SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) — Bernie Sanders was halfway through his opening statement — a stern, 45-minute lecture on domestic policy leavened with a dash of political pep talk — when he realized the crowd had missed one of his rare attempts at humor.
"That was a joke!" he bellowed. Laughter briefly rippled through the audience as the Vermont senator returned to his statistic-rich pitch for increasing the federal minimum wage to $15 per hour and breaking up big Wall Street banks.
CHARSADDA, Pakistan (AP) — Once again, Islamic militants stormed a school in northeastern Pakistan in a deadly attack that lasted for hours. And once again, the blood of students and teachers stained classrooms and hallways, raising questions about whether security forces are able to protect the country's educational institutions from extremists.
At least 20 people were killed and 23 were wounded Wednesday in the assault at Bacha Khan University in Charsadda before the four gunmen were slain and the military declared an end to the siege. Two teachers were among the dead, including a chemistry professor who was praised as a hero for shooting back at the attackers and allowing some students to escape.
