AP Top News at 1:37 p.m. EDT

DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) - Two suicide car bombs ripped through the Syrian capital Thursday, killing 55 people and tearing the facade off a military intelligence building in the deadliest explosions since the country's uprising began 14 months ago, the Interior Ministry said. Residents told an Associated Press reporter that the blasts happened in quick succession during morning rush hour, with an initial small explosion followed by a larger bomb that appeared aimed at onlookers and rescue crews arriving at the scene. Paramedics wearing rubber gloves collected human remains from the pavement as heavily damaged cars and pickup trucks smoldered.

A list of major suicide bombings and large-scale explosions during Syria's 14-month uprising: _Dec. 23, 2011 - Two car bombers blow themselves up near intelligence agency compounds in the capital Damascus, killing 44 people in the first suicide attacks since the uprising began in March.

PHOENIX (AP) - Federal authorities sued America's self-proclaimed toughest sheriff Thursday, a rare step after months of negotiations failed to yield an agreement to settle allegations that his department racially profiled Latinos in his trademark immigration patrols. The U.S. Department of Justice officials said the agency filed a lawsuit only once before in the 18-year history of its police reform work. The lawsuit escalates the standoff with Sheriff Joe Arpaio and puts the dispute on track to be decided by a federal judge.

WASHINGTON (AP) - He gave no speech, issued no call to action. He spoke of changing alongside the nation's people, not of leading them into uncharted territory. He made sure to say what so many so passionately believe - that states should decide such issues on their own. The first black president becoming the first president to speak out for a minority denied the right to marry is undoubtedly a powerful political moment. But a significant cultural milestone? A nation full of straight people at ease among openly gay co-workers, relatives and sitcom characters may already have passed Barack Obama by.

ATLANTA (AP) - Half of U.S. adults under 30 say they have had a sunburn at least once in the past year, a government survey found - a sign young people aren't heeding the warnings about skin cancer. The rate of sunburn is about the same as it was 10 years earlier, reversing progress reported just five years ago.

GUNTOWN, Miss. (AP) - The Mississippi man on the run from a double-slaying thought he might be the father of the two girls he's now accused of kidnapping, his mother-in-law said. Authorities said they think the missing girls, Alexandria Bain, 12, and Kyliyah Bain, 8, are still with Adam Mayes, nearly two weeks after he fled with them.

NEW YORK (AP) - A change to the design of a needle that will sit atop One World Trade Center is raising questions over whether the building will be America's tallest when completed. Developer Douglas Durst says the 408-foot-tall needle will no longer be enclosed in a fiberglass and steel enclosure called a radome. Durst says the enclosure was removed from the original design because it was impossible to maintain or repair it.

Stocks rose on Thursday, putting the Dow Jones industrial average on track to break a six-day losing streak. The gains came after the government said claims for unemployment benefits edged lower last week. Investors had been worried that a strong start to hiring this year was coming to an end. The better jobs numbers suggest that hiring will continue to improve.

MOUNT SALAK, Indonesia (AP) - The crash of a new, Russian-made jetliner into a jagged, Indonesian volcano during a flight to impress potential buyers threw doubt on dozens of plane sales Thursday just as Moscow seeks a comeback in foreign markets. All 45 people aboard were feared dead. Search and rescue teams climbed through the mist-shrouded, jungly terrain for nearly 20 hours to reach the site where the plane roared in at nearly 480 mph (800 kph) Wednesday, exploding and raining debris down a nearly vertical slope.

Apple is the world's most valuable company. The Dow Jones industrial average is probably the world's best-known stock index. So don't they deserve each other? Consider this: If Apple had been added to the Dow in June 2009, the last time there were serious rumors that it would happen, the average would be about 2,500 points higher than it is today and well above its all-time high.

DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) - Two suicide car bombs ripped through the Syrian capital Thursday, killing 55 people and tearing the facade off a military intelligence building in the deadliest explosions since the country's uprising began 14 months ago, the Interior Ministry said. Residents told an Associated Press reporter that the blasts happened in quick succession during morning rush hour, with an initial small explosion followed by a larger bomb that appeared aimed at onlookers and rescue crews arriving at the scene. Paramedics wearing rubber gloves collected human remains from the pavement as heavily damaged cars and pickup trucks smoldered.

A list of major suicide bombings and large-scale explosions during Syria's 14-month uprising: _Dec. 23, 2011 - Two car bombers blow themselves up near intelligence agency compounds in the capital Damascus, killing 44 people in the first suicide attacks since the uprising began in March.

PHOENIX (AP) - Federal authorities sued America's self-proclaimed toughest sheriff Thursday, a rare step after months of negotiations failed to yield an agreement to settle allegations that his department racially profiled Latinos in his trademark immigration patrols. The U.S. Department of Justice officials said the agency filed a lawsuit only once before in the 18-year history of its police reform work. The lawsuit escalates the standoff with Sheriff Joe Arpaio and puts the dispute on track to be decided by a federal judge.

