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AP Top News at 8:33 a.m. EDT
(AP Online Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Jobless rate rises to 4-year high of 5.7 percentWASHINGTON (AP) _The nation's unemployment rate has climbed to a four-year high of 5.7 percent in July as employers cut 51,000 jobs, dashing the hopes of an influx of young people looking for summer work. The latest snapshot, released by the Labor Department on Friday, shows that employers remain cautious as a lack of credit stunts their expansion plans and willingness to hire. Fallout from the housing slump and high energy prices also are weighing on employers.
GM posts $15.5 billion 2nd-quarter lossDETROIT (AP) _ General Motors Corp. said Friday its losses widened to $15.5 billion in the second quarter as North American sales plummeted and the company faced expenses due to labor unrest and its massive restructuring plan. The loss of $27.33 per share is the third-worst quarterly loss in the automaker's history. In the same period a year earlier, GM recorded a net profit of $891 million, or $1.56 per share.
House set to pass budget bill today before recessWASHINGTON (AP) _ The House took up its first spending bill Thursday after weeks of delays that have left efforts to pass next year's Cabinet budgets in shambles. The bill is slated to pass on Friday as the House leaves Washington for a five-week recess. The measure _ one of just a handful that may become law before Congress adjourns for elections _ awards generous increases for veterans medical care and military base construction and base closures. It is easily the most bipartisan of the 12 annual appropriations bills since it funds politically sacred veterans accounts, despite exceeding President Bush's already generous budget increase for veterans and military construction by $3.4 billion.
Anthrax scientist commits suicide as FBI closes inWASHINGTON (AP) _ A top U.S. biodefense researcher whose brother says was being aggressively pursued by the FBI in connection with a series of anthrax mailings after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks apparently committed suicide. A report in Friday's Los Angeles Times said criminal charges were about to be filed against Bruce E. Ivins, who died Tuesday at Frederick Memorial Hospital in Maryland of an apparent overdose of prescription Tylenol mixed with codeine.
At least 20 dead after train catches fire in IndiaHYDERABAD, India (AP) _ Police say at least 20 people have died after a train caught fire in southern India. Local police official V.C. Sajjanar said the train caught fire early Friday roughly 125 miles north of Hyderabad, the capital of Andhra Pradesh.
16 students dead in Turkey female dorm collapseANKARA, Turkey (AP) _ A three-story dormitory housing female students collapsed in central Turkey on Friday, killing at least 16 students and setting off a search for a half dozen people believed to be under the rubble, authorities said. Frantic rescue workers removed debris with shovels, pickaxes and their bare hands in search of any survivors.
NTSB investigates Minn. plane crash that killed 8OWATONNA, Minn. (AP) _ Federal investigators planned to spend Friday sifting through the wreckage of a small plane, looking for clues that might explain why it crashed near a regional airport a day earlier, killing all eight people on board. The victims included two pilots and six passengers, all casino and construction executives who were heading to this city about 60 miles south of the Twin Cities for a business meeting.
Phoenix lander discovers ice in Martian soilLOS ANGELES (AP) _ The Phoenix spacecraft has tasted Martian water for the first time, scientists reported Thursday. By melting icy soil in one of its lab instruments, the robot confirmed the presence of frozen water lurking below the Martian permafrost. Until now, evidence of ice in Mars' north pole region has been largely circumstantial.
Elizabeth Taylor visits hospital, to return homeLOS ANGELES (AP) _ Elizabeth Taylor was hospitalized for an undisclosed reason but was expected to return home soon, representatives for the Oscar-winning actress said Thursday. A statement released by Dick Guttman, her Los Angeles-based publicist, did not say where Taylor was staying, nor did it specify what was ailing the 76-year-old actress.
Manny, Junior in big deals on deadline dayManny Ramirez and Ken Griffey Jr. are headed to new teams. Now, let's see how much they influence the pennant races. With more than 1,100 homers between them, two of baseball's greatest sluggers switched leagues just before the trade deadline Thursday to play prominent roles for playoff contenders. Unhappy in Boston, Ramirez got his wish when he was shipped to the Los Angeles Dodgers in a blockbuster, three-team deal that sent outfielder Jason Bay from Pittsburgh to the Red Sox.
Copyright ? 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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