RAY SUAREZ: The U.S. Supreme Court put new limits on the death penalty today, and it sharply cut damages in the Exxon Valdez oil spill. The decisions came as the court entered the final days of its current term.
By 5-4, the justices outlawed executions in cases of child rape. Writing for the majority, Justice Anthony Kennedy said, "The death penalty is not a proportional punishment for the rape of a child."
On the Exxon Valdez, the court reduced Exxon's punitive damages from $2.5 billion to $500 million. The case stems from the 1989 spill in Alaska. We'll have more on both cases right after the news summary.
A roadside bombing in Iraq killed three more American soldiers today. It raised the U.S. death toll for June to at least 25, including eight since last Friday.
Meanwhile, Iraq's president, Jalal Talabani, met with President Bush at the White House. They voiced hope about making a long-term security deal.
The presidential run-off in Zimbabwe will go ahead as planned. The elections commission there announced the decision today, despite international pressure to call off Friday's vote.
Opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai withdrew from the race on Sunday, as president Robert Mugabe's government continued a violent crackdown on the opposition. Today, Tsvangirai briefly emerged from his refuge at the Dutch embassy in Harare. He appealed to African leaders to intervene.
MORGAN TSVANGIRAI, Leader, Movement for Democratic Change: Due to the urgency of the situation, I'm asking the African heads of state to discuss this crisis at their meeting this weekend in Egypt.
Let me be clear: This cannot be a part-time mediation effort; neither can it be a continuation of talks about talks that have largely been fruitless for several years. The time for action is now; the people in the country can wait no longer.
RAY SUAREZ: And in Washington, President Bush condemned the actions of Mugabe's regime. He said the people of Zimbabwe deserve better.
GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States: Friday's elections, you know, appear to be a sham. You can't have free elections if a candidate is not allowed to campaign freely and his supporters aren't allowed to campaign without fear of intimidation.
Yet the Mugabe government has been intimidating the people on the ground in Zimbabwe. And this is an incredibly sad development.
RAY SUAREZ: Late today, former South African President Nelson Mandela broke his silence on Zimbabwe. He blamed the turmoil on a "tragic failure of leadership" there.
Heavy rain fell on Missouri today, compounding the state's flooding woes. The storms closed roads and sent streams over their banks, just as the Mississippi River was cresting above St. Louis. The American Farm Bureau estimated crop damage in the Midwest tops $7 billion.
Meanwhile, in the west, wildfires in Northern California raged on. Smoke covered the Napa Valley, reaching Oakland and San Francisco. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger cautioned against going outdoors.
GOV. ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER (R), California: I want to remind everyone also to protect themselves. There's a lot of smoke out there, and so it is important for people to stay inside. Close your windows and your doors, and especially pay close attention, if you have asthma, respiratory and heart conditions, that's when it gets very dangerous.
RAY SUAREZ: Governor Schwarzenegger also asked people not to buy or use fireworks during the upcoming Fourth of July celebrations.
U.S. intelligence agencies warned today global warming may threaten national security. A new assessment said climate change could lead to greater poverty, disease and hunger, and a resulting increase in illegal immigration and political chaos. A top intelligence official told a House hearing, "Logic suggests the conditions would increase the pool of potential recruits for terrorism."
An employee at a plastics plant in Henderson, Kentucky, killed five people today and then himself. It started shortly after midnight. The company said the man argued with a supervisor and was being escorted out when he pulled a gun and opened fire. In addition to the dead, at least one person was wounded.
The Federal Reserve left its benchmark interest rate unchanged today for the first time since September. Policymakers voted to hold the Fed funds rate steady at 2 percent. It applies to overnight loans between banks. A Fed statement cited a rising risk of inflation.
In other economic news, the government reported oil inventories increased last week. That sent oil prices down in New York trading to finish near $134.50 a barrel.
On Wall Street, the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 4 points to close above 11,811. The Nasdaq rose nearly 33 points to close at 2,401.
