Tax Credit Gives Home Sales Best Boost in Decade First-time buyers taking advantage of a special tax credit gave sales of existing homes in October their biggest surge in a decade, raising hopes for a turnaround in the housing market and pleasing Wall Street. Alan Zibel, AP NEWS - 5 minutes ago
Sarah Palin’s Book Tour Hits NC’s Fort Bragg Sarah Palin brought her book-signing tour to North Carolina’s Fort Bragg on Monday as thousands greeted the former Republican vice presidential candidate in a campaign-like gathering that tested military rules involving politicians. Mike Baker, AP NEWS - 10 minutes ago
Big Bang Atom Smasher Records First Proton Hits The world’s largest atom smasher made another leap forward Monday by circulating beams of protons in opposite directions at the same time and causing the first particle collisions in the $10 billion machine after more than a year of repairs, organizers said. Alexander G. Higgins, AP NEWS - 10 minutes ago
Belgian Says He Was Alert But Mute for 23 Years For 23 torturous years, Rom Houben says he lay trapped in his paralyzed body, aware of what was going on around him but unable to tell anyone or even cry out. Raf Casert, AP NEWS - 10 minutes ago
SC Gov Faces 37 Charges He Broke State Ethics Laws South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford, whose tryst with an Argentine lover blossomed into a wide-ranging scandal, is accused of breaking ethics laws by using taxpayer money for pricey airline seats, taking state planes for personal and political trips and occasionally tapping his campaign chest to reimburse himself for travel. Jim Davenport, AP NEWS - 10 minutes ago
For Reid, Dodd, Clout on Big Issues Cuts Both Ways Two Senate leaders trying to steer a pair of President Barack Obama’s high-stakes initiatives through Congress are being dogged by re-election worries, and it’s not clear whether their legislative prominence will help or hurt them. Charles Babington, AP NEWS - 10 minutes ago
Obama Could Lock in Afghanistan Decision Monday The White House said President Barack Obama could use an unusual evening war council session Monday to lock in his long-awaited decision on whether to commit tens of thousands of new U.S. forces to the stalemated war in Afghanistan. Anne Gearan and Jennifer Loven, AP NEWS - 10 minutes ago
AP-GfK Poll: Debt Turning Shoppers Into Scrooges A lot more Americans are feeling stressed out by debt this holiday season, raising the glum likelihood they’ll behave like Scrooge rather than Santa. Jeannine Aversa, AP NEWS - 11 minutes ago
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. Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar, AP NEWS - 11 minutes ago
Man Arrested in Anti-Aircraft Missile Plot Federal investigators in Philadelphia say they have arrested a man who wanted to obtain weapons to ship to Syria, including anti-aircraft missiles. Staff, AP NEWS - 12 minutes ago
Ruling Delayed for Filipino Jailed in Spy Case A judge reserved ruling Monday on whether a former Philippine National Police officer who served prison time for receiving classified U.S. government documents will be extradited to face murder charges back home. David Porter, AP NEWS - 12 minutes ago
Feds Find Association Between Drywall, Corrosion The federal government said Monday that it has found a “strong association” between problematic imported Chinese drywall and corrosion of pipes and wires, a conclusion that supports complaints by thousands of homeowners over the last year. Brian Skoloff, AP NEWS - 19 minutes ago
Mass. Woman Seeks Funds for Turkey’s Eye Surgery A Massachusetts woman is seeking donations from fellow pet lovers to help pay for eye surgery for her turkey named Jerry. Lyndsey Medeiros and her husband adopted three-year-old Jerry and another turkey from a Rhode Island farm last week. But Jerry has cataracts, and the eye problems mean he can’t eat independently or join his female companion, Penelope, in flying. Staff, AP NEWS - 20 minutes ago
