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AP Top News at 2:33 p.m. EDT(Associated Press Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Weiner resigns in wake of sexting scandalNEW YORK (AP) _ Embattled New York Rep. Anthony Weiner is resigning from Congress, saying he cannot continue in office amid the intense controversy surrounding sexually explicit messages he sent online to several women. The 46-year-old Democrat made the announcement in his home district in New York after two weeks of fighting off pressure to step aside. Weiner apologized again for "the embarrassment that I have caused" and said he hoped to continue to fight for the causes dear to his constituents. NATO hits Gadhafi compound, diplomacy heats upTRIPOLI, Libya (AP) _ Hours after NATO airstrikes pounded the area near Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi's compound again before dawn Thursday, Russia's envoy to Libya turned up at a bombing site while on a visit to Tripoli for talks on ending the civil war. Italy's foreign minister, meanwhile, said his government was calling together tribal leaders from all parts of Libya for a meeting to promote reconciliation. Economy gets lift: Layoffs ease, home building upWASHINGTON (AP) _ Fewer Americans applied for unemployment benefits last week and builders broke ground on more homes in May. The latest data offered some hope that the economy may be improving after hitting a slump in late spring. Unemployment benefit applications fell to a seasonally adjusted 414,000, the Labor Department said. It was the second drop in three weeks and a positive sign that layoffs are slowing. Obama talks drawdown with his top Afghan commanderWASHINGTON (AP) _ The White House says President Barack Obama has met his top Afghanistan commander to discuss options about how the U.S. military could begin withdrawing American troops. White House spokesman Jay Carney says the president met with Gen. David Petraeus and his national security team on Wednesday, and they discussed a range of options. Missouri River floodwater reaches Iowa town leveeHAMBURG, Iowa (AP) _ Water that has been pouring through a breached Missouri River levee finally reached a makeshift barrier that is a small Iowa town's only hope of avoiding major flooding, authorities said Thursday. The water, which breached the primary levee south of Hamburg on Monday and has been slowly advancing over the surrounding farmland, reached the 8-foot-tall levee late Wednesday, Army Corps of Engineers spokesman Carlos Lazo said. There were no immediate problems reported along the structure, where officials expect about 5 feet of water to eventually collect. Greek default could trigger chain reactionFRANKFURT, Germany (AP) _ Greece's economy is small but the shock waves from a default on its debt could be amplified by links in the global financial system to hurt stocks, banks and entire economies far from the epicenter in Athens. In Greece, banks could go bust, overwhelming the government's ability to bail them out, and lenders in France, Germany and elsewhere in Europe could suffer serious losses. Nearly 150 hurt in Vancouver riot following lossVANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) _ Almost 150 people required hospital treatment and close to 100 were arrested after rioters swept through downtown Vancouver following a Canucks loss to the Boston Bruins in the decisive Game 7 of the Stanley Cup final. Vancouver Coastal Health spokeswoman Anna Marie D'Angelo said Thursday three stabbing victims have been admitted and an unidentified man is in critical condition with head injuries after a fall. Texas polygamist deaths suspect pleads guiltyHOUSTON (AP) _ A polygamist sect leader's daughter has pleaded guilty to a charge related to the slayings of three former sect members and an 8-year-old girl in 1988. Jacqueline LeBaron initially had faced murder and other charges. She now only faces up to five years in prison after pleading guilty Thursday to conspiracy to obstruct religious beliefs. The plea in Houston comes four days before the 45-year-old's trial was set to begin. Ohio fire that killed 6 likely caused by grillWARREN, Ohio (AP) _ A fire chief says a house fire that killed two adults and four children in northeast Ohio was likely caused by a charcoal grill still burning well after midnight. Warren Fire Chief Ken Nussle says the grill was near the rear wall of the home and an abutting wooden fence. The Thursday morning fire burned a hole in the fence through which the clamshell grill can be seen on the back porch. For a pioneer of technology, 100 years of "Think"ENDICOTT, N.Y. (AP) _ Google, Apple and Facebook get all the attention. But the forgettable everyday tasks of technology _ saving a file on your laptop, swiping your ATM card to get 40 bucks, scanning a gallon of milk at the checkout line _ that's all IBM. International Business Machines turns 100 on Thursday without much fanfare. But its much younger competitors owe a lot to Big Blue. (c) 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. |