Evening Edition

Evening Edition is an Open Thread

Now with 36 Top Stories.

From Yahoo News Top Stories

1 Defiant Kadhafi orders uprising crushed

AFP

1 hr 3 mins ago

TRIPOLI (AFP) – Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi on Tuesday ordered his forces to crush an uprising that has rocked his 41-year rule, warning armed protesters they will be executed and vowing to fight to his last.

In a defiant, sometimes rambling speech on television, Kadhafi vowed to remain in Libya as head of its revolution, saying he would die as a martyr in the land of his ancestors and fight to the “last drop” of his blood.

Proclaiming the support of the people, Kadhafi ordered the army and police to crush the popular uprising against his iron-fisted four-decade rule that has already left hundreds dead in the past eight days.

AFP

2 Libya’s Kadhafi denies fleeing as cities overrun

AFP

Mon Feb 21, 10:09 pm ET

TRIPOLI (AFP) – Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi denied fleeing the country in a defiant television appearance as protesters overran several cities, shaking the foundations of his four-decade rule.

The Libyan strongman’s comments, designed to scotch “malicious rumours” he had fled to Venezuela, were the first since protests erupted last Tuesday in the east of the oil-rich north African nation.

“I am going to meet with the youth in Green Square” in downtown Tripoli, Kadhafi said in what state television billed as a live broadcast from outside the strongman’s home.

3 Defiant Kadhafi vows to stay on as Libyan leader

AFP

2 hrs 52 mins ago

TRIPOLI (AFP) – A defiant Moamer Kadhafi vowed on Tuesday to remain in Libya as head of its revolution, saying he would die as a martyr in the land of his ancestors and fight to the “last drop” of his blood.

Proclaiming the people to be behind him, Kadhafi ordered the army and police to crush the popular uprising against his iron-fisted four-decade rule that rights groups say have left hundreds dead in the past eight days.

In a live, apparently unscripted speech on national television, the 68-year-old Kadhafi said, “Moamer Kadhafi is the leader of a revolution; Moamer Kadhafi has no official position in order for him to resign. He is the leader of the revolution forever.”

4 World markets slide, oil soars on Libya unrest

AFP

Tue Feb 22, 7:43 am ET

LONDON (AFP) – Global markets dived Tuesday and oil prices spiked above $108 per barrel, as sentiment was rocked by violent unrest in Libya, while the safe-haven US dollar gained ground.

“The revolutions in Tunisia and Egypt are continuing to spread across the region. It seems to be Libya’s turn now. These developments cause a high degree of uncertainty,” said Commerzbank analyst Ulrich Leuchtmann.

Financial markets were also rattled by news of a deadly earthquake in New Zealand and a ratings downgrade for Japan, dealers said.

5 Anger in Pakistan over US gunman revelations

by Waqar Hussain, AFP

Tue Feb 22, 5:20 am ET

LAHORE, Pakistan (AFP) – New revelations about a CIA contractor in custody for shooting two men dead heaped pressure on Pakistan’s fragile government Tuesday and exposed burning public mistrust of Washington.

Officials in Washington cited by US media reports confirmed the account of a Pakistani intelligence official, who told AFP that Raymond Davis, the American being held in a prison in Lahore city, was working undercover for the CIA.

Washington is pushing hard for Pakistan’s authorities to free Davis, arguing that he has diplomatic immunity and backing his claim to have acted in self-defence when he shot the men in a busy city street nearly four weeks ago.

6 50 million ‘environmental refugees’ by 2020, experts say

by Karin Zeitvogel, AFP

Mon Feb 21, 7:50 pm ET

WASHINGTON (AFP) – Fifty million “environmental refugees” will flood into the global north by 2020, fleeing food shortages sparked by climate change, experts warned at a major science conference that ended here Monday.

“In 2020, the UN has projected that we will have 50 million environmental refugees,” University of California, Los Angeles professor Cristina Tirado said at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).

“When people are not living in sustainable conditions, they migrate,” she continued, outlining with the other speakers how climate change is impacting both food security and food safety, or the amount of food available and the healthfulness of that food.

7 Cricket: England squeak home after Dutch scare

by John Weaver, AFP

2 hrs 1 min ago

NEW DELHI (AFP) – The Netherlands’ Ryan ten Doeschate scored a dazzling World Cup century against ragged England Tuesday but the three-times finalists fought back to win a nervy game.

In a contest the competition badly needed after a series of mismatches, the Dutch, inspired by ten Doeschate’s knock of 119 off just 110 balls, racked up a challenging score of 292 for six in Nagpur.

