AP Top News Wed, 10 Mar 2010 17:34:38 GMT
'Lost Boys' actor Corey Haim dead in Calif. at 38 (AP) ...
AP - Corey Haim, a 1980s teen heartthrob whose career was blighted by drug abuse, has died. He was 38.
Obama pushing on health care end game (AP) ...
AP - President Barack Obama is pushing a new anti-fraud plan and his top health official is challenging the nation's insurers as the administration cranks up the pressure for a sweeping overhaul of the nation's medical system.
Obama renews backing of earthquake-stricken Haiti (AP) ... AP - President Barack Obama is renewing America's commitment to the recovery and reconstruction of earthquake-devastated Haiti, telling visiting President Rene Preval he understands the situation there "remains dire."
Senate to pass jobless aid, business tax breaks (AP) ... AP - Legislation blending help for the jobless with popular tax breaks for businesses and individuals is slated to pass the Senate Wednesday over protests from conservatives who say it adds too much to the $12.5 trillion national debt.
US aid group attacked in NW Pakistan; 6 dead (AP) ...
AP - Suspected militants armed with assault rifles and a homemade bomb attacked the offices of a U.S.-based Christian aid group helping earthquake survivors in northwestern Pakistan on Wednesday, killing six Pakistani employees, police and the organization said.
German Catholics to investigate abuse charges (AP) ...
AP - Catholic authorities in Germany announced two major abuse investigations Wednesday — one into the renowned choir once led by Pope Benedict XVI's brother and another into what everyone, including the pope, knew about the sexual and physical abuse of students.
Public scorn for Congress sharpens, support for Obama holds (AP) ...
AP - Americans have come to detest Congress ever more deeply as it nears the end of a nasty fight over health care. But more than half still back President Barack Obama, a bright spot for a Democratic Party counting on its leader to help stave off expected losses in elections this fall.
Threatened Muhammad cartoonist has no regrets (AP) ...
AP - A Swedish artist who angered Muslims by drawing the Prophet Muhammad with the body of a dog said Wednesday he has no regrets and believes the suspects in an alleged plot to kill him were not professionals.
Panasonic's first 3-D TV set in $2,900 package (AP) ... AP - Panasonic Corp. on Wednesday revealed the price for its first 3-D TV set, confirming that $3,000 is about what it takes to be among the first to watch 3-D movies in the home.
A-Rod: Lawyers are setting up interview with feds (AP) ...
AP - Alex Rodriguez's lawyers are setting up an interview with federal authorities as part of an investigation into a Canadian doctor who is the focus of a cross-border drug smuggling case involving human growth hormone.
Pelosi faces biggest test on healthcare vote (Reuters) ...
Reuters - The leader of the House of Representatives -- a persuasive arm twister and deal maker -- faces her toughest challenge yet: getting 216 votes to pass final legislation revamping the U.S. healthcare system.
Brown says UK to maintain AAA credit rating (Reuters) ...
Reuters - Prime Minister Gordon Brown said on Wednesday he believed Britain would maintain its coveted top credit rating and announced a pay freeze for senior civil servants and military officers to help tame a record deficit.
Biden scolds Israel over settlement plan (Reuters) ...
Reuters - Vice President Joe Biden publicly scolded Israel on Wednesday over a Jewish settlement plan, saying it was undermining peace efforts after Palestinians agreed to U.S.-mediated talks.
Another runaway Toyota Prius reported (Reuters) ... Reuters - Federal regulators said they were looking into a report of another runaway Toyota Prius, this one in Westchester County, New York, where police said a woman pulling out of a driveway zoomed across a busy street and into a stone wall.
Iraq PM said to be ahead on eve of vote results (Reuters) ...
Reuters - Initial results from Iraq's national election are likely to be released by Thursday, Iraqi and U.N. officials said on Wednesday, as further signs emerged of a strong showing for Shi'ite Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki.
"JihadJane" accused of terror plot in Sweden (Reuters) ... Reuters - A Pennsylvania woman has been charged with plotting to kill a Swedish man and trying to recruit fighters via the Internet to commit violent attacks overseas, the U.S. Justice Department said on Tuesday.
Retaliation fears stalk Nigeria city after clashes (Reuters) ...
Reuters - Sporadic shooting rang out overnight in the central Nigerian city of Jos and witnesses said at least one person was killed by soldiers enforcing a curfew days after attacks on three nearby Christian villages.
Ahmadinejad, Gates trade barbs in Afghanistan (Reuters) ... Reuters - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Defense Secretary Robert Gates traded barbs on Wednesday during briefly overlapping visits to Afghanistan, where Washington has troops at war but Tehran has growing clout.
