NATIONAL
Pet food probe turns to fraud
Federal investigators are trying to determine whether Chinese producers laced a key ingredient in pet food with an industrial chemical to boost the price, Sen. Richard J. Durbin said yesterday. pg 3a
Gunman's disturbing message
Investigators yesterday were analyzing what NBC said was a multimedia manifesto that Cho Seung-Hui, 23, mailed to the network in the two hours between the bursts of gunfire at Virginia Tech on Monday. "I didn't have to do it. I could have left. I could have fled," he mumbled. pg 1a
Maryland
Suspect spurs lockdown
Thousands of students at eight Anne Arundel County schools were locked down for several hours yesterday after a man wanted in a shooting showed up at a high school in women's clothing and asked to see a student, authorities said. pg 1b
Teamwork urged in marketing
To attract more conventions to Baltimore, city tourism officials must work more efficiently with the convention center and the hotel industry to streamline bookings, address crime and better market the city's attractions, a study by the Baltimore Area Convention and Visitors Association shows. pg 1b
WORLD
Shiite targets hit with bombs
Four of five bomb attacks in Iraq targeted predominantly Shiite neighborhoods, sparking criticism of the security plan and heightening fears of revenge attacks and death-squad killings. At least 183 people were killed. pg 1a
BUSINESS
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BlackBerry users see red
BlackBerry service went down across North America for several hours from Tuesday evening to early yesterday morning, sending a flurry of grumbles that were heard at the highest levels of business and government. There are about 8 million BlackBerry users worldwide, most of them in the U.S. pg 1D
SPORTS
Orioles handle Devil Rays
The Orioles forced Tampa Bay Devil Rays starter Scott Kazmir to throw a lot of pitches early, turning the game into a battle of bullpens, then scored three runs against Tampa Bay's relievers to take a 6-4 victory in St. Petersburg, Fla. pg 1e
TODAY
A chant of collective hope
At a convocation the day after the killings of Virginia Tech students, the words of Nikki Giovanni, long known as the princess of black poetry, drew a somber crowd of 10,000 to its feet, sparking a "Let's go, Hokies!" ovation that rolled through the school's basketball arena. pg 1C