news

• 
  Jobless claims dip, spending up in sign of rebound

  In a hopeful sign for the economy, the number of newly laid-off workers filing claims for unemployment benefits fell below 500,000 last week for the first time since January.

• 
  Obama expects support for more Afghanistan troops

  President Barack Obama will announce his plan to bolster the war in Afghanistan in a speech Tuesday night from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, his spokesman said, a surge that military officials say could top 30,000 troops.

• 
  Polanski wins $4.5M bail, house arrest likely

  Roman Polanski was granted $4.5 million bail Wednesday, clearing the way for the fugitive director to move within days from a Swiss jail to house arrest and electronic monitoring at his Alpine resort chalet.

• 
  Toyota replacing some 4M gas pedals that could jam

  Toyota Motor Corp. said Wednesday it will replace accelerator pedals on about 4 million recalled vehicles in the United States because the pedals can get stuck in the floor mats, another blow to the reputation of the world's largest automaker.

• 
  Americans search for cheaper Thanksgiving trips

  Millions of Americans got an early jump on their Thanksgiving travel Wednesday, with many opting to drive or take trains and buses instead of shelling out more money for flights amid a sour economy still hitting household budgets hard.

• AP Newsbreak: Records show WH health care talks

  Top aides to President Barack Obama have met early and often with lobbyists, Democratic political strategists and other interests with a stake in the administration's national health care overhaul, White House visitor records obtained Wednesday by The Associated Press show.

• 
  Shuttle Atlantis leaves space station, headed home

  Shuttle Atlantis undocked from the International Space Station early Wednesday and headed home with one astronaut eager to hold his newborn daughter for the first time and another who's been away from her young son since the summer.

• Lou Dobbs weighs Senate run in New Jersey

  Former CNN anchor Lou Dobbs is seriously considering running for U.S. Senate in New Jersey as "an intermediary step" that could lead to a run for the White House.

• 
  Obama's first pardon: A turkey named 'Courage'

  After 10 months in office, President Barack Obama granted his first pardon Wednesday to "Courage," a 45-pound turkey spared from the Thanksgiving table.

• 
  Roger Federer reclaims year-end No. 1 ranking

  Roger Federer has reclaimed his spot at the top of the tennis world, securing the year-end No. 1 ranking for the fifth time.

More

• 
  Obama to outline Afghan endgame in speech

  President Barack Obama will address Americans on the war in Afghanistan on December 1 and spell out a strategy that would see U.S. forces withdrawing within eight or nine years, the White House said on Wednesday.

• 
  New Iran atom site sparks mistrust: ElBaradei

  U.N. inspectors have no proof of more covert nuclear sites in Iran but a newly revealed plant makes no sense for civilian or military ends by itself and mistrust has arisen, the U.N. atomic watchdog chief said on Wednesday.

• 
  Israel announces partial settlement freeze

  Israel approved on Wednesday a limit on settlement construction for 10 months in a bid to revive peace negotiations with the Palestinians who said the partial moratorium did not meet their terms for talks.

• Health public option fight - symbol over substance

  The fight over a U.S. government-run public insurance plan may be getting louder and noisier, but for now the program's political symbolism far exceeds its practical impact on expanding health coverage.

• 
  Eleven more bodies found at Philippine massacre site

  Philippine security forces found 11 more bodies Wednesday at the site of an election-related massacre in the south of the country, taking the toll to 57 dead, officials said.

• 
  Pakistan court charges Mumbai attack suspects

  A Pakistani court indicted seven Pakistani suspects on terror charges on Wednesday in connection with last year's attack on the Indian city of Mumbai, a defense lawyer said.

• Gay marriage losing support in New Jersey: poll

  New Jersey voters are split on whether to legalize gay marriage, but more people now oppose it than support it, a poll found on Wednesday.

• 
  Obama to attend beginning of U.N. climate meeting

  U.S. President Barack Obama will go to Copenhagen for a U.N. climate change meeting on December 9, hoping to add momentum to an international process despite slow progress on a domestic bill to cut carbon emissions.

• 
  U.S., U.N. present proposals to end Iraq vote impasse

  U.S. and U.N. officials have proposed solutions to Iraq's Sunni Arab vice president to stop him vetoing for a second time a law needed for an election to take place next year, an official said on Wednesday.

• China expert warns of pandemic flu mutation

  China must be alert to any mutation or changes in the behavior of the H1N1 swine flu virus because the far deadlier H5N1 bird flu virus is endemic in the country, a leading Chinese disease expert said.

