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Akron Law Café:Public Lecture: “Public School Assignment Methods After the Seattle and Louisville Cases: The San Francisco Experience”
Car Chase:
Hybrid Cars are Nothing New
The Heldenfiles:
CNN Tries To Get (Intentionally) Funny
Patrick McManamon:
First and 10: Oh what a win
Browns Bulletin:
What they're saying today
Cleveland Browns:
Winslow among inactives
Cleveland Cavaliers:
Updated - Game Blog: Cavs v. Boston Celtics - Yes, Again!
Cleveland Indians:
Boston tops Tribe 6-1
Akron Zips:
Looking ahead to Eastern Michigan
Varsity Letters:
Week 8 scoreboard
Kent State Sports:
Ohio 26, Kent State 19
The Sports Mix:
OSU Buckeyes - Changes to offense
Ohio Politics:
Final Presidential Debate Live Blog
See Jane Style:
Pet Peeve: Capri Pants
All Da King's Men:
A Deficit Disorder
Blog of Mass Destruction:
Only Stuff We're Concerned About
HRLite House:
Benchmarking Performance Management and Googling
Akron Gamer:
Lego Batman fun for all ages
BokBluster:
Brits Take the Lead
Ohio Travels with Betty:
John asks-where is the Civil War Museum in Ohio?
Sound Check:
The Black Keys give E.J. Thomas Hall the Blues (rock)
Let's Talk Real Estate:
Haunted House #2: Barberton has more than Chicken!
National News
Like it or not, U.S. entering bank businessPartial nationalization of institutions is attempt to unclog credit lines and avert financial disaster
WASHINGTON: Big banks started falling in line Tuesday behind a reconfigured bailout plan that will have the government forking over as much as $250 billion in exchange for partial ownership — putting the world's bastion of capitalism and free markets squarely in the banking business.
Image of leader will be top goal in final debate
Obama, McCain want to show they can handle bad economy
WASHINGTON: Barack Obama and John McCain will both pursue the image of a strong leader in troublesome economic times as they meet tonight for their third and final presidential debate.
U.S. stake in banks may halt financial meltdown
Officials hope to ease psychological turmoil gripping financial world
NEW YORK: Will the government's plan to pump billions of dollars into banks — in exchange for an ownership stake — help resolve the financial crisis?
Nation news
1WASHINGTON
Deficit highest ever
The federal budget deficit soared to $454.8 billion in 2008, the highest level in history. The Bush administration said Tuesday the deficit for the budget year that ended Sept. 30 was more than double the $161.5 billion recorded in 2007.
Mountain bike access could increase in parks
Bush back rule change. U.S. environmentalists fear for backcountry
WASHINGTON: The Bush administration plans to make it easier for mountain bikers to gain access to national parks and other public lands before the president — an avid cyclist himself — leaves office.
Wall Street bounces back
Markets enjoy historic rally. Treasury to invest $250 billion in banks
WASHINGTON: Buoyed by the biggest intervention in America's banking system since the Depression, and similar dramatic moves in Europe, stock markets around the world staged one of the most powerful one-day rallies in history on Monday.
Both parties jockey for advantage on economic aid
House Democrats, Republicans offer competing plans with presidential election just weeks away
WASHINGTON: House Democrats and Republicans pushed dueling economic aid plans Monday as they jockeyed for political advantage on addressing a crisis that is shaping the last weeks of a high-stakes election.
Researchers find Vioxx risks linger
Heart attack, stroke danger higher up to year after people stop taking drug
A doubled risk of heart attack, stroke and death persisted at least a year after people stopped taking the withdrawn painkiller Vioxx, according to an analysis of long-term data from the study that led Merck & Co. to stop selling the drug.
National news - Oct. 14
Kidnapping of foreigners increases 500% worldwide
Associated Press
WASHINGTON: Five years ago, retired Air Force intelligence officer Kirk von Ackermann became the first of 39 Americans to be kidnapped in Iraq. He's still missing, his wife fearing she'll never see him again.
U.S. push to partially nationalize bank system gains steam
Democrats planning to seek second economic relief plan that will help average citizens
WASHINGTON: Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson told international leaders on Sunday that isolationism and protectionism could worsen the spreading financial crisis. With a new trading week dawning, U.S. lawmakers urged quick action by the Bush administration on measures to make direct purchases of bank stock to help unlock lending.
Experts predict a new period of tighter credit
Consumer behavior changes coming with less access to borrowed cash
An inflatable gorilla beckoned from the roof of Don Brown Chevrolet in St. Louis, servers doled out free bowls of pasta and a salesman urged potential customers to ''come on up under the canopy and put your hands on'' a new set of wheels.
Palin vowing to bring new jobs to Ohio
Biden decries attacks. McCain issues promise of debate 'straight talk.' Obama stumps in Ohio
Associated Press
Sarah Palin told St. Clairsville voters in southeastern Ohio on Sunday that she and running mate John McCain would bring jobs back to this economically depressed piece of Appalachia.
Recovery begins slowly a month after Ike
Estimated price tag in Texas is $11.4 billion, highest in state history
GALVESTON, TEXAS: A month later, piles of drywall, appliances, furniture and family mementos dot most streets in this island town. Electronic road signs in southeastern Texas flash, ''Watch for cows next 20 miles,'' a reminder that few fences remain to hem in livestock. Blue tarps cover 11,000 roofs for 100 miles from Houston to the Louisiana line.
National news - Oct. 13
Gas prices tumble 35 cents in two weeks, survey shows
Associated Press
CAMARILLO, CALIF.: A national survey shows gas prices tumbled 35 cents in the last two weeks, following price declines in world oil markets.
Pakistani tribesmen taking on militants
Battle against al-Qaida, Taliban fighters is hailed as showing government offensive is succeeding
ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN: Pakistani tribesmen are raising armies to battle al-Qaida and Taliban militants close to the Afghan border — a movement encouraged by the military and hailed as a sign that its offensive there is succeeding.
