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WASHINGTON – The Supreme Court (search) rejected appeals Monday from two journalists who have refused to testify before a grand jury about the leak of an undercover CIA officer’s identity. The cases asked the court to revisit an issue that it last dealt with more than 30 years ago — …

HOUSTON – A retired public school teacher who was so frugal that he bought expired meat and secondhand clothing left $2.1 million for his alma mater, Prairie View A&M (search) — the school’s largest gift from a single donor. Whitlowe R. Green (search), 88, died of cancer in 2002. He …

CAIRO, Egypt – Iraq’s most feared terror group said Tuesday that it has formed a unit of potential suicide attackers who are exclusively Iraqis, an apparent bid to deflect criticism that most bombers in Iraq are foreigners. Al Qaeda in Iraq (search) announced the unit in an Internet posting signed …

JERSEY CITY, N.J. – A man was convicted of manslaughter for beating his girlfriend to death with a hammer in 1982, but he will walk free because the law in effect then included a five-year statute of limitations. Jurors found Marc Ferrara (search), 43, guilty of aggravated manslaughter Thursday in …

NEW YORK – Burt Reynolds (search) and a former girlfriend have agreed to settle lawsuits they filed against each other in November, according to lawyers for both sides. “Neither side admits the allegations in the other’s lawsuit, but both parties are committed to putting this matter behind them and moving …

WASHINGTON – Construction spending rose a healthy 0.5 percent to a record level in April, as office construction surged and activity in the red-hot housing market hit an all-time high, the government reported Wednesday. The Commerce Department (search) said the increase pushed building activity to a seasonally adjusted annual rate …

It sounds like something straight out of a fairy tale — a potion that makes people trust others more than they normally would. But the news comes from scientists, not the Brothers Grimm. Their report can be found in the scientific journal Nature, not on a shelf with children’s books …

The difference between a social butterfly and an introverted recluse may be in the genes. But it may be the genes that scientists least suspect. Researchers say the findings indicate that social behavior, such as shyness and boldness, may be shaped by seemingly unimportant DNA often referred to as “junk” …

ROME – The Roman Catholic Church placed Pope John Paul II (search) on the path to sainthood Tuesday during a joyous ceremony at a Roman basilica — the fastest start to a beatification process in memory for a man many considered a saint long before he died. Cardinal Camillo Ruini …

WACO, Texas – A former Baylor University (search) basketball player pleaded guilty Wednesday to shooting a teammate to death in 2003, a slaying that sparked a huge scandal in the basketball program at the Baptist school. Carlton Dotson (search), 23, faces five years to life in prison on the murder …