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Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2010

National News

Another major storm headed to snowy Mid-Atlantic (02/09/10)
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Snow blew across the Midwest on Tuesday and headed for the hard-hit Mid-Atlantic region, where federal government offices have been closed since last week and utility workers struggled to restore power already knocked out by a weekend blizzard...
Dow closes below 10,000 for first time in 3 months (02/09/10)
NEW YORK -- The Dow Jones industrial average closed below 10,000 for the first time in three months Monday on nagging concerns about debt loads in Europe. The Dow, down almost 104 points, had its 10th triple-digit move in 16 trading days. Shares of big banks pulled the market lower, extending a slump that has led to four straight weekly losses...
Toyota to announce action soon for Prius hybrids (02/08/10)
TOKYO -- Toyota said Sunday that it will soon announce plans to deal with braking problems in its prized Prius hybrid amid reports it has decided to issue a recall for the vehicle in Japan, a possible new embarrassment for the world's biggest automaker...
Conn. power plant blast kills at least 5, injures 14 (02/08/10)
MIDDLETOWN, Conn. -- An explosion that sounded like a sonic boom blew out walls of an unfinished power plant and set off a fire during a test of natural gas lines Sunday, killing at least five workers and injuring a dozen or more. The explosion at the Kleen Energy Systems plant in Middletown, about 20 miles south of Hartford, could be heard and felt for miles...
Toyota woes mount as government examines brakes on the Prius (02/05/10)
WASHINGTON -- Toyota faced mounting pressure Thursday as the government opened a probe of brake problems with the Prius, a crown jewel of its lineup. The beleaguered automaker said it was "too soon" to decide whether to add the hybrid to the millions of cars it has recalled...
Scott Brown sworn in to Mass. Senate seat (02/05/10)
WASHINGTON -- Washington confronted a new world order Thursday as the Democrats' supermajority died, taking with it much of President Barack Obama's agenda and any certainty of his party maintaining control of Congress. Republican Scott Brown's swearing-in to the Massachusetts seat held for decades by Sen. ...
10 Americans charged in Haiti with kidnapping (02/05/10)
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti -- Ten U.S. Baptist missionaries were charged with kidnapping Thursday for trying to take 33 children out of Haiti to a hastily arranged refuge just as officials were trying to protect children from predators in the chaos of a great earthquake...
Toyota probe expands to Prius brakes (02/04/10)
WASHINGTON -- Americans should park their recalled Toyotas unless driving to dealers for accelerator repairs, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood warned Wednesday -- then quickly took it back -- as skepticism of company fixes grew and the government's probe expanded to other models in the U.S. and Japan. Questions now are being raised about the brakes on Toyota's marquee Prius hybrid...
New Zealand virgin auctions herself for tuition (02/04/10)
WELLINGTON, New Zealand -- A New Zealand teenager who says she auctioned her virginity online for $32,000 to raise tuition money did not break any laws but it might be risky for her to follow through on the deal, police warned Wednesday. The anonymous 19-year-old student offered her virginity to the highest bidder on the Web site www.ineed.co.nz under the name "Unigirl," saying she would use the money to pay for her tuition. ...
Pakistan bombing draws attention to US presence (02/04/10)
SHAHI KOTO, Pakistan -- The deaths of three American special operations soldiers in a roadside bombing in northwest Pakistan on Wednesday drew unwanted attention to a U.S. program of training local forces to fight the Taliban and al-Qaida -- a little-publicized mission because of opposition here to American boots on Pakistani soil...
Obama fails to bridge health care divide (02/04/10)
WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama exhorted Democrats to "finish the job" on a health care overhaul Wednesday, but his comments failed to bridge deep divisions within his party. Addressing a gathering of Senate Democrats, Obama insisted that lawmakers have an opportunity to remake the nation's system of medical care...
Pat Quinn declares win in Illinois governor primary (02/04/10)
CHICAGO -- The primary election that was expected to launch a political battle in President Barack Obama's home state instead left Democrats and Republicans squabbling among themselves Wednesday over governor's races that were virtually tied. Gov. Pat Quinn claimed victory in the Democratic primary over Comptroller Dan Hynes, despite a margin of less than 1 percent. He got a congratulatory telephone call from Obama on Wednesday...
Study finds some vegetative brains show signs of awareness (02/04/10)
NEW YORK -- Scientists have detected glimmers of awareness in some vegetative brain-injury patients and have even communicated with one of them -- findings that push the boundaries of how to assess and care for such people. The new research suggests that standard tests may overlook patients who have some consciousness, and that someday some kind of communication may be possible...
Two dead, eight hurt in vehicle crash into southern Nevada casino (02/04/10)
LAS VEGAS -- A speeding car crashed through the entrance of a casino and into a bank of slot machines Wednesday in the southern Nevada resort town of Laughlin, killing two patrons and injuring at least eight other people, authorities said. The driver, a 70-year-old man, told investigators he fainted while driving toward the Edgewater Hotel & Casino on the Colorado River waterfront, Las Vegas police officer Jacinto Rivera said...
Google complaint highlights China-based cyberattacks (02/04/10)
BEIJING -- Google's accusation that its e-mail accounts were hacked from China landed like a bombshell because it cast light on a problem that few companies will discuss: the pervasive threat from China-based cyberattacks. The hacking that angered Google Inc. ...
Protests, frustration at Haiti aid bottlenecks (02/04/10)
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti -- Hunger turned to anger in Haiti's capital on Wednesday as hundreds of protesters marched through the streets accusing local officials of demanding bribes for donated food. Aid workers say that food and other supplies are now flowing into the country three weeks after the Jan. 12 quake, but red tape, fear of ambush, transportation bottlenecks and corruption are keeping it from many people who need it...
