Calif. beach to be roped off year-round for seals

CHULA VISTA (AP) - California coastal regulators voted Wednesday to keep a rope barrier up year-round at a picturesque San Diego beach that's used by seals during breeding season. The seals' presence at Children's Pool has been the subject of a long-running fight, and emotions ran high at the California Coastal Commission meeting, with the public comment period lasting about two hours. ...

Electric rates not falling along with fuel costs

Home cooking expert Cunningham dies at 90

Arcing power lines caused Utah wildfire

Health care options for young, healthy & broke

WASHINGTON (AP) - They're young, healthy and flat broke - and now the government says they have to buy thousands of dollars' worth of medical insurance. What should tapped-out twentysomethings do?

Wildland firefighters win federal health benefits

Episcopal Church approves same-sex blessing

Nation news briefs

TEXAS SWITCHES TO 1-DRUG EXECUTION DUE TO SHORTAGE: DALLAS (AP) - Texas, the nation's most active death penalty state, announced Tuesday that it would become the latest to switch to single-drug executions amid a drug shortage that has left states scrambling for acceptable alternatives.

Strip club sues 'Octomom' for cancelled shows

NYC rally: The Million Big Gulp March

New York may go smaller with 300-square-foot apartment units

Firefighters gain ground but struggle in Idaho

4 suspects linked to Fast and Furious

Obama: Tax cuts for families under $250K

Nation news briefs

AT&T DROPS LEGAL FIGHT OVER MASS. MAN'S $1M BILL: IPSWICH, Mass. (AP) - AT&T Inc. says it's dropping its legal fight against a Massachusetts businessman whose company was on the hook for a fraudulent million-dollar phone bill.

5 year-old shoots 2-year-old sister in Kentucky

Wind-fueled wildfire erupts east of LA

Missing woman, thought dead, surfaces in Fla.

J.C. Penney ad apologizes to retail customers

Ohio executes man who killed, raped 6-month-old

Justice appeals morning-after case

Food, skin allergies increasing in children

FBI: Backpack from Boston suspect's room

Nation news briefs

FROSTY START FOR UPSTATE NY ICE CREAM TRUCK SEASON: GLOVERSVILLE, N.Y. (AP) - The chilly relationship between rival upstate New York ice cream truck operators got out of hand this season, with Sno Cone Joe trying to chase Mr. Ding-A-Ling out of the market, authorities said Wednesday.

'American Idol' is now 3rd-rated competition show

Kansas school apologies to Airman in prom dispute

Kansas school apologies to Airman in prom dispute

Morning-after pill OK for ages 15 and up

Maria Shriver is coming back to NBC News

Worker dies in blender at Oregon meat plant

Utah referee critically hurt by soccer game punch