National News
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| Graphic charts monthly unemployment rate for the past 13 months |
Broader Measure Of Unemployment May Be Higher
The unemployment rate may be much higher than the official ten-point-two-percent figure released Friday by the Labor Department. The New York "Times" reports in reality, more than one out of every six workers was unemployed or underemployed in October. That means 17-point-five-percent of the work force is unemployed, topping the previous post-Depression high of 17-point-one-percent in December of 1982.
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Obama praises those who ended Fort Hood violence
President Barack Obama said Saturday that the training designed to keep U.S. forces safe abroad prevented further deaths and ended the rampage at Fort Hood.He praised those who serve or have served in uniform and reminded the public of their diversity - a move designed to calm tensions around the suspected shooter, Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan."They are Americans of every race, faith and station.
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Police: Fla. shooting suspect was angry at company
The engineer accused of fatally shooting one worker and wounding five others at the firm where he once worked appeared briefly in court Saturday and was ordered held without bond.A judge ordered that Jason Rodriguez, 40, be held without bail at the Orange County Jail in Orlando for Friday's shooting. His defense attorney, Bob Wesley, asked the judge that police and prosecutors have no contact with Rodriguez without his permission.
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Suspect asked for advice on going to fight Muslims
A Muslim leader says the Army psychiatrist suspected of going on a shooting rampage at Fort Hood asked him for advice on what he should tell soldiers who had concerns about going to fight Muslims in Iraq and Afghanistan.Osman Danquah (oos-MAHN' dahn-KWAH') is the co-founder of the Islamic Community of Greater Killeen. He says he had a bad feeling about Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan after the two talked twice in late summer.
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Decision day for health care in the House
President Barack Obama is trying to close the deal in the House on his health care overhaul, facing a make-or-break vote that's certain to be seen as a test of his presidency.Obama scheduled a visit late Saturday morning to meet with House Democrats, who planned a rare weekend session.
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Police: Fla. shooting suspect was angry at company
Employees at an engineering firm recognized their former co-worker when he drew a handgun from under his shirt, police said, and shot his first victim dead in the reception area. He then walked into the office and unloaded several more rounds, wounding five other employees at the company that fired him two years ago.
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Undefeated Zenyatta ready to race the boys
A day after the top female horses took center stage at the Breeders' Cup, leading lady Zenyatta will face her male rivals in Saturday's $5 million Classic. Zenyatta's 13-0 career record is at stake as she also seeks to become the first female horse to win the 1 1/4-mile race.Life is Sweet didn't mind her stablemate's absence, especially considering the 4-year-old filly had lost three of her previous four races to Zenyatta.
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Fort Hood, community mourn shooting victims
A chaplain exhorted hundreds of mourners gathered at a candlelight vigil to not give up hope as Fort Hood and its surrounding community looked to each other for comfort after an Army psychiatrist allegedly went on a deadly shooting spree at the military base.A grief counseling center was set up Friday at the Killeen Community Center to help residents struggling to make sense of one of the worst mass shootings ever on a base in the United States.
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Decision day for health care in the House
President Barack Obama is traveling to Capitol Hill on Saturday to try to close the sale on his signature health care overhaul, facing a make-or-break vote in the House certain to be seen as a test of his presidency.
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Police: Fla. shooting suspect was angry at company
Employees at an engineering firm recognized their former co-worker when he drew a handgun from under his shirt, police said, and shot his first victim dead in the reception area. He then walked into the office and unloaded several more rounds, wounding five other employees at the company that fired him two years ago.
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Another attack leaves US Muslims fearing backlash
As word spread that a gunman had opened fire at Fort Hood leaving a trail of carnage, a chilling realization swept across the U.S. Muslim community: He has an Islamic name.From a professor who just testified in Congress, to a White House adviser appearing before a Jewish group and a former Marine driving home from work, Muslims across the country were shocked, angry and afraid that the attack would erode efforts to erase anti-Islamic stereotypes.
