Hurricane Alex, after slamming Belize as a tropical storm Thursday, was declared a hurricane Tuesday evening. New extended hurricane warning rules are meant to give more precise, earlier warnings.

In her testimony before senators Tuesday, Elena Kagan suggested that her policy when she was dean at Harvard Law School did not impose a hardship on military recruiters there.

The season’s first tropical weather system is disrupting cleanup efforts and has raised the anxiety level along the Gulf Coast. Where's the emergency storm plan, some officials are asking?

AP - Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan maneuvered carefully through tough Republican questioning on military recruitment at Harvard Law School, gun owners' rights and free speech Tuesday, giving little ground to critics and drawing strong praise from Senate Democrats who command the votes to confirm her.

AP - One hobnobbed with academics and entrepreneurs who shared his interest in cutting-edge science. Another spoke five languages, went to embassy parties and was fascinated by global politics. A third held herself out to be a venture capitalist and hit the networking circuit, looking for investment opportunities.

AP - Gas could become cheaper at some BP pumps after the oil company agreed to measures meant to help distributors and station owners offset a consumer boycott against BP fuel that was sparked by the out-of-control spill in the Gulf of Mexico.