Hiring surges in January; jobless rate at 8.3 pct. (AP)

Hiring surges in January; jobless rate at 8.3 pct. (AP)
Komen drops plans to cut Planned Parenthood grants (AP)
Hackers intercept FBI, Scotland Yard call (AP)
Activists say 23 dead in Syria violence (AP)
Micron CEO dies in plane crash (AP)
Muslims to NY attorney general: Investigate NYPD (AP)
5 killed in Egypt clashes over deadly soccer riot (AP)
INFLUENCE GAME: Big donors and what they want (AP)
Racy ads for French movie about infidelity pulled (AP)
NFL's Goodell says no plans to expand anytime soon (AP)
Jobless rate at three-year low as payrolls surge (Reuters)
A sobering look at Facebook (Reuters)
Merged Glencore, Xstrata would take aim at iron ore (Reuters)
Komen reverses move to cut Planned Parenthood funding (Reuters)
Insight: Syria's Assad set for long conflict (Reuters)
Senate OKs insider trading curbs on lawmakers (Reuters)
Swiss bankers' nerves fray after Wegelin indictment (Reuters)
U.S. tourists seized in Egypt's Sinai released (Reuters)
Ron Paul (and Carol) celebrate 55 years of marriage (The Christian Science Monitor)
Romney actually wants to help 'poor people,' and the right isn't happy (The Christian Science Monitor)

Posted: 03 Feb 2012 01:17 PM PST

AP - In a long-awaited surge of hiring, companies added 243,000 jobs in January — across the economy, up and down the pay scale and far more than just about anyone expected. Unemployment fell to 8.3 percent, the lowest in three years.

Komen drops plans to cut Planned Parenthood grants (AP)

Posted: 03 Feb 2012 12:22 PM PST

AP - The Susan G. Komen for the Cure breast-cancer charity on Friday abandoned plans to deny funding to Planned Parenthood. The startling decision came after three days of virulent criticism that resounded across the Internet, jeopardizing Komen's iconic image.

Hackers intercept FBI, Scotland Yard call (AP)

Posted: 03 Feb 2012 01:09 PM PST

AP - Trading jokes and swapping leads, investigators from the FBI and Scotland Yard spent the conference call strategizing about how to bring down the hacking collective known as Anonymous, responsible for a string of embarrassing attacks across the Internet.

Activists say 23 dead in Syria violence (AP)

Posted: 03 Feb 2012 11:54 AM PST

AP - Deadly clashes erupted between government troops and rebels in suburbs of the Syrian capital and villages in the country's south Friday, sparking fighting that killed at least 23 people, including nine soldiers, activists said.

Micron CEO dies in plane crash (AP)

Posted: 03 Feb 2012 12:52 PM PST

AP - The head of Idaho memory chip maker Micron died Friday morning when the small experimental plane he was piloting crashed at the Boise airport, the company said.

Muslims to NY attorney general: Investigate NYPD (AP)

Posted: 03 Feb 2012 12:57 PM PST

AP - Thirty-three civil rights groups from around the country complained to the New York attorney general Friday about police documents that showed the New York Police Department recommending increased surveillance of Shiite mosques based solely on their religion.

5 killed in Egypt clashes over deadly soccer riot (AP)

Posted: 03 Feb 2012 01:16 PM PST

AP - Police fired salvos of tear gas and birdshot Friday at rock-throwing protesters in Cairo as popular anger over a deadly soccer riot spilled over into a second day of street violence that left at least five people dead and more than 1,500 injured nationwide, officials said.

INFLUENCE GAME: Big donors and what they want (AP)

Posted: 03 Feb 2012 12:44 PM PST

AP - The millionaires, billionaires and companies giving big sums to political committees supporting Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich and Barack Obama have important business with the next president. Some are already in trouble with the government. Some are pressing for new laws or regulations that would benefit their interests in energy, mining and high finance.

Racy ads for French movie about infidelity pulled (AP)

Posted: 03 Feb 2012 10:21 AM PST

AP - What does it take to shock in the land of the Gallic shrug? Ads that suggest adulterous oral sex, according to complaints about new movie "Les Infideles."

NFL's Goodell says no plans to expand anytime soon (AP)

Posted: 03 Feb 2012 10:45 AM PST

AP - Sorry, Los Angeles. The only NFL expansion happening anytime soon is to next season's schedule of Thursday night games.

Jobless rate at three-year low as payrolls surge (Reuters)

Posted: 03 Feb 2012 10:25 AM PST

Reuters - The United States created jobs at the fastest pace in nine months in January and the unemployment rate unexpectedly dropped to a near three-year low, giving a boost to President Barack Obama.

A sobering look at Facebook (Reuters)

Posted: 03 Feb 2012 09:42 AM PST

Reuters - It's the year's hottest initial public offering, but some wealth managers find themselves having a hard time recommending Facebook to their clients.

Merged Glencore, Xstrata would take aim at iron ore (Reuters)

Posted: 03 Feb 2012 06:42 AM PST

Reuters - An $80 billion marriage of commodities trader Glencore and miner Xstrata could lead to a new round of takeovers in iron ore, creating a goliath eager to muscle its way onto one of mining's richest and most closely guarded sectors.

Komen reverses move to cut Planned Parenthood funding (Reuters)

Posted: 03 Feb 2012 12:47 PM PST

Reuters - The Susan G. Komen for the Cure foundation backed down from its decision to cut funding for Planned Parenthood, which provides abortion and birth control services, following a massive outcry by supporters of the world's largest breast cancer charity.

Insight: Syria's Assad set for long conflict (Reuters)

Posted: 03 Feb 2012 08:31 AM PST

Reuters - With the enemy at the gates, Bashar al-Assad was dining out.

Senate OKs insider trading curbs on lawmakers (Reuters)

Posted: 03 Feb 2012 08:08 AM PST

Reuters - The Senate on Thursday approved new curbs aimed at preventing lawmakers from trading shares based on inside information, but also extended the bill's disclosure requirements to more than 300,000 other federal employees.

Swiss bankers' nerves fray after Wegelin indictment (Reuters)

Posted: 03 Feb 2012 11:00 AM PST

Reuters - The first indictment of a Swiss private bank over hiding untaxed money for wealthy Americans has heightened tension among private bankers fearful of being next in the firing line.

U.S. tourists seized in Egypt's Sinai released (Reuters)

Posted: 03 Feb 2012 09:31 AM PST

Reuters - Two American women kidnapped by gunmen in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula on Friday were released into army custody a few hours later, security sources said.

Ron Paul (and Carol) celebrate 55 years of marriage (The Christian Science Monitor)

Posted: 02 Feb 2012 11:20 AM PST

The Christian Science Monitor - Happy (belated) wedding anniversary to Ron and Carol Paul.

Romney actually wants to help 'poor people,' and the right isn't happy (The Christian Science Monitor)

Posted: 02 Feb 2012 09:54 AM PST

The Christian Science Monitor - It isnâ€™t just the left thatâ€™s attacking Mitt Romney for saying heâ€™s â€œnot concerned about the very poor.â€ The right is also in high dudgeon â€" and not just because Mr. Romney made it easy (again) for his detractors to portray him as an out-of-touch rich guy.