MADRID, Spain - A Spanish airliner bound for the Canary Islands at the height of the vacation season crashed, burned and broke into pieces Wednesday while trying to take off from Madrid, killing 149 people on board, officials said.

By HAROLD HECKLE, A

A four-year college degree, seen for generations as a ticket to a better life, is no longer enough to guarantee a steadily rising paycheck. By GREG IP

WASHINGTON - Democrat Barack Obama raised $52 million last month for his presidential campaign, more than twice as much as Republican rival John McCain in a significant boost to his financial cache for the fall contest. By JIM KUHNHENN

AAA's daily survey tops the milestone for the first time after a 1.7-cent rise Sunday.

Social networking site CapitolHillMatch.com (CHM) is now in alpha testing for the expected Beta in May.