WASHINGTON (AP) - He gave no speech, issued no call to action. He spoke of changing alongside the nation's people, not of leading them into uncharted territory. He made sure to say what so many so passionately believe - that states should decide such issues on their own. The first black president becoming the first president to speak out for a minority denied the right to marry is undoubtedly a powerful political moment. But a significant cultural milestone? A nation full of straight people at ease among openly gay co-workers, relatives and sitcom characters may already have passed Barack Obama by.

ATLANTA (AP) - Half of U.S. adults under 30 say they have had a sunburn at least once in the past year, a government survey found - a sign young people aren't heeding the warnings about skin cancer. The rate of sunburn is about the same as it was 10 years earlier, reversing progress reported just five years ago.

GUNTOWN, Miss. (AP) - The Mississippi man on the run from a double-slaying thought he might be the father of the two girls he's now accused of kidnapping, his mother-in-law said. Authorities said they think the missing girls, Alexandria Bain, 12, and Kyliyah Bain, 8, are still with Adam Mayes, nearly two weeks after he fled with them.

NEW YORK (AP) - A change to the design of a needle that will sit atop One World Trade Center is raising questions over whether the building will be America's tallest when completed. Developer Douglas Durst says the 408-foot-tall needle will no longer be enclosed in a fiberglass and steel enclosure called a radome. Durst says the enclosure was removed from the original design because it was impossible to maintain or repair it.

Stocks rose on Thursday, putting the Dow Jones industrial average on track to break a six-day losing streak. The gains came after the government said claims for unemployment benefits edged lower last week. Investors had been worried that a strong start to hiring this year was coming to an end. The better jobs numbers suggest that hiring will continue to improve.

MOUNT SALAK, Indonesia (AP) - The crash of a new, Russian-made jetliner into a jagged, Indonesian volcano during a flight to impress potential buyers threw doubt on dozens of plane sales Thursday just as Moscow seeks a comeback in foreign markets. All 45 people aboard were feared dead. Search and rescue teams climbed through the mist-shrouded, jungly terrain for nearly 20 hours to reach the site where the plane roared in at nearly 480 mph (800 kph) Wednesday, exploding and raining debris down a nearly vertical slope.

Apple is the world's most valuable company. The Dow Jones industrial average is probably the world's best-known stock index. So don't they deserve each other? Consider this: If Apple had been added to the Dow in June 2009, the last time there were serious rumors that it would happen, the average would be about 2,500 points higher than it is today and well above its all-time high.

DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) - Two suicide car bombs ripped through the Syrian capital Thursday, killing 55 people and tearing the facade off a military intelligence building in the deadliest explosions since the country's uprising began 14 months ago, the Interior Ministry said. Residents told an Associated Press reporter that the blasts happened in quick succession during morning rush hour, with an initial small explosion followed by a larger bomb that appeared aimed at onlookers and rescue crews arriving at the scene. Paramedics wearing rubber gloves collected human remains from the pavement as heavily damaged cars and pickup trucks smoldered.

A list of major suicide bombings and large-scale explosions during Syria's 14-month uprising: _Dec. 23, 2011 - Two car bombers blow themselves up near intelligence agency compounds in the capital Damascus, killing 44 people in the first suicide attacks since the uprising began in March.

PHOENIX (AP) - Federal authorities sued America's self-proclaimed toughest sheriff Thursday, a rare step after months of negotiations failed to yield an agreement to settle allegations that his department racially profiled Latinos in his trademark immigration patrols. The U.S. Department of Justice officials said the agency filed a lawsuit only once before in the 18-year history of its police reform work. The lawsuit escalates the standoff with Sheriff Joe Arpaio and puts the dispute on track to be decided by a federal judge.

WASHINGTON (AP) - He gave no speech, issued no call to action. He spoke of changing alongside the nation's people, not of leading them into uncharted territory. He made sure to say what so many so passionately believe - that states should decide such issues on their own. The first black president becoming the first president to speak out for a minority denied the right to marry is undoubtedly a powerful political moment. But a significant cultural milestone? A nation full of straight people at ease among openly gay co-workers, relatives and sitcom characters may already have passed Barack Obama by.

ATLANTA (AP) - Half of U.S. adults under 30 say they have had a sunburn at least once in the past year, a government survey found - a sign young people aren't heeding the warnings about skin cancer. The rate of sunburn is about the same as it was 10 years earlier, reversing progress reported just five years ago.

GUNTOWN, Miss. (AP) - The Mississippi man on the run from a double-slaying thought he might be the father of the two girls he's now accused of kidnapping, his mother-in-law said. Authorities said they think the missing girls, Alexandria Bain, 12, and Kyliyah Bain, 8, are still with Adam Mayes, nearly two weeks after he fled with them.