The Ashes winners were shocking in the field as ten Doeschate went on the rampage, hitting three sixes and nine fours in a devastating show of power.

Reuters

8 Defiant Gaddafi vows to die as martyr, fight revolt

Reuters

23 mins ago

TRIPOLI (Reuters) – A defiant Muammar Gaddafi vowed on Tuesday to die “a martyr” in Libya and said he would crush a revolt which has seen eastern regions already break free from four decades of his rule.

Swathed in brown robes, Gaddafi seethed with anger and banged the podium outside one of his residences that was damaged in a 1986 U.S. bombing raid that attempted to kill him. Next to him stood a monument of a fist crushing a U.S. fighter jet.

“I am not going to leave this land, I will die here as a martyr,” Gaddafi said on state television, refusing to bow to calls from his own diplomats, soldiers and protesters clamouring in the streets for him to go.

9 Flamboyant Gaddafi fights for survival

By Giles Elgood, Reuters

Tue Feb 22, 10:25 am ET

LONDON (Reuters) – With his penchant for bedouin tents and heavily armed female bodyguards, along with a readiness to execute his opponents, Muammar Gaddafi has cut a disturbing figure as Libya’s leader for more than 40 years.

For most of that time he held a prominent position in the West’s international rogues’ gallery, while maintaining tight control at home by eliminating dissidents and refusing to annoint a successor.

As his oil-producing nation feels the wind of change gusting across the Arab world, his security forces have responded with the deadly force that human rights groups say has characterized the Gaddafi era.

10 Oil holds near 2-1/2 year highs on Libya revolt

By David Sheppard, Reuters

39 mins ago

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Oil prices held firm near 2-1/2 year highs on Tuesday as the revolt in Libya disrupted more supplies, but there was no repeat of Monday’s spike as both OPEC and the IEA said they could help meet any shortage.

Turmoil in Libya drove prices as much as 6 percent higher in the previous session, taking Brent crude in London to almost $109 a barrel for the first time since 2008.

In a defiant speech on Tuesday, Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi refused to step aside on Tuesday and threatened tougher action against protests, as rebel troops said eastern regions, including major oilfields, had broken free from his rule.

11 Wal-Mart says needs more time to fix U.S. missteps

By Jessica Wohl, Reuters

1 hr 47 mins ago

CHICAGO (Reuters) – Wal-Mart Stores Inc failed to meet its promise of reigniting sales at its U.S. stores and it is up to relatively new leaders to turn things around as they face increased pressure from dollar stores.

The retailer reported its seventh consecutive quarterly decline in sales at U.S. stores open at least a year, posting a 1.8 percent drop that was much bigger than its worst forecast and showing how hard it is for a merchant that accounts for 10 percent of U.S. retail sales to overcome its own mistakes.

Wal-Mart shares fell 4 percent, despite reporting earnings that beat analysts’ expectations. U.S. sales are also still being hurt by a poorly executed decision, since reversed, to pare down the number of items Wal-Mart offers.

12 Wal-Mart must prove executives right on recovery

By Jessica Wohl, Reuters

Tue Feb 22, 12:34 am ET

CHICAGO (Reuters) – Wal-Mart Stores Inc investors are eager to see whether management made good on the claim that the company’s biggest business, its namesake discount chain, would finally see sales turn the corner.

Under Chief Executive Mike Duke and new U.S. chief Bill Simon, the world’s largest retailer is stocking more goods and has a renewed focus on consistently low pricing.

Tuesday’s quarterly results will show whether the fresh management team at the U.S. discount chain was able to make a difference in the key fourth quarter.

13 Pakistan says American’s CIA link has no bearing on murder trial

By Kiyoshi Takenaka and Mubasher Bokhari, Reuters

Tue Feb 22, 10:31 am ET

LAHORE/TOKYO (Reuters) – Pakistan insisted on Tuesday that the courts would decide the fate of an American detained on murder charges, even after it was revealed he was a CIA contractor whom Washington says enjoys diplomatic immunity.

The case of 36-year-old Raymond Davis, a former U.S. special forces officer, has strained the already-uneasy alliance between the United States and Pakistan, who are supposed to be united in the face of Islamist militants waging a war in Afghanistan.

Davis’ killing of two Pakistani men in the eastern city of Lahore last month has inflamed anti-U.S. sentiment in Pakistan, effectively giving the government little choice but to prosecute him in court. His trial for murder beings on Friday, February 25.

14 American held in Lahore is CIA contractor: sources

By Mark Hosenball and Mubasher Bokhari, Reuters

Mon Feb 21, 5:38 pm ET

WASHINGTON/LAHORE (Reuters) – An American held on murder charges in Pakistan after a shooting worked as a CIA contractor but was not involved in covert operations, U.S. sources closely following the case said on Monday.

