MOUNTAIN OF DEBT: Rising debt may be next crisis
12:36
The Founding Fathers left one legacy not celebrated on Independence Day but which affects us all. It's the national debt. The country first got into debt to help pay for the Revolutionary War. Growing ever since, the...
Group Sotomayor belonged to sued over job tests
12:19
A civil rights group advised by Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor in the 1980s brought several discrimination lawsuits that sought to scrap the results of job tests because too few Hispanics scored well, according...
Obama tells Russia's Putin the Cold War is history
12:17
President Barack Obama said former Russian President Vladimir Putin and his hand-picked successor should expect an in-person reminder the Cold War is over when the U.S. leader makes his first trip to a Moscow summit. ...
Obama begins July 4th celebration at Camp David
11:25
President Barack Obama is helping the nation celebrate its birthday and his daughter Malia celebrate hers. The president on Friday morning flew to Camp David, Md., for the first part of the first family's Fourth of...
Republican: Sotomayor had ties to extreme group
7:28
The top Republican on the Senate committee that will consider Sonia Sotomayor's Supreme Court nomination says a Puerto Rican civil rights group's papers could shed light on her judicial approach, particularly her view...
Under Senate health care plan, either way you pay
7:25
First you paid to insure your car. Soon you may have to add health insurance premiums to that stack of monthly bills as well. In a revamped health care system envisioned by senators, people would be required to carry...
GOP, White House at odds on Sotomayor documents
1:57
A top Republican pressed for more information Thursday about Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor's ties to a Puerto Rican civil rights group he said took extreme positions on race, as the White House argued that the...
Cheney discussed media inquiries into Plame leak
1:04
Vice President Dick Cheney talked with top White House officials about how to respond to reporters' inquiries into who leaked the identity of a CIA operative, according to a court filing. Cheney told the FBI about his...
Events in Palin's political career
1:54
_ 1992-1996 _ Sarah Palin enters public life in Alaska, serving two terms on the Wasilla City Council. _ 1996-2002 _ Palin is elected Wasilla mayor, serves two terms until term limits force her from office. _ 2002 _...
Palin resigns as governor, leaves plans secret
12:33
Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin abruptly announced Friday she is resigning from office at the end of the month, a shocking move that rattled the Republican party but left open the possibility she would seek a run for the White...
Today in History - July 4
12:01
Today is Saturday, July 4, the 185th day of 2009. There are 180 days left in the year. This is Independence Day. Today's Highlight in History: On July 4, 1776, the Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of...
NY growth besieges Revolutionary patriots' graves
12:01
Ed Spaeth was researching his family tree when he discovered an 18th-century ancestor likely was buried in the woods just down the hill from his Hudson Valley home. Although he can't pinpoint Francois Martin-Pelland's...
AP Source: Detroit mayor firing police chief
10:38
The mayor of Detroit is firing the city's police chief, a person familiar with the situation said Friday. The person told the Associated Press that Mayor Dave Bing has told Police Chief James Barren that the chief is...
Pachyderms outdo people in cross-species chow bout
9:24
In the fight of pachyderms vs. people _ the pachyderms now have the upper trunk. Three circus elephants scored a decisive victory over three human competitive eaters at a cross-species eating contest Friday, chomping...
Serial killer has South Carolina residents on edge
9:21
Terrified residents canceled Fourth of July plans and holed up in their homes Friday as investigators hunted a serial killer believed to have shot four people to death. Tanya Phillips had been looking forward to a...
Firefighters battle big blaze at shuttered SC mill
8:45
A shuttered mill in northwestern South Carolina has caught fire, spewing clouds of dense, black smoke visible for miles. The mill housing the former Rock Hill Printing & Finishing Bleachery began burning Friday....
U2 asks fans to support Myanmar's Aung San Suu Kyi
2:42
As U2 kicks off its world tour the rock band is turning a spotlight on Myanmar's jailed opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi. On its Web site and on stage, U2 is asking fans to wear a Suu Kyi mask in support of the...
Myanmar denies UN chief's request to see Suu Kyi
2:26
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Saturday he was "deeply disappointed" after Myanmar's military ruler rejected his second and final request to meet jailed opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi. Ban met with Senior...
