Supervising News Editor Maggie Leung -- 404-827-1401

UPCOMING

Louisiana-Weather

Gov. Bobby Jindal issued a state of emergency after deluging rains cause widespread flooding in Louisiana. There were also reports Thursday of at least one tornado.

California-School-Shooting (will update)

The 16-year-old student showed up late to class armed with a 12-gauge shotgun. With the first period half over, the student took direct aim and hit one classmate in the 28-student classroom in the science building of Taft High School in Taft, California, authorities said.

POL-Gun-Control-Battle (will update)

A federal task force looking for ways to curb gun violence will have a set of recommendations by Tuesday, Vice President Joe Biden announced Thursday. Speaking during a week of meetings with disparate groups on various sides of the issue -- including some for and others against stricter gun controls -- Biden, who oversees the task force, said the recommendations to be given to President Barack Obama will serve as a beginning.

POL-Clinton-Health-Karzai

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is back on the job and trading war stories about her health. Less than a week after returning to work from her hospitalization and health scare -- dehydration, a concussion, and a blood clot in her head -- Clinton discussed dehydration and medical tests with the president of Afghanistan, Hamid Karzai.

Venezuela-Chavez (will update)

Health problems stopped Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez from coming to Caracas for an inauguration ceremony Thursday, but there was still plenty of pomp and circumstance. Thousands of red-clad Chavez supporters packed the streets around the presidential palace for a symbolic swearing-in for the president's fourth term. Chavez is undergoing cancer treatment in Cuba and has not made a public appearance in a month.

Syria-Civil-War (will update)

Syria accused the diplomat working to forge peace of an unfair tilt toward the enemies of Damascus, according to a state news report on Thursday.

PREVIOUSLY PUBLISHED STORIES

CNN SHOWCASE

US-Home-Invasion-Gun-Rights

This is not a movie. There's no dramatic music in the background. A happy ending, far from a guarantee. The concern in Donnie Herman's voice was clear as day. So was his stress. With two telephones to his ear, he listened to his wife, Melinda, as she fled into an attic of their Loganville home. With her: Her two 9-year-old children and a loaded .38 revolver. In the house: An intruder with a crowbar.

INTERNATIONAL

Karzai-US-Panetta

Afghan President Hamid Karzai showed up to the Pentagon on Thursday with a wish list of military equipment to ensure the security of his country by the time NATO forces leave at the end of 2014.

Syria-Civil-War

U.S. officials are discussing with Middle East governments the steps needed to ensure that Syria's chemical and biological weapons sites are secured if President Bashar al-Assad leaves office, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said Thursday.

Russia-US-Adoptions