Space tourist considers it business trip
Wealthy game designer follows father orbiting, conducting experiments
Associated Press
BAIKONUR, KAZAKHSTAN: An American computer game designer reached space Sunday, fulfilling a childhood dream that began with the flight of his astronaut father.
White House reverses course in overhaul of rescue package
Treasury moves toward partial nationalization of banks. World leaders meet in Washington to address crisis
WASHINGTON: As international leaders gathered Saturday to grapple with the global financial crisis, the Bush administration embarked on an overhaul of its own strategy for rescuing the financial system.
Sources say GM courted Ford first
They contend company turned to Chrysler after Ford rejected merger proposal
DETROIT: Before General Motors began exploring a possible merger with Chrysler — talks that first came to light Friday — GM proposed a similar deal with its other cross-town rival, the Ford Motor Co., two people with knowledge of the talks said Saturday.
National news - Oct. 12
Don't try to track down all the money you've lost
Funds that disappear in tumbling stock market are never the same as wad of cash in your wallet
NEW YORK: Trillions in stock market value — gone. Trillions in retirement savings — gone. A huge chunk of the money you paid for your house, the money you're saving for college, the money your boss needs to make payroll — gone, gone, gone.
Some investors see bargains, not doom
Intervention expected to prevent deep recession
Investors have convinced themselves that the credit crisis will push economies worldwide into the deepest recession since the Great Depression.
Peru's president appoints new chief Cabinet minister
Associated Press
LIMA, PERU: President Alan Garcia confirmed Saturday that he has appointed a leftist governor to become Peru's chief Cabinet minister, a day after the minister's predecessor resigned along with 16 colleagues amid a brewing oil-kickback scandal.
Canada oil comes at environmental price
Alberta sands help feed U.S. hunger, but require extra energy to produce
FORT McMURRAY, ALBERTA: For decades, the United States has vowed to reduce its dependence on imported oil and to find a reliable source to meet the nation's growing needs.
Insider plot drains defense of millions
Army employee uses important allies in Congress to line up money for projects Pentagon didn't want
WASHINGTON: They huddled in a quiet corner at the US Airways lounge at Ronald Reagan National Airport, sipping bottomless cups of coffee as they plotted to turn America's missile defense program into a personal cash machine.
Obama campaign pushing get-out-the-vote to new high
In battleground states, like Ohio, registration vital. In Virginia, 300,000 new voters added to the rolls
FALLS CHURCH, VA.: In a half-dozen states where polling suggests the candidates are deadlocked, Sen. Barack Obama is seeking to capitalize on a devoted grass-roots enthusiasm and an unprecedented investment of money to push the get-out-the-vote effort to a new level.
McCain pulls out of attack mode
GOP hopeful focuses on policy differences, calls Obama 'decent'
DAVENPORT, IOWA: Republican John McCain, the clock ticking down on a chance to narrow Democrat Barack Obama's lead in polls, turned away Saturday from visceral attacks on his rival to pivot back toward policy differences.
McCain and Obama clueless on Social Security fixes
Candidates have no firm answers on what to do with fiscal time bombs, like entitlement reform
WASHINGTON: Social Security and Medicare long have been considered the nation's fiscal time bombs, and the ticking is getting louder. But presidential candidates Barack Obama and John McCain have no comprehensive plans to overhaul the systems, and are campaigning almost as if they don't notice them.
Review finds Palin joins church, state
Taxpayers at times foot bill for Alaska governor and her family to travel to religious gatherings
WASILLA, ALASKA: The camera closes in on Sarah Palin speaking to young missionaries, vowing from the pulpit to do her part to implement God's will from the governor's office.
Financial crisis expected to fill Bush's final days
Observers don't think president will have time to resolve business in Israel, North Korea, Iraq
WASHINGTON: So how will it end? President Bush is down to his final 100 days in office as of today. Don't expect a quiet fade into the Texas night.
Treasury will buy stake in U.S. banks
Government takes unprecedented step following worst week on Wall Street
WASHINGTON: Wrapping up one of the worst weeks in the history of Wall Street, the Treasury Department confirmed Friday evening that it will buy stakes in major U.S. banks and financial institutions.
Connecticut court OKs gay marriage
Justices rule 4-3 for same-sex couples; GOP governor expects decision to stand
HARTFORD, CONN.: A sharply divided Connecticut Supreme Court ruled Friday that gay couples have the right to get married, saying legislators did not go far enough when they approved same-sex civil unions that were identical to marriages in virtually every respect except the name.
1WASHINGTON Nuke pact with India...
1WASHINGTON
Nuke pact with India
The United States and India signed an accord Friday that allows American businesses to sell nuclear fuel, technology and reactors to India, reversing a three-decade ban on atomic trade with the fast-growing nuclear-armed Asian power. The U.S.-Indian civilian nuclear cooperation pact is the result of three years of often frustrating political and diplomatic wrangling.
Voter sign-up charges disrupt campaign
GOP contends Obama has close ties to group accused of compiling fake registration forms
From Beacon Journal wire services
Accusations of voter registration fraud have hurled a giant mud ball into an already messy presidential campaign, with Republicans alleging that Democrat Barack Obama has close ties to an activist group accused of compiling fake registration forms, including forms using the names of the starting lineup of the Dallas Cowboys.
Alaska panel finds Palin abused power
'Troopergate' inquiry concludes she tried to get former brother-in-law fired, violated ethics law
ANCHORAGE, ALASKA: Sarah Palin unlawfully abused her power as governor by trying to have her former brother-in-law fired as a state trooper, the chief investigator of an Alaska legislative panel concluded Friday. The politically charged inquiry could imperil her reputation as a reformer on John McCain's Republican ticket.