More

• 
  Americans search for cheaper Thanksgiving trips

  Millions of Americans got an early jump on their Thanksgiving travel Wednesday, with many opting to drive or take trains and buses instead of shelling out more money for flights amid a sour economy still hitting household budgets hard.

• 
  Mom of teen set on fire: Son focused on recovery

  In the days after 15-year-old Michael Brewer was set on fire by a group of teens, his mother, Valerie Brewer, sat at his hospital bedside and worried.

• 
  Vicki Kennedy describes husband's cancer battle

  The widow of Sen. Edward M. Kennedy told Oprah Winfrey in an interview broadcast Wednesday that even as her husband knew he was dying of brain cancer he had been "in training" to make sure he had enough strength to attend President Barack Obama's inauguration.

• 
  Shuttle Atlantis leaves space station, headed home

  Shuttle Atlantis undocked from the International Space Station early Wednesday and headed home with one astronaut eager to hold his newborn daughter for the first time and another who's been away from her young son since the summer.

• Colonial-era skull to get military burial in Conn.

  A Colonial-era skull believed to belong to a Revolutionary War soldier is set to be reburied in Connecticut with full military honors.

• Search crew working to free man caught in cave

  A search-and-rescue team is working to free a man stuck about 150 feet underground in a popular Utah cave.

• 
  Pro-immigration reform PACS growing in influence

  Two fledgling political action committees that support allowing some illegal immigrants to become citizens are raising more money than their immigration-control counterparts, signaling a possible fundraising shift ahead of next year's congressional races.

• Studies: Fighting global warming reduces diseases

  Cutting global warming pollution would not only make the planet healthier, it would make people healthier too, newly released studies say.

• 
  Authorities: Hanged Ky. census worker killed self

  When an eastern Kentucky census worker was found naked, bound with duct tape and hanging from a tree with "fed" scrawled on his chest, suspicion fell on the hardscrabble Appalachian area where bad news seems like a way of life.

• 
  Salvation Army's iconic kettles now credit ready

  There could be less jingle in the Salvation's Army's hallmark red kettles this season. The charity is testing kettles that take debit and credit cards.

More

• 
  Polanski wins $4.5M bail, house arrest likely

  Roman Polanski was granted $4.5 million bail Wednesday, clearing the way for the fugitive director to move within days from a Swiss jail to house arrest and electronic monitoring at his Alpine resort chalet.

• 
  Israel approves 10-month settlement freeze

  Israel will halt construction in its West Bank settlements for 10 months, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Wednesday, in an effort to restart peace talks, but Palestinians rejected the freeze as insufficient because it did not include east Jerusalem.

• 
  UN report: Congo rebel network spans 25 countries

  One of Africa's most brutal rebel movements relies on a vast, international network of supporters in at least 25 countries including in the United States and Europe, a United Nations report said.

• 
  Pakistan charges 7 suspects in Mumbai attacks

  Pakistan charged seven men in last year's Mumbai attacks on Wednesday, its first indictment in a case being monitored by India and the United States to see if Islamabad makes good on promises to bring those responsible to justice.

• 
  Iran seeks to quiet critic inside ruling system

  When Iran holds state-run ceremonies this week for an important Islamic feast day, there will be one very noticeable change: former President Hashemi Rafsanjani will not be leading the prayers.

• 
  Eleven more bodies found at Philippine massacre site

  Philippine security forces found 11 more bodies Wednesday at the site of an election-related massacre in the south of the country, taking the toll to 57 dead, officials said.

• 
  Israel announces partial settlement freeze

  Israel approved on Wednesday a limit on settlement construction for 10 months in a bid to revive peace negotiations with the Palestinians who said the partial moratorium did not meet their terms for talks.

• Iran detains scores of students, rights group says

  Iran has detained scores of students in an apparent bid to prevent new opposition protests during annual Student Day events next month, a Western-based human rights group said.

• 
  Pakistan court charges Mumbai attack suspects

  A Pakistani court indicted seven Pakistani suspects on terror charges on Wednesday in connection with last year's attack on the Indian city of Mumbai, a defense lawyer said.

• 
  Prisoner deal hits snag on Hamas demands

  Israel has rejected a demand for the release of two Hamas commanders as part of any exchange for a captured Israeli soldier, a source close to negotiations said Wednesday, signaling talks had hit a snag.

