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Rampant Abuse at Chicago Schools

Under the watchful eye of Obama's new Secretary of Education in excess of 800 students have been violently assaulted by teachers and coaches. 

 Federal Election Committee to audit McCain Campaign but not Obama

The Federal Election Commission is unlikely to conduct a potentially embarrassing audit of how Barack Obama raised and spent his presidential campaign’s record-shattering windfall, despite allegations of questionable donations and accounting that had the McCain campaign crying foul.

Obama spokesman states he's "Ready to RULE on day one"

The co-chair of Barack Obama's Transition Team, Valerie Jarrett, appeared on Meet the Press this weekend and used, shall we say, an interesting word to described what she thinks Barack Obama will be doing in January when he's officially sworn into office.

Georgia Congressman warns of impending Obama Dictatorship

A Republican congressman from Georgia said Monday he fears that President-elect Obama will establish a Gestapo-like security force to impose a Marxist or fascist dictatorship. 

Obama states his plans will bankrupt coal industry

San Francisco Chronicle deliberately suppressed statements by Senator Obama pertaining to his energy plan.

Feds investigate whistleblowers instead of criminals in Obama case

Federal agents are investigating who leaked the story instead of how illegal campaign donations given by Obama's aunt as well as her immigration status were overlooked.

House Leader Boehner calls Barack "chicken shit"

Boehner criticized Illinois senator and Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama for his stance on domestic drilling, taxes and his number of "present" votes.

Plane overshoots resort runway

Passengers were left shaken but unhurt yesterday after their plane skidded off the runway as it landed in the Canary Islands.

Fiery Sony batteries burn users ... again

The voluntary recall applies to certain Sony 2.15Ah lithium-ion cell batteries made in Japan and sold around the world in laptops made by Hewlett-Packard, Dell and Toshiba.   Some incidents involved smoke or flames, according to Sony. Twenty-one of the reports claimed minor property damage, and small burns were reported in four cases.

How we fuel Africa's bloodiest war

The deadliest war since Adolf Hitler marched across Europe is starting again – and you are almost certainly carrying a blood-soaked chunk of the slaughter in your pocket.

Bush Administration Seeks To Weaken Government Rules Aimed At Protecting Consumers And The Environment
"This administration has taken extraordinary measures to avoid rushing regulations at the end of the term

Thousands of Syrians Protest U.S. Raid

Thousands of people demonstrated in the Syrian capital, Damascus, on Thursday, in an apparently stage-managed protest by the government of the American military raid across the Iraqi border into Syrian territory on Sunday.

Indian bomb blasts kill 62, wound 300  

Following the explosions, black smoke poured into the air. On the ground, charred and burned vehicles, their windows punched out and their metal frames mangled, remained on the streets. Police officers combed areas afterward for unexploded bombs, authorities said.

Firefighter, Gunman Dead and 5 Injured in Shooting at Wendy's Near West Palm Beach, Fla

A gunman in a jacket and tie wordlessly opened fire inside a Wendy's during the lunchtime rush Monday, killing a firefighter who had gone back to fetch the toy left out of his child's meal and wounding five others. The 60-year-old shooter then committed suicide.

FCC Approves Use Of White Spaces, What Is Next Step?

Many TV and radio broadcasters were against the approval of white spaces as they feared that it would interfere with their signals.

As chaos and massacres overwhelm north-eastern Congo

The UN’s mission to Congo, known by the acronym MONUC, which has 17,000 peacekeepers across the country.

U.S. Airstrike Reported to Hit Afghan Wedding

Afghan officials said casualties from the airstrike, on Monday, included women and children.

Bush seeks seamless transition to Obama

President Bush says he'll meet with President-elect Barack Obama next week as his administration works to achieve a seamless transition of power to the Democrat.

KKK Threatening With Race War If Obama Wins !

Thomas Robb, 62-year.old Ku Klux Klan leader, warned of a “race war” if Barack Obama wins the American presidential election. He calls himself the Grand Knight of the Klan and allegedly runs a network of 270 racist cells, The Sun writes.

Sarkozy loses 'voodoo doll' case

A French judge has rejected President Nicolas Sarkozy's attempt to stop sales of a "voodoo doll" in his image.

Suicide Bombers Kill At Least 28 In Somalia

The five synchronised blasts killed some 25 people in Hargeisa and another three in Bosasso. A wave of suicide bombings killed at least 28 people across northern Somalia on Wednesday in attacks that snatched attention from political crisis talks taking place in neighbouring Kenya.