Michelle Obama bringing glamor to Moscow
2:17
Michelle Obama brings her superstar glamor to Moscow this weekend as she accompanies her husband on his summit with the Russian president. But the American first lady, who has wowed publics in the U.S. and Europe with...
2 US troops killed in Afghanistan blast, 4 wounded
2:14
A blast in eastern Afghanistan killed two American troops and wounded four others Saturday, a U.S. military spokeswoman said. The troops were attacked in eastern Paktika province, but there were no immediate details...
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1:58
US military says 2 American troops killed, 4 wounded in eastern Afghanistan explosion. ...
SKorea says NKorea fires 4 missiles off east coast
1:43
North Korea fired four missiles off its eastern coast Saturday, South Korea said, in what was likely to be seen as a message of defiance to the United States on its Independence Day holiday. The launches, which came...
A look at North Korea's missile arsenal
1:27
A look at North Korea's missile arsenal: TAEPODONG: This group of rockets is the pinnacle of North Korea's missile technology. Pyongyang claims they are space launch vehicles (SLVs) to launch satellites as part of a...
Chronology of North Korea's missile program
1:11
Developments in North Korea's missile program: _ Aug. 31, 1998: North Korea fires suspected missile over Japan and into the Pacific Ocean, calling it a satellite. _ Sept. 13, 1999: North Korea pledges to freeze...
Venezuela assumes control of Spanish-owned bank
12:22
President Hugo Chavez's government assumed control of Venezuela's third-largest bank on Friday _ making the state the largest player in the nation's banking system. The purchase of the Spanish-owned Banco de Venezuela...
ALL BUSINESS: Cash is king for investors
12:00
That old saying "cash is king" certainly rings true these days. Investors can't seem to get enough of it, which ultimately could be bad news for the stock market and the economy. In the past, investors would cling to...
Malt-O-Meal recalls oatmeal made with dry milk
8:38
Malt-O-Meal Co. is voluntarily recalling oatmeal that contains instant nonfat dry milk that may be contaminated with salmonella. The instant nonfat dry milk came from Plainview Milk Products Cooperative of Minnesota...
Tropicana Las Vegas emerges from bankruptcy
5:41
Tropicana Las Vegas has emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy with new owners. Toronto-based Onex Corporation and former MGM Mirage President Alex Yemenidjian acquired a majority stake in the Las Vegas hotel-casino this...
Cummins reopening Ind. plant, while another closes
3:46
Cummins Inc. is recalling 400 laid-off workers as it resumes production at a Columbus factory, while nearly 300 people lost their jobs as an auto parts company idled a plant in nearby Shelbyville. Cummins is preparing...
Canada finance minister says unemployment to rise
3:33
Canada's finance minister said Friday that the country's economic recovery will likely be modest and job losses will mount into 2010 even after growth has begun. Jim Flaherty gave his most recent, sobering assessment...
Airline BA to cut capacity, delay new planes
3:09
British Airways PLC announced Friday it will ground aircraft, slash seat numbers and postpone taking delivery of a dozen new Airbus A380 superjumbos as it faces a recession-driven decline in passengers. The airline...
Texas brewer, once near defeat, shines again
3:06
By all accounts, Shiner beer shouldn't have made it this long. The Spoetzl Brewery ferments its brew in a one-stoplight town that's not on the way to anywhere, and much larger regional brewers long ago succumbed to...
Powerful sedative found in Michael Jackson's home
12:34
The powerful sedative Diprivan was found in Michael Jackson's home, a law enforcement official said Friday as the city planned for a massive crowd at the singer's memorial service. Diprivan is an anesthetic widely used...
ABBA's Andersson shoots down London reunion talk
8:20
Forget those reports that Swedish supergroup ABBA will be reuniting to cover Michael Jackson's sold-out concert dates. "No one has even asked us, and if they asked us they would have 'no' as an answer, because...
Madonna to pay tribute to Jackson in concert
6:42
Madonna is paying tribute to Michael Jackson in the same arena where he was to stage his great comeback. The superstar is preparing a special part of her concert Saturday at O2 arena. Madonna publicist Liz Rosenberg...
LA police plan for huge crowd at Jackson memorial
6:15
Los Angeles city officials are preparing for massive crowds downtown during Tuesday's public memorial for Michael Jackson at Staples Center, even though only 17,500 tickets are being offered to the public. Assistant...
