From the Wire

Bryant Signs Charter School, Other Education BillsGov. Phil Bryant continues to tout the "transformative" potential of new education measures.
Texas Fertilizer Plant Explosion Injures DozensWEST, Texas (AP) — A massive explosion at a fertilizer plant near Waco on Wednesday night injured dozens of people and sent flames shooting into the night sky, leaving the factory a smoldering ruin following a blast that damaged buildings …
Obama Incensed at Background Check Vote, NRA Accused of LiesWASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Republicans backed by a small band of rural-state Democrats scuttled the most far-reaching gun control legislation in two decades Wednesday, rejecting tighter background checks for buyers and a ban on assault weapons as they spurned pleas …
Updated: Mississippi Man Arrested Over Poisoned Mail is Conspiracy Theorist, Elvis ImpersonatorCORINTH, Miss. (AP) — A Mississippi man accused of mailing letters to national leaders with suspected poisonous ricin believed he had uncovered a conspiracy to sell human body parts on the black market and sometimes performed as an Elvis Presley …
Southwest Drops Jackson-to-Houston FlightSouthwest Airlines is dropping one flight between Jackson and Houston, Texas, on June 1.
Ricin Letter Sent to ObamaLetter sent to President Barack Obama tested positive for poisonous ricin in preliminary checks Wednesday.
Britain's Iron Lady Laid to Rest with Full PompMargaret Thatcher, Britain's Iron Lady, was laid to rest Wednesday with a level of pomp and protest reflecting her status as a commanding, polarizing political figure.
Contemplating Chaos in a Nation of 'Soft Targets'When her cousin and 11 others were gunned down at an Aurora, Colo., movie theater last July, Anita Busch lost all interest in her favorite television crime dramas.
Stories of the Dead and Injured in Boston BombingThe twin bombs at the Boston Marathon killed three people and wounded more than 170 on Monday. Here are the stories of those killed and some of the injured.
Iraq Executes 21 Men Convicted of TerrorismIraq has executed 21 prisoners convicted on terrorism charges and links to al-Qaida, the Justice Ministry said Wednesday, setting off fresh criticism from an international human rights expert over Baghdad's insistence on carrying out capital punishment.
AP Source: Authorities Recover Pressure Cooker LidAuthorities investigating the deadly bombings at the Boston Marathon have recovered a piece of circuit board that they believe was part of one of the explosive devices, and also found the lid of a pressure cooker that apparently was catapulted …
Police Identify Suspect in Wicker Ricin Threat Police have a suspect in mind as they investigate a letter mailed to Sen. Roger Wicker that tested positive for poisonous ricin, a Senate colleague said.
Bipartisan Background Check Bill in TroubleAs the showdown draws near, an Associated Press-GfK poll shows ebbing public support for tightening gun control laws.
College Board Eyes Changes to Shares of State CashA College Board committee will consider Wednesday a new funding formula meant to equalize state money among the state's eight universities.
Gov. Bryant Signs Child Abuse BillGov. Phil Bryant has signed into a law a bill that prosecutors say bridges the gap between legal and medical definitions of child abuse and takes a stair-step approach to penalizing violators.