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Consumer borrowing drops $14.8B in September
The Federal Reserve said Friday that borrowing fell at an annual rate of $14.8 billion in September. That's the biggest decline since July and was larger than the $10 billion drop economists expected.Americans are borrowing less as they try to repair cracked nest eggs and replenish rainy day funds in a dismal jobs market. Many are finding it hard to get credit as banks, hit by the worst financial crisis in decades, have tightened lending standards.Borrowing by consumers for revolving credit,...
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Former employee opens fire at Orlando office tower
People streamed out of the 16-story Legion Place office building around lunchtime and some told local television stations they had barricaded themselves inside their offices.Orlando Fire Department District Chief Michael Droege said an unknown number of people were still in the building and could be injured.
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Airplane part falls onto NY home's front lawn
ROOSEVELT, N.Y. -- An airplane part fell from the sky and landed on the front lawn of a home on Long Island, New York. Authorities are looking into how it happened.Residents called police Thursday evening to report a suspicious object on the home's lawn in Roosevelt.Officers found a 3-foot-by-4-foot cone-shaped piece of metal. Investigators determined it had fallen from a commercial airplane.Police didn't immediately say which airline owned the part.No one was injured.
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Army post shooting rampage leaves 13 dead, 30 hurt
Military officials were starting Friday to piece together what may have pushed an Army psychiatrist trained to help soldiers in distress to turn on his comrades in a shooting rampage that killed 13 people and wounded 30 in Texas.The suspected shooter, Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, was on a ventilator and unconscious in a hospital after being shot four times during the shootings at the Army's sprawling Fort Hood, post officials said. In the early chaos after the shootings,...
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Army Says 12 Dead In Ft. Hood Shooting
FORT HOOD, Texas -- A military mental health doctor facing deployment overseas opened fire at the Fort Hood Army base on Thursday, setting off on a rampage that killed 11 other people and left 31 wounded. Authorities killed the gunman, and the violence was believed to be the worst mass shooting in history at a U.S. military base. The shooting began around 1:30 p.m., when shots were fired at the base's Soldier Readiness Center, where soldiers who are about to be deployed or who are returning undergo medical screening, said Lt. Gen. Bob Cone at Fort Hood. "It's a terrible tragedy. It's stunning," Cone said. A law enforcement official identified the shooting suspect as Army Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the case publicly...
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SC high court says gov's ethics probe is public
COLUMBIA, S.C.-- South Carolina's Supreme Court ruled Thursday that an ethics investigation into Gov. Mark Sanford's travel can be made public, clearing the way for lawmakers considering impeachment to review a report on the probe. Sanford's lawyers had tried keep a report on a criminal investigation by the State Ethics Commission from being released to the House of Representatives as leaders there decide whether to move forward with impeachment efforts. They argued Sanford should...
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Victims, relatives to witness sniper execution
RICHMOND, Va. -- Some ache for revenge, others simply for justice. There is frustration, too, and defiance. For those wounded by the D.C. snipers and for the relatives of those killed, the emotions leading up to the execution of the mastermind behind the 2002 attacks vary as widely as those who found themselves in the cross hairs. John Allen Muhammad, 48, is set to die by injection in a Virginia prison Nov. 10, seven years after he and his teenage accomplice terrorized the...
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'I-5 Strangler' gets 6 consecutive life terms
STOCKTON, Calif. -- A convicted murderer has been sentenced to six consecutive life terms for killing six women throughout Central California during the 1970s and '80s. Seventy-year-old Roger Reece Kibbe was serving a life sentence for the 1987 strangling of a teen prostitute when he pleaded guilty in September to the six other slayings. As part of his plea deal, Kibbe agreed to help authorities find the remains of Lou Ellen Burleigh, who disappeared from Walnut Creek in...
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Medical marijuana shops abound in California
SEBASTOPOL, Calif. -- The medical marijuana dispensary in this California wine country town is in a former auto dealership, and has more registered patients than the town has residents. Los Angeles has more pot shops than Starbucks or schools. The surge in medical marijuana in California has left many communities scrambling to regulate the free-for-all, while others are trying to ban the drug altogether. The issue took on greater urgency after the Obama administration announced...
