Senate to confront abortion in health care debate
8:33
Buoyed by a presidential pep talk and intense rounds of negotiations, Senate Democrats hope to move closer to embracing a major health care bill this week by tackling the nettlesome issue of abortion. Anti-abortion...
US says bin Laden sometimes slips into Afghanistan
8:33
Al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden may periodically slip back into Afghanistan from his remote hideout in neighboring Pakistan, a senior White House official says, adding a new twist to the mystery of the elusive...
Administration pushes swine flu vaccines in ads
8:05
Pushing Americans to receive swine flu vaccinations, the Obama administration on Monday released a new slate of television and radio ads to counter an illness that already has infected millions. The public service...
Obama welcomes Turkish PM to White House
3:12
President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden will meet with Turkey's Prime Minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan (REH'-jehp TY'-ihp UR'-doh-wahn), at the White House this morning. In the afternoon, Obama and Biden will...
Shoals still in path of Wall Street regulations
3:05
Sweeping regulations to tame Wall Street and protect consumers in dealings with lenders are on the verge of passing the House but their fate is hardly sealed. Crucial pieces are still flashpoints, fiercely opposed by...
US applauds Iraq plans for parliamentary elections
7:20
The White House is applauding Iraqi lawmakers' vote Sunday to hold parliament elections early next year, a step that the U.S. hopes will ease the eventual withdrawal of American troops. In a statement issued Sunday...
PROMISES, PROMISES: A closed meeting on openness
6:29
It's hardly the image of transparency the Obama administration wants to project: A workshop on government openness is closed to the public. The event Monday for federal employees is a fitting symbol of President Barack...
Jones: Bin Laden still spends time in Afghanistan
1:04
National security adviser James Jones said Sunday that al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden still spends some time inside Afghanistan. Most recent U.S. estimates have placed bin Laden inside Pakistan. But Jones, a retired...
Pearl Harbor survivor back for 1st time since war
8:59
Retired firefighter Ed Johann was a teenage apprentice seaman on Dec. 7, 1941, when he spotted Japanese planes coming in over Pearl Harbor. He thought they were U.S. aircraft conducting drills until explosions and...
Virgin Galactic to unveil commercial spaceship
8:37
After five years of secret construction, the cloak is coming off a privately funded spacecraft designed to fly well-heeled tourists into space. The long-awaited glimpse of SpaceShipTwo, slated for rollout Monday in the...
Obama appeals for help amid tensions with Turkey
8:33
President Barack Obama is looking for help in Afghanistan from Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan even as tensions simmer between the two NATO allies on Iran and the Middle East. A White House meeting Monday...
Officer responding to Pa. home disturbance killed
8:21
A police officer responding to a domestic disturbance was shot dead as he sat in his patrol car outside a suburban Pittsburgh home where another man had been killed, authorities said. Penn Hills Chief Howard Burton...
Judge in Ohio rejects stay in 1st 1-drug execution
8:12
A federal judge on Monday denied an emergency delay in the execution of an Ohio inmate scheduled to become the first person in the U.S put to death with a single drug. In the ruling, U.S. District Judge Gregory Frost...
Atlanta mayor runner-up expected to seek recount
8:02
A city councilwoman who sought to become Atlanta's first white mayor in a generation is expected to formally request a recount soon of last week's mayoral runoff. Former state Sen. Kasim Reed edged out Mary Norwood by...
SC panel may decide on Sanford impeachment motion
7:52
South Carolina lawmakers are nearing a decision on whether to move forward with a measure to impeach Gov. Mark Sanford over a secret trip to Argentina and his travel. A panel of the House Judiciary Committee is meeting...
Decade of 2000s was warmest ever, scientists say
7:08
It dawned with the warmest winter on record in the United States. And when the sun sets this New Year's Eve, the decade of the 2000s will end as the warmest ever on global temperature charts. Warmer still, scientists...
Somalis protest bombing; gov't warns of new threat
9:04
Hundreds of students marched in Mogadishu's streets Monday in the first known protest against Islamic militants, as Somalia's government warned that militants are planning suicide attacks against key installations in...
