Yahoo! News: Elections

US income gap widens as poor take hit in recession (AP)
Bush officials face liability for terror policies (AP)
Pregnant? Get a flu shot — but it may be a hassle (AP)
NATO official: More Afghan training needed for war (AP)
In search of the Hill's Freemasons (Politico)
Olympics plea: Obama's risks, possible reward (AP)
Crime victims getting stimulus money amid downturn (AP)
THE INFLUENCE GAME: Birth centers fight for fees (AP)
Michelle Obama to women: Do what makes you happy (AP)
Bank suspends dealings with ACORN housing entity (AP)
Facebook yanks poll asking whether to kill Obama (AFP)
Obama puts prestige on line for Chicago (Politico)
Afghan government must earn people's trust: Clinton (AFP)
Pay dirt: Digging, clues revealed Iranian site (AP)
Obama to fly to Copenhagen to support Chicago (Reuters)
Secret Service probing Facebook poll on Obama (AP)
Merkel signals cautious reforms in new coalition (Reuters)
Activists protest Va. strip club's Obama banner (AP)
Chicagoans divided on Obama's trip to win 2016 Games (Reuters)
When Medicare is the piggy bank (AP)

US income gap widens as poor take hit in recession (AP)

Posted: 28 Sep 2009 12:46 PM PDT

AP - The recession has hit middle-income and poor families hardest, widening the economic gap between the richest and poorest Americans as rippling job layoffs ravaged household budgets.

Bush officials face liability for terror policies (AP)

Posted: 28 Sep 2009 02:13 PM PDT

AP - Former Attorney General John Ashcroft and one of his hardline lieutenants face the rare prospect of being held personally liable for alleged violations of individuals' rights in the aggressive aftermath of the 2001 terrorist attacks.

Pregnant? Get a flu shot — but it may be a hassle (AP)

Posted: 28 Sep 2009 06:10 PM PDT

AP - It's hard for pregnant women to escape the message: You're at extra risk from swine flu it could trigger premature labor, hospitalize you for weeks, even kill you so be among the first in line for vaccine next month. But only about one in seven pregnant women gets a flu shot each winter.

NATO official: More Afghan training needed for war (AP)

Posted: 28 Sep 2009 05:49 PM PDT

AP - NATO's secretary general on Monday said "things are going to have to change" in Afghanistan for the United States and its international allies to win the stalemated war.

In search of the Hill's Freemasons (Politico)

Posted: 28 Sep 2009 02:38 AM PDT

Politico - The reporter walked into his office expecting a normal day at work: cup of coffee, call some sources, the usual routine.

Olympics plea: Obama's risks, possible reward (AP)

Posted: 28 Sep 2009 02:26 PM PDT

AP - President Barack Obama's decision to fly to Denmark to support Chicago's Olympics bid elevates the Games to an issue of national importance and exposes him to political risks as well as rewards at a critical point in his presidency.

Crime victims getting stimulus money amid downturn (AP)

Posted: 28 Sep 2009 12:44 PM PDT

AP - The government's economic stimulus money isn't just for hard hats, contractors and teachers. It's also keeping battered women's advocates on the job and compensating crime victims for lost wages and uncovered medical costs.

THE INFLUENCE GAME: Birth centers fight for fees (AP)

Posted: 28 Sep 2009 10:20 AM PDT

AP - Karen Fennell is not your typical high-rolling lobbyist with a fat expense account and clients paying six-figure fees.

Michelle Obama to women: Do what makes you happy (AP)

Posted: 28 Sep 2009 08:21 AM PDT

AP - First lady Michelle Obama says women should do what makes them happy, a lesson she says she learned after realizing her two children, her husband and her physical health feed off of her good moods.

Bank suspends dealings with ACORN housing entity (AP)

Posted: 28 Sep 2009 06:11 PM PDT

AP - Bank of America Corp. is suspending its work with the housing affiliate of embattled community organizing group ACORN. The decision comes as three Republicans in Congress ask Bank of America and 13 other financial institutions to give Congress a complete accounting of their dealings with the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now or its affiliates.

Facebook yanks poll asking whether to kill Obama (AFP)

Posted: 28 Sep 2009 06:03 PM PDT

AFP - The US Secret Service is trying to identify the people who launched an online poll at Facebook asking whether US President Barack Obama should be assassinated.

Obama puts prestige on line for Chicago (Politico)

Posted: 28 Sep 2009 04:56 PM PDT

Politico - President Barack Obama has decided it’s time to leverage his international popularity to try to bring home a global goodie: the 2016 Olympics for his hometown of Chicago.

Afghan government must earn people's trust: Clinton (AFP)

Posted: 28 Sep 2009 03:32 PM PDT

AFP - Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told her Afghan counterpart Monday that President Hamid Karzai's government must earn its people's trust by tackling charges of election fraud, a US official said.

Pay dirt: Digging, clues revealed Iranian site (AP)

Posted: 28 Sep 2009 03:07 PM PDT

AP - U.S. intelligence agencies hit paydirt several years ago when they searched for a hidden Iranian uranium-enrichment site, spotting telltale signs of digging outside the holy city of Qom.

Obama to fly to Copenhagen to support Chicago (Reuters)

Posted: 28 Sep 2009 01:32 PM PDT

Reuters - President Barack Obama will fly to Copenhagen on Friday to support Chicago's bid to stage the 2016 Summer Olympics, adding formidable weight to U.S. efforts in a contest that is seen as too close to call.

Secret Service probing Facebook poll on Obama (AP)

Posted: 28 Sep 2009 12:35 PM PDT

AP - The U.S. Secret Service is investigating an online survey that asked whether people thought President Barack Obama should be assassinated, officials said Monday.

Merkel signals cautious reforms in new coalition (Reuters)

Posted: 28 Sep 2009 12:26 PM PDT

Reuters - German Chancellor Angela Merkel signaled on Monday she would resist pressure for radical reforms from her likely new coalition partners, the pro-business Free Democrats (FDP), and stick to a path of gradual change.

Activists protest Va. strip club's Obama banner (AP)

Posted: 28 Sep 2009 12:16 PM PDT

AP - Activists gathered outside a downtown strip club Monday to denounce as racist a banner depicting President Obama as the Joker from Batman.

Chicagoans divided on Obama's trip to win 2016 Games (Reuters)

Posted: 28 Sep 2009 10:52 AM PDT

Reuters - President Barack Obama's decision to personally lobby for Chicago to host the 2016 Summer Olympics was greeted with hope and skepticism on Monday, with some in his hometown wondering if he didn't have better things to do.