When the Santa Ana winds howl in Southern California, they often have disaster written on them. Their near-hurricane force combined with single-digit relative humidity and heat wave temperatures are the worst-case scenario in what has become virtually a year-round fire ... [full story]

LONDON (AP) — Piracy on the high seas used to be a simple affair: Climb on board, take the valuables, and go. But now on the volatile waters off east Africa, pirates are carrying rocket launchers, demanding multimillion dollar ransoms and ... [full story]

WASHINGTON (AP) — New claims for unemployment benefits jumped last week to a 16-year high, the Labor Department said Thursday, providing more evidence of a rapidly weakening job market. The government said new applications for jobless benefits rose to a seasonally ... [full story]

TORONTO (AP) — Canadian officials proposed tougher restrictions on teen drivers in Ontario, including a prohibition on new motorists 19 and younger from driving with more than one teenage friend, prompting thousands of young drivers to protest online. The bill, introduced ... [full story]

MIAMI (AP) — Forecasters say Tropical Storm Paloma is strengthening and turning to the north as it approaches the Cayman Islands and Cuba. The National Hurricane Center in Miami said Thursday the storm could make landfall over Cuba as a hurricane ... [full story]

In a record bailout of a private company, the government on Monday provided a new $150 billion financial-rescue package to troubled insurance giant American International Group, including $40 billion for partial ownership. The action, announced by the Federal Reserve and the ... [full story]

NEW YORK - Millions of people are receiving letters in the mail this month notifying them of the open enrollment period for their health care plans ��" the period when they can change their coverage for next year if they ... [full story]

WASHINGTON (AP) — Some of the nation's largest banks sharing in the $700 billion government bailout of the financial industry tried to assure lawmakers Thursday they are using the money to make more loans and help financially strapped homeowners avoid ... [full story]

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) -- Aflac Inc.'s Chairman and Chief Executive Daniel P. Amos said Friday he will forego the "golden parachute" components of his employment contract because he feels he doesn't need them. "I think there are a lot of uncertain ... [full story]

HOUSTON (AP) — Hurricane Ike left thousands homeless, millions without power and destroyed houses and businesses along the Texas Gulf Coast. But it also gave state and local governments a chance to learn from their mistakes during a natural disaster. A ... [full story]