Wounded Guinea junta leader unable to speak
9:03
Guinea's military strongman, airlifted to a hospital in Morocco after being wounded in an assassination attempt, cannot speak and may not be returning home anytime soon, two top government officials said Monday. The...
Blast outside Iraqi elementary school kills 8
9:01
An explosion outside an elementary school in a Shiite district of Baghdad killed at least eight people Monday, as Iraqi officials considered delaying national elections until at least February. The blast occurred in...
Greek youths riot in Athens for 2nd day
8:59
Masked youths smashed store windows and hurled rocks and firebombs at riot police who responded with tear gas Monday in a second day of violence during commemorations of last year's fatal police shooting of a teenager. ...
Russia club fire toll reaches 113 as burials begin
8:51
Grieving friends and relatives of victims of a Russian nightclub fire buried the dead on a frigid Monday as the death toll climbed to 113 and looked likely to rise. Prosecutors on Monday charged four people in...
Romania opposition party contests election results
8:36
Romania's main opposition party said Monday it is contesting the results of a presidential runoff, claiming that incumbent President Traian Basescu's narrow win was achieved through fraud. The Social Democrats say...
Thousands protest in Iran, battling police
8:33
Security forces and militiamen clashed with thousands of protesters shouting "death to the dictator" outside Tehran University on Monday, beating them with batons and firing tear gas on a day of nationwide student...
Pakistan court starts hearing case against amnesty
8:33
Pakistan's Supreme Court began hearing petitions Monday against an expired amnesty that had protected President Asif Ali Zardari and key allies from graft charges, a case that could lead to legal challenges to the...
McCaskill: Nixing health bill care not an option
8:58
Sen. Claire McCaskill says a Senate move to embrace the tough anti-abortion language in a House version of health care legislation must be defeated. McCaskill said language in the bill now on the Senate floor retains...
Ahead of the Bell: Advance Auto Parts downgraded
8:42
An FBR Capital Markets analyst downgraded Advance Auto Parts Inc. Monday, saying the auto parts retailer's earnings in the fourth quarter and next year may fall short of investor expectations as sales growth slows. ...
The best last chance: UN climate conference opens
8:41
The largest and most important U.N. climate change conference in history opened Monday, with organizers warning diplomats from 192 nations that this could be the best last chance for a deal to protect the world from...
European markets drop as dollar surge continues
8:35
European stocks and Wall Street futures fell modestly Monday as some investors feared that a quicker U.S. economic recovery will cause interest rates to rise sooner than expected. The view caused the dollar to jump to...
Ahead of the Bell: Brocade upgraded
8:34
Shares of Brocade Communications Systems Inc. edged higher in premarket trading Monday after an analyst upgraded the company, saying it could win market share as its rivals try to digest recent acquisitions. ...
Administration to slash bailout cost estimate
8:33
The Obama administration will lose $200 billion less than expected from the federal bailout program and is looking at using part of the savings to fund new job creation efforts. A Treasury official said Sunday that the...
'Lost,' 'Idol' and Ozzy among decade's TV Top 10
8:32
Mostly excellent, all of them memorable, here are the decade's Top 10 television achievements as tapped by the TV writers of The Associated Press. In no particular order, they are: _ "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation"...
Home Depot to launch Martha Stewart paint line
8:25
The Home Depot Inc. will start selling Martha Stewart-branded paint and cleaning products next year in addition to the home decor and closet organization lines announced in September, the nation's largest home...
4 vie for British art's contentious Turner Prize
8:51
A sculptor who filled an abandoned apartment with shimmering blue crystals is the favorite to win Britain's best-known art award, the Turner Prize. The winner of the 25,000 pound ($40,000) prize is being announced at...
Ken Follett novel shot in Hungary
8:47
Ken Follett made his name writing spy thrillers like "Eye of the Needle." But the book that has won him the most critical, and eventually popular, acclaim is a nearly 1,000-page novel about the construction of an...