O.J. Simpson seeks new trial in Las Vegas
Associated Press
LAS VEGAS: O.J. Simpson's lawyers cited judicial errors and insufficient evidence Friday in seeking a new trial for the former football star, who was convicted of kidnapping and robbing two sports memorabilia dealers at gunpoint in a casino hotel room.
Mediator wins Nobel Peace Prize
But many were hoping to promote democracy by awarding dissidents
OSLO, NORWAY: Former Finnish President Martti Ahtisaari won the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday, but this year the news was as much about who didn't get the award.
Connecticut high court rules same-sex couples can marry
HARTFORD, CONN.: Connecticut's Supreme Court ruled today that same-sex couples have the right to marry, making the state the third behind Massachusetts and California to legalize such unions.
Everybody loses out in financial squeeze
Crisis comes home to average Americans via lower cash flow. Fears are real, experts say
From Beacon Journal wire services
Confused as to how the Wall Street economic crisis is trickling home to you?
Workers' Comp hit less than pensions
Ohio's scandal-plagued insurance fund withstands Wall Street's upheaval
COLUMBUS: Ohio's much-maligned insurance fund for injured workers has withstood Wall Street's downturn better than most of the state's large public funds, declining 1 percentage point in the same period the state's public pension funds lost billions.
Wall Street meltdown continues with shocking 679-point drop
Massive sell-off in final hour of trading brings seventh consecutive decline, one of darkest days in financial history
NEW YORK: A runaway train of a sell-off turned the anniversary of the stock market peak into one of the darkest days in Wall Street history Thursday, driving the Dow Jones industrials down a breathtaking 679 points and deepening a financial crisis that has defied all efforts to stop it.
Obama calls McCain's mortgage-relief plan 'risky'
Dem says it would take advantage of taxpayers. Republican defends idea
CINCINNATI: Democrat Barack Obama on Thursday slammed Republican John McCain's new mortgage-rescue plan in a television ad and on the stump in Ohio, calling it a ''risky idea'' that would take advantage of taxpayers, adding that it's an example of his opponent's ''erratic behavior.''
Ohio secretary of state must verify new registrations
Federal judge rules in favor of Republican lawsuit. Voters' names must match government documents
CINCINNATI: A federal judge on Thursday ordered Ohio's top elections official to verify the identity of newly registered voters by matching them with other government documents.
N. Korea announces nuclear plan
Country says it wants to restart atomic bomb facility, but it could just be negotiating ploy
VIENNA, AUSTRIA: North Korea moved closer Thursday to relaunching its nuclear arms program, announcing that it wants to reactivate the facility that produced its atomic bomb and banning U.N. inspectors from the site.
U.S. failing to promote skills in math, study says
Culture discourages girls and boys from excelling
New York Times
The United States is failing to develop the math skills of both girls and boys, especially among those who could excel at the highest levels, a new study asserts, and girls who do succeed in the field are almost all immigrants or the daughters of immigrants from countries where mathematics is more highly valued.
National news - Oct. 10
Calif. measure seeks more space in cages
Egg producers argue approval would send farms out of state, U.S.
ATWATER, CALIF.: At the J.S. West and Cos. poultry farm, half a million chickens are squeezed six at a time into wire cages where they must share 2 square feet of space.
1 in 4 U.S. teen girls get cervical cancer shot
ATLANTA: About one in four teen girls last year got the groundbreaking vaccine that prevents cervical cancer, federal health officials reported today.
Feds go forward with NYC airport experiment to reduce delays
WASHINGTON: Federal officials are pushing ahead with an experiment to reduce rampant flight delays around the nation by auctioning off takeoff and landing times at New York City-area airports, where most delays begin.
Fears fester despite rate cuts
Early morning moves by several central banks can't reassure markets
WASHINGTON: For the second consecutive day, the Federal Reserve took action in hopes of staving off a global financial collapse. And again U.S. financial markets failed to calm, extending losses for a sixth straight day while shrugging off a Fed-led, globally coordinated half-point cut in interest rates.
Sheriff tells staff to stop evictions
Chicago official's move might be first in nation
Associated Press
CHICAGO: Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart said Wednesday that he's ordering his deputies to stop evicting people from foreclosed properties because many people his office has helped throw out on the street are renters who did nothing wrong.
Economy threatens Katrina recovery
Credit crisis could slow projects in New Orleans
Associated Press
NEW ORLEANS: A prolonged recession and a tight credit market would cripple New Orleans' still-fragile recovery from Hurricane Katrina, experts say, delaying or eliminating road work, new construction and repairs to homes and businesses that have stood empty since 2005.
McCain plan criticized
Obama campaign reviews mortgage bailout proposal, says it's too costly, risky
INDIANAPOLIS: Democrat Barack Obama's campaign criticized John McCain's mortgage bailout plan Wednesday, saying it would cause the government to lose money by paying too much for bad loans.
National news - Oct. 9
Judge won't end Alaska senator's trial
He will tell jurors to ignore disputed portions of prosecution evidence in Ted Stevens corruption case
WASHINGTON: A federal judge on Wednesday refused another defense request to declare a mistrial in the corruption case against Sen. Ted Stevens, instead deciding he would tell jurors to ignore disputed portions of the government's evidence.
Testicles provide stem cell option
More study necessary, and women not helped, but finding offers hope
WASHINGTON: Cells taken from men's testicles seem as versatile as the stem cells derived from embryos, researchers reported Wednesday in what may be yet another new approach in a burgeoning scientific field.
U.S. soldier charged in gang-related beating death case
BERLIN: A U.S. soldier has been charged in the gang-related beating death of another soldier at a base in Germany, the military said today.
Texan is George Washington's kin, and could've been king
SAN ANTONIO: A genealogy Web site says it has found the king of America — or rather, the descendant of George Washington's family who would have most likely held the title had the nation's first president been its first monarch instead.
