News

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  Rescue plan disappointment contributes to sell-off

  The government's $700 billion rescue, aimed at rebuilding economic confidence, appeared to sound a global alarm instead on Monday, triggering a fearful international sell-off as the U.S. began work on a plan that investors feared would be too little and too late to stave off a worldwide recession.

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  Lehman sought millions for execs while seeking aid

  The now-bankrupt investment bank Lehman Brothers arranged millions in bonuses for fired executives as it pleaded for a federal lifeline, lawmakers learned Monday, as Congress began investigating what went so wrong on Wall Street to prompt a $700 billion government bailout.

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  Character attacks emerge in McCain-Obama race

  The two men who supposedly exemplified a different kind of politics are engaged in an increasingly bitter campaign as character attacks are emerging to compete with issues like the troubled economy.

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  Prosecutors move to delay Rezko sentencing

  Federal prosecutors moved Monday to delay indefinitely the sentencing of convicted fundraiser Antoin "Tony" Rezko, sending their strongest hint yet that he is ready to spill his political secrets.

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  Obama awarded Illinois grants to relative's group

  As a state senator, Democrat Barack Obama awarded $75,000 in government grants to a Chicago social service organization led by a rabbi who is also his wife's cousin, records show.

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  6 die in family murder-suicide in upscale LA home

  An unemployed man with an advanced finance degree who was despondent over his own financial problems shot and killed his wife, three children, mother-in-law and then himself in an upscale home in a gated community, police said Monday.

• Fan use linked to lower risk of sudden baby death

  Using a fan to circulate air seemed to lower the risk of sudden infant death syndrome in a study of nearly 500 babies, researchers reported Monday. Placing babies on their backs to sleep is the best advice for preventing SIDS, a still mysterious cause of death.

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  R. Kelly seeks $3.4 million from tour promoter

  R. Kelly has won a $3.4 million award against his former tour promoter and is asking a Los Angeles judge to help him collect.

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  Red Sox beat Angels 3-2, move on to ALCS

  The Boston Red Sox brushed aside the 100-win Angels in four games, dismissing their best-in-baseball regular season as last month's news.

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  Nervous markets take heart from big Australia rate cut

  Guarded optimism mounted on Tuesday for a unified international response to the credit crisis ricocheting around the world after Australia cut interest rates far more steeply than expected.

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  Panic over financial system knocks Asia stocks

  Panic about how the U.S. and European governments have not yet found a solution to the plague sweeping through the global financial system hit Asian stocks again on Tuesday and lifted gold prices.

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  McCain, Obama unleash another round of attacks

  Republican John McCain and Democrat Barack Obama warmed up on Monday for a potentially crucial debate by unleashing another volley of personal attacks on each other's character in an increasingly ugly White House race.

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  BofA earnings tumble, cuts dividend

  Bank of America Corp, citing "recessionary conditions," on Monday halved its dividend and said it would sell at least $10 billion in new common stock to bolster its capital to offset rising loan losses.

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  Wachovia, Citi, Wells Fargo to halt litigation

  Wells Fargo & Co and Citigroup Inc agreed on Monday to a 44-hour truce in their fight over regional bank Wachovia Corp after a weekend of legal wrangling.

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  Palin warns Florida voters of "rough" campaigning

  Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin told Florida's voters on Monday to expect "rough" campaigning as she seeks to halt a slide in opinion polls in a state that could make or break Sen. John McCain's White House bid.

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  U.S. dismisses Afghan war comments as "defeatist"

  Britain's military commander and ambassador in Afghanistan are being "defeatist" by thinking the war cannot be won, U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said, as Washington seeks more troops for the conflict that started exactly seven years ago.

• U.S. official says online drug videos threaten teens

  The director of the White House war on drugs said on Monday that Internet videos that show people getting high pose a dangerous threat to teenagers by encouraging them to use drugs and alcohol.

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  Army sees progress in weapons programs

  Top U.S. Army officials on Monday said a $160 billion Future Combat Systems modernization program managed by Boeing Co and SAIC Inc was "on budget, on track," but could see changes over time.

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  Sen. Stevens on tape: "might serve time in jail"

  Sen. Ted Stevens told an oil-executive friend, in recordings played on Monday at the Alaska Republican's corruption trial, they both risked going to jail -- but he didn't think it would come to that.

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  Prosecutors move to delay Rezko sentencing

  Federal prosecutors moved Monday to delay indefinitely the sentencing of convicted fundraiser Antoin "Tony" Rezko, sending their strongest hint yet that he is ready to spill his political secrets.

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  Bus driver in fatal California crash is arrested

  A bus driver with a string of motor vehicle offenses and a history of substance abuse was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence Monday, hours after his casino-bound charter bus ran into a ditch, killing eight people.

