USA

Democratic presidential candidates speaking at a healthcare forum in Las Vegas Saturday said they would extend healthcare coverage to nearly 50 million uninsured Americans, according to media accounts. Only John Edwards, who said he was in the race "for the duration" despite his wife's renewed battle against cancer, said he would raise taxes – for families making more than $200,000 a year – to cover increased costs.

In a statement released by the White House, President Bush said Saturday he still supports embattled Attorney General Alberto Gonzales. The announcement came as some Democrats said a newly released Justice Department memo made it appear that Gonzales was more involved in the firing of eight federal prosecutors than previously indicated.

The US military said Saturday that an elite Marine Corps unit would return home several months into its deployment in Afghanistan because one of its counterinsurgency operations so angered local residents as to render the unit ineffective. Afghan President Hamid Karzai condemned the March 4 incident in which the Marines are accused of killing 10 Afghan civilians. The marines said they fired in self-defense.

Menu Foods, the pet-food-maker that earlier recalled 60 million cans of dog and cat food, announced that it would expand the recall after rat poison was blamed for 16 animal deaths. Scientists weren't able to determine how the poison got into Menu products. The company said it would take responsibility for all expenses related to the contamination.

What is believed to be the first scientific meeting on how chimpanzees think concluded Sunday in Chicago after presentations about their cooperative problem solving. Jane Goodall, who revolutionized primate research, was a featured speaker.

With the endorsement of the Homeland Security Department, Gov. Chris Gregoire (D) of Washington signed into law an "enhanced" driver's license program that should facilitate passport-free travel across the US-Canadian border. The pilot project, which launches in January, will allow drivers to use scannable licenses loaded with proof of citizenship rather than produce passports, as a new federal law will require.

Riding a wave of popularity fed by the movie "Wordplay," the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament announced Saturday it will move to New York next year. The event has outgrown the Stamford, Conn., hotel that has hosted it for 30 years.