Bill strengthened into a powerful Category 4 storm early Wednesday as it churned far from land with maximum sustained winds near 135 mph. At 5 a.m. ET, Bill was centered about 460 miles east of the Leeward Islands, and more than 1,100 miles southeast of Bermuda, according to the National Hurricane Center. Forecasters expected Bill to maintain its intensity, while turning more to northwest on Wednesday. "On this track, the core of this dangerous hurricane will be passing well to ...

Two top North Korean diplomats were traveling to Santa Fe, New Mexico, to hold talks with Gov. Bill Richardson, the governor's spokesman said.

Before the drama Mad Men could return for its third season, AMC and creator Matthew Weiner had to resolve a conflict over — fittingly for a series set on Madison Avenue — advertising. The network wanted to add two minutes of ads; Weiner didn't want to cut the show. The eventual compromise — each episode will run an hour and two minutes — preserves the show's generous run time, 48 minutes or so sans commercials, compared with 42-ish for ...

A warning was issued overnight for a potential tropical storm that may hit the Florida-Alabama border Sunday. It formed in the eastern Gulf of Mexico, according to the National Hurricane Center. A tropical storm warning means that weather conditions will deteriorate in the next 24 hours. The system, still a tropical depression, was about 125 miles south-southeast of Apalachicola, Florida, at 8 a.m. ET, according to the center. It was expected to reach tropical storm strength by Sunday afternoon. ...

Nineteen people were killed and dozens were injured during a two-hour prison riot in the northern Mexico state of Durango, local officials said Saturday.

A U.S. soldier arrested in connection with the killing of a Mexican drug cartel member in El Paso, Texas, allegedly worked as a hit man, court records say. Pfc. Michael Jackson Apodaca, 18, was one of three men arrested Monday in connection with the shooting death of the mid-level drug cartel member who also worked as an informant for the United States, according to a complaint affidavit. Police identified the other suspects as Ruben Rodriguez Dorado, 30, and Christopher Andrew ...

A national poll released Monday indicates the Democratic Party is becoming less popular with voters but suggests that Republicans haven't been able to capitalize on the Democrats' downturn. Fifty-two percent of people questioned in the CNN/Opinion Research Corp. survey said they have a favorable opinion of the Democratic Party, down 6 percentage points from February. Forty-one percent said they have a positive view of the Republican Party, up 2 percentage points from February. "Most Americans still have ...

President Obama arrived Sunday evening in Guadalajara, Mexico's second-largest city, for a day and a half of talks with Mexican President Felipe Calderon and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper. A broad range of issues is expected to be discussed -- including the economy, drug violence and the environment -- but no major announcements are expected, officials said in the days leading up the North American Leaders' Summit. Obama will meet with Calderon before the three leaders gather at a working ...

The camcorder shakes as it films the thud of thick .50 caliber bullets ripping through a steel plate target in the heat of the Arizona desert. Panning across the jagged rocks and cacti, the camera then focuses on the shooter: a smiling Mexican sitting down on the dust as he uses both hands to fire the huge state-of-the-art weapon that can tear through tank armor. He was the happy customer, having bought the killing machine from an Arizona gun ...

Canada is preparing to launch its toughest offensive to date against the Buy-American provision in President Barrack Obama's $787-billion stimulus package. But protectionist sentiment in the U.S. will make it difficult for Prime Minister Stephen Harper to make much headway when the two leaders meet next week at a North-American summit in Guadalajara, Mexico, even with the help of a new bargaining chip. Harper and his trade Minister Stockwell Day scored an important victory Friday when provincial premiers ...