Thirteen charged in fatal Florida A&M hazing

By Mike Schneider

Thirteen people were charged in one of the biggest college hazing cases ever prosecuted in the US, accused in the death of a Florida A&M University drum major.

A Republican Missouri House member who previously served in the U.S. Air Force publicly announced Wednesday that he is gay and called upon GOP leaders in the state Legislature to withdraw a bill that would limit discussion of sexual orientation in public schools.

Mother says sun, not salon, burned girl

A New Jersey mother accused of causing skin burns to her young daughter by taking her into a tanning booth pleaded not guilty Wednesday to a child endangerment charge.

The Israeli military said Wednesday it has closed its investigation into the shelling deaths of 21 members of a single Palestinian family and would not file any charges in what was one of the gravest incidents in the 2009 war in the Gaza Strip. The military’s move, which exonerates Israeli soldiers from any responsibility in the killings, outraged relatives of the killed Palestinians and the Israeli human rights group that had pressed for the investigation. They said the findings proved the army is not capable of investigating the conduct of its soldiers.

Suu Kyi sworn in to Myanmar’s Parliament

By Aye Aye Win and Todd Pitman

Aung San Suu Kyi was sworn in as a lawmaker Wednesday, capping a tenacious, decades-long journey from political prisoner to parliamentarian.

By Zeina Karam

Syrian government forces clashed with army defectors in the country’s north on Wednesday, causing casualties and further enflaming an area near the Turkish border.

letters | arguing for people’s rights amendment

“In the 1800s American citizens feared the consequences of a rise among private corporations.” — Severyn Bruyn

letters | arguing for people’s rights amendment

“Corporations are NOT people, and money is NOT speech — at least, not in the world I envision.” — Terra Friedrichs

letters | arguing for people’s rights amendment

“I will consider a corporation as a person when all its officers and shareholders can be strip-searched by the police for minor infractions.” — Roger Danchik

BOSTON

A Roslindale man was arraigned in Roxbury District Court this week after police said they found more than 10 kilograms of cocaine in a hidden compartment of the van he was driving.

BOSTON

A man and a woman pleaded not guilty Wednesday to charges of trafficking in cocaine after they allegedly accepted Express Mail envelopes containing kilo-sized packages of the white powder, said Suffolk District Attorney Daniel F. Conley’s office.

DARTMOUTH

The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth said Wednesday that the state’s public law school has made a significant step toward accreditation.

MARKET MOVERS

OpenTable stock loses the most ever

OpenTable Inc. sank 15 percent, the most since it went public in May 2009.

Bankrate’s first-quarter profit doubled from a year earlier, to $10.15 million or 10 cents per share.

The producer of whole bean coffee posted a first-quarter profit of 25 cents a share, missing the average analyst estimate of 31 cents.

By Laurence Arnold

Howard S. Turner, who helped oversee construction of Madison Square Garden as president of Turner Construction Co., has died.

George Vujnovich, US agent set up WWII rescue of 500

George Vujnovich, the intelligence agent who organized a World War II mission to rescue more than 500 US bomber crew members shot down over Nazi-occupied Serbia, died at 96.

Earl Rose, medical examiner in Dallas when JFK died, 85

Dr. Earl Rose, the medical examiner in Dallas when President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in 1963, has died at age 85.

On basketball

By Gary Washburn

If the Celtics carry a healthy amount of respect for their opponent, it will show that even the old guys can learn from past experiences.

Players pay dearly in Saints’ bounty scandal

By Judy Battista

Linebacker Jonathan Vilma received the stiffest penalty, a one-season ban, as the fallout from the bounty program continued.

Patriots notebook

Patriots re-sign receiver Jabar Gaffney

By Greg A. Bedard and Shalise Manza Young

Gaffney, who caught 85 passes and scored eight touchdowns for New England from 2006-08, adds to an impressive list of receivers.

Philip Treacy is a man of many hats

By Christopher Muther

The celebrated milliner is creating a hat for a historic fashion show in Portsmouth, N.H.

ROFLCon brings a convention of Internet hit-makers to MIT

By Luke O’Neil

The idea behind ROFLCon is an ambitious one: to bring a swath of the Internet’s pop culture players and viral celebrities together under one roof.

E.L. James dishes on her life as mother, wife, and erotic novelist

By Beth Teitell

Talk about a fantasy. In mere months, she went from being a little-known author to a global publishing sensation with her “Fifty Shades of Grey” trilogy.

Globe North

BB&N’s Chris Coady heading for Duke

By Ryan MacInnis

The Buckingham, Browne, and Nichols senior will play lacrosse, where he has developed into a defensive force.

By David Rattigan

Wilhemina Sheedy Moores will be one of three choices for two seats held by incumbants Sandy Jacques and Sarah Wilkinson.

By Brenda J. Buote

The city has reached an agreement with its local unions on a new health care plan for municipal employees and retirees.

Book Buzz

‘Come Home’ by Lisa Scottoline

By Nancy Harris

The book explores a mother’s bond with her child.

Pat White arrived at Western New England University in 2008 determined on making a big impact for the men’s lacrosse program. As a senior, the 5-foot-9, 190-pound Catholic Memorial graduate from Milton is putting together a terrific season (35 goals, 8 assists) for the Golden Bears (10-4), who were scheduled to host Gordon in the semifinals of the Commonwealth Coast Conference on Wednesday.

Letter to the editor regarding “Herring back in promising numbers,” April 29

By Milva DiDomizio

Things to do West of Boston

As a youngster, Needham’s Travis Jonasson attended baseball clinics at nearby Babson College, learned the fundamentals of hitting from Beavers coach Matt Noone. Later, while starring on the diamond at Catholic Memorial, Jonasson worked at Noone’s summer camps before enrolling at Babson, where the senior captain is among the program’s career leaders in hit by pitches (1st, 38), walks (4th, 88), runs (5th, 129), total bases (5th, 251), and games played (5th, 149).

By Betsy Levinson

Lydia Lodynsky hasn’t lost her fire for promoting responsible pet ownership after voters at Concord’s Town Meeting last week shot down her measures aimed at cracking down on free-roaming cats.