GOP Blocks Obama Labor Board Nominee Senate Republicans have succeeded in blocking President Barack Obama’s choice of a union lawyer for the National Labor Relations Board. Sam Hananel, AP NEWS - 3 minutes ago
Killer Talks of KS Abortion Doc’s Death on YouTube The convicted killer of a Kansas abortion provider has little sympathy for the family of his victim, comparing them to the relatives of a hit man in a recording posted online. Roxana Hegeman, AP NEWS - 5 minutes ago
Drivers, Cars Are Ill-Equipped When Panic Sets in You’re driving down the highway and suddenly your car starts accelerating on its own. Knuckles white, going from 60 to 90 miles an hour in a couple of seconds, you do what comes naturally — hit the brakes. But what if the car keeps going? Dee-Ann Durbin, AP NEWS - 6 minutes ago
NY Governor Says Rumors That Haunted Him Are Dying New York Gov. David Paterson says he believes an anticipated story by The New York Times about his personal conduct won’t include much-rumored talk of wild behavior. Michael Gormley, AP NEWS - 7 minutes ago
Molson Coors' 4Q Profit Rises on Tax Benefits Molson Coors Brewing Co. sold fewer beers around the world in the fourth quarter, but its profit more than doubled as the company held onto price hikes it made during the recession and benefited from a one-time drop in its tax rate. Emily Fredrix, AP NEWS - 9 minutes ago
Audiovox Acquires Invision Industries Mobile video and consumer electronics maker Audiovox Corp. said Tuesday it has acquired Invision Industries Inc., a maker of entertainment systems for backseat passengers. Staff, AP NEWS - 9 minutes ago
Police: NH Man Who Took Over Clinton Office Flees The man who took hostages at a Hillary Rodham Clinton presidential campaign office in 2007 cut off his electronic monitoring bracelet Tuesday, then fled, and he is considered dangerous, authorities said. Lynne Tuohy, AP NEWS - 10 minutes ago
Obama Says US Developing New Sanctions for Iran President Barack Obama said Tuesday that Iran remains on an “unacceptable” path to nuclear weapons, despite its denials, and that the U.S. and like-minded countries will soon produce a set of punishing sanctions against the Islamic republic. Robert Burns, AP NEWS - 12 minutes ago
Father of Sarah Palin’s Grandson on Playgirl Cover The teen father of Sarah Palin’s grandson is featured on the cover of the upcoming print version of Playgirl magazine — sporting nothing but a sultry gaze. Rachel D'Oro, AP NEWS - 12 minutes ago
DOT: Delta, US Airways Can Swap Slots The government says Delta Air Lines and US Airways can swap takeoff and landing slots at airports in New York and Washington, but there’s a catch: They must sell some of the slots to protect competition. Harry R. Weber, AP NEWS - 14 minutes ago
Complaint Claims Mayor Uses Mute Button on Speakers Los Angeles County prosecutors are looking into a complaint that the mayor of Carson cuts off public speakers at City Council meetings if he doesn’t like what they’re saying. David Demerjian of the district attorney’s office said the complaint claims that Mayor Jim Dear hits the mute button on speakers before the three-minute time limit is up. Staff, AP NEWS - 14 minutes ago
Man Claims Va. Deputies Beat Him for Burping A Roanoke man claims sheriff’s deputies beat him in the city jail because of his burping. Thomas Scott Vandegrift made the allegations in a federal lawsuit filed last week against several deputies, the city, the sheriff’s office and the sheriff. According to the lawsuit, the deputies were annoyed by Vandegrift’s burping, which was caused by acid reflux. Staff, AP NEWS - 18 minutes ago
Disney Posts Flat 1Q Profit, Beating Estimates The Walt Disney Co. said Tuesday it made $844 million in the holiday quarter, roughly flat compared with a year earlier, as restructuring charges offset cost cutting and gains at ESPN and the Disney Channel. Staff, AP NEWS - 18 minutes ago