VIDEO: Police Quizzed After Hostage Drama

The final minutes of a tragic and disastrous hostage taking in Brazil are played out on live television. As police moved in to the apartment in Sao Paulo to try and end the four-day drama 15-year-old Eloa Rodrigues was shot in the head and her friend was shot in the mouth. Relatives say 22-year-old Lindenberg Alves took both girls hostage on Monday.The 15-year-old had just ended their three-year relationship.

  Continuation of Trials Against Croatian Generals 

The trial before the Hague court of the Croatian generals Ante Gotovina, Ivan Cermak and Mladen Markac, was continued today after a ten day recess. The trial started by hearing the witness Milica Djuric, which was abruptly stopped after the witness complained that she could no longer answer the questions from defence representatives.

Suspect's sister: Texas dragging death not racial
McClelland's family and black activists call the death a "copycat" of the decade-old James Byrd slaying, in which a black man in Jasper, about 200 miles south of Paris, was chained by the ankles to a pickup by three white supremacists and dragged for three miles.

 

Boy is 23rd child abandoned at Neb. hospital
A 17-year-old boy was confirmed Wednesday as the 23rd child abandoned under the state's unique safe-haven law, as the governor prepared to address changes in the law.Lincoln Police Capt. Jim Thoms said the parents told officers the boy wouldn't follow Their rules and that they couldn't afford some programs he needed.

Democrats May Nudge Byrd Off Post in Committee

Mr. Byrd, 90, entered the House of Representatives in 1953 and has been a senator since 1959. In a statement Tuesday, he indicated that he would try to hold on to his leadership of the committee, which controls about one-third of all federal spending.

No decisions have been made. James P. Manley, a spokesman for Mr. Reid, said the Senate Democratic caucus would decide who the committee chairmen are in the next Congress if the Democrats retain control, as expected.

Syria Asks UN Council To Prevent New U.S. Attacks

Syria's U.N. envoy said on Tuesday that he has asked the U.N. Security Council to take action to prevent a repeat of a U.S. attack last weekend on Syrian territory.

In the letters he asked Ban and the council "to assume their responsibilities in a view to preventing the renewed perpetration of such aggression against Syria and to hold the American administration responsible for such aggressive acts and for its outcome."

NY Convenes Grand Jury In Police Sodomy Allegation

Mineo, whose parents are Hispanic and white, was forced to the ground by the officers, said his lawyer, Kevin Mosley. "He felt his pants being pulled... and then felt something forcibly shoved into his rectum," he said.

Mineo, who works at a tattoo parlor, was hospitalized for five days with rectal injuries and severe abdominal pain. He was issued a summons for disorderly conduct.

Balcony fall teen's parents travelling to Sydney

The family of Chinese teenager Wei Liao is preparing to travel to Australia following her "horrific" death at the hands of a knife-wielding intruder in Waterloo on Sunday.

Her boyfriend, 19-year-old Chris Han, fractured both legs, his pelvis and his back when he tumbled down shortly after Ms Wei, about 1.45pm.

McCain Says Alaska Senator Should Resign

“I hope that my colleagues in the Senate will be spurred by these events to redouble their efforts to end this kind of corruption once and for all,” said Mr. McCain, his party’s presidential candidate.But Mr. Stevens, who has been the most powerful political figure in Alaska for most of its half-century of statehood, is giving no indication that he is ready to surrender.

But Mr. Stevens, who has been the most powerful political figure in Alaska for most of its half-century of statehood, is giving no indication that he is ready to surrender.

Sen. Ted Stevens Found Guilty on All Counts in Federal Corruption Case

Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens was convicted of seven corruption charges Monday in a trial that tainted the 40-year Senate career of Alaska's political patriarch.

‘EL DOCTOR’ IS IN CUSTODY

One of Mexico's most-wanted drug trafficking suspects was captured Saturday night at his Tijuana home after a fierce shootout with authorities, providing some good news amid the border city's raging drug war.

Gun sales thriving in uncertain times

Several variables drive sales, but many dealers, buyers and experts attribute the increase in part to concerns about the economy and fears that if Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois wins the presidency, he will join with fellow Democrats in Congress to enact new gun controls.

Body found after search for Jennifer Hudson's nephew

Police did not immediately release the boy's identity but local media reports said a vehicle in which the body was found belonged to Hudson's slain brother, Jason, 29. Police had issued an alert on Friday saying the boy may have been abducted in that vehicle.

