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    Editor's Note: The CNN Wire is a running log of the latest news from CNN World Headquarters, reported by CNN's correspondents and producers, and The CNN Wire editors. "Posted" times are Eastern Time. Baghdad raids kill 26 connected to 'Iranian terror networks'; Sr. al-Qaeda leader killed near FallujaBAGHDAD (CNN) -- U.S.-led coalition forces killed an estimated 26 "secret cell terrorists" and captured another 17 during raids in Baghdad's Sadr City Saturday morning, according to a U.S. military statement. The military also announced Saturday that it has positively identified an insurgent killed in fighting near Falluja Friday as a high-level al-Qaeda leader. The raids, conducted in the pre-dawn hours in the Shiite stronghold, targeted terrorists tied to "Iranian terror networks," which the military said are responsible for facilitating the flow of lethal aid into Iraq. Coalition troops met with "significant small arms fire and multiple improvised explosive device (IED) attacks" during the raids, the military said. Rocket-propelled grenades were also fired at the troops, the military said. No coalition troops were wounded during the Sadr City operations, the military said. An Egyptian, who is believed to have fought for al-Qaeda in Afghanistan five years ago before moving into Iraq, was killed during fighting east of Falluja Friday, the U.S. military said. The military said Abu 'Abd al-Rahman al-Masri "worked directly for Abu Ayyub al-Masri, the military emir of al-Qaeda in Iraq, and is associated with other al-Qaeda in Iraq senior leaders." (Posted 2:36 a.m.) California wildfire started by campfire; 70% containedSOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. (CNN) -- The Angora wildfire that has been raging south of Lake Tahoe in California was ignited by a campfire in a restricted recreation area, according to a U.S. Forest Service investigator. The wildfire is 70 percent contained, according to the U.S. Forest Service. Investigator Donna Deaton told residents gathered at a town hall meeting Friday evening that there was no evidence that the fire was deliberately set and there are no suspects identified. Calmer winds in the area have contributed to the progress in containment efforts, and if the weather continues to be mild officials expect to have the fire fully contained by Tuesday. About 3,100 acres have been burned and approximately 255 structures have been destroyed since the fire started last Sunday afternoon. (Posted 1:59 a.m.) White House hopefuls scoop up cash ahead of deadlineWASHINGTON (CNN) -- In presidential politics, money can create the perception of momentum, which is why the herd of 2008 White House hopefuls will be trying to stuff as much cash as they can in their coffers by midnight Saturday to show off their fund-raising prowess ahead of an upcoming federal report. The Federal Election Commission requires presidential candidates to report their contributions and expenditures quarterly, and Saturday is the end of the second quarter. And although they have until July 15 to actually file their report with the FEC, many campaigns -- especially those that did well -- are likely to release the figures sooner. In fact, several campaigns were providing estimates of their second quarter fund-raising even before the reporting period closed. (Posted 8:17 p.m.) Georgia Supreme Court to hear bond appeal in teen sex caseATLANTA (CNN) -- The Georgia Supreme Court will decide whether to grant a bond hearing for Genarlow Wilson, a Georgia man serving a 10-year prison sentence for a consensual sexual encounter he had as a teenager, Wilson's attorney said Friday. The attorney, B.J. Bernstein, filed an emergency appeal with the state Court of Appeals Thursday after a Douglas County Superior Court judge canceled a bond hearing for Wilson after ruling that state law did not allow his release on bond. Friday, the appeals court transferred the motion to the higher court. Bernstein said she looked forward to a quick resolution. Wilson, 21, was convicted of aggravated child molestation for having consensual oral sex with a 15-year-old girl when he was 17, during a 2003 New Year's Eve party in Douglas County, just west of Atlanta. (Posted 7:45 p.m.) Dems give White House 10 days to explain assertion of executive privilegeWASHINGTON (CNN) -- Democrats in Congress took the first step Friday toward a potential court battle with the White House over executive privilege, demanding detailed reasoning behind President Bush's refusal to comply with subpoenas requesting documents about the firings of several U.S. attorneys last year. In a letter to White House Counsel Fred Fielding, House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers and Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy gave the president 10 days to provide "the specific factual and legal bases for your claims regarding each document withheld" before they move to proceedings that could find the White House in contempt of Congress. The White House responded that the administration has already provided "extraordinary accommodation" to the committees' investigation. "The Justice Department has shown extraordinary