Newsworthiest

Children among 74 dead in 2 days of Syrian turmoil (AP)

Published: Friday, January 27, 2012 03:39 PM

AP - Two days of bloody turmoil in Syria killed at least 74 people, including small children, as forces loyal to President Bashar Assad shelled residential buildings and fired on crowds in a dramatic escalation of violence, activists said Friday.

California passes new auto emission rules (AP)

Published: Friday, January 27, 2012 03:53 PM

AP - Seeking to influence other states and Washington, California air regulators passed sweeping auto emission standards Friday that include a mandate to have 1.4 million electric and hybrid vehicles on state roads by 2025.

GOP insiders rise up to cut Gingrich down to size (AP)

Published: Friday, January 27, 2012 05:32 PM

AP - Republican insiders are rising up to cut Newt Gingrich down to size, testament to the GOP establishment's fear that the mercurial candidate could lead the party to disaster this fall.

Twitter's new censorship plan rouses global furor (AP)

Published: Friday, January 27, 2012 04:40 PM

AP - Twitter, a tool of choice for dissidents and activists around the world, found itself the target of global outrage Friday after unveiling plans to allow country-specific censorship of tweets that might break local laws.

Obama 'putting colleges on notice' on high tuition (AP)

Published: Friday, January 27, 2012 04:53 PM

AP - President Barack Obama fired a warning at the nation's colleges and universities on Friday, threatening to strip their federal aid if they "jack up tuition" every year and to give the money instead to schools showing restraint and value.

US Embassy: US citizen kidnapped in Nigeria freed (AP)

Published: Friday, January 27, 2012 01:38 PM

AP - A U.S. citizen kidnapped by gunmen in Nigeria's oil-rich southern delta has been freed after a week in captivity, the U.S. Embassy said Friday.

'Barefoot Bandit' sentenced to 6 1/2 years (AP)

Published: Friday, January 27, 2012 05:06 PM

AP - A federal judge on Friday sentenced "Barefoot Bandit" Colton Harris-Moore to 6 1/2 years in prison for his infamous two-year, international crime spree of break-ins, and boat and plane thefts that ended in 2010.

Tubby tabby gets revolutionary new knee joint (AP)

Published: Friday, January 27, 2012 03:57 PM

AP - Because Cyrano weighs more than 20 pounds, amputating his cancer-weakened leg was out of the question. So the tubby tabby's owners turned to doctors and engineers at North Carolina State University to get him back into mice-catching trim.

Actress' claim to be gay by choice riles activists (AP)

Published: Friday, January 27, 2012 05:46 PM

AP - Cynthia Nixon learned the hard way this week that when it comes to gay civil rights, the personal is always political. Very political.

Column: Stop shrieking about women's tennis noise (AP)

Published: Friday, January 27, 2012 04:27 PM

AP - On serve and when whipping his forehand, Novak Djokovic's grunt is that of a bullfrog, "WooooAH-UH." Rafael Nadal goes for a throatier, "AAArrgggHH." Occasionally, Andy Murray offers up a more hushed, constricted, "Eeeeeehhh." From Roger Federer, of course, we tend to get the sound of silence.

Fitch cuts Italy, Spain, other euro zone ratings (Reuters)

Published: Friday, January 27, 2012 02:47 PM

Reuters - Fitch downgraded the sovereign credit ratings of Belgium, Cyprus, Italy, Slovenia and Spain on Friday, indicating there was a 1-in-2 chance of further cuts in the next two years.

Growth quickens, but speed bumps ahead (Reuters)

Published: Friday, January 27, 2012 04:48 PM

Reuters - The economy grew at its fastest pace in 1-1/2 years in the fourth quarter, but a rebuilding of stocks by businesses and slower business spending warned of weaker growth in early 2012.

Subpoenas issued to financial firms in expanded probe (Reuters)

Published: Friday, January 27, 2012 05:48 PM

Reuters - The Justice Department issued civil subpoenas to 11 financial institutions as part of a new effort to investigate misconduct in the packaging and sale of home loans to investors, Attorney General Eric Holder said on Friday.

Syria violence kills 37, U.N. Security Council to meet (Reuters)

Published: Friday, January 27, 2012 05:14 PM

Reuters - Security forces killed 37 people in Syria on Friday, activists and residents said, as people in Homs mourned 14 members of a family they said were slain by militiamen in one of the worst sectarian attacks in a revolt against President Bashar al-Assad.

Romney puts Gingrich on defensive in Florida debate (Reuters)

Published: Friday, January 27, 2012 05:15 PM

Reuters - Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney took the fight to chief rival Newt Gingrich on Thursday in his most aggressive debate performance yet, five days ahead of Florida's primary vote.

In Facebook IPO, bankers seek prestige over fees (Reuters)

Published: Friday, January 27, 2012 05:15 PM

Reuters - Facebook's initial public offering is likely to set a new standard for how low investment banks are willing to go on advisory fees to win big business.

Exclusive: Greek PM Papademos expects debt swap deal in days (Reuters)

Published: Friday, January 27, 2012 02:46 PM

Reuters - Greece expects to conclude difficult debt talks with private creditors within days and negotiations with the EU and the IMF on a new bailout deal by the middle of next week, Prime Minister Lucas Papademos told Reuters on Friday.

Apple not turning "blind eye" to supply chain problems: CEO (Reuters)

Published: Friday, January 27, 2012 03:32 PM

Reuters - Apple Inc has never turned "a blind eye" to the problems in its supply chain and any suggestion it does not care about the plight of workers is "patently false," Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook said in an email to employees.

How Pentagon budget cuts will reshape the Army (The Christian Science Monitor)

Published: Friday, January 27, 2012 04:48 PM

The Christian Science Monitor - Military officials moved quickly Friday to counter the perception that the Army was the big loser in the new Pentagon budget unveiled Thursday.

Obama outlines plan to cut college costs. Could it backfire on students? (+video) (The Christian Science Monitor)

Published: Friday, January 27, 2012 12:48 PM

The Christian Science Monitor - President Obama Friday made a set of bold proposals to tie federal aid to efforts by states and colleges to keep tuition under control and provide a good value to students.