Essence Fest celebrates black music, culture
5:43
Queen Latifah dropped by the Essence Music Festival on Friday to help celebrate its 15th year of uplifting and empowering the African-American community through issues-filled seminars by day and high-powered musical...
TV One to begin Sunday show aimed at blacks
4:23
Roland Martin will anchor a new Sunday public affairs show aimed at a black audience that will debut in September on the TV One network. The "Washington Watch" program aims to tap into a new interest in politics and...
South Africa holds Jackson moonwalk tribute
1:15
Several hundred South Africans gathered on Friday for a moonwalking tribute to the King of Pop that reflected the diversity of the rainbow nation. They were in Johannesburg's Nelson Mandela Square for one reason: an...
Country singer Ferlin Husky hospitalized in Tenn.
10:24
A spokesman for country star Ferlin Husky says the singer has been hospitalized in Tennessee. Tracy Pitcox, president of Heart of Texas Records, said the 83-year-old was admitted to the critical care unit of Summit...
FIRST-PERSON: Examining celebrity worship
5:30
ALEXANDRIA, La. (BP)--With the recent death of Michael Jackson, the phenomenon of celebrity worship is on display in all of its strange glory. Fans around the globe are experiencing soul-shaking grief and shedding a...
FIRST-PERSON: Pray for our military this summer
5:30
SPRING HILL, Tenn. (BP)--In 2003, I was given the opportunity to travel to the Middle East twice to report for Baptist Press about the faith of sailors and soldiers that I came into contact with. It was a life-changing...
FIRST-PERSON: Unwanted fireworks on the Fourth
5:30
DALLAS (BP)--The Fourth of July always brings memories of war for me. Fireworks remind me of an arcing transformer sending electric ash to the ground. The next thought is that of an Iraqi male about 40 years old running...
India blocks religious watchdog group
5:30
WASHINGTON (BP)--India has rebuffed a U.S. government watchdog group tasked with monitoring religious liberty abroad by denying entry visas for the group's planned visit. A delegation from the U.S. Commission on...
CULTURE DIGEST: Benefits of alcohol in moderation debated; Barna poll assessed
5:30
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--Researchers continue to debate whether drinking alcohol in moderation yields any tangible health benefits after some studies have suggested it could promote heart health and reduce the risk for...
337 baptized at First Baptist Orlando
5:30
ORLANDO, Fla. (BP)--"People are going to die tonight."Not quite the first words most congregations want to hear from their pastor.But that is what David Uth said as an introduction to "Not Ashamed," a three-service...
PTSD: NAMB chaplains get biblical training
5:30
SEOUL, South Korea (BP)--Chaplain (Major) Ed Choi understands the reality of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Deployed as a U.S. Army chaplain in Iraq for tours of duty in 2004-05 and 2006-07, Choi lost more than...
At 84, U.S.S. Indy survivor attests to God's grace
5:30
JOELTON, Tenn. (BP)--Ask Edgar Harrell enough questions, and he can relive the horrific moments he experienced 64 years ago during World War II, floating helplessly for more than four days in the Pacific Ocean, corpses...
Federal probe finds problems with chelation study
5:33
A federal investigation has found that heart attack survivors enrolled in a study of a controversial alternative medicine treatment were not told enough about potential dangers from the drug being tested, including...
Study: New flu inefficient in attacking people
5:03
With swine flu continuing to spread around the world, researchers say they have found the reason it is _ so far _ more a series of local blazes than a wide-raging wildfire. The new virus, H1N1, has a protein on its...
CDC: US swine flu cases rise to nearly 34,000
4:53
The number of U.S. swine flu cases has reached nearly 34,000, and deaths have risen 34 percent in the past week to 170, federal health officials reported Thursday. About four out of five of the swine flu deaths to date...
Obesity rates rising, Mississippi's still fattest
8:44
Mississippi's still king of cellulite, but an ominous tide is rolling toward the Medicare doctors in neighboring Alabama: obese baby boomers. It's time for the nation's annual obesity rankings and, outside of fairly...
Fawcett's death spotlights a rare cancer
8:07
In a perverse twist of medical fate, Farrah Fawcett has become the poster girl for anal cancer, a rare disease often linked to a sexually transmitted virus. Before her death last week, at age 62, the actress had come...
