Rough Road For Military Families With Special Needs. Deployments are usually hard on families. Spouses must become single parents for months on end, managing households with little outside help. These challenges become even more daunting for families with special needs children.

Could Big Donors Break Obama's Fundraising Record?. The Obama presidential campaign rewrote the playbook for raising campaign cash in 2008. The Supreme Court may change it again before 2010: An upcoming decision could potentially curb the growing influence of small donors in favor of corporate America.

NPR Hourly Newscast. A brief update of the top news of the hour

Aretha to perform at Motown gala. Singers Aretha Franklin and Stevie Wonder are among the musicians set to perform at a 50th anniversary gala for the label in Detroit.

Afghanistan hits back at U.N. and foreign criticism. KABUL (Reuters) - Afghanistan accused the United Nations on Saturday of intervening in the formation of President Hamid Karzai's next cabinet, less than a week into his new term.

Afghanistan hits back at U.N. and foreign criticism. KABUL (Reuters) - Afghanistan accused the United Nations on Saturday of intervening in the formation of President Hamid Karzai's next cabinet, less than a week into his new term.

Personalize Your News With Custom Sections In Google News. The men in white coats (or white T-Shirts) at Google are at it again. They just gave us another way to overload ourselves with information culled from the web. Lot of us read Google news for headlines from around the world. The Google News service collects breaking news as...

Brown urges new banks 'contract'. UK PM Gordon Brown tells a G20 summit there should be a new social contract with world banks to make them more responsible.

Ford's inflatable seat belts headed to Explorer in 2010, other whips in due time (video). Inflatable seat belts. At a glance, that doesn't seem like such a bad idea after all, particularly for those rear seat passengers who aren't blessed with two huge bags or air right in front of their chest. We're guessing the top brass at Ford feel pretty much the same way, as...

U.S. Army gunman's act "impossible": grandfather. AL-BIREH, West Bank (Reuters) - The grandfather of a U.S. Army psychiatrist accused of shooting dead 13 people and wounding 30 others at a base in Texas said on Saturday he found it impossible to believe his grandson had committed the act.

Murder hunt over house fire. Cornwall mother Mary Fox was trapped in burning house after saving her son, who may have been target of attack Police have launched a murder inquiry after a woman died in a house fire caused by a firework pushed through the letterbox. Mary Fox, 59, became trapped in the house in...

Black Friday Starts Now for Savvy Shoppers (Jeff Bertolucci/PC World). Jeff Bertolucci / PC World : Black Friday Starts Now for Savvy Shoppers   --  If you love Black Friday bargains, but hate the idea of pre-dawn lines, surly shoppers, and the risk of bodily harm just to score a bargain Blu-ray player or Xbox console, major U.S....

Unemployment in America : Jobs gloom, with glimmers. America's jobless rate passes 10% but the job market should start to improve soon IT WAS widely expected to happen at some point, but not yet. The unemployment rate in America jumped to 10.2% in October, up from 9.8% the month before, an increase that was far more dramatic than...

Shootings at Fort Hood: After the horror at home. Is there any lesson to be drawn from the shootings at Fort Hood? FORT HOOD is one of the largest army bases in America, sprawling over more than 300 square miles (some 780 square kilometres) of nondescript central Texas grassland between Austin and Waco. It is home to more than...

After the horror at home. Is there any lesson to be drawn from the shootings at Fort Hood? FORT HOOD is one of the largest army bases in America, sprawling over more than 300 square miles (some 780 square kilometres) of nondescript central Texas grassland between Austin and Waco. It is home to more than...

Lebanon's Hariri set to announce unity government. BEIRUT (Reuters) - Lebanon's Prime Minister-designate Saad al-Hariri will announce a new national unity government in the next two days after clinching a deal with the opposition on its make-up, politicians from both sides said on Saturday.

Russian military plane crashes in Pacific, 11 missing. MOSCOW (Reuters) - A Russian military plane with 11 people on board crashed in the Pacific Ocean during a training flight late on Friday, the Defense Ministry said.

Russian military plane crashes in Pacific, 11 missing. MOSCOW (Reuters) - A Russian military plane with 11 people on board crashed in the Pacific Ocean during a training flight late on Friday, the Defense Ministry said.

Lebanon's Hariri set to announce unity government. BEIRUT (Reuters) - Lebanon's Prime Minister-designate Saad al-Hariri will announce a new national unity government in the next two days after clinching a deal with the opposition on its make-up, politicians from both sides said on Saturday.

