GOP says Palin will attend fundraiser, ending will-she-or-won’t she mystery

WASHINGTON — Republicans said Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin will attend a major congressional fundraiser Monday night, ending a will-she-or-won’t-she mystery that has overshadowed the event and frustrated the GOP.

Pockets empty, Calif considers deep cuts in spending for the state’s most vulnerable residents

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — With empty pockets and maxed-out credit, California is debating whether it can continue honoring all parts of its social contract with the state’s most vulnerable residents.

Mexico day care fire kills 38 children; father rams pickup through to reach babies, toddlers

HERMOSILLO, Mexico — Grieving parents began burying their children after a devastating daycare fire killed 38 infants and toddlers in a tragedy that stunned Mexico and prompted its president to promise a thorough investigation.

Mayors in NJ and CA gain huge following on Twitter, 140 characters at a time

NEWARK, N.J. — Newark Mayor Cory Booker and San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom are blazing a new trail in political discourse from opposite sides of the country as they build huge Internet followings on Twitter’s fast-growing social network.

Palin to celebrate Alaska’s 50th anniversary at home of William Seward in upstate NY

AUBURN, N.Y. — Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin is in upstate New York to help Auburn town officials celebrate their inaugural Founder’s Day and 50 years of Alaska statehood.

Fire at Mexican day care center kills at least 31 children: Sobbing parents flood hospitals

HERMOSILLO, Mexico — A fast-moving fire killed 31 children in a day care center in northern Mexico despite desperate attempts of firefighters who punched through the walls and fought their way through flames to rescue babies, toddlers and others trapped inside.

Dutch treat: Netherlands spends $8M on NYC, upstate events marking Henry Hudson’s 1609 voyage

ALBANY, N.Y. — The Dutch are coming — again — and they’re bringing more than the $24 they supposedly paid for Manhattan.

Republican doesn’t rule out trying to block Senate confirmation vote on Sotomayor

WASHINGTON — The Senate’s top Republican said Friday it’s “way too early to know” whether his party will try to block a vote on Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor’s confirmation, leaving open a possibility that a so-far mild debate on her confirmation could turn bitter.

Cash-strapped Mich. officials announce closings of 3 state prisons, 5 prison camps

LANSING, Mich. — Three state prisons will be shut down in coming months and their inmates released or moved elsewhere to save money as Michigan grapples with a budget deficit, officials said Friday.

NY ticket scalping law expires, restoring cap on markups of $2 over face value of tickets

ALBANY, N.Y. — Want to score a ticket to the sold-out Beyonce concert at Madison Square Garden this month? It’ll cost you only two extra bucks — for now.

SC court orders gov to request federal stimulus cash, likely ends months of political battles

COLUMBIA, S.C. — South Carolina’s Supreme Court ordered Gov. Mark Sanford on Thursday to request $700 million in federal stimulus money aimed primarily at struggling schools, ending months of wrangling with legislators who accused him of playing politics with people’s lives.

Ex-Illinois Gov. Blagojevich calls himself ‘Mr. Mom’ during wife Patti’s appearance on TV

CHICAGO — Former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich (blah-GOY’-uh-vich) says he’s “Mr. Mom” during his wife’s tenure on an NBC reality show.

Appeal planned for ruling that allows company to dispose of Italy’s nuclear waste in Utah

SALT LAKE CITY — An eight-state radioactive-waste-management entity plans to appeal a federal court ruling that said a company can dispose of foreign nuclear waste at its facility in the western Utah desert.

House passes bills to federally recognize seven Indian tribes in North Carolina, Virginia

WASHINGTON — Seven Indian tribes in North Carolina and Virginia would be federally recognized under legislation passed by the House on Wednesday, but they would not be allowed to build casinos.

Governor signs bill legalizing gay marriage in New Hampshire after legislators OK revisions

CONCORD, N.H. — New Hampshire became the sixth state to legalize gay marriage Wednesday in a move that reflects the state’s changing demographics from reliably Republican and conservative to younger and more liberal.

New Hampshire’s governor signs gay marriage law as state becomes 6th to recognize gay marriage

CONCORD, N.H. — New Hampshire’s governor has signed legislation making the state the sixth to allow gay marriage.

Legalizing mixed martial arts moves ahead in NY as key Assembly committee gives OK

ALBANY, N.Y. — Mixed martial arts moved closer to New York arenas Wednesday after lawmakers touting tax revenue and safety rules squared off with colleagues decrying the sport’s contribution to an American culture of violence.

Schwarzenegger’s plan to sell off Calif. landmarks is questioned; too risky in ths market?

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — San Quentin State Prison. Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. The California State Fairgrounds.

New Hampshire legislators advance gay marriage bill; fate now hinges on House

CONCORD, N.H. — The New Hampshire Senate has passed revised gay marriage legislation and sent it to the House.

Mexican federal agents question 48 police officers in customs official’s disappearance

VERACRUZ, Mexico — Federal investigators questioned 48 Veracruz city traffic officers Wednesday about the disappearance of the top customs official for one of Mexico’s most important ports.

Audits of Detroit schools reveal few internal controls over money, ‘petty’ theft

DETROIT — Audits of 194 Detroit public schools show inappropriate personal loans to officials and $1.7 million in sales tax paid unnecessarily to the city from the tax-exempt school district, an emergency financial manager said Wednesday.

Hummer’s surprise Chinese buyer an ambitious newcomer to auto industry

BEIJING — Hummer owners are an unusual breed, but a little-known Chinese company’s surprise purchase of the American maker of gas-guzzling, military-style SUVs is audacious even by their standards.

Arizona ends use of outdoor prison cells after female inmate died in triple-digit heat

PHOENIX — Arizona is ending its use of outdoor prison cells after an inmate died in triple-digit heat last month, the corrections department said Tuesday.

Christie, Corzine win NJ primaries, will go head-to-head in November gov’s race

TRENTON, N.J. — Moderate Christopher J. Christie walked to victory in the Republican gubernatorial primary Tuesday, fending off challenges from two more conservative rivals and setting up a long-anticipated November matchup with the unpopular incumbent Democrat.

ATM maker NCR moving headquarters to Georgia from Ohio; getting nearly twice Ohio’s incentive

ATLANTA — NCR Corp., the world’s leading provider of ATMs, announced Tuesday that it is trading in the Rust Belt for the Sun Belt, relocating its corporate headquarters from Dayton, Ohio, to suburban Atlanta.

Schwarzenegger to address lawmakers, will ask them for quick deal to solve $24B shortfall

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is ready to urge lawmakers to deal quickly with California’s enormous deficit.

Ex-Congressman John Kasich announces run for Ohio governor

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Former Ohio Congressman John Kasich kicked off his campaign for governor Monday, saying he would eventually eliminate the state’s income tax while Democrats leveled a pre-emptive strike to tie him to Wall Street greed and irresponsibility.

SC gov who has railed against taking federal stimulus money says battle may be nearing an end

COLUMBIA, S.C. — A federal judge dealt a major blow Monday to Gov. Mark Sanford’s monthslong fight to stop South Carolina from taking $700 million in federal stimulus money, and the governor said the battle may be nearing an end.

Presidential campaigning returns to Iowa, state that never tires of politics; 2012 already?

DES MOINES, Iowa — It’s been six months since voters handed Barack Obama the White House, and in the minds of a lot of Iowa activists that means only one thing: It’s time to start the campaign again.

Paterson calls for replacing ethics commissioners, top staff

ALBANY, N.Y. — Gov. David Paterson wants to clean house at the state’s top ethics panel, following the New York inspector general’s report that called for firing its director for his role in investigating the Spitzer administration’s misuse of the state police for political gain.