Reuters US

Sen. Stevens on tape: "might serve time in jail"
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Sen. Ted Stevens told an oil-executive friend, in recordings played on Monday at the Alaska Republican's corruption trial, they both risked going to jail -- but he didn't think it would come to that.

Poverty still plagues U.S. cities: survey
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Most U.S. mayors and city officials say poverty is a growing problem, with many families unable to get by, according to a survey released on Monday.

Report criticizes agency on post-storm trailers
CHICAGO (Reuters) - A sister agency to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention botched a report on formaldehyde in trailers used to house survivors of hurricanes Katrina and Rita, leaving thousands of people at risk, a report from a House of Representatives subcommittee said on Monday.

Supreme Court closely divided on tobacco case
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Supreme Court seemed closely divided as it heard arguments on Monday over whether tobacco firms can be sued under state law for deceptive advertising of "light" cigarettes, a case that could affect some 40 suits around the country seeking billions of dollars.

U.S. expands eligibility for Purple Heart medal
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. soldiers who died in prisoner of war camps as long ago as World War Two can now receive Purple Heart medals once reserved for troops killed or wounded in combat, the Defense Department said on Monday.

NJ may bill mortgage lenders $2,000 per foreclosure
TRENTON, New Jersey (Reuters) - A panel of New Jersey legislators on Monday approved a measure to make mortgage lenders pay $2,000 before taking a homeowner into foreclosure.

SEC charges Democratic fundraiser Hsu with fraud
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A Democratic fundraiser whose troubles prompted Hillary Clinton to return $850,000 in campaign contributions on Monday was charged with operating a $60 million Ponzi scheme.

Massachusetts explores funding options
BOSTON (Reuters) - Massachusetts' state treasurer has asked the federal government about borrowing money under similar conditions that banks have received if the state runs into financial trouble during the current financial crisis.

Former Wellcare employee pleads guilty to fraud
TAMPA, Florida (Reuters) - A former employee of a Wellcare Health Care Plans Inc subsidiary pleaded guilty to defrauding the Florida Medicaid program out of more than $20 million, prosecutors said on Monday.

Bus with gamblers flips in California, 10 dead
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A bus traveling to a casino in northern California ran off a rural road and overturned, killing at least 10 people, the San Francisco Chronicle and other media reported on Monday.

BBC Americas News

Financial crisis pummels stocks
US Dow Jones index falls to lowest in years as world stock markets plunge amid fears of slower global economic growth.
6 Oct 2008 at 6:53pm

Obama highlights McCain scandal
US Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama attacks rival John McCain over his links with a 1980s financial scandal.
6 Oct 2008 at 7:15am

China cancels US military contact
China cancels some military and diplomatic exchanges with the US over Washington's $6.5bn deal to supply Taiwan with arms.
6 Oct 2008 at 6:40pm

California crash driver arrested
The driver of a US bus that crashed killing eight passengers is held on suspicion of driving while intoxicated, police say.
6 Oct 2008 at 4:12pm

Democrats 'winning new voters'
As new voter registration ends in several key states, reports suggest the US Democrats have gained more than the Republicans.
6 Oct 2008 at 12:16pm

Starbucks denies it wastes water
US coffee-shop chain Starbucks defends itself against claims of a serious waste of water by leaving taps running in its stores all day.
6 Oct 2008 at 7:26am

Dreamworks joins India's Reliance
Steven Spielberg's film studio agrees a joint venture with one of India's largest entertainment conglomerates.
6 Oct 2008 at 1:40am

Appeal denied for 'milkshake murder'
An US woman in Hong Kong loses an appeal against her conviction for bludgeoning her husband after lacing his milkshake.
6 Oct 2008 at 12:45am

Brazil poll result mixed for Lula
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's party suffers a set-back in Sao Paulo in mixed local election results.
6 Oct 2008 at 3:00am

Brazil air force p-p-picks up hundreds of lost penguins
Hundreds of penguins lost along Brazil's coast are returned to native territory in the south Atlantic ocean by an air force plane.
3 Oct 2008 at 10:32pm

NY Times: National

Pain Spreads as Credit Vise Grows Tighter
Lenders have become even less willing to part with their money, further crimping budgets and family spending.


by By LOUIS UCHITELLE
19 Sep 2008 at 7:43am

For Rivals, Finance Crisis Is Posing on-the-Fly Tests
The presidential race has turned into an audition for who could best handle a national economic emergency.


by By JACKIE CALMES and JEFF ZELENY
19 Sep 2008 at 6:44am

Drug Label, Maimed Patient and Test for Court
At issue is whether plaintiffs have the right to sue when the products that hurt them had met federal standards.


by By ADAM LIPTAK
19 Sep 2008 at 7:39am

After Impasse, New California Budget Agreement
California legislative leaders and the governor have come to an agreement on the state budget, which is now roughly three months late.