UK urges divided G20 to reach climate finance deal. ST ANDREWS, Scotland (Reuters) - British finance minister Alistair Darling urged his G20 counterparts on Saturday to work toward a $100 billion deal on tackling climate change as developing nations held firm they did not want to talk about it.

For Those Scoring at Home. Hideki Matsui won't be there, but the House vote on health care reform is a World Series of sorts for fans of big-time politics.

'I'll kill 10 people for every IED'. Sean Smith documents methods used by Afghan police in the arrest and questioning of a group of Pashtuns after an insurgent bomb went off Guy Grandjean Sean Smith Alex Healey

Ida returns to tropical storm strength. MIAMI (AP) -- Ida has become a tropical storm again, with top winds of 45 mph (72 kph), as it swirls in the Caribbean on a track that could bring it to the U.S. Gulf Coast next week....

Safa Xing LED features MP3 playback, 27 pixel resolution. Safa is a Korean firm that has put out quite a few forgettable DAPs in its day, and while this one isn't going to win any awards for technological advancement, it does look like "fun," for whatever that's worth. The Xing LED is a none-too-shabby 12mm thin and boasts 12 hours of...

Jackson's father seeks allowance. Joe Jackson asks for an allowance from the estate of his late son Michael, saying the star supported him before he died.

OpenOfficeMouse Is An 18 Button Freak, But I Want It (Rosa Golijan/Gizmodo). Rosa Golijan / Gizmodo : OpenOfficeMouse Is An 18 Button Freak, But I Want It   --  18 programmable buttons.  E-I-G-H-T-E-E-N!  Forget the 512k of flash memory, analog Xbox 360-style joystick, basic scroll wheel and whatever-else-is-in-there. 18...

Iran says over 100 people detained at anti-U.S. rally. TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iranian police detained more than 100 people for "disturbing public order" during a rally this week to mark the anniversary of the seizure of the U.S. embassy, the official IRNA news agency reported on Saturday.

House Democrats resolve abortion impasse. Anti-abortion Democrats will be allowed to offer an amendment during the House health-care debate set for Saturday.

Another attack leaves US Muslims fearing backlash. As word spread that a gunman had opened fire at Fort Hood leaving a trail of carnage, a chilling realization swept across the U.S. Muslim community: He has an Islamic name....

Iran says over 100 people detained at anti-U.S. rally. TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iranian police detained more than 100 people for "disturbing public order" during a rally this week to mark the anniversary of the seizure of the U.S. embassy, the official IRNA news agency reported on Saturday.

Another attack leaves US Muslims fearing backlash. As word spread that a gunman had opened fire at Fort Hood leaving a trail of carnage, a chilling realization swept across the U.S. Muslim community: He has an Islamic name....

After immigrant killed in NY, others tell of abuse. PATCHOGUE, N.Y. (AP) -- The high school buddies who trolled the streets looking for Hispanics to attack called it "beaner hopping."...

NPR: 11-07-2009 Fresh Air. Stories: 1) A Stroll Among The Memories On 'Sesame Street' 2) The Man Behind Miss Piggy 3) Composing Silly Songs For 'Sesame Street' 4) Come And Play: 'Sesame Street' Celebrates 40 Years

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Lebanon government accord reached. Lebanon's Hezbollah says its opposition alliance has agreed to join a national unity government under PM-designate, Saad Hariri.

Week in the News. Horror at Fort Hood. Election signals. And an imminent vote on health care. Our weekly news roundtable goes behind the headlines.

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The Swell Season. Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova, Oscar-winning duo behind the hit film "Once," on their creative partnership and new album, "Strict Joy."

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Obama praises army base heroism. President Barack Obama praises the "valour" of those who responded to the deadly attacks at a US army base in Texas.

Researchers: Prostate Biopsy Not Always Necessary, May Lead To Other Health Ailments. Winston-Salem, NC (AHN) – Researchers at Wake Forest University School of Medicine and the University of Wisconsin-Madison have found that some elevated prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels in men may be caused by a hormone normally occurring in the body. What the...

Managed Copy hits Blu-ray Discs December 4th, but you still can't use it. The egg had to come before the chicken right? Well either way, one of 'em came first and in the case of the latest Blu-ray feature, Managed Copy enabled Blu-ray Discs will come before the hardware. Less than five months since AACS was finalized and the details of Managed Copy...

Pakistan's fashionistas defy Taliban. KARACHI, Pakistan (AP) -- Some women strode the catwalk in vicious spiked bracelets and body armor. Others had their heads covered, burqa-style, but with her shoulders - and tattoos - exposed. Male models wore long, Islamic robes as well as shorts and sequined T-shirts....