accommodation to the committees -- amounting to mountains of documents, countless hours of hearings and interviews." White House spokesman Tony Fratto said Friday. "If the committees just want the facts, then they should withdraw the subpoenas and accept the president's offer, instead of this continued pattern of gross overreach and confrontation." (Posted 6:25 p.m.) NTSB: Faulty component led to plane touching down without landing gearWASHINGTON (CNN) -- The National Transportation Safety Board says a regional jet briefly touched down at Boston's Logan Airport last week without its landing gear extended. It has traced the problem to a faulty electronic component and the manufacturer has alerted operators. The pilots of American Eagle Flight 4539 from Toronto told NTSB investigators that as they prepared to land at 8:29 a.m. on June 20, the three landing gear indicator lights were all green, indicating the gear was down and locked. But they said that shortly before touchdown they noticed a "landing gear lever disagree" message on the plane's flight computer console. A Massachusetts Port Authority employee saw sparks at the rear of the aircraft as it landed and alerted air traffic controllers, who ordered it back into the air. The pilots then extended the gear using emergency procedures, flew by the tower twice to check that the gear was down and landed safely. --From CNN's Kathleen Koch (Posted 5:13 p.m.) JFK terror plot suspects indictedNEW YORK (CNN) -- An indictment was filed Thursday in Brooklyn district court against four men charged with six counts of conspiring to plant explosives and blow up main fuel lines at John F. Kennedy International Airport. The charges against Russell Defreitas, Kareem Ibrahim, Abdul Kadir and Abdel Nur include conspiracy to attack aircraft and aircraft materials, and conspiracy to destroy international airport facilities. Of the four men, Defreitas is the only one in United States custody. He is currently being held without bail awaiting a July 11 arraignment. He was originally from Guyana, but has been a U.S. citizen since the early 1960s. He worked for a period of time as a cargo handler at JFK. The other three, Ibrahim, Kadir and Nur, are contesting extradition in Port of Spain, Trinidad. A hearing is scheduled to take place by the end of July. --From CNN's David Miller (Posted 5:04 p.m.) Police: Second car bomb 'clearly linked' to first vehicleLONDON (CNN) -- A vehicle containing fuel, gas canisters and nails found early Friday near Trafalgar Square is "clearly linked" to another explosives-packed car bomb found outside a nightclub near Piccadilly Circus, Metropolitan Police said. A "considerable" amount of fuel and gas canisters, along with a "substantial quantity of nails," was found in the blue Mercedes 280E, said Peter Clarke, Metropolitan Police deputy assistant commissioner. He called the discovery of the second bomb "troubling," but urged the public to remain vigilant and report suspicious behavior to authorities. The second vehicle was ticketed about 2:30 a.m. Friday (9:30 p.m. Thursday ET), Clarke said. It was near Trafalgar Square, roughly a half-mile from where the first vehicle -- also a Mercedes -- had been found about an hour earlier. (Posted 4:33 p.m.) New York man arrested after police find explosive chemicals at homeNEW YORK (CNN) -- A man who allegedly stored nearly 1,500 pounds of potassium nitrate and other chemicals in his Staten Island home and a nearby storage facility was charged with reckless endangerment Friday, according to the New York City Police Department. Police said Miguel Serrano, 57, had purchased the chemicals in bulk from an Ohio-based dealer and was intending to resell the chemicals in smaller qualities on the Internet. It was the dealer who tipped off the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives after Serrano had allegedly ordered 5,000 pounds of potassium nitrate, according to an NYPD police report. According to New York Police Sgt. Kevin Hayes, authorities found less than a thousand pounds of chemicals in the home, including potassium nitrate, sulfur, mercury, and peroxide. At the off-site storage facility, authorities found about 1,500 pounds of chemicals, mainly potassium nitrate. (Posted 4:21 p.m.) California wildfire 70% contained, more progress expectedSOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. (CNN) -- The Angora wildfire that has been raging south of Lake Tahoe in California is 70 percent contained, according to the U.S. Forest Service. Calmer winds in the area have contributed to the progress in containment efforts, and if the weather continues to be mild officials expect to have the fire fully contained by Tuesday. "Things look like they are going to unfold successfully," State Sen. George Runner said in a Friday news conference. "We are going to be able to see a containment here soon." About 3,100 acres have been burned and approximately 255 structures have been destroyed since the fire started last Sunday afternoon. (Posted 3:27 p.m.) Sources: Second car found in London with similar explosivesLONDON (CNN) -- As authorities were investigating an explosives-packed car discovered outside a nightclub near Piccadilly Circus