Baltimore police search for missing baby, sitter

BALTIMORE (AP) — A 7-month-old boy and a teenager who was left to briefly watch him have not been seen for days and the baby's mother on Sunday pleaded for her son's safe return.

Ki'Yauhn Birch was left in Jonae Boozer's care at the boy's father's home in Baltimore on Friday evening.

During a support rally Sunday night, the baby's 20-year-old mother, Whitney McGee, tearfully pleaded, "Put my baby somewhere safe and call somebody. He's probably hungry."

The baby's father, Charles Birch, arrived late, saying he had been questioned by police.

Birch said he barely knows Boozer, who is a friend of a friend. The girl stopped by his home on the west side of Baltimore and …

Stocks falter after drop in pending home sales

Stocks clung to a tight range Thursday after an unexpected drop in pending home sales raised new concern about the economy.

Major indexes were little changed in afternoon trading following the National Association of Realtors' report that its index of home sales agreements fell 7.6 percent in January from December. Contracts fell to the lowest level since April.

The drop in the number of buyers of previously occupied homes dampened some of the enthusiasm about better retail sales numbers. Macy's Inc., Limited Brands Inc. and The Wet Seal Inc. all posted monthly sales that topped analysts' expectations. Wal-Mart Stores Inc. raised its dividend 11 …

Sex through the ages

Sex being the simplest route to increased TV ratings, it's a smallwonder that even the History Channel has worked around this season toa new presentation entirely devoted to the subject.

"Sex in the 20th Century," which began Monday and continues from 9to 10 each night through Thursday, offers a carnal chronology ofmodern times, arguing that "human sexual relations have changed morein the past 100 years than in the previous 10,000."

That's debatable. Since the days of biblical lore and Greek myth,the usual biological drives-hitched to the specific furies of thetime-have been a mighty force for experiment, conflict and,sometimes, downright havoc.

From such …

Rockies lose 10-7 to Diamondbacks

DENVER (AP) — Center fielder Dexter Fowler is establishing himself as a key contributor as the season winds down for the Colorado Rockies. Pitcher Esmil Rogers is still trying to find his way.

Fowler homered from both sides of the plate Monday, but Rogers was hit hard in Colorado's 10-7 loss to the NL West-leading Arizona Diamondbacks.

The Rockies have lost six straight against Arizona, which improved to 12-4 in the season series against the division rival.

Fowler continued his surge since being recalled from Triple-A Colorado Springs on July 15. He has four homers in six games after going 382 at-bats without a home run before his first this season on Aug. 30.

The …

Iraq: 2 bombs hit Baghdad, killing 1, wounding 7

Two bombs apparently targeting Iraqi security forces struck different areas in Baghdad on Tuesday, killing at least one civilian and wounding seven others, Iraqi officials said.

The first explosion occurred just before 9 a.m. in northern Baghdad as a police patrol passed through the Sulaikh area, but it missed its target and hit a civilian car instead, wounding four people, police said.

The U.S. military said the blast was caused by a pipe bomb and three children were wounded, two seriously. The attack was reported by the U.S.-allied Sunni group in the area, it said.

Another …

Care home whistleblowers are rewarded by police for bravery

Two care assistants whose suspicions led to one of the biggestpolice investigations in central Somerset were rewarded for theirbravery by police on Tuesday.

Sarah Barnett and Kathleen Slade were both given the Waley CohenAward, presented to members of the public who perform acts ofbravery in support of law and order.

While working as care assistants in at Parkfields ResidentialCare Home in Butleigh, Sarah Barnett and Kathleen Slade becamesuspicious of the activities of manager Rachel Baker fromGlastonbury, who they believed was fabricating symptoms of theresidents in order to obtain prescribed medication for her ownpersonal use.

As a result of …

Man Gets 18 Months in '84 Attack

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. - A man who sexually assaulted a University of Virginia student in 1984 and apologized to her two decades later as part of the Alcoholics Anonymous program was sentenced to 18 months in prison Thursday.

William Beebe, 42, pleaded guilty in November to one count of aggravated sexual battery for his attack on Liz Seccuro.

Charlottesville Circuit Court Judge Edward Hogshire ordered a 10-year prison sentence with all but 18 months suspended, as long as Beebe performs 500 hours of community service related to issues of sexual assault and alcohol abuse on college campuses. Prosecutors had recommended two years.

"I'm not trying to excuse my …