MARYLAND
Expert kills self after dispute
A high-ranking police ballistics expert who testified in courts throughout Maryland and neighboring states killed himself after being confronted with evidence that he had lied about his credentials - a revelation that defense attorneys say could force new trials for some of the hundreds of people he helped convict. pg 1A
Md. man linked to German case
More than 20 years after a young nursing apprentice at an American Army base in Germany was raped and murdered, DNA evidence has brought the arrest of a suspect in the Baltimore area. pg 1A
WORLD
Troop timeline unveiled
House Democratic leaders unveiled legislation yesterday to start withdrawing U.S. combat forces from Iraq as soon as July 1 and conclude their removal no later than August of next year. pg 1A
Discreet U.S.-Iran talks
The White House insists that the United States won't talk directly with Iran until Tehran suspends its nuclear program. But U.S. officials have been discreetly meeting their Iranian counterparts one-on-one for more than a decade, often under the auspices of the United Nations. pg 12A
SPORTS
Hurricanes upends Terps
The No. 12-seeded Miami men's basketball team, the worst team in the Atlantic Coast Conference this season, upset fifth-seeded Maryland, 67-62, in the first round of the ACC tournament. pg 1C
BUSINESS
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Mixed job market in Md.
Unemployment in Maryland dropped to a low 3.8 percent in January, the federal government said yesterday, but employers added only 1,300 jobs. The preliminary numbers continue a trend of conflicting messages about the state's job market: The unemployment rate is comparable to 1999 and 2000, but job growth has turned fairly anemic. pg 1E
Sinclair, Comcast in standoff
Sinclair Broadcast Group Inc. and Comcast Corp. are bucking a deadline tomorrow for a deal on programming costs as millions of cable customers nationwide, including many in the Baltimore region, are waiting to see if popular Fox shows such as American Idol remain on their cable systems. pg 1E
NATIONAL
Cheney's clout questioned
Since Vice President Dick Cheney's former chief of staff, I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, was found guilty this week in federal court, many in Washington and elsewhere have wondered whether the vice president's White House standing has suffered a blow. pg 3A
8 children, 1 adult killed in fire
A three-alarm fire swept through a wooden home in the Bronx, killing eight children and one adult and injuring at least 17. It was the city's deadliest residential blaze in decades, said Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg. pg 6A