news

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  White House defends costs, cuts in health bill

  The Obama administration pushed back Wednesday against claims that it's not doing enough to slow the growth of health care costs, a topic senators will debate heavily in coming weeks.

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  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.

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  Israel proposes 10-month West Bank settlement halt

  Israel on Wednesday proposed a 10-month halt to new construction in West Bank settlements as a step toward restarting Mideast peace negotiations. Washington welcomed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's offer, but the Palestinians swiftly rejected it because it did not include a building freeze in Jewish neighborhoods in east Jerusalem, the mainly Arab sector of the city they want as the capital o...

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  Obama to plead US case at global warming summit

  Putting his prestige on the line, President Barack Obama will personally commit the U.S. to a goal of substantially cutting greenhouse gases at next month's Copenhagen climate summit. He will insist America is ready to tackle global warming despite resistance in Congress over higher costs for businsses and homeowners.

• Group posting 573,000 pager messages from 9/11

  An activist Web site has posted what it says are 573,000 pager messages sent on Sept. 11, 2001.

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  Ex-CNN host Lou Dobbs weighs Senate run in NJ

  Former CNN host Lou Dobbs is seriously considering running for U.S. Senate in New Jersey in 2012 as a stepping stone to a possible White House bid — a congressional matchup that would pit one of illegal immigration's biggest critics against a champion for immigrant rights.

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  Ga. nurse anesthetist accused of abusing patients

  A metro Atlanta nurse anesthetist has been charged with molesting and sodomizing anesthetized patients in dental and medical offices, and police say the videotaped abuses could involve 100 or more victims.

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  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.

• Dog with name tag 'works' drive-through window

  Customers at one Gulf coast gas station might be surprised at who responds to the counter when they pull up to the drive-through window: The store owner's dog. Dozens of times each day, Cody the chocolate Labradaor retriever will pop up on two paws behind the counter at a BP gas station and convenince store in Clearwater.

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  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."

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  U.S. will be out of Afghanistan by 2017: White House

  The United States will not be in Afghanistan eight years from now, the White House said on Wednesday, as President Barack Obama prepared to explain to Americans next week why he is expanding the war effort.

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  Obama's agenda runs into economic angst in Congress

  President Barack Obama is paying a price for a recession that began before he took office, and fellow Democrats have started to balk at his legislative agenda and demand greater efforts to create jobs.

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  Exclusive: ElBaradei says West won't meet Iran atom demand

  Iran's demand for changes to a nuclear fuel deal is unacceptable because it could mean Tehran keeping enough enriched uranium for possible use in an atom bomb, the U.N. nuclear watchdog chief said in an interview.

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  Israel announces partial settlement freeze

  Israel announced on Wednesday it was limiting settlement construction for 10 months to try to revive peace negotiations with the Palestinians, but they said the step fell short of their terms for talks.

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  Obama offers U.S. climate cut, to attend Copenhagen

  The United States unveiled its proposal to cut greenhouse gases by 2020 on Wednesday and said President Barack Obama will attend U.N. climate talks in Copenhagen next month -- before other world leaders show up.

• 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.

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  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.

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  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.

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  Two journalists kidnapped in Somalia released

  Two freelance journalists released in Somalia Wednesday after 15 months captivity said they were tortured and feared being sold on to hardline rebels in the anarchic Horn of Africa nation.

• 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.

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  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.

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  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.

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  Year after NY stampede, Black Friday gets makeover

  Victoria Rogers had originally planned to make an early stop the day after Thanksgiving last year at the Walmart store in Valley Stream on Long Island. Her last-minute decision against it might have saved her life.

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  Ex-CNN host Lou Dobbs weighs Senate run in NJ

  Former CNN host Lou Dobbs is seriously considering running for U.S. Senate in New Jersey in 2012 as a stepping stone to a possible White House bid — a congressional matchup that would pit one of illegal immigration's biggest critics against a champion for immigrant rights.

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  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.

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  Drywall investigation expands into US products

  A federal probe of tainted Chinese drywall has broadened because a small number of homeowners are reporting that American-made drywall is causing some of the same problems: a sickening, sulfurous stench and corroded pipes and wiring.

• CDC: Swine flu vaccine safe; no big problems seen

  There's no evidence that the swine flu vaccine is causing any serious side effects, U.S. health officials said Wednesday, in their first report on the safety of the new vaccine.

