W.Va. Seeks More Comment on Coal-To-Gas Plant The West Virginia Division of Air Quality is giving the public more time to weigh in on an air pollution permit for a planned coal-to-gasoline plant in the southern coalfields. Staff, AP NEWS - 5 minutes ago
Stocks Rise Following Drop in Jobless Claims Stocks climbed Wednesday following a drop in weekly unemployment claims to the lowest level of the year and a rise in new home sales. Tim Paradis and Ieva M. Augstums, AP NEWS - 11 minutes ago
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. Sharon Theimer and Julie Hirschfeld Davis, AP NEWS - 12 minutes ago
Housing Data Points to Rocky Rebound Sales of new homes rose more than 6 percent in October. But that was only because of strong results in the South. Alan Zibel, AP NEWS - 12 minutes ago
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. Deborah Yao, AP NEWS - 12 minutes ago
Tiffany, J. Crew, TiVo, Incyte Are Big Movers The following stocks were among those that moved substantially or traded heavily Wednesday on the New York Stock Exchange: The Associated Press, AP FEATURES - 13 minutes ago
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. Brock Vergakis, AP NEWS - 15 minutes ago
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 house the snake at its shelter, keeping it warm and close at hand if its owner is looking for it. Staff, AP NEWS - 17 minutes ago
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. Greg Bluestein, AP NEWS - 17 minutes ago
Feds in Minn. Seize More Than $640K in Fake Goods Officials with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement seized more than 17,000 counterfeit items from Twin Cities-area businesses last week, cracking down on the sale of fake goods before the holiday shopping season begins. Amy Forliti, AP NEWS - 17 minutes ago
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. Aaron Favila and Jim Gomez, AP NEWS - 17 minutes ago
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. Staff, AP NEWS - 19 minutes ago
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 as he walked out Tuesday night. Staff, AP NEWS - 19 minutes ago
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 convenience store in Clearwater. He even has a BP logo shirt and a name tag. Customers grin and kids squeal with joy in response. Staff, AP NEWS - 19 minutes ago
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 injury to property. Police said Kelbaugh was drinking at a bar in Cary early Wednesday when he left to order food at the hot dog stand. Staff, AP NEWS - 19 minutes ago
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 took a Hostess doughnut and two Tastykake items from the store, though she did pay for a soda pop. Staff, AP NEWS - 19 minutes ago
Mexico Border City Eyes Anonymous Crime Tip System Residents in the violent Mexican border city of Juarez will soon be able to report crime through an anonymous international tip line. Staff, AP NEWS - 21 minutes ago
Riceland Foods Sales at $1.3B for Fiscal Year Stuttgart-based Riceland Foods Inc. says its sales for the fiscal year are up by 8 percent from the year before. Staff, AP NEWS - 21 minutes ago
Stores Look to Basics to Draw in Holiday Shoppers As stores prepare for hordes of Black Friday shoppers and mark down high-definition TVs and hot toys, they’re also pushing deals on something more mundane — necessities like socks and diapers. Anne D'Innocenzio, AP NEWS - 24 minutes ago
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. Michael Tarm, AP NEWS - 25 minutes ago
Pakistan Charges 7 Suspects in Mumbai Attacks Pakistan charged seven men in last year’s Mumbai attacks on Wednesday, its first indictment in a case being monitored by India and the United States to see if Islamabad makes good on promises to bring those responsible to justice. Kim Gamel, AP NEWS - 25 minutes ago
Obama Expects Support for More Afghanistan Troops President Barack Obama will announce his plan to bolster the war in Afghanistan in a speech Tuesday night from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, his spokesman said, a surge that military officials say could top 30,000 troops. Anne Gearan, AP NEWS - 25 minutes ago
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 of a future state. Mark Lavie, AP NEWS - 25 minutes ago