Biden slams new settlement drive at W.Bank talks (AFP) ...
AFP - US Vice President Joe Biden told Palestinian leaders on Wednesday Washington will hold accountable any side that hurts peace prospects, pointedly citing Israel's settlement expansion plans.
Pope denounces 'atrocious' Nigeria bloodshed (AFP) ...
AFP - Pope Benedict XVI on Wednesday denounced the "atrocious" bloodshed in Nigeria after a massacre of Christian villagers, as police said 49 people would be charged over the killings.
AP US News Wed, 10 Mar 2010 17:29:02 GMT
'Jihad Jane' indictment shows terror's evolution (AP) ...
AP - The self-described "Jihad Jane" who thought her blond hair and blue eyes would let her blend in as she sought to kill an artist in Sweden is a rare case of an American woman aiding in foreign terrorism and shows the evolution of the global threat, authorities say.
New national math, English standards drafted (AP) ... AP - Math and English instruction in the United States moved a step closer to uniform — and more rigorous — standards Wednesday as draft new national guidelines were released.
Italy, FBI raids crack down on Mafia in US, Sicily (AP) ... AP - A suspected member of the Gambino crime family and two of his sons have been arrested on bankruptcy fraud charges in New York in a series of Mafia-related arrests in two countries, federal officials said Wednesday.
Calif. jury recommends death for serial killer (AP) ...
AP - It was 2005 when Bruce Barcomb received the call he'd been awaiting for nearly three decades: Police had finally identified the man who raped and murdered his little sister in a remote canyon on a dark night in 1977.
Runaway Prius driver: Brakes were 'almost burned' (AP) ...
AP - Before he called 911, James Sikes says he reached down with his hand to loosen the "stuck" accelerator on his 2008 Toyota Prius, his other hand on the steering wheel. The pedal didn't move.
Ohio State shooter complained bosses were unfair (AP) ...
AP - An Ohio State University janitor who shot two supervisors, one fatally, and then killed himself had complained that he was being treated unfairly, though records show he slept on the job and was late to work during his probation.
Families: 3 Americans detained in Iran call home (AP) ...
AP - Cindy Hickey had rehearsed what she would say to her son when she finally got to talk to him months after he was detained in Iran. When the time came, the conversation lasted only about a minute, she said, "so it was hard to say a lot."
Kansas City, Mo., school board to vote on closures (AP) ...
AP - The Kansas City school board is facing a stark choice: close nearly half its public schools or face a potential bankruptcy.
Dozen same-sex couples tie knot in DC (AP) ...
AP - At least a dozen couples tied the knot in the District of Columbia on the first day same-sex ceremonies were legally allowed, and many more unions were on the way.
Ex-Edwards aide narrowly avoids jail over sex tape (AP) ...
AP - A former aide to John Edwards has been given until Friday to provide a judge with a full explanation of how he handled materials including a videotape purportedly showing the two-time presidential candidate in a sexual encounter.
Texas ed board set to take 1st vote since primary (AP) ...
AP - Texas' state education board, rocked by primary elections that may push the influential panel's far-right leanings toward the center, is set to take its first vote on a new social studies curriculum that could reverberate in classrooms nationwide.
Roberts: Scene at State of Union 'very troubling' (AP) ...
AP - U.S. Chief Justice John Roberts said Tuesday the scene at President Barack Obama's first State of the Union address was "very troubling" and that the annual speech to Congress has "degenerated into a political pep rally."
Workers urge faster rebuilding at ground zero site (AP) ...
AP - Hundreds of construction workers raised a rallying cry of "Build it now!" on Tuesday, gathering with elected officials at the World Trade Center site to urge a quick rebuilding of the complex.
Analysis: Greece's crisis could presage America's (AP) ...
AP - Greece is a financial basket case, begging for international help. Is America heading down that same road?
NH campaign finance activist Granny D dies at 100 (AP) ... AP - Doris "Granny D" Haddock, a New Hampshire woman who walked across the country at age 89 to promote campaign finance reform and later waged a quixotic campaign for U.S. Senate, has died. She was 100.
Ohio State janitor's gunfire kills co-worker, self (AP) ...
AP - An Ohio State University janitor who was about to lose his job walked into a maintenance building for his early morning shift Tuesday and shot two supervisors, killing one of them and fatally shooting himself. No students were hurt.
All 6 dead in Ariz. crash were Mexican citizens (AP) ...
AP - Authorities say all six people killed in last week's pre-dawn bus crash on an Arizona interstate were Mexican citizens.
Assisted suicide network members indicted in Ga. (AP) ...