OPEC decision can't halt oil's slide
"Right now equities and the credit markets are more important than OPEC," said Rachel Ziemba, an analyst at RGE Monitor, an economic research company in New York. "OPEC won't be able to support the oil market until other markets find a bottom and begin to recover."

 While McCain Looked Away, Florida Shifted  Mr. McCain clearly could still win the state’s 27 electoral votes. But the battle in Florida is offering — on the widest stage of any of the contested primary states — an object lesson in the disparities in the resources, aggressiveness and political cunning that Mr. McCain and Mr. Obama are taking to contests across the country.

At Least 41 Dead, 31 Missing In Yemen Floods
Floods killed 41 people and around 31 are missing in Yemen after torrential rain left swathes of the impoverished country under water, President Ali Abdullah Saleh said on Saturday.Around 1,700 homes have been destroyed, he said, displacing hundreds of families in the floods that swept the southeastern provinces of Hadramout and Mahra following 30 hours of heavy rainfall.
Ivo Pukanic and Niko Franjic Killed
According to the first unofficial information, a bomb placed under Pukanic’s Lexus was in question.
“I am sorry, and am not sorry, that is irrelevant now” said SDP’s (Social Democratic Party) Minister of Internal Affairs at the time, Sime Lucin. He did not want to talk about Ortynski’s report too much, but said that the parliamentary majority was not happy with the work of the State Attorney at the time.                                                                                                                                        

Amber Alert issued for child missing from shooting scene                                    

Julian is 4 feet, 11 inches tall and weighs 130 pounds. He was wearing a brown polo shirt with stripes and khaki pants when last seen

Obama brushes aside GOP criticism of his tax plans
Barack Obama brushed aside Republican charges Wednesday that his tax proposals amount to socialism, and said he wants nothing more than to reverse the cuts for wealthy Americans that John McCain opposed when they were enacted.

Palin, N.C. lawmaker apologize for comments
At a fund-raiser in the Tar Heel state last week, vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin said, "We believe that the best of America is in these small towns that we get to visit, and in these wonderful little pockets of what I call the real America , pro-America areas of this great nation."

Obama's grandmother Madelyn Dunham in fragile health
Presidential hopeful Barack Obama, in 1979 gets a hug during his high school graduation in Hawaii from his maternal grandparents, Stanley Armour Dunham and Madelyn Payne, both natives of Kansas.

Boosting ties, Japan offers India record loan for railway
Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his Japanese counterpart Taro Aso hastened to deny that the cooperation was aimed at countering China, where both leaders head Thursday for a summit of Asian and European leaders

McCain returns to N.H.; Obama talks foreign policy in Va.
Republican presidential nominee John McCain, left, campaigned in New Hampshire on Tuesday while his Democratic rival, Barack Obama, right, spent his time in Virginia. Here, McCain is seen greeting supporters in Manchester, N.H., while Obama is seen at a foreign policy meeting in Richmond.

McCain asks NH voters for one more comeback win
Republican John McCain on Wednesday implored New Hampshire voters "to come out one more time" on his behalf, as the two-time primary winner tried to stave off a general election loss with sharp criticism of Barack Obama's tax and spending plans.

Protests and Hecklers Have Mortgage Bankers Longing for Good Old Days 
Mr. Rove, the Republican strategist and former adviser to President Bush, was accosted onstage during a convention panel here on Tuesday morning by a protester who tried to handcuff and arrest him “for treason.” Mr. Rove tried to elbow her away before she was taken offstage.

Biological products have more safety problems
Biological products are made from natural sources, such as human or animal tissues or microorganisms. They include enzymes, antibodies, growth factors, hormones and vaccines.

Bush: don't turn inward due to financial crisis
President George W. Bush on Tuesday said it would be a "serious mistake" to turn inward as a result of the global financial crisis and the United States must stay committed to helping the world's poor.
"We meet in the middle of a serious global financial crisis.

Is Barack Obama a Natural Born Citizen?
Berg cited a number of unanswered questions regarding the Illinois senator's background, and in today's lawsuit maintained that Sen. Obama is not a natural born U.S. citizen or that, if he ever was, he lost his citizenship when he was adopted in Indonesia.

Hopefuls battle over who's better in crisis
Barack Obama and John McCain sparred Tuesday over who has the experience and ideas to lead America during a crisis.
"It is time for something new," Obama said, discussing proposals for tax credits to businesses that create jobs.

Is Barack Obama a Natural Born Citizen?
Berg cited a number of unanswered questions regarding the Illinois senator's background, and in today's lawsuit maintained that Sen. Obama is not a natural born U.S. citizen or that, if he ever was, he lost his citizenship when he was adopted in Indonesia.

