Republican John McCain introduced first-term Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his vice presidential running mate Friday, a stunning selection of a little-known conservative newcomer who relishes fighting the establishment. ...

In two short years, Sarah Palin moved from small-town mayor with a taste for mooseburgers to the governor's office and now _ making history _ to John McCain's side as the first female running mate on a Republican...

IN THE HEADLINES McCain selects Alaska's Gov. Sarah Palin to be vice presidential nominee ... Obama camp hits, then praises McCain's choice of a female running mate ... Secrecy, soundings and surprise marked McCain's...

Republican presidential candidate John McCain plans to air television commercials in Minnesota, at least during the Republican National Convention here, establishing a strong presence in a state that has not been a...

The Republican National Committee on Friday made its penalties stick against South Carolina, New Hampshire, Florida and Michigan for holding primaries earlier than rules allowed. RNC credentials committee member and...

Two airliners were one minute from colliding when at least one of the planes turned away from the other over the Caribbean this week, federal authorities said Friday. The National Transportation Safety Board said it...

Gustav became a hurricane again on Friday as it plowed toward Cayman Islands resorts, the start of a buildup that could take it to the U.S. Gulf Coast as a fearsome Category-3 storm three years after Hurricane Katrina. ...

Former Hollywood private eye Anthony Pellicano and his entertainment lawyer co-defendant were convicted Friday of charges linked to the wiretapping of billionaire investor Kirk Kerkorian's former wife in a child support...

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Providence will pay $1.3 million to four people who said they were abused by priests, lawyers announced Friday. The settlements were reached in June and will go to the victims or their...

!!-- AUDIO:323,319 -->Police with bullhorns plan to go street to street this weekend with a tough message about getting out ahead of Hurricane Gustav: This time there will be no shelter of last resort. The doors to the...

Deploying all 26,000 members of a peacekeeping force in conflict-wracked Darfur will take many more months because of growing insecurity and logistical difficulties, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said in a report...

Brazil will spend US$160 million by the end of next year on the development of a nuclear-propelled submarine to protect the oil reserves found recently off its coast, the defense minister said Friday. The vessel _...

A punk rocker known for his raunchy lyrics criticizing Fidel Castro and Cuba's communist government cried "freedom!" as he was led into a courthouse Friday to stand trial on charges of "pre-crime social dangerousness." ...

Canada's prime minister will likely schedule an election in October to try to shore up his minority government, a senior official in his office said Friday. The official said Stephen Harper is most likely dissolve...

!!-- pobj:BEI112-0829081724 -->!!-- pobj:BEI109-0829081736 -->!!-- pobj:BEI106-0829081722 -->Hezbollah on Friday handed over a man suspected of firing on a Lebanese army helicopter a day earlier that killed a navigator,...

!!-- pobj:WASEA201-0827082217 -->Leaders of Boeing Co.'s Machinists union called for a strike Friday after deciding a proposed labor contract the aerospace company called its "best and final" offer wasn't good enough....

Wall Street tumbled Friday after the government said personal incomes fell last month by the largest amount in nearly three years while consumer spending slowed. The Dow Jones industrial average fell more than 170...

It's a game of political chicken, and U.S. poultry producers are caught in the middle. Russia, the top market for U.S. chicken exports, will be banning imports from at least 19 plants on Monday. While U.S. producers...

Treasury prices mostly fell Friday ahead of the long holiday weekend as traders booked profits in an abbreviated session. Investors examined an apparent improvement in Midwest business conditions, which perhaps...

Retail gas prices swung higher Friday _ the first increase in 43 days _ as analysts warned that a direct hit on U.S. energy infrastructure by Hurricane Gustav could send pump prices hurtling toward $5 a gallon. ...

Fuel prices have grounded an unexpected frequent-flyer: Diddy. Sean "Diddy" Combs complained about the "... too high" price of gas and pleaded for free oil from his "Saudi Arabia brothers and sisters" in a YouTube...

Jennifer Aniston will return home to NBC, the TV network where she became a breakout star on the hit sitcom "Friends." She's currently filming a guest appearance on the network's "30 Rock," Aniston publicist Stephen...

Barack Obama's audience for his acceptance speech likely topped 40 million people, and the Democratic gathering that nominated him was a more popular television event than any other political convention in history. ...

Like the NFL teams beginning their new seasons, Usher is hoping to go all the way to the Super Bowl. The R&B singer will perform the season's kickoff concert on Thursday in New York's Columbus Circle along with...

On one side of the "Raising the Bar" soundstage is a sterile office space punctuated with old phones, metal filing cabinets and stacks of papers. On the other side: a far less drab enclave accented with modern office...

