S. forces unable to distinguish enemies from noncombatants, a former Bush administration official said Thursday. "There are still innocent people there," Lawrence B. Wilkerson, a Republican who was chief of staff to then-Secretary of State Colin Powell, told The Associated Press. "Some have been there six or seven years." U.S., Mexican security chiefs to meet on gun trade (Reuters) March 19, 2009 at 6:39 pm Reuters - U.S. and Mexican security officials will strategize next month on fighting the arms trade fueling Mexico's bloody drug war, but a U.S. ban on assault rifles favored by the traffickers will not be on the agenda. U.S. throws lifeline to distressed auto suppliers (Reuters) March 19, 2009 at 6:19 pm Reuters - The Obama administration pledged up to $5 billion on Thursday to immediately assist auto suppliers whose health is crucial to the survival of stricken U.S. car manufacturers. U.S. jobless rolls swell to record 5.47 million (Reuters) March 19, 2009 at 5:58 pm Reuters - The number of U.S. workers drawing state unemployment benefits hit another record high early this month and factory activity in the Mid-Atlantic region shrank again as the economy battles a severe downturn. NJ considers ban on bare-it-all 'Brazilian' bikini wax (AP) March 19, 2009 at 5:53 pm AP - New Jersey is drawing the line when it comes to bikini waxing. The state Board of Cosmetology and Hairstyling is moving toward a ban on genital waxing after two women reported being injured in their quest for a smooth bikini line. U.S. commanders say ready for N.Korea missile (Reuters) March 19, 2009 at 5:01 pm Reuters - The United States could intercept a North Korean missile launched toward U.S. territory with "high probability," the top U.S. commander for the Pacific region said on Thursday. California prison releases Charles Manson picture (Reuters) March 19, 2009 at 3:27 pm Reuters - California corrections officials released a new photograph of imprisoned mass murderer Charles Manson on Thursday, showing the balding, gray-bearded killer at the age of 74. U.N. rights envoy sees Israeli war crimes in Gaza (Reuters) March 19, 2009 at 3:22 pm Reuters - A United Nations human rights investigator said on Thursday that Israel's military assault on densely populated Gaza appeared to constitute a grave war crime.