MARYLAND
Arrests afflict job hunters
More than 21,000 people were arrested in Maryland last year and later released without charges, most of them in Baltimore City. After they were freed, though, the records of their arrests lived on. But momentum in the General Assembly is building behind a bill to automatically wipe out those arrest records. pg 1A
Jessup prison closes today
The Maryland House of Correction in Jessup will be officially shuttered today, a move long overdue, according to those familiar with the prison. pg 1B
NATIONAL
Hospital contract was delayed
An Army contract to privatize maintenance at Walter Reed Army Medical Center was delayed more than three years amid bureaucratic bickering and legal squabbles that led to staff shortages and a hospital in disarray just as the number of severely wounded soldiers from Iraq and Afghanistan was rising rapidly. Documents from the auditing arm of Congress map a trail of bid, rebid, protests and appeals between 2003 and 2006. pg 2A
Activists call for end of Iraq war
For a second consecutive day, thousands of protesters flowed through the streets of several cities yesterday to call for an end to the funding of the Iraq war or the immediate return of U.S. troops. Demonstrators converged in San Francisco, New York, Portland, Ore., and elsewhere to mark the fourth anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Iraq. pg 7A
WORLD
7 U.S. troops killed in Iraq
U.S. military officials announced the deaths of seven American soldiers yesterday and at least five Iraqis were killed and 26 injured in a car bombing, as the fourth anniversary of the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq neared. Four soldiers died in a single incident in west Baghdad on Saturday, when a roadside bomb detonated during their patrol. pg 10A
Clash over funds settled
The United States and North Korea have resolved a standoff over North Korean funds frozen in a bank account in Macau, clearing the way for talks to focus on putting in place a nuclear disarmament accord, Chinese and American officials said yesterday. pg 10A
SPORTS
Terps women advance in NCAAs
The Maryland women's basketball team defeated Harvard, 89-65, in the first round of the NCAA tournament. Terps coach Brenda Frese, who has kept the same lineup for all but two games this season, benched sophomore point guard Kristi Toliver in favor of junior Sa'de Wiley-Gatewood. pg 1d
Johnson captures Cup race
Reigning NASCAR Nextel Cup champion Jimmie Johnson passed Tony Stewart three laps from the finish at Atlanta Motor Speedway and went on to win the Kobalt Tools 500. pg 3d
TODAY
BSO recording on iTunes
The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra last week released its first live downloadable recording - and, for a brief time at least, was included in the list of top 10 classical downloads on iTunes. pg 1C
Historical society picks leader
The fiscal expert who stepped in as interim director of the Maryland Historical Society last October has been named head of the 163-year-old institution. pg 1C