ATLANTA — The U.S. Education Department says nine states and the District of Columbia will receive money in the second round of the $4.35 billion "Race to the Top" school reform grant competition.

WASHINGTON — Sales of previously occupied homes plunged last month to the lowest level in 15 years, despite the lowest mortgage rates in decades and bargain prices in many areas.

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- A preliminary hearing where prosecutors will lay out some of the evidence against a doctor charged in Michael Jackson's death will begin Jan. 4 in Los Angeles, a judge said Monday.

WASHINGTON – A federal judge on Monday temporarily blocked government rules expanding stem cell research, a blow to the Obama administration that could stall potentially lifesaving research.

MANILA (Reuters) – Philippine police shot dead a sacked former policeman as they stormed a bus on which he was holding 15 Hong Kong tourists hostage in downturn Manila on Monday, and China said seven hostages were killed.

COPIAPO, Chile — Engineers reinforced a lifeline Monday to 33 miners entombed deep inside a Chilean gold and copper mine, preparing to keep them supplied with food, water, medicine and communications during the four months it may take to carve a tunnel wide enough to pull them out.

WASHINGTON — Food and Drug Administration chief Margaret Hamburg, beset with an egg-and-salmonella food safety challenge, said Monday the agency must move from a reactive to preventive enforcement strategy.

ATLANTA – Hundreds of people have been sickened in a salmonella outbreak linked to eggs in four states and possibly more, health officials said Wednesday as a company dramatically expanded a recall to 380 million eggs.

ST. JOHN, Ariz. — A forest ranger is being hailed as a "true hero" for alertly spotting a pair of fugitives and allowing a heavily armed law enforcement contingent to arrest them.

BANGKOK — A Thai appeals court on Friday ordered the extradition of suspected Russian arms smuggler Viktor Bout to the United States, angering Moscow but paving the way to put the man dubbed the "Merchant of Death" on trial.