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Most popular news on 8 August 2009 |
Eunice Kennedy Shriver critical at Mass. hospital
AP - Eunice Kennedy Shriver, a sister of President John F. Kennedy and a longtime champion for the disabled, was in critical condition Friday at a Massachusetts hospital.
Fla. senator to resign, clear path for Crist
AP - Republican Sen. Mel Martinez's decision Friday to step down 16 months early gave Gov. Charlie Crist the perfect gift: his pick of who should watch over the office while Crist tries to win it for himself.
Palin says Obama's health care plan is 'evil'
AP - Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin called President Barack Obama's health plan "downright evil" Friday in her first online comments since leaving office, saying in a Facebook posting that he would create a "death panel" that would deny care to the neediest Americans.
Bird experiment shows Aesop's fable may be true
AP - From the goose that laid the golden egg to the race between the tortoise and the hare, Aesop's fables are known for teaching moral lessons rather than literally being true. But a new study says at least one such tale might really have happened.
Wis. dealer sold gun extras to health club shooter
AP - An online weapons dealer who sold a gun or accessories to three mass killers, including a man who opened fire at a Pittsburgh-area health club this week, said Friday that any of the shooters could have just as easily found what they wanted at a Wal-Mart or another store.
Pakistani Taliban head's death a blow to militants
AP - Pakistan's Taliban chief was killed by a CIA missile strike, a militant commander confirmed Friday — a severe blow to extremists threatening the stability of this nuclear-armed nation and a possible boost to U.S.-Pakistani cooperation in fighting insurgents who wreak havoc along the Afghan border.
SC first lady, sons move out of state residence
AP - The wife of South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford moved out of the official governor's residence with their four sons Friday, a little more than a month after he admitted to a yearlong affair with an Argentine woman he called his "soul mate."
AP Enterprise: Airspeed systems failed on US jets
AP - On at least a dozen recent flights by U.S. jetliners, malfunctioning equipment made it impossible for pilots to know how fast they were flying, federal investigators have discovered. A similar breakdown is believed to have played a role in the Air France crash into the Atlantic that killed all 228 people aboard in June.
Mouse builds nest egg in ATM with $20 bills
AP - A mouse found inside an automatic teller machine — along with a nest it had built with chewed-up $20 bills — gave an Oregon gas station employee the surprise of her life. The mouse, discovered Thursday, had thoroughly torn up two bills and damaged another 14 to line his nest. Employee Millie Taylor said she screamed and slammed the machine's door shut.
Autopsy: Cocaine contributed to Billy Mays' death
AP - An official autopsy report released Friday found that cocaine use contributed to the heart disease that suddenly killed TV pitchman Billy Mays in June, but his family called the finding "speculative" and was considering getting an independent look at the results.
Surprisingly strong jobs data signal turning point
AP - It's the clearest sign yet the recession is finally ending: Employers laid off far fewer workers in July, the jobless rate dipped for the first time in 15 months and workers' hours and pay edged upward.
Judge approves Jackson collectors' items
AP - The King of Pop is coming to calendars and collectors' coin cases after a judge approved several deals involving the singer's estate on Friday.
U.S. regulators close 3 banks, total now 72
Reuters - Bank regulators closed three banks on Friday, bringing the number of failures so far this year to 72 as the weakened economy takes its toll on the financial services sector.
Ark. mom allegedly drank before sons drowned
AP - The mother of three young children who drowned after she drove into a central Arkansas lake had been drinking before the crash, authorities said Friday, the second recent case in which a mom is accused of consuming alcohol before getting behind the wheel with her kids.
Jackson insurance excluded 'illicit' drug use
AP - The insurance taken out on Michael Jackson for his London concert series does not cover cancellations if the pop star was found to have illegally possessed drugs or was involved in the "illicit taking of drugs," according to a copy of the policy provided Friday to The Associated Press.
Fla. man blames cat paws for child porn downloads
AP - Florida investigators say a man accused of downloading child pornography is blaming his cat. Keith Griffin of Jensen Beach is charged with 10 counts of possession of child pornography after detectives found more than 1,000 images on his home computer.
Actors remember filmmaker Hughes as influential
AP - The actors made famous by writer-director John Hughes are extolling his talents after his death, calling him influential and "one of the giants" for capturing the youth market in the 1980s and '90s with such favorites as "The Breakfast Club," "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" and "Home Alone."
Indonesian cops storm suspected militant hide-out
AP - Indonesian police stormed a house Saturday where the regional militant leader suspected in last month's attacks on hotels in the capital was believed hiding out with several followers, witnesses and police said.
Congress may extend unemployment benefits
Reuters - The U.S. Congress will consider extending unemployment benefits after it returns in September to help 1.5 million Americans who risk exhausting them, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said on Friday.
Pilots in SC Learjet crash heard noise, hit brakes
AP - The pilots of a Learjet that hurtled off a South Carolina runway heard a noise and warned controllers they were going to crash just seconds before the fiery accident killed four people and injured two celebrities, according to transcripts of the cockpit conversation released Friday.
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