Iraqis call for amendments to U.S. security pact
Baghdad had sought the power to arrest and try Americans accused of crimes not related to official military operations, plus jurisdiction over troops and contractors who commit major crimes in the course of their duties.

Prosecutors scoff: Ted Stevens' defense 'nonsense'
Prosecutors ridiculed Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens on Tuesday, closing their corruption case by dismissing as "nonsense" his efforts to explain away hundreds of thousands of dollars in gifts.

'I never called all liberals anti-American'
He sounds good when he talks about hope and change — there’s no denying that. But what types of policies would come from an Obama White House? He hasn’t had a long record in office, but what we do know is that he’s been rated the most liberal senator. Beyond that, we have to look for other ways to discern the substance behind his pretty platitudes

Fire out but traffic snarled after tanker crash
Firefighters have knocked down a massive blaze that erupted after a gas tanker truck crashed and exploded on Interstate 880, but the southbound lanes remain blocked, authorities said.

Sri Lanka says battle against Tigers delayed due to civilians
Sri Lanka's massive offensive against Tamil rebels is taking longer than expected because of concerns for civilians trapped in the battle zone, President Mahinda Rajapakse said on Tuesday.

India, Pakistan resume Kashmir trade after 60-year freeze
India and Pakistan began trading between their respective parts of Kashmir for the first time in six decades Tuesday, raising hopes of a drop in tension in the disputed Himalayan region 

Former Mr Gay UK jailed for 30 years for cooking and eating flesh of boyfriend 

A chef who murdered a boyfriend before cooking a section of his flesh with fresh herbs and olive oil and chewing a piece has been jailed for a minimum of 30 years.

A bundle of fresh herbs, a knife used to chop them, some olive oil and a dish of seeds were found on the work surface near the cooker and a frying pan was on the hob with the remnants of fried herbs and oil in it.

Legal case against God dismissed 
The plaintiff argued an omniscient God would know of the lawsuit
The suit was launched by Nebraska state senator Ernie Chambers, who said he might appeal against the ruling.
U.S. Student Accused Of "Satanic" Slaying
Prosecutors on Saturday accused an American student of fatally stabbing her British housemate in a Satanic rite in Perugia, Italy last year and asked a court to convict and punish an alleged African accomplice with life imprisonment, defense lawyers said.

 

Gas Drops Below $3 Nationwide  Consumers got another break at the gas pump Monday, as prices dropped further below $3 a gallon and approached year-ago levels even as the near-certainty of an OPEC production cut pushed oil prices marginally higher.

Showdown is Expected in Ethics Trial of Senator 

WASHINGTON— The ethics trial of Senator Ted Stevens heads to what should be a dramatic climax on Monday: a courtroom confrontation between Mr. Stevens and a Justice Department prosecutor that features a crucial telephone conversation.

GOP Contractor Accused In Registration Scam
Mark Anthony Jacoby, who owns the firm Young Political Majors, is accused of registering himself to vote twice - in 2006 and in 2007 - using the address of a childhood home in Los Angeles where he no longer lived.

Las Vegas kidnapping case shifts to drug investigation

Person of interest: Jesus Gastelum

Police say they think the boy was kidnapped by Mexican drug dealers as revenge after being ripped off by the child's grandfather.

Art Enthusiast Buys Tattoo on Man's Back 
For the first time ever, an art collector has actually purchased a tattoo already inked into someone else's back. The artist is Wim Delvoye, who has gained notoriety in the past for his controversial tattooing of live pigs.

Colin Powell backs Barack Obama
McCain, appearing on "Fox News Sunday," said Powell's support of Obama did not come as a surprise and said four other secretaries of state had endorsed him.
Powell praised Obama's "depth of knowledge" and "steadiness," while he was critical of what he described as McCain's uncertainty over how to deal with economic crisis.

Stevens judged by 2 juries, in trial and election
Stevens' performance during two days on the stand this past week — and at least one more day this week — could sway what has been called a second jury: the Alaska voters who on Nov. 4 will deliver a verdict on whether he should keep a position he has held for 40 years.
"Something has gone terribly wrong," the narrator of one ad says. "Ted Stevens: It's not about Alaska anymore."

Cole Puffinburger found alive

It was four long days for investigators and the family of Cole Puffinburger. 87 hours after being snatched by kidnappers, Cole was found at a bus stop at Oakey and 17th Street. Police received a report of a small boy walking down the sidewalk who fit Cole's description

Mormon group protests church's gay marriage stance

A group of Mormons who support gay marriage delivered protest letters and bundles of carnations to church headquarters Friday in an appeal to end the church's support of a ballot initiative to ban same-sex marriage in California.