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  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.

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  Lambert says he got carried away, but not sorry

  Adam Lambert admits he got carried away with his sexually charged American Music Awards performance, but he's offering no apology.

• Search crew working to free man stuck in cave

  Rescuers chipped away with air-powered tools in a narrow tunnel Wednesday to free a man trapped upside down about 150 feet below ground in a popular Utah cave.

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  Death toll at 57 in Philippine massacre

  Officials found 11 more bodies Wednesday at the site of an attack on an election caravan in the south, bringing the death toll in the massacre to 57, and police said they are investigating a member of a powerful clan allied with the president's administration.

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  Israel proposes 10-month West Bank settlement halt

  Israel on Wednesday proposed a 10-month halt to new construction in West Bank settlements as a step toward restarting Mideast peace negotiations. Washington welcomed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's offer, but the Palestinians swiftly rejected it because it did not include a building freeze in Jewish neighborhoods in east Jerusalem, the mainly Arab sector of the city they want as the capital o...

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  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.

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  Islam's hajj: rain and fears of swine flu

  Muslim pilgrims circled Islam's holiest site Wednesday in their traditional white robes, with a few additions — umbrellas and face masks — as the opening of the annual hajj was complicated by torrential rains and fears of swine flu.

• IAEA chief: Iran must accept nuclear proposal

  The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency urged Iran on Wednesday to endorse a plan that would strip it of most of its enriched uranium, saying Tehran could not defuse fears about its nuclear program with proposals that included keeping the material.

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  Israel announces partial settlement freeze

  Israel announced on Wednesday it was limiting settlement construction for 10 months to try to revive peace negotiations with the Palestinians, but they said the step fell short of their terms for talks.

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  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.

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  Abbas says to stay on until next Palestinian vote

  Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said on Wednesday he plans to stay on in his post until the next election is held and that he would be ready to hold the vote as soon as consensus was reached with Islamist group Hamas.

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  Venezuela's Chavez calls Israel "murderous" U.S. arm

  Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez used a visit by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Wednesday to brand Israel as a murderous agent of Washington.

• 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.

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  Obama family distributes Thanksgiving treats

  The Obama family is passing out turkeys, stuffing and other Thanksgiving favorites to people at a food pantry organization.

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  AP IMPACT: A stream of WH health care visits

  President Barack Obama's top aides met frequently with lobbyists and health care industry heavyweights as his administration pieced together a national health care overhaul, according to White House visitor records obtained Wednesday by The Associated Press.

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  Obama will unveil Afghan troops move at West Point

  President Barack Obama plans to announce a redrawn battle plan for Afghanistan, including what the military says could be a roughly 50 percent increase in U.S. forces, in a national address Tuesday night from the U.S. Military Academy.

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  Obama to plead US case at global warming summit

  Putting his prestige on the line, President Barack Obama will personally commit the U.S. to a goal of substantially cutting greenhouse gases at next month's Copenhagen climate summit. He will insist America is ready to tackle global warming despite resistance in Congress over higher costs for businsses and homeowners.

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  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.

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  U.S. will be out of Afghanistan by 2017: White House

  The United States will not be in Afghanistan eight years from now, the White House said on Wednesday, as President Barack Obama prepared to explain to Americans next week why he is expanding the war effort.

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  Obama's agenda runs into economic angst in Congress

  President Barack Obama is paying a price for a recession that began before he took office, and fellow Democrats have started to balk at his legislative agenda and demand greater efforts to create jobs.

• 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 offers U.S. climate cut, to attend Copenhagen

  The United States unveiled its proposal to cut greenhouse gases by 2020 on Wednesday and said President Barack Obama will attend U.N. climate talks in Copenhagen next month -- before other world leaders show up.

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  India's PM Singh says assured by U.S. on Pakistan

  Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said on Wednesday he was assured that U.S. influence on Pakistan would help prod Islamabad to crack down on militants who target India.

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• CDC: Swine flu vaccine safe; no big problems seen

  There's no evidence that the swine flu vaccine is causing any serious side effects, U.S. health officials said Wednesday, in their first report on the safety of the new vaccine.

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  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.

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  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.

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  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.

• 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.

• 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.

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  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.

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  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.

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• Curbing global warming saves lives, studies say

  Cutting global warming pollution would not only make the planet healthier, it would make people healthier too, new research suggests.

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  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.

