USA
President Bush traveled to a major border crossing in Yuma, Ariz., Monday, seeking to keep efforts for immigration reform in the spotlight. His goal is to strike an immigration deal with congressional leaders by August that would include a guest-worker program and a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants.
A consortium of American buyout firms and Middle Eastern investors is said to be on the verge of offering about $50 billion to acquire the Dow Chemical Co., London's Sunday Express said. Kohlberg Kravis Roberts, a private equity firm, is reportedly taking a lead in possibly the world's largest leveraged buyout ever.
A new federal study of teen volunteerism reveals a "disturbing gap" in participation between youth from disadvantaged circumstances (43 percent) and other youth (59 percent), the Corporation for National and Community Service said Monday. Such service, the study asserts, helps build skills and social networks.
During a visit to return the remains of American soldiers from the Korean War, delegation leader Bill Richardson, New Mexico's Democratic governor and presidential candidate, said he believes Pyongyang is ready to follow through on its pledge to start dismantling its nuclear weapons program. Richardson, a former UN ambassador who's made previous visits to North Korea, made the remark on the NBC Nightly News.
The average price of a gallon of self-serve regular gasoline rose about 18 cents to $2.78 during the past two weeks, according to the latest Lundberg survey of 7,000 filling stations.
Looking to ease tensions over its trade surplus with the US, China plans to send a business delegation to Washington in May that will place orders far exceeding $16 billion with American companies, the 21st Century Business Herald reported Monday. The publication cited unidentified sources for its report on the purchasing mission that will begin May 13.
Three bald eagles have hatched in the wild on California's Santa Catalina Island during the past week with a fourth expected to follow soon, conservation officials said Sunday. The island's bald eagle population was wiped out by chemical contamination 30 years ago.
Zach Johnson, who'd never before been among the top 15 finishers at a major golf tournament, shot a 3-under-par closing round Sunday to hold off Tiger Woods and win the Masters tournament by two strokes in Augusta, Ga. Woods, a four-time Masters winner, finished tied for second with Retief Goosen and Rory Sabbatini. Above, last year's champion Phil Mickelson helped Johnson slip into the winner's traditional green jacket.
