USA

An estimated 10,000 people and four US presidents attended Tuesday's funeral for Coretta Scott King at the New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in suburban Atlanta. Her youngest daughter, Bernice, gave the eulogy for the "first lady of the civil rights movement," as President Bush, who attended, has described her.

Racial brawling broke out for a third straight day at a Los Angeles County jail Monday, this time at the minimum-security Pitchess Detention Center. Authorities used tear gas to break up a skirmish that involved about 90 black and Hispanic inmates. Only one inmate was treated for moderate injuries, unlike much larger riots over the weekend that led to 100 injuries and one death at a maximum-security facility.

General Motors Corp., under shareholder pressure to return to profitability, announced Tuesday it is cutting in half its yearly dividend to $1 a share and reducing the salaries of its chairman and senior leadership team. The cut in its dividend will reduce GM's yearly cash payout by about $565 million.

Gov. Kathleen Blanco (D) of Louisiana opened a special 11-day legislative session Monday, the second she has called to address damage from hurricanes Katrina and Rita. The session kicked off in New Orleans, where Blanco used a bus tour to underscore regional needs that she said have lost traction as a national priority. She vowed to spend the bulk of federal hurricane aid, or about $5.6 billion, on housing assistance.

The Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium said it is investigating the deaths Monday of 10 sharks that succumbed after a harmful chemical accidentally was pumped into their tank. About 100 other animals in the tank were not affected.

Scientists warned against drawing conclusions about an uptick in Alaska volcano activity after the eruption of Cleveland Volcano on one of the uninhabited Aleutian Islands on Monday. The eruption sent clouds of ash 22,000 feet into the air. Geologists have also been monitoring the state's Augustine Volcano, which has erupted several times in recent weeks. The state has 42 volcanoes, so it's not surprising that two are active at the same time, scientists say.

Army recruit Cory Davidson of Elwood, Ind., has been informed that, under a relaxed tattoo policy, he can join the military after more than a year of trying. The previous policy barred recruits with tattoos visible above their uniforms. Davidson tried to comply by spending $1,000 on laser procedures to cover two-inch high Japanese characters that mean "brothers" on his neck. The letters remain visible but a new policy permits neck tattoos that don't degrade military appearance or standards.

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