Bush to sign landmark U.S.-India nuclear legislation
WASHINGTON: President Bush plans to sign into law today a bill allowing civilian U.S. nuclear trade with India.
Obama, McCain wrangle over massive economic crisis
Republican urges mortgage shield
NASHVILLE, TENN.: Barack Obama and John McCain clashed repeatedly over the causes and cures for the worst economic crisis in 80 years Tuesday night in a debate in which Republican McCain called for a sweeping $300 billion program to shield homeowners from mortgage foreclosure.
Federal Reserve unveils debt plan
Bank to buy short-term loans, hints at rate cuts. Dow drops 500 points
WASHINGTON: The Federal Reserve moved swiftly to break through a credit clog that is imperiling the economy, saying Tuesday it would buy massive amounts of short-term debt and hinting that it may cut interest rates.
No knockout for either presidential foe
McCain, Obama pull plenty of punches; both seem comfortable in town-hall forum
WASHINGTON: Senators John McCain and Barack Obama punched and counter-punched on issue after issue throughout their second debate Tuesday night, but neither man knocked the other one down, much less out.
Ruling would free 17 at Guantanamo
U.S. judge says 'indefinite detentions' of Chinese Muslims is unconstitutional
Associated Press
WASHINGTON: A federal judge ordered the Bush administration Tuesday to immediately free 17 Chinese Muslims from Guantanamo Bay into the United States, rebuking the government in a landmark decision that could set the stage for the release of dozens of other prisoners in Cuba.
Heating costs up this winter in U.S.
Oil, natural gas, propane, electricity bills to increase
WASHINGTON: Heating U.S. homes with oil this winter will cost a painful $450 more than a year ago, another slap to families already reeling from high gasoline and food costs and fearful of losing their heat because of unpaid bills.
National news - Oct. 8
Waning investor confidence sets off alarms worldwide
The government's $700 billion rescue, aimed at rebuilding economic confidence, appeared to sound a global alarm instead on Monday, triggering a fearful international sell-off as the U.S. began work on a plan that investors feared would be too little and too late to stave off a worldwide recession.
Presidential debate format to let voters ask questions
McCain, Obama confront economic issues tonight in second of three face-offs
From Beacon Journal wire services
WASHINGTON: Presidential candidates meeting tonight for the second of three debates will face a new master — an audience that may demand answers rather than theatrics or attacks.
National news - Oct. 7
Cancer test called less effective after 75
U.S. task force also rejects new X-ray screening technology and DNA test
Most people over 75 should stop getting routine colon cancer tests, according to a government health task force that also rejected the latest X-ray screening technology.
Study concludes mammals at risk
Global conservation group says loss of habitat, hunting, climate change endanger one in four
New York Times
BARCELONA, SPAIN: An ''extinction crisis'' is under way, with one in four mammals in danger of disappearing because of loss of habitat, hunting and climate change, a global conservation body warned Monday.
High court will review state ad law
Maine case appealed by cigarette company. Bible reading on docket
From Beacon Journal wire services
WASHINGTON: The Supreme Court returned to the stage Monday as justices weighed whether state laws can be used to challenge cigarette advertising.
Florida fairgoers catch toddler dropped from ride
PORT ORANGE, FLA.: Authorities say patrons at a central Florida carnival caught a toddler whose mother was forced to drop her when a ride stranded them 30 feet in the air.
Hurricane's environmental toll surfaces
A half million gallons of crude oil spill in Gulf of Mexico, other bodies
WASHINGTON: Hurricane Ike's winds and massive waves destroyed oil platforms, tossed storage tanks and punctured pipelines. The environmental damage only now is becoming apparent: At least a half million gallons of crude oil spilled into the Gulf of Mexico and the marshes, bayous and bays of Louisiana and Texas, according to an analysis of federal data by the Associated Press.
People close wallets as difficult times approach
Families spending less, but prices are rising
Relief on Wall Street over the hard-won passage of a $700 billion bailout package for the financial system apparently hasn't yet trickled down to the pubs, storefronts, car lots and malls of Main Street.
Experts predict more banks will fail
Analysts say the bailout will save some, but many others to close
SAN FRANCISCO: Here's a safe bet for uncertain times: A lot of banks won't survive the next year of upheaval, despite the U.S. government's $700 billion plan to restore order to the financial industry.
Palin defends linking Obama to radicals
'Smears,' Democrat says. New TV ad paints McCain as 'erratic'
Associated Press
Sarah Palin defended her contention that Barack Obama ''pals around with terrorists,'' saying the Democratic presidential nominee's association with a 1960s radical is an issue that is ''fair to talk about.''
National news - Oct. 6
Egypt's top diplomat visits Iraq
In Mosul, 11 die when suicide vest explodes as U.S. troops raid house
BAGHDAD: Egypt sent its foreign minister to Iraq on Sunday for the first time in nearly two decades in a sign of growing Arab acceptance of the country's Shiite-led government.
Economic woes shift candidates' strategies
Obama steps up efforts in states that seemed to be GOP territory
The turmoil on Wall Street and the weakening economy are changing the contours of the presidential campaign map, giving new force to Sen. Barack Obama's ambitious strategy to make incursions into Republican territory, while leading Sen. John McCain to scale back his efforts to capture Democratic states.
Success of bailout to depend on housing turnaround
Experts say as banks keep watch for signs of improvement, loans will be more difficult to obtain
NEW YORK: Washington's financial bailout plan is now law. So the credit spigot will start flowing again, banks will resume lending, and an economic recovery can begin, right?
Troubled Wall Street firms are big donors
Eight have contributed $64.2 million since 2001 to political campaigns
WASHINGTON: The Wall Street financiers and firms whose problems have prompted a $700 billion federal bailout are no strangers to Capitol Hill or to politics.
National news - Oct. 5
High court to open new term quietly
Justices to steer clear of 'blockbuster cases' before Election Day
WASHINGTON: The Supreme Court is doing its best to stay out of the spotlight in the final days of the presidential campaign and while the other two branches of government struggle to deal with turmoil in the financial markets.