"This is a huge issue for us. For us, it's a civil rights issue, not just a religious issue," said Linda Stay. "It's taking away their right to have the same benefits that I do."

Reburying the dead a grim task in Ike's wake

The storm's surge unearthed about 200 caskets in low-lying parts of Texas and southwest Louisiana.

More than 300 caskets heaved up by Rita were found and reburied. But several were never found.

Afghanistan officials say 17 civilians killed in fighting
Western military officials confirm an airstrike in the country's south but say they have so far found no evidence that noncombatants were killed.
With public anger running high over civilian deaths in airstrikes by Western troops, Afghan authorities said Friday that at least 17 civilians had been killed in fighting in southern Afghanistan.

Evangelist Alamo arraigned on child-sex charges
Evangelist Tony Alamo told a judge on Friday that he understood that he could get life in prison if convicted of taking a minor across state lines for sex, and he'll argue next week that he should be released from custody pending trial.
If convicted, Alamo faces 10 years to life in prison and a $250,000 fine for each count. In the indictment, Alamo is listed by his real name, Bernie Lazar Hoffman.
Bryant also set a trial date for Nov. 19.

Islands try to contain oil spills caused by Omar
St. Croix authorities were trying to contain oil spills after more than 40 boats sank or washed ashore during Hurricane Omar.
The hurricane caught many local boaters off-guard because they did not take the storm seriously, according to Kim Jones of the St. Croix Yacht Club.

Muqtada al-Sadr urges rejection of US-Iraqi pact
A copy of the draft accord obtained by The Associated Press specifies that U.S. troops must leave Iraqi cities by the end of June and be gone by 2012. It gives Iraq limited authority over off-duty, off-base U.S. soldiers who commit crimes.

Two die at Pakistan nuclear plant    

A gas leak in Pakistan has killed two people at a heavy water plant run by the country's atomic energy agency in Punjab province, officials say.

Investigators Said to Take Closer Look at Lehman 
Federal prosecutors in Brooklyn, Manhattan and New Jersey are all examining events leading to Lehman’s collapse and its subsequent bankruptcy filing

                           
Stevens signals he could testify
Stevens, 84, is accused of lying on Senate forms to conceal more than $250,000 in renovations on his cabin and other gifts from Bill Allen, the former chief of giant oil services company VECO Corp.

The New York Plumber Is No Average Joe 
His rise was swift and somewhat unexpected: overnight, it seemed, the lowly plumber had been elevated from the man with soaring fees and sagging pants to an emblem of the American working class.

Upstate pol, arrested for arranging tryst with pre-teen girls, has struck before

A state parole board commissioner arrested this week for trying to set up a sexual liaison with two young girls told an undercover officer that he'd had sex with 9-and 12-year-old girls before.

Guess who gets the Jihadist votes

The next three weeks afford the American people - and the media, the courts and the FEC - an opportunity to get to the bottom of Barack Obama's ties to and affinity for jihadists who have their own reasons for relishing his promise of "change" for this country.

 Former UCLA exec pleads guilty to body trafficking
The former chief of UCLA's cadaver program pleaded guilty Friday for his role in selling donated body parts to medical, drug and research companies in a scheme that netted up to $1 million, prosecutors said.



Stevens goes on trial

The trial of U.S. Sen. Ted Stevens began Monday morning with the start of jury selection and a glimpse of some of the people who may be testifying over the next four weeks.  

McCain calls for 'voter fraud' inquiry

Why some applications reportedly were signed by Mickey Mouse and supposed members of the Dallas Cowboys, among others, emerged as the latest campaign controversy Tuesday when John McCain and Barack Obama traded charges on whether the Assn. of Community Organizations for Reform Now has tried to pad election rolls with thousands of suspect voters.

2nd ship seized as pirates threaten to blow up 1st

The latest ship to be seized, a Greek vessel flying a Panamanian flag, was traveling from Southeast Asia to Europe, said Noel Choong, head of the International Maritime Bureau's piracy reporting center in Kuala Lumpur.

Colin Powell shows off his hip hop dance moves

He said: "I stand before you tonight as an African American. Many people have said to me you became Secretary of State of the USA, is it still necessary to say that you are an African American or that you are black, and I say yes, so that we can remind our children.

