Shoddy wiring ‘everywhere’ on Iraq bases, Army inspector says

Thousands of buildings at U.S. bases in Iraq and Afghanistan have such poorly installed wiring that American troops face life-threatening risks, a top inspector for the Army says. “It was horrible — some of the worst electrical work I’ve ever seen,” said Jim Childs, a master electrician and the top civilian expert in an Army safety survey

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Victim’s wife: Kidnappers’ silence ‘very cruel’

Lourdes Batista wishes she had super powers so she could use them to find her husband, she said Wednesday, 105 days after authorities said he was kidnapped in Mexico. Felix Batista, a renowned kidnapping consultant, disappeared after getting into a vehicle outside a Saltillo restaurant December 10

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Strip club fair offers solution to skimpy job market

With bachelor parties kicking into high gear and the summer season about to begin, the Foxy Lady wants to be sure that its three locations are fully staffed and prepared to meet their customers’ demands. The incident occurred in the Gereshk district of Helmand province, and the militants were killed by Afghan soldiers advised by coalition troops, the U.S. military said in a statement

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Barbara Bush expected to make good recovery, surgeon says

The surgeon who performed heart surgery Wednesday on former first lady Barbara Bush said Thursday that she is recovering well from the 2 1/2-hour surgery in which her aortic valve was replaced with a pig valve. “From our perspective, this was a very routine procedure, and we expect her to make an excellent recovery,” Dr

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Woman answers ad for bird by offering kids as payment

Trading two children for a bird landed three people in jail in Louisiana, authorities say. Laura Pendergest-Holt, the third-ranking executive of the Houston-based Stanford Financial Group, was taken into custody by FBI agents and charged with obstruction of a government proceeding. The Justice Department late Thursday said Pendergest-Holt will appear before a federal magistrate in Houston Friday.

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UK Pentagon hacker nears extradition to U.S.

British prosecutors said Thursday they will not seek charges against accused Pentagon hacker Gary McKinnon, which puts him one step closer to being extradited to the United States to face charges. The Crown Prosecution Service said its decision comes despite McKinnon’s admission that he broke the law and intentionally gained unauthorized access to computer systems

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