The confirmation of a link with the CIA — which had been reported in recent days in Pakistani media — was likely to further strain Washington’s ties with Islamabad over the case.

The shooting of two Pakistanis last month in the eastern city of Lahore has inflamed anti-American feeling in Pakistan and highlighted the countries’ uneasy alliance against Islamist militants who attack U.S. troops in neighboring Afghanistan.

15 Special Report: Is Wen’s "new socialist countryside" working?

By Chris Buckley, Reuters

Tue Feb 22, 7:43 am ET

ZHAOYUAN, China (Reuters) – When Chinese premier Wen Jiabao visited Zhao Mengleng’s village, she hoped to show him the cracks threatening her mud-brick home, a reminder that the country’s embryonic prosperity has not reached everybody in the vast rural heartland.

The 68-year-old prime minister, who has cultivated an image as a man of the people and is popularly known as “Grandpa Wen, visited Zhaoyuan village in eastern Anhui province during the Chinese New Year holidays.

He came to support his pledge to narrow the rich-poor gap and channel more wealth to China’s 720 million villagers and rural migrant workers, a population more than double the size of the United States.

16 ECB policymakers ratchet up inflation warnings

By Farah Master and Marc Jones, Reuters

Mon Feb 21, 6:25 pm ET

HONG KONG/FRANKFURT (Reuters) – ECB policymakers sent a fresh round of inflation warnings on Monday, as euro-zone data showed the region’s economic recovery remained robust and likely to keep upward pressure on prices.

ECB policymakers have sounded increasingly aggressive on inflation this year since it topped the bank’s target of just under two percent.

Speaking late in Frankfurt, Juergen Stark, one of the ECB’s inflation hardliners, added to the message.

AFP

2 Libya’s Kadhafi denies fleeing as cities overrun

AFP

Mon Feb 21, 10:09 pm ET

TRIPOLI (AFP) – Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi denied fleeing the country in a defiant television appearance as protesters overran several cities, shaking the foundations of his four-decade rule.

The Libyan strongman’s comments, designed to scotch “malicious rumours” he had fled to Venezuela, were the first since protests erupted last Tuesday in the east of the oil-rich north African nation.

“I am going to meet with the youth in Green Square” in downtown Tripoli, Kadhafi said in what state television billed as a live broadcast from outside the strongman’s home.

3 Defiant Kadhafi vows to stay on as Libyan leader

AFP

2 hrs 52 mins ago

TRIPOLI (AFP) – A defiant Moamer Kadhafi vowed on Tuesday to remain in Libya as head of its revolution, saying he would die as a martyr in the land of his ancestors and fight to the “last drop” of his blood.

Proclaiming the people to be behind him, Kadhafi ordered the army and police to crush the popular uprising against his iron-fisted four-decade rule that rights groups say have left hundreds dead in the past eight days.

In a live, apparently unscripted speech on national television, the 68-year-old Kadhafi said, “Moamer Kadhafi is the leader of a revolution; Moamer Kadhafi has no official position in order for him to resign. He is the leader of the revolution forever.”

4 World markets slide, oil soars on Libya unrest

AFP

Tue Feb 22, 7:43 am ET

LONDON (AFP) – Global markets dived Tuesday and oil prices spiked above $108 per barrel, as sentiment was rocked by violent unrest in Libya, while the safe-haven US dollar gained ground.

“The revolutions in Tunisia and Egypt are continuing to spread across the region. It seems to be Libya’s turn now. These developments cause a high degree of uncertainty,” said Commerzbank analyst Ulrich Leuchtmann.

Financial markets were also rattled by news of a deadly earthquake in New Zealand and a ratings downgrade for Japan, dealers said.

5 Anger in Pakistan over US gunman revelations

by Waqar Hussain, AFP

Tue Feb 22, 5:20 am ET

LAHORE, Pakistan (AFP) – New revelations about a CIA contractor in custody for shooting two men dead heaped pressure on Pakistan’s fragile government Tuesday and exposed burning public mistrust of Washington.

Officials in Washington cited by US media reports confirmed the account of a Pakistani intelligence official, who told AFP that Raymond Davis, the American being held in a prison in Lahore city, was working undercover for the CIA.

Washington is pushing hard for Pakistan’s authorities to free Davis, arguing that he has diplomatic immunity and backing his claim to have acted in self-defence when he shot the men in a busy city street nearly four weeks ago.