Valspar Fiscal 4th-Quarter Profit Climbs Paint and coatings maker Valspar Corp. said Monday its fiscal fourth-quarter profit climbed as the company trimmed the cost of sales and research and development expenses. Staff, AP NEWS - 22 minutes ago
Analog Devices 4Q Earnings Fall; 1Q Outlook Upbeat Chipmaker Analog Devices Inc. said Monday its net income fell 27 percent in the fiscal fourth quarter, as demand declined for semiconductors in its industrial and communications business. Staff, AP NEWS - 22 minutes ago
Suit May Block BLM Roundup of Mustangs in Nev. An animal protection group is asking a federal judge to block the government’s planned roundup of thousands of wild mustangs in Nevada next month. Scott Sonner, AP NEWS - 22 minutes ago
Southern Baptist President Has Prostate Cancer Southern Baptist Convention President Johnny Hunt says that he has prostate cancer and expects to have surgery in January. Staff, AP NEWS - 22 minutes ago
Kan. Nurse Resentenced in ‘Nude Therapy’ Case A Kansas nurse convicted of enslaving mentally ill residents of a Newton group home has been sentenced to 15 years in prison after a judge acknowledged the original seven-year term was too short. Staff, AP NEWS - 23 minutes ago
KBR to Bid for Part of $3B Air Force Contract Defense contractor KBR said Monday the U.S. Air Force has asked it to bid for future task orders under the Worldwide Environmental Restoration and Construction program. Staff, AP NEWS - 27 minutes ago
Israeli Trade Minister in Turkey to Mend Ties Israel’s trade minister Monday began a visit to Turkey to mend strained relations, saying Ankara could help resolve the conflict between Israel and Syria. Afp, AFP GLOBAL EDITION - 28 minutes ago
AP News in Brief Sen. Schumer vows Democrats will pass health care bill with or without GOP support Staff, AP NEWS - 31 minutes ago
How the Major Stock Indexes Fared on Monday The stock market ended a three-day losing streak Monday, closing broadly higher as a weaker dollar and upbeat home sales numbers encouraged investors to take on more risk. The dollar resumed its slide, sending prices for commodities including gold and oil higher and in turn, the stocks of companies that produce them. Meanwhile, the National Association of Realtors reported that October home sales rose more than 10 percent revived investors' optimism after disappointing data on the housing industry last week raised concerns about the strength of the economic recovery. The Associated Press, AP NEWS - 32 minutes ago
Petters Fraud Case Goes to Jury in Minn. A jury will return Tuesday to further deliberate the fate of a Minnesota businessman accused of operating a Ponzi scheme that cost investors more than $3.5 billion. Steve Karnowski, AP NEWS - 32 minutes ago
Weak Dollar, Home Sales Data Carry Stocks Higher The stock market ended a three-day losing streak Monday, closing broadly higher as a weaker dollar and upbeat home sales numbers encouraged investors to take on more risk. Sara Lepro and Tim Paradis, AP NEWS - 35 minutes ago
Freddie Mac: Taylor, Bean Loss May Be Significant Mortgage finance company Freddie Mac said Monday it could lose $500 million or more as a result of the bankruptcy protection filing of Taylor, Bean & Whitaker Mortgage Corp. Staff, AP NEWS - 37 minutes ago
Treasurys Recover, Rise on Strong Demand Treasury prices recovered from early losses Monday as investors took advantage of a dip in prices to add more government debt to their portfolios. Stephen Bernard, AP NEWS - 39 minutes ago
UN Pushes Electricity, Fuels Lack in Climate Talks Development officials say almost half the world’s population lacks modern fuels to cook or heat or any electricity, and insist negotiators must address that “energy poverty” as part of any global climate pact next month in Denmark. John Heilprin, AP NEWS - 39 minutes ago
Late Payments on Credit Cards Drop in 3rd Quarter Consumers got more serious about paying down their credit card debt this summer, a time when deliquencies usually go up. Eileen Aj Connelly, AP NEWS - 40 minutes ago
