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March 16, 2012 | | TOLL The U.S. sergeant who is suspected of going on a shooting rampage Sunday in an Afghan village, leaving 16 civilians dead, had reportedly been drinking—he was also experiencing stress from his fourth combat tour, which was causing marital problems, a senior American official said. The official said the soldier just "snapped." Benjamin Busch, a former Marine and author of the new war memoir Dust to Dust writes that America cannot simply dismiss the soldier as an anomaly: "An army of one. But that one man is one of us." The terrible tragedy exposes the confusion and steep cost of the U.S. war in Afghanistan. CONTROVERSIAL North Korea announced Friday its plans to launch a satellite using a long-range rocket, barely two weeks after agreeing to a deal with the U.S. that it wouldn't do so. The launch, which the country described as both scientific and celebratory, will take place between April 12 and 16 to mark the centenary of the birth of Kim Il-sung, the country's founder and grandfather of its current leader, Kim Jong-un. However, Seoul has already condemned it as a "grave provocative act against peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and in Northeast Asia," and the U.S. State Department has echoed its sentiments. North Korea's deal with the U.S.—which included halting nuclear tests and long-range missile launches in exchange for U.S. aid—was seen by Washington as a first step to resolving years of tension in the region.
PROGRESS Britain is set to collaborate with the U.S. to tap strategic oil stocks within months, British sources confirmed to Reuters, in an effort to prevent record gas prices from stifling economic growth during a U.S. election year. U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron and President Obama had discussed the issue Wednesday, though U.S. officials denied reports that they had reached an agreement. In a meeting with students at New York University on Thursday, Cameron said the decision wasn't final, but that both the U.S. and U.K. would "Like to see global oil prices at a lower level than they are." Details of the emergency tapping haven't been settled, but a source said an agreement is expected by next summer. DISASTER More than 100 homes have been damaged after a tornado ripped through rural Michigan on Thursday, downing trees and power lines and sparking fires and flooding. In and around the town of Dexter, 13 homes were completely flattened, officials said, but crews assessing the damage say so far there are no reports of deaths or serious injuries. 17-MINUTE PITCH President Obama wants you to join him in a 17-minute journey on "The Road We've Traveled." The president's campaign released its documentary Thursday night on a YouTube livestream and several campaign office screenings. The main pitch: the nation is on an economic upswing. With news clips, interviews, and official footage, the film shows that Obama inherited a country in trouble, made bold reforms, and has the United States ready for a comeback. Directed by Davis Guggenheim, who made An Inconvenient Truth, and narrated by Tom Hanks, the documentary is slick, but functions like a campaign advertisement. A whopping three minutes spotlights Obama's support of the Detroit automakers bailout. (Hint: Looks as though Obama knows who his Republican opponent will be.) Watch it here.
FIRST LADIES Who's Cooler: Mobama or SamCam? Appearing beside Michelle Obama at the State Dinner, the wife of the British prime minister sent a distinct message about British fashion. TOO CLOSE Stars' Awkward Family Smooches Bobbi Kristina was caught kissing her adopted 'brother'—see more celebrities accused of getting too cozy with kin. | | 
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