News Buzz: Killer China Quake, West Virginia Primary, and More

A 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck China today with early reports that 7,600 people died in Sichuan province alone. The earthquake occurred in the afternoon, when schools and office buildings were packed. Chinese state media reported that 80 percent of the buildings had collapsed in Sichuan's Beichuan county, raising fears that the death toll will rise substantially as more information comes in. There were reports that a number of school buildings collapsed in the province, including one said to have trapped 900 students under the rubble. The quake struck 60 miles northwest of Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province. It also rattled buildings in Beijing, some 930 miles to the north, and was felt as far away as Pakistan, Vietnam, and Thailand.

While Hillary Clinton is expected to win big in West Virginia tomorrow and Kentucky next week, there are some signs that her campaign may be winding down, the Associated Press is reporting this morning. She has stopped making pointed jabs at Obama and has pledged to support the Democratic nominee no matter what. While Clinton says she is not dropping out of the race, she is behind in pledged delegates and the popular vote, and over the weekend for the first time rival Barack Obama overtook her lead in superdelegates.

More then a week after the cyclone, the United States delivered its first relief supplies to Myanmar today as the United Nations encouraged the nation's reclusive military junta to open its doors to experts who could assist the 2 million storm victims facing disease and starvation. A U.S. military cargo plane carried 14 tons of supplies from Thailand to Yangon, where the goods will be placed in Army trucks and delivered to the worst-hit regions of the country.