Kangaroo Tries to Drown Dog, Attacks Owner A kangaroo startled by a man walking his dog attacked the pair, pinning the pet underwater and slashing the owner in the abdomen with its hind legs. The Australian, Chris Rickard, was in stable condition Monday after the attack, which ended when the 49-year-old elbowed the kangaroo in the throat. Staff, AP NEWS - 41 minutes ago
Bombings, Shooting Kill 12 Around Afghanistan Bombings and shootings killed 12 people across Afghanistan, including four American troops and three children, as President Barack Obama convened his war council again Monday to fine-tune a strategy to respond to the intransigent violence. Elena Becatoros, AP NEWS - 42 minutes ago
Kennedy Dispute Reveals Divide Among Catholics A bitter dispute over abortion that prompted Rhode Island’s Roman Catholic bishop to ask Rep. Patrick Kennedy not to receive Holy Communion has revealed the depth of the divide among Catholics over how politicians should reconcile their faith with their public duties. Ray Henry, AP NEWS - 43 minutes ago
Gladstone to Create Class of Senior Shares Gladstone Commercial Corp., a real estate investment trust, said Monday it will create a new class of ownership by offering senior common shares in a private sale. Staff, AP NEWS - 51 minutes ago
Freddie Mac Says TBW Losses ‘Could Be Significant’ Mortgage finance company Freddie Mac on Monday put its initial loss estimate related to the bankruptcy of Taylor, Bean & Whitaker Mortgage Corp. at $500 million, and noted the figure could be much higher. Staff, AP NEWS - 54 minutes ago
Inability to Compromise May Delay Iraqi Election Iraq’s parliament failed Monday to produce an election law that pleased minority Sunni Arabs, prompting U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton to say that nationwide balloting scheduled for January “might slip” to a later date. Qassim Abdul-Zahra, AP NEWS - 58 minutes ago
21 Killed in Election Massacre in the Philippines Gunmen ambushed a caravan of political supporters and journalists on their way to file election papers Monday, killing at least 21 people in a massacre considered shocking even for a region notorious for violence between rival clans. Hrvoje Hranjski, AP NEWS - 58 minutes ago
Business Highlights Tax credit gives home sales best boost in decade Staff, AP NEWS - 58 minutes ago
Wis. Man With Alleged Child Porn Shrine Charged A Wisconsin man transformed his apartment into a pornographic shrine to young girls, arranging mannequins in a sex act, plastering the walls with photos and setting up a bed covered with stuffed animals, investigators said Monday. Todd Richmond, AP NEWS - 59 minutes ago
Charges Unsealed in Missing Somalis Terror Probe Federal prosecutors unsealed new terror-related charges against eight people on Monday as part of the long-running investigation of young men who left the United States to fight in Somalia. Patrick Condon, AP NEWS - 62 minutes ago
Petters Fraud Case Goes to Jury in Minn. A jury began deliberating the fate of a Minnesota businessman accused of operating a Ponzi scheme that cost investors more than $3.5 billion. Steve Karnowski, AP NEWS - 63 minutes ago
Chief Guilty of 3 Counts in Parker-Broderick Case An eastern Ohio police chief was acquitted of burglary charges Monday but convicted of three other felonies in an alleged break-in at the home of a woman who carried twins for Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick. Staff, AP NEWS - 63 minutes ago
Tax Credit Gives Home Sales Best Boost in Decade First-time buyers taking advantage of a special tax credit gave sales of existing homes their biggest surge in a decade, raising hopes for a turnaround in the housing market and pleasing Wall Street. Alan Zibel, AP NEWS - 66 minutes ago
AP Enterprise: Bullet Tears Open Somali Boy’s Face The bullet hit mother and son as they walked through Somalia’s capital. She felt a sharp pain in her palm. Then she saw her 8-year-old: The bullet tore through his cheekbones, nose and mouth. Blood gushed down to his waist. Malkhadir M. Muhumed and Mohamed Sheikh Noor, AP NEWS - 66 minutes ago
