Market treads water before Friday's employment data

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Stocks were little changed on Thursday as investors were cautious after a mixed bag of economic data, while stellar earnings from chipmaker Qualcomm helped the Nasdaq index to edge higher. The S&P 500 is on track to post its best month since October 2011 and its best January since 1997. Investors expect a pullback in equities after the recent gains,...

Read More..

49ers' Culliver apologizes for anti-gay remarks

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — San Francisco 49ers cornerback Chris Culliver apologized Thursday for anti-gay comments he made to a comedian during Super Bowl media day, saying "that's not what I feel in my heart.""I'm sorry if I offended anyone. They were very ugly comments," Culliver said during an hour-long media session. "Hopefully I learn and grow from this experience and this situation."He said he would...

Read More..

Fear and loathing in Egypt's Port Said

Behind the maskScales of justiceMoment of truthFans celebrate Armed and readyRally at the clubPortrait of the deadACABDown with MorsiArmy in controlPort Said women protestAl Masry ultrasThe sound of machine gunsAftermathProtestShots firedEmpty standsHarrowing reminder<<<123456789101112131415161718>>>STORY HIGHLIGHTSChaos erupted in Egypt after 21 people were sentenced to death following...

Read More..

Huge fire out at Wis. plant: 'There are 300 workers without a job'

More than 300 firefighters from 80 departments across two states...

Read More..

Syria protests over Israel attack, warns of "surprise"

BEIRUT/AMMAN (Reuters) - Syria protested to the United Nations on Thursday over an Israeli air strike on its territory and warned of a possible "surprise" response. The foreign ministry summoned the head of the U.N. force in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights to deliver the protest a day after Israel hit what Syria said was a military research centre and diplomats said was a weapons convoy...

Read More..

Wall Street edges lower as Fed keeps stimulus in place

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Stocks edged lower on Wednesday after the Federal Reserve left in place its bond-buying stimulus plan, saying economic growth had stalled but indicating the pullback was likely temporary. Describing the U.S. job market as continuing its modest pace of improvement, the Fed repeated a pledge to keep purchasing securities until employment improves substantially. ...

Read More..

Lewis says he's 'agitated,' not angry about story

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Smiling, even laughing, at questions about a report linking him to a company that purports to make performance-enhancers, Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis says he "never, ever took" the stuff.Lewis also says he's "agitated," not angry, that the story has become part of the Super Bowl-week prelude to Baltimore's game against the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday.He said Wednesday...

Read More..

BlackBerry must remember strengths

BlackBerry CEO Thorsten Heins displays one of the new Blackberry 10 smartphones at the product launch January 30.STORY HIGHLIGHTSBlackBerry sales have slumped in the U.S. but is still strong in emerging marketsNew models launched should remember why they are popular in developing worldIn places like Brazil and South Africa, the 10 is the update to their current phonein Sub-Saharan Africa there is...

Read More..

Teen shooting victim was 'slaughtered,' says brother, 10

A 15-year-old girl who had recently taken part in inauguration events in Washington was shot to death after leaving her South Side school Tuesday. ...

Read More..

Egypt curfew scaled back as Mursi seeks end to bloodshed

CAIRO/BERLIN (Reuters) - Egyptian authorities scaled back a curfew imposed by President Mohamed Mursi, and the Islamist leader cut short a visit to Europe on Wednesday to deal with the deadliest violence in the seven months since he took power. Two more protesters were shot dead before dawn near Cairo's central Tahrir Square on Wednesday, a day after the army chief warned that the state...

Read More..

Defensive stocks extend rally as caution sets in

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Stocks rose on Tuesday, led by defensive sectors, in a sign the cash piles recently moving into the market are being put to use by cautious investors to pick up more gains. The S&P 500 is on track to post its best monthly performance since October 2011 and its best January since 1997 as investors poured $55 billion in new cash into stock mutual funds and exchange-traded...

Read More..

Super Bowl advertisers tease viewers

NEW YORK (AP) — Super Bowl advertisers are learning the art of the tease.Supermodel Kate Upton appears in an online Mercedes-Benz video in a low-cut top. An unknown man wakes up with his face covered in smeared lipstick and his hands bound in furry handcuffs in a Gildan Activewear clip. And "30 Rock" star Tracy Morgan seemingly curses in a spot for Kraft's Mio flavored drops.Super Bowl advertisers...

Read More..

Is the U.S. getting Egypt wrong again?

Egyptian riot police stand guard as people protest against Egypt's President Mohamed Morsy in Cairo on December 29, 2012.STORY HIGHLIGHTSNational protests against Morsy set for second anniversary of Egypt's revolution Cynthia Schneider: U.S. out of step, underestimates the anti-Morsy sentiment She says proponents of secular democracy think the U.S. backs Muslim BrotherhoodShe says massive protests...

Read More..

1 dead, 2 wounded in Grand Crossing shooting

Chicago Police investigate near the body of a shooting victim on S. Champlain Avenue near 75th Street in Chicago. ...

Read More..

Army warns unrest pushing Egypt to the brink

CAIRO, Egypt (Reuters) - Egypt's army chief said political unrest was pushing the state to the brink of collapse - a stark warning from the institution that ran the country until last year as Cairo's first freely elected leader struggles to curb bloody street violence. Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, a U.S.-trained general appointed by President Mohamed Mursi last year to head the armed forces,...

Read More..