Iraqis vote
Soldiers, hospital patients and even prisoners filled ballot boxes Wednesday in special early voting for provincial elections that will be a test for Iraqi forces trying to prevent violence and could set up future political showdowns for Iraq’s leadership.
Iceland’s new leader
Iceland’s next leader will be 66-year-old Johanna Sigurdardottir, an openly gay former flight attendant who parlayed her experience as a union organizer into a decades-long political career.
Peanut plant problems
Roaches, mold and signs of a leaking roof were among numerous problems federal inspectors uncovered at a Georgia peanut plant implicated in the national salmonella outbreak, the government said Wednesday.
Starbucks making cuts
Starbucks announced Wednesday it plans to close 300 stores and cut up to 6,700 jobs in fiscal year 2009.
Mayoral trouble
The mayor of Gulfport, Miss., which was devastated by Hurricane Katrina, pleaded not guilty Wednesday to charges he lied to get disaster assistance to repair his damaged beachfront home.
Gore’s warning
Former Vice President Al Gore, testifying before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, urged lawmakers Wednesday not to let the economic crisis get in the way of addressing global warming.
You’ve got layoffs
AOL is cutting up to 700 jobs, or about 10 percent of the Internet unit’s work force, in a bid to cut costs.
