CHICAGO (Reuters) – Much of the United States basked in another day of unseasonably warm weather on Tuesday as one of the mildest winters on record gave way to a balmy spring and possibly a hot summer that could cause difficulties for crops.

On what meteorologists consider the first day of spring, record highs were set in dozens of central and eastern cities, from International Falls, Minnesota on the Canadian border to Lexington, Kentucky in the south, according to the National Weather Service.

CHICAGO (Reuters) – Forecasters predicted another day of unseasonably warm weather east of the Rocky Mountains on Sunday as one of the mildest winters on record entered its final week.

But the National Weather Service and others warned a powerful cold front in the West slowly creeping east could trigger severe storms and tornadoes in the evening from Nebraska to Texas and bring heavy rains and possible flooding in the coming days as it lingers over Texas, Louisiana and Arkansas.

CHICAGO (Reuters) – A suspected tornado touched down in Michigan on Thursday, causing severe damage to some structures but no deaths, as forecasters put four states in the country’s midsection under severe thunderstorm watches or warnings.

A dispatcher with the Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Department said “there are homes leveled at this point” in Dexter, just north of the Michigan college town of Ann Arbor.

CHICAGO (Reuters) – Forecasters issued a severe storm watch on Thursday afternoon for parts of Indiana, Kentucky and Tennessee, warning of possible large hail, wind gusts of up to 70 miles an hour and dangerous lightning in a region raked by deadly tornadoes less than two weeks ago.

The Storm Prediction Center said the severe thunderstorm watch was in effect for southern Indiana, central Kentucky and middle Tennessee through 10 p. m. Thursday.

March 10 (Reuters) – People pre-ordering Apple Inc’s
new iPad to avoid the release-day crowds at the
company’s retail stores will have to wait longer to get their
hands on the devices.

The latest version of the company’s tablet, which was
unveiled this week, is set to hit shelves next Friday.

CHICAGO/NEW YORK (Reuters) – Like many unemployed Americans, Gint Butenas is cautiously hopeful that things might be about to go his way.

The 57-year-old information technology worker was laid off by a pharmaceutical manufacturer in 2009. At the time, Butenas recalls the economy was losing 250,000 jobs a month so he saw little point in even looking for work.

CHICAGO/NEW YORK, March 9 (Reuters) – Like many
unemployed Americans, Gint Butenas is cautiously hopeful that
things might be about to go his way.

The 57-year-old information technology worker was laid off
by a pharmaceutical manufacturer in 2009. At the time, Butenas
recalls the economy was losing 250,000 jobs a month so he saw
little point in even looking for work.

CHICAGO (Reuters) – Jeremy Hammond, the Chicago man charged on Tuesday along with five other suspected members of the Anonymous hacking group, viewed his online activity as a legitimate way to fight for social justice and has served time in federal prison for his activism, according to the federal complaint against him.

Prosecutors say Hammond, 27, was a member of a group called AntiSec, an offshoot of Anonymous, that allegedly hacked into the computers of a Texas-based security research company called Stratfor Global Intelligence late last year, stealing thousands of credit card numbers, email addresses, passwords and phone numbers.

CHICAGO, March 6 (Reuters) – Jeremy Hammond, the
Chicago man charged on Tuesday along with five other suspected
members of the Anonymous hacking group, viewed his online
activity as a legitimate way to fight for social justice and has
served time in federal prison for his activism, according to the
federal complaint against him.

Prosecutors say Hammond, 27, was a member of a group called
AntiSec, an offshoot of Anonymous, that allegedly hacked into
the computers of a Texas-based security research company called
Stratfor Global Intelligence late last year, stealing thousands
of credit card numbers, email addresses, passwords and phone
numbers.

By James B. Kelleher

(Reuters) – Opponents of Indiana’s new “right to work” law have withdrawn a request for a court order to block the anti-union measure after the state said it will not enforce it retroactively.

But opponents of the law said on Monday they will press on with their larger legal challenge and may seek a preliminary injunction against the measure on other grounds in federal court in the coming weeks.