on Friday, a second vehicle was discovered that had similar explosive material inside, security sources told CNN. The second car had been parked underground near Trafalgar Square, in an area where parking was not allowed. Workers towed it to a lot on Park Lane near Buckingham Palace, and thought it smelled of gasoline. Given the reports that gasoline was among the explosive material found in the other car, they became suspicious, security sources said. Authorities blocked off a section of Park Lane while they examined the car, and discovered the material, security sources said. A U.S. source with knowledge of Britain's investigation told CNN the second car is linked to the first. (Posted 2:44 p.m.) Gates, focused on thwarting IEDs, wants manufacturers to speed up production of key vehicleWASHINGTON (CNN) -- The U.S. defense secretary Friday said the government is doing all it can to thwart what has been termed the Iraqi insurgent's weapon of choice -- the improvised explosive device. And that includes pressuring manufacturers to help speed up the building a key military vehicle. "This has been an evolving threat and it's been an evolving response. And we're dealing with, as you've heard us say before, a smart, agile enemy who adjusts his tactics," said Secretary Robert Gates, talking about IEDs, which are most commonly used as roadside bombs. Gates said there are many ways to fight IEDs, including building personal relationships with Iraqis, launching military campaigns to uncover insurgent networks, and speeding up manufacture of key protective vehicles known as MRAPs -- mine-resistant ambush protected vehicles. They will have a V-shaped hull to direct the impact of a blast away from the center of the vehicle. But MRAP production is not proceeding quickly enough, he said, and "for every month we delay, scores of young Americans are going to die. Right now, I want them there fast enough that we're actually flying some of these vehicles to Iraq." (Posted 2:41 p.m.) Explosives-packed car discovered outside London clubLONDON (CNN) -- A car found packed with fuel and nails outside a nightclub near Piccadilly Circus in the heart of London could have caused "considerable loss of life," British Home Secretary Jacqui Smith said Friday. The "potentially viable explosive device" was discovered in the early hours of Friday, she said. Later, authorities shut down a stretch of road near Buckingham Palace to investigate suspicious vehicle. A senior U.S. official with knowledge of the London investigation told CNN the car on that road -- Park Lane -- was linked to the vehicle outside the club, and that some materials found inside the car were very similar to explosives materials found in the car near Piccadilly Circus. In the car near Piccadilly Circus, a cell phone was found as part of the device, security sources with knowledge of the investigation said. The sources said it was not immediately known what role the cell phone may have played in the device. But the sources said the device was apparently set up for remote detonation. (Posted 2:25 p.m.) Brownback: Vote switch on immigration was effort 'to send a clear signal'WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kan., is defending his last-minute switch on the immigration bill Thursday, a change he made after it became clear the measure was doomed. The presidential candidate claimed he was trying to send two messages at once. "I wanted to send a clear signal that I am for comprehensive immigration reform but now is not the time, this is not the vehicle," Brownback told CNN Radio's Dick Uliano. Brownback initially voted in favor of cloture, or keeping the bill alive, during the pivotal Thursday roll call. But 15 minutes after he cast that vote, a flurry of opposition crystallized into 45 fatal votes against the bill, making it clear it was going to die. At that point, Brownback changed his position. (Posted 1:35 p.m.) One London road reopened, another remains shutLONDON (CNN) -- After closing a stretch of road near Buckingham Palace to investigate a suspicious vehicle Friday, authorities temporarily closed another stretch of road a few miles to the east. City of London police said Fleet Street from Fetter Lane to Ludgate Circus was cordoned off because of a suspicious vehicle. But police said there turned out to be no threat at that location, and the security cordon was lifted. Park Lane remained closed from Hyde Park Corner to Marble Arch, along with a connecting section of Oxford Street. That area is near the heart of London. The developments came after the discovery of a car bomb earlier in the day near Piccadilly Circus. (Posted 12:58 p.m.) Attack killing 5 U.S. troops called 'very violent,' relatively sophisticatedBAGHDAD (CNN) -- The U.S. military death toll in Iraq this month has reached 99, with the latest attack killing five soldiers Thursday in a volatile area of southern Baghdad -- a strike that a top American commander called relatively sophisticated and particularly violent. "It was a very violent attack, and we thought it did show a level of sophistication that we have not often seen so far in this campaign," Pentagon reporters were told by Army Maj. Gen. Joseph F. Fil