3/19 Yahoo! News: Most Popular

AIG head shares US anger of bonuses but backs them (AP) March 18, 2009 at 12:22 pm AP - The chief executive officer of failed insurance conglomerate AIG acknowledged Wednesday that the company's multimillion-dollar bonuses were "distasteful" to many and had provoked a firestorm of wrath. "I share that anger," Edward Liddy, chairman and CEO of the American International Group Inc., said in testimony prepared for Congress. Prosecutors charge Madoff's accountant with fraud (AP) March 18, 2009 at 12:16 pm AP - Bernard Madoff's longtime accountant was arrested on fraud charges Wednesday, accused of aiding the man who has admitted cheating thousands of investors out of billions of dollars in the past two decades. Former Bush aide gets 30 months in prison (AP) March 18, 2009 at 11:44 am AP - A former Bush White House aide was sentenced to 2 1/2 years in prison on Wednesday for stealing nearly $600,000 from a government-funded program that promotes democracy in Cuba. Consumer prices rise 0.4 percent in February (AP) March 18, 2009 at 11:31 am AP - Consumer prices rose in February by the largest amount in seven months as gasoline prices surged again and clothing costs jumped the most in nearly two decades. Drunken mayhem mars St. Patrick's in Ireland (AP) March 18, 2009 at 11:13 am AP - Cars were torched, firefighters attacked and police bombarded in mayhem spawned by dusk-to-dawn drinking on St. Patrick's Day, Irish authorities said Wednesday. Richardson's family gathers near injured actress (AP) March 18, 2009 at 11:10 am AP - Members of Natasha Richardson's family gathered at a New York hospital where the Tony-winning actress was reportedly taken with a serious head injury after falling on a Canadian ski slope. Incest father pleads guilty to charges, faces life (AP) March 18, 2009 at 9:55 am AP - In a stunning turn of events, an Austrian on trial for imprisoning his daughter for 24 years and fathering her seven children pleaded guilty Wednesday to all charges against him — including homicide. The move came after his daughter appeared unexpectedly in the courtroom. IBM in talks to buy Sun Microsystems: report (Reuters) March 18, 2009 at 9:44 am Reuters - IBM is in talks to buy Sun Microsystems Inc for at least $6.5 billion, The Wall Street Journal reported, in a deal that could bolster their computer server products against rivals such as Hewlett-Packard Co. Accuweather sees fewer U.S. hurricanes in '09 season (Reuters) March 18, 2009 at 8:36 am Reuters - Private forecaster AccuWeather.com said on Wednesday it expects four tropical storms to strike the U.S. coastline during the 2009 Atlantic season, which begins June 1, compared with eight last year. Where the Rich [Still] Live (BusinessWeek Online) March 18, 2009 at 8:08 am BusinessWeek Online - A visitor to Brookville, N.Y., can quickly forget that the tiny village is just off the Long Island Expressway and only 25 miles from midtown Manhattan. US urges citizens to avoid Tokyo nightlife area (AP) March 18, 2009 at 6:47 am AP - The U.S. Embassy in Japan has urged Americans to avoid going to bars in Tokyo's raucous nightlife district of Roppongi due to a surge in reports of drink-spiking incidents there. Texas lawmakers begin tanning bill fight (AP) March 18, 2009 at 6:19 am AP - A proposal that would make it harder for Texas teenagers to enter the tanning bed was compared to legislation against Big Tobacco as lawmakers took up the issue. US intercepts ballistic missile in Hawaii test (AP) March 17, 2009 at 10:53 pm AP - The military says its ground-based mobile missile defense system has successfully shot down a medium-range ballistic missile during a test in Hawaii. Like fathers, like daughters (The Yahoo! Newsroom) March 17, 2009 at 9:20 pm The Yahoo! Newsroom - "Useful idiot" — that's the latest zinger in the catfight between John McCain's daughter, Meghan, and conservative pundit Laura Ingraham. Source: More feds to combat border violence (AP) March 17, 2009 at 8:53 pm AP - The Obama administration plans to send reinforcements to the Southwest border to help contain the rampant violence of the Mexican drug cartel wars.