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U.S. rate on 30-year mortgages rises to 3.59 pct. May 23, 2013 12:00 AM
Average rates on fixed mortgage rose for the third straight week, hitting their highest levels since mid-March. Still, mortgage rates remained close to historic lows, a trend that should help sustain the housing recovery. Mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday that the average rate for the 30-year loan increased to 3.59 percent this week.
Applications for US unemployment aid fall to 340K May 23, 2013 12:00 AM
The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits fell 23,000 last week to a seasonally adjusted 340,000, a level consistent with solid job growth. "The underlying story in jobless claims continues to be one of gradual improvement," said economist Bricklin Dwyer.
U.S. new home sales up 2.3 percent in April May 23, 2013 12:00 AM
Sales of new homes rose in April to the second highest level since the summer of 2008 while the median price for a new home hit a record high, further signs that housing is recovering. New-home sales rose to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 454,000 in April, the Commerce Department said Thursday. That was up 2.3 percent from March and just slightly below January's 458,000.
Pritzker to be pressed on bank, offshore cashMay 23, 2013 12:00 AM
Chicago billionaire Penny Pritzker, whose fundraising prowess fueled President Barack Obama's ascent, will confront Republicans' questions about a bank she led and offshore trusts that benefit her during a hearing on her nomination to be U.S. Commerce secretary.
Urban renewal? Big US cities showing strong growth May 23, 2013 12:00 AM
Urban renewal? New census estimates show that most of the nation's largest cities further enhanced their allure last year, posting strong population growth for a second straight year. Big cities surpassed the rate of growth of their surrounding suburbs at an even faster clip, a sign of America's continuing preference for urban living after the economic downturn quelled enthusiasm for less-crowded expanses.
Jurors deadlock on Arias death penalty May 23, 2013 12:00 AM
The mistrial set the stage for a whole new proceeding to determine whether the 32-year-old former waitress should get a life sentence or the death penalty for murdering Travis Alexander five years ago.
IRS replaces official who oversaw targeting May 23, 2013 12:00 AM
A day after she refused to answer questions at a congressional hearing, Lois Lerner has been replaced as director the Internal Revenue Service division that oversaw agents who targeted tea party groups.
Smooth confirmation hearing for Pritzker May 23, 2013 12:00 AM
President Barack Obama’s nominee for commerce secretary was questioned briefly about her ties to a subprime mortgage lender that failed in 2001 and her role as a beneficiary of family offshore trusts in the Bahamas, but those were minor bumps in an otherwise smooth Senate confirmation hearing Thursday.
This year’s hurricane names: From Andrea to Wendy May 23, 2013 12:00 AM
Youngest Okla. tornado victims remembered by kin May 23, 2013 12:00 AM
Nine-year-old Sydney Angle was "everywhere at once" when she was out on the softball field. Kyle Davis, 8, was nicknamed "The Wall" because of his size and presence on the soccer field. JaNae Hornsby, also 9, was the life of the party. The three were among seven small children pulled lifeless from the rubble of the Plaza Towers Elementary School after a monstrous tornado raked across the building.
$2B in Okla. tornado damage means hard recovery May 23, 2013 12:00 AM
All that is left of Shayne Patteson's three-bedroom home is the tiny area where his wife hunkered down under a mattress to protect their three children when a tornado packing winds of at least 200 mph slammed through his neighborhood. Patteson vowed to rebuild, but said next time he will have an underground storm shelter. "That is the first thing that will be going into the design of the house."
Scout leadership votes to accept gay boys May 23, 2013 12:00 AM
The Boy Scouts of America’s National Council has voted to ease a long-standing ban and allow openly gay boys to be accepted as Scouts.Of the local Scout leaders voting at their annual meeting in Texas, more than 60 percent supported the proposal.
Man shot by FBI had ties to Boston bombing suspect May 23, 2013 12:00 AM
A Chechen immigrant shot to death in Florida after an altercation with an FBI agent implicated himself in a triple slaying that officials believe may have been connected to Boston Marathon bombing suspect Tamerlan Tsarnaev, authorities said.
Brave woman tried to reason with London attackers May 23, 2013 12:00 AM
A brave scout leader who may have prevented further violence has emerged as an unlikely hero in the apparent terror attack that left one man dead on the streets of London. Ingrid Loyau-Kennett got off a bus and tried to reason with the two attackers after she tried to help the man lying on the street but found he had no pulse and was already dead.
Q&A: What is known about London attack May 23, 2013 12:00 AM
A look at the key known facts about the Wednesday attack in south London, when two men hacked another to death near military barracks.
Obama defends drone strikesMay 23, 2013 12:00 AM
Since taking office, Obama's counterterrorism strategy has increasingly relied on the use of strikes by unmanned spy drones, particularly in Pakistan and Yemen. The highly secretive program has faced criticism from congressional lawmakers who have questioned its scope and legality.
2 more arrests in London attack investigation May 23, 2013 12:00 AM
British police say two more people have been arrested by officers investigating the hacking death of a U.K. soldier in London. Scotland Yard said counterterrorism officers arrested a man and a woman — both 29 — on Thursday on suspicion of conspiracy to murder. Both suspects are in custody at a south London police station.
No fatalities in I-5 bridge collapse in WashingtonMay 23, 2013 12:00 AM
Authorities say there were no fatalities when an Interstate 5 bridge over a river north of Seattle collapsed. The Thursday evening bridge failure dumped vehicles and people into the water. Marcus Deyerin, a spokesman for the Northwest Washington Incident Management team, said there were no fatalities or suspected fatalities. He said three people were rescued from the water and sent to area hospitals. He didn't know the extent of their injuries.
Brutal attack in London blamed on radical Islam May 22, 2013 12:00 AM
Two men with butcher knives hacked man another to death Wednesday near a London military barracks and one then went on video to explain the crime — shouting political statements, gesturing with bloodied hands and waving a meat cleaver. Soon after, arriving police shot and wounded the unidentified assailants and took them into custody.
GOP questions IRS scrutiny of anti-abortion groups May 22, 2013 12:00 AM
The tax collection agency's treatment of applications for nonprofit status of the Coalition for Life of Iowa and other anti-abortion groups has gotten new attention in the wake of an ongoing scandal over the alleged targeting of conservative groups.