JUDY WOODRUFF: U.S. officials vowed today to keep up the fight in Iraq after the U.S. death toll hit the 4,000 mark. It reached that milestone late last night, when four soldiers died in a roadside bombing in Baghdad. More than 29,000 troops have been wounded since the war began over five years ago.
In Washington, President Bush offered his sympathies to the families of those killed.
GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States: One day, people will look back at this moment in history and say, "Thank God there were courageous people willing to serve, because they laid the foundations for peace for generations to come." I have vowed in the past and I will vow so long as I am president to make sure that those lives were not lost in vain.
JUDY WOODRUFF: The speaker of the House, Democrat Nancy Pelosi, questioned how many more troops must die in Iraq, saying, "Americans are asking: How much longer must our troops continue to sacrifice?" We'll have more on Iraq right after this news summary.
The FBI confirmed today that it recovered the remains of two kidnapped American contractors in Iraq. The two men were abducted in separate incidents more than a year ago. Earlier this month, severed fingers belonging to the men were sent to the U.S. military in Iraq.
The deputy leader of al-Qaida today rallied Muslims to strike Jewish and American targets. Ayman al-Zawahiri spoke in a new audiotape posted on the Internet. He called for retaliation after an Israeli offensive in the Gaza Strip killed more than 120 people earlier this month.
In Pakistan today, the parliament elected a new prime minister who immediately freed all the country's detained judges. They had been held by President Pervez Musharraf since last year.
Yousaf Raza Gillani's election drew applause and cheers inside the assembly chamber. Gillani, an ally of slain opposition leader Benazir Bhutto, also pledged to limit Musharraf's sweeping powers.
JPMorgan Chase substantially raised its offer for the ailing investment bank Bear Stearns today. The bid jumped from $2 dollars a share to $10 dollars a share. Bear Stearns stockholders had balked at the initial fire-sale price that was negotiated last week and vowed to fight it. The new deal was backed by the Federal Reserve bank. We'll have more on this story later in the program tonight.
New housing data, combined with the Bear Stearns deal, sent the markets soaring today. The National Association of Realtors reported sales of existing homes jumped nearly 3 percent in February. It was the largest increase in a year.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 187 points to close at 12,548. The Nasdaq rose more than 68 points to close above 2,326.
In the U.S. presidential campaign today, Democrat Hillary Clinton rolled out a new plan for the nation's housing troubles. In Philadelphia, she called for action from Congress asking for $30 billion to stem the tide of foreclosures. And she advocated an emergency working group, chaired by high- level economists to overhaul at-risk mortgages.
The mayor of Detroit was charged with perjury and misconduct today in connection with a sex scandal. Kwame Kilpatrick and his former chief of staff were both indicted. The charges stem from a court case where both denied under oath that they had had an affair. But in January, sexually explicit text messages surfaced to refute that testimony.
The Wayne County prosecutor, Kym Worthy, announced the charges in Detroit.
KYM WORTHY, Wayne County Prosecutor: This is an extremely sad day for the city of Detroit, the county of Wayne, and the state of Michigan. We certainly take no joy or pleasure in announcing these charges, but it would be much sadder still if true justice were ignored. And we are not going to ignore true justice at any time.
JUDY WOODRUFF: Last week, Kilpatrick refused calls from the Detroit City Council to resign. And today, the Democratic mayor said he expects to be completely cleared.
MAYOR KWAME KILPATRICK (D), Detroit: I approach this process with the faith that I have in the system, of what I've been taught about this country and this legal process, and the constitutional rights of all Americans since I was born. I believe in it, and I believe that there will be a full airing of all the facts in this case that will result in my full and complete vindication of all that has been laid before you.
JUDY WOODRUFF: Kilpatrick was expected to turn himself in before tomorrow morning. If convicted, he could face up to 15 years in prison and be expelled from office.
The Justice Department today approved a satellite radio merger. Sirius proposed a buyout of its only rival, XM, last year. Land-based radio industry and consumer groups oppose the merger, but a Justice Department statement said it found no evidence that the move would stifle competition. The merger now awaits approval from the Federal Communications Commission.