6 50 million ‘environmental refugees’ by 2020, experts say

by Karin Zeitvogel, AFP

Mon Feb 21, 7:50 pm ET

WASHINGTON (AFP) – Fifty million “environmental refugees” will flood into the global north by 2020, fleeing food shortages sparked by climate change, experts warned at a major science conference that ended here Monday.

“In 2020, the UN has projected that we will have 50 million environmental refugees,” University of California, Los Angeles professor Cristina Tirado said at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).

“When people are not living in sustainable conditions, they migrate,” she continued, outlining with the other speakers how climate change is impacting both food security and food safety, or the amount of food available and the healthfulness of that food.

7 Cricket: England squeak home after Dutch scare

by John Weaver, AFP

2 hrs 1 min ago

NEW DELHI (AFP) – The Netherlands’ Ryan ten Doeschate scored a dazzling World Cup century against ragged England Tuesday but the three-times finalists fought back to win a nervy game.

In a contest the competition badly needed after a series of mismatches, the Dutch, inspired by ten Doeschate’s knock of 119 off just 110 balls, racked up a challenging score of 292 for six in Nagpur.

The Ashes winners were shocking in the field as ten Doeschate went on the rampage, hitting three sixes and nine fours in a devastating show of power.

Reuters

8 Defiant Gaddafi vows to die as martyr, fight revolt

Reuters

23 mins ago

TRIPOLI (Reuters) – A defiant Muammar Gaddafi vowed on Tuesday to die “a martyr” in Libya and said he would crush a revolt which has seen eastern regions already break free from four decades of his rule.

Swathed in brown robes, Gaddafi seethed with anger and banged the podium outside one of his residences that was damaged in a 1986 U.S. bombing raid that attempted to kill him. Next to him stood a monument of a fist crushing a U.S. fighter jet.

“I am not going to leave this land, I will die here as a martyr,” Gaddafi said on state television, refusing to bow to calls from his own diplomats, soldiers and protesters clamouring in the streets for him to go.

9 Flamboyant Gaddafi fights for survival

By Giles Elgood, Reuters

Tue Feb 22, 10:25 am ET

LONDON (Reuters) – With his penchant for bedouin tents and heavily armed female bodyguards, along with a readiness to execute his opponents, Muammar Gaddafi has cut a disturbing figure as Libya’s leader for more than 40 years.

For most of that time he held a prominent position in the West’s international rogues’ gallery, while maintaining tight control at home by eliminating dissidents and refusing to annoint a successor.

As his oil-producing nation feels the wind of change gusting across the Arab world, his security forces have responded with the deadly force that human rights groups say has characterized the Gaddafi era.

10 Oil holds near 2-1/2 year highs on Libya revolt

By David Sheppard, Reuters

39 mins ago

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Oil prices held firm near 2-1/2 year highs on Tuesday as the revolt in Libya disrupted more supplies, but there was no repeat of Monday’s spike as both OPEC and the IEA said they could help meet any shortage.

Turmoil in Libya drove prices as much as 6 percent higher in the previous session, taking Brent crude in London to almost $109 a barrel for the first time since 2008.

In a defiant speech on Tuesday, Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi refused to step aside on Tuesday and threatened tougher action against protests, as rebel troops said eastern regions, including major oilfields, had broken free from his rule.

11 Wal-Mart says needs more time to fix U.S. missteps

By Jessica Wohl, Reuters

1 hr 47 mins ago

CHICAGO (Reuters) – Wal-Mart Stores Inc failed to meet its promise of reigniting sales at its U.S. stores and it is up to relatively new leaders to turn things around as they face increased pressure from dollar stores.

The retailer reported its seventh consecutive quarterly decline in sales at U.S. stores open at least a year, posting a 1.8 percent drop that was much bigger than its worst forecast and showing how hard it is for a merchant that accounts for 10 percent of U.S. retail sales to overcome its own mistakes.

Wal-Mart shares fell 4 percent, despite reporting earnings that beat analysts’ expectations. U.S. sales are also still being hurt by a poorly executed decision, since reversed, to pare down the number of items Wal-Mart offers.

12 Wal-Mart must prove executives right on recovery

By Jessica Wohl, Reuters

Tue Feb 22, 12:34 am ET

CHICAGO (Reuters) – Wal-Mart Stores Inc investors are eager to see whether management made good on the claim that the company’s biggest business, its namesake discount chain, would finally see sales turn the corner.

Under Chief Executive Mike Duke and new U.S. chief Bill Simon, the world’s largest retailer is stocking more goods and has a renewed focus on consistently low pricing.

Tuesday’s quarterly results will show whether the fresh management team at the U.S. discount chain was able to make a difference in the key fourth quarter.

