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AP U.S. NewsBrief at 4:38 a.m. EDT(Associated Press Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Cell carriers to roll out "mobile wallets" in UtahSALT LAKE CITY (AP) _ A joint venture between three of the nation's four largest cell phone carriers will soon offer the United States' first commercially available mobile fare payment program to a public transportation system. Isis, a mobile commerce joint venture between AT&T Mobility, T-Mobile USA and Verizon Wireless, announced Tuesday it will roll out the pilot program in Salt Lake City in 2012, offering an alternative to credit and debit cards for Utah Transit Authority fare payments. No deal yet as possible government shutdown loomsWASHINGTON (AP) _ Talks appear to be intensifying on Capitol Hill on reaching a deal on long-overdue legislation to finance the government through the end of September _ and avoid a government shutdown. Whether a shutdown can be avoided in three days' time is another matter. A White House meeting Tuesday that included President Barack Obama, House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., failed to produce the hoped-for breakthrough, however, with a stopgap government funding bill set to expire Friday at midnight. Schools face cliff as education money dries upAs lawmakers around the country debate their states' budgets, they're staring over the edge of a massive fiscal cliff _ the point where about $100 billion in federal stimulus money for education will run out. The end of that money will compound states' severe budget woes and likely lead to thousands of layoffs and the elimination of popular school programs around the country. Bells, tears mark 1 year since W.Va. mine blastCHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) _ A year later, the pain of the nation's deadliest coal mine explosion in decades remained fresh for the families of the 29 men killed at West Virginia's Upper Big Branch mine. More than 120 fathers, mothers, siblings and children crowded a school gym and church, shedding tears Tuesday as they remembered and prayed for the victims killed when the powerful blast tore apart the Upper Big Branch mine April 5, 2010. US library to save famous baseball, country tunesWASHINGTON (AP) _ The 1908 tune, "Take Me Out to the Ball-game," that became the anthem for America's favorite pastime, will be preserved at the Library of Congress, along with 24 other recordings chosen for their cultural significance, the library announced Wednesday. This year's selections for the National Recording Registry include Tammy Wynette's 1968 country song that divided American women with the message, "Stand By Your Man." Release date set for man in Calif. bus kidnappingSACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) _ California's parole board on Tuesday granted parole for a man convicted of hijacking a school bus and holding 26 children and their driver captive underground in 1976, the latest turn in a years-long debate over whether the three men involved in the crime have served enough time. Richard Allen Schoenfeld was set for release in 2021. However, any governor in the next 10 years can ask the board to reconsider its decision, board spokesman Luis Patino said. Bristol Palin earns $262K for teen pregnancy workANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) _ Tax documents show unwed mother Bristol Palin earned more than $262,000 for her role in helping raise awareness for teen pregnancy prevention in 2009. The most recent data for The Candie's Foundation that's posted online by research firm GuideStar shows compensation at $262,500 for the now 20-year-old daughter of former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, the 2008 Republican vice presidential nominee. Split over union law reaches Wis. court raceMADISON, Wis. (AP) _ Wisconsin's fight over union rights came to a head at the polls as voters split almost evenly over whether to re-elect a conservative-leaning justice or give his little-known opponent his seat on the state Supreme Court. The race between Justice David Prosser and challenger JoAnne Kloppenburg was too close to call early Wednesday morning. With 99 percent of precincts reporting, Prosser led Kloppenburg by fewer than 600 votes. Final, official results could vary and a recount appeared likely. Wife of Vegas' colorful mayor closer to successionLAS VEGAS (AP) _ Mayor Oscar Goodman has led this city of neon lights and cheap cocktails for 12 years with his entourage of bedazzled showgirls and oversized gin martinis. Forced to select his successor, voters now must choose between a woman who says the city needs a serious leader, or the mother of Goodman's four children. Abortion foes' tactics highlight high NYC rateNEW YORK (AP) _ Ciara Guernon was in a troubled relationship and working three jobs when she learned she was pregnant. The 22-year-old began calling people to see if they would lend her money for an abortion. "I didn't think I'd be a good mom," she said. Guernon ultimately decided to have the baby after a visit to the fervently anti-abortion EMC Frontline Pregnancy Center in Brooklyn, where she was shown her sonogram. (c) 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. |