MARYLAND
Dixon sworn in as new mayor
Promising to deliver a more cohesive government to City Hall and cleaner streets to city neighborhoods, Sheila Dixon was sworn in yesterday as Baltimore's 48th mayor in an inauguration that celebrated recent progress but repeatedly acknowledged the daunting challenges ahead. pg 1A
Harford Co. fire kills five
A fire that started yesterday morning quickly spread and engulfed a Harford County home, killing a 72-year-old Shropshire woman and four others: a woman in her 60s, two preschool-age boys, and an 8-month-old girl, fire officials said. pg 1A
NATION
Pentagon sets rules for trials
The Pentagon set rules yesterday for detainee trials that could allow terror suspects to be convicted and perhaps executed using hearsay testimony and coerced statements, setting up a new clash between President Bush and Congress. pg 2A
Survey notes Congress support
A bipartisan majority of Americans strongly supports the bills that whisked through the House in the first days of the Democratic-controlled Congress, but many remain uncertain about where the party wants to lead the nation, a Los Angeles Times/Bloomberg poll has found. Approval of Congress has increased since the midterm election ousted Republicans from their House and Senate majorities, according to the survey. pg 3A
SPORTS
Mitchell requests cooperation
Former Sen. George Mitchell urged baseball owners to cooperate with his investigation into players' steroid use, saying Congress may force witnesses to testify later if they don't do so voluntarily. pg 1F
BUSINESS
DOW -- DOWN
-9.22
12,567.93
NASDAQ -- DOWN
-36.21
2,443.21
S&P; -- DOWN
-4.25
1,426.37
SUN INDEX -- DOWN
-3.09
363.49
Hospitals enter alliance
St. Agnes Hospital and St. Joseph Medical Center are entering a wide-ranging alliance that, according to St. Agnes' chief executive, could involve just about anything except a full merger. pg 1E
Mittal Steel negotiating sale
Mittal Steel is negotiating to sell its Weirton, W. Va., mill to a Chicago company - which may mean that the Sparrows Point plant could come off the selling block. pg 1E
WORLD
Iran's president under pressure
Iran's outspoken president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, appears to be under pressure from the highest authorities in Iran to end his involvement in the country's nuclear program, a sign that his political capital is declining as his country comes under increasing international pressure. pg 8A
China tests satellite weapon
China successfully carried out its first test of an anti-satellite weapon last week, signaling its resolve to play a major role in military space activities and bringing expressions of concern from Washington and other capitals, the Bush administration said yesterday. pg 8A