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First lady praises employees at Energy Department
WASHINGTON -- On a visit to the Energy Department on Thursday, first lady Michelle Obama quizzed middle-school students about red blood cells and nanotechnology during a practice science quiz competition. Mrs. Obama also praised department employees during her 13th stop on a tour of the federal bureaucracy. "You don't often get the thanks that you deserve," she said. "Sometimes you get a lot of the blame and none of the credit for the progress that has gone...
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Ohio woman who got away from serial killing suspect
CLEVELAND -- A Cleveland woman said Thursday that she was choked and threatened this year by the man now charged with murder after the remains of several people were found on his property - and that she is racked with guilt for not speaking up earlier. Tanja Doss told reporterss that if she had quickly gone to authorities, her best friend, Nancy Cobbs, might not be missing. She believes Cobbs might be among the 11 victims whose remains were found at Sowell's home. Police...
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Congress votes to aid jobless, homebuyers
WASHINGTON -- Congress is sending the president legislation to expand a popular homebuyers tax credit and extend unemployment benefits. With an overwhelming House vote, Congress has completed work on the $24 billion economic package that seeks both to propel a sluggish economic recovery and help out the millions who have lost jobs and have been unable to rejoin the workforce. Under the measure, the $8,000 tax credit for first-time homebuyers would be extended for seven...
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Rail worker killed in Philly on 3rd day of strike
PHILADELPHIA -- Service is being restored on Philadelphia's regional rail lines after a worker was stuck and killed on the tracks. Thursday's accident comes as riders flock to regional rail lines on the third day of a city transit strike. Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority spokesman Richard Maloney says the worker was hit on the tracks near the Melrose Park station around 8:35 a.m. Three lines to the northern suburbs had to be shut down,...
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Cleveland Judge Orders Sowell Held Without Bail
A judge in Cleveland has ordered suspected serial killer Anthony Sowell held without bail. Since late last week police have found ten bodies at his home, which crews plan to take apart in case there are others. Donita Carmichael, who was told that her mother Tonia is one of the victims, says she just got the news today.The "Cleveland Plain Dealer" reports Sowell was arraigned today on five counts of...
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Obama coaxes states to change with school dollars
President Barack Obama challenged states Wednesday to get their education policies in line with his administration's priorities if they want a chance at $5 billion in grants."If you're willing to hold yourselves more accountable, if you develop a strong plan to improve the quality of education in your state, we'll offer you a grant to help make that plan a reality," Obama said while speaking at a Wisconsin middle school.Marking one year since his victory in the...
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Republican National Committee Chairman Comments On Gubernatorial Wins
Republicans are touting their party's wins in key gubernatorial races yesterday in New Jersey and Virginia. Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele says the victories are indicative of voter sentiment about what is happening in Washington.Obama administration officials say those election outcomes mainly reflect voter concerns about key issues facing those two states. Steele counters that voters recognize their governors will need to deal...
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Trial date delayed for NYC terror suspect's dad
DENVER -- Lawyers preparing for the trial of a Colorado man whose son is charged with conspiring to use weapons of mass destruction are getting more time to get ready.A federal judge in Denver on Tuesday granted a request from federal prosecutors and attorneys for Mohammed Wali Zazi to declare the case "unusual and complex" and postpone a Dec. 7 trial date. No new trial date has been set.Zazi is accused of lying to the FBI when asked if he had spoken to anyone on the phone about...
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GOP wins Va. gov race a year after Obama won state
RICHMOND, Va. -- Republican Bob McDonnell easily won the governor's race Tuesday, just a year after the state went overwhelmingly for President Barack Obama and the Democrats. Unofficial results showed McDonnell, a conservative and former state attorney general, defeating Creigh Deeds with more than 60 percent of the vote. He will be the state's first Republican governor in eight years. The race, along with the contest for governor of New Jersey, was viewed as the first...
