National & World

    Earl weakens but still powerful as it smacks NC

    By MIKE BAKER 2010-09-03T03:01:54Z
    BUXTON, N.C. (AP) - The last ferry left for the mainland and coastal residents hunkered down at home as Hurricane Earl closed in with 105 mph winds Thursday on North Carolina's dangerously exposed Outer Banks, the first and perhaps most destructive stop on the storm's projected journey up the Eastern Seaboard. The hurricane's squalls began to lash the long ribbon of barrier islands Thursday night. Gusts above 40 mph made signs shake and the heavy rain fall sideways in Buxton, the southeaste...

    Oil platform explodes off La. coast; crew rescued

    By ALAN SAYRE 2010-09-03T02:41:35Z
    NEW ORLEANS (AP) - An oil platform exploded and burned off the Louisiana coast Thursday, the second such disaster in the Gulf of Mexico in less than five months. This time, the Coast Guard said there was no leak, and no one was killed. The Coast Guard initially reported that an oil sheen a mile long and 100 feet wide had begun to spread from the site of the blast, about 200 miles west of the source of BP's massive spill. But hours later, Coast Guard Cmdr. Cheri Ben-Iesau said crews were una...

    Hopeful sign: More talks for Israel, Palestinians

    By MATTHEW LEE and ROBERT BURNS 2010-09-03T02:41:59Z
    WASHINGTON (AP) - In an early sign of promise, Israeli and Palestinian leaders pledged Thursday in a cordial first round of talks to keep meeting at regular intervals, aiming to nail down a framework for overcoming deep disputes and achieving lasting peace within a year. As their facilitator-in-chief, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to rise above the suspicion and skepticism that has blocked pe...

    Arizona governor stumbles during debate

    By PAUL DAVENPORT 2010-09-03T02:42:17Z
    PHOENIX (AP) - It will go down as one of the most painful openings to a political debate in recent memory. Gov. Jan Brewer stumbled and stammered through her opening statement during a televised debate Wednesday night, suffering through an embarrassing, cringe-eliciting pause that lasted more than 10 seconds....

    Discounts spur surprising Aug. retail sales gains

    By ANNE D'INNOCENZIO 2010-09-03T02:42:45Z
    NEW YORK (AP) - This year's back-to-school season isn't as big a bust for retailers as they feared - or as last year's - but it's not great either. Americans are spending only when the item and price are just right, according to August reports from major chains released Thursday that showed shoppers bought a little more than a year ago....

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