13 Pakistan says American’s CIA link has no bearing on murder trial

By Kiyoshi Takenaka and Mubasher Bokhari, Reuters

Tue Feb 22, 10:31 am ET

LAHORE/TOKYO (Reuters) – Pakistan insisted on Tuesday that the courts would decide the fate of an American detained on murder charges, even after it was revealed he was a CIA contractor whom Washington says enjoys diplomatic immunity.

The case of 36-year-old Raymond Davis, a former U.S. special forces officer, has strained the already-uneasy alliance between the United States and Pakistan, who are supposed to be united in the face of Islamist militants waging a war in Afghanistan.

Davis’ killing of two Pakistani men in the eastern city of Lahore last month has inflamed anti-U.S. sentiment in Pakistan, effectively giving the government little choice but to prosecute him in court. His trial for murder beings on Friday, February 25.

14 American held in Lahore is CIA contractor: sources

By Mark Hosenball and Mubasher Bokhari, Reuters

Mon Feb 21, 5:38 pm ET

WASHINGTON/LAHORE (Reuters) – An American held on murder charges in Pakistan after a shooting worked as a CIA contractor but was not involved in covert operations, U.S. sources closely following the case said on Monday.

The confirmation of a link with the CIA — which had been reported in recent days in Pakistani media — was likely to further strain Washington’s ties with Islamabad over the case.

The shooting of two Pakistanis last month in the eastern city of Lahore has inflamed anti-American feeling in Pakistan and highlighted the countries’ uneasy alliance against Islamist militants who attack U.S. troops in neighboring Afghanistan.

15 Special Report: Is Wen’s "new socialist countryside" working?

By Chris Buckley, Reuters

Tue Feb 22, 7:43 am ET

ZHAOYUAN, China (Reuters) – When Chinese premier Wen Jiabao visited Zhao Mengleng’s village, she hoped to show him the cracks threatening her mud-brick home, a reminder that the country’s embryonic prosperity has not reached everybody in the vast rural heartland.

The 68-year-old prime minister, who has cultivated an image as a man of the people and is popularly known as “Grandpa Wen, visited Zhaoyuan village in eastern Anhui province during the Chinese New Year holidays.

He came to support his pledge to narrow the rich-poor gap and channel more wealth to China’s 720 million villagers and rural migrant workers, a population more than double the size of the United States.

16 ECB policymakers ratchet up inflation warnings

By Farah Master and Marc Jones, Reuters

Mon Feb 21, 6:25 pm ET

HONG KONG/FRANKFURT (Reuters) – ECB policymakers sent a fresh round of inflation warnings on Monday, as euro-zone data showed the region’s economic recovery remained robust and likely to keep upward pressure on prices.

ECB policymakers have sounded increasingly aggressive on inflation this year since it topped the bank’s target of just under two percent.

Speaking late in Frankfurt, Juergen Stark, one of the ECB’s inflation hardliners, added to the message.

AP

17 Libya’s Gadhafi vows to fight on, die a martyr

By MAGGIE MICHAEL and SARAH EL DEEB, Associated Press

15 mins ago

CAIRO – Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi vowed to fight on to his “last drop of blood” and roared at his supporters to take to the streets against protesters in a furious, fist-pounding speech Tuesday after two nights of bloodshed in the capital as his forces tried to crush the uprising that has fragmented his regime.

Gadhafi’s call portended a new round of mayhem in the capital of 2 million people. The night before, residents described a rampage by pro-regime militiamen, who shot on sight anyone found in the streets and opened fire from speeding vehicles at people watching from windows of their homes. Tuesday morning, bodies still lay strewn in some streets.

Gunshots in celebration were heard after Gadhafi’s speech, aired on state TV and on a screen to several hundred supporters in Tripoli’s central Green Square, witnesses said.

18 Council to meet late Tuesday on Libya violence

By EDITH M. LEDERER, Associated Press

Tue Feb 22, 1:28 pm ET

UNITED NATIONS – The U.N. Security Council called an emergency meeting for late Tuesday on Libya’s bloody anti-government protests and the country’s ambassador, who supports Moammar Gadhafi, said he will speak – not his deputy who has called for the Libyan leader to step down.

Western nations are urging the U.N.’s most powerful body to demand an immediate end to Gadhafi’s crackdown on civilian protestors and to strongly condemn the attacks.

“We want a clear message to the Libyan regime to stop the violence and to respect human rights and to protect the civilians,” said Germany’s U.N. Ambassador Peter Wittig, whose country is serving a two-year term on the council. “That’s what we are working for – something that is efficient on the ground.”