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Light turnout in Va. for closely watched gov. race
RICHMOND, Va. -- Voters cast their ballots Tuesday for a new Virginia governor in a closely watched race that has focused on promises of jobs and critiques of President Barack Obama's policies a year after he won the state. Turnout in the race between Democrat R. Creigh Deeds and Republican Bob McDonnell was light to moderate across the state. The elections of governors in Virginia and New Jersey are viewed by many as the first voter referendums on Obama and on a...
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Pair stole up to 1k bags at Ariz. airport
PHOENIX -- Two people suspected of stealing up to 1,000 pieces of luggage from baggage claim carousels at Phoenix's airport have been arrested by police who found heaps of the stolen bags strewn throughout their home.There were so many suitcases that Phoenix police could only give a rough estimate of their number Tuesday as they pulled them out one by one and gathered them in the yard of Keith Wilson King and Stacy Lynne Legg-King's suburban residence."A piece of luggage here, a piece of...
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Philly transit strike a tough sell in down economy
PHILADELPHIA -- Even in the best of times, waking up to a surprise transit strike is like a bad dream come true. When the sudden walkout comes during an economic downturn, it becomes more like a public relations nightmare. The Philadelphia transit system's largest union went on strike early Tuesday over wage, pension and health care issues, stalling the city's bus, subway and trolley operations and forcing thousands of commuters to find other ways to get to work - and to Election Day...
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Neighbors griped about odor at Ohio home for years
CLEVELAND -- For the past few years, neighbors assumed the foul smell enveloping their street corner had been coming from a brick building where workers churned out sausage and head cheese. It got so bad that the owners of Ray's Sausage replaced their sewer line and grease traps. Now they know the odor was coming from a three-story house next door where the decomposing bodies of six women were found. A city councilman on Tuesday said he and other community leaders want an...
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Holder, Gates oppose restrictions on Gitmo trials
WASHINGTON -- The defense secretary and attorney general are opposing an attempt to prohibit Guantanamo detainees from having civilian trials in the United States.Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Attorney General Eric Holder said in an Oct. 30 letter that they want the option of having trials by military commission or civilian courts.A measure sponsored by Republican Sens. Lindsey Graham and John McCain and Independent Joe Lieberman would block the Justice Department from spending any funds...
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Buses, subways halted by Philly transit strike
PHILADELPHIA -- The Philadelphia transit system's largest union went on strike early Tuesday, stalling the city's bus, subway and trolley operations a day after the World Series shifted to New York and forcing thousands of commuters to find other ways to get to work. The sudden strike by Transport Workers Union Local 234 took many riders by surprise and all but crippled a transit system that averages more than 928,000 trips each weekday. The union represents more than 5,000 drivers,...
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Madoff auditor pleads guilty to securities fraud
NEW YORK -- Disgraced financier Bernard Madoff's longtime auditor has pleaded guilty to securities fraud and other charges. David Friehling entered the plea Tuesday in federal court in Manhattan. Prosecutors said previously that the charges could be punishable by up to 108 years in prison. However, substantial cooperation can result in leniency. The government says Friehling would have known that Madoff was carrying out history's biggest Ponzi scheme - because...
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Study links some antibiotics with birth defects
CHICAGO -- Researchers say they've found a surprising link between some common antibiotics used to treat urinary infections and birth defects. The new study in November's Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine is the first large analysis of antibiotic use in pregnancy. It finds that mothers of babies with birth defects were more likely than mothers with healthy babies to report taking two types of antibiotics during pregnancy. Those were sulfa drugs and...
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Newspaper Apologizes For Phillies Championship Ad
Philadelphia, PA -- The "Philadelphia Inquirer" newspaper is apologizing for an ad in today's paper offering Phillies 2009 World Championship merchandise. The ad was for Macy's and featured the World Series championship T-shirts with the Phillies logo. Philadelphia lost Game Four of the series to the New York Yankees Sunday night. The Yankees can clinch their 27th World Series title with a win tonight at Citizens Bank Park in Philly as they...
