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AP Top News at 3:14 p.m. EST - November 23

October sales gains lift hopes for housing market

WASHINGTON (AP) - First-time buyers seized on a tax credit, combined with low mortgage rates and falling prices, to boost home sales in October to their highest level in 2½ years. Home sales are now nearly 37 percent above their bottom in January, though still 16 percent below their peak in 2005. At the current sales pace, there's a modest seven-month supply for sale. Bidding wars are occurring in some areas.

Economic survey: Job losses to bottom out in 1Q

Economists expect the joblessness that has weighed down the nation's economic recovery will start to slowly abate in 2010, but they predict consumers will continue to keep a tight rein on spending, according to a new survey. While signs have pointed to the end of the recession, joblessness remains rampant. The national unemployment rate jumped to 10.2 percent in October, the highest in 26 years. About 9 million people currently receive unemployment benefits.

SC gov faces 37 charges he broke state ethics laws

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) - South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford, whose tryst with an Argentine lover blossomed into a wide-ranging scandal, is accused of breaking ethics laws by using taxpayer money for pricey airline seats, taking state planes for personal and political trips and occasionally tapping his campaign chest to reimburse himself for travel. The details of civil charges against the second-term Republican governor were released Monday. He has been under scrutiny since he vanished for five days over the summer, reappearing to tearfully admit to an extramarital affair with a woman he later called his "soul mate."

Schumer: Dems ready to go-it-alone on health care

WASHINGTON (AP) - A leading Senate Democrat said Monday his party is determined to push through a health care overhaul bill with or without Republican support because the "system is broken." ''We prefer to go at it with Republicans if we can reach compromises in some areas," said Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y. "But we're not going to not pass a bill."

Mom: Son in coma heard everything for 23 years

BRUSSELS (AP) - A man who emerged from what doctors thought was a vegetative state says he was fully conscious for 23 years but could not respond because he was paralyzed, his mother said Monday. Rom Houben, 46, had a car crash in 1983 and doctors thought he had sunk into a coma. His family continued to believe their son was conscious and sought further medical advice.

Astronauts take spacewalk No. 3 after suit snag

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) - A pair of astronauts zipped through the third and final spacewalk of their mission Monday, installing an enormous oxygen tank at the International Space Station and accomplishing everything else on their list. "You mean there's nothing left for us to do?" Randolph Bresnik asked as the spacewalk wrapped up. He was assured no work remained.

Canada woman to fight insurance co. over Facebook

MONTREAL (AP) - A Canadian woman on sick leave for depression said Monday she would fight an insurance company's decision to cut her benefits after her agent found photos on Facebook of her vacationing, at a bar and at a party. Nathalie Blanchard said Monday she was diagnosed with major depression and was receiving monthly sick-leave benefits until payments dried up this fall.

ABC says it has received complaints on Lambert

NEW YORK (AP) - ABC says more than 1,500 people have called to complain about Adam Lambert's sexually charged performance at the American Music Awards. The network characterized the response as "moderate." Before his performance, Lambert said that he wanted to break down a double standard that existed where female performers are often sexually provocative while men don't do it that often.

Kangaroo tries to drown dog, attacks owner

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) - A kangaroo startled by a man walking his dog attacked the pair, pinning the pet underwater and slashing the owner in the abdomen with its hind legs. The Australian, Chris Rickard, was in stable condition Monday after the attack, which ended when the 49-year-old elbowed the kangaroo in the throat. He said he was walking his blue heeler, Rocky, on Sunday morning when they surprised a sleeping kangaroo in Arthur's Creek northeast of Melbourne. The dog chased the animal into a pond, when the kangaroo turned and pinned the pet underwater.

Mauer near-unanimous pick as American League MVP

NEW YORK (AP) - Joe Mauer became only the second catcher in 33 years to win the American League Most Valuable Player Award, finishing first in a near-unanimous vote Monday. The Minnesota Twins star received 27 of 28 first-place votes and 387 points in balloting by the Baseball Writers' Association of America.

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