New legislation proposed by state lawmakers would temporarily eliminate a sales tax exemption on clothing, expand hours for video lottery machines and require online travel companies to collect sales taxes on hotel rooms — measures that the lawmakers said were needed to finalize a state budget.The legislation,

The accident occurred on a glorious, postcard-ready summer afternoon in New York, free of the usual culprits of lightning or snow. A large, healthy tree branch, 30 feet above a well-traveled path just outside the Central Park Zoo, snapped, fell and killed a 6-month-old girl as horrified visitors looked

Obama also said that he believed a review of the "messy and unfair" U.S. tax code should be considered as part of a plan to deal with long-term budget problems."I'm serious about it," Obama said when asked at a news conference at the Group of 20 summit in Canada if he believed he could meet his deficit

Leaders of the world's biggest economies acknowledged there is no one-size-fits-all solution to the world's economic troubles, agreeing in Toronto to halve the budget deficits of most industrialized nations by 2013, while giving each country the leeway to cut spending at its own speed.The compromise

Here are some questions and answers about the problems confronting Obama ahead of meetings in Canada this week of the Group of Eight and Group of 20 nations.WHAT IS OBAMA'S MOST PRESSING PROBLEM?Obama has sought to assert leadership over the Gulf of Mexico oil spill since the oil rig explosion on April

It is the latest goal in US World Cup history. It was the difference between going home a total disappointment and moving into the round of 16 as the group winner. It came off the foot of none other than Landon Donavon.On a fast break started by an amazing outlet from goalkeeper Tim Howard, Donavon

While people consider full-size pickup trucks quintessentially American, the Ford F-150, Chevrolet Silverado and MC Sierra missed the list this year. The F-150 is assembled in the U.S. but its proportion of domestic parts fell to 55%. In previous years it had a domestic parts content of around 80 percent,

President Barack Obama is chipping away at his long list of promises to gay voters but has yet to win the enthusiastic backing of the reliably Democratic voting bloc.The Obama White House has accomplished more than any other on gay rights, yet has drawn sharp criticism from an unexpected constituency:

The government can prosecute private citizens for giving advice to a foreign organization - on how to negotiate peace or take its case to the United Nations, for example - if the group is on the U.S. terrorist list, the Supreme Court ruled Monday.In the most important foreign policy and civil liberties

Barack Obama is a "treacherous, bloodthirsty" president who won't prevent a terror attack on the United States, U.S.-born al-Qaida operative Adam Gadahn said.Addressing Obama as "Barack," Gadahn released his comments and a video on the Internet Sunday, the Middle East media Research Institute reported.

Andrew Schad was on his way home Sunday, traveling north on the Red Line after a late lunch downtown, when the train began to fill with smoke.Some seated beside him began to cough and choke, and Schad put up the rim of his collar to cover his nose and mouth. By the time the train reached the next stop

• The Los Angeles Lakers overtook the Boston Celtics by a score of 83-29 in the final game of a nail-biting series to earn their 16th NBA title. Asked what the victory meant to him, the always sportsmanlike Kobe Bryant—who was dubbed most valuable player—said, "Just got one more than Shaq[uille O'Neal]."•

President Barack Obama has asked America's G-20 trading partners to work closely him "to safeguard and strengthen the recovery" from the near collapse of the global economic system in the fall of 2008.Looking ahead to the coming G-20 summit in Toronto, Obama noted in a letter that "significant weaknesses"

President Obama will discuss the catastrophic oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico and his vision for the nation's energy future at 8 p.m. ET in his first-ever address from the Oval Office. Think of it as the equivalent of the nation being called into the principal's office.Whenever presidents invite us

A man and a woman were taken into custody Monday evening after they tried to gain unauthorized access to MacDill Air Force Base outside Tampa, Fla., and weapons were found in their vehicle, military officials said.The base is home to the United States Central Command, which oversees the wars in Afghanistan

The fate of one vulnerable incumbent -- along with the outcome of more than a dozen competitive primary contests -- will be decided by voters in 12 states today in an election that's being called the "Super Tuesday" of the 2010 political season.When polls close today, the primary season will be at its

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama says his talks with Gulf fishermen and oil spill experts are not an academic exercise. They're "so I know whose ass to kick."One target for the presidential foot: Tony Hayward, the embattled chief executive of BP.Obama was asked by Matt Lauer of NBC's "Today" about

A small undersea earthquake has struck off Santa Monica and was widely felt in the West Los Angeles area.The U.S. Geological survey says the 3.6-magnitude temblor hit at 2:17 a.m. PDT Monday and was centered about four miles west of Redondo Beach at a depth of 8 miles.The USGS website recorded hundreds

Two Americans were arrested Saturday night at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport as they allegedly prepared to travel to Somalia to join a terror group there. U.S. authorities say the two men arrested as they prepared to board separate flights to Egypt are Mohamed Hamoud Alessa, age 20,

Whether it was his vote against the health care legislation or his strategy to sidestep the state’s black political leadership, the decisive defeat of Artur Davis in his quest to become the first black governor of Alabama illustrates the limits of trying to replicate the strategy that helped carry President

Vice President Joe Biden hailed America’s fighting men and women yesterday as the “spine of this nation,’’ while President Obama’s Land of Lincoln tribute got washed out by a severe thunderstorm and high winds.Biden made the more traditional appearance at Arlington National Cemetery on Obama’s behalf,