Today's news

--> U.S.: Wisconsin and Hawaii handed Sen. Barack Obama his 9th and 10th consecutive wins Tuesday, CNN projects, while Sen. John McCain picked up two more states in his march to the Republican nomination.

Obama has emerged as the Democratic front-runner over Sen. Hillary Clinton after a split-decision on Super Tuesday two weeks ago.

--> U.S.: Inflation rose more than expected last month, the government reported on today, adding to worries about the economy and sending a reminder to central bankers that rising prices remain a threat.

Meanwhile, the housing crisis continued to take a toll on residential home construction. Groundbreakings for homes rose slightly but remained near their lowest levels since the early 1990s, and permits for new home projects fell again.

The inflation report raised concerns among some investors that the Federal Reserve will back away from cutting interest rates again at its next meeting, on March 18, and stocks declined at the opening bell.

--> Cape Canaveral, FL: The space shuttle Atlantis, after successfully delivering a major new section to the International Space Station, glided home for a landing at the Kennedy Space Center today, announcing its arrival moments before with twin sonic booms.

Ending a challenging 13-day mission, Atlantis and a crew of seven took advantage of favorable weather to return to Florida and clear the way for a Department of Defense attempt to bring down a failed spy satellite.