Once confined under suits and ties from 9 to 5, tattoos are now out in the open for all to see. Companies such as Ford and Wells Fargo are among employers that allow body art as part of their appearance codes.
For months, advocacy groups on the left and right were expecting Chief Justice William Rehnquist's ailing health to make him the first Supreme Court justice to step down in 11 years. And with both sides assuming the staunchly conservative Rehnquist would be replaced with another solid conservative, it was thought that the real fight would come later, when a post-Rehnquist vacancy would put the balance of the court at stake. But with Sandra Day O'Connor announcing her retirement, that big fight is already here.
Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor broke ground in 1981 as the first woman named to the nation's highest court. Some 24 terms later, she is departing as one of that body's most influential jurists, a moderate conservative who proved consistently successful at tilting the high court in her direction.
AP - An Egyptian envoy expected to become Iraq's first Arab ambassador since its new government took office was kidnapped in Baghdad, weeks after arriving in the country, diplomats said Sunday.
AP - Democratic senators said Sunday a filibuster is one of the weapons in their arsenal when the time comes to vote on a nominee to replace retiring Justice Sandra Day O'Connor.
AP - Africa has received intermittent U.S. attention over the decades, with periods of neglect interspersed with spasms of activity. To the surprise of many, President Bush has been very much in the latter camp.
One member of a U.S. special operations reconnaissance team missing in Afghanistan since Tuesday has been rescued, a U.S. official speaking on condition of anonymity told CNN. A military helicopter crashed Tuesday while bringing reinforcements to the team, killing all 16 service members aboard.
Egypt's ambassador to Iraq was abducted near his home in Baghdad today, according to a source in the Egyptian Embassy there. Ihab al-Sherif had just arrived in Iraq in June, the source said. Meanwhile, U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales made a surprise visit to Baghdad today, officials at the U.S. Embassy said.
The father of an 8-year-old girl, missing in the aftermath of a triple homicide at her mother's house six weeks ago, was reunited with his daughter Saturday, hours after she was found alive in a Denny's restaurant with a convicted sex offender.