Conner on Obama playlist: From Jennifer Hudson to the Boss to Aretha to ELO to Ledisi

The chief digs his music, that much is clear. That was a credible Al Green impression President Barack Obama slipped into a speech during a Jan. 19 fund-raising event at the famed Apollo Theater. Not only did the YouTube clip of the singer-in-chief go viral, …

Man admits putting 3-year-old boy in dryer as punishment

CAMBRIDGE, Ohio — Police say an Ohio man who stuck his 3-year-old son in a clothes dryer as punishment and then turned it on is facing child endangerment charges.

The Zanesville Times Recorder reports that 40-year-old Jamial Bayly is scheduled for a video arraignment Thursday …

Official: 10 states get No Child Left Behind waiver

President Barack Obama on Thursday will free 10 states from the strict and sweeping requirements of the No Child Left Behind law, giving leeway to states that promise to improve how they prepare and evaluate students, The Associated Press has learned. The first 10 states …

911 log shows time lapse in Powell emergency call

Nearly eight minutes elapsed between when a social worker called 911 to report that Josh Powell’s children were in danger and when sheriff’s deputies were dispatched, emergency call logs show. The home was a gas-fueled inferno - with Powell and his two young boys inside …

Man drowns after seeing girlfriend’s car in river

Authorities in northeastern Alabama say a man dove into the Tennessee River after seeing his girlfriend’s car sinking and drowned in the fast-moving water. But authorities say he may not have realized the girlfriend had already escaped from the car and was helped to shore …

Kodak to stop making cameras, digital frames

Kodak says it will stop making digital cameras, pocket video cameras and digital picture frames in order to focus on its more profitable businesses.

Getting caffeine fix as easy as taking deep breath

Move over, coffee and Red Bull. A Harvard professor thinks the next big thing will be people inhaling their caffeine from a lipstick-sized tube. Critics say the novel product is not without its risks. The product, called AeroShot, went on the market late last month …

No charges against NYPD boss’ son after rape claim

The New York City police commissioner’s TV host son has been cleared of the prospect of criminal charges of raping a woman he met for a drink. But it’s unclear how quickly Greg Kelly might return to his spot as a morning-show host. The Manhattan …

Experts: Gay marriage ban’s path to high court unclear

Conservative critics like to point out that the federal appeals court that just declared California’s same-sex marriage ban to be unconstitutional has its decisions overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court more often than other judicial circuits, a record that could prove predictive if the high …

Social worker tells 911: Powell ‘exploded the house’

Police released 911 calls that revealed a social worker’s frantic attempts to alert authorities that Josh Powell had locked himself in his home with his two young sons, moments before he set off a huge fire that killed all inside. “He exploded the house!” the …

Many report illness at Washington cheerleading event

Washington state health officials said Tuesday they are investigating reports of intestinal illness affecting at least 19 squads that participated in a weekend state cheerleading tournament in Everett. Reported symptoms include vomiting and diarrhea, state Health Department spokesman Donn Moyer said. KOMO-TV reported that several …

Santorum sweep: Stuns Romney with Colorado, Minnesota, Missouri victories

A resurgent Rick Santorum won Minnesota’s Republican caucuses with ease Tuesday night and also prevailed in Colorado and in Missouri’s nonbinding vote, stunning GOP front-runner Mitt Romney in results that raised fresh questions about Romney’s ability to attract ardent conservatives at the core of the party’s political base.

Obama plays with robots, flying marshmallows at White House Science Fair

WASHINGTON (AP) — For a president who promotes technology at every opportunity, Barack Obama often strikes an awed, self-effacing pose in the presence of technicians, scientists and high tech machinery.

“If I’m nodding, you should just assume that everything you said is going completely over …

Mitt Romney intensifies fight for social conservatives

LOVELAND, Colo. (AP) — Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney set aside his focus on the economy in recent days and shifted to abortion, religious freedom and gay marriage, part of an intensified effort to win over social conservatives in GOP caucuses in Colorado and Minnesota …

Man arrested in murder of Arizona couple found tied, burned

PHOENIX (AP) — Police say a 31-year-old man has been arrested and faces charges in the death of an Arizona couple who were found tied up and burned beyond recognition.

Investigators said at a Tuesday afternoon news conference that four other people were also arrested …