Polish troops leave Iraq with drop in violence
Poland to boost force in Afghanistan. Some Poles question withdrawal without economic rewards
DIWANIYAH, IRAQ: Poland turned over control of an area south of Baghdad to American troops on Saturday, making it the latest in a string of countries to leave the dwindling U.S.-led coalition.
Simpson loses big in Vegas, convicted of robbery
Ex-football star found guilty of all 12 charges, may serve life in prison
LAS VEGAS: In a city where luck means everything, O.J. Simpson came out the big loser — and his unlucky number in a case full of bizarre twists was 13.
Gay, lesbian seniors gain attention, help with needs
Elders who often live alone, fear bias are topic of AARP meeting
NEW YORK: Frank Carter was once a globe-trotting professional dancer; his world is smaller now. He battles health problems, walks with a cane and rarely leaves his compact Manhattan apartment.
Palin accuses Obama of link to 'terrorist'
Governor says advisers want her to get tough on Democratic senator
ENGLEWOOD, COLO.: Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin on Saturday accused Democrat Barack Obama of ''palling around with terrorists'' because of an association with a former '60s radical, stepping up an effort to portray Obama as unacceptable to American voters.
Voter registration lawsuits could shape Nov. 4 election
Battles over absentee ballots, integrity of voting lists increasing in courts
CHICAGO: In a furious, multistate campaign raging far from television cameras and cable TV chatter, scores of lawyers are arguing over the voting rights of perhaps millions of Americans who plan to cast ballots in the presidential election.
Island stalwarts who insisted on staying die in Ike
Reports say as many as 300 Texans listed as missing three weeks after hurricane hit
GALVESTON, TEXAS: The final hours brought the awful realization to victims of Hurricane Ike that they had waited too long. This storm wasn't like the others, the ones that left nothing worse than a harrowing tale to tell.
Bailout a done deal
Revised $700 billion bill to help economic crisis passes House after stock market plunges and wage earners, business leaders besiege Congress for rescue package
WASHINGTON: A $700 billion bailout package designed to ease the nation's worsening economic crisis cleared Congress and was signed into law Friday after the House of Representatives approved a revised version of the bill that it had rejected days earlier.
81 take U.S. citizenship oath two weeks early in Cleveland
Elections board registers 59 voters for Nov. 4 election after ceremony
CLEVELAND: Eighty-one people took the oath as U.S. citizens on Friday at a courthouse ceremony moved up two weeks so they could register to vote in time for the Nov. 4 presidential election in battleground Ohio.
It's a rocky and bumpy road from economic perdition
Rescue plan begins process in restoring consumer and investor confidence
WASHINGTON: The uphill battle to pass the unprecedented $700 billion financial-sector rescue plan was the easy part. A lot of heavy lifting still lies ahead.
Husband charged in soldier's killing
Police also arrest a second man who they say was hired to stab Sgt. Christina E. Smith, 29, of Ohio
Associated Press
RALEIGH, N.C.: For the third time in four months, a female soldier based at Fort Bragg is dead, and a husband or lover is charged with murder — leading critics to demand the home base of the Army's elite soldiers exert ''control over their troops'' and address domestic violence.
National news - Oct. 4
Bush signs agreement to protect Great Lakes water
Pact strengthens legal guidelines, bans diversions outside of region and abroad
Associated Press
TRAVERSE CITY, MICH.: Great Lakes water cannot be diverted to thirsty areas elsewhere in the United States or abroad under an agreement approved Friday by President Bush.
FDA experts say tiny bit of chemical not harmful
Investigators checking Chinese food imports for melamine levels
WASHINGTON: Traces of melamine, the chemical that has set off a global food safety scare, are not harmful in most foods, except baby formula, government experts said Friday.
Biden-Palin debate attracts 70 million viewers
Analysts say Alaska governor erased some doubts on candidacy but she didn't win verbal contest
From Beacon Journal wire services
More than 70 million people watched Thursday's vice presidential debate between Joe Biden and Sarah Palin on television, far more than the audience for the first contest featuring the top of the tickets.
Palin stands her ground against Biden, sparring on Iraq, economic crisis, energy
Clash over funding for troops is most personal
ST. LOUIS: Under intense scrutiny, Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin stood her ground Thursday night against a vastly more experienced Joe Biden, debating the economy, energy and global warming, then challenging him on Iraq, ''especially with your son in the National Guard.''
Palin succeeds, considering low expectations
Alaska governor gets past nonsensical answers, shows confidence
WASHINGTON: Joe Biden's task was to attack. Sarah Palin's was to attack, connect and stick to her folksy script.
McCain campaign concedes Michigan
Associated Press
WASHINGTON: Republican presidential candidate John McCain conceded battleground Michigan to the Democrats on Thursday, GOP officials said, a major retreat as he struggles to regain his footing in a campaign increasingly dominated by economic issues.
Mistrial rejected for Alaska senator
Judge: Corruption case against Stevens can go on
Associated Press
WASHINGTON: A federal judge rejected a vigorous defense bid Thursday for a mistrial in the corruption case against Sen. Ted Stevens despite finding that prosecutors broke rules requiring them to turn over evidence favorable to the veteran Alaska lawmaker.
Leaders optimistic on bailout
House officials work to round up votes to reverse rejection in balloting today
WASHINGTON: Congressional leaders raced Thursday to round up support for a financial-rescue bill on the eve of the crucial vote today in the House of Representatives, expressing cautious optimism that House members will reverse themselves and pass the measure.
Officer kills self over Taser death
Distraught, naked man on NYC ledge killed in fall
Associated Press
NEW YORK: The man was naked, teetering on a building ledge and jabbing at police with an 8-foot-long fluorescent light bulb as a crowd gathered below.
