VATICAN CITY – Leaders of an advocacy group for victims of clergy sexual abuse said Sunday they were flying to Rome to protest the Vatican’s choice of Cardinal Bernard Law (search) to celebrate an important Mass mourning Pope John Paul II (search). The Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests …
Read More »Darden Sales Rise on Red Lobster, Olive Garden Results
LOS ANGELES – Darden Restaurants Inc. (DRI) Thursday said same-store sales at its flagship Red Lobster (search) and Olive Garden (search) restaurant chains rose in March, helped in part by higher prices. Sales at Red Lobster restaurants open at least 16 months, or same-store sales, rose between 3 percent and …
Read More »Palestinian Gunmen to Trade Weapons for Jobs
RAMALLAH, West Bank – Hundreds of Palestinian gunmen have signed pledges to halt violence in exchange for government jobs, and Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas hopes to bring many more militants on board before he meets U.S. President George W. Bush (search) in May, Palestinian officials said Monday. The new jobs-for-guns …
Read More »'Apprentice' Finale to Last One Hour
NEW YORK – The next “Apprentice” finale won’t be huuuuge. During a press conference Tuesday, Donald Trump (search) announced that the live finale of the third season of NBC’s “The Apprentice” will be held at the Skirball Center of the Performing Arts at New York University on May 19 (9 …
Read More »Drugmakers to Help Poor Get Prescriptions
Drug manufacturers, under fire from consumer advocacy groups for opposing legislation to reduce prescription costs, announced Tuesday they would spend about $30 million through June to develop and promote a program that would help poor Americans gain access to the medicines they need. Throughout the country, hundreds of public and …
Read More »Civilian Chopper Crashes in Iraq
BAGHDAD, Iraq – Eleven people, including six Americans, were killed in a helicopter crash near Baghdad on Thursday. Elsewhere, another American contractor was killed in an attack near Ramadi, bringing the U.S. death toll on Thursday to seven. All aboard the Mi-8 helicopter (search) were killed in the crash. The …
Read More »Man Executed for Raping, Killing Teen
MICHIGAN CITY, Ind. – A man who spent nearly two decades on death row for raping and killing a teenager was executed early Thursday. Bill Benefiel Jr. (search), 48, died by injection at 12:35 a.m. at the Indiana State Prison. He was convicted of holding 18-year-old Delores Wells (search) of …
Read More »Second Breast Implant Maker Challenges Ban
WASHINGTON – One manufacturer couldn’t persuade U.S. federal health advisers that it’s time to lift a 13-year near-ban on silicone-gel breast implants (search). Now another gets to try. Advisers to the Food and Drug Administration (search) cited lingering questions about how long the controversial implants really last before breaking and …
Read More »Public Transit Ridership Up Amid High Gas Costs
CLEVELAND – High gasoline prices are turning some drivers into riders, say public transit authorities in several states. It’s a trend that Joe Calabrese, general manager of the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (search), expects to continue as long as a gallon of gas remains about $2. “I know there …
Read More »Talking to Astronauts
Now that we have a new pope, “DaySide” is back to other news on Wednesday. Among the segments we’re planning: Should it be legal to hunt live animals over the Internet? Joseph Lockwood (search) says yes, because he’s set up the Web site “Live-shot.com,” where people can pay to shoot …
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