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  AP Enterprise: In bad economy, power cutoffs soar

  The number of Americans whose electricity or gas has been shut off for nonpayment of their bills is up sharply in many parts of the country as people struggle to cope with higher prices and a shaky economy.

• Deadlines set for designating polar bear habitat

  The federal government will designate "critical habitat" for polar bears off Alaska's coast, a decision that could add restrictions to future offshore petroleum exploration or drilling.

• Calif. mom who drove son to gang fight convicted

  A mother was convicted of second-degree murder Monday for driving her teenage son and his friends to a fatal fight with a rival gang.

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  Prosecutor: Phoenix shooting suspect kept records

  The man accused of leading the notorious Serial Shooter attacks two years ago watched with excitement as news reports logged his alleged killings and fear spread through neighborhoods across the Phoenix area, a prosecutor said Monday.

• 'Bride' and 'groom' to be restored to Calif. forms

  The words "bride" and "groom" will reappear on all marriage license applications issued in California starting next month, state health officials said.

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  NYC council takes up term limit change this week

  Mayor Michael Bloomberg's crusade to change term limits law so he can run again gets its first official test this week with a bill in the City Council, where it will compete with legislation intended to stop him.

• 6 die in family murder-suicide in upscale LA home

  An unemployed man with an advanced finance degree who was despondent over his own financial problems shot and killed his wife, three children, mother-in-law and then himself in an upscale home in a gated community, police said Monday.

• Ky. authorities e-mail suspect in woman's death

  A sheriff's deputy accused of killing his ex-girlfriend in Kentucky taunted state police in an e-mail exchange Monday, threatening a county jailer and telling police he was going to "make them earn their money" in their search for him.

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  Europe governments go their own way on crisis

  Individual European governments issued a flurry of deposit guarantees to shore up their banks but fell short of any coordinated action Monday to deal with the crisis sweeping financial markets, even as stock markets crashed and the euro sank to its lowest level for over a year.

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  Thai police fire tear gas against crowd

  Police fired tear gas canisters Tuesday at several thousand demonstrators trying to bar lawmakers from Parliament, injuring dozens of them and heating up a political crisis that has gripped the country for six weeks.

• Gates: Afghan militants key to country's future

  Defense Secretary Robert Gates on Monday endorsed efforts to reach out to members of the Taliban or other militants in Afghanistan who may be considered reconcilable, much like what has happened in Iraq.

• Hamas lawmakers: Abbas term ends in January

  Hamas will cease to recognize Mahmoud Abbas as Palestinian president after Jan. 8 and replace him with one of its own leaders, according to a resolution approved by the Islamic movement's legislators Monday.

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  Taliban, Afghan officials meet in Saudi Arabia

  A former Taliban ambassador said Monday that the hard-line militants sat with Afghan officials and Saudi King Abdullah over an important religious meal in Saudi Arabia late last month as the insurgency raged back home.

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  U.S. dismisses Afghan war comments as "defeatist"

  Britain's military commander and ambassador in Afghanistan are being "defeatist" by thinking the war cannot be won, U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said, as Washington seeks more troops for the conflict that started exactly seven years ago.

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  Thai police fire tear gas at parliament protesters

  Thai police fired tear gas at anti-government protesters on Tuesday, clearing them from a road to parliament after they had vowed to stop Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat delivering his maiden policy speech.

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  Iranian letter rejects pressure on nuclear issue

  Iran delivered a letter to EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana on Monday which stressed, according to Iranian media, that foreign pressure on Tehran would not resolve the dispute over its nuclear program.

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  U.S. won't allow Israeli attack on Iran: TV report

  The United States will not permit Israel to attack Iran's nuclear program as long as American troops are stationed in Iraq, an Israeli television report quoting unnamed diplomatic sources said on Monday.

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  Europe strives to combat financial crisis in unison

  European governments struggled on Monday to shelter banks and bank depositors from a global financial crisis that is eroding confidence, endangering the economy and challenging their ability to respond as one.

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  Character attacks emerge in McCain-Obama race

  The two men who supposedly exemplified a different kind of politics are engaged in an increasingly bitter campaign as character attacks are emerging to compete with issues like the troubled economy.

• Palin character attack on Obama may hurt McCain

  John McCain is once again trying to dress the political wound that never heals: his role in a 1980s banking scandal that is featured in a new Barack Obama attack video.

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  Debate stakes higher for McCain; insults mount

  Running short on time, John McCain has the most riding on the second presidential debate, though Barack Obama will be out of his scripted comfort zone in the town hall-style confrontation. It could be ugly if Monday's tussling is any indication.

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  McCain calls Obama a liar

  Behind in the polls, Republican John McCain on Monday called Democratic rival Barack Obama a liar as he leveled his harshest criticism yet, and said the campaign boils down to one basic question: Who is Obama really?