2009 MLB season in review: San Francisco Giants. It is somewhat hard to evaluate the 2009 season of the San Francisco Giants. ON one hand they gave their fans exactly what was expected, good pitching followed by poor hitting. However given the fact that this team had a winning season, after five years of sub .500 baseball we...

Combat Stress and the Fort Hood Gunman. Is post-traumatic stress among caregivers a significant problem?

Chinese Agencies Struggle Over Video Game. Two Chinese government agencies are facing off over the right to regulate the popular online game World of Warcraft.

Grand tour. How to make a virtual video tour

Zynga Launches FishVille - How Big Will This Virtual Aquarium Game Get? (Eric Eldon/Inside Social Games). Eric Eldon / Inside Social Games : Zynga Launches FishVille -- How Big Will This Virtual Aquarium Game Get?   --  Zynga, the largest developer on Facebook -- and one that has come under increasing scrutiny recently for its use of scammy advertising offers in games --...

Did Phoenix ever deserve to have a NHL franchise?. The Winnipeg Jets moved to Phoenix, Arizona in 1996 due to their inability to keep star players in Winnipeg and because Winnipeg featured a hockey arena that was the smallest in the league. The problem with the move is it was essentially doomed from day one. The Coyotes have...

How would you change Windows Mobile 6.5?. We know, today is totally Android 2.0's day to shine , but what would a Friday night be without a little diversity? Windows Mobile 6.5 officially landed on a gaggle of Windows Phones back in early October (a month ago to the day, in fact), but by and large, all of 'em have...

Court upholds removal of man after Nazi salute. SANTA CRUZ, Calif. (AP) -- A federal appeals court has ruled that Santa Cruz City Council members did not violate a man's rights when they ordered him removed from a council meeting after he made a one-armed Nazi salute....

Seattle team wins $900,000 in Space Elevator Games. LOS ANGELES (AP) -- A space elevator may not be rocket science but it can be just as complicated - and rewarding....

Police: LA celebrity burglaries led by 19-year-old. LAS VEGAS (AP) -- A young woman broke into the homes of Hollywood celebrities she admired, including Lindsay Lohan, Paris Hilton and Audrina Patridge, because she wanted to own their designer clothes and jewelry, an informant told police....

Police: LA celebrity burglaries led by 19-year-old. LAS VEGAS (AP) -- A young woman broke into the homes of Hollywood celebrities she admired, including Lindsay Lohan, Paris Hilton and Audrina Patridge, because she wanted to own their designer clothes and jewelry, an informant told police....

Big California bank fails, has China branches. WASHINGTON (Reuters) - United Commercial Bank, a big San Francisco bank with branches in China, was closed by state regulators on Friday and its banking operations were acquired by East West Bancorp Inc, also active in both nations.

Electricity blackouts in Ecuador. Ecuador's main cities suffer blackouts as rationing is introduced to cope with water shortages at the main hydro-electric plant.

Honolulu Symphony cancels remaining 2009 concerts. HONOLULU (AP) -- The Honolulu Symphony said Friday it's canceling concerts for the rest of the year and filing for bankruptcy, citing a big drop in donations....

Video: A new workout for the Wii. Ubisoft's upcoming fitness game, YourShape, promises an experience a step up from Wii Fit. In the process, can it help revitalize the Nintendo console?

Madagascar rivals agree power-sharing deal. ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) - Madagascar's political rivals struck a deal late Friday on the make-up of a unity government, paving the way for an end to a 10-month political crisis that has rocked the Indian Ocean island.

Complaint Box | Public Grooming. Attention, fellow commuters: Keeping personal hygiene personal could make those subway rides so much more bearable.

Video: Markos Moulitas Gets Tom Tancredo To Walk Out Of MSNBC Interview. The Daily Kos' Markos Moulitas can add another notch in his belt Friday after he managed to get former GOP Colorado congressman Tom Tancredo to walk out mid interview. Markos Moulitas was appearing opposite Tancredo on MSNBC Friday night, when guest host David Shuster started...

Marissa Mayer: The Visionary (Farhad Manjoo/Glamour). Farhad Manjoo / Glamour : Marissa Mayer: The Visionary   --  You do it.  Your mom does it.  Nearly every American does it: We google, about 7 billion times a month.  And each time, itâs like a trip into Marissa Mayerâs mind.  That sunny...

No. 5 Boise State survives Louisiana Tech 45-35. RUSTON, La. (AP) -- Kellen Moore threw for 354 yards and three touchdowns, and No. 5 Boise State survived a brief scare on the road with a 45-35 victory over upstart Louisiana Tech on Friday night....

