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DEARBORN, Mich. – In its latest gambit to boost slumping sales, Ford Motor Co. (F) said that it is offering employees and retirees up to $1,000 in cash to entice friends, relatives and neighbors to buy vehicles with employee discounts. The No. 2 U.S. automaker is allowing each of its …

TEHRAN, Iran – Iran (search) said it will extend its suspension of uranium enrichment (search) until the end of July to give European negotiators time to prepare a proposal it can accept, but Tehran also warned against wasting the opportunity to strike a deal. The announcement Sunday followed Iran’s agreement …

WASHINGTON – President Bush and two dozen kids from inner-city teams kicked off the fifth season of White House T-ball Sunday on the South Lawn (search). The president performed the equivalent of throwing out the first pitch when he leaned over, placed a ball on the tee at home plate …

PALMYRA, Mo. – Hand fishing for catfish, or “noodling (search),” is a tradition with deep roots among rural fishermen across the South. In the practice, catfish aren’t caught with a rod, a reel or a net but with the fisherman’s bare hands. “I was taught by my dad, my dad …

This is a partial transcript of “The Big Story With John Gibson,” September 6, 2005, that has been edited for clarity. JOHN GIBSON, HOST: Members of the Army Corps of Engineers (search) are busy pumping contaminated floodwater out of New Orleans into Lake Pontchartrain (search). We’re looking at live pictures …

NEW YORK – A bank of lights fell to the floor during the finale of a fashion show Sunday, injuring a handful of editors who were in the front row. No one appeared to be seriously hurt. The evening Fashion Week (search) show was held at designer Diane von Furstenberg …

KINSHASA, Congo – A Russian-made airplane crashed Monday in the forest in eastern Congo, killing seven, including three Russian crew members, a U.N. official said. The Antonov-26 aircraft crashed near the town of Isiro, a few hundred miles northeast of Kisangani shortly before landing. U.N. spokesman Kemal Saiki told The …

WASHINGTON – Pentagon auditors said Tuesday they will investigate whether federal employees have been abusing government-issued credit cards since their purchase limits were hastily raised to $250,000 to help pay for hurricane-related expenses. Gary Comerford (search), spokesman for the Pentagon’s inspector general, said the audit comes after Congress — at …

KEY WEST, Fla. – Hurricane Rita (search) strengthened into a Category 4 storm packing 135 mph winds Wednesday morning after lashing the Florida Keys and sparking anxiety as it headed into the Gulf of Mexico. Forecasters feared Rita could further intensify in the Gulf and the storm’s most likely destination …

TORONTO – The hesitation Philip Seymour Hoffman (search) felt about playing Truman Capote (search) was not unlike the uncertainty audiences might feel over seeing a movie about the man who wrote the true-crime classic “In Cold Blood (search).” Hoffman wondered how he would hold up in the title role of …