AP Newsbreak: Records Show WH Health Care Talks Top aides to President Barack Obama met early and often with lobbyists, Democratic political strategists and other interests with a stake in the administration’s national health care overhaul, White House visitor records obtained Wednesday by The Associated Press show. Sharon Theimer, AP NEWS - 25 minutes ago
Obama to Head to Copenhagen With Climate Pledge President Barack Obama will head to next month’s Copenhagen climate summit to offer the first US plan to cut carbon emissions, officials said Wednesday, reviving hopes the closely watched meeting will succeed. Afp, AFP GLOBAL EDITION - 29 minutes ago
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, insisting America is ready to tackle global warming despite intense disagreement in Congress. H. Josef Hebert, AP NEWS - 29 minutes ago
Somalia: 2 Kidnapped Journalists Freed A Canadian and Australian journalist were freed on Wednesday after more than a year in captivity, Somali officials said. Mohamed Olad Hassan, AP NEWS - 29 minutes ago
FDA Grants Full Approval to J&J’s HIV Drug A division of Johnson & Johnson said Wednesday that federal regulators granted full approval to an HIV drug designed to treat patients who have stopped responding to other treatments. Staff, AP NEWS - 32 minutes ago
Ky. Court Says State Must Readopt Lethal Injection The Kentucky Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that the state improperly adopted the same three-drug lethal injection protocol that was upheld in the nation’s highest court and is used by dozens of other states. Brett Barrouquere, AP NEWS - 36 minutes ago
Pittsburgh OKs $50K ‘Middle Finger’ Settlement Pittsburgh City Council has tentatively approved paying $50,000 to settle a free speech lawsuit filed by a man cited for giving a city police officer the middle finger. Staff, AP NEWS - 37 minutes ago
A Look at Startup Firms Challening Mutual Funds Covestor Investment Management and kaChing are online ventures that seek to challenge traditional mutual funds. Borrowing ideas from social networking, the startups help connect small investors with individuals the companies deem top money managers. The investors can choose a manager to follow, and make trades in a brokerage account based on the managers' market moves. The Associated Press, AP NEWS - 39 minutes ago
BLM Delays Nevada Horse Roundup to Allow Appeals The Bureau of Land Management on Wednesday postponed a planned roundup of thousands of wild horses in Nevada because of a lawsuit and to allow time for appeals of its decision. Sandra Chereb, AP NEWS - 39 minutes ago
8 Plead Guilty to Sending Illegal Money to Mideast Eight men have pleaded guilty to federal charges for selling stolen goods at five St. Louis area convenience stores and funneling part of their profits to the Palestinian territories. Staff, AP NEWS - 40 minutes ago
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. Josh L. Dickey, AP NEWS - 40 minutes ago
Dollar Hits 15-Month Low; Steepest Drop Since July The safe-haven dollar slid to a 15-month low against the euro, was within striking distance of 14-year lows versus the yen and dipped below parity against the Swiss franc Wednesday as markets absorbed the Federal Reserve’s indication that interest rates will remain at super-low levels for a while and it was not overly concerned by the U.S. currency’s decline. Pan Pylas and Tali Arbel, AP NEWS - 41 minutes ago
Charred Human Remains Found in California Home Police in Southern California have found charred and fragmented human remains in a deserted home where three missing teens were last seen. Staff, AP NEWS - 41 minutes ago
Conn. Governor Calls Lawmakers Back on Dec. 15 Gov. M. Jodi Rell is calling the Connecticut General Assembly back to the Capitol for a special legislative session to consider her plan to cover the state’s $466.5 million budget deficit. Staff, AP NEWS - 43 minutes ago
Startups Play Matchmaker to Challenge Mutual Funds If you’re unhappy with your mutual fund, you can easily find another. After all, there are nearly 8,000 to choose from. Mark Jewell, AP NEWS - 47 minutes ago
Mothers of Americans Held in Iran Send Video The mothers of three Americans held captive in Iran have recorded video messages they hope Iranian authorities will deliver to their children. Staff, AP NEWS - 49 minutes ago