NEW YORK (AP) - A change to the design of a needle that will sit atop One World Trade Center is raising questions over whether the building will be America's tallest when completed. Developer Douglas Durst says the 408-foot-tall needle will no longer be enclosed in a fiberglass and steel enclosure called a radome. Durst says the enclosure was removed from the original design because it was impossible to maintain or repair it.

Stocks rose on Thursday, putting the Dow Jones industrial average on track to break a six-day losing streak. The gains came after the government said claims for unemployment benefits edged lower last week. Investors had been worried that a strong start to hiring this year was coming to an end. The better jobs numbers suggest that hiring will continue to improve.

MOUNT SALAK, Indonesia (AP) - The crash of a new, Russian-made jetliner into a jagged, Indonesian volcano during a flight to impress potential buyers threw doubt on dozens of plane sales Thursday just as Moscow seeks a comeback in foreign markets. All 45 people aboard were feared dead. Search and rescue teams climbed through the mist-shrouded, jungly terrain for nearly 20 hours to reach the site where the plane roared in at nearly 480 mph (800 kph) Wednesday, exploding and raining debris down a nearly vertical slope.

Apple is the world's most valuable company. The Dow Jones industrial average is probably the world's best-known stock index. So don't they deserve each other? Consider this: If Apple had been added to the Dow in June 2009, the last time there were serious rumors that it would happen, the average would be about 2,500 points higher than it is today and well above its all-time high.

DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) - Two suicide car bombs ripped through the Syrian capital Thursday, killing 55 people and tearing the facade off a military intelligence building in the deadliest explosions since the country's uprising began 14 months ago, the Interior Ministry said. Residents told an Associated Press reporter that the blasts happened in quick succession during morning rush hour, with an initial small explosion followed by a larger bomb that appeared aimed at onlookers and rescue crews arriving at the scene. Paramedics wearing rubber gloves collected human remains from the pavement as heavily damaged cars and pickup trucks smoldered.

A list of major suicide bombings and large-scale explosions during Syria's 14-month uprising: _Dec. 23, 2011 - Two car bombers blow themselves up near intelligence agency compounds in the capital Damascus, killing 44 people in the first suicide attacks since the uprising began in March.

PHOENIX (AP) - Federal authorities sued America's self-proclaimed toughest sheriff Thursday, a rare step after months of negotiations failed to yield an agreement to settle allegations that his department racially profiled Latinos in his trademark immigration patrols. The U.S. Department of Justice officials said the agency filed a lawsuit only once before in the 18-year history of its police reform work. The lawsuit escalates the standoff with Sheriff Joe Arpaio and puts the dispute on track to be decided by a federal judge.

WASHINGTON (AP) - He gave no speech, issued no call to action. He spoke of changing alongside the nation's people, not of leading them into uncharted territory. He made sure to say what so many so passionately believe - that states should decide such issues on their own. The first black president becoming the first president to speak out for a minority denied the right to marry is undoubtedly a powerful political moment. But a significant cultural milestone? A nation full of straight people at ease among openly gay co-workers, relatives and sitcom characters may already have passed Barack Obama by.

ATLANTA (AP) - Half of U.S. adults under 30 say they have had a sunburn at least once in the past year, a government survey found - a sign young people aren't heeding the warnings about skin cancer. The rate of sunburn is about the same as it was 10 years earlier, reversing progress reported just five years ago.

GUNTOWN, Miss. (AP) - The Mississippi man on the run from a double-slaying thought he might be the father of the two girls he's now accused of kidnapping, his mother-in-law said. Authorities said they think the missing girls, Alexandria Bain, 12, and Kyliyah Bain, 8, are still with Adam Mayes, nearly two weeks after he fled with them.

NEW YORK (AP) - A change to the design of a needle that will sit atop One World Trade Center is raising questions over whether the building will be America's tallest when completed. Developer Douglas Durst says the 408-foot-tall needle will no longer be enclosed in a fiberglass and steel enclosure called a radome. Durst says the enclosure was removed from the original design because it was impossible to maintain or repair it.

Stocks rose on Thursday, putting the Dow Jones industrial average on track to break a six-day losing streak. The gains came after the government said claims for unemployment benefits edged lower last week. Investors had been worried that a strong start to hiring this year was coming to an end. The better jobs numbers suggest that hiring will continue to improve.

MOUNT SALAK, Indonesia (AP) - The crash of a new, Russian-made jetliner into a jagged, Indonesian volcano during a flight to impress potential buyers threw doubt on dozens of plane sales Thursday just as Moscow seeks a comeback in foreign markets. All 45 people aboard were feared dead. Search and rescue teams climbed through the mist-shrouded, jungly terrain for nearly 20 hours to reach the site where the plane roared in at nearly 480 mph (800 kph) Wednesday, exploding and raining debris down a nearly vertical slope.