Ike's debris washes up on beaches
Tons of daily-life trash litters pristine landscape north of Mexico border
PADRE ISLAND NATIONAL SEASHORE, TEXAS: The world's longest undeveloped barrier island now looks as if people have been living — and dumping — on it for decades.
Remains found at Fossett crash site
NTSB says body parts enough to provide DNA
Associated Press
MAMMOTH LAKES, CALIF.: Federal investigators said Thursday they have found body parts amid the wreckage of a missing adventurer's airplane in the mountains of eastern California.
National news
1NEW YORK
Ground zero delay
The owners of the World Trade Center site announced a delay in the completion of a multibillion-dollar transit hub Thursday but pledged to open a nearly finished Sept. 11 memorial by the 10th anniversary of the terrorist attacks. They set no firm schedule for the completion of the entire site, which includes four office towers and a performing arts center. In a 70-page report on ground zero's tortuous rebuilding process, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey said the elaborate rail hub will cost $3.2 billion, $700 million more than planned, and should open in 2014, five years after the original projected completion date.
Intrepid returns
Agents raid Pennsylvania kennel, find hundreds of animals
EMMAUS, PA.: Agents raided a kennel and discovered hundreds of animals crowded together in foul-smelling conditions and dozens of animal corpses in a freezer, authorities said.
Fossett search teams see what looks like wreckage
MAMMOTH LAKES, CALIF.: After an aerial search turned up what appears to be wreckage of a plane, ground crews are trying to determine whether it was the one piloted by adventurer Steve Fossett when he vanished more than a year ago.
Palin, Biden must avoid major gaffes
Tonight's vice presidential debate presents risks for both candidates
WASHINGTON: Sarah Palin faces a huge problem in tonight's vice presidential debate: She's in danger of becoming a national punch line.
Inflated bailout clears Senate
House opposition remains strong ahead of Friday vote
WASHINGTON: The Senate approved a massive $700 billion rescue plan for the nation's tattered finance system Wednesday night, but only after tacking on another $110 billion in tax breaks to lure votes from both parties.
Obama leads McCain by 7 points in AP poll
More voters believe Democrat could lead during financial crisis. Some say Republican's chances slipping
WASHINGTON: Barack Obama has surged to a seven-point lead over John McCain one month before the presidential election, lifted by voters who think the Democrat is better suited to lead the nation through its sudden financial crisis, according to an Associated Press-GfK poll that underscores the mounting concerns of some McCain backers.
World and national news - Oct. 2
PAKISTAN
Deadly missile strike
A suspected U.S. missile strike on a Taliban commander's home in Pakistan killed six people, officials said Wednesday, a possible indication that Washington was moving ahead with cross-border raids despite protests from the new government. The attack was the first since President Asif Ali Zardari warned that its territory cannot ''be violated by our friends.''
PBS debate moderator denies political bias
Columnist alleges partiality to Obama
Associated Press
NEW YORK: PBS journalist Gwen Ifill, moderator of tonight's vice presidential debate, dismissed questions about her impartiality because she is writing a book that includes material on Barack Obama.
Study pushes back AIDS virus origin
Analysis estimates date between 1884-1924. Researchers suggest urban sprawl promoted early spread
The AIDS virus has been circulating among people for about 100 years, decades longer than scientists had thought, a new study suggests.
Detective in cancer is not human
British study confirms computers are useful in backing up doctors
A computer is as good as a second pair of eyes for helping a radiologist spot breast cancer on a mammogram, one of the largest and most rigorous tests of computer-aided detection found.
Mailmen might deliver meds in next anthrax attack
WASHINGTON: If there's ever another anthrax attack, the mailman may deliver your antibiotics. Federal health officials are beginning a project in Minneapolis-St. Paul to let local letter carriers stockpile a supply of antibiotics in their homes so that they're ready to go deliver aid to the rest of the city at a moment's notice.
Maryland police say frozen remains of children date back to last year
WASHINGTON: Two children whose remains were found in a basement freezer in southern Maryland likely have been dead since at least last fall, and the bodies may have been moved several times, police said today.
Parent of Taco Bell, Pizza Hut to serve up calorie data
LOUISVILLE, KY.: Want to know how many calories are packed into that burrito or fried chicken you're ordering? Fast-food company Yum Brands Inc. says it's taking the guesswork out of counting calories.
Poor ratings cited for 13 kids' car booster seats
WASHINGTON: Several car booster seats do a poor job of positioning children to fit in their seat belts, according to a review by the insurance industry and researchers.
California bank hit by 2 robbers on same day
LA MESA, CALIF.: Times have been tough for banks everywhere, but a San Diego-area Wells Fargo branch had an especially difficult day this week.
Lawmakers scurrying to revive bailout plan
12 House members of either party needed to resurrect $700 billion economic rescue
WASHINGTON: Wanted: An even dozen lawmakers, willing to make a really big commitment. Party affiliation no concern.
Palin-Biden debate Thursday has high risks, big rewards
Newcomer's performance could restore luster or weaken Republican ticket
NEW YORK: For an audition to be second fiddle, Thursday's debate between often ill-informed newcomer Sarah Palin and often gaffe-prone veteran Joe Biden offers unusually large pitfalls — and promise.
National news - Oct. 1
State rail projects get boost from U.S.
Ohio project among 15 to receive funds as more Americans take trains
RICHMOND, VA.: The federal government is chipping in nearly $30 million for 15 passenger rail projects across the country as Americans continue to drive less and take the train more, U.S. Transportation Secretary Mary Peters said Tuesday.
Medicare stops paying for errors
Hospitals can no longer charge for added cost of treating patients injured in their care
ST. PAUL, MINN.: If an auto mechanic accidentally breaks your windshield while trying to repair the engine, he would never get away with billing you for fixing his mistake. Today, Medicare will start applying that logic to American medicine on a broad scale when it stops paying hospitals for the added cost of treating patients who are injured in their care.