Dog Waste Piling Up at Wyoming Forest Trails A smelly problem is piling at trails around Jackson where people go hiking and cross-country skiing with their dogs. How big is this problem? Bridger-Teton National Forest officials say they recently counted 173 piles of dog waste around just one trailhead. Staff, AP NEWS - 18 minutes ago
EU Nations' Reality: Greece’s Woes Are Theirs, Too Wealthy European nations were moving closer toward swallowing a bitter pill Tuesday: rescuing Greece from its own overspending to stop its debt crisis from dragging down the euro and stock markets all the way to Wall Street. Aoife White, AP NEWS - 19 minutes ago
White Stripes Object to Ad for Air Forces Reserve The White Stripes say the Air Force Reserve made unauthorized use of their song “Fell in Love With a Girl” during an ad that ran in certain markets during Sunday’s Super Bowl telecast. Mike Householder, AP NEWS - 20 minutes ago
Makeup Bandit Returns After 6 Month Absence A bandit who likes to steal makeup from a well known drug store chain has returned after a six month absence. Chandler police said the “Blue Basket Bandit” attempted a theft Monday at a Walgreens store. Over the past two years, police said the thief has stolen approximately $10,000 worth of cosmetic merchandise from Walgreens stores around Chandler and neighboring cities. Staff, AP NEWS - 20 minutes ago
Orange Juice, Sugar Prices Rise on Falling Supply Sugar and orange juice prices rose Tuesday after the Department of Agriculture’s latest report predicted smaller supplies of the crops than previously estimated. Stephen Bernard, AP NEWS - 22 minutes ago
Zipcar Pulls Recalled Prius Hybrids From Fleet Car sharing service Zipcar Inc. says it has pulled from its fleet the 2010 Toyota Prius hybrids affected by Tuesday’s recall. Staff, AP NEWS - 22 minutes ago
Nigeria: Vice President Now Acting President Nigeria’s parliament empowered Vice President Goodluck Jonathan to run Africa’s most populous nation Tuesday in place of an ill and absent president, striving for a political end to a crisis that ground the government to a virtual halt and triggered the resumption of an insurgency in the vital oil sector. Bashir Adigun and Jon Gambrell, AP NEWS - 23 minutes ago
ATF Blames Texas Church Fires on Serial Arsonist A spate of recent fires that destroyed or damaged several churches in eastern Texas were intentionally set, likely by the same person or group, federal authorities said Tuesday. Schuyler Dixon, AP NEWS - 24 minutes ago
Private Colleges Looking to Rein in Financial Aid In the last year, the nation’s private colleges have laid off staff, shelved construction projects, slashed sports teams and turned down thermostats to cut costs. But student financial aid has kept flowing. Eric Gorski, AP NEWS - 27 minutes ago
Iran Boosts Nuclear Enrichment, Drawing Warnings Iranian nuclear technicians set dozens of centrifuges spinning Tuesday to begin enriching uranium stocks to a significantly higher level, prompting President Barack Obama to warn of a “significant regime of sanctions.” Nasser Karimi, AP NEWS - 27 minutes ago
First Lady Begins Fight Against Childhood Obesity Michelle Obama on Tuesday unveiled “Let’s Move” — her public awareness campaign against childhood obesity in the U.S. , a problem she says concerns her both as first lady and as a mother. Darlene Superville, AP FEATURES - 29 minutes ago
Liberty Property Trust Reports 4Q Loss Liberty Property Trust, which owns office and industrial properties, reported a loss for the fourth quarter as a hefty charge dragged down results. The company said it saw “encouraging” signs in the industrial sector, however, and believes the market has bottomed. Staff, AP NEWS - 29 minutes ago
Another Major Storm Headed to Snowy Mid-Atlantic 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. Brett Zongker, AP NEWS - 29 minutes ago
Workers Spent 80-Plus Hours a Week at Conn. Plant 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 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. John Christoffersen, AP NEWS - 30 minutes ago