Jr., commanding general of Multi-National Division Baghdad and First Cavalry Division. But he added, "As we have gone through the city and concentrated in a lot of the areas where they had free rein some time before, those areas are now denied to them. And so their freedom of maneuver inside of the city, their own battle space, has been more and more restricted, and their support zones have been severely restricted, both inside the city and also in the belts around the city. "And so they're running out of maneuver space, and they are starting to fight very hard, and that's what we saw yesterday." He was speaking from Baghdad, answering questions about that attack, the troop increase and operations in Baghdad. (Posted 12:54 p.m.) Cell phone also found in explosives-packed car in LondonLONDON (CNN) -- A car packed with fuel and nails outside a nightclub near Piccadilly Circus in the heart of London could have caused "considerable loss of life," British Home Secretary Jacqui Smith said Friday. The "potentially viable explosive device" was discovered in the early hours of Friday, she said. Security sources with knowledge of the investigation said a cell phone was found as part of the device, but it was not immediately clear whether it was to be used as a detonator or timer, or in some other way. The sources said the device was apparently set up for remote detonation. (Posted 11:52 a.m.) U.S. commander: Much of indirect fire aimed at Baghdad's Green Zone is carried out with munitions from IranBAGHDAD (CNN) -- A U.S. Army commander said Friday that much of the indirect fire aimed at the Green Zone is carried out with munitions hailing from Iran and is fired from places in and around the Shiite Baghdad neighborhood of Sadr City. As the commander, Army Maj. Gen. Joseph F. Fil Jr., briefed reporters about the issue, officials told CNN that several explosions had been heard Friday inside the Green Zone -- a heavily fortified four-square-mile area that houses U.S. military and diplomatic agencies and Iraq government offices. It is also called the International Zone. Fil -- commanding general of Multi-National Division Baghdad and First Cavalry Division -- told Pentagon reporters that "much of the indirect fire that we receive, especially that which is pointed at the International Zone, the Green Zone is, in fact, Iranian." Indirect fire is a reference to mortars and artillery fire. "When we check the tail fins of the mortars, when we find the rockets -- frequently we're able to find them pre-emptively before they actually launch -- there's no doubt that they're coming out of Iran," Fil said. (Posted 11:31 a.m.) Inflation tame as income, spending miss forecastsNEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Consumers' spending and income improved a little less than expected in May, according to a government report Friday that also provided a favorable reading on a key inflation measure. Spending by individuals rose 0.5 percent in the month, the same as the rise in April. But economists surveyed by Briefing.com had forecast a 0.7 percent rise in spending. Personal income was up 0.4 percent, better than the 0.2 percent decline in the revised April reading. But that, too, was below the forecast of 0.5 percent rise. But the report was still seen as good news by economists and investors because the so-called core PCE deflator, a closely watched inflation reading that measures the prices paid by individuals excluding food and energy, was up only 0.1 percent, in line with forecasts and the April gain. (Posted 10:50 a.m.) Supreme Court agrees to consider 2 petitions from Guantanamo Bay detaineesWASHINGTON (CNN) -- In a surprise legal pivot that gives hope to suspected enemy fighters held by the U.S. military, the Supreme Court on Friday accepted appeals from two men detained for years at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Oral arguments will be held in the fall. The order was the last major business by the justices until they return from summer recess in three months. The justices had an apparent change of heart after rejecting a similar appeal from the men in April. Court officials said it was the first time in decades the justices had accepted such a petition for rehearing after an earlier rejection. At issue are the rights of the detainees to contest their imprisonment and the rules set up to try them. A law passed last fall would limit court jurisdiction to hear such challenges. It is something the justices have decided twice before, ruling each time against the government's authority to hold people it labels "enemy combatants." (Posted 10:45 a.m.) Suspect vehicle on road near Buckingham Palace; road closedLONDON (CNN) -- A stretch of road near Buckingham Palace has been closed because of a suspicious vehicle, Metropolitan Police said. Park Lane was closed from Hyde Park Corner to Marble Arch, and a connecting section of Oxford Street was closed as well. The area is near the heart of London. The development came after the discovery of a car bomb earlier in the day near Piccadilly Circus. (Posted 9:35 a.m.) Troops kill militants in southern, eastern Afghanistan(CNN) -- U.S.