Jackson's hospital is known for 'raising the dead'
6:23
When Michael Jackson went into cardiac arrest, rescuers took him to a place known for bringing the dead back to life. A world-renowned surgeon at the UCLA Medical Center has pioneered a way to revive people that most...
CDC: Private health care coverage at 50-year-low
5:56
The percentage of Americans with private health insurance has hit its lowest mark in 50 years, according to two new government reports. About 65 percent of non-elderly Americans had private insurance in 2008, down from...
Few survive cardiac arrest, even with hospital CPR
5:02
You don't have to be Michael Jackson to have this problem: The odds of surviving cardiac arrest after getting CPR in a hospital are slim and have not improved in more than a decade, a big Medicare study concludes. Only...
The old is new again at Saturday Evening Post
12:38
The Saturday Evening Post, a centuries-old publication that helped make illustrator Norman Rockwell a household name and showcased some of America's greatest writers, is returning to its roots to show readers the value...
US wants privacy in new cyber security system
5:31
The Obama administration is moving cautiously on a new pilot program that would both detect and stop cyber attacks against government computers, while trying to ensure citizen privacy protections. The pilot program,...
Web retailers, states tussle over tax rules
9:08
In a big break for online shoppers, Web retailers generally don't have to charge sales taxes in states where they lack a store or some other physical presence. Increasingly, states aching under the weight of the...
AP unveils 'treasure trove' of historical footage
2:52
The Associated Press is digitizing and has begun to release a "treasure trove" of historical film footage from the 1960s and '70s that had been sitting in Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower's former World War II headquarters in...
Baaad news? Global warming now shrinking sheep
2:14
Like the wool sweater that emerges from the dryer a size too small, global warming seems to be shrinking sheep. On average, wild Soay sheep on Scotland's island Hirta are 5 percent smaller today than they were in 1985,...
New form of El Nino may increase Atlantic storms
2:03
El Nino may have a split personality. The warming of the tropical Pacific Ocean has long been known to affect weather around the world, but researchers now say it may come in two forms with different impacts. The...
TV stations struggling with viewer loss on DTV
1:40
The government is helping two dozen TV stations that became difficult to receive by antenna when they switched to new frequencies as part of the digital TV transition, the Federal Communications Commission said...
Tech expert: Nagin e-mails disappeared
11:36
A technology expert said Wednesday that potentially years' worth of Mayor Ray Nagin's e-mails have been deleted. Christopher Reade, a partner in a tech firm who assisted the Louisiana Technology Council in efforts to...
The Nation's weather
4:59
Strong thunderstorms were expected Friday across the Northern Plains as a weak area of low pressure in the upper atmosphere slides down the eastern slopes of the Rockies. A few of these storms could be capable of...
The Nation's weather
5:27
The Eastern U.S. was expected to continue seeing severe storm development on Thursday from a slow-moving low pressure system hovering over the Great Lakes region. Widespread scattered showers were to continue across...
The Nation's weather
6:23
Unsettled weather and below-average temperatures were expected to continue Wednesday over the Great Lakes, Ohio Valley and Mid-Atlantic. Scattered showers and thunderstorms were to continue, with heavier rain from...
The Nation's weather
5:50
Clouds, rain and isolated-to-scattered thunderstorms will make Tuesday gloomy for regions stretching from the Great Lakes to the Ohio Valley and across New England. Temperatures in the Northeast will cool with...
The Nation's weather
5:02
Scattered showers and possible thunderstorms were expected over the northeastern Great Lakes on Monday, leading to rain across the Northeast. Moisture from the system over the Lakes was forecast to combine with another...
The Nation's weather
5:01
A long cold front was expected to sweep through the Plains and Great Lakes on its way into the Northeast on Sunday, producing the most active weather in the country for the rest of the weekend. Forecasters didn't...
The Nation's weather
6:24
A slow-moving cold front will track through New England on Friday, bringing unsettled weather to the region. The front, which will extend over the Northeast and into the Ohio River Valley, could produce large hail,...
The Nation's weather
7:23
Severe weather was expected over the Great Lakes and Ohio Valley regions on Thursday. Scattered showers and thunderstorms were expected along a front stretching from the Great Lakes to the Mid- and Lower Mississippi...