In the three years since Army Cpl. Pat Tillman was killed by friendly fire on a hill in Afghanistan, it has become achingly apparent that his story was never as heroic as it seemed: It was better. The original story was pretty good: NFL player, stunned by Sept. 11, walks away from a $3.6 million contract offer to enlist with his brother in the Army, and not just the Army, but the elite 75th Ranger ... [full story]

A crackdown on people crossing the U.S.-Mexico border using stolen or fake identification is jamming Chula Vista Superior Court, causing prosecutors and defense attorneys to scramble to cover the caseload. "We've been inundated with cases that charge using false identification to gain entry to the United States," said Sharyn Leonard, who supervises the south San Diego County branch of the county Public Defender's Office. Between March 5 and March 23, 66 felony false-ID cases have ... [full story]

Three men have explosives around their waists. One says: 'At what point should we cut our losses in Iraq?' A mullah labeled 'Extremists' answers: 'What are you, a heretic?!' Editorial cartoon by Bruce Beattie. [full story]

First there was the gold, which drew miners by the hundreds to Colorado's San Miguel River Valley in the summer of 1875. Then came the railroad, silver lode discoveries, mining companies, merchants and hotels. Another century passed, though, before the next boom hit - and that was only after the little mountain town of Telluride reinvented itself in 1972 as an exclusive ski resort. Mix the stunning, alpine scenery with the historic, Victorian-era mining town, ... [full story]

Goody's Headache Powder sponsors a post-race award each week during the NASCAR season that "honors" the driver with the worst luck in each event. In three of the five Nextel Cup races this season, the winner has been Tony Stewart. Stewart took the dubious honor first at the Daytona 500, where he was hit from behind by Kurt Busch while leading and finished 43rd. He also won for finishing second at Atlanta after a late ... [full story]

Wars are never won by the faint of heart. Iraq will be no exception. While defeatist Democrats in Congress push for prompt troop withdrawals and artificial timetables, President Bush favors further military and political efforts to achieve the mission's objective - a stable, democratic Iraq that can govern and defend itself. Whatever chance there is of accomplishing this mission, quitting now is a guarantee of failure and defeat. Recriminations over the many mistakes and misjudgments ... [full story]

The stealth dismissal of U.S. attorneys by the Bush administration carries echoes of the Nixon administration firing special prosecutor Archibald Cox in 1973. Now, as then, we may be witnessing criminal acts of obstruction of justice at the highest levels of government. If left to fester, they will poison our system. Cox was investigating White House misdeeds when Nixon told Attorney General Elliot Richardson to fire him. Richardson refused and resigned, as did Deputy Attorney ... [full story]

In 2003, the National Urban League undertook a more focused and aggressive approach to health issues in light of serious disparities in the physical well-being of blacks as compared to whites. It stands to reason that a healthier community means a more prosperous community - one with fewer sick days, higher productivity and lower health care costs. So, it pays to take preventive steps to stave off major illness for as long as possible - ... [full story]

San Diego's Scripps Institution of Oceanography has been involved in global-warming science for decades. The San Diego Union-Tribune's editorial board recently interviewed Scripps director Tony Haymet and scientist Richard Somerville. Q: In summary form, tell our readers what is the core message of the Summary for Policy-makers report of the Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change. Richard Somerville: I'll say at the start that I'm not speaking as a representative of the IPCC. I have been ... [full story]

GLEN COVE, N.Y. - A house fire on New York's Long Island killed at least 35 dogs and cats but several other pets survived, police said. Authorities said a woman in her 40s lived in the Southampton home with 30 dogs, 20 cats, three turtles, two possums, two crows, a rabbit, a squirrel and a python, New York Newsday reported. Twenty dogs and 15 cats died of smoke inhalation in Wednesday night's fire. The rest were ... [full story]