AP - A grand jury indicted four members of an assisted suicide group Tuesday on charges they helped a 58-year-old man with cancer kill himself, clearing the way for a trial that could not only decide their fate but also help validate — or repudiate — their work.
Probation report cites predatory traits of suspect (AP) ...
AP - A decade-old probation report on a sex offender accused of murdering California teenager Chelsea King contained a psychiatrist's conclusion that the defendant had "significant predatory traits" toward underage girls and should be kept in prison for as long as possible.
Calif. test-taking case shows gap in visa security (AP) ...
AP - A ring accused of helping people from the Middle East obtain student visas by taking their proficiency exams and classes has exposed vulnerability in the nation's security tracking system for foreigners who attend U.S. schools, experts said Tuesday.
AP Business News Wed, 10 Mar 2010 17:25:11 GMT
Wholesale inventories fall while sales increase (AP) ... AP - Businesses trimmed inventories at the wholesale level again in January even though sales rose for a 10th consecutive month. The dip in inventories underscored that businesses remain cautious about restocking their depleted shelves.
Curbing derivatives might hurt, not help, Greece (AP) ...
AP - Derivatives have become a dirty word.
Stocks rise after inventories fall but sales gain (AP) ...
AP - Stocks are continuing their slow trek higher after the government's report of a drop in companies' inventories during January.
Connecticut AG sues Moody's, S&P over debt ratings (AP) ... AP - Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal is suing Moody's Investors Service and Standard & Poor's over ratings the agencies issued on certain investments.
Senate to pass jobless aid, business tax breaks (AP) ... AP - Legislation blending help for the jobless with popular tax breaks for businesses and individuals is slated to pass the Senate Wednesday over protests from conservatives who say it adds too much to the $12.5 trillion national debt.
Terra favoring CF over Yara in buyer battle (AP) ... AP - Fertilizer company Terra Industries said Wednesday its board favors a bid to be acquired by CF Industries instead of a previous agreement with Norway's Yara.
SEC sues ex-NY loan trader over alleged kickbacks (Reuters) ... Reuters - A former stock loan trader at Morgan Stanley and Bank of America Corp in New York received well over $100,000 of cash kickbacks by steering orders to other brokerage firms, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission said in a lawsuit filed on Tuesday.
German January exports up 0.2 percent on year (AP) ... AP - Official data shows German January exports improved 0.2 percent compared with January 2009 but declined a sharp 6.3 percent from December.
Presstek posts larger 4Q loss but trims costs (AP) ... AP - Digital printing products maker Presstek Inc. posted a larger fourth-quarter loss Wednesday as revenues sank, though it said its overall financial position has grown stronger.
Turkey, IMF end loan talks (AP) ... AP - Turkey says it and the International Monetary Fund have mutually agreed to call off talks for a loan.
Nationalized UK bank Northern Rock back in profit (AP) ... AP - Nationalized mortgage lender Northern Rock said Wednesday that it returned to profit in the second half of 2009 as interest income rose and losses on loans fell.
Turkish PM rules out IMF stand-by deal (AFP) ...
AFP - Turkey will not sign a loan stand-by deal with the IMF as it does not need emergency funds, the premier said Wednesday, ending nearly two years of talks dogged by disagreement on key issues.
Dollar General sues rival chain over colors (AP) ... AP - Dollar General Corp. has filed a federal lawsuit against rival discount chain Fred's Inc., claiming the smaller company is using its trademark yellow and black colors.
Commercial delinquency lower than other mortgages (AP) ... AP - Commercial mortgages were among the best-performing loans and leases held by banks and thrifts in the fourth quarter of last year, the Mortgage Bankers Association said Tuesday.
Oil climbs jumps past $83 on crude inventory data (AP) ...
AP - Following a brief pullback on Tuesday, oil prices jumped Wednesday after a government report showed that crude stockpiles grew less than analysts had predicted, raising hopes that demand for oil and gas is picking up.
US probes runaway Toyota Prius (AFP) ...
AFP - US investigators launched a probe Tuesday into a runaway Toyota Prius in California, a high-profile case that threatens to undermine the Japanese automaker's effort to repair its battered image.
Real Estate's Link to the Small Business Credit Crunch (BusinessWeek) ... BusinessWeek - It's no secret that small businesses in the U.S. face difficulties accessing credit. According to a survey of a random sample of 751 small businesses conducted by Gallup at the end of 2009 for the National Federation of Independent Business Research Foundation, 44% of small businesses seeking credit in 2009 received only some or none of the money they sought. This level of credit access compares poorly with mid-2000, when nine of every 10 companies seeking credit received it. While there is broad agreement that a small business credit problem exists, there is less consensus about its causes. ...