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  Obama: McCain tries to turn attention from economy

  Barack Obama said Monday that John McCain is trying to shift attention from the troubled economy because the issue is bad for the Republican presidential nominee's campaign.

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  McCain, Obama unleash another round of attacks

  Republican John McCain and Democrat Barack Obama warmed up on Monday for a potentially crucial debate by unleashing another volley of personal attacks on each other's character in an increasingly ugly White House race.

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  Palin warns Florida voters of "rough" campaigning

  Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin told Florida's voters on Monday to expect "rough" campaigning as she seeks to halt a slide in opinion polls in a state that could make or break Sen. John McCain's White House bid.

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  Obama urges swift action on markets

  Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama on Monday urged the Bush administration to move swiftly to address the financial crisis, saying contagion was spreading.

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  Palin's husband, aides to testify at inquiry

  Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's husband and seven aides will answer questions from a legislative inquiry into abuse-of-power allegations against the U.S. Republican vice presidential candidate, state and campaign officials said on Monday.

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  Bush says economy will be fine in long run

  President George W. Bush said on Monday it would take time for the $700 billion rescue plan to have an effect on the U.S. financial system but that in the long run the American economy will be "just fine".

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• Fan use linked to lower risk of sudden baby death

  Using a fan to circulate air seemed to lower the risk of sudden infant death syndrome in a study of nearly 500 babies, researchers reported Monday. Placing babies on their backs to sleep is the best advice for preventing SIDS, a still mysterious cause of death.

• Task force: Colon cancer screenings can stop at 75

  Most people over 75 should stop getting routine colon cancer tests, according to a government health task force that also rejected the latest X-ray screening technology.

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  Latest warning highlights dangers of microwaving

  Zapping frozen meals in the microwave may be fast and easy, but it also can make you sick if it's not done properly.

• Unclear how much pounding new hips, knees can take

  One in 75 patients who gets a knee or hip replaced must get it replaced again within three years, new research finds, although the studies underscore a question: Just how much pounding can a new joint take if you want it to last?

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  3 share Nobel prize for work on AIDS and cancer

  Three European scientists shared the 2008 Nobel Prize in medicine on Monday for separate discoveries of viruses that cause AIDS and cervical cancer, breakthroughs that helped doctors fight the deadly diseases.

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  Doctors: No hamsters or exotic pets for young kids

  Warning: young children should not keep hedgehogs as pets — or hamsters, baby chicks, lizards and turtles, for that matter — because of risks for disease.

• Jump seen in staph-linked flu deaths in kids

  More children have died from flu because they also had staph infections, according to a new government report that urges parents to have their kids get the flu shot.

• Recent winners of the Nobel Prize in medicine

  Recent winners of the Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine, and their research, according to the Nobel Foundation:

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  China says new tests show milk free from melamine

  China's food safety watchdog said Sunday no traces of the industrial chemical melamine were found in new tests of milk powder sold domestically, as officials sought to restore public trust in milk supplies.

• Salmonella sickens people in 12 states

  The government is urging consumers to thoroughly cook frozen chicken dinners after 32 people in 12 states were sickened with salmonella poisoning.

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• Small asteroid headed for light show over Africa

  A small asteroid was headed for a fiery but harmless dive into Earth's atmosphere early Tuesday morning over Africa, astronomers said in a first of its kind advance warning.

• Bad connection caused atom smasher shutdown

  A bad electrical connection likely caused the malfunction that sidelined the world's largest atom smasher days after it was launched with great fanfare, a senior scientist said Monday.

• Scientists: 1 in 4 mammals faces extinction

  Conservationists have taken the first detailed look at the world's mammals in more than a decade, and the news isn't good.

• Deadlines set for designating polar bear habitat

  The federal government will designate "critical habitat" for polar bears off Alaska's coast, a decision that could add restrictions to future offshore petroleum exploration or drilling.

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  Penguins ride air force jet to South Atlantic

  More than 370 penguins that mysteriously washed up on Brazil's equatorial beaches were flown south on a huge air force cargo plane and released closer to the frigid waters they call home, animal advocates said Monday.

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  NASA spacecraft zooms above surface of Mercury

  A car-sized NASA spacecraft zoomed above the surface of Mercury on Monday, viewing rocky terrain never before seen up close on our solar system's sun-baked innermost planet, scientists said.

• Asteroid to burn up before hitting Earth

  A tiny asteroid discovered earlier Monday by an Arizona observatory will hit Earth's atmosphere over Sudan in a few hours but will burn up before it can hit the ground or endanger aircraft, astronomers said.

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  AIDS pioneers and cancer scientist win Nobel prize

  Two French scientists who discovered the AIDS virus and a German who bucked conventional wisdom to find a virus that causes cervical cancer were awarded the 2008 Nobel prize for medicine on Monday.

