USA

A Texas district court judge said that the parents of more than 400 children removed by the state from a polygamist ranch could pick up their children Monday. But the families are not to leave the state without court permission nor are the parents to interfere with any ongoing child abuse investigation.

An estimated 60,000 black men, including ministers and Black Panther members, marched through a historically black St. Louis neighborhood Sunday to send a message that black-on-black crime and the social ills that feed it must be addressed. The event, part of a "Call to Oneness" community initiative, culminated at the first black high school west of the Mississippi River.

Authorities said Monday that low water pressure at Universal Studios in Los Angeles may have challenged firefighters, who needed 12 hours to extinguish a fast-moving fire Sunday that destroyed some of Hollywood's most famous backdrops. The cause of the blaze remains undetermined.

Home building continued its two-year slide in April, falling 0.4 percent, the Commerce Department reported Monday. Meanwhile, spending to construct shopping centers, office buildings, and hotels rose 1.6 percent, pushing activity in this area to an all-time high.

Public transit ridership rose 3.3 percent, or by 85 million trips, during the first three months of 2008, the American Public Transportation Association announced Monday.

With gasoline prices hovering at $4 a gallon, AAA regional offices reported receiving more calls from out-of-gas motorists who hesitate to fill up and sometimes lose track of just how empty their tanks are. In the Philadelphia area, twice as many calls for road service for fuel assistance came in this May compared with May 2007.Research from The Nielsen Co. shows drivers pumping less gas but making more frequent trips to the pump.

Columbus, Ohio, which is already taking steps to create a bike boulevard and install bike racks, has unveiled a 20-year plan to spend nearly $170 million to make the city more bike-friendly.