AP Strange News Wed, 10 Mar 2010 14:09:19 GMT
Cyprus holds two for theft of ex-leader's corpse (Reuters) ...
Reuters - A court in Cyprus remanded two men in custody Wednesday on suspicion of snatching the corpse of former Cyprus President Tassos Papadopoulos, holding it for ransom for three months until its discovery Monday.
Residents flee Angolan village invaded by elephants (Reuters) ... Reuters - Wild elephants rampaged through a southern village in Angola last weekend, destroying farms and dozens of houses and prompting most of its 4,000 residents to flee to neighboring Namibia, a local official said Tuesday.
Chocolate-powered racecar makes sustainability sexy (Reuters) ... Reuters - Fueled by leftover chocolate and with components made from carrots, potato starch and flax, the world's first sustainable Formula 3 racing car has a top speed of 135 miles per hour and can go from zero to 60 in 2.5 seconds.
Seal meat to be on menu at Canadian Parliament (Reuters) ...
Reuters - Canada's parliamentary restaurant will be serving seal meat on Wednesday in a gesture of defiance aimed at a European Union ban on imports of seal products.
U.S. blacks, Hispanics losing more sleep over worries (Reuters) ... Reuters - Black and Hispanic Americans are more likely than whites and Asians to lose sleep over job and money worries, a sleep survey released on Monday found.
Canada drops plans for politically correct anthem (Reuters) ... Reuters - Don't mess with a century-old tradition even if it is sexist, Canadians told the Conservative government this week, forcing Ottawa to scrap plans to make the country's national anthem gender-neutral.
Aussie underwear has gone bananas (Reuters) ... Reuters - Australian underwear company AussieBum has been monkeying around and the result is a range of men's underwear made with bananas.
Hamas bans men from women's hair salons in Gaza (Reuters) ...
Reuters - The Palestinian Islamist group Hamas on Thursday banned men in the Gaza Strip from working in women's hair salons, vowing to arrest and try offenders.
Pilot with fake licence arrested at airport (Reuters) ... Reuters - A Swedish pilot with a fake commercial license was arrested in his cockpit at Amsterdam's Schiphol airport as he prepared to fly 101 passengers on a Boeing 737 to Turkey, Dutch police said Wednesday.
London stage fright: rats, mice and fleas: survey (Reuters) ... Reuters - Performers in London's West End are having to cope with a different kind of stage fright in the form of mice, rat and flea infestations in theatres, according to a new survey by actors' union Equity.
Chinese youth accused of not being fighting fit (Reuters) ...
Reuters - China must urgently address the physical fitness of the nation's youth or run the risk of raising a generation incapable of fighting the Japanese in a future war, the head of the country's top sports university said Thursday.
Canada may adopt gender-neutral national anthem (Reuters) ...
Reuters - "O Canada," the country's national anthem, has included the line, "True patriot love in all thy sons' command," for nearly 100 years.
Child's play at air traffic tower sparks inquiry (Reuters) ... Reuters - An investigation is underway into why a young child, apparently under an adult's supervision, was allowed to direct air traffic at New York City's John F. Kennedy International Airport, U.S. authorities said on Wednesday.
Army nixes raid after Facebook leak? (Reuters) ...
Reuters - The Israeli military called off a raid in Palestinian territory after a soldier posted details, including the time and place, on social networking website Facebook, Israel's Army Radio reported Wednesday.
"Hurt Locker" producers sued days before Oscars (Reuters) ...
Reuters - A U.S. Army sergeant on Tuesday sued the makers of Oscar-nominated film "The Hurt Locker" five days before the Academy Awards, claiming the central character in the film is based on him.
Marriages last longer than living together? (Reuters) ...
Reuters - U.S. marriages last longer than unions where couples live together outside matrimony, the Centers for Disease Control reported on Tuesday.
Tanks a lot... (Reuters) ... Reuters - About 100 modern Russian tanks have been discovered abandoned on the side of a road in the country's Ural mountains, footage published Saturday by websites showed.
Panda found eating like a pig (Reuters) ... Reuters - Hunger drove a wild panda to break into a Chinese farmer's pig pen and eat their food, which was meat and bone, rather than bamboo.
Baby born in traffic jam as leader drives by (Reuters) ... Reuters - A Pakistani woman gave birth to a baby girl in an auto-rickshaw stuck in a traffic jam when police closed roads to let President Asif Ali Zardari's motorcade drive by.
Man must pay for injury caused in suicide bid (Reuters) ... Reuters - A court ruled that a Russian man must pay more than 100,000 rubles ($3,330) for medical bills and damages to the parents of a girl he hit when he jumped from a window in a suicide attempt.