News from the AP

Russia president criticizes ruling party over vote
ST.PETERSBURG, Russia (AP) -- Russia's President Dmitry Medvedev on Saturday sharply criticized officials in the ruling Kremlin-backed party for manipulating recent regional votes, saying it must learn to win fairly....

Health care bill faces a crucial Senate vote
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Democratic senators pressed ahead Saturday toward a crucial first vote on President Barack Obama's health care overhaul, a test of party unity in the face of solid Republican opposition....

D.R. Horton sees 26 perecent spike in 4Q orders
Homebuilder D.R. Horton Inc., saw new home orders spike 26 percent from a year ago in the latest quarter as buyers raced to close deals and take advantage of a federal tax credit. But a wider-than-anticipated loss fueled by write-downs sent shares tumbling more than 15 percent Friday....

CAPITAL CULTURE: Sotomayor adds celebrity to court
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Apparently, no one told Sonia Sotomayor that Supreme Court justices are supposed to be circumspect, emerging from their marble palace mainly to dispense legal wisdom to law schools, judges' conferences and lawyers' meetings....

Stocks fall for 3rd day as dollar strengthens
NEW YORK (AP) -- Investors can't shake their fears that the economy isn't keeping up with the stock market....

Ex-Vivendi CEO: I made mistakes but never misled
NEW YORK (AP) -- Former Vivendi CEO Jean-Marie Messier told a jury Friday he made mistakes in his troubled bid to turn the French water company into a global media giant, but he never misled shareholders about the risks....

Texas high court agrees to rehear Exxon case
DALLAS (AP) -- The Texas Supreme Court on Friday said it will again hear arguments in the nearly 15-year legal battle over accusations that Exxon Mobil Corp. loaded abandoned wells with junk, sludge and even explosives to keep other companies from drilling there....

Americans save more but earn less as rates fall
NEW YORK (AP) -- The U.S. is finally becoming a nation of savers. Now if only we could get something for our money....

Obama trumpets Asia trip as boost to US economy
WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Barack Obama's eight-day trip to Asia produced no tangible wins for the United States, though he is citing talks with Asian allies that he says could help create thousands of job and open new markets for American goods in the future....

Small Florida bank shuttered, 124th this year
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Florida banking regulators on Friday shut down Commerce Bank of Southwest Florida, marking the 124th U.S. bank to succumb this year to the struggling economy and rising loan defaults....