From the Wire

AP Exclusive: Karzai Opponents Talk to TalibanAfghan opposition parties, frustrated with the government's lack of progress in making peace with the Taliban, have opened their own channel for negotiations with militant groups in hopes of putting their imprint on a deal to end 11 years of …
Cyprus Bailout Deposit Tax Rattles MarketsThe tax on depositors was a significant policy shift that has stoked fears of bank runs in other troubled European economies.
Miss. Governor: No Local Bans on XL Food PortionsIn the most obese state in the nation, Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant says he'll sign a new law to prevent cities or counties from banning extra-large soft drinks or requiring restaurants to list calorie counts on menus.
U.S. to Beef Up Missile Defense Against N. KoreaThe Pentagon announced Friday it will spend $1 billion to add 14 interceptors to a West Coast-based missile defense system, responding to what it called faster-than-anticipated North Korean progress on nuclear weapons and missiles.
Gay Marriage: Senator's Shift, GOP Soul-SearchingA Republican senator's embrace of gay marriage is the latest sign of soul-searching in a party struggling to adapt in a society whose demographics—and views on emotional issues—are changing fast.
States Wrestle with 'Gambling' Rooms in Fla. ProbeThe charity-run businesses under investigation in a Florida gambling probe started popping up in strip malls about six years ago and rapidly spread as the unregulated stores became a billion-dollar enterprise.
Board Setting New School Rating System for 2012-13Graduation rates will make a difference this year in how Mississippi high schools and school districts are rated.
Applications for U.S. Jobless Aid Reach 5-Year LowFewer Americans sought unemployment aid last week, reducing the average number of weekly applications last month to a five-year low.
Sharp Drop in U.S. Homes Lost to Foreclosure in Feb.While the nation's foreclosure woes persist, new data show they're easing amid a resurgent housing market, rising home prices and efforts by some states to buy homeowners more time to avoid losing their homes.
Lawmakers Want Obama to Follow Up Outreach EffortAt a recent gathering of House committee and subcommittee chairmen, Republican lawmakers were asked if they could name the legislative affairs staffer at the White House responsible for staying in contact with their panel.
Md. Poised to Be 18th State to Ban Death PenaltyIt's been eight years since Maryland executed a convicted killer, but that could be the last time if the General Assembly, as expected, gives final passage this week to a bill to abolish capital punishment.
U.N. Says U.S. Drones Violate Pakistan's SovereigntyThe head of a U.N. team investigating casualties from U.S. drone strikes in Pakistan declared after a secret research trip to the country that the attacks violate Pakistan's sovereignty.
Argentines Celebrate Francis As Their 'Slum Pope'For more than a billion Roman Catholics worldwide, he's Pope Francis. For Argentina's poorest citizens, crowded in "misery villages" throughout the capital, he's proudly known as one of their own, a true "slum pope."
Obama Pushing Research for Weaning Vehicles Off OilPresident Barack Obama is pushing Congress to authorize $200 million a year for research into clean energy technologies.
Miss. Gov. Signs Bill for Student-Led School PrayerMississippi Gov. Phil Bryant has signed a bill that could lead to student-led prayer over school intercoms or at graduations or sporting events.