Irish poised to be No. 1 in BCS

SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Out he came with a double-tap to his chest and a finger pointed to the sky. Then Manti Te'o ran onto the...

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2 freshman TV series canceled at ABC, 1 at CBS

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Three low-rated new TV series are getting the ax.ABC is saying goodbye to freshman dramas “Last Resort” and “666 Park Avenue” after 13 episodes each. “Last Resort” stars Andre Braugher and Scott Speedman as officers of a U.S. nuclear sub targeted by the government. It airs at 8 p.m. EST Thursday.The...

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News Analysis: Steroids and Back Pain: An Uneasy Match

RANDALL KINNAIRD’S legal clients had steroids injected into their backs last summer for a wide range of reasons. Of the 25, one got three shots in a two-month period when pain never totally disappeared. Another got one as a preventive measure because she was going on a trip to Europe and was worried that cobblestones would aggravate an old injury. Now the 25 — or their survivors — have...

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Chocolatier finds sweet spot in Belize

Katrina Markoff, the founder of high-end Chicago chocolatier Vosges Haut-Chocolat, is nearing completion on two high-profile projects: a winery-style chocolate facility in Logan Square and an education center at a cacao plantation and eco-lodge in Belize.Markoff isn't ready to talk about the Logan Square project, her spokeswoman said. But in an interview...

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Metra riders could face new fare hike

Many Metra riders could be facing another fare increase this February, just one year after digging deep for the biggest fare...

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Ruckus Wireless prices IPO at high end of range: market source

(Reuters) – WiFi products maker Ruckus Wireless Inc priced its initial public offering at $ 15 per share, the high end of its expected price range, a market source told Reuters.The company, which is backed by Google Inc‘s Motorola Mobility LLC and venture capital firm Sequoia Capital, raised $ 126 million by selling 8.4 million shares. Ruckus...

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Why David Geffen is getting the “American Masters” treatment

LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) – David Geffen is not a singer. Nor is he a movie star. Nor is he a writer.Thus he would seem an odd subject for “American Masters,” a series devoted to artists ranging from Willa Cather to Woody Allen. Yet series creator Susan Lacy claims that the mogul has had a profound impact on American...

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Change Rattles Leading Health-Funding Agency

Major changes erupted at one of the world’s leading health-funding agencies Thursday as it hired a new director, dismissed the inspector general who had clashed with a previous director and announced a new approach to making grants. Alex Wong/Getty ImagesDr. Mark Dybul, who led the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, in 2007. Dr. Mark Dybul, the...

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United Airlines experiences yet another major computer glitch

A massive computer outage at United Airlines early Thursday stranded passengers across the country.A spokesperson for United tells WGN-TV that the airline is up and running again. ...

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Cops: Cop wounded, at least 1 other shot on South Side

Police on the scene of a shooting tonight in the South Chicago neighborhood. ...

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RIM CEO sees new BlackBerry powering growth

WATERLOO, Ontario (Reuters) – A new line of BlackBerry 10 devices will provide Research In Motion with a framework for growth over the next decade, offering long-term value for unhappy shareholders, Chief Executive Thorsten Heins said on Wednesday.In an interview with Reuters, Heins said RIM had identified $ 800 million of the $ 1 billion of savings...

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Judge throws out Justin Bieber paparazzo chase case

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Criminal charges filed against a photographer who pursued teen pop star Justin Bieber at high speeds on a Los Angeles freeway in July were thrown out on Wednesday, striking a blow to California’s crackdown on overly aggressive paparazzi.Celebrity photographer Paul Raef was the first person to be prosecuted under the state’s 2010...

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Alzheimer’s Tied to Mutation Harming Immune Response

Alzheimer’s researchers and drug companies have for years concentrated on one hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease: the production of toxic shards of a protein that accumulate in plaques on the brain. But now, in a surprising coincidence, two groups of researchers working from entirely different starting points have converged on a mutated gene involved in another aspect of Alzheimer’s disease:...

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FCC recommends cross-ownership waivers for Tribune Co.

The staff of the Federal Communications Commission has recommended that the agency grant Tribune Co. waivers of so-called media...

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Hastert uses government office for private business

A Tribune investigation has found that former U.S. House Speaker Dennis Hastert has used his taxpayer-funded office to conduct...

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She’s got the voice, now Christina Aguilera looks for hits

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Christina Aguilera has the vocal chops, the look, the strut and millions of new fans thanks to her stint as a judge on TV singing contest “The Voice.”But can she still sell records? The singer, who had global hits with “Genie in a Bottle” and the female empowerment ballad “Beautiful” more than...

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‘Dream Team’ of Behavioral Scientists Advised Obama Campaign

Chris Keane/ReutersDOOR TO DOOR Ricky Hall, an Obama volunteer, in Charlotte, N.C., last week. Late last year Matthew Barzun, an official with the Obama campaign, called Craig Fox, a psychologist in Los Angeles, and invited him to a political planning meeting in Chicago, according to two people who attended the session. “He said, ‘Bring the whole group; let’s hear what you have to say,’ ”...

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Microsoft executive exits at a shaky time

Turns out Microsoft Corp.'s radical overhaul of its Windows operating system last month wasn't the only big change in store...

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A challenge unmet

Chicago elementary school students with learning or emotional disabilities miss far more school days than their peers without...

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U2′s Bono to urge U.S. politicians not to cut aid programs

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Irish rocker and anti-poverty campaigner Bono will appeal to Democrats and Republicans during a visit to Washington this week to spare U.S. development assistance programs from cuts as Congress tries to avert the looming “fiscal cliff” of tax hikes and spending reductions early next year.The U2 lead singer’s visit comes as the Obama...

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Lance Armstrong Cuts Officials Ties With His Livestrong Charity

In the wake of being stripped of his seven Tour de France titles for doping, Lance Armstrong last week cut all official ties with Livestrong, the charity he founded 15 years ago while he was treated for testicular cancer. On Nov. 4, he resigned from the organization’s board of directors; he had previously stepped down as the chairman of the board Oct. 17. He has distanced himself from...

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