Michigan's gubernatorial candidates had spent a combined $6.7 million on television ads as of Friday, but the biggest...

Tropical Storm Bonnie left crews working to plug the Gulf oil gusher a little memento that is expected to push their work...

Thousands of protesting garment workers in Bangladesh clashed with police, injuring dozens of people Saturday amid continued...

A second House Democrat, Rep. Maxine Waters of California, could face an ethics trial this fall, further complicating the...

A tea party success story in search of a statewide triumph, Kentucky Republican senatorial candidate Rand Paul volunteers...

Recovery workers found the "black box" flight data recorder Saturday in the wreckage of Pakistan's worst-ever plane crash,...

A diplomatic spat with implications for international counterterrorism escalated Saturday after Pakistan's spy chief canceled...

Rescuers trying to reach thousands of Pakistani flood victims were hampered by deluged roads and damaged bridges Saturday,...

Violence continued to rage across Indian Kashmir on Saturday with two people shot dead and five wounded after police in two...

Flooding in Pakistan has killed more than 800 people in a week, a government official said Saturday as rescuers struggled to...

Russia's armed forces mobilized Saturday to fight hundreds of wildfires that have wiped out villages and vast areas of...

Israeli warplanes fired missiles, killing a senior commander of the Hamas military wing and wounding 11 people in five...

GULF OF MEXICO — The helicopter passes over the blue waters of the Gulf of Mexico — with surprisingly little oil...

A roadside bomb killed four people, including three army soldiers, and wounded 11 people south of Baghdad on Saturday, Iraqi...

TY, Gaza Strip — Israeli warplanes fired missiles at five targets across Gaza, killing a senior commander of the Hamas...

CK, N.Y. — Bill Clinton made a long-anticipated appearance in the upstate New York village where his daughter is...

Calling Bracken Lee! Updated Jul 31, 2010 12:02AM MDT I just received the forecast for Salt Lake County property tax valuation on my house. According to the notice, the market value of my house is 68 percent more than last year’s and the amount I’ll owe in taxes will be 50 percent above last year’s bill or more, depending on how much the county’s budget turns out to be. Holy cow! It’s the same house, my retirement income is the same, and my retirement savings are still down about a third of what they were before the crash. Oh, and let’s not forge... Copyright 2010 The Salt Lake Tribune. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Jobs and drugs Updated Jul 31, 2010 12:02AM MDT President Felipe Calderón of Mexico has pointed out that the illegal flow of drugs from Mexico to the United States wouldn’t exist if the demand for those drugs didn’t exist in the United States. The same is true of illegal immigration. If those illegal immigrants knew there were no jobs for them in the United States, they wouldn’t come here. Kermit Heid Salt Lake City Copyright 2010 The Salt Lake Tribune. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

The dog lobby Updated Jul 31, 2010 12:02AM MDT I have loved the nearby Tanner Park and Parley’s Historic Nature Park. My father went door to door seeking donations to create these two parks. Many community residents contributed immense time and resources. The Hansen family donated some land specifically for a “nature park.” It was dedicated as such in 1986 by then Utah Gov. Scott Matheson. Besides its 150-year historical significance, this area has been a place of natural beauty and quiet contemplation in the midst of busy city living. Beca... Copyright 2010 The Salt Lake Tribune. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Nuance and discretion Updated Jul 31, 2010 12:02AM MDT Many anti-illegal-immigrant advocates have a simplistic, one-size-fits-all solution to this complex issue: deport all 12 million of them, regardless of the financial or social cost. They ignore the concept of discretion in police work, prosecution and punishment, which is necessary because of limited resources and the need to prioritize enforcement. It’s why police suspend pursuit of a speeder to stop a killer. It’s why prosecutors plea bargain most cases. It’s why crimes have a range of punishm... Copyright 2010 The Salt Lake Tribune. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.