by By JENNIFER STEINHAUER
19 Sep 2008 at 3:20am

California Bans Texting by Operators of Trains
After investigators said an engineer in last week?s collision had been texting on the job, regulators temporarily banned the use of all cellular devices by anyone at the controls of a moving train.


by By JESSE McKINLEY and MATTHEW L. WALD
19 Sep 2008 at 2:01am

Political Memo: Given G.O.P. Predicament, Rangel Opts to Ride Out the Storm
Democrats believe that a long list of Republican lawmakers with legal troubles makes it impossible for Republicans to gain much ground on the issues of ethics and good government.


by By DAVID M. HERSZENHORN
19 Sep 2008 at 3:09am

Panel Proposes Broad Changes in Federal Financial Aid for College
The recommendations included a simpler application, Pell grant maximums linked to the consumer price index and federally financed college savings accounts for children in low-income families.


by By TAMAR LEWIN
19 Sep 2008 at 2:09am

Chicago Unveils Multifaceted Plan to Curb Emissions of Heat-Trapping Gases
The blueprint would change the city?s building codes to promote energy efficiency, and it calls for installing huge solar panels at municipal properties and building alternative fueling stations.


by By DIRK JOHNSON
19 Sep 2008 at 2:18am

Vast Bailout by U.S. Proposed in Bid to Stem Financial Crisis
Treasury and Fed officials were discussing with leaders in Congress a plan for the government to buy up distressed mortgages.


by By EDMUND L. ANDREWS
19 Sep 2008 at 8:34am

A Bid to Curb Profit Gambit as Banks Fall
A backlash against short sellers has begun, with regulators in the U.S. and Britain tightening rules and authorities in New York intensifying investigations.


by By VIKAS BAJAJ and JONATHAN D. GLATER
19 Sep 2008 at 2:53am

Seattle Post-Intelligencer

Prosecutors move to delay Rezko sentencing
CHICAGO -- Federal prosecutors moved Monday to delay indefinitely the sentencing of convicted fundraiser Antoin "Tony" Rezko, sending their strongest hint yet that he is ready to spill his political secrets.
6 Oct 2008 at 7:34pm

AP Enterprise: In bad economy, power cutoffs soar
COHOES, N.Y. -- The number of Americans whose electricity or gas has been shut off for nonpayment of their bills is up sharply in many parts of the country as people struggle to cope with higher prices and a shaky economy.
6 Oct 2008 at 1:36pm

Sharpton: Bell verdict protests were peaceful
NEW YORK -- The Rev. Al Sharpton says he convened civil rights leaders after the Sean Bell police-shooting acquittals to come up with a way for all New Yorkers to express their outrage.
6 Oct 2008 at 4:14pm

Calif. mom who drove son to gang fight convicted
LONG BEACH, Calif. -- A mother who drove her teenage son and his friends to a fatal fight with a rival gang in Southern California has been convicted of second-degree murder.
6 Oct 2008 at 6:55pm

'Bride' and 'groom' to be restored to Calif. forms
SAN FRANCISCO -- California health officials say the words "bride" and "groom" will reappear on marriage license applications starting next month.
6 Oct 2008 at 4:21pm

OJ Simpson jury says witness testimony not trusted
LAS VEGAS -- Jurors who found O.J. Simpson guilty in his armed robbery trial say secret audio tapes and surveillance video swayed them more than witness accounts.
6 Oct 2008 at 6:47am

Chicago Tribune

Nobel postscript to HIV dispute
The awarding of the Nobel Prize in medicine on Monday writes a postscript to a bitter scientific dispute in the 1980s over who deserved credit for discovering HIV and the resulting test to screen blood for it. Among Monday's three honorees is Dr. Luc Montagnier (center), who with fellow Frenchman Francoise Barre-Sinoussi was cited for discovery of the AIDS virus. (Getty-AFP photo / Issouf Sanogo)

Lehman sought millions for execs as sought U.S. rescue
WASHINGTON (AP) _ Days from becoming the largest bankruptcy in U.S. history, Lehman Brothers steered millions to departing executives even while pleading for a federal rescue, Congress was told Monday.

German test plant may lead to clean coal power
German plant cuts emissions, with eye to renewables

The U.S. had hoped develop the world's first full-scale nearly emission-free coal plant in Mattoon, Ill. But with the billion-dollar project now on hold for financial reasons, a small pilot plant in Spremberg, Germany, is now leading the global push to make coal a clean fuel. The Tribune's Laurie Goering reports.

Study: 1 in 4 mammals facing extinction
WASHINGTON (AP) _ Conservationists have taken the first detailed look at the world's mammals in more than a decade, and the news isn't good.

Court backs transgender politician against rivals' lawsuit
ATLANTA (AP) _ Georgia's top court ruled in favor of a transgender politician who was slapped with a lawsuit by two political opponents who claimed she misled voters by running as a female.

Ford autos to let parents limit teens' speed, stereo volume
DETROIT (AP) _ So you think junior is a little too lead-footed when he drives the family car? Starting next year, Ford Motor Co. will give you the power to do something about it.