For Bush, last 100 days to feature no letting up

So how will it end?
President Bush is down to his final 100 days in office as of Sunday. Don't expect a quiet fade into the Texas night.

U.S. commander rejects reports of Afghan war being lost

Less than 12 hours after NATO troops in Afghanistan defeated an ambitious attempt by the Taliban to storm a provincial capital in the far southwest, killing dozens of the fighters , the top U.S. commander in the country urged doubters to believe that the war against the Taliban would be won.

The commander, General David McKiernan, who leads more than 65,000 troops from about 40 countries, including 33,000 Americans

Tense stand-off in Thai capital

Troops are on the streets of Bangkok after its worst anti-government protests for 16 years left at least two dead and hundreds injured.

Wildfires Force Evacuations in L.A.

The Santa Ana winds swept through the San Fernando Valley in Southern California today, sparking embers that left a trail of full-scale wildfires north of Los Angeles and caused one death even as they intensified throughout the day.

McCain, out of bogeymen, blasts Bush

So today McCain unveiled his new "I'm a fighter" speech, hoping to resurrect his presidential campaign with a promise to be the kind of pugilistic, populist politician who battles against Big Mean Interests for his fellow citizens

NRA ad uses Clinton's words against Obama on guns

"Hillary was right: You can't trust Obama with your guns," says the NRA political action committee's ad, scheduled to run in USA Today. The PAC has spent at least $2.3 million on anti-Obama efforts, including more than $100,000 on the new USA Today ad.

Nuclear Deal Prolongs Dilemma over North Korea

The Bush Administration had to compromise and take North Korea off a list of state sponsors of terrorism before Pyongyang verified disabling its nuclear program, but that drew immediate expressions of concern even from within President Bush's own Republican Party. And a lingering question remains about whether North Korean leader Kim Jong Il will ever give up his nuclear ambitions.

Pakistan kills 40 Taliban militants

More than 24 extremists with links to Al-Qaeda were killed on Sunday near the Afghan border in the Bajaur tribal region, where Pakistani security forces launched a major offensive against Islamic militants in August.

Scores die as Taliban suffer heaviest defeat for months

There were conflicting reports of casualties, with Afghan officials claiming that 130 Taliban fighters had been killed. A British spokesman put the figure nearer to 50 and said there were no reports of prisoners being taken.

New traffic restriction goes into effect officially in Beijing

Cars whose number plates end with 1 or 6 will be banned from running on roads within the Fifth Ring Road inclusive on Mondays, while those ending with 2 or 7 will be banned on Tuesdays, 3 or 8 on Wednesdays, 4 or 9 on Thursdays and 5 or 0 on Fridays. The ban does not apply on weekends.

Candidates dial back campaign rhetoric

"Barack Obama and domestic terrorist Bill Ayers. Friends. They've worked together for years. But Obama tries to hide it," the announcer said in the 90-second ad.

Bootleggers playing hide-and-seek on the Alaskan tundra

This show is not about heroin or cocaine; it's about booze. Many rural Alaskan communities consider alcohol to be the primary accelerant for crime, domestic strife and other social problems, and either ban it outright or, as in Bethel, tightly restrict its use.

Fire in Angeles National Forest burns 750 acres

No injuries are reported, but a house and three motor homes have been destroyed. Firefighters are working to get the fire under control before nightfall when winds could pick up.

N Korea vows to disable nuclear plants after deal with US

North Korea said on Sunday that it would resume work to disable plutonium-producing nuclear plants and readmit UN inspectors after the United States removed it from a terrorism blacklist.

Palin 'abused her power'

WASHINGTON - Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin "abused her power" as Alaska's governor in seeking to get her former brother-in-law fired from his job as a state trooper, a state legislative investigative report said last night.

Outrage Leads AIG To Cancel Second Luxury Retreat

Battered by outrage over the $440,000 it spent on a luxury retreat less than a week after the federal government loaned it $85 billion dollars

McCain Takes $2300 Contribution from Owner of Gay Sex Site Manhunt

Crutchley's right-leaning ways have been reported on before, in the Huffington Post, which reported on a contribution he made to the McCain campaign. 

Domestic Spying Program Could Aid Terrorists, Experts Say

The administration has said little about the program except to defend it against charges it amounts to illegal spying on U.S. citizens.

Former AIG CEOs Grilled on Capitol Hill

Lawmakers grilled two former CEOs who blamed the companies' problems on everything but themselves .. including accounting rules that required AIG to take tens of billions of dollars in losses stemming from exposure to toxic mortgage related securities.

