Today's Headlines

A federal investigation of unauthorized snooping into government passport files has found evidence that such breaches may be far more common than previously disclosed, and the State Department inspector general is calling for an overhaul of the program’s management. In a report issued Thursday, the inspector general found “many control weaknesses” in the department’s administration program, including what investigators said was a lack of sound policies on training staff, accessing electronic reco Read more

If your photo is under the dictionary’s definition of “procrastinator,” you probably haven’t made travel plans for the Fourth of July weekend. Don’t panic. Read more

The great Sam Peckinpah once said, “It’s not just blowing up a bridge, it’s the way you blow up a bridge.”That’s how I feel about apocalyptic or dystopian movies. It’s not just blowing up the world, it’s the way you blow up the world.Pundits questioned Pixar’s decision to base “Wall-E” on a trash-strewn Earth, a robot hero and humans who’ve evolved into pudding pops. Read more

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – In the months after the Sept. Read more

Jimmy Smits has participated in PBS’ Fourth of July concert before, but he will host for the first time tonight. Smits, whose work includes roles on “The West Wing” and “NYPD Blue,” said being present on the Mall for the event “takes your breath away.” Read more

“When my stepdad went to Iraq, half my heart went with him,” says a youngster featured in Nickelodeon’s special about the burdens that war and its aftermath place on children. “Coming Home: When Parents Return From the Front,” the latest in the line of “Nick News With Linda Ellerbee” programs, premieres at 9 p.m. Read more

TODAYRun/walk: La Palma’s annual Fitness Run for Fun includes competitive 5K and 10K runs, a 5K walk and family fun zone. Register online. Read more

Muriel Gluck, a philanthropist who gave millions of dollars to support the arts and education, primarily in Los Angeles and San Diego, has died. She was 97.Gluck died June 27 at the Rehabilitation Centre of Beverly Hills of complications after suffering a stroke, said her great-nephew, Dr. Read more

Readers agreed with the premise of last week’s installment of Out There – that gentrification has divided Echo Park. But that’s about all they agreed on: “Definition of gentrification: ‘to transform a run-down or aging neighborhood into a more prosperous one, e.g. Read more

Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama says “mental distress” should not qualify as a justification for late-term abortions, a key distinction not often embraced by supporters of abortion rights.In an interview this week with Relevant, a Christian magazine, Obama said prohibitions on late-term abortions must contain “a strict, well-defined exception for the health of the mother.”Obama then added: “Now, I don’t think that ‘mental distress’ qualifies as the health of the mother. I thi Read more

Even when he’s south of the border, John McCain can’t shake the Bush connection. The senator was joined by Bush as he toured Mexico City’s Basilica of the Virgin of Guadalupe on Thursday morning. Read more

Ending a three-day trip to Colombia and Mexico, John McCain praised Mexican drug-fighting efforts Thursday and hailed a U.S. aid package for security forces here as a key step in bilateral relations. McCain, the presumptive Republican nominee for president, said the so-called Merida Initiative approved by Congress last week was an “important sign of progress and cooperation to fight the drug cartels and the flow of drugs into the United States.” Read more

The Pentagon has extended the tour of 2,200 Marines in Afghanistan, after insisting for months the unit would come home on time. The 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, which is involved in combat operations in the volatile south, will stay an extra 30 days and come home in early November rather than October, Marine Col. Read more

More than 200 mainland Chinese tourists arrived today in Taiwan on the first regular commercial flight in nearly six decades, a historic move aimed at further easing tensions between the old foes. The China Southern Airlines flight carrying 230 passengers touched down at Taoyuan International Airport in northern Taiwan, and firetrucks on the ground shot water at the plane as a welcome gesture. Read more

Weighing the pluses and minuses of Sen. John McCain’s potential running mates is a favorite pastime. Read more

The jazz singer, invited to perform the national anthem before the Denver mayor’s annual state of the city address, stood at the microphone and let loose her voice. What came out were the lyrics of the song known as the black national anthem, set to the tune of “The Star-Spangled Banner.” Read more

Sweet deals on home loans have gotten a string of Democrats into hot water lately. Among those humbled was James A. Johnson, who was helping vet potential running mates for Sen. Read more