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AP Top News at 12:53 p.m. EDT(Associated Press Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Pelosi: House taking up health care before recessWASHINGTON (AP) _ House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Wednesday that her chamber would have a sweeping health care bill on the floor by the end of July, an announcement that President Barack Obama hailed. "That's the kind of urgency and determination that we need to achieve what I believe will be historic legislation," the president said at the White House, standing on the south driveway with Pelosi and Democratic leaders of the relevant House committees. Obama seeks to block release of detainee photosWASHINGTON (AP) _ President Barack Obama is seeking to block the immediate release of hundreds of photos showing U.S. personnel allegedly abusing prisoners in Iraq and Afghanistan. An Obama administration official said Wednesday that the president told his legal advisers last week that releasing the photos would endanger U.S. troops. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the discussions were private. Retail sales drop unexpectedly in AprilWASHINGTON (AP) _ Retail sales fell for a second straight month in April, a disappointing performance that raised doubts about whether consumers were regaining their desire to shop. A rebound in consumer demand is a necessary ingredient for ending the recession. The Commerce Department said Wednesday that retail sales fell 0.4 percent last month. Many economists had expected a flat reading, and the April weakness followed a 1.3 percent drop in March that was worse than first estimated. EU fines Intel record $1.45B for sales tacticsBRUSSELS (AP) _ The European Union fined Intel Corp. a record euro1.06 billion ($1.45 billion) on Wednesday and ordered the world's biggest maker of computer chips to stop illegal sales tactics that shut out Silicon Valley rival AMD. The fine, which exceeded a euro899 million monopoly abuse penalty imposed on Microsoft Corp. last year, was denounced by Intel, which plans to appeal to an EU court within 60 days. Atlantis moves in on Hubble to grab telescopeCAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) _ Shuttle Atlantis and its crew moved toward the Hubble Space Telescope for a 350-mile-high grab Wednesday that will set the stage for five days of treacherous spacewalking repairs in an orbit littered with space junk. Late Tuesday, the astronauts got comforting news: the ugly stretch of nicks on Atlantis' thermal tiles was not considered serious, and no further inspections were needed. NASA is continuing to prep another shuttle, though, just in case a piece of space junk hits the shuttle during the mission. Republicans block Obama pick for Interior deputyWASHINGTON (AP) _ Republicans blocked President Barack Obama's pick for the No. 2 job at the Interior Department Wednesday in a dispute over oil and gas leases, but Democrats signaled they would soon make a second attempt to win confirmation. The 57-39 vote was three short of the 60 needed to advance David Hayes past Republican objections, and made him the first of Obama's top-level nominees to be sidetracked on the Senate floor. Reports: GM to export China-built cars to USSHANGHAI (AP) _ General Motors Corp. plans to begin exports of vehicles made in China to the United States within two years, ramping up sales to more than 50,000 by 2014, reports said Wednesday. A spokeswoman for GM in China did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the reports, which were said to be based on a company recovery plan given to U.S. lawmakers. Ill. AG: Craigslist dropping 'erotic services' adsCHICAGO (AP) _ The online classified ads site Craigslist will drop its "erotic services" category that critics called a front for prostitution, replacing it with an adult category to be monitored internally, government enforcers from three states said Wednesday. Pressure to remove the category increased this spring after a Boston medical student was charged with killing a masseuse who authorities say he met through Craigslist. Stars gather for opening of Cannes Film FestivalCANNES, France (AP) _ The evening gowns glittered, the red carpet was unfurled _ and the 3-D glasses were at hand as the 62nd Cannes Film Festival opened Wednesday. Organizers were hoping the opener, the soaring 3-D adventure "Up," would provide a buoyant start before the festival plunges into 12 days of movies that take in passion, murder, Korean vampires and a band of Nazi-hunters led by Brad Pitt. Ex-NBA player Blount sentenced to 1 year in prisonHAMILTON, Ohio (AP) _ Former NBA player and University of Cincinnati star Corie Blount was sentenced to one year in prison on Wednesday in a plea arrangement resulting from drug charges. Blount, 40, had pleaded guilty in Butler County Common Pleas Court last month to two felony counts of marijuana possession after prosecutors dropped two trafficking charges. (c) 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. |