NEWS

US Sen. DeMint resigns to head conservative group

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) - Republican U.S. Sen. Jim DeMint, a favorite among tea party activists, said Thursday he was resigning to take the helm of a conservative national think tank.

The South Carolina politician said in a statement he was stepping down to become president of the Heritage Foundation. His office said he would take the new job effective

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8th Circuit orders new sentencing in Ark. bombing

A federal appeals court has ordered a resentencing for an Arkansas doctor convicted in the bombing that nearly killed the head of the state medical board.

A jury convicted Randeep Mann of conspiring to use a weapon of mass destruction in the attack on Dr. Trent Pierce. His attorneys appealed his life sentence, arguing there wasn't enough evidence

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Smokers celebrate as Wash. legalizes marijuana

By By GENE JOHNSON
Associated Press

SEATTLE (AP) - The crowds of happy people lighting joints under Seattle's Space Needle early Thursday morning with nary a police officer in sight bespoke the new reality: Marijuana is legal under Washington state law.

Hundreds gathered at Seattle Center for a New Year's Eve-style countdown to

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US unemployment aid applications drop to 370K

By By CHRISTOPHER S. RUGABER
AP Economics Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) - The number of people seeking U.S. unemployment aid fell sharply last week as a temporary spike caused by Superstorm Sandy has faded. Weekly applications have fallen back to a level consistent with modest hiring.

The Labor Department said Thursday that applications dropped 25,000 last

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Syria criticizes NATO move on Patriot missiles

By By ZEINA KARAM
Associated Press

BEIRUT (AP) - Syria sharply criticized NATO's move to deploy Patriot missiles along its border with Turkey, calling the decision "provocative," as the West took a major step toward a possible military role in the civil war.

After getting Cabinet approval, German Defense Minister Thomas de

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