Gwinnett Daily Post

Beau Biden makes progress after stroke

PHILADELPHIA -- Vice President Joe Biden's elder son, Delaware's attorney general, made progress Wednesday as he recovered from a mild stroke and hopes to return to work in the near future, his office said.

Beau Biden, 41, was being treated at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, a renowned neuroscience hospital in Philadelphia, a day after suffering the stroke.

''He will continue to follow standard protocol and receive medical therapy over the coming days, as is typical for any patient recovering from an event like this,'' the Delaware Department of Justice said in a statement. ''He looks forward to returning to his duties as Attorney General in the near future.''

The vice president and his wife, Jill, were in Philadelphia on Wednesday. The White House said the vice president would return Wednesday afternoon to Washington to meet with Karl Eikenberry, the U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan, and host a dinner for Afghan President Hamid Karzai in the evening. Biden is one of the Obama administration's major voices in setting Afghanistan policy.

FBI puts Bulger in plastic surgery newsletters

BOSTON -- The FBI is hoping vanity could help in its search for fugitive New England gangster James ''Whitey'' Bulger.

The bureau took out a full-page ad featuring photos of Bulger's girlfriend in the April edition of Plastic Surgery News. It says 59-year-old Catherine Greig had cosmetic procedures including breast implants, a nose job and a face lift before going on the lam with Bulger in 1995.

The ad asks plastic surgeons, ''Have you treated this woman?''

The newsletter is circulated to more than 6,000 plastic surgeons around the world.

Bulger is wanted for 19 murders and is on the FBI's 10 Most Wanted list. There's a $2 million reward for information leading to his capture. His last confirmed sighting was in London in 2002.

Museum cleans Tyrannosaurus for anniversary

CHICAGO -- One of the world's most famous dinosaurs is getting a cleaning before the celebration of her 10th anniversary begins at Chicago's Field Museum.

The Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton known as Sue went on display at the museum 10 years ago this month, and museum officials expect big crowds at anniversary events scheduled through early December.

Bill Simpson is in charge of fossils at the museum, and he says Sue is the most complete and most famous T. rex on display in the world. He cleaned the 42-foot-long skeleton Wednesday with a hose that gently blew off dust and a big bottle brush for hard to reach areas like nostrils.

Team attempts to remove tangled ropes from whale

DANA POINT, Calif. -- A Sea World whale disentanglement team is trying to remove long ropes seen dangling from a gray whale that has been swimming near Dana Point Harbor for a couple of days.

Wildlife biologist Joe Cordaro with the National Marine Fisheries Service in Long Beach says success depends on how well the whale cooperates.

If docile, the ropes around the animal's left front flipper and on his tail section can probably be cut quickly. If the whale reacts aggressively, it will be more difficult.

Space center all abuzz over Atlantis launch

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- NASA is getting hit up for extra launch passes, and mission stickers and pins are flying off the shelf. Another Twittering crowd is descending on the space center. Even science fiction writers want in on the action.

Welcome to space shuttle Atlantis' 32nd and final voyage.

When Atlantis blasts off -- show time is 2:20 p.m. Friday -- only two more missions will remain before the shuttle program ends.

Besides equipment for the International Space Station, Atlantis holds two big tool bins that are crammed full of shuttle and station memorabilia: flags, medallions, bookmarks and the like.

LA approves boycott of Ariz. over immigration

LOS ANGELES -- Los Angeles on Wednesday became the largest city yet to boycott Arizona over its tough new law targeting illegal immigration in a move that likely will affect some $8 million in contracts with the state.

The City Council voted 13-1 to bar Los Angeles from conducting business with Arizona unless the law is repealed.