A federal judicial panel in Boise, Idaho, wrestled Thursday with perceptions of bias and conflict among both judges and geography in figuring out where to consolidate more than 300 lawsuits filed against BP PLC and other companies in the wake of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill.

Alabama has been dubbed the "petri dish" of Internet political campaigning.

ANNISTON, Ala. -- Under an anti-harassment policy passed by the Anniston Board of Education, students are explicitly protected from bullying based on their race, gender, religion or disability.

SLOCOMB, Ala. -- The Democratic candidate for an Alabama House seat in the Wiregrass region of southeast Alabama has dropped out of the race, but Democrats say they are not conceding the seat in the Republican-leaning region.

Seven existing Alabama companies are to receive a total of more than $158,000 to help them train existing employees in modern skills.

The Alabama Farmers Federation has released a bipartisan list of endorsements for the November general election, including Republican Kay Ivey for lieutenant governor and Democratic incumbents Susan Parker and Jan Cook for the Public Service Commission.

The state treasury has more than $382 million in assets waiting to be claimed.

As the Gulf of Mexico oil spill hit the 100-day mark Wednesday, clear lessons have emerged from the stained waters.

MADEIRA BEACH, Fla. — Down at the docks, grouper boats are lined up and waiting. Many have been waiting for a while — waiting for the part of the Gulf of Mexico closed by the oil spill to reopen, waiting for the crews and captains to return to fishing.

As it has in years past, Virginia Beach ranks high in an annual report that rates the water quality at 200 of America's most popular beaches. Four Virginia Beach testing sites received a rating of four stars out of five from the Natural Resources Defense Council, which released its 2009 report Wednesday. Only beaches in Alabama, California, Minnesota and New Hampshire were ranked higher.