$700 billion blank check offers lots of possibilities
It could pay for universal health care for 6 years
WASHINGTON: Brother, can you spare a billion? More like $700 billion, to be precise. With Washington trying to finagle a $700 billion rescue for the nation's financial system, the federal money sought by other projects is starting to look like chump change.
Oliver Crawford, 91, writer for TV
1950s blacklist survivor worked on 'Star Trek,' 'Perry Mason,' 'Kojak'
Associated Press
LOS ANGELES: Oliver Kaufman Crawford, who overcame the ''Red Scare'' blacklist of the 1950s to become one of television's most successful writers, died last Wednesday. He was 91.
Pentagon announces 2009 deployments to Iraq
WASHINGTON: Six Army brigades, a National Guard unit, and three military headquarters have been ordered to deploy to Iraq next summer in a move that would allow the U.S. to keep the number of troops largely steady there through much of next year.
Man dives in to save dog from shark in Florida attack
ISLAMORADA, FLA.: A dog is recovering after a Florida Keys carpenter dove in to save his pet from a shark.
Presidential candidates propose raising deposit insurance limit
WASHINGTON: Republican John McCain and Democrat Barack Obama said today the government should raise the federal deposit insurance limit from $100,000 to $250,000 as part of a renewed approach to shoring up the U.S. economy.
Many vulnerable lawmakers said no to bailout
WASHINGTON: Two-thirds of Congress' most vulnerable members — Republicans and Democrats alike — chose to protect their seats on Election Day rather than follow their party leaders and vote for an unpopular economic bailout plan.
Washington leaders feeble as crisis grows
Presidential candidates reduced to bit actors
WASHINGTON: The collapse of the proposed rescue plan for the teetering financial system was the product of a larger failure — of political leadership in Washington — at a moment when the world was looking to the United States to contain the cascading economic crisis.
Bailout failure stuns investors
House rejects $700 billion rescue plan of financial system. Llawmakers point to outpouring of opposition from constituents
WASHINGTON: In New York, traders watched in disbelief as the $700 billion financial bailout plan sank like a stone in Congress. In Washington, plugged-in lawmakers knew the stock market was tanking in anticipation of the defeat.
Proposals differ greatly on resolving financial crisis
U.S. economists and banking executives float alternative ideas. All agree that action is needed to bolster public confidence
With a bank rescue package stalled in Congress, many economists and bank executives said Monday that lawmakers should consider new, and perhaps more palatable, alternatives to prevent the financial crisis from spreading.
Prosecutor to investigate Justice firings
Attorney general OKs inquiry into dismissals of nine U.S. attorneys
McClatchy Newspapers
WASHINGTON: Attorney General Michael Mukasey agreed Monday to appoint a special prosecutor to investigate whether former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales and other officials involved in the firings of nine U.S. attorneys broke the law.
Tax relief package stalls in House
Dispute with Senate could mean businesses, taxpayers lose out on breaks
WASHINGTON: House Democrats said Monday they would not relent in their dispute with the Senate on a major tax relief package, increasing odds that businesses could lose out on critical tax breaks and millions could get hit by the alternative minimum tax this year.
National news - Sept. 30
90 percent of nursing homes cited
Investigators find health, safety flaws at most facilities
WASHINGTON: The typical nursing home was cited for seven health and safety deficiencies last year, with for-profit homes more likely to have problems than facilities run by local governments or nonprofits, federal investigators said Monday.
Maine spared rare hit by hurricane, Kyle in Canada
MACHIAS, MAINE: It threatened to be the first hurricane in 17 years to make landfall in Maine. Instead, Kyle delivered little more than a glancing blow equivalent to that of a classic nor'easter.
Prosecutor named to probe U.S. attorneys' firings
WASHINGTON: Attorney General Michael Mukasey has appointed a special prosecutor to pursue possible criminal charges against Republicans involved in the controversial firings of U.S. attorneys.
Palin gifts, zoning help listed
What she got as mayor contrast to stump claim
WASILLA, ALASKA: Though Sarah Palin depicts herself as a pit bull fighting good-old-boy politics, in her years as mayor she and her friends received special benefits more typical of small-town politics as usual, an Associated Press investigation shows.
Key details of bailout package
Taxpayers to get ownership stakes
Following are the major details of the $700 billion rescue package: • Provides up to $700 billion, starting with an initial $250 billion, to allow the Treasury Department to purchase troubled assets, mainly in the area of mortgages, that are weighing down the U.S. financial system.
Bailout is a tough sell
Many U.S. lawmakers undecided about plan
WASHINGTON: Congressional leaders and the White House agreed Sunday to a $700 billion rescue of the ailing financial industry after lawmakers insisted on sharing spending controls with the Bush administration.
Bailout analysis: Who will win? Who will lose?
Proposal won't halt slide in home values
WASHINGTON: The proposal to bail out U.S. financial markets to the tune of up to $700 billion creates a lot of potential short-term winners, as well as some losers.
A closer look at rescue effort
Questions and answers about $700 billion plan
From Beacon Journal wire services
WASHINGTON: Few actions taken by Congress have been as complicated as the proposed $700 billion rescue of Wall Street. Here's a closer look at how it would work.
Congressional impasse continues on tax policy
House withdraws bills on eve of adjournment
WASHINGTON: The House-Senate impasse over tax policy continued Sunday as the House brought up, and then withdrew, tax relief bills that a senior senator said the Senate would not pass.
National news - Sept. 29
Airfares don't soar in all cities
Prices flat, even down in some areas of U.S.
MINNEAPOLIS: Air fares are up, right? The short answer is yes — 22 fare increases this year. But fares in some cities are flat or even down, as fierce competition keeps airlines from charging as much as they would like.