-led coalition troops on Friday killed an undetermined number of militants in actions targeting Taliban and enemy fighters in southern and eastern Afghanistan, the U.S. military said. Acting on "credible intelligence," the troops launched operations early Friday on three compounds in the Sherzad district of eastern Afghanistan's Nangarhar province -- all suspected of being bases for Taliban and foreign fighters. (Posted 8:57 a.m.) Explosives-packed car discovered outside London clubLONDON (CNN) -- A car packed with fuel and nails outside a nightclub near Piccadilly Circus in the heart of London could have caused "considerable loss of life," British Home Secretary Jacqui Smith said Friday. The "potentially viable explosive device" was discovered in the early hours of Friday, she said. The area is central to London's nightlife. London terror police said an ambulance crew noticed smoking coming from the car and alerted explosive experts, who defused it early Friday. The bomb's discovery in front of the Tiger Tiger club around 1:30 a.m. prompted the closing of several streets until the silver Mercedes Benz sedan was hauled off nine hours later. "We're currently facing the most serious and sustained threat to our security from international terrorism," Smith said. Metropolitan Police Deputy Assistant Commissioner Peter Clarke said it was too soon to speculate who was behind the car bomb and what the target might have been, but "many, many people" were nearby. (Posted 8:55 a.m.) U.S., Iraq probing claims that last week's helicopter strike killed civiliansBAGHDAD (CNN) -- U.S. and Iraqi authorities are investigating claims that last week's U.S. air attack on insurgents in a Diyala province village killed civilians, including villagers defending their community. The incident occurred last Friday in a village "southwest of Khalis" near Baquba, the U.S. military said. "Iraqi police were conducting security operations" when helicopters and ground forces "observed more than 15 armed men attempting to circumvent the IPs and infiltrate the village," the military said at the time. The military said "the attack helicopters, armed with missiles, engaged and killed 17 al Qaeda gunmen and destroyed the vehicle they were using." (Posted 7:57 a.m.) Police: Car packed with gas, nails could have caused 'significant injury or loss of life'LONDON (CNN) -- A car bomb parked in front of a busy nightclub near Piccadilly Circus in the heart of London could have caused "significant injury or loss of life" if an ambulance crew hadn't noticed it smoking and alerted explosive experts who defused it early Friday morning, according to London terror police. Metropolitan Police Deputy Assistant Commissioner Peter Clarke said it was too soon to speculate who was behind the car bomb and what the target might have been, but "many, many people" were nearby. An ambulance crew called to the Tiger Tiger club to treat an ill person noticed what "appeared to be smoke inside the vehicle" and alerted police explosive officers who then looked inside the sedan, Clarke said. "In the car, they found significant quantities of petrol together with a number of gas cylinders," Clarke said. While he could not immediately say how much fuel was there, one source told CNN it added up to 50 gallons. "Even at this stage, it is obvious that if the device had detonated there could have been significant injury or loss of life," Clarke said. "The vehicle was parked in one of the busiest parts of central London in the early hours of Friday morning when many, many people were leaving nightclubs and other places after the evening hours." (Posted 7:54 a.m.) Coalition troops in Iraq kill 3 insurgents near FallujaBAGHDAD (CNN) -- Coalition troops in Iraq on Friday killed three insurgents and detained 26 others in raids targeting al Qaeda in Iraq networks. The military on Friday said three people were killed east of Falluja, in the largely Sunni region of Anbar province, with 16 people were arrested in that incident. There also were raids near Karma, south of Baghdad, Mosul and in the Tarmiya area. The military Friday also reported on the activities of U.S. troops in Baghdad Wednesday and Thursday. Troops killed three insurgents and wounded two others. And, they "found a cache of Iranian-made rocket materials, stopped the emplacement of an improvised explosive device and detained numerous suspected terrorists." (Posted 7:41 a.m.) FBI monitoring London development; no specific info on threat in United StatesWASHINGTON (CNN) -- The FBI and Department of Homeland Security are closely monitoring the situation in London where a car bomb was found Friday morning, an official told CNN, and have had no indication there is a specific threat related to the incident in the United States. "We have long maintained a close working relationship with our British partners in the law enforcement and intelligence community to share information. It is early in this investigation. All appropriate leads will be followed," said FBI Special Agent Richard Kolko. "At this time, we have no specific information on any threats related to this incident here in the U.S., however, as always, we ask people to remain vigilant and report suspicious activity to law enforcement." (Posted 7:35 a.m.) Iraqi State