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News
Melissa Etheridge, Partner Have Twins

©  The Associated Press
Melissa Etheridge and her partner, Tammy Lynn Michaels, are the new parents of twins, the couple announced Friday.  more
N.Korea May Be Backing Off From Showdown

©  The Associated Press
North Korea showed signs Friday it could be backing away from its nuclear showdown with the world, even as it staged a show of domestic support in Pyongyang, where tens of thousands gathered to laud the country's first atomic test.  more
Calif. Candidate's Office, Home Raided

©  The Associated Press
For two days, a Republican congressional candidate had promised to explain how a threatening letter was sent by his campaign without his knowledge to thousands of Hispanic immigrant voters. As about 200 people gathered Friday in front of his campaign headquarters seeking answers, Tan D. Nguyen was a no-show at his own news conference. Instead, 10 uniformed California Department of Justice police officers arrived with a search warrant and pounded on the glass of Nguyen's storefront headquarters.  more
Murder Warrants Issued for Ky. Couple

©  The Associated Press
A couple accused of kidnapping the woman's 9-month-old son from a social worker who was later found dead will face murder charges when they return to Kentucky.  more
Cards Straggle Into Detroit for Series

©  The Associated Press
Ivan Rodriguez gave Placido Polanco a playful slap upside the head, and they both cackled. Pumped and rarin' to go, they grabbed some bats, bolted the clubhouse and got ready to hit. After a week of mowing the lawn, changing the oil and taking out the trash, the Detroit Tigers were definitely eager to start this World Series.  more
Market Reports
Layoffs Expected at Philly Newspapers
The new publisher of The Philadelphia Inquirer and the Philadelphia Daily News told employees Friday that layoffs are "unavoidable" because advertising revenue is down and the owners need to cut costs to meet their bank obligations.  more
Wal-Mart May Ditch the Blue Vest Look
Wal-Mart employees' familiar blue vests emblazoned with "How may I help you?" and the smiley face logo may become a thing of the past as the world's largest retailer makes another visible change as part of its efforts to upgrade stores and attract more shoppers.  more
Dow Drops 9 on Weak Caterpillar Forecast

©  The Associated Press
Wall Street ended a record-setting week narrowly mixed Friday, with the Dow Jones industrials falling to close inches above 12,000 after a lackluster profit report and forecast from Caterpillar Inc. prompted many investors to retreat. The Dow was up for the week, but broader market indicators were mixed.  more
Ford Workers Face Life-Changing Decision

©  The Associated Press
Like many of his co-workers at a Ford truck plant near Detroit, Edward Woods is facing the dilemma of his life. Does he take Ford up on one of its buyout offers and start a new career? Or does he stick with the job that's fed his family for the past decade and run the risk of being laid off later?  more
3M 3Q Profit Up 6.4 Pct. on Strong Sales

©  The Associated Press
3M Co. reported growing profits across most of its businesses, from Post-it notes to weather-stripping, on Friday, and said sales have turned around for its optical films for LCD televisions and computers _ a key business that had lagged recently.  more
Entertainment
Colbert Leads Northwestern Univ. Parade

©  The Associated Press
Stephen Colbert exchanged his pompous television persona for a fun-loving one Friday night as he handed out candy, not insults, to a crowd at Northwestern University's homecoming parade.  more
Melissa Etheridge, Partner Have Twins

©  The Associated Press
Melissa Etheridge and her partner, Tammy Lynn Michaels, are the new parents of twins, the couple announced Friday.  more
George Jones Breaks Wrist, Cancels Shows

©  The Associated Press
Country singer George Jones broke his right wrist Friday and had to cancel three concerts scheduled over the weekend.  more
TV Bounty Hunter Grabs a Legal Victory

©  The Associated Press
The Dog remains unleashed _ for now. Attorneys for TV reality star Duane "Dog" Chapman on Friday said the Mexican federal court has granted them an order that halts the criminal case against Chapman until further evidence and witness testimony are gathered.  more
Feds Seeking Snipes Should Check Namibia
Where in the world is Wesley Snipes? In Namibia. When the actor was indicted on eight counts of tax fraud Tuesday, U.S. Attorney Paul I. Perez said Snipes had not been arrested because authorities did not know where he was.  more
Health & Medical
Plant the Focus of Alzheimer's Study
A plant used widely in China is the focus of a national clinical trial that aims to see if it could help treat Alzheimer's disease and other types of dementia.  more
Flying Eye Hospital Aids World's Poor

©  The Associated Press
Lam Vu Nhat Ni perches on her father's lap, wearing hospital pajamas and squinting as she slowly counts the number of blurry fingers held just 3 feet in front of her.  more
Study: Some Preschoolers Can Use Ritalin
The first long-term government study of preschoolers who take Ritalin, the popular attention deficit disorder drug, warns of side effects but also found benefits in children with severe problems.  more
Novartis Drug Wins Expanded FDA Approval
A Novartis AG cancer drug has won expanded federal approval to treat five rare and potentially life-threatening diseases, the company said Thursday.  more
Wal-Mart Expands Low-Cost Drug Program

©  The Associated Press
Wal-Mart Stores Inc. is expanding a program offering $4 prescriptions for some generic drugs to 14 more states, two weeks after rolling out the low-cost program in Florida, the world's largest retailer said Thursday.  more
Current Weather
10/21/2006
New York48 °F
High Tech
Be Loyal, Kind and Don't Steal Movies

©  The Associated Press
A Boy Scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, etc., etc. He is also respectful of copyrights. Boy Scouts in the Los Angeles area will now be able to earn an activity patch for learning about the evils of downloading pirated movies and music.  more
Wanna Direct? Get Out Your Cell Phone
"Silence on the set," ordered movie director Xavier Mussel as he grabbed his cell phone _ not to make a call but to film another scene for his short film.  more
Microsoft Partners Fuming Over Vista

©  The Associated Press
Microsoft Corp. is no stranger to antitrust skirmishes and complaints from competitors about unfair business practices.  more
DOD Won't Award Cash in Next Robot Race
After Stanford University won a Pentagon robot race through the Mojave Desert last year, engineers and students hoisted an oversized $2 million check and poured bubbly champagne over their unmanned Volkswagen SUV.  more
YouTube Purges 30,000 Copyright Files
The popular video-sharing site YouTube deleted nearly 30,000 files after a Japanese entertainment group complained of copyright infringement.  more

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