19 US condemns ‘appalling’ violence in Libya

By MATTHEW LEE, Associated Press

1 hr 38 mins ago

WASHINGTON – The Obama administration on Tuesday condemned “appalling” violence in Libya, where security forces are unleashing a bloody crackdown on protesters demanding the ouster of longtime leader Moammar Gadhafi.

“This violence is completely unacceptable,” Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said.

But as it sought to safely extricate U.S. diplomats and other Americans from the violence spreading around Libya, Washington stopped short of criticizing Gadhafi personally or demanding that he step down.

20 Bahrain king orders release of political prisoners

By HADEEL AL-SHALCHI and BARBARA SURK, Associated Press

Tue Feb 22, 12:08 pm ET

MANAMA, Bahrain – Tens of thousands of red-and-white draped, flag-waving protesters flooded this tiny kingdom’s capital Tuesday, a massive show of force against the embattled monarchy as the king made another concession to the marchers – a promise to release an unspecified number of political prisoners.

Upbeat, determined demonstrators took over Manama for the day, circling the Bahrain Mall and Manama’s financial district, symbols of the country’s recent prosperity, in a march to the heart of the protest at Pearl Square.

“Egypt, Tunisia, are we any different?” marchers chanted, calling for the Sunni rulers they accuse of discriminating against the island’s Shiite majority to fall as the presidents of two other Arab countries have in recent weeks.

21 Wisconsin governor warns of layoff notices

By SCOTT BAUER, Associated Press

17 mins ago

MADISON, Wis. – Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker warned Tuesday that state employees could start receiving layoff notices as early as next week if a bill eliminating most collective bargaining rights isn’t passed soon.

Walker said in a statement to The Associated Press that the layoffs wouldn’t take effect immediately. He didn’t say which workers would be targeted but he has repeatedly warned that up to 1,500 workers could lose their jobs by July if his proposal isn’t passed.

“Hopefully we don’t get to that point,” Walker said.

22 Census: Near-record level of US counties dying

By HOPE YEN and JOHN RABY, Associated Press

2 hrs 10 mins ago

WELCH, W.Va. – Nestled within America’s once-thriving coal country, 87-year-old Ed Shepard laments a prosperous era gone by, when shoppers lined the streets and government lent a helping hand. Now, here as in one-fourth of all U.S. counties, West Virginia’s graying residents are slowly dying off.

Hit by an aging population and a poor economy, a near-record number of U.S. counties are experiencing more deaths than births in their communities, a phenomenon demographers call “natural decrease.”

Years in the making, the problem is spreading amid a prolonged job slump and a push by Republicans in Congress to downsize government and federal spending.

23 Bahrain king orders release of political prisoners

By HADEEL AL-SHALCHI and BARBARA SURK, Associated Press

Tue Feb 22, 12:08 pm ET

MANAMA, Bahrain – Tens of thousands of red-and-white draped, flag-waving protesters flooded this tiny kingdom’s capital Tuesday, a massive show of force against the embattled monarchy as the king made another concession to the marchers – a promise to release an unspecified number of political prisoners.

Upbeat, determined demonstrators took over Manama for the day, circling the Bahrain Mall and Manama’s financial district, symbols of the country’s recent prosperity, in a march to the heart of the protest at Pearl Square.

“Egypt, Tunisia, are we any different?” marchers chanted, calling for the Sunni rulers they accuse of discriminating against the island’s Shiite majority to fall as the presidents of two other Arab countries have in recent weeks.

24 Parents lose high court appeal in vaccine case

By MARK SHERMAN, Associated Press

2 mins ago

WASHINGTON – The Supreme Court closed the courthouse door Tuesday to parents who want to sue drug makers over claims that their children developed autism and other serious health problems from vaccines. The ruling was a stinging defeat for families dissatisfied with how they fared before a special no-fault vaccine court.

The court voted 6-2 against the parents of a child who sued the drug maker Wyeth in Pennsylvania state court for the health problems they say their daughter, now 19, suffered from a vaccine she received in infancy.

Justice Antonin Scalia, writing for the court, said Congress set up a special vaccine court in 1986 to handle such claims as a way to provide compensation to injured children without driving drug manufacturers from the vaccine market. The idea, he said, was to create a system that spares the drug companies the costs of defending against parents’ lawsuits.

25 Jefferson’s books found in Mo. university library

By HEATHER HOLLINGSWORTH, Associated Press

1 hr 40 mins ago

Dozens of Thomas Jefferson’s books, some including handwritten notes from the nation’s third president, have been found in the rare books collection at Washington University in St. Louis.

