U.S. does not rule out removing all troops from Afghanistan

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Obama administration does not rule out a complete withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan after 2014, the White House said on Tuesday, just days before President Barack Obama is due to meet Afghan President Hamid Karzai. The comments by U.S. Deputy National Security Adviser Ben Rhodes were the clearest signal yet that, despite initial recommendations by the...

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Wall Street edges off five-year high, awaits earnings

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Stocks lost ground on Monday, as investors drew back from recent gains that lifted the S&P 500 to a five-year high, in anticipation of sluggish growth in corporate profits. Shares of financial companies dipped after a group of major U.S. banks agreed to pay a total of $8.5 billion to end a government inquiry into faulty mortgage foreclosures. The KBW bank index...

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Tide rolls to No. 1 in AP poll for record 9th time

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Alabama is No. 1 at being No. 1.The Crimson Tide (13-1) was voted national champion by The Associated Press for the ninth time, more than any other program in college football, after routing Notre Dame 42-14 on Monday night.Notre Dame, No. 1 coming into the BCS championship, dropped to No. 4.The Tide entered the title game with as many AP titles as the Fighting Irish, and...

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Earth’s Forecast Looks Warm and Full of Volcano Eruptions

Discovered: Global warming could cause more lava flow; humans started popping pills ages ago; babies begin acquiring language in womb; Mars astronauts would be very sleepy.RELATED: Gay Marriage, Beach Volleyball, and DisneyCloudy with a chance of lava. We know about the rising sea levels and increased incidence of superstorms associated with global warming. But here’s another nasty side-effect...

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Why Al Jazeera deal doesn't seem right

STORY HIGHLIGHTSAl Gore sold Current to al Jazeera and could net an estimated $70 millionHoward Kurtz: Gore's Current network failed to gain an identity or viewers He says it's odd that the former vice president is selling to an oil-rich potentateKurtz: Al Jazeera may have a tough time getting traction with U.S. viewersEditor's note: Howard Kurtz is the host of CNN's "Reliable Sources" and is Newsweek's...

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Magical run for Irish ends in rout

Notre Dame lost 42-14 on Monday. MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — On a flawless South Florida night, Notre Dame players saw a legend emerge...

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As Obama, Karzai meet, Afghan peace efforts show flickers of life

WASHINGTON/ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - President Barack Obama and Afghan President Hamid Karzai will discuss matters of war, including future U.S. troop levels and Afghanistan's army, when they meet on Friday, but matters of peace may be the most delicate item on their long agenda. After nearly 10 months in limbo, tentative reconciliation efforts involving Taliban insurgents, the Karzai government...

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Asian shares slip, Basel ruling supports banks

SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Asian stocks drifted down on Monday as investors booked profits from a New Year rally that had pushed markets to multi-month highs, although financial stocks gained after global regulators decided to relax draft plans for tough new bank liquidity rules. Commodity prices mostly held steady, supported by data showing the U.S. economy continuing on a path of slow but...

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RG3 hurt, Seattle tops Redskins 24-14 in playoffs

LANDOVER, Md. (AP) — Russell Wilson raced ahead to throw the final block on Marshawn Lynch's fourth-quarter, go-ahead touchdown run, doing just enough to get in the way of the Washington Redskins safety near the goal line.Less than a minute later, Robert Griffin III's knee buckled as he tried to field a bad shotgun snap, the pain so bad that he didn't even try to recover the ball.The last rookie quarterback...

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Fussy Infants Exposed to More TV

Although doctors say babies should not watch television, some mothers may use the tube as a way to calm fussy infants, a new study suggests.The results show that infants who were perceived as more active — for example, they squirmed a lot — or fussier by their mothers were exposed to more TV each day compared with infants who were seen as less active or less fussy.Infants were especially likely to...

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