Featured wire stories

First debate is setting for high-risk theater

Tonight's debate on domestic policy between President Barack Obama and Republican challenger Mitt Romney is sure to offer a blend of choreography and spontaneity: Both men have spent hours rehearsing smart lines and pithy comebacks with proxy opponents -- yet they know to expect the unexpected.

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FEATURED WIRE STORIES

White House is widening covert operations in North Africa

Small teams of special operations forces arrived at American embassies throughout North Africa in the months before militants launched the fiery attack that killed the U.S. ambassador in Libya. The soldiers' mission: Set up a network that could quickly strike a terrorist target or rescue a hostage...
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Judge halts Pennsylvania's tough new voter ID law

A judge has blocked Pennsylvania's divisive voter identification requirement from going into effect on Election Day, delivering a hard-fought victory to Democrats who said it was a ploy to defeat President Obama and to those who said it would prevent the elderly and minorities from voting.
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American Express agrees to refund $85 million to card users

American Express has agreed to refund $85 million to 250,000 customers after an investigation uncovered numerous violations of consumer protection laws, ranging from illegal late fees to age discrimination against credit card applicants, federal regulators said Monday.
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Daredevil skydiver aims to break sound barrier in free fall

His blood could boil. His lungs could overinflate. The vessels in his brain could burst. His eyes could hemorrhage. And, yes, he could break his neck while jumping from a mind-boggling altitude of 23 miles.
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Huge tax increase looms if Congress fails to act

A typical middle-income family making $40,000 to $64,000 a year could see its taxes go up by $2,000 next year if lawmakers fail to renew a lengthy roster of tax cuts set to expire at the end of the year, according to a new report.
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Affirmative action, gay marriage loom over Supreme Court

The Supreme Court plunged into its new term with a high-stakes dispute between businesses and human rights groups over accountability for foreign atrocities. The next nine months hold the prospect for major rulings on affirmative action, gay marriage and voting rights.
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Surge of US natural gas production rattles Russians

Like falling dominoes, the drilling process called hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, is shaking up world energy markets from Washington to Moscow to Beijing. Some predict what was once unthinkable: The U.S. won't need to import natural gas in the near future, and that Russia could be the big loser...
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Romney facing critical moment as Wednesday's debate nears

With his fortunes in several battleground states fading, Mitt Romney will step onto the stage Wednesday night to debate President Barack Obama in what could be one of his last opportunities to change the dynamics of the 2012 election.
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NHL, locked-out players resume bargaining

The NHL and the players' association agreed on issues related to player safety and drug testing Friday, but the core economic divide that is preventing an end to the league's latest lockout was not even on the agenda.
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Mars rover finds strong evidence of ancient water flow

There have been previous signs that water existed on Mars long ago, but new images from the NASA rover Curiosity show pebbles rounded off, likely by water, offering the most convincing evidence so far of an ancient streambed.