Los Angeles

Poll: More in U.S. accept gays

Gays and lesbians have experienced a dramatic rise in acceptance in the past two decades, according to a new Los Angeles Times Poll.

Almost seven in 10 Americans know someone who is gay or lesbian and say they would not be troubled if their elementary school-age child had a homosexual teacher. Six in 10 say they are sympathetic to the gay community, displaying an increasing inclination to view same-sex issues through a prism of societal accommodation rather than moral condemnation.

A slim majority of people opposed same-sex marriage — an issue that has driven the subject of homosexual rights to the forefront as Massachusetts prepares to allow gays and lesbians to marry next month.

Yet the nationwide survey showed that regardless of their feelings on the subject, 59 percent of respondents think legal recognition of marriage for same-sex couples is inevitable.

Washington, D.C.

U.S. issues terror warning during religious holidays

The government is urging extra vigilance by authorities against potential terrorist activity during the Easter and Passover holidays.

“We note that although al-Qaida typically has not planned its operations around religious holidays, the Judeo-Christian holiday week may present opportunities for attacks,” according to a draft bulletin by the Homeland Security Department that was going out Saturday.

Easter week culminates today. The weeklong Jewish Passover holiday began Monday night.

The bulletin says the intelligence agencies have noted heightened terrorist activity around the world in recent weeks. Among them are the train bombing in Spain and the arrests in London of a number of men who allegedly were found with half a ton of ammonium nitrate, which is the fertilizer compound used in the Oklahoma City bombing.

Michigan

Children on Easter egg hunt find guns in schoolyard

A group of children hunting for Easter eggs Saturday during a church event found two loaded handguns outside an elementary school.

Flint police said officers were called to the scene and also recovered a BB gun and a broken toy gun on the grounds of Gundry Elementary School. No one was injured.

One of the guns discharged when it was dropped, according to a police report, but it was unclear who dropped it.