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NYC Imam Says He Didn't Lie To Feds
New York, NY -- A New York City imam says he's not guilty of lying to the FBI in connection with an alleged terror plot. Ahmad Afzali was arrested in September and accused of phoning a suspected al-Qaeda militant to tell him that his activities were being investigated. Afzali is facing four counts of making false statements which could send him to prison for up to two decades. The man he allegedly tipped off, Najibullah Zazi 1/8 1/8 nah-JIB-u-lah...
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Audio 4 Video Digital Sues Jackson Estate For More Than 700K
Music company Audio For Video Digital is taking the late Michael Jackson's estate to court. TMZ.com reports that the business has filed a creditor's claim for more than 736-thousand for rented sound recording and audio equipment "in connection with the making of a musical." According to a source connected with Audio For Video Digital, the company was working on music that the "King of Pop" had been recording prior to his death. The insider alleges that...
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FBI investigates nun's death on Navajo reservation
NAVAJO, N.M. -- Authorities believe that a 64-year-old nun found dead in her residence on the Navajo Nation may have been murdered.The FBI says Sister Marguerite Bartz failed to show up to Sunday Mass so a colleague went to check on her and found her body. Her vehicle is missing.The FBI and state police are combing Bartz's residence at St. Berard Mission Church for evidence, and an autopsy is planned.FBI Special Agent Darrin Jones would not say how Bartz died.Investigators say they are seeking...
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Inquiry of 6 bodies in Ohio focuses on 8-9 women
CLEVELAND -- Investigators trying to identify the bodies of six women found in the home of a convicted rapist are focusing the inquiry on eight or nine missing women, the coroner said Monday.It could take days or weeks to identify the bodies using dental records or DNA mouth-swab samples from relatives. Cuyahoga County Coroner Frank Miller said his office has begun the "arduous" process of collecting materials from dentists and relatives.The six women were black and five of them had...
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A Sweet Way to Make Everyone Smile
Dentists in the New York City area are buying back Halloween candy for $1 per pound from neighborhood kids. The candy they are donating to “Operation Gratitude”. Operation Gratitude is a non-profit organization that ships candy and other items to troops in the war zones of Afghanistan, Iraq, Kwauit, etc. It was founded shortly after the terrorists of attacks of September 11, 2001 when Carolyn Blashek was denied admissions due to her age into the Marines. She...
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American Meb Keflezighi wins NYC Marathon
Meb Keflezighi became the first U.S. man to win the New York City Marathon since 1982 on Sunday, a victory that capped an outstanding day for American distance running.Derartu Tulu of Ethiopia captured the women's race, with two-time defending champ Paula Radcliffe falling back to fourth then grabbing her left leg in pain after finishing...
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Millions without sick leave fear swine flu
For millions of Americans the rule is simple: If you don't come to work, you don't get paid.That idea drives an untold numbers of carpenters, day care workers, servers, shopkeepers and small-business owners to their jobs each day. Sniffles or not.
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`This Is It' tops charts with $101M worldwide
"Michael Jackson's This Is It" is the No. 1 Halloween thriller for movie audiences."This Is It" led the weekend box office with a domestic debut of $21.3 million and raised its five-day total worldwide to $101 million.The low-budget horror sensation "Paranormal Activity" slipped from first-place to second domestically with $16.5 million. "Paranormal Activity" raised its total to $84.8 million.
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Iowa's early Halloween-goers need jokes for treats
There's no trick to earning a treat for Halloween in Des Moines. All that's required is a good joke. Even if it's a bad joke."What's the skeleton's favorite instrument? The trombone!" said 10-year-old Anna Mattern. "But you have to emphasize the bone."For decades, as the city's make-believe ghosts and goblins trekked door to door on Beggar's Night, or the night before Halloween, they've had to perform to earn their treats.
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Standard time back to the standard on Sunday
That time already?Come Sunday, standard time would again be the standard in America.Switching time: 2 a.m. Sunday, local time, when clocks were to be set back an hour.Good news for most folks - an extra hour of sleep. Bad news for workers on the overnight shift - more work time.Some states and territories didn't observe daylight-saving time, so they didn't have to switch back.
