Fed minutes suggest new bond-buying plan is likely

The Federal Reserve will likely announce a new bond buying program in December to try to spur job growth. The purchases would...

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Brown says Prop. 30 not a panacea, thanks Cal State for support

Gov. Jerry Brown said Tuesday his tax hike measure wasn't a "panacea" to the state's budget problems and that more effort will...

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Verizon and HTC’s latest twist: The $199 Droid DNA

Verizon and HTC unveiled a new device that the two hope will appeal to customers during the holiday season, while helping to reverse HTC’s floundering fortunes.The phone, the Droid DNA, sports a 5-inch screen, putting it more in the “phablet” category with Samsung‘s Galaxy Note. It runs on Android 4.1.1 Jelly Bean and includes a boatload of powerful features,...

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Day-Lewis heeded inner ear to find Lincoln's voice

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A towering figure such as Abraham Lincoln, who stood 6 feet 4 and was one of history's master orators, must have had a booming voice to match, right? Not in Daniel Day-Lewis' interpretation.Day-Lewis, who plays the 16th president in Steven Spielberg's epic film biography "Lincoln," which goes into wide release this weekend, settled on a higher, softer voice, saying it's more true...

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The Neediest Cases: Single Mother Battling Breast Cancer Takes Strength From Her Children

She had not expected her fingernails to feel as if they had been hollowed out. Suzanne DeChillo/The New York TimesJosmery Batista, 34, with her children: Analisse, 4, left; Erika, 10; and Jeremy, 1. Ms. Batista is receiving chemotherapy treatment. For the past 100 years, The New York Times Neediest Cases Fund has provided direct assistance to children, families...

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Medicare paid $1.5 billion in improper therapy claims in 2009

A new federal report says skilled-nursing facilities overbilled Medicare for therapy and other care, costing taxpayers $1.5...

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U.S. to become world's largest oil producer before 2020, IEA says

This post has been corrected. See below for details.The U.S. will become the world’s top producer of oil within five years,...

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Judge halves slander verdict won by casino mogul

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A judge has slashed a damage verdict favoring casino mogul Steve Wynn in a slander case against "Girls Gone Wild" founder Joe Francis.Superior Court Judge Joanne O'Donnell issued the ruling Friday invalidating certain claims and trimming the damage amount from $40 million to $19 million.The move comes after lawyers for Francis argued that O'Donnell erred when she allowed jurors...

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Personal Best: Quitting Smoking for Good

Few smokers would claim that it’s easy to quit. The addiction to nicotine is strong and repeatedly reinforced by circumstances that prompt smokers to light up.Yet the millions who have successfully quit are proof that a smoke-free life is achievable, even by those who have been regular, even heavy, smokers for decades.Today, 19 percent of American adults smoke, down from more than 42 percent half...

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Google announces $199 Acer laptop

Google has announced yet another computer for its line of Chromebooks, this one built by Acer with a sticker price of $199.The...

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