NewsCosmos

Handing a victory to the Obama administration, a sharply divided federal appeals court dismisses a lawsuit involving the CIA’s secret program to imprison suspects abroad.

Central Intelligence Agency - United States - United States courts of appeals - Presidency of Barack Obama - Barack Obama

President Barack Obama strongly defended his opposition to extending Bush-era tax breaks for the wealthiest Americans on Wednesday and delivered a searing attack on Republicans  for advocating “the same philosophy that led to this mess in the first place.”

John Boehner - Barack Obama - United States - Party leaders of the United States House of Representatives - Tax cut

For a city already struggling with high unemployment, widespread foreclosures and deep budget cuts, here was another crisis: Wind-whipped fires tearing through row after row of homes, some of them abandoned.

Detroit - Fire - Wind - Michigan - United States

The top U.S. commander in Afghanistan tells NBC News that a Florida church’s plan to burn the Quran would fuel anti-U.S. hatred rivaling the backlash against the U.S. abuses at Iraq’s Abu Ghraib prison.

Pastor - Eric Holder - Florida - Attorney general - United States

More regions of the country reported slower growth as the U.S. economy lost momentum in the late summer, the Federal Reserve said Wednesday.

United States - Federal Reserve System - Economy of the United States - Central bank - Economic

Crews are searching for five people who didn’t leave their homes as a wildfire tore through a canyon in the foothills near Boulder, authorities say.

Wildfire - Wind - Colorado - Boulder County Colorado - Boulder

Stocks resumed their rally Wednesday after a successful auction of Portuguese government debt eased worries about Europe’s financial system.

Government - Government debt - Business - Financial services - Finance

But chronic drinking has been linked to high levels of the stress hormone cortisol , which can be dangerous to health. But stopping suddenly can cause the brain’s neurons to degenerate, research shows.

Cortisol - Stress hormone - Brain - Stress - Neuron