More

• AP Newsbreak: Records show WH health care talks

  Top aides to President Barack Obama have met early and often with lobbyists, Democratic political strategists and other interests with a stake in the administration's national health care overhaul, White House visitor records obtained Wednesday by The Associated Press show.

• 
  Obama to outline US climate goals at Copenhagen

  President Barack Obama will commit the United States to a goal of substantial cuts in greenhouse gas pollution over the next decade when he travels to a widely anticipated climate conference in Copenhagen next month.

• 
  Toyota replacing some 4M gas pedals that could jam

  Toyota Motor Corp. said Wednesday it will replace accelerator pedals on about 4 million recalled vehicles in the United States because the pedals can get stuck in the floor mats, another blow to the reputation of the world's largest automaker.

• 
  Obama's first pardon: A turkey named 'Courage'

  After 10 months in office, President Barack Obama granted his first pardon Wednesday to "Courage," a 45-pound turkey spared from the Thanksgiving table.

• US welcomes Israeli settlement moratorium

  The Obama administration on Wednesday welcomed Israel's decision to temporarily freeze new construction in Jewish settlements in the West Bank as a step toward restarting Israeli-Palestinian peace talks.

• 
  Obama to outline Afghan endgame in speech

  President Barack Obama will address Americans on the war in Afghanistan on December 1 and spell out a strategy that would see U.S. forces withdrawing within eight or nine years, the White House said on Wednesday.

• Health public option fight - symbol over substance

  The fight over a U.S. government-run public insurance plan may be getting louder and noisier, but for now the program's political symbolism far exceeds its practical impact on expanding health coverage.

• 
  Obama to attend beginning of U.N. climate meeting

  U.S. President Barack Obama will go to Copenhagen for a U.N. climate change meeting on December 9, hoping to add momentum to an international process despite slow progress on a domestic bill to cut carbon emissions.

• Gay marriage losing support in New Jersey: poll

  New Jersey voters are split on whether to legalize gay marriage, but more people now oppose it than support it, a poll found on Wednesday.

• 
  Obama seeks to reassure Singh on U.S.-India ties

  President Barack Obama sought to reassure Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Tuesday of his commitment to boosting U.S. ties with India even as his administration has set its rivals, China and Pakistan, as top priorities.

More

• 
  UNAIDS: Sex main cause for HIV spreading in China

  The virus that causes AIDS is now spreading fastest in China through heterosexual sex, a trend demanding new strategies to stave off a rebound in the epidemic after years of progress in containing it, a United Nations report said.

• 
  Comatose for 23 years, Belgian feels reborn

  Helped by a therapist, Rom Houben's outstretched finger tapped with surprising speed on a computer touchscreen, spelling out how he felt "alone, lonely, frustrated" in the 23 years he was trapped inside a paralyzed body.

• China reports 8 cases of mutated swine flu virus

  China has detected eight people infected with mutated forms of the swine flu virus, a health official said Wednesday, but flu drugs and vaccines still work against it.

• 
  CDC warns: Holiday could bring more swine flu

  Let us give thanks — and pass the Purell.

• Docs say formerly conjoined twins recovering well

  Formerly conjoined twin sisters Trishna and Krishna are enjoying a favorite DVD and trying new foods as they continue their recovery from marathon separation surgery, doctors said.

• UN: HIV outbreak peaked in 1996

  The number of people worldwide infected with the virus that causes AIDS — about 33 million — has remained virtually unchanged for the last two years, United Nations experts said Tuesday.

• Trying last-ditch lung bypass for worst swine flu

  A technology originally developed for premature babies may be helping to save some of the sickest swine flu patients by rerouting their blood so their lungs can rest.

• 
  Schumer says failure not an option on health care

  Failure is not an option on health care, a leading Democratic senator said Monday, even as Republicans turned up the heat on moderates who hold the fate of the legislation in their hands.

• 
  Health reform: Is tax on 'Cadillac' plans fair?

  Schoolteacher Kinzi Blair makes only $46,000 a year, but she has what many would consider a "Cadillac" health plan, now targeted for a big tax increase by health reformers.

• Study: kids watching hours of TV at home daycare

  Parents who thought their preschoolers were spending time in home-based day cares, taking naps, eating healthy snacks and learning to play nicely with others may be surprised to discover they are sitting as many as two hours a day in front of a TV, according to a study published Monday.

More

• 
  Shuttle Atlantis leaves space station, headed home

  Shuttle Atlantis undocked from the International Space Station early Wednesday and headed home with one astronaut eager to hold his newborn daughter for the first time and another who's been away from her young son since the summer.

