MARYLAND
Police report improvements
The rate of people being arrested and released without charges in Baltimore each month has been cut roughly in half since last year, according to statistics from several agencies. The Police Department, responding to months of sharp public criticism, has been trying to improve the quality of arrests, including extra training for officers. pg 1b
City spruces up for Earth Day
Participants turned out in the rain to take part in the ecology festivals, the trimming of trees and the neighborhood cleanup drives that were part of yesterday's observance of Earth Day. pg 1b
NATIONAL
New priorities for White House
The continuing shake-up at the White House is the clearest acknowledgment yet that President Bush has scaled back his once-lofty priorities in favor of what strategists call a less visionary but just as crucial goal: helping Republicans keep control of Congress. pg 3a
Votes cast in New Orleans
A steady stream of New Orleans voters, some from storm-scarred neighborhoods and others by the busload from evacuee havens across the nation, cast their first ballots since Hurricane Katrina in a crucial election yesterday to decide who will lead the rebuilding of this devastated city. pg 4a
WORLD
Progress for Iraq's parliament
After four months of dangerously destabilizing deadlock, Iraq's new parliament made brisk progress yesterday toward installing a new government, appointing six of the top posts and nominating Jawad al-Maliki as prime minister. pg 1a
Nepal protests accelerating
Neither curfew, tear gas nor King Gyanendra's offer to give up control of the state stemmed the fury of his subjects yesterday as, for the first time in 17 days of demonstrations, protesters broke through police lines to pierce the ancient heart of the city, reaching within blocks of Narayanhiti Palace. pg 16a
BUSINESS
Marketing to the yachting set
Companies, including some you've never heard of, are buying brand exposure and a potential pipeline for affluent customers by putting up millions of dollars for sponsorships during the Volvo Ocean Races stopover in Baltimore and Annapolis. pg 1c
SPORTS
Yankees beat Orioles, Cabrera
The Yankees scored six earned runs off Daniel Cabrera in five innings and defeated the Orioles, 6-1, in New York, ending their three-game winning streak. pg 1d
A&E TODAY
Coming to TV: May sweeps
Brace yourselves for television's "sweeps month," a 28-night programming blitz that marks the end of the network season and determines advertising rates. Beginning Thursday, beloved characters will die, and story lines will take bizarre turns. pg 1e
Quote Of the day
"We're still citizens of New Orleans. We still want to know what's going on there. I still have my driver's license. My license plate still says Louisiana."
J. Todd Smith, who took a bus from Atlanta to vote in New Orleans' civic elections Article, PG 4A