Dating couple wins CBS `Amazing Race' TV contest
8:33
Cool thinking at the craps table has won a San Diego couple $1 million on the CBS reality television show "The Amazing Race." Meghan Rickey and her boyfriend, Cheyne Whitney, prevailed in the 15th edition of the Emmy...
Weezer singer hurt when bus skids off road in NY
7:28
The lead singer of the alternative rock band Weezer suffered minor injuries when the group's tour bus hit some ice, skidded across the New York State Thruway, struck a guide rail and slid into a ditch, police said. ...
'Blind Side' eclipses 'New Moon' with $20M weekend
6:52
Sandra Bullock's latest movie has taken the industry by surprise. She stars in the football-inspired drama "The Blind Side" that has become the underdog hit of the season with a $20.4 million weekend and a box-office...
Billboard names Powter One-Hit Wonder of Decade
6:44
As far as one-hit wonders go, Daniel Powter is king of them all _ for this decade, at least. Powter, whose hit "Bad Day" reigned on top of the Billboard pop charts for five weeks in 2006, was named as the decade's top...
Star tenor Villazon to sing in Vienna next March
6:18
The Vienna State Opera says star tenor Rolando Villazon will appear on its stage next March. The prestigious institution says the singer will perform the role of Nemorino in Gaetano Donizetti's "L'Elisir d'Amore" _...
Obama salutes jazz great Brubeck at Kennedy Center
6:09
Nearly 40 years ago, a Kenyan father was visiting his son in Hawaii and took him to his first jazz concert. The boy was Barack Obama and the performer was jazz great Dave Brubeck. "I've been a jazz fan ever since," the...
Catholic sisters challenge Vatican investigation
5:29
Leaders of a significant number of the nation's Roman Catholic sisters are challenging aspects of a Vatican investigation of their communities, declining to answer questions they say are ambiguous, inappropriate and out...
FIRST-PERSON: It's not all about love
3:15
EDITOR'S NOTE: The following column addresses issues of homosexuality and is written to inform adults. It contains descriptions of the Folsom Street Fair, an annual sexually charged, perverse event in San Francisco with...
FIRST-PERSON: Bad news & eternity
3:15
RICHMOND, Va. (BP)--We have always thought of the Gospel as good news. In fact, the Greek word evangelion, which is translated "Gospel," literally means "good news." And certainly the fact that Jesus Christ died and...
Baptist state conventions remain pro-family, evangelistic
3:15
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--Pro-family issues remain the most often cited concern in resolutions adopted at the 41 state Baptist convention meetings. Prayer for the Great Commission Resurgence Task Force and concern for...
23 Baptist state conventions cut budgets; 12 raise Cooperative Program gifts
3:15
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--Over half of the state Baptist conventions have decreased their budgets for the coming year, according to reports from their annual meetings. And yet, six of the 23 conventions making cuts are...
CULTURE DIGEST: Creation Museum focuses on Christmas; DVD player edits bad content
3:15
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--The Creation Museum, a ministry of Answers in Genesis, is offering a special planetarium presentation called "The Christmas Star," which addresses the "remarkable astronomic event that occurred at...
'Gay marriage,' legal in N.J. by Christmas?
3:15
TRENTON, N.J. (BP)--Just days after suffering another setback in the liberal Northeast, "gay marriage" supporters could get back on track in New Jersey Monday when a bill that could become law by Christmas will be...
Amends. could mandate abortion coverage
3:15
WASHINGTON (BP)--U.S. Senate votes on two health-care reform amendments Dec. 3 could result in private insurance plans being required to provide abortion coverage.Senators approved, in a 61-39 roll call vote, an...
CDC: Swine flu is widespread only in 25 states
11:46
Swine flu infections continue to wane, just as vaccine is becoming plentiful enough that some communities are allowing everyone to get it, not just those in priority groups. Swine flu was widespread in only 25 states...
