USA

Crude oil futures surpassed $70 a barrel for a time Monday on the New York Mercantile Exchange, the first time it's exceeded that price since Aug. 30. Analysts link the rise to concerns about the impact of Iran's defiant nuclear ambitions and supply disruptions in Nigeria.

Morale at the Federal Emergency Management Agency is low and many FEMA employees and field personnel are looking to leave or take early retirement, according to The Washington Post, which summarized an in-house report. The study, done by the inspector general of the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees FEMA, said the agency's staff "is overworked, often performing multiple duties, and working with few days off during disaster responses."

At his first Monday morning staff meeting Monday, new White House Chief of Staff Joshua Bolten told the president's top aides to expect some changes and adjustments. The hinted shake-up could "refresh and reenergize" a team that has largely remained intact since Bush took office.

Seeking to quell racial tensions in Durham, N.C., more than 100 people held a prayer rally Sunday in front of the house where a black woman alleged she was assaulted by white members of Duke University men's lacrosse team. No charges have been filed in the case that dates to a March 13 party at the house, where the woman performed as an exotic dancer..

A mountain lion thought to be the one that attacked a 7-year-old boy on a family hike near Boulder, Colo., over the weekend was shot and killed Sunday in the interest of public safety by a wildlife officer, a Division of Wildlife spokesman said. The boy's injuries are not considered life-threatening. Meanwhile, the US Forest Service said it trapped and euthanized a black bear near the site of last week's fatal mauling of a 6-year-old girl in Tennessee.

The largest conference ever held on earthquake preparedness opens Tuesday in San Francisco on the 100th anniversary of the city's 1906 quake, which destroyed 28,000 buildings.

The New York City Police Department has installed video surveillance equipment on Brooklyn lamp posts and says that 500 wireless video recorders could be placed throughout the city if it receives $81.5 million in federal grants. The cameras, similar to those in subways and public housing, are used to monitor crime and check for signs of terrorism.