CLEVELAND (AP) — An Ohio man will plead guilty in federal court to defrauding fellow Amish in 29 states out of nearly $17 million as part of a case the man’s church had hoped to shield from publicity and outside involvement, the government said Tuesday. The attorney for Monroe L. Beachy, 77, owner of A&M Investments in Sugarcreek, filed a recent notice informing federal court of his “intention to plead guilty as charged.” U.S. attorney’s spokesman Mike Tobin confirmed the... Read more

NEW YORK (AP) — Most voters in New York City have no problem with the way the police department has treated Muslims, a poll showed Tuesday, despite weeks of criticism leveled against the NYPD’s counterterrorism program by Muslim activists and out-of-state politicians. A series of articles by The Associated Press has revealed how the police department conducted surveillance of Muslim communities, infiltrating student groups, monitoring the Web activity of college students, taking notes at mosques and eavesdropping at cafes and... Read more

NEW YORK (AP) — Most city voters think the New York Police Department has been effective in fighting terrorism, and a majority say the NYPD has acted appropriately in its dealing with Muslims, according to a new poll released Tuesday that questioned respondents following a series of stories from The Associated Press about the NYPD’s surveillance of Muslims after the Sept. 11 attacks. The Quinnipiac University survey found that 82 percent of respondents thought that the NYPD had been effective... Read more

WASHINGTON (AP) — Rick Santorum edged out Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich to sweep primary contests in Alabama and Mississippi Tuesday, in the latest, crucial round in the race for the Republican nomination to challenge President Barack Obama. Santorum’s victories establish him as the chief alternative from the right to front-runner Romney, who has failed to win the trust of the conservative Republican base. Romney had been hoping to make a breakthrough in the Deep South to show he could... Read more

WASHINGTON (AP) — Rick Santorum grabbed early leads in the Alabama and Mississippi primary elections Tuesday in a high-stakes, three-way battle with Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich in the latest round in the race for the Republican nomination to challenge President Barack Obama. Front-runner Romney, who has failed to win the trust of the conservative Republican base, was hoping for a win to show he could muster the support of evangelical Christian voters in America’s Deep South. For Santorum, victories... Read more

WASHINGTON (AP) — Rick Santorum grabbed an early lead in Alabama’s primary election on Tuesday and battled Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich in Mississippi, in a crucial round in the state-by-state battle for the Republican nomination to challenge President Barack Obama in November. Front-runner Romney, who has failed to win the trust of the conservative Republican base, was hoping for a win to show he could muster the support of evangelical Christian voters in America’s southern states. For Santorum, victories... Read more

WASHINGTON (AP) — Mitt Romney hoped for a breakout victory in primary votes in America’s conservative deep South on Tuesday, looking for a win in Alabama or Mississippi that would accelerate his campaign for the Republican nomination to challenge President Barack Obama in the November general election. The former Massachusetts governor holds a commanding lead in delegates to the national convention in Tampa, Florida, in August. He is facing, however, tough challenges in the two southern states from rivals Rick... Read more

BEIRUT (AP) — As the fighting in Syria grows deadlier by the day, U.N. envoy Kofi Annan’s calls for dialogue sound woefully out of touch to the government and to the opposition, who appear united only in the fact that they see no point in talking to each other. For now, both sides believe they are making gains, making a negotiated solution all but out of the question. “It seems (Annan) lives on Mars,” Mohammad Saeed, an activist in the... Read more

NEW YORK (AP) — Meryl Streep is fresh off her Oscar win for playing Margaret Thatcher. But she had an entire theater at Lincoln Center wondering if an even better role for her would be a political icon closer to home: Hillary Rodham Clinton. The question arose as Streep paid a glowing and affectionate tribute to the secretary of state at the Women in the World summit, an annual gathering of prominent women leaders and unsung heroines from across the... Read more

BEIJING (AP) — A teenage Tibetan monk set himself on fire in protest on the 53rd anniversary of the failed Tibetan uprising against Chinese rule, an overseas activist group said Tuesday. The London-based Free Tibet group said 18-year-old Gepey self-immolated on Saturday in Aba, a town that is under heavy security lockdown in western Sichuan province. The group says Gepey was a monk from the town’s Kirti Monastery, the scene of numerous protests against the Chinese government over the past... Read more