Helicopter rescue in Illinois flooding...Bush pledges help....Iraq blast kills dozens

OAKVILLE, Iowa (AP) More than a dozen people who were sandbagging a western Illinois levee before it broke are safe after being rescued by helicopter. The levee break along the rising Mississippi River has also forced the closure of two bridges and is threatening to deluge farmland. Amtrak service has also been disrupted.

White House (AP) President Bush is pledging housing help and other federal aid to Midwest storm victims. He'll travel to the region Thursday. The heavy rains have washed out millions of acres of prime farm and grazing lands. That raises the likelihood of higher food prices. A White House spokesman says it's too early to say what the exact impact will be.

BAGHDAD (AP) It's been a deadly day in Iraq. Officials say a car bomb has torn through a market area in a mainly Shiite neighborhood in Baghdad, killing more than 50 people and wounding dozens. It's the deadliest such attack in more than three months.

Nobody has claimed responsibility for the attack.

WEST HOLLYWOOD, Calif. (AP) On this first full day of legalized gay marriage in California, "Star Trek" star George Takei was among those getting a marriage license. He and his partner, Brad Altman, were the first to pay $70 for a license this morning in West Hollywood. They plan to marry in September.

Washington (AP) Democratic Party officials plan to file a new lawsuit to compel federal regulators to investigate whether Senator John McCain violated election laws by withdrawing from public financing. By turning down 5.8 million dollars in taxpayer funds, McCain was able avoid strict spending limits between now and the GOP convention.

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.) APNP 06-17-08 1349CDT | save this article / add to your favorites list