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Govt says swine flu vaccine catching up to demand
A senior adviser to President Barack Obama says the government will catch up to the demand for swine flu vaccine within a week.Obama adviser David Axelrod says the manufacturers of the vaccine were wrong when they advised the administration earlier this year that they would have 40 million doses ready near the end of October. Instead, only 28 million doses of vaccine were available.Axelrod says 10 million more doses are expected to be available this week.
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Stocks swoon as worries about the economy return
Grim signals about consumer spending ripped through the markets Friday, sending stocks tumbling as investors raced for safe havens.The Standard & Poor's 500 index and the Nasdaq composite index ended with losses for October, breaking a streak of seven months of gains. The Dow Jones industrial average tumbled 250 points, erasing a gain of 200 Thursday and ending the month flat.
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Search resumes for Navy plane, 2 pilots off Texas
The Coast Guard has resumed its search for two missing Navy pilots and their plane along the central Texas coast.The search had to be suspended Thursday night because of stormy weather.Petty Officer Charles Reaves says a plane and a helicopter resumed the search shortly after 7:30 a.m. Friday.Naval Air Station Corpus Christi lost contact with the Navy T-34 training plane Wednesday afternoon. The single-engine plane's last known location was near San Jose Island, east of...
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House Democrats unveil health bill, reveal next steps and it is cheered on by Ob
WASHINGTON -- Their work swiftly heralded by President Barack Obama, House Democrats rolled out landmark legislation Thursday to extend health care to tens of millions who lack coverage, impose sweeping new restrictions on private insurers and create a government-run insurance option for cost-conscious consumers. The measure "covers 96 percent of all Americans, and it puts affordable coverage in reach for millions of uninsured and underinsured families, lowering health...
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Queen Latifah Joins Macy's "Believe" Campaign
Queen Latifah is hoping to recruit some believers this holiday season. The singer-actress has just signed on to be a part of Macy's "Believe" campaign. According to "People's" "StyleWatch," she'll be starring in nostalgic commercials based on the infamous "New York Sun" editorial, "Yes, Virginia, There Is A Santa Claus." Latifah gets to help Virginia mail a letter to Santa in the TV spot. The campaign will benefit the...
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ESPN: Woman who had affair with Phillips was fired
BRISTOL, Conn. -- An ESPN spokesman says the sports network has fired the production assistant whose affair with baseball analyst Steve Phillips led to his termination. Spokesman Mike Soltys (SAWL'-tiss) said Monday that Brooke Hundley was fired. He declined to say when she was fired or why. Hundley did not immediately return a phone message, and no one answered the door at her home in Bristol on Monday. Connecticut-based ESPN fired Phillips on Sunday night, less...
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Feds probe why jet flew 150 miles past airport
Federal investigators are scrambling to determine what happened aboard a Northwest Airlines jetliner whose crew flew 150 miles past its destination while air traffic controllers, other pilots and even a flight attendant back in the cabin tried to get their attention.
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Obama Praises Counterterrorism Efforts
New York, NY -- President Obama praised counterterrorism efforts in New York City. In a visit to the Joint Terrorism Task Force headquarters, Obama offered praise for thwarting an alleged New York City terror plot. The plot was allegedly concocted by Najibullah Zazi 1/8 1/8 nah-JIB-u-lah ZAH-zee 3/8 3/8. Zazi is in federal custody, having been charged with aiming to use weapons of mass destruction for an attack on New York City's mass transit system.
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Feds worried about Blagojevich TV appearance
Federal prosecutors say they want ousted Gov. Rod Blagojevich to agree to limit what he says about his corruption case if he goes on Donald Trump's "Celebrity Apprentice" television show. U.S. District Judge James B. Zagel said at a hearing Monday he is also worried that whatever Blagojevich says on the show might cause complications at his corruption trial. The trial is scheduled to start June 3.
