NATION IN BRIEF

Mich. Ends Licenses for Illegal Immigrants

LANSING, Mich. -- Michigan will no longer let illegal immigrants get new driver's licenses, a practice still allowed in seven other states, including Maryland. Michigan Secretary of State Terri Lynn Land, who oversees the state motor vehicle department and announced the new policy, said it takes effect Tuesday. The policy aims to comply with state Attorney General Mike Cox's legally binding opinion, issued last month, that said granting licenses to illegal immigrants is inconsistent with federal law. Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah and Washington do not require drivers to prove legal status to obtain a license.

Flight Diverted After Turbulence Injures 10

DENVER -- Heavy turbulence injured 10 people, including two flight attendants, on a United Airlines flight from Los Angeles bound for Chicago, the airline said. Flight 1028 was diverted to Denver International Airport, and the injured were taken to Denver hospitals, the airline said. Their conditions have not been released. Maintenance crews inspected and cleared the Boeing 757, and it completed the flight to Chicago, the airline said.

Skier Killed in Montana Avalanche

BIG SKY, Mont. -- An avalanche killed a backcountry skier in the mountains west of Big Sky, the Gallatin National Forest Avalanche Center said. The avalanche swept the man into trees, and he was dead from trauma when searchers found him within 10 minutes of the slide, the center said in a statement. Avalanches have killed at least 22 people across the West since Dec. 2. The national average for avalanche deaths is about 25 a year, according to the Colorado Avalanche Information Center.

-- From News Services