Roe v. Wade could hinge on election

Through most of the 1990s and until recently, the Supreme Court had a solid 6-to-3 majority in favor of upholding the right of a woman to choose abortion. But the margin has shrunk to one, now that Justice Sandra Day O'Connor has retired and been replaced by Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr

NATO joins war on Afghan opium trade

NATO has generally avoided tackling drugs, with many members fearful of compromising support from ordinary Afghans, including many poor farmers dependent on such crops for their livelihood.

Bush calls for confidence in 'anxious time'

"Over the past few days we have witnessed a startling drop in the stock market, much of it driven by uncertainty and fear," Bush said in brief remarks from the White House Rose Garden.

National Debt Clock runs out of digits

It appears even technology cannot cope with the global financial crisis: the National Debt Clock in New York has run out of digits for the first time.

Treasury may capitalize banks by end October

Under authority granted to it by last week's $700 billion market rescue legislation, Treasury would get common or preferred shares from the banks it capitalizes, the source told Reuters on Thursday. The government does not intend to seek board seats in the voluntary capitalization program.

Colin Powell arrives at senator's corruption trial

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Former Secretary of State Colin Powell arrived Thursday at U.S. District Court in Washington as a possible character witness in Sen. Ted Stevens' corruption trial.

Ron Paul Addresses John Birch Society

Dr. Ron Paul, Texas congressman and 2008 Republican presidential candidate, was the featured speaker Saturday evening, October 4 on the final day of the John Birch Society's 50th Anniversary Celebration. The topic of his keynote address was "Restoring the Republic:  Lessons From a Presidential Campaign," in which he lectured the audience on how our republic can be restored with groups such as the John Birch Society (JBS) and his own Campaign for Liberty leading the way.

As the economy sags, Barack Obama's electoral prospects soar

IN A small town in Pennsylvania, where the liquor store is called Beer World, the mini-golf course has a Statue of Liberty hole and a sign boasts that this is the 21st best town in the USA, Barack Obama is making a speech. The latest unemployment statistics have just been released, and they are grim.

McCain's Mortgage-Bailout Plan Has Pretty Much Everyone Up In Arms

McCain's American Homeownership Resurgence Plan would have the Treasury Department buy up bad home-loan mortgages at their original rates and renegotiate the price based on the diminished value of the home

Poor visibility blamed for Everest plane crash
KATHMANDU (AFP) Poor visibility caused a plane to crash at a tiny airstrip in Nepal's Mount Everest region killing 18 people, including 12 German tourists, two Australians and four Nepalese, officials said Thursday.

Navy chief wants ships to hit back at pirates

BAHRAIN: The senior British Royal Navy commander in the Gulf has called for merchant shipping to hire mercenaries in response to the increasing danger of piracy.  At a time when a record number of ships have been hijacked off Somalia, Commodore Keith Winstanley said he believed that the situation had become so serious that civilian vessels should be armed.

A win-win situation for India

The Indo-US civil nuclear agreement, signed by President Bush after being approved by the US Congress, ends India's nuclear isolation and recognises the world's largest democracy as the de facto sixth nuclear power.

Ohio high court: inmate not too fat to be executed

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) The Ohio Supreme Court has rejected arguments that a death row inmate is too fat to die by lethal injection.Justices on Thursday gave the go-ahead to execute Richard Cooey.The 41-year-old is scheduled to be executed Tuesday for killing two University of Akron students in 1986.

Homeless given 'free ride' for Obama vote

"I never voted before," said William Woods, because of a felony conviction that previously barred him from the polls. "Without this service, I would have had no way to get here."

With four months to go, Bush tries to save Afghanistan

Sometime soon, seven years after it invaded Afghanistan, the Bush administration is expected to settle on a new policy to stabilize that still-fragile country. As Gen. David McKiernan, the top commander there, said:

U.S. carrier in South Korea, likely to irk North

SEOUL (Reuters) - A U.S. aircraft carrier group arrived in South Korean waters on Monday for a visit likely to upset prickly North Korea, which has said it sees such events as military provocations that undermine nuclear disarmament talks.

British commander says war in Afghanistan cannot be won

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's commander in Afghanistan has said the war against the Taliban cannot be won, the Sunday Times reported.

  If Elected ... Rivals Present Sharp Divide on Iraq Goals

The issue was barely discussed in last month's foreign policy debate. But in recent interviews with The New York Times, the two candidates made clear that they would confront the challenge in starkly different ways

Dow Plunges 800 Points Amid Global Sell-Off

Wall Street suffered through another traumatic session Monday, with the Dow Jones industrials plunging as much as 800 points and setting a new record for a one-day point drop as investors despaired that the credit crisis would take a heavy toll around the world.