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USDA confirms H1N1 in Minnesota pigs
At least one pig from Minnesota has tested positive for the H1N1 virus, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said on Monday, the first case of a pig contracting the virus in the United States. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said in a statement that USDA officials have begun to reach out to U.S. trade partners and international organizations to emphasize that H1N1, also known as swine flu, cannot be contracted by eating pork products.
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FBI: Police officer deaths fell sharply in 2008
The FBI says the number of police officers slain in the line of duty fell sharply last year. Bureau statistics list 41 law enforcement officers killed in 2008. The list includes one FBI agent, Sam Hicks, who was shot and killed during a drug raid outside Pittsburgh. Felony killings of police officers haven't been that low since 1999, although police officer support groups - which use different standards to...
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Chinese migrants nabbed at Arizona border
Several groups of illegal immigrants from China have been arrested in southern Arizona in recent days, part of an increasing trend that U.S. Border Patrol agents said Monday was being fed by smugglers recruiting tourists to Central and South America. The arrests included two Chinese found among a large group of migrants who entered the county from Mexico on Friday. Three more Chinese were found Saturday, a group that included four Chinese...
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Schwarzenegger signs tougher anti-paparazzi law
California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has signed an anti-paparazzi bill making it easier to sue media outlets that use photos that invade celebrities' privacy. A statement issued Monday says the former "Terminator" star had signed a number of bills, including the amendment to a decade-old law that allows fines against paparazzi who illegally or offensively take photos or recordings. The...
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Monster-maker to Vt. brewer: No 'Vermonster' beer
Forget David and Goliath. This fight's between Matt and Monster. The maker of Monster energy drinks has taken aim at a Vermont brewery that sells a beer called "The Vermonster," ordering it to stop selling, advertising and promoting the craft brew because it could confuse consumers. The energy drink-maker, Hansen Beverage Co., wants tiny Rock Art Brewery to stop using the name...
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Chicago Cubs file for Ch. 11 to speed team's sale
The Chicago Cubs filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection Monday, a step that will allow their owner to sell the baseball team in an $845 million deal. The filing in Wilmington, Del., was anticipated and is expected to lead to a brief stay in Chapter 11 for the Cubs. A hearing was scheduled for Tuesday in front of the judge who has been handling the bankruptcy of the Cubs' owner, Tribune Co.
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Chrysler Remake: New CEO shakes up exec team again
With sales down sharply and pressure to start generating cash before government loans run out, Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne shook up his executive team Monday, replacing two of his brand managers after just four months and splitting Dodge into car and truck units. The changes show Marchionne's penchant for moving quickly and demanding performance, industry analysts say. But it's also a sign that all is not well inside the company's sprawling...
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Judge says Dallas bomb plot case to proceed
There is enough evidence for prosecutors to continue their case against a Jordanian teenager accused of trying to blow up a Dallas skyscraper with what he believed to be a car bomb, a judge ruled Monday. The ruling came after a brief probable-cause hearing for Hosam Maher Smadi, 19, who is charged with attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction. If convicted he faces up to life in prison. FBI Special Agent...
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Court begins with argument over lawyer request
The Supreme Court began its new term Monday with Justice Sonia Sotomayor on the bench as the court tried to hash out how long a suspect's request for a lawyer should be considered valid by police and the courts. The high court, listening to its first arguments of the session, seemed skeptical of defense lawyers' arguments that police should be banned from talking to a suspect without a lawyer present because of the possibility that the...
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Obama Discusses Afghanistan With NATO Chief
WASHINGTON -- As the White House began Tuesday to debate in earnest the increasingly unpopular Afghanistan war, NATO's secretary-general said President Barack Obama is right to delay troop decisions until a possibly revamped approach is devised."The first thing is not numbers," Anders Fogh Rasmussen, chief of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, told reporters as he and Obama wrapped up their Oval Office meeting. Still, Fogh Rasmussen said U.S. and allied troops will remain in Afghanistan "as long as it takes. "The two leaders did not take questions...
