Richard Daley says six terms is enough as Chicago’s mayor

Chicago Mayor Richard Daley’s announcement Tuesday that he won’t seek a seventh term sparked surprise over his departure, debate about his legacy, and a scramble for a successor to a job that White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel has said he’d like to have one day. Calling his exit a personal decision that “just feels right,” Daley, 68, said at a news conference, “Simply put, it’s time.” Daley was elected in 1989 and will beat the record for longevity set by his father, Richard J. Daley. The senior Daley died of a heart attack in 1976, during his 21st year in office. Both Democrats …

U.N. reports over 500 rapes in eastern Congo

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The United Nations reported Tuesday that more than 500 systematic rapes were committed by armed combatants in eastern Congo since late July — more than double the number previously reported — and accepted partial responsibility for not protecting citizens. U.N. Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Atul Khare told the U.N. Security Council that 260 more rapes occurred in another region of the country, in addition to 242 rapes earlier reported in and around Luvungi, …

Quick Study: Fibromyalgia:

Tai chi may help improve quality of life THE QUESTION Might the pain and fatigue of fibromyalgia be relieved by tai chi, the mind-body exercise of Chinese origin that combines gentle, graceful, continuous movements with deep breathing and relaxation techniques? THIS STUDY involved 66 people, mostly women, who averaged 50 years old and who had had fibromyalgia for 11 years, on average. They were randomly assigned to participate in a one-hour tai chi class twice a week…

Volunteers at Walter Reed endure mosquito bites to help find a malaria vaccine

Jesse Bolton is a pretty buff guy. He’s in the Navy, and a few mosquitoes don’t scare him much. But he has seen what the bite of a malaria-carrying insect can do. One of his squadmates picked it up in Africa a few years ago. That’s why Bolton was sitting in a suite at the Residence Inn in Bethesda in June, getting ready to give a blood sample. As part of a scientific experiment, Bolton had allowed himself to be bitten by a pretty buff mosquito. “These mosquitoes were huge,” said Bolton, 27, a medical technician at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda. “Probably with legs that were the size of a quarter.” Now, 10 days after the …

First Monday: What to watch, listen & read in September

Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps 20th Century Fox, PG-13, Sept. 24 Director Oliver Stone and Michael Douglas return to their old neighborhood — Wall Street — in a twist-filled sequel to the 1987 hit that earned Douglas an Oscar for his portrayal of Gordon “Greed is Good” Gekko. It’s now 2008, and Gekko, seven years out of prison for insider trading, is peddling his new book Is Greed Good? and predicting the financial crisis, which is just days away. Enter hot young trader Jacob (Shia LaBeouf), the fiancé of Gekko’s estranged daughter Winnie (Carey Mulligan). Jacob, a specialist in alternative-energy investments, …

Listen Up: Weekend Plugs

Seeking sound advice? USA TODAY’s music critics spotlight spin-worthy current albums bubbling beneath the hyped hits. Richard Thompson, Dream Attic * * *½ GREAT STUFF IN STORAGE Once again, it’s tempting to champion this rocking troubadour as a British Bruce Springsteen— except this time Thompson plays a meaner guitar and lately has been a more inspired songwriter. Thompson wrote a batch of sterling tunes recently and recorded them with a band in front of live audiences — of whom we should be insanely jealous. The result is one of the stronger and most consistent works of his…

Bone drugs may raise throat cancer risk

LONDON (AP) — People who take bone-strengthening drugs for several years may have a slightly higher risk of esophageal cancer, a new study suggests. The findings are in contrast to another recent study that used the same database of 80,000 patients and concluded that there was no link between the drugs and esophageal cancer. That study was published last month in the Journal of the American Medical Association . Authors of the new study say they tracked patients for nearly twice as long — nearly …

Small gains made in Mideast peace talks

WASHINGTON — They met. They shook hands. And they agreed to meet again. Israelis and Palestinians have embarked on another round of peace talks after two days of stroking and cajoling by the Obama administration — an outcome that experts said is about as good as it gets for now. Before leaving here Thursday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas joined hands literally and figuratively. They condemned this week’s violence against Israelis on the West Bank, set Sept. 14-15 for their next talks and agreed to seek a “framework agreement.” None of the major issues that divide them was solved: the borders of …

U.S. changes military commanders in Iraq

RAMADI, Iraq (AP) — The United States changed commanders in Iraq Wednesday, beginning the final phase of American military involvement in the country despite political uncertainty and persistent violence. The transfer of authority came a day after President Obama announced the shift from combat operations to preparing Iraqi forces to assume responsibility for their own security. Obama made clear in Tuesday’s speech that this was no victory celebration. A six-month stalemate over forming a new Iraqi government has raised concerns about the country’s stability and questions over whether the leadership can cope with a diminished but still dangerous insurgency. Newly promoted Army Gen. Lloyd Austin also maintained a somber tone as he took the reins of the some 50,000 American troops who remain in…

California rejects ban on plastic shopping bags

SACRAMENTO (AP) — California lawmakers have rejected a bill seeking to ban plastic shopping bags after a contentious debate over whether the state was going too far in trying to regulate personal choice. The Democratic bill, which failed late Tuesday, had been the subject of a furious lobbying campaign by the plastic bag manufacturing industry, which called it a job killer. It would have been the first statewide ban, although a few California cities already prohibit their use. Supporters of the…

Next Page »