Now, historians are poring through the 69 newly discovered books and five others the school already knew about, and librarians are searching the collection for more volumes that may have belonged to the founding father.

Even if no other Jefferson-owned books are found, the school’s collection of 74 books is the third largest in the nation after the Library of Congress and the University of Virginia.

26 Chicago voters cast ‘Daley’-less mayoral ballots

By DON BABWIN and DEANNA BELLANDI, Associated Press

33 mins ago

CHICAGO – Chicago voters cast ballots in a mayoral election Tuesday that didn’t include the name “Richard M. Daley” for the first time in decades – a contest that will bring new leadership to a city facing some of the most daunting economic challenges in its history.

The six candidates spent Tuesday morning still pushing for votes, shaking hands with surprised commuters and diner-goers and pleading their cases for why they should be picked to succeed the retiring Daley, who will leave office this spring after 22 years on the job.

“This is a critical election for the future of the city of Chicago. We’re at a crossroads,” front-runner Rahm Emanuel said as he greeted commuters at a South Side train station.

27 Court seems likely to let jilted wife appeal

By JESSE J. HOLLAND, Associated Press

13 mins ago

WASHINGTON (AP) – Like a storyline from a tawdry soap opera, a jilted wife tried to poison her husband’s pregnant lover by spreading toxic chemicals around the woman’s house and car. But after Carol Anne Bond put some in a mailbox, federal prosecutors swept her up and sent her to prison using a federal anti-terrorism law for using “chemical weapons.”

The Supreme Court on Tuesday indicated it would likely allow Bond to challenge her conviction despite arguments from federal prosecutors and judges that she shouldn’t even be allowed to appeal the verdict that has left her in federal prison since 2007.

Bond, from Lansdale, Pa. almost 30 miles northwest of Philadelphia, wants to challenge her conviction on 10th Amendment grounds, saying that the federal government’s decision to charge her in this case using a chemical weapons law was an unconstitutional reach into a state’s power to handle what her lawyer calls a domestic dispute.

28 Judge says trial of ex-CIA agent can continue

By WILL WEISSERT, Associated Press

1 hr 36 mins ago

EL PASO, Texas – A federal judge ruled Tuesday that the perjury trial of an elderly ex-CIA agent can continue although defense claims that prosecutors let a covert Cuban intelligence agent testify while delaying divulging his true identity were valid.

The politically charged case against Luis Posada Carriles, 83, ground to a halt Feb. 10, when the defense moved for a mistrial – its fifth such request in five weeks. U.S. District Judge Kathleen Cardone then delayed the proceedings for 11 days to consider the motion.

She found U.S. attorneys were indeed deliberately slow in turning over documents providing information about one of their star witnesses, saying “it is difficult for this court to believe the government simply overlooked this material,” but that that wasn’t enough to throw the case out.

29 Obama’s budget offers few clues on health overhaul

By RICARDO ALONSO-ZALDIVAR, Associated Press

44 mins ago

WASHINGTON – How many federal bureaucrats does it take to carry out President Barack Obama’s health care overhaul? Don’t expect to find an easy answer in his new budget.

It has no line item for health care implementation, a task delegated to agencies in several government departments, each with its own procedures – and quirks – to account for spending and hiring.

Republicans suspect a dodge to make it harder for them to track the money as they strategize over how to block the law by shutting off the spigot of federal funds.

30 Credit card regulation offers hits and misses

By CANDICE CHOI, AP Personal Finance Writer

Tue Feb 22, 11:52 am ET

NEW YORK – Credit card customers are facing fewer interest rate hikes and forking over sharply less in late fees.

A year after new regulations curbed a spate of questionable billing practices, federal officials say over-the-limit penalty charges have also been dramatically curtailed. The findings were released by the newly created Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which will administer the regulations once it’s officially up and running this summer.

The agency focused only on the impact of specific regulations, however, and did not look at the full scope of costs customers pay for cards. For example, new credit card accounts are now more likely to come with annual fees and higher interest rates. That could offset the savings noted by the consumer watchdog. The regulations have also greatly reduced available credit for riskier customers, the American Bankers Association noted in a release.

31 Arrested US official is actually CIA contractor

By ADAM GOLDMAN and KIMBERLY DOZIER, Associated Press

Tue Feb 22, 3:10 am ET

WASHINGTON – An American jailed in Pakistan for the fatal shooting of two armed men was secretly working for the CIA and scouting a neighborhood when he was arrested, a disclosure likely to further frustrate U.S. government efforts to free the man and one that’s expected to strain relations between two countries partnered in a fragile alliance in the war on terror.