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SC gov's state flights raise may tax liabilities
COLUMBIA, S.C. - South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford's use of state planes for personal and political trips could open him to federal tax penalties because the flights never were recorded as taxable fringe benefits. Tax experts reviewed an Associated Press analysis of more than 100 Sanford flights and said numerous trips could have been subject to taxes.Internal Revenue Service rules require adding the value of non-official flights to the governor's wages for taxes.Sanford spokesman Ben...
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Obama Discusses Afghanistan With NATO Chief
WASHINGTON - NATO's secretary-general said Tuesday President Barack Obama is right to decide strategy first, then resources for Afghanistan and said he's confident that U.S. and allied troops will remain "as long as it takes."Anders Fogh Rasmussen, chief of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, and Obama met in the White House, addressing reporters afterward. Fogh Rasmussen said European leaders are examining an on-the-ground ssessment from the U.S. and NATO commander in...
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Man arrested after placing inactive bomb in Dallas
DALLAS (AP) - Federal officials say a 19-year-old Jordanian national has been arrested on charges he plotted to bomb a downtown Dallas skyscraper.A statement from the U.S. attorney's office in Dallas says Hosam Maher Husein Smadi was arrested Thursday after placing what he thought was a bomb at the 60-story Fountain Place office tower. The decoy device was given to him by an undercover FBI agent.The statement says the FBI has monitoring the man, who lived in the small north Texas town of...
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State labor officials: Extend benefits for jobless
NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. (AP) - Labor commissioners from 18 states are urging the U.S. Senate to immediately act to extend unemployment benefits for 300,000 people who will exhaust theirs in another week.New York Labor Commissioner M. Patricia Smith was in Niagara Falls Thursday with her counterparts from around the country for a meeting of the National Association of State Workforce Agencies.At a news conference, Smith and officials from 17 other states pushed the Senate to follow the House's lead...
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42 states lose jobs in August, up from 29 in July
Forty-two states lost jobs last month, up from 29 in July, with the biggest net payroll cuts coming in Texas, Michigan, Georgia and Ohio.The Labor Department also reported Friday that 27 states saw their unemployment rates increase in August, and 14 states and Washington D.C., reported unemployment rates of 10 percent or above.
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FBI searches home of Colorado man in terror probe
DENVER (AP) - A man identified by law enforcement as having a possible link to al-Qaida has left his suburban Denver apartment in an SUV as federal agents prepare to question him again.An attorney for Najibullah (NAH'-gee-bull-ah) Zazi (ZAH'-zee) said his client would meet with FBI agents again Thursday, but it wasn't immediately clear if that's where he was headed.The attorney, Arthur Folsom, said Wednesday his client hasn't been arrested.The 24-year-old Zazi has denied he is a central figure...
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In California, Shooting On A High School Campus
(Antioch, CA) -- A high school campus in Antioch, California is under lockdown after a shooting this morning that wounded one student. Police say it happened on the sidewalk at Deer Valley High School sometime before 8:30 a.m. There is no word on the condition of the wounded student, who is identified only as a male, but he was airlifted to an area hospital. Police don't believe the shooter is still on or near the campus and the incident may be a drive-by.
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Kanye West apologizes to Taylor Swift
NEW YORK - Kanye West has finally given a personal apology to Taylor Swift. Representatives from "The View" say West called Swift after her appearance on Tuesday's show. During the broadcast, the 19-year-old singing sensation said West had yet to contact her to apologize for hijacking her MTV Video Music Awards acceptance speech on Sunday. The incident caused an uproar and led West to give an emotional apology on Monday's premiere of "The Jay Leno...
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President Obama To Speak At Cronkite Memorial In New York
(New York, NY) -- President Obama will be the headline speaker at a public memorial service tomorrow for the late television journalist Walter Cronkite. The longtime CBS anchorman's friends and extended family will gather at New York's Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts to remember Cronkite, his life and achievements. Former President Bill Clinton will also speak at the event, as will retired astronaut Buzz Aldrin. Pop-rock icon Jimmy Buffett, jazz...
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