Facing big Democratic losses in November, President Barack Obama blamed Republicans and election-year politics Friday for thwarting his efforts to do more to spur a listless national economy. He challenged Congress to quit squabbling and quickly approve "what we all agree on" -- a reprieve for expiring tax cuts for the middle class.

All that was left of some houses Friday were chimneys, rising from still smoldering ruins. Burned-out cars sat along ash-covered streets. And a rescue worker with a dog searched door to door for missing people.

Iran on Friday postponed the planned release of an American woman jailed along with two friends for more than a year, state media reported, dealing a blow to the hopes of three U.S. mothers who have pleaded for the trio's release.

A key witness at the Anna Nicole Smith drug conspiracy trial retracted previous statements and testified Friday that she never saw defendant Howard K. Stern or anyone else inject Smith with anything.

A federal appeals court has ruled computer software programs can't be resold under widely used licensing agreements that handcuff the program's original buyer.

Iraq has agreed to pay $400 million to Americans who say they were abused by Saddam Hussein's regime, U.S. and Iraqi officials said Friday.

Johan Santana is headed for shoulder surgery, making this the third straight year the high-priced New York Mets' ace will spend the offseason recovering from an operation.

All that was left of some houses Friday were chimneys, rising from still smoldering ruins. Burned-out cars sat along ash-covered streets. And a rescue worker with a dog searched door to door for missing people.

A team that shoots pumpkins from a giant air cannon says it achieved the holy grail of the sport - chucking a pumpkin a distance of more than one mile.

The government said Friday it's back in the business of funding embryonic stem cell research -- at least for now -- after an appeals court temporarily lifted a judge's ban.

Facing big Democratic losses in November, President Barack Obama blamed Republicans and election-year politics Friday for thwarting his efforts to do more to spur a listless national economy. He challenged Congress to quit squabbling and quickly approve "what we all agree on" -- a reprieve for expiring tax cuts for the middle class.