US pushes toward more biting Iran sanctions

US weighs faster Afghan handover. Are Afghan forces ready?

10:50 am ET - The reported shift would take large numbers of US and NATO forces out of combat missions. Some say that accelerating the handover of security to Afghan forces could further destabilize the country.

Sahel Blog: Have US sanctions against Sudan lost their bite?

11:11 am ET - As the US lifts sanctions against South Sudan, guest blogger Alex Thurston argues that US has lost its leverage in Sudan, since Khartoum has given up the hope of normalized relations.

Amid record deportations from the US, Mexico urges migrants to head home

10:59 am ET - But despite record deportations, many migrants at a shelter in Nogales, Mexico, now consider the US to be home.

• Latin America Monitor: Killings of US citizens in Mexico hits eight-year high

Oakland strike: For Occupy protesters, frenzied rumors before march on port

7:55 pm ET - With the worldwide movement watching the Occupy Oakland strike, hundreds of protesters target banks and swap rumors before the day's main dramatic act: a march on the Port of Oakland.

Occupy Supreme Court: Could it happen?

10:33 am ET - Protests and demonstrations, such as the Occupy movement, are banned on the plaza in front of the Supreme Court – even though the high court is the institution overseeing the First Amendment.

Killings in Homs fuel skepticism over Syria peace accord

8:39 am ET - Syrian forces reportedly killed as many as seven people in Homs today, just one day after Syria agreed to a peace accord that called for withdrawing tanks from the streets.

Turkey's rising clout leaves Iran fuming on sidelines of Arab Spring

12:16 pm ET - The fast-emerging split between Turkey and Iran has revived a centuries-old rivalry between the Ottomans and the Persians. 

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Can Obama's high-speed rail plans survive California sticker shock?

7:49 pm ET - California's high-speed rail authority announced that its project will cost nearly $100 billion – two times higher than original estimates. Other regions supportive of President Obama's high-speed rail plans have started more modestly. 

Why 1,900 crack cocaine users and dealers are getting out of prison early

7:22 pm ET - About 1,900 inmates are being freed across the US this week following a federal policy change meant to correct discrepancies between sentences for possession of crack and powder cocaine.

Northeast snowstorm: Connecticut slowest to restore power, again

6:50 pm ET - Connecticut residents were particularly hard-hit by power outages both during the Northeast snowstorm and hurricane Irene. With so many outages, the state has been slow to restore power. 

Fed's Ben Bernanke 'dissatisfied' with economy, unemployment rate

6:17 pm ET - Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke said Wednesday he shares Occupy Wall Street's frustrations about the lackluster economy and persistent high unemployment – but not gripes about bailout of the finance industry. 

Could China's first 'space kiss' lead to a Mars mission with US?

6:02 pm ET - Two unmanned spacecraft successfully docked in what many Chinese call their space program's first 'space kiss' Thursday morning. Analysts suggest the step might bode well for international collaboration.

Ricin plot: Target list includes judges, IRS agents, Atlanta, and Washington

5:33 pm ET - Ricin, the deadly toxin, was to be spread on roads in major cities, according to federal affidavits. The alleged plotters, four Georgia militiamen, also sought explosives. 'Some people gotta die' to save the Constitution, an affidavit quoted one as saying.

No need for new eye witness rule, Supreme Court justices suggest at hearing

4:50 pm ET - The Supreme Court heard oral arguments on whether judges need to intervene to prevent testimony from unreliable witnesses at criminal trials. The justices indicated that existing safeguards in the justice system are adequate.