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Countdown with 'Countdown'

Simultaneous 'Countdown' of the top news stories exclusively  at Countdown.msnbc.com
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School shootings — Teachers who heard him speak of racial purity couldn't stop him.  A disciplinary program that kept him out of school, couldn't stop him.  A metal detector couldn't stop him.  And this country's experience at Columbine couldn't stop him.  Nine are dead, including a teacher and five students — and their murderer, whom authorities described variously as 16 or 17, and .  Authorities in Red Lake, Minnesota provided a clearer picture of just what happened yesterday afternoon.  The FBI says it began at the home of Weise's grandfather — a police officer.  The young man killed the officer and his female companion.  Donning the man's police-issue gun belt and bulletproof vest, he headed to Red Lake High School in his grandfather's police cruiser.  Once at the school, he shot through a metal detector and killed an unarmed security guard.  Making his way down the hall and into a classroom, Weise then shot a group of students and a teacher inside, killing five of them including the teacher.  Eventually  after exchanging fire with several police officers who had arrived on the scene – Weise turned the gun on himself…Those who survived — and their families — are shocked and amazed that more people were not hurt...Relatives say that he was often teased for being a misfit and a loner.  Students pointed out that he may have posted messages on a neo-Nazi website expressing an admiration for Adolf Hitler.  No motives have been confirmed at this time.

New memorial exhibit — We have understood it since the beginning of time.  Humans respond to other human faces.  It's one of the first things we do as infants.  But only, perhaps, on the night of September 11, 2001, was the depth of that response made clear to us.  The human face may be the most eloquent testimony to loss.  After 9/11, it was the missing posters of New York City.  Now, in this week of the second anniversary of the war in Iraq, it may be a more formalized presentation, at the Arlington National Cemetery, outside Washington in "."  There are 1,327 individual portraits by 200 artists, each with the name and hometown of a U.S. soldier killed in Iraq or Afghanistan.  Images are arranged chronologically based on time of death.  In the time it has taken to assemble the memorial, that death toll has climbed to more than 1600.

Schiavo legal battle — For the many for whom the name Terri Schiavo was unknown last week, or at least last month, it will no doubt come as a shock, that the protracted legal, ethical and medical dramas now plays out on the world stage.  Two months ago this Thursday — the justices refused to reinstate a Florida law specially enacted to force her feeding tube to be kept in place.  But the ... a Federal Judge refused to order the tube re-inserted on an emergency basis.  The Justice Department has gotten involved tonight, urging the 11th Court of Appeals to either order Terri Schiavo's feeding tube re-inserted, or force the trial judge to do it.  A three judge panel is still working at the court this hour, considering the family's appeal.  Stay tuned to MSNBC for details as they come in.

Queen Camilla — If you are under the age of 30, maybe under the age of 40, you will find this hard to believe... but it's true: the Royal Family of England was not created to provide continuous comic relief to a grateful world.  Yet, they've done it again.   Queen Elizabeth's brood is facing another surprise disaster about the wedding of Prince Charles. Itself already mockingly known as the Thrilla in Camilla.  While Prince Charles and Camilla say they have no intention of wanting Camilla to be known as 'Queen,' the law states otherwise.  All hail Queen Camilla.

Bonds talks retirement — Well, .  And to understand the implications, you do not have to be a sports fan.  The man who is just twelve home runs away from being able to say "I hit more home runs than Babe Ruth did"... and just 53 away from being able to say "I hit more home runs than anybody else did" today .  Barry Bonds pulled a Michael Jackson this morning, showing up to the San Francisco Giants' training camp on crutches.  This comes a week after his third knee operation since last season.  The team had suggested he could be back by Opening Day.  But Bonds today told reporters it could be months, not weeks, before he plays again.  Maybe not till next season.  Maybe not ever — all because of the continuing accusations that he used illegal, performance-enhancing steroids….Just this past weekend, the San Francisco Chronicle reported that an ex-girl friend of Bonds had testified to a Grand Jury that he had told her in the year 2000, that he had begun using steroids.