Raymond Allen Davis, 36, had been working as a CIA security contractor and living in a Lahore safe house, according to former and current U.S. officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to talk publicly about the incident.

Davis, a former Special Forces soldier who left the military in 2003, shot the men in what he described as an attempted armed robbery in the eastern city of Lahore as they approached him on a motorcycle. A third Pakistani, a bystander, died when a car rushing to help Davis struck him. Davis was carrying a Glock handgun, a pocket telescope and papers with different identifications.

32 INFLUENCE GAME: Aircraft titans spark lobby blitz

By DONNA CASSATA, Associated Press

8 mins ago

WASHINGTON – Even by Pentagon standards, it’s an eye-popping prize: a $35 billion contract to build nearly 200 giant airborne refueling tankers. And the decade-long brawl by two defense industry titans to win it has been just as epic.

In a matter of days, the Pentagon will announce whether Chicago-based Boeing Co. or European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company (EADS) will build 179 new tankers to replace the Air Force’s Eisenhower-era KC-135 planes.

The competition is far more complex than a case of the U.S. against Europe. If Boeing wins, the air tanker would be built in Everett, Wash., Wichita, Kan., and several other states. If EADS wins, the tanker would be assembled in Mobile, Ala., at the former Brookley military base that was shuttered in the 1960s.

33 Obama pitches economic message one state at a time

By NANCY BENAC, Associated Press

22 mins ago

CLEVELAND – Twenty months ahead of the 2012 election, President Barack Obama is traveling the nation, vying for the public’s attention one state at a time, while international crises and budget fights compete with his plans for economic revival.

On Tuesday, Obama curried favor with small businesses in politically important Ohio, pushing his plans to boost American competitiveness by increasing spending on sectors like education and infrastructure. That agenda, however, is running up against opposition from some Republican governors in cash-strapped states, and GOP lawmakers on Capitol Hill, whose demands for deep spending cuts raise the prospect of a federal government shutdown.

The president’s domestic initiatives have also been overshadowed by the turmoil in the Middle East. Tuesday’s trip came amid an escalation of violence in Libya, where government-backed security forces clashed with protesters, and news that four Americans were killed at the hands of pirates off the coast of Africa.

34 Grieving mom screams at Pa. judge, becomes symbol

By MICHAEL RUBINKAM, Associated Press

27 mins ago

SCRANTON, Pa. – Sandy Fonzo hadn’t planned on confronting the Pennsylvania judge whom she blames for robbing her late son of his chance at a happy, productive life.

Her emotional, obscenity-laced outburst last week – caught on video and spread over the Internet – has come to symbolize the anger felt by parents whose children were railroaded by Mark Ciavarella, the former Luzerne County judge convicted Friday of racketeering in a $2.8 million “kids for cash” plot to send youth offenders to for-profit detention centers.

Fonzo’s son was 17 and an all-star wrestler with a chance at a college scholarship when he landed in Ciavarella’s courtroom on a minor drug paraphernalia charge. Though the teen, Edward Kenzakoski, had no prior criminal record, he spent months at the private lockups and a wilderness camp and missed his senior year of high school.

35 Rolling Stone honored for story on Gen. McChrystal

By CHRIS HAWLEY, Associated Press

Tue Feb 22, 9:57 am ET

NEW YORK – Rolling Stone magazine won one of journalism’s most prestigious awards for an article that prompted President Barack Obama to fire his military commander in Afghanistan. The Associated Press also won a 2010 George Polk award for its coverage of the Gulf oil spill, and the Washington Post won for its investigation on the growth of national security agencies.

Michael Hastings won the Polk Award for magazine reporting for his story that recounted how Gen. Stanley McChrystal and his staff made scornful comments about Obama administration officials. Obama removed the four-star general from his command in June, saying McChrystal’s comments undermined civilian control of the military.

“We were as surprised as everyone else how swift and immediate the reaction was,” said Rolling Stone Executive Editor Eric Bates. The article “really helped put the war back on the map.”

36 Texas youth prison abuse case ends in acquittal

By BETSY BLANEY, Associated Press

Tue Feb 22, 4:16 am ET

LUBBOCK, Texas – The second criminal trial stemming from a sex abuse scandal at a West Texas juvenile prison that upended the state agency overseeing young offenders ended in an acquittal for the facility’s former principal.

After two weeks of testimony and about six hours of deliberations, jurors late Monday acquitted John Paul Hernandez on 14 counts in 11 indictments that alleged he sexually abused five inmates at in 2004 and 2005.

“Six years I’ve been waiting to hear those words,” Hernandez said. “I’ve already served a six-year punishment and finally a weight has been lifted.”

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