FDA warns of problems with sterilization device
4:27
Doctors and hospitals should stop using a device from Steris Corp. to sterilize surgical tools after reports of malfunction, according to the Food and Drug Administration. The company's modified SS1 sterilizer device...
Brazil officials visiting Germany get swine flu
2:53
Two Brazilian officials accompanying President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on a trip to Germany have been diagnosed with swine flu. Brazil's official Agencia Brasil news agency says the presidential security guard and an...
Drugmakers, FDA move to curb painkiller abuse
2:04
Pharmaceutical executives laid out plans Friday to prevent the misuse of prescription painkillers, under pressure from regulators trying to stop hundreds of fatal overdoses each year. But Food and Drug Administration...
Embargo as genocide? US disputes Cuban claim
12:37
It was a story meant to captivate the United Nations: A dozen Cuban children with heart defects were forced to endure unnecessary surgery because the U.S. embargo blocked them from receiving American-made catheters. ...
Glaxo's swine flu shot may give kids fever
8:15
The European Medicines Agency warns that young children given GlaxoSmithKline's swine flu shot may get a fever after their second dose. In a statement issued Friday, the European drug regulator said data from...
CDC warns of fake swine flu e-mails
5:24
Health officials are warning the public about fake e-mails inviting people to sign up for swine flu vaccine registrations. U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention officials this week put out an advisory about...
Surgeon general: More minority doctors needed
5:02
The new U.S. Surgeon General on Thursday called for stepped-up efforts in increasing the number of minority physicians. In what was one of her first speeches to a large crowd since she was sworn in Nov. 3, Dr. Regina...
Nobel Prize winners helped by independence, coffee
8:42
The winners of the 2009 Nobel Prizes in economics, chemistry and physics say that intellectual freedom, independence and coffee breaks helped them make the groundbreaking scientific discoveries that will be awarded in...
Some background on the climate talks
5:05
Around 15,000 delegates, environmentalists, scientists, journalists and others gathered in Copenhagen on Monday to begin two weeks of negotiations on what to do about climate change. Here's a look at what's happening...
Climate pledges made by countries before summit
5:01
_U.S.: President Barack Obama has pledged cutting emissions by 17 percent from 2005 levels by 2020. That represents a 3-4 percent cut from 1990 levels _ the benchmark used by most countries. Aims to reach a 41 percent...
Key dates in unfolding story of warming planet
4:58
1750 _ Before Industrial Revolution, atmosphere holds 280 parts per million of heat-trapping carbon dioxide (CO2). 1898 _ Swedish scientist Svante Ahrrenius calculates that CO2 from coal and oil burning will warm the...
You've Got Freedom: AOL ends ties with Time Warner
12:00
AOL is shaking loose from Time Warner Inc. and heading into the next decade the way it began this one, as an independent company. Unlike the 1990s, though, when AOL got rich selling dial-up Internet access, it starts...
Apple confirms purchase of music site Lala.com
7:36
Apple Inc. has purchased online music retailer Lala.com, a Silicon Valley startup that has threatened "the end of the MP3" with its fast song-streaming application. Apple spokesman Steve Dowling confirmed the purchase...
NASA to launch sky-mapping spacecraft
2:24
NASA's latest space telescope will scan the sky in search of never-before-seen asteroids, comets, stars and galaxies, with one of its main tasks to catalog objects posing a danger to Earth. The sky-mapping WISE, or...
Study: Missing DNA can promote childhood obesity
2:24
Some children get severely obese because they lack particular chunks of DNA, which kicks their hunger into overdrive, researchers report. The British researchers checked the DNA of 300 children who'd become very fat,...
The nation's weather
5:57
The remnants of Tropical Storm Ida were expected to continue tracking through the Southeastern U.S. on Thursday. The system was forecast to continue pulling abundant moisture from the Gulf of Mexico and allow for wet...
The nation's weather
4:43
A strong storm in the center of the country was expected to continue bringing wintry weather to the Central Rockies and Plains on Thursday. A strong low pressure system that developed over the Rockies would continue...