BOSTON – An American who was imprisoned in North Korea for illegally crossing the border has a gentle spirit but is also a person of conviction willing to be bold about what he believes, friends and acquaintances said.

MIAMI – Hurricane Danielle became a Category 4 storm early Friday far out over the Atlantic as it headed in Bermuda's direction and threatened to bring dangerous rip currents to the U.S. East Coast.

JACKSON, Wyo. (AP) -- Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said Friday that the Fed will consider making another large-scale purchase of securities if the slowing economy were to deteriorate significantly and signs of deflation were to flare.

DARMSTADT, Germany (AP)  — A German girl band singer broke down in tears Thursday as a court found her guilty of causing bodily harm to her ex-boyfriend by having unprotected sex with him despite knowing she was infected with HIV. She was not sentenced to jail time.

NEW YORK (AP) — Michael Enright once volunteered with a group that promotes interfaith tolerance and has supported a proposal for a mosque near ground zero — an experience distinctly at odds with what authorities say happened inside a city taxi.
The baby-faced college student was charged Wednesday with using a folding knife to slash the neck and face of the taxi's Bangladeshi driver after the driver said he's Muslim. Police say Enright was drunk at the time.

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The economic recovery appears to be stalling as companies cut back last month on their investments in equipment and machines and Americans bought new homes at the weakest pace in decades.

WINDERMERE, Fla. (AP) -- Tiger Woods' ex-wife Elin Nordegren says she has "been through hell" since learning of her husband's infidelity but she never hit him.

BAGHDAD (AP) -- Bombers killed 53 Iraqis in nearly two dozen attacks spanning the country Wednesday, mostly targeting security forces in seemingly coordinated strikes the day after the number of U.S. troops fell below 50,000 for the first time since the start of the war.

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.