Style and substance are at stake for Biden and Palin
Contrast in running mates generates interest in Thursday vice presidential debate in St. Louis
By Jim Kuhnhenn
Associated Press
WASHINGTON: One talks too much. The other hasn't talked enough.
Lawmakers grapple with bailout proposal
Congressional negotiators say tentative deal was struck early today; House could vote soon
WASHINGTON: Nervously eyeing the markets' next trading session, congressional Democrats and Republican senators pushed for an agreement Saturday on a multibillion-dollar bailout for the financial sector.
Credit crisis erodes faith in Washington
Squabbling behind the scenes on bailout plan illustrates the difficulty next president will face
WASHINGTON: As if people needed one more reason to question their faith in Washington. The colossal credit crisis shows the difficulty that Barack Obama or John McCain will face in fulfilling a pledge to change business as usual in the capital.
Senate sends Bush $634 billion spending bill
Loans to automakers, end to offshore drilling ban, Pentagon funds and flooding aid are among measure's highlights
WASHINGTON: Automakers gained $25 billion in taxpayer-subsidized loans and oil companies won the elimination of a long-standing ban on drilling off the Atlantic and Pacific coasts as the Senate passed a sprawling spending bill Saturday.
Resuscitating economy to take years, experts say
$700 billion in taxpayer money won't solve mess overnight; past bailouts show long road lies ahead
SAN FRANCISCO: Not even $700 billion will be enough to spare the United States from more economic anguish if the government's proposed banking bailout pans out like similar desperation moves during the past two decades.
Behind AIG's financial crisis, a blind eye to a web of risk
Partner Goldman Sachs stood to lose $20 billion if insurer went under
Two weeks ago, the nation's most powerful regulators and bankers, led by Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson, met in a desperate effort to stave off disaster.
National news - Sept. 28
Larger-than-life Paul Newman never embraced celebrity lifestyle
Oscar-winning actor, auto-racing enthusiast had vile distaste for fame, passion for philanthropy
WESTPORT, CONN.: Paul Newman never much cared for what he once called the ''rubbish'' of Hollywood, choosing to live in a quiet community on the opposite corner of the U.S. map, staying with his wife of many years and — long after he became bored with acting — pursuing his dual passions of philanthropy and race cars.
Which candidate came out ahead up for debate
McCain, Obama fight to shape perception of public by pointing out each other's errors
OXFORD, MISS.: The presidential campaigns roared out of Mississippi Saturday morning in a pitched fight to make the case that the other candidate had lost the first presidential debate of the general election.
Slain gay student's mother says acceptance growing
As bench is dedicated, Wyoming university reflects on changes
LARAMIE, WYO.: The nation — and the city of Laramie — has become more accepting of gays and lesbians in the 10 years since a gay University of Wyoming student was beaten, tied to a fence and left to die, his mother said Saturday.
Ind. bus driver grieving students' deaths after crash
Associated Press
INDIANAPOLIS: The driver of a school bus struck by two dump trucks in rural northern Indiana is devastated that the four special-needs students she was taking home died in the crash, a relative said Saturday.
Economic concerns limit planned focus on international issues
McCain, Obama clash on surge, war's start
Friday night's presidential debate in Mississippi had been originally conceived as a chance for the two candidates to outline their views, and differences, on foreign policy. But because of the spreading crisis in the financial sector, and the dramatic wrangling in Washington over a proposed bailout, questions about the economy were deemed simply too topical to ignore.
CLASH OF THE SENATORS
Republican McCain and Democrat Obama are pointed but polite in first presidential debate as they argue over federal spending, foreign policy, taxes, energy policy and war in Iraq
OXFORD, MISS.: John McCain accused Barack Obama of compiling ''the most liberal voting record in the United States Senate'' Friday night in an intense first debate of their close campaign for the White House. The Democrat shot back, ''Mostly that's just me opposing George Bush's wrong-headed policies.''
Dems believe officials close to deal on bailout
Republicans sound less optimistic, but send signals that opposition easing
WASHINGTON: The Bush administration and Congress anxiously revived negotiations Friday on a $700 billion financial bailout, one day after the largest bank collapse in U.S. history provided a brutal reminder of the risks of failure. Democrats talked optimistically of agreement by the end of the weekend.
National news - Sept. 27
Economic stimulus bill dies in Senate
House plan to put $61 billion into economy passes in largely symbolic vote
WASHINGTON: The House on Friday passed a plan by Democrats to pump $61 billion in government spending into the economy through public works projects, help for the jobless and money for states struggling with their Medicaid bills.
Neb. law is under scrutiny after teens deserted
Lawmakers consider revision; widower abandons nine kids
OMAHA, NEB.: When Nebraska lawmakers passed a unique ''safe-haven'' law that allowed parents to abandon children as old as 18, they never seriously thought such drop-offs would become common.
Gas shortage to keep Southerners at home
Some scoff at notion of missing football, but there are still long lines at stations this weekend
RALEIGH, N.C.: This is how serious the Southeastern gas shortage has become: There's talk of calling off college football.
Drummer Earl Palmer dies
Session player appears on hits by Little Richard and Righteous Brothers
Associated Press
LOS ANGELES: Earl Palmer, the session drummer whose pioneering backbeats were recorded on such classics as Little Richard's Tutti Frutti and The Righteous Brothers' You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin', died at his home Sept. 17 after a long illness. He was 84.
McCain, Obama clash
John McCain accused Barack Obama of compiling ''the most liberal voting record in the United States Senate'' Friday night in an intense first debate of their close campaign for the White House. The Democrat shot back, ''Mostly that's just me opposing George Bush's wrong-headed policies.''
Rescue plan efforts stall
$700 billion economic bailout still being reworked, even after lawmakers announce they had reached deal; meeting at White House reveals conflict
WASHINGTON: Urgent efforts to lash together a $700 billion rescue plan for the national economy stalled Thursday night, hours after key lawmakers had declared they had reached a deal.