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  One in four mammals risks extinction

  A quarter of the world's mammals are threatened with extinction, an international survey showed on Monday, and the destruction of habitats and hunting are the major causes.

• Safer prenatal Down's syndrome test found in U.S

  A prenatal blood test can be used to determine if an unborn baby has Down's syndrome without the small risk to the fetus posed by invasive testing methods such as amniocentesis, U.S. researchers said on Monday.

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• Woman seeks new route after 2 intersection wrecks

  An intersection in southeastern Idaho has proven unlucky for a woman who's been in two car accidents at the same crossroads since August. Kris Payne was driving at the intersection of Pole Line and Eldredge roads on Thursday when another driver ran a red light and collided into her Chevy Blazer.

• Extremely drunk R.I. driver pleads no contest

  A man who state police said had a blood alcohol level more than six times the legal limit when he was arrested in July has pleaded no contest to drunken driving.

• 'Bra Bandit' strikes again in southwest Florida

  There's a bra bandit on the loose in southwest Florida. The Lee County Sheriff's Office was searching for an individual they say stole 160 bras valued at nearly $6,000 on Thursday from a Victoria Secret store, the latest in a string of bra burglaries in the area.

• 86 cats rescued from 2-bedroom condo in Colorado

  A Glenwood Springs animal shelter was trying to find homes for 86 cats rescued from a two-bedroom condominium. The Colorado Animal Rescue Shelter received the cats on Wednesday. Since then, workers have been scrambling to accommodate the animals at area shelters and homes.

• Farmer carves out Calif. record with huge pumpkin

  That's a lot of pumpkin seeds. A Canadian farmer has won a contest in California with a pumpkin that weighs more than 1,500 pounds.

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  'Smoot' measurement reaches new heights at MIT

  The father of a measurement known as the "Smoot" returned Saturday to be honored at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the school where he and his fraternity brothers invented it 50 years ago.

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  GOP, Democrats battle in Pa. over voter dress code

  Sue Nace thought election volunteers were joking when they told her she would have to remove her T-shirt to vote in the presidential primary last spring.

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  Chinese wins tightrope contest across Seoul river

  A professional tightrope walker from China zipped along a wire strung across the Han River in just under 11 minutes to win Seoul's second international high-wire championship, which concluded Saturday.

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  Big fossil found in Ike-ravaged home's front yard

  A homeowner whose beachfront property in Texas was destroyed during Hurricane Ike has found a football-size fossil tooth in the debris.

• 9 from Roswell, NM, claim $200M Powerball jackpot

  Roswell, N.M., is usually more associated with little green men than with greenbacks.

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• EBay cutting 1,600 jobs, 10 percent of work force

  NEW YORK — After a series of changes designed to draw more people to its online marketplace, eBay Inc.'s latest alteration is aimed at its own employees. The auction site operator said Monday it will cut about 1,600 jobs, 10 percent of its work force, in its largest round of dismissals ever.

• SAP says business turmoil hurting its revenue

  Shares of SAP AG plunged Monday after the business software maker said it saw a sudden drop in business at the end of September as global financial turmoil escalated.

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  Ford feature will let parents set limits for teens

  So you think junior is a little too lead-footed when he drives the family car? Starting next year, Ford Motor Co. will give you the power to do something about it.

• Judge orders RealNetworks to pull copying software

  RealNetworks Inc. said Monday it had temporarily stopped distributing its DVD copying software, RealDVD, at a federal judge's request in a copyright case brought by Hollywood studios.

• Ask.com hopes to make search faster, more relevant

  Assuming your company's name isn't a verb synonymous with looking things up online, how do you get Web surfers to not just try your search engine, but also frequent it?

• Fraud plagues prepaid calling card market

  Rosalba Posada can tick off a list of problems she has encountered trying to use prepaid calling cards to stay in touch with family back in Colombia.

• Ex-McAfee exec cleared of option backdating charge

  A jury has acquitted the former top lawyer at computer-security software maker McAfee Inc. of illegally tampering with his stock option grants to boost his pay package.

• RIM CEO: AT&T still testing delayed BlackBerry

  A delayed top-of-the-line BlackBerry phone from Research in Motion Ltd. is still undergoing testing by AT&T Inc., and RIM's co-CEO implied that the carrier wants to avoid the chorus of complaints about performance that greeted the new iPhone this summer.

• Labor report indicates squeeze on tech sector

  The economic slowdown has started to squeeze the technology sector. So far this has not led to wide-scale job cuts, but a slowing demand for computers and other electronics may already be weighing on some payrolls.

• Chinese snoop on Skype, but are they alone?

  A Canadian researcher has discovered that a Chinese version of eBay Inc.'s Skype communications software snoops on text chats that contain certain keywords, including "democracy."

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