Stocks Jump on Hopes for Greece Debt Assistance The Dow Jones industrial average jumped back above 10,000 on hope that the European Union will help Greece manage its growing debt burden. Tim Paradis, AP NEWS - 30 minutes ago
Kerrigan Family Disputes Autopsy Report on Father The family of Olympic skater Nancy Kerrigan insisted Tuesday that they do “not blame anyone” for her father’s death and criticized a medical examiner’s finding that Daniel Kerrigan died of a heart rhythm problem after a fight with his son. Denise Lavoie, AP FEATURES - 30 minutes ago
Another Winter Blast Helps Boost Heating Oil Price Heating oil prices got a boost Tuesday as the second powerful storm in four days threatened to dump more than a foot of snow on the East Coast. Mark Williams, AP NEWS - 34 minutes ago
Murtha’s Death Sets Stage for Marquee House Race 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. Andrew Miga and Joe Mandak, AP NEWS - 34 minutes ago
Obama Meets With GOP, Says Can Spur Job Growth Appealing for bipartisanship in a town where it’s hard to find, President Barack Obama sat down with Democrats and Republicans Tuesday to spur cooperation on job creation, deficit reduction and health care overhaul. He promised to do his part — but warned he would take Republicans to task if they don’t do the same. Charles Babington, AP NEWS - 35 minutes ago
Paulson Says Nation May Profit From Bank Bailout Henry Paulson, the former Treasury chief, and billionaire Warren Buffett said taxpayers will recover every cent paid out to banks during the economic meltdown and may even turn a profit. Josh Funk, AP NEWS - 35 minutes ago
Mass. Mom Convicted of Murder in 4-Year-Old’s OD A Massachusetts woman has been found guilty of second-degree murder in the prescription drug overdose of her 4-year-old daughter. Staff, AP NEWS - 35 minutes ago
Obama Would Take Bill That’s Not All He Wants Signaling he’d meet critics part way on health care, President Barack Obama said Tuesday he’s willing to sign a bill even if it doesn’t deliver everything he pursued through a year of grinding effort at risk of going down as a dismal failure. Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar and Charles Babington, AP NEWS - 35 minutes ago
AP NewsAlert Mass. mother guilty of second-degree murder in daughter’s fatal prescription drug overdose. Staff, AP NEWS - 38 minutes ago
First Lady Begins Fight Against Childhood Obesity Michelle Obama on Tuesday unveiled “Let’s Move” — her national public awareness campaign against childhood obesity, a problem she says concerns her both as first lady and as a mom. Darlene Superville, AP NEWS - 38 minutes ago
US Poised to Seize Afghan Town as Taliban Dig in U.S. and Afghan forces pushed Tuesday to the edge of the southern Afghan town of Marjah, poised to seize the major Taliban supply and drug-smuggling stronghold in hopes of building public support by providing aid and services once the insurgents are gone. Alfred De Montesquiou and Robert H. Reid, AP NEWS - 39 minutes ago
Toyota Plant Workers Become Lobbyists for a Day Jim Shuker, who tests vehicles for Toyota, says he feels so strongly about quality that he believes he personally failed by not finding the company’s acceleration problem. Larry Margasak, AP NEWS - 41 minutes ago
First Energy Seeks to Buy More Electric Supply FirstEnergy Corp.’s Pennsylvania Power Co. filed a plan with the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission to purchase electric generation supply to serve its customers starting in 2011. Staff, AP NEWS - 42 minutes ago
Toyota Seeks Damage Control, in Public and Private In public, Toyota is running apologetic TV ads and vowing to win back customers' trust. Behind the scenes, the besieged carmaker is trying to learn all it can about congressional investigations, maybe even steer them if it can. Alan Fram, AP NEWS - 42 minutes ago