Wind-Driven California Blaze Partly Contained Santa Ana winds fanned a fire across 60 acres of Southern California hills before firefighters reduced it Wednesday to a smoldering — but still dangerous — black scar. Staff, AP NEWS - 50 minutes ago
Honduras Vote to Sideline President, Enshrine Coup Sunday’s election will likely accomplish what the plotters of a coup set out to do five months ago: end the political career of leftist President Manuel Zelaya and replace him with a more moderate leader from Honduras' establishment. Alexandra Olson, AP NEWS - 51 minutes ago
Beal Bank Makes Its Own Bid for 3 Trump Casinos A Dallas bank that was once allied with Donald Trump in a bid to buy the three Atlantic City Trump casinos out of bankruptcy protection now wants to buy them on its own. Wayne Parry, AP NEWS - 55 minutes ago
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. Seth Borenstein, AP NEWS - 58 minutes ago
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. Frank Eltman, AP NEWS - 62 minutes ago
Apollo Completes Acquisition of Parallel Petroleum Asset manager Apollo Global Management LLC on Wednesday completed its acquisition of Parallel Petroleum Corp., according to the oil and natural gas producer. Staff, AP NEWS - 65 minutes ago
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. George Jahn, AP NEWS - 74 minutes ago
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. Ken Thomas, AP NEWS - 74 minutes ago
Iran’s Leader Makes Inroads in Latin America Iranian leader Mahmoud Ahmadinejad sought to expand Tehran’s influence in Latin America and deepen his alliance with Venezuela’s Hugo Chavez on Wednesday in a visit that offered him a platform to defend his country’s nuclear program. Ian James, AP NEWS - 75 minutes ago
Truck Carrying Immigrants Falls off Texas Cliff Authorities say a truck carrying illegal immigrants from Guatemala and Mexico has plummeted more than 40 feet off a cliff in southwest Texas. All 18 aboard were injured. Staff, AP NEWS - 77 minutes ago
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. David Bauder, AP NEWS - 78 minutes ago
Energy Prices on the Rise Despite Huge Supply The dollar’s sway over energy markets was on full display Wednesday, with oil and gasoline futures rising sharply as the U.S. currency tumbled to 15-month lows. Dirk Lammers, AP NEWS - 79 minutes ago
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. Brian Skoloff, AP NEWS - 79 minutes ago
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.” Howard Fendrich, AP NEWS - 81 minutes ago
Wash. Court Reinstates $8M Award Against Hyundai The state Supreme Court on Wednesday reinstated an $8 million default judgment against Hyundai Motor Co. in a lawsuit over the backward collapse of a front seat in a 1997 crash that left a man paralyzed. Rachel La Corte, AP NEWS - 83 minutes ago
Jet-Winged Adventurer Ditches in Atlantic, Unhurt A Swiss adventurer trying to soar from Morocco to Spain on jet-powered wings ditched safely into the Atlantic on Wednesday after hitting turbulence and clouds so thick he could not tell if he was flying up or down. Daniel Woolls, AP NEWS - 87 minutes ago
Israel Swap Stalls Over ‘Group’ of Palestinian Militants Israel is refusing to free a group of Palestinian prisoners demanded by Hamas in exchange for a captured Israeli soldier, officials close to the talks on a deal said on Wednesday. Afp, AFP GLOBAL EDITION - 89 minutes ago
Israel Offers, Palestinians Reject Temporary Settlement Ease Israel on Wednesday offered a temporary ease in settlement building in a move hailed by Washington as helping move forward the stalled peace process but rejected by the Palestinians as insufficient. Afp, AFP GLOBAL EDITION - 89 minutes ago
Kidnappers Say Canadian, Australian Journalists in Somalia Freed Two freelance journalists, one from Canada and the other from Australia, were freed on Wednesday after 15 months in captivity in Somalia, one of their kidnappers told AFP. Afp, AFP GLOBAL EDITION - 89 minutes ago
Obama to Unveil His Afghan Plan Tuesday US President Barack Obama will announce his new Afghan strategy in an address to the nation Tuesday from the prestigious West Point military academy, the White House said. Afp, AFP GLOBAL EDITION - 89 minutes ago