• Studies: Fighting global warming reduces diseases

  Cutting global warming pollution would not only make the planet healthier, it would make people healthier too, newly released studies say.

• 
  Ships warned about icebergs headed for New Zealand

  Ships are on alert and maritime authorities are monitoring the movements of hundreds of menacing icebergs drifting toward New Zealand in the southern Pacific Ocean, officials said.

• 
  Big Bang atom smasher starts speeding proton beams

  The world's largest atom smasher used its accelerator Tuesday to speed up proton beams for the first time as scientists moved ahead in efforts to learn more about the universe.

• CO2 curve ticks upward as key climate talks loom

  The readings at this 2-mile-high station show a troubling upward curve as the world counts down to crucial climate talks: Global warming gases are building in the atmosphere at record levels from emissions that match scientists' worst-case scenarios.

• 
  Atlantis leaves station as NASA eyes shuttles' end

  Space shuttle Atlantis left the International Space Station on Wednesday after a seven-day stay to deliver gear to keep the outpost operating after the shuttle program is retired next year.

• Experts scan disease links with Chinese "gene map"

  A large analysis of the genes of 8,200 ethnic Chinese has revealed subtle genetic differences between inhabitants in northern China and southern China, and even between different Chinese dialect groups.

• 
  Darwin debate rages on 150 years after "Origin"

  Even 150 years after it first appeared in print, Charles Darwin's "On The Origin of Species" still fuels clashes between scientists convinced of its truth and critics who reject its view of life without a creator.

• Hormones, incentive, experience "make best traders"

  British scientists say a perfect combination of testosterone, experience and a hunger for a share of profits can produce financial traders who consistently outperform the market -- even during a crisis.

• 
  Big Bang machine achieves first particle collisions

  ZURICH (Reuters) -- Scientists have smashed together proton beams for the first time in a 27-kilometre tunnel under the French-Swiss border in an initial step toward discovering how the universe came into existence, they said on Monday.

More

• 
  Obama's first pardon: A turkey named 'Courage'

  After 10 months in office, President Barack Obama granted his first pardon Wednesday to "Courage," a 45-pound turkey spared from the Thanksgiving table.

• 
  Furry felons rob SAfrican tourists, steal food

  Visitors to South Africa's premier holiday destination who are worried about becoming victims of the country's high crime rate could find themselves instead robbed by a more furry kind of felon: baboons.

• Police: Dad leaves boy and goes into strip club

  A man was arrested after police said he left his 5-year-old son in a tractor-trailer while he ducked into an Indianapolis strip club to drink. The 39-year-old was arrested at 1:15 a.m. Tuesday on child neglect and public intoxication charges after calling police to report his truck stolen and his cild missing.

• Utah man makes wrong turn, sees train approaching

  A man whose car became stuck on a set of railroad tracks bailed out before a commuter train plowed into it. Danny Ray Olsen, 62, said he took a wrong turn in Ogden and got his 1998 Nissan Sentra high-centered between two sets of rails Monday evening. He said he saw lights approaching in his rearvie mirror and decided to get out.

• Georgia church robber: 'Sorry but I'm poor'

  Someone made off with loot from a Georgia church but also left behind an apology. A note scrawled on the wall said: "Sorry but I'm poor. Forgive me Lord." The Rev. Roger Davis tells WSB-TV that expensive equipment including microphones and a laptop containing important records were stolen over the eekend from Berean Baptist Church.

• Deputies use backhoe to find drugs in septic tank

  Flushed evidence doesn't go far if your toilet's on a septic system. DeSoto Parish sheriff's Lt. Toni Joe Morris said Tuesday that deputies brought in a backhoe when drug agents raided a home and business and met the owner coming out of a bathroom.

• Agent showing house finds pile of bones

  A real estate agent showing a house got to the basement and found about 100 human bones in a corner. James Kenny, a forensic investigator with the Terrebonne Parish Coroner's Office, says the bones found Saturday were so old that dirt had saturated the marrow inside them. He says they probably are emains of Native Americans buried long before the house was built.

• Pa. prosecutor wants 'no-tip' charges dropped

  An eastern Pennsylvania prosecutor wants charges dropped against a couple who refused to pay a tip at a restaurant where they said they got poor service. Northampton County District Attorney John Morganelli said he's recommending that Bethlehem police drop the theft of services charges.

• 
  Chef Paula Deen accidentally hit by charity ham

  Celebrity chef Paula Deen got an unexpected serving of ham — across her face. The Food Network star was helping unload 25,000 pounds of donated meat for an Atlanta food bank on Monday when someone threw one of the hams like a football and accidentally smacked her.