The daily roundup: here's what you might've missed. #saleschart #saleschart td #saleschart th.bottomrow #saleschart tr.features1 #saleschart td.bottomrow2 #saleschart th Netflix instant streaming demoed on PlayStation 3 We've got to admit -- the whole thing looks exceptionally sleek, but given the PS3's multimedia prowess, we...

Open Thread and Diary Rescue. Tonight's Rescue Rangers, who mined for these beautiful undernoticed gems, include BentLiberal, HoosierDeb, dopper0189, dadanation, and YatPundit, with jlms qkw setting them into this post. Here are this evening's rescued diaries: VeloVixen expresses her righteous outrage at the...

LeBron gets 33 in only MSG visit; Cavs beat Knicks. NEW YORK (AP) -- LeBron James scored 33 points in his only visit to Madison Square Garden this season, leading the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 100-91 victory over the New York Knicks on Friday night....

Reporter's Notebook: In a Child's Company, Champions Become Gods. Teenage revelers stomped and hollered, horns blared and beach balls bounced while paper fluttered everywhere.

Virtual Goods Start Bringing Real Paydays. Consumers are spending money to send computer images on social networks and to get an edge in online fantasy worlds.

Study Finds Internet, Computer Use Helps Keeps Elderly Mental Acuity Elevated. Hilo, HI (AHN) – A study by UCLA suggests that use of the Internet by seniors helps to "stimulate and possibly improve brain functioning." According to researchers Internet searching engages complicated brain activity, which may help exercise and improve brain function....

Polling and Political Wrap-Up, 11/6/09. You might have noticed as of late that the Wrap-Up has taken on a very predictable cadence. The polling news comes first, with numbers and analysis. Then, in bullet form, the political news of the day soon follows. Well, there is good news and bad news on this Friday...

Pelosi Faces Competing Pressures on Health Care. Speaker Nancy Pelosi raises funds in part to help re-elect her most vulnerable members, many from Republican-leaning districts leery of liberal health care proposals.

Broader Measure of Unemployment Stands at 17.5%. The official jobless rate excludes millions of people who have given up looking for work and part-time workers who want to be working full time.

Al Qaeda releases new bin Laden videotape: website. WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Al Qaeda released a new videotape from its leader Osama bin Laden on Friday, said IntelCenter, a U.S.-based terrorism monitoring firm.

The Daily Wrap. Today on the Dish we focused on Fort Hood. We found footage here and here and first-hand accounts here and here. Major reax here. Bruce Bawer addressed the Muslim factor, Andrew warned against targeting Muslims, Greenwald grew frustrated over the...

Seattle team wins $900,000 in Space Elevator Games. LOS ANGELES (AP) -- A space elevator may not be rocket science but it can be just as complicated - and rewarding....

Boxee Beta Set For December 7th Private Trial Release. Boxee has officially been announced for a private beta release on December 7th 2009. The program is capable of streaming TV and movies to HDTV's with a remote content option much like those featured on Hulu and Netflix. The program also offers music and photo capabilities and it...

Microsoft emancipates Digital Cable Tuners with second Media Center update today. Scant hours after the SDV tuning, DRM-relaxing firmware update for Vista and Windows 7 Digital Cable Tuner users became available, Missing Remote let us know Microsoft has come through on the other half of its CEDIA promise by pushing the Digital Cable Advisor to Media Center...

To Retain Its Bankers, Citi Offers Option Plan. As an extra incentive to keep its bankers, Citigroup said it would grant one stock option at just above the current price for each share employees had accumulated.

Bonuses Uncertain for Bloomberg Election Aides. The mayor's unexpectedly close re-election could jeopardize the quadrennial payouts 0 some as high as $400,000 0 that he has routinely showered on his campaign workers.

Virtual Goods Start Bringing Real Paydays. Consumers are spending money to send computer images on social networks and to get an edge in online fantasy worlds.

Muslims at Fort Voice Outrage and Ask Questions. Members of the local mosque in Killeen, Tex., say they hope good relations will prevail in the wake of the Fort Hood shootings.

Motive probed in Fort Hood shooting rampage. KILLEEN, Texas (Reuters) - Investigators searched on Friday for the motive behind a mass shooting at a sprawling U.S. Army base in Texas, in which an Army psychiatrist trained to treat war wounded is suspected of killing 13 people.

Motive probed in Fort Hood shooting rampage. KILLEEN, Texas (Reuters) - Investigators searched on Friday for the motive behind a mass shooting at a