Taliban’s Omar Rejects Karzai Call for Talks: Statement Mullah Mohammad Omar, leader of Afghanistan’s Taliban militia, on Wednesday rejected a call from President Hamid Karzai for peace talks, in a statement issued ahead of the Muslim festival of Eid al-Adha. Afp, AFP GLOBAL EDITION - 89 minutes ago
Wikileaks Releases Pager Intercepts From 9/11 Whistleblower website Wikileaks began publishing on Wednesday what it said were hundreds of thousands of pager messages from the day of the September 11, 2001 attacks on New York and Washington. Afp, AFP GLOBAL EDITION - 89 minutes ago
Europe Moves to Tighten Hedge Fund Regulation Europe is moving towards tighter regulation of hedge funds -- blamed for exacerbating a global financial crisis -- with pay curbs to the fore. Afp, AFP GLOBAL EDITION - 89 minutes ago
Julie Andrews to Return to London Stage Julie Andrews, the star of “Mary Poppins” and “The Sound of Music”, is returning to the London stage for the first time in 30 years with a one-off show in May, the organisers announced Wednesday. Afp, AFP GLOBAL EDITION - 89 minutes ago
IMF Sells 10 Tonnes of Gold to Sri Lanka The International Monetary Fund said Wednesday it had sold 10 tonnes of gold to Sri Lanka’s central bank for 375 million dollars, as part of a restructuring of IMF financial resources. Afp, AFP GLOBAL EDITION - 89 minutes ago
African Peacekeepers Tread Warily in Mogadishu Snipers have taken over where bombers left off in Mogadishu, the war-wracked capital of Somalia where African Union peacekeepers are facing an uphill battle to counter the advance of Islamist insurgents. Afp, AFP GLOBAL EDITION - 89 minutes ago
SAfrica’s Zuma Appoints New Zimbabwe Team South Africa’s President Jacob Zuma on Wednesday appointed a new team to monitor Zimbabwe’s troubled unity government accord, ending former president Thabo Mbeki’s mediation role, his office said. Afp, AFP GLOBAL EDITION - 89 minutes ago
Swiss Jetman Ditches in Sea as Africa-Europe Flight Fails Swiss adventurer Yves Rossy ditched in the sea Wednesday due to turbulence, foiling his bid to make aviation history by flying from Africa to Europe using a jet-powered wing attached to his back. Afp, AFP GLOBAL EDITION - 89 minutes ago
China Reports Eight Cases of Mutated Swine Flu China has discovered eight people with mutated versions of swine flu but drugs are still effective against the new strains, a senior health official told the official Xinhua news agency. Afp, AFP ASIAN EDITION - 89 minutes ago
Kentucky Court Temporarily Suspends Executions Executions were suspended in Kentucky Wednesday after its top court ruled the state must adopt and publish its protocols on the use of lethal injections. Afp, AFP AMERICAN EDITION - 89 minutes ago
Leonsis Set to Take Control of Sport Empire Ted Leonsis, a former AOL executive and owner of hockey’s Washington Capitals, is set to complete a takeover plan made 10 years ago and buy the NBA Washington Wizards and the arena the teams share. Afp, AFP AMERICAN EDITION - 89 minutes ago
In Recession, ‘Up in the Air’ Touches Down on Time “Up in the Air” has undergone the rarest of flights: It was delayed for a long time and its course was altered, yet it has arrived right on time. Jake Coyle, AP NEWS - 94 minutes ago
NYC to Pay Man Who Falsely Confessed to Killing The City of New York has agreed to pay $340,000 to an autistic man who spent a year in jail after confessing to a killing he didn’t commit. Staff, AP NEWS - 94 minutes ago
Obama Pardons Thanksgiving Turkey While “Courage” the turkey is getting a second lease on life, tens of millions of travelers across America are hoping for their own hassle-free Thanksgiving holiday. Reuters Video, REUTERS NEWS VIDEO - 97 minutes ago
Italian Prosecutors Seek Jail for Google Execs An Italian prosecutor demanded jail time Wednesday for four Google executives charged in absentia with defamation and violating privacy for allowing a video to be posted online showing an autistic youth being abused. Colleen Barry, AP NEWS - 98 minutes ago
Thousands Comment on Monsanto’s Planned Idaho Mine A proposed Monsanto Co. phosphate mine slated to produce ingredients for Roundup weedkiller generated nearly 7,000 public comments, including from a former U.S. Interior secretary who urges its approval and the Environmental Protection Agency, which wants additional pollution safeguards. John Miller, AP NEWS - 98 minutes ago
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