Eyder Peralta

Google has agreed to pay a $7 million fine to settle claims from 37 states and the District of Columbia that the search giant improperly collected data from unsecured wireless networks across the United States using its "Street View" vehicles.

As we've reported, Google raised eyebrows back in 2010 ...

It became the iconic photograph of Israel's military strikes in Gaza last November:

It showed Jihad Misharawi, a BBC Arabic journalist, carrying the body of his 11-month-old son, Ahmad. Misharawi is wailing, asking "What did my son do to die like this?"

An easy inference to make from the photograph ...

We'll get back to the news in no time. But first, some fun.

If you've followed this blog, you'll know that we like a good dance video. Today, we've come upon two.

First (hat tip: Gawker) is a video of Josh Griffith, a self-described "big nature nerd/mountain man ...

The judge in charge of the case against the alleged Colorado theater shooter said he would warn James Holmes that if he pleads not guilty by reason of insanity he could be drugged for interviews with the state.

Denver's ABC affiliate reports:

"Judge William Blair Sylvester issued an ...

In separate events, the Chinese and American governments called for standards regarding cyberattacks.

The New York Times reports that in a speech, today, President Obama's national security adviser, Thomas E. Donilon, called on China to takes steps to stop the attacks.

The Times reports this is the "first direct ...

Lawyers for former Sen. Larry Craig argued today that using campaign money for a legal defense over his 2007 arrest was proper because he was arrested while on official business.

If you recall, Craig, a Republican from Idaho, was arrested during a sting at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. Craig ...

Update at 8:35 a.m. ET, March 12. Nearly Unanimous:

"An overwhelming 99.8 percent of Falkland Islands voters have backed keeping their government just the way it is: a British Overseas Territory," The Associated Press writes. "Of the 1,517 valid votes cast, only 3 islanders voted "no" to the ...

There is one bit of news from last week's Kenyan elections that's just now getting international attention: Malik Obama, President Obama's older half brother, suffered a crushing loss in his bid to become governor of Siaya.

Kenya's Daily Nation reports:

"Standing well over six feet, Obama, who describes ...

A French mother was in court Wednesday for what she says was a simple birthday celebration but what the government alleges is a clear provocation, an allusion to terrorism.

The BBC reports that Bouchra Bagour, 35, has been charged with "glorifying crime" after she sent her three-year-old son — ...

For the first time, the Bulgarian National Assembly is expressing "regret" for deporting more than 11,000 Jews to German death camps.

The declaration passed today is truly bitter sweet, because while it calls the deportations a "criminal act," it also praises Bulgarian citizens and politicians for saving more than ...

During a ceremony in the Roosevelt Room of the White House, John Brennan was sworn in as the director of the Central Intelligence Office by Vice President Joe Biden.

According to the White House, Brennan took his oath by putting his hand "on an original draft of the Constitution, ...

Presidents and dignitaries from around the globe are gathered in Caracas this morning to pay their final respects to Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez.

CBS News reports:

"Hours before the visiting dignitaries arrived, Venezuelans in their hundreds of thousands were still filing past Chavez's glass-covered casket in a round-the-clock ...

It has some people saying: This is why we can't have nice things.

According to the student newspaper, the Columbia Spectator, ever since the dining halls at Columbia University were stocked with Nutella, students have been consuming "up to 100 pounds per day."

And by consuming, they mean eating ...

The mourning over the death of Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez took a Lenin-eque turn today: Acting President Nicolas Maduro announced that his remains will be on permanent display at the Museum of the Revolution, "close to the presidential palace where Chavez ruled for 14 years," the AP reports.

Michigan Sen. Carl Levin announced today that he would not seek reelection in 2014. Levin chairs the Armed Services Committee.

In a statement, he called the decision "extremely difficult."

"As Barbara and I struggled with the question of whether I should run again, we focused on our belief that our ...

After an epic filibuster by Sen. Rand Paul that lasted into the early morning hours, the Senate voted this afternoon to confirm the nomination of John Brennan as the country's next Central Intelligence Agency director.

As we reported, Paul, a Republican from Kentucky, stood on the floor of the ...

Just before leaving for Venezuela to attend the funeral of Hugo Chávez, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad penned a laudatory tribute for the late president.

"[Chavez] is alive, as long as nations are alive and struggle for consolidating independence, justice and kindness. I have no doubt that he will come back, ...

The student victims of the Connecticut school shooting rampage that left 20 first-graders and six educators dead in December have been granted an unprecedented one-time waiver on taking standardized tests.

The AP reports:

"The state Board of Education and state lawmakers voted Wednesday to approve measures allowing Newtown ...

Update at 1:31 p.m. ET. Larger Images, Mobile Oriented:

Facebook announced today that it was overhauling its "news feed." This is significant on two fronts: First, this is truly the first big makeover for the feature since its inception. Second, its users — some 1 billion worldwide — are known ...

Sen. Rand Paul has been talking for hours on the floor of the Senate today in an effort to delay the nomination of John Brennan for CIA chief.

His main opposition to Brennan centers around the Obama administration's targeted killing program. As Krishnadev reported yesterday, Attorney General Eric Holder ...