• 
  Kangaroo tries to drown dog, attacks owner

  A kangaroo startled by a man walking his dog attacked the pair, pinning the pet underwater and slashing the owner in the abdomen with its hind legs. The Australian, Chris Rickard, was in stable condition Monday after the attack, which ended when the 49-year-old elbowed the kangaroo in the throat.

More

• 
  AT&T and Verizon ads duel on airwaves and in court

  What would the holidays be without bickering between siblings? AT&T and Verizon are swamping TV with ads attacking facets of each other's wireless networks. While the ads stick fairly close to the truth, there's a lot they don't say.

• 
  Facebook creates dual-class structure, but no IPO

  Facebook has created a dual-class stock structure designed to give founder Mark Zuckerberg and other existing shareholders control over the company.

• Microsoft says cost-cutting CFO to step down

  Microsoft Corp. on Tuesday said its chief financial officer is departing at the end of the year and will be replaced by the man now responsible for the books at the division that produces Microsoft Office and other business programs.

• Google apologizes for offensive first lady image

  Google Inc. is apologizing for a racially offensive image of the first lady that appears at the top of the list when users search for pictures of Michelle Obama on its site.

• Senators press EU to speed its Oracle-Sun probe

  U.S. senators are pressuring European antitrust regulators to hurry their investigation of Oracle Corp.'s proposed acquisition of Sun Microsystems Inc., citing Sun's "precarious" financial condition and fears about more layoffs at the struggling computing company.

• EU assembly adopts Internet, phone user rights

  The European Parliament has endorsed new telecom rules that would give phone and Internet users more rights and allow them to appeal to national courts if they are cut off for illegal file-sharing.

• Rare economic espionage case ends in jury deadlock

  Two men accused of the rare charge of economic espionage against the U.S. have been acquitted on two counts, but they could face a retrial on three other counts on which a jury deadlocked.

• 
  Google documents Iraqi museum treasures

  Google is documenting Iraq's national museum and will post photographs of its ancient treasures on the Internet early next year, Google chief Eric Schmidt announced Tuesday.

• Internet activists push for greater democracy

  The Internet can be a powerful medium for politicians to get their message across but it is also a vital means for civilians to have a say in what politicians do, participants in a political conference say.

• Joost assets bought by online ad company Adconion

  The struggling online video startup Joost, begun with much fanfare by the creators of Skype and Kazaa, has been sold to an online advertising company.

More

• APNewsBreak: Chairs of NFL concussion panel resign

  Commissioner Roger Goodell sent a wide-ranging memo about concussions to NFL teams, saying the co-chairmen of the league's committee on brain injuries have resigned and that he is examining potential rule changes "to reduce head impacts."

• 
  Quinn backs embattled Weis

  Cleveland Browns quarterback Brady Quinn says Notre Dame would be making a mistake if it fires coach Charlie Weis.

• 
  NFL's Jon Runyan to run for Congress in NJ

  Shortly after signing with the San Diego Chargers, Jon Runyan announced he'll retire at the end of the season and run for Congress in New Jersey.

• 
  Washington Wizards owner Abe Pollin dies at 85

  The Washington Wizards played the Philadelphia 76ers in a neighborhood that was torched during the 1968 riots.

• 
  Roger Federer reclaims year-end No. 1 ranking

  Roger Federer has reclaimed his spot at the top of the tennis world, securing the year-end No. 1 ranking for the fifth time.

• 
  Soderling defeats Djokovic at ATP Finals in London

  Robin Soderling advanced to the semifinals of the ATP World Tour Finals by beating Novak Djokovic 7-6 (5), 6-1 Wednesday for his second straight win at the season-ending tournament.

• 
  Albert Pujols unanimous NL MVP pick

  Albert Pujols matched Stan Musial and did him one better, too.

• 
  Baylor's Griner becomes 7th woman to dunk

  For Baylor freshman sensation Brittney Griner, it was just another dunk. Something she is used to doing.

• 
  Olympic speedskater Pechstein's 2-year ban upheld

  Five-time Olympic speedskating champion Claudia Pechstein lost her appeal against a two-year ban for blood doping Wednesday and will miss the Vancouver Games.

• 
  UEFA names 5 clubs suspected of fixing matches

  Five clubs in Albania, Latvia, Slovenia and Hungary are suspected in European soccer's biggest match-fixing investigation.

More