TV: Al-Sadr cancels big march to SamarraBAGHDAD (CNN) -- Anti-American Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr decided Friday to postpone a nationwide march he called to protest the recent bombing of a Shiite shrine in Samarra. This comes a day after the prime minister's office said security needed to be improved on the road from Baghdad to Samarra and amid concerns and threats from Sunnis. State TV reported the development, saying that al-Sadr postponed the march to Al-Askariya Mosque until further notice. Al-Sadr called for his Shiite followers to march July 5 to the mosque after it was bombed, apparently by Sunni militants, earlier this month. Al-Sadr is popular in Iraq's Shiite heartland and authorities believe such a protest would have been huge. (Posted 7:34 a.m.) 'Potentially viable explosive device' found and 'made safe' in central LondonLONDON (CNN) -- Scotland Yard launched a terror investigation Friday after police discovered a "potentially viable explosive device" inside a car near Piccadilly Circus in the heart of London, a police statement said. Security sources called it a bomb, telling CNN's Paula Newton that it "was relatively crude," but potentially deadly, consisting of 200 liters (52 gallons) of fuel. The device may have been connected to a detonator, sources said. "This incident does recall the need for us to be vigilant at all times and the public to be alert at any potential incidents," said Prime Minister Gordon Brown. Police responded to reports of a suspicious vehicle in The Haymarket in the heart of the theater district, shortly before 2 a.m. (9 p.m. ET Thursday). The Mercedes-Benz sedan was found outside a night club and restaurant called Tiger Tiger. The device was "made safe," according to police, and the vehicle was examined by explosives experts before being loaded onto a transport and hauled away shortly before 10:30 a.m. (Posted 6 a.m.) 'Potentially viable explosive device' found and 'made safe' in central LondonLONDON (CNN) -- Scotland Yard cordoned off several streets in central London near Picadilly Circus early Friday after discovering what police described as a "potentially viable explosive device," a police statement said. The device was "made safe," according to police and the vehicle is being examined by explosives officers. A terrorism investigation has been launched. The Transport for London Web site says the Piccadilly Circus underground station is closed "due to a security alert outside the station." (Posted 3:55 a.m.) Roadside bomb kills 5 U.S. soldiers, wounds 7BAGHDAD (CNN) -- Five U.S. soldiers were killed and seven others wounded when a roadside bomb exploded near their combat patrol in southern Baghdad Thursday, according to the U.S. military. The patrol was also attacked with rocket-propelled grenades and small arms fire after the explosion, the military said. The number of U.S. troops killed in Iraq this month now numbers 98. The death toll for U.S. military personnel in the Iraq war stands at 3,575. (Posted 3:45 a.m.) Coalition forces raid Taliban compounds in eastern Afghanistan(CNN) -- U.S.-led coalition and Afghan forces detained 16 militants and killed an undetermined number of others in raids targeting Taliban fighters in eastern Afghanistan's Nangarhar province, a U.S. military statement said. Acting on "credible intelligence," coalition forces launched operations early Friday on three compounds in the Sherzad district -- all suspected of being bases for Taliban and foreign fighters. "Taliban forces inside two of the compounds attempted to engage coalition forces as they approached," the statement said. "The forces fired on the militants, killing the assailants and quickly securing the compounds." There were no civilian casualties in the operations, according to the military. (Posted 1:20 a.m.) Authorities investigate chemicals found in N.Y. homeNEW YORK (CNN) -- Several blocks were cordoned off and a few dozen homes were evacuated in Staten Island, N.Y., Thursday evening as police investigated a "large amount" of chemicals found at a home and a nearby commercial storage facility, police said. According to New York Police Sgt. Kevin Hayes, authorities found less than a thousand pounds of chemicals in the home, including potassium nitrate, sulfur, mercury,and peroxide. At the off-site storage facility, authorities found about 1,500 of chemicals, mainly potassium nitrate. The NYPD's Paul Brown said there is no indication the chemicals were being used for bomb-making or anything terror-related. According to Brown, the man was purchasing the chemicals in bulk and reselling them on the internet. Potassium nitrate can be used to make gunpowder, rocket fuel or to clean septic tanks. It is the oxidizing (oxygen-supplying) component of gunpowder. Potassium nitrate can also be used to cure meats. According to Hayes, police have a man in his 50s in custody, who has been cooperative with investigators. (Posted midnight) |
 | Obama toasts India at first state dinnerPresident Obama toasted a growing U.S. friendship with India at the first state dinner of his administration Tuesday, an evening of regal pageantry and symb ... |
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