Ahmadinejad Visits Brazil Mahmoud Ahmadinejad arrives in Brazil for the first leg of the controversial Iranian President’s South American tour. Reuters Video, REUTERS NEWS VIDEO - 67 minutes ago
Ruling Delayed for Filipino Jailed in Spy Case A judge has delayed his ruling on whether a former Philippine National Police officer who served prison time for receiving classified U.S. government documents will be extradited to face murder charges. Staff, AP NEWS - 73 minutes ago
‘New Moon’ Rises to Blockbuster With $142.8M The vampire romance “The Twilight Saga: New Moon” put the box office into orbit with a $142.8 million opening weekend. The sequel took in twice as much as “Twilight” in its first three days a year ago. Staff, AP NEWS - 74 minutes ago
Gold Touches New High of $1,174 as Dollar Weakens A weaker dollar carried gold prices to a new record Monday and also boosted silver and copper to their highest levels of the year. Sara Lepro, AP NEWS - 76 minutes ago
Tyson Foods Posts 4Q Loss on Beef Charge Tyson Foods Inc. said it made strides in the meat business this year and predicts more improvements next year, but analysts worry the company’s all-important chicken business is lagging others in the industry. Emily Fredrix, AP NEWS - 78 minutes ago
Dynex Buys Deutsche Bank Share of Joint Venture Dynex Capital Inc., a mortgage real estate investment trust, said Monday its subsidiary, Issued Holdings Capital Corp., has bought Deutsche Bank’s shares of a joint venture for $9.5 million in cash, giving Dynex 99.75 percent ownership. Staff, AP NEWS - 78 minutes ago
UN Pushes Electricity, Fuels Lack in Climate Talks Development officials say almost half the people in the world lack modern fuels to cook or heat their homes, including 1.2 billion without any electricity. Staff, AP NEWS - 78 minutes ago
Gas Prices Fall to Begin Busy Travel Week Retail gasoline prices headed downward in most places to begin one of the country’s busiest travel weeks, with more than 33 million people expected to hit the road for the Thanksgiving holiday. Dirk Lammers, AP NEWS - 80 minutes ago
Inter Parfums Posts 3rd-Quarter Profit Perfume company Inter Parfums Inc. reported after the market closed Monday that profit rose in the third quarter, helped by trimmed expenses and a foreign currency gain. Staff, AP NEWS - 81 minutes ago
Utility to Store Air Underground to Generate Power An Ohio electric company has bought the rights to an abandoned limestone mine so it can pump the cavern full of compressed air and let it out to generate power during peak-use times. Staff, AP NEWS - 88 minutes ago
Peet’s Raises Offer for Diedrich to $265M Peet’s Coffee & Tea Inc., hoping for a stake in the growing single-serve coffee brewing market, on Monday boosted its bid for a wholesale roaster and distributor by 24 percent. Staff, AP NEWS - 88 minutes ago
US to Present Emissions Target Before Copenhagen The United States will announce a target for reducing its greenhouse gas emissions before the UN climate conference in Copenhagen, removing a major obstacle to a deal, a senior official said Monday. Afp, AFP GLOBAL EDITION - 88 minutes ago
Atlantis Astronauts End Final Mission Spacewalk Astronauts from the US shuttle Atlantis Monday concluded the third and final spacewalk of their mission to maintain and install more high-tech equipment on the International Space Station. Afp, AFP GLOBAL EDITION - 88 minutes ago
Success for Large Hadron Collider as First Atom Smashed Two circulating beams on Monday produced the first particle collisions in the world’s biggest atom smasher, the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), three days after its restart, scientists announced. Afp, AFP GLOBAL EDITION - 88 minutes ago
KLM Flies World’s First “Passenger Flight on Biofuel” A Boeing 747, one of four engines powered by a 50-percent biokerosene mix, circled the Netherlands for an hour on Monday for what airline KLM called the world’s first passenger flight using biofuel. Afp, AFP GLOBAL EDITION - 88 minutes ago