Former Seattle SuperSonics owner Howard Schultz said he's dropping his lawsuit against new team owner Clay Bennett, ending an attempt to regain ownership of the team that has moved to Oklahoma City. The Starbucks Corp....

Aiming to build some momentum heading into NASCAR's Chase for the Sprint Cup championship, Jimmie Johnson got off to a good start Friday, winning the pole at Auto Club Speedway. The two-time reigning Cup champion was...

Mike Weir shaved his "playoff beard" when his wife and children flew into town this week, but that had no bearing on his golf Friday. This was a round to enjoy, not explain. Determined to get off to a better start,...

The NFL suspended Minnesota left tackle Bryant McKinnie for four games without pay Friday for violating the league's personal conduct policy, a blow to the protection of Vikings quarterback Tarvaris Jackson's blind...

Federal prosecutors are considering charging the wife and mother-in-law of Barry Bonds' personal trainer in an effort to pressure Greg Anderson to testify against the slugger during his perjury trial, The New York Times...

EDITORS' NOTE: This story is part of a series of Baptist Press stories about Fireproof, which hits theaters Sept. 26. To read how churches can get involved click here. To read an overview about the movie click here. To...

BEIJING (BP)--Sitting in Yu Jie's home in Beijing as he talked about his church and about the growth of Christianity in China, I pondered the events that had brought me to this place.To provide some background, house...

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (BP)--A new poll shows a proposed constitutional marriage amendment in California losing, and the results could have been influenced by a new ballot title that amendment supporters say is biased.The...

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--"New breed" evangelicals have been misunderstood by the media, Rick Warren told a Wall Street Journal reporter after the Aug. 22 forum Saddleback Church hosted with presidential candidates Barack...

DENVER (BP)--Southern Baptist volunteers served tens of thousands of meals to law enforcement personnel at the Democratic National Convention this past week as part of a six-day "Love Denver" effort.A team of about 20...

The government said Thursday that the salmonella outbreak that sickened at least 1,440 people appears to be over, but its ultimate source may never be known, partly because of shortcomings in the nation's food safety...

Scientists for the first time have peered into people's brains to directly measure the ebb and flow of a substance notorious for its role in Alzheimer's disease. The delicate research was performed not with Alzheimer's...

Almost 12 percent of the deaths among American Indians and Alaska Natives are alcohol-related _ more than three times the percentage in the general population, a new federal report says. The report released Thursday by...

In an Aug. 26 story about a new TV ad linking hot dogs with cancer, The Associated Press, relying on figures provided by a nutrition adviser to the American Institute for Cancer Research, erroneously reported average...

Talk about an extreme makeover: Scientists have transformed one type of cell into another in living mice, a big step toward the goal of growing replacement tissues to treat a variety of diseases. The cell identity...

The tropical storm bearing down on the Gulf Coast could be a test for the country's wireless carriers, which faced criticism and a regulatory push after Hurricane Katrina took out networks. Sprint Nextel Corp....

The newspaper industry's downward spiral is accelerating as the weak U.S. economy depresses already-tumbling advertising revenue and forces more rounds of job cuts and other trims. The developments of recent weeks come...

When a computer glitch at a Federal Aviation Administration center caused widespread airline delays this week, it served as a reminder that the U.S. flight system is waiting for a modernizing overhaul. But it also...

The difference between a monster and a wimp for Gulf of Mexico hurricanes often comes down to a small patch of warm deep water that's easy to miss. It's called the Loop Current, and hurricane trackers say Gustav is...

General Motors Corp. says it will offer optional radios with USB ports for personal music players on some of its 2009 models. The new radios will allow customers to play music from iPods or MP3 players while charging...

Tropical Storm Gustav will continue to be the focus of potential serious weather for the next several days near the Gulf Coast, while a broadening ridge of high pressure will move through the heart of the country and...

The remnants of Tropical Storm Fay were expected to meander along the East Coast on Thursday, producing showers and thunderstorms from the Ohio Valley through the mid-Atlantic. A cold front was forecast to bring storms...

The remnants of Tropical Storm Fay in the Southeast moved slowly northward into the mid-Atlantic on Wednesday. There was the possibility of a brief tornado or two in addition to locally gusty winds. In the midsection...

Torrential rain was forecast for the Southeast on Tuesday as the remnants of Tropical Storm Fay lingered over the region, while showers were expected from the Pacific Northwest to the northern Rockies and into the...

The remnants of Tropical Storm Fay continued to bring trouble to the Southeast on Monday. As Fay moved slowly through Mississippi, areas of the Deep South saw heavy rainfall, strong winds and thunderstorms. Heavy rain...