Iraq court lifts ban on hundreds of candidates (02/04/10)
BAGHDAD -- An Iraqi appeals court Wednesday set aside a ban on hundreds of candidates for suspected ties to Saddam Hussein's regime, allowing them to run in next month's parliamentary election and offering a chance to ease political showdowns that had deeply worried the White House...
The wait goes on for Michael Jackson's doctor (02/04/10)
LOS ANGELES -- Lawyers for Michael Jackson's doctor met Wednesday to discuss their client's defense strategy in the event he's charged in the death of the singer. Dr. Conrad Murray and his legal team had received no word from prosecutors about a decision from the district attorney but lead attorney Ed Chernoff said his client was ready to surrender to authorities in the event a charge is filed...
Parents in Haitian village willingly gave children to U.S. Baptists (02/04/10)
CALLEBAS, Haiti -- Desperate parents in this struggling village perched above Haiti's earthquake-flattened capital said they gave their children away willingly, trusting the American missionaries who promised to take them to a better life. The stories the villagers told The Associated Press on Wednesday contradict claims by the Baptist group's leader that the children came from orphanages or were handed over by distant relatives. ...
Health lobbying gearing down (02/03/10)
WASHINGTON -- Notice you're not bombarded any more by TV ads about President Barack Obama's health care overhaul plan? Drugmakers, business organizations and other interest groups in the health care battle have dialed down expensive lobbying campaigns as they assess how last month's Republican capture of a Senate seat from Massachusetts has altered Washington's political landscape...
Tough economy spurs shift to cheaper liquor (02/03/10)
NEW YORK -- Americans' love affair with top-shelf booze cooled last year as the recession took a toll on high-priced tipples. People drank more liquor but turned to cheaper brands, according to a report by an industry group. They also drank more at home and less in pricier bars and restaurants in an effort to save money...
Top uniformed officer: Gay ban should be lifted (02/03/10)
WASHINGTON -- The military's top uniformed officer on Tuesday made a plea for allowing gays to serve openly in uniform, telling a Senate panel it was a matter of integrity and that it is wrong to force people to "lie about who they are in order to defend their fellow citizens."...
Ill. picks Senate candidates; gov. races close (02/03/10)
CHICAGO -- Illinois voters picked candidates Tuesday for an election in which Democrats will try to defend the governor's office and a U.S. Senate seat from a Republican Party eager to exploit their political disarray. Illinois Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias won the Democratic Senate nomination. He will face Republican Mark Kirk, a moderate five-term congressman...
Aid backing up at bottlenecks in Haiti (02/03/10)
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti -- A generous world has flooded Haiti with donations, but anger and desperation are mounting as the aid stacks up inside this broken country. Bottlenecks at key transportation points and scattered violence, including an armed group's attack on a food convoy, have slowed the distribution of food and medicine from the port, airport and a warehouse in the Cite-Soleil slum. ...
French court probes blame for 2000 Concorde crash (02/03/10)
PONTOISE, France -- A long-awaited trial in the fiery crash of an Air France supersonic Concorde opened Tuesday, but lawyers for Continental Airlines -- accused of responsibility in the accident that killed 113 people -- urged the court to drop the proceedings...
Latest headlines
  • Another major storm headed to snowy Mid-Atlantic
    WASHINGTON (AP) -- Snow blew across the Midwest on Tuesday and headed for the hard-hit Mid-Atlantic region, where federal government offices have been closed since last week and utility workers struggled to restore power already knocked out by a weekend blizzard.
  • ATF blames Texas church fires on serial arsonist
    TYLER, Texas (AP) -- Recent fires that destroyed or damaged several churches in eastern Texas were likely set by an individual or a group of people, federal authorities said Tuesday.
  • Workers spent 80-plus hours a week at Conn. plant
    NEW HAVEN, Conn. (AP) -- Some workers building a Connecticut power plant shattered by a gas explosion had been spending more than 80 hours a week there before the blast killed five of them Sunday, The Associated Press has learned. One employee said workers smelled gas less than an hour beforehand and were told to open doors wider for air.
  • Kerrigan's family criticizes autopsy report on dad
    BOSTON (AP) -- The family of Olympic skater Nancy Kerrigan has criticized an autopsy report about her father's death and insists it was not a homicide.
  • Fellow NY Democrats offer Paterson little support
    ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) -- Top New York Democrats were silent Tuesday as Gov. David Paterson, already fighting to remain politically viable, fought to lay to rest unconfirmed rumors and news reports of womanizing and drug use.
  • Murtha's death sets stage for marquee House race
    JOHNSTOWN, Pa. (AP) -- Democrats have long dominated the late Rep. John Murtha's district in western Pennsylvania, but Republicans have made inroads in recent years that could help them win back the seat -- and some longtime Murtha supporters say they're open to voting for a GOP candidate.
  • Cops search San Antonio landfill for missing baby
    SAN ANTONIO (AP) -- Police began excavating a landfill Tuesday in search of a body or other evidence in the disappearance of an 8-month-old Arizona boy who was last seen with his mother at a San Antonio hotel on the day after Christmas.
  • Anthem asked to justify rate hike in California
    LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Over the past 12 years, Josh Libresco's health insurance premium has increased almost eight-fold for his family of four.
  • Police debate use of family DNA to ID suspects
    DENVER (AP) -- Police in at least two states are increasingly using a DNA crime-solving technique that some legal experts say amounts to guilt by association: If your brother, father, uncle or son has been in trouble with the law and is in a DNA database because of it, you, too, could fall under suspicion.
  • Evacuations under way for LA-area foothills
    LA CANADA FLINTRIDGE, Calif. (AP) -- Homeowners in mud-ravaged foothill towns north of Los Angeles packed their cars and fled Tuesday as evacuation orders took hold and a new winter storm approached.