Iran Insists It Will Not Ship Uranium Stocks Abroad Iran will not ship its low enriched uranium abroad, a top security official said on Monday, renewing the government’s rejection of UN-drafted proposals aimed at allaying concerns over its nuclear ambitions. Afp, AFP GLOBAL EDITION - 88 minutes ago
Iran Bans Best-Selling Paper Over Bahai Temple Iran on Monday shut down a best-selling newspaper, Hamshahri, for carrying a picture of a temple belonging to the outlawed Bahai sect, the official IRNA news agency reported. Afp, AFP GLOBAL EDITION - 88 minutes ago
Eight Charged in US-Somali Youth Terror Network Eight people face terrorism charges in the case of 20 young men missing from Minnesota after allegedly being recruited for an Islamist militia in Somalia, officials said Monday. Afp, AFP GLOBAL EDITION - 88 minutes ago
Oil Prices Power Higher as Dollar Weakens Oil prices rose sharply on Monday as a weaker dollar helped boost demand for commodities, analysts said. Afp, AFP GLOBAL EDITION - 88 minutes ago
Oil Prices Higher Amid Weak Dollar Oil prices rose Monday as a weaker dollar helped boost demand for commodities. Afp, AFP GLOBAL EDITION - 88 minutes ago
Wigan Refund Fans Who Witnessed Spurs Massacre Wigan’s shell-shocked players on Monday offered to refund supporters who travelled to London to watch their side being thrashed 9-1 by Tottenham. Afp, AFP EUROPEAN EDITION - 88 minutes ago
Residents Return to Survey Cost of Devastating Floods Residents in the flood-hit northwest began returning to their homes Monday but police warned it could take years to recover from the devastation left by the heaviest rainfall on record. Afp, AFP EUROPEAN EDITION - 88 minutes ago
Indian PM Pitches for Growing US Ties Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Monday appealed for wide-ranging cooperation with the United States on areas such as climate change and defense as he started a high-profile state visit. Afp, AFP ASIAN EDITION - 88 minutes ago
Indonesia President Sidesteps Action on Corruption Case Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on Monday sidestepped advice from his own fact-finding team to punish senior law enforcers over a huge corruption scandal that has gripped the nation. Afp, AFP ASIAN EDITION - 88 minutes ago
US, Russia Mull Arms Monitoring Before New Treaty The United States said Monday it was in talks with Russia to maintain monitoring provisions set out in an arms reduction treaty that expires next month before a new deal is ratified. Afp, AFP AMERICAN EDITION - 88 minutes ago
No Drunk-Driving Charge for John Kerry’s Daughter The daughter of former US presidential candidate John Kerry will not be charged after being arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence, Los Angeles prosecutors said Monday. Afp, AFP AMERICAN EDITION - 88 minutes ago
Smith International Closes Sale of 28M Shares Oilfield services company Smith International Inc. said Monday it sold 28 million new shares of stock at $26.50 per share. Staff, AP NEWS - 90 minutes ago
Astronauts Take Spacewalk No. 3 After Suit Snag A pair of astronauts zipped through the third and final spacewalk of their mission Monday, helping to install a 1,200-pound oxygen tank at the International Space Station and accomplishing everything else on their list. Marcia Dunn, AP NEWS - 92 minutes ago
Talk of the Town: Swift Sweeps AMAs The day’s top showbiz news and headlines including Taylor Swift wins big at AMAs, Michael Jackson’s white glove headed to Macau casino, and Dr. Conrad Murray back to work. Reuters Video, REUTERS NEWS VIDEO - 93 minutes ago
Chief Guilty of 3 Counts in Parker-Broderick Case An eastern Ohio police chief has been acquitted of burglary charges but convicted of three other felonies in an alleged break-in at the home of a woman who carried twins for Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick. Staff, AP NEWS - 96 minutes ago
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