3 Acquitted in Ohio Teen’s Restraint Death A jury on Tuesday acquitted three former employees of an Ohio treatment center for troubled teens of involuntary manslaughter in the death of a 17-year-old girl who suffocated and choked on her own vomit after being restrained facedown on the floor. Meghan Barr, AP NEWS - 43 minutes ago
Obama: Energy Policy Must Have Some Old, Some New President Barack Obama says the country must develop cleaner energy technologies while at the same time still relying upon traditional power sources like nuclear and coal. Staff, AP NEWS - 43 minutes ago
Warner CEO Sees E-Book ‘Fracas’ as Helping Music The head of Warner Music Group expressed hope on Tuesday that the recent “fracas” over the price of e-books would help give content creators such as his company more pricing power over device makers. Ryan Nakashima, AP NEWS - 43 minutes ago
Senate Democrats Unveil Jobs Package Senate Democrats circulated a jobs bill Tuesday that’s light on new initiatives on boosting hiring and heavy with provisions sought by lobbyists for business groups, doctors and the satellite broadcasting industry. Andrew Taylor and Stephen Ohlemacher, AP NEWS - 45 minutes ago
Job Openings Plunged by One-Quarter Last Year Finding a job got much tougher last year, as the number of available openings fell by nearly one quarter. Christopher S. Rugaber, AP NEWS - 45 minutes ago
Veeco Instruments Starts 1Q With ‘Record Backlog’ Veeco Instruments Inc., which makes precision manufacturing equipment for the LED and data storage markets, said Tuesday it started the year with a “record backlog” and is boosting manufacturing capacity to meet customer demand. Staff, AP NEWS - 45 minutes ago
Defiant Iran Accelerates Nuclear Program Iran began enriching uranium to a higher level on Tuesday, an acceleration of its nuclear program that was followed by a U.S. threat of a “significant regime of sanctions.” Nasser Karimi, AP NEWS - 47 minutes ago
Obama Speaks Hopefully of Movement on Jobs Bill President Barack Obama says he doesn’t think it’s necessary to get an ideal jobs package out of Congress, but that passing something quickly could build momentum toward greater achievements. Staff, AP NEWS - 50 minutes ago
Earnings Preview: Viacom to Report 4Q Results Viacom Inc., the media conglomerate controlled by Sumner Redstone, reports fourth-quarter earnings before the market opens on Thursday. Staff, AP NEWS - 51 minutes ago
Court Halts Rules on Edwards Sex Tape Retrieval A North Carolina court has temporarily stopped the security rules that a judge issued for the retrieval of the John Edwards sex tape. Mike Baker, AP NEWS - 51 minutes ago
Kansas House Panel Reviews Tax Credit Reform A Kansas House committee considered a proposal Tuesday that would eliminate some seldom-used income tax credits and improve efficiency within the Department of Revenue. John Milburn, AP NEWS - 51 minutes ago
DeGeneres Says Cowell Is ‘Meaner Than I Thought’ Ellen DeGeneres, the newest judge on “American Idol,” says Simon Cowell is “meaner” than she thought. Cowell, Randy Jackson, Kara DioGuardi and various guest judges kicked off the ninth season of the Fox singing competition last month. DeGeneres begins her stint Tuesday night. Staff, AP NEWS - 52 minutes ago
Health Crisis in Haiti Enters a Deadly New Phase Fourteen-month-old Abigail Charlot survived Haiti’s cataclysmic earthquake but not its miserable aftermath. Brought into the capital’s General Hospital with fever and diarrhea, little Abigail literally dried up. Frank Bajak, AP FEATURES - 52 minutes ago
Evacuations Under Way for LA-Area Foothills 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. Jacob Adelman, AP NEWS - 54 minutes ago
Police Debate Use of Family DNA to ID Suspects 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. P. Solomon Banda, AP FEATURES - 54 minutes ago
Killer Talks of KS Abortion Doc’s Death on YouTube The confessed killer of a Kansas abortion provider says he has no more sympathy for the doctor’s surviving family than he would for that of a hit man. Roxana Hegeman, AP NEWS - 55 minutes ago