Mishaps mark John McCain's record as naval aviator

But an investigation board at the Naval Aviation Safety Center found no evidence of engine failure.The 23-year-old junior lieutenant wasn't paying attention and erred in using "a power setting too low to maintain level flight in a turn," investigators concluded.

Bank of America settles suits over bad mortgages

NEW YORK (Associated Press) - Facing a lawsuit over deceptive mortgage practices, Bank of America Corp. is agreeing to pay more than $8 billion to modify hundreds of thousands of loans to keep people from losing their homes.

Global Stocks Retreat, Led by Banks, as Credit Crisis Widens 

Oct. 6 (Bloomberg) -- Stocks tumbled around the world, the euro fell the most against the yen since its debut and oil dropped below $90 a barrel as the yearlong credit market seizure caused bank bailouts to spread. Government bonds rallied.    

British commander says war in Afghanistan cannot be won

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's commander in Afghanistan has said the war against the Taliban cannot be won, the Sunday Times reported.

Obama's "Liberal Record" In Line With Most Americans' Views

While the McCain-Palin campaign has officially begun their 30-day, swift-boating plan for Barack Obama by saying he likes to "pal around with terrorists," I'm somewhat sure they'll stop just short of Photoshopping Obama attending an al Qaeda planning meeting and focus much more intensely on defining the Democratic nominee as -- horror of horrors! -- a liberal.

Roe v. Wade could hinge on election

WASHINGTON - Every four years, defenders of abortion rights proclaim that the fate of Roe v. Wade hangs on the outcome of the presidential election. This year, they might be right.

Obama's citizenship suit still not settled

With less than 30 days until the general election Barack Obama and the DNC have yet to answer suit demanding citizenship documentation. Mr. Obama and the DNC have also refused to sue Philadelphia Attorney Philip J. Berg for defamation raising even more questions.

How Barney and his Lover killed America

"I am the only member of the congressional gay spouse caucus," Herb Moses (who was Fannie’s assistant director for product initiatives) wrote in the Washington Post in 1991. "On Capitol Hill, Barney always introduces me as his lover."

 Why Iran Won't Budge on Nukes 

When U.S. officials appeal to the Iranian people over the heads of its regime, they like to assume that Tehran's defiance on the nuclear issue reflects only the extremist position of an unrepresentative revolutionary leadership.

Countdown to Crawford: Tracking the final days of the Bush administration

He postponed his travel by one day. Originally, he planned to leave Washington on Thursday, and speak at a wildlife conference today in Nevada. Instead, he dispatched Vice President Dick Cheney to the conference and stayed at the White House dialing for dollars (a bloggy way of saying that he was working the telephone on behalf of the financial rescue legislation up for a vote today in the House of Representatives.)

Presidential rivals say bailout measure is just the beginning

"This is not a moment for celebration, but a sobering day when we found out that three-quarters of a million jobs were lost just this year. Passing this rescue plan cannot be the end of our work to strengthen our economy -- it must be the beginning," Obama said in a statement.

Bailout would further weaken US economy

It doesn't take a genius to figure out that the United States financial system - indeed, global finance - is in a mess. And now, with the US House of Representatives seeking modifications in the Bush administrations proposed $700 billion bailout plan, it is also obvious that there is no consensus on how to fix it.

White House hopefuls back bailout approval

The two US presidential hopefuls have been quick to respond to the passage of an emergency bill to bail out the nation's fragile financial industry.

Washington Sell's Out Main Street

The core of the plan remains little changed from its inception the Treasury Department would have $700 billion at its disposal to purchase bad mortage-related securities

Bailout dish has heaping side of pork 

In their vote on the $700 billion Wall Street bailout Wednesday night, senators packed the bill with scores of lavish goodies to please favored groups and win support from opponents in today's House vote.

                  

FDIC forces sale of Wachovia on rumors of "silent run"

With Wachovia already looking for a merger partner, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., in consultation with other regulators, required the bank to reach a sale to Citigroup on Monday morning.

Senate sells out Taxpayers

After one spectacular failure, the $700 billion financial industry bailout found a second life Wednesday, winning lopsided passage in the Senate and gaining ground in the House, where Republicans opposition softened.

Mayor Bloomberg makes it official: I'm going to seek third term

The billionaire businessman ended months of speculation about his future by declaring his intention to rewrite city rules and "run for reelection."