• Experts think toxic algae harming endangered fish

  Scientists say they think toxins from a blue-green algae plaguing lakes and rivers around the West are harming an endangered fish in the Klamath Basin, adding another obstacle to restoring species that have forced irrigation shutoffs for farmers.

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  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.

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  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.

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  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.

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  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.

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  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.

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  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.

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• Dog with name tag 'works' drive-through window

  Customers at one Gulf coast gas station might be surprised at who responds to the counter when they pull up to the drive-through window: The store owner's dog. Dozens of times each day, Cody the chocolate Labradaor retriever will pop up on two paws behind the counter at a BP gas station and convenince store in Clearwater.

• Man accused of ramming car into hot dog stand

  Police said a North Carolina man rammed his car into a hot dog stand when the vendor refused to sell him a hot dog and drink for a dollar. WRAL-TV reported 23-year-old David Kelbaugh of Rolesville was charged Wednesday with assault with a deadly weapon, hit-and-run, driving while intoxicated and inury to property.

• Police seek bald man who swiped family's turkey

  Jackson police are working to crack a case of fowl play. They're searching for a man who broke into an apartment about 11 p.m. Tuesday and stole a family's holiday turkey. Police Lt. Christopher Simpson told the Jackson Citizen Patriot the suspect ran into the kitchen and stole the turkey out of th freezer.

• Police: Barefoot thief steals shoes for left feet

  It didn't take Knoxville police gumshoes to track down a suspected shoe thief. He was sauntering barefoot through the parking lot of a Knoxville store called the Shoe Show Wednesday morning when an employee identified him as the man who crammed shoes into his pockets and pushed her out of his way a he walked out Tuesday night.

• Pa. suspect's sweet tooth results in felony charge

  Police said a serial shoplifter from central Pennsylvania has taken three sweet steps over the line and now faces a felony charge. Sonya Mosey, 33, was jailed on a felony retail theft charge for allegedly stealing three snack cakes worth $4.27 from a convenience store on Oct. 27. Police said she tok a Hostess doughnut and two Tastykake items from the store, though she did pay for a soda pop.

• That hissing in the kitchen? Snake!!!

  Betty Corey first thought the hissing from her Lakebay, Wash., kitchen might be one of her dogs. Wrong. It was a 4-foot-long ball python. Not a fan of snakes, Corey called 911 and a Pierce County Animal Control officer removed the snake Tuesday morning. Officer Brian Boman said the agency will hous the snake at its shelter, keeping it warm and close at hand if its owner is looking for it.

• La. police say man broke into home to cook meal

  Alexandria police have arrested a man they said broke into an home to cook a meal. The Alexandria Daily Town Talk reported Wednesday that 29-year-old man, who told police he was homeless, was arrested and charged with burglary.

• 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.

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  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.

• US online ad revenue down 5.4 pct in third quarter

  Online advertising revenue in the U.S. fell 5.4 percent in the third quarter from a year ago, as the sputtering economy kept its tight grip on even the fastest growing segment of industry, according to a report released Wednesday.

• Time Warner Cable asks help on rising program fees

  Time Warner Cable Inc. is asking the public for help as it tries to curtail increases in the programming fees it has to pay to carry cable channels and broadcast stations on its systems.

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  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.

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  Review: A riff on robotics with self-tuning guitar

  New cars have been tuning themselves for the better part of two decades now, so it should feel less impressive that Gibson has built a guitar that can smoothly do the same.

• 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.

• 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.

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  Report: Buffalo Bills meet with Shanahan

  Two-time Super Bowl winner Mike Shanahan met with the Buffalo Bills to discuss their head coaching vacancy, according to a published report.

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  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."

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  Browns QB Quinn backs embattled Weis

  Brady Quinn's best game as a pro seemed to make him nostalgic about his college days.

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  Ira Hanford, rode 1936 Derby winner, dies at 91

  Ira "Babe" Hanford, who as an 18-year-old apprentice rode 20-1 shot Bold Venture to victory in the 1936 Kentucky Derby, has died. He was 91.

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  Cavs sit Shaquille O'Neal for a 6th straight game

  Cleveland Cavaliers center Shaquille O'Neal will be sidelined for Wednesday's game against Detroit because of an injured shoulder, the sixth game in a row he will miss.

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  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.

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  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.

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  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.

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  Soderling defeats Djokovic at ATP Finals in London

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

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