A daily roundup of the biggest headlines in Bay Area and national news.

Supreme Court to Consider Constitutionality of Life in Prison for Juveniles

Returers reported that the US Supreme Court will consider whether juveniles can be sentenced to life in prison for crimes other than murder, agreeing to hear arguments in two Florida cases

Obama to Toughen Offshore Tax Policies

President Barack Obama presented proposals today targeting American companies and wealthy individuals that pay lower tax rates by investing money overseas, The New York Times reported.

A daily roundup of the biggest headlines in Bay Area and national news.

Obama to Make First Appointment as Justice Retires

Justice David H. Souter, appointed in 1990 by George H. W. Bush, plans to retire at the end of the term in June, giving President Obama his first  opening for an appointment to the Supreme Court, The New York Times reported.

Biden’s Take on Swine Flu

According to the Los Angeles Times, officials are doing some damage control after Vice President Joe Biden said Thursday on a morning talk show that he was telling his family members to avoid planes, trains and other enclosed spaces while the Obama administration has been trying to downplay causes for alarm.

Charges Against American Israel Public Affairs Committee Employees May Be Dropped

Prosecutors asked a judge to drop espionage-related charges against two former lobbyists of a pro-Israel lobbying group, citing a series of court decisions that made it unlikely their case would succeed. Steven J. Rosen and Keith Weissman were charged in 2005 with conspiring to obtain classified information and pass it to the Israeli government and journalists, according to The Washington Post.

A daily roundup of the biggest headlines in Bay Area and national news.

First Mate of Hijacked Ship Urges Action from Obama

The first mate of the cargo ship Maersk Alabama, whose crew defeated an attempted hijacking off the coast of Somalia last week, urged President Obama today to take strong action piracy, The Los Angeles Times reported. Obama said today that the U.S. was prepared to act against piracy and would work with its partners to prevent attacks in the future.

Congressman’s Plane Fired Upon in Somalia

According to the Associated Press, insurgents fired mortars shells at Mogadishu airport today as a plane carrying U.S. Rep. Donald Payne was leaving. The plane departed safely but 19 others in residential neighborhoods were injured in the attack. Payne made the trip to discuss piracy, security and cooperation with Somalia’s president and prime minister.

A daily roundup of the biggest headlines in the Bay Area and national news.

Ban Lifted on Media Coverage of Fallen Soldiers’ Return Home

According to The Washington Post, for the first time in 18 years, the welcoming home of fallen soldiers was open to the public after President Obama lifted President George H.W. Bush’s news coverage ban. Today at Dover Air Force Base, with the consent of family, journalists documented the arrival home of 30-year-old Air Force Staff Sgt. Phillip A. Myers of Hopewell, Va. who was killed on April 4 in Afghanistan.

Pentagon Budget to Reflect Changes in Priorities

The New York Times reported that Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates will likely announce today deep changes in the Pentagon’s budget reflecting the Obama administration’s prioritization of countering terrorism and insurgencies over preparations for conventional warfare against large nations.

Suspect in Berkeley Home-Invasion Robbery Connected with El Cerrito Incident

One of the eight suspects arrested in connection with a February home-invasion robbery in Berkeley has been implicated in a similar incident in El Cerrito last year, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.

A daily roundup of the biggest headlines in the Bay Area and national news.

Iowa Supreme Court Legalizes Gay Marriage in State

The Iowa Supreme court voted unanimously today to approve same-sex marriage, deciding that a 1998 law limiting marriage to a man and a woman was unconstitutional, The New York Times reported. The court said same-sex marriages could begin in Iowa in as soon as 21 days.

Hostages Held in Immigration Services Center

According to Reuters, a number of people have been killed and about 40 people taken hostage by an unidentified male this morning at an immigration services center in Binghamton, New York. Several media sources have reported that four have been killed at the The American Civic Association building, while WNBF radio told CNN up to 13 people may have been killed.

Berkeley police were digging for evidence related to an old case in Tilden Regional Park today, according to Berkeley police Officer Andrew Frankel. Frankel declined to elaborate on the circumstances surrounding the case, saying only that he will provide more information through a press release if more information is uncovered

A 4.6 magnitude earthquake briefly rattled Northern California this morning at 10:40 a.m. The epicenter was located about 16 miles east of San Jose and 11 miles north of Morgan Hill.  Due to the tremors, BART trains were forced to stop for about five minutes.

Edit: More recent assessments say the quake had a magnitude of 4.3.

A daily roundup of the biggest headlines in the Bay Area and national news.

Obama Holds Off on Aid to Automakers

President Barack Obama announced today that General Motors and Chrysler would not receive additional federal aid unless the companies are able to provide acceptable restructuring plans in a limited period of time, The Washington Post reported.

Gunman Married to Nursing Home Employee

The New York Times reported that the gunman who killed eight and wounded three in a shooting rampage at a North Carolina nursing home Sunday was married to a nurse assistant at the home.

Six Dead in Family Murder-Suicide

According to the San Francisco Chronicle, six members of a family were shot and killed in a Santa Clara murder-suicide Sunday evening while another family member remains in critical condition.