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AP Top News at 1:44 p.m. EST -Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Senate to take up unemployment insurance extension

WASHINGTON (AP) - Legislation extending unemployment insurance for the long-term jobless appears poised to clear a key hurdle in the Senate Tuesday, its momentum helped by about 60 popular tax breaks for individuals and businesses that expired at the end of last year. The measure also prevents doctors from absorbing a crippling cut in Medicare payments, extends health insurance subsidiesfor the unemployed and gives cash-starved states help with Medicaid, the federal-state program providing health care to the poor and disabled.

Ohio St.: Employee kills co-worker, then self

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) - A new Ohio State University custodial employee who received a bad job evaluation shot two co-workers in a campus maintenance building, killing one of them, and then fatally shot himself, officials said Tuesday. Nathaniel Brown, who had been hired in October, arrived for work at the nation's largest university in dark clothing with two handguns in a backpack, campus Police Chief Paul Denton said. Denton described the shooting as work-related and said Brown recently received a poor performance evaluation, though he declined to say whether that was the motive.

Israel, Syria announce nuclear energy ambitions

PARIS (AP) - Mideast rivals Israel and Syria on Tuesday each announced ambitions to develop nuclear energy, with Israel facing the prospect that its plan could bring new international attention to its secretive nuclear activities. Both countries laid out their hopes at an international conference on civilian nuclear energy at the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. Civilian nuclear energy contributes far less to global warming than burning of fossil fuels but worries many because of the risks of long-term waste storage and the possibility of proliferation.

As Chile shook, cities rolled to the west a bit

WASHINGTON (AP) - The Earth really did move during the massive Chile quake: Researchers say cities and islands physically shifted west a bit. Thanks to GPS, scientists at Ohio State University and the University of Hawaii found that the city of Concepcion moved at least 10 feet to the west. It is the nearest major city to last month's quake,

12 centuries-old shipwrecks found in Baltic Sea

STOCKHOLM (AP) - A dozen centuries-old shipwrecks - some of them unusually well-preserved - have been found in the Baltic Sea by a gas company building an underwater pipeline between Russia and Germany. The oldest wreck probably dates back to medieval times and could be up to 800 years old, while the others are likely from the 17th to 19th centuries, Peter Norman of Sweden's National Heritage Board said Tuesday.

Continental CEO will cancel flights before fines

DALLAS (AP) - Continental Airlines plans to cancel flights rather than risk stiff fines under new federal rules designed to punish carriers for delaying passengers. CEO Jeff Smisek said Tuesday the result will be that passengers will have more trouble getting to their destinations.

Samsung, Panasonic start selling 3-D TVs this week

NEW YORK (AP) - Samsung and Panasonic will start selling 3-D TVs in U.S. stores this week, inaugurating what TV makers hope is the era of 3-D viewing in the living room. Samsung Electronics Co. announced Tuesday that it is selling two 3-D sets. Combined with the required glasses and a 3-D Blu-ray player, the prices start at about $3,000 for a 46-inch screen.

Britain could force owners to microchip their dogs

LONDON (AP) - British dog owners may be forced to microchip their pets and take out insurance, part of a proposed crackdown on the country's dangerous canines. Postmen are delighted, but civil libertarians grumble that Britain's sprawling surveillance state now wants to track the nation's estimated 8 million dogs. Others complain that the insurance plan would impose a financial penalty on innocent pet owners - while criminals who own violent animals will simply shirk the law.

AP source: Guilty plea expected in Letterman case

NEW YORK (AP) - A person familiar with the case says a TV producer is expected to admit trying to shake down David Letterman over the comic's sexual affairs. The person says Robert "Joe" Halderman will plead guilty Tuesday afternoon to attempted grand larceny in exchange for a six-month jail term. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because Halderman's court appearance hadn't happened yet.

Carl Edwards gets 3 weeks' probation from NASCAR

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) - Carl Edwards has been placed on three weeks' probation by NASCAR for intentionally wrecking Brad Keselowski's car during last weekend's race at Atlanta. NASCAR president Mike Helton said Tuesday there are two separate issues: the wreck itself, and the fact that Keselowski's car went airborne.

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