Apple is the world's most valuable company. The Dow Jones industrial average is probably the world's best-known stock index. So don't they deserve each other? Consider this: If Apple had been added to the Dow in June 2009, the last time there were serious rumors that it would happen, the average would be about 2,500 points higher than it is today and well above its all-time high.

DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) - Two suicide car bombs ripped through the Syrian capital Thursday, killing 55 people and tearing the facade off a military intelligence building in the deadliest explosions since the country's uprising began 14 months ago, the Interior Ministry said. Residents told an Associated Press reporter that the blasts happened in quick succession during morning rush hour, with an initial small explosion followed by a larger bomb that appeared aimed at onlookers and rescue crews arriving at the scene. Paramedics wearing rubber gloves collected human remains from the pavement as heavily damaged cars and pickup trucks smoldered.

A list of major suicide bombings and large-scale explosions during Syria's 14-month uprising: _Dec. 23, 2011 - Two car bombers blow themselves up near intelligence agency compounds in the capital Damascus, killing 44 people in the first suicide attacks since the uprising began in March.

PHOENIX (AP) - Federal authorities sued America's self-proclaimed toughest sheriff Thursday, a rare step after months of negotiations failed to yield an agreement to settle allegations that his department racially profiled Latinos in his trademark immigration patrols. The U.S. Department of Justice officials said the agency filed a lawsuit only once before in the 18-year history of its police reform work. The lawsuit escalates the standoff with Sheriff Joe Arpaio and puts the dispute on track to be decided by a federal judge.

WASHINGTON (AP) - He gave no speech, issued no call to action. He spoke of changing alongside the nation's people, not of leading them into uncharted territory. He made sure to say what so many so passionately believe - that states should decide such issues on their own. The first black president becoming the first president to speak out for a minority denied the right to marry is undoubtedly a powerful political moment. But a significant cultural milestone? A nation full of straight people at ease among openly gay co-workers, relatives and sitcom characters may already have passed Barack Obama by.

ATLANTA (AP) - Half of U.S. adults under 30 say they have had a sunburn at least once in the past year, a government survey found - a sign young people aren't heeding the warnings about skin cancer. The rate of sunburn is about the same as it was 10 years earlier, reversing progress reported just five years ago.

GUNTOWN, Miss. (AP) - The Mississippi man on the run from a double-slaying thought he might be the father of the two girls he's now accused of kidnapping, his mother-in-law said. Authorities said they think the missing girls, Alexandria Bain, 12, and Kyliyah Bain, 8, are still with Adam Mayes, nearly two weeks after he fled with them.

NEW YORK (AP) - A change to the design of a needle that will sit atop One World Trade Center is raising questions over whether the building will be America's tallest when completed. Developer Douglas Durst says the 408-foot-tall needle will no longer be enclosed in a fiberglass and steel enclosure called a radome. Durst says the enclosure was removed from the original design because it was impossible to maintain or repair it.

Stocks rose on Thursday, putting the Dow Jones industrial average on track to break a six-day losing streak. The gains came after the government said claims for unemployment benefits edged lower last week. Investors had been worried that a strong start to hiring this year was coming to an end. The better jobs numbers suggest that hiring will continue to improve.

MOUNT SALAK, Indonesia (AP) - The crash of a new, Russian-made jetliner into a jagged, Indonesian volcano during a flight to impress potential buyers threw doubt on dozens of plane sales Thursday just as Moscow seeks a comeback in foreign markets. All 45 people aboard were feared dead. Search and rescue teams climbed through the mist-shrouded, jungly terrain for nearly 20 hours to reach the site where the plane roared in at nearly 480 mph (800 kph) Wednesday, exploding and raining debris down a nearly vertical slope.

Apple is the world's most valuable company. The Dow Jones industrial average is probably the world's best-known stock index. So don't they deserve each other? Consider this: If Apple had been added to the Dow in June 2009, the last time there were serious rumors that it would happen, the average would be about 2,500 points higher than it is today and well above its all-time high.

DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) - Two suicide car bombs ripped through the Syrian capital Thursday, killing 55 people and tearing the facade off a military intelligence building in the deadliest explosions since the country's uprising began 14 months ago, the Interior Ministry said. Residents told an Associated Press reporter that the blasts happened in quick succession during morning rush hour, with an initial small explosion followed by a larger bomb that appeared aimed at onlookers and rescue crews arriving at the scene. Paramedics wearing rubber gloves collected human remains from the pavement as heavily damaged cars and pickup trucks smoldered.

A list of major suicide bombings and large-scale explosions during Syria's 14-month uprising: _Dec. 23, 2011 - Two car bombers blow themselves up near intelligence agency compounds in the capital Damascus, killing 44 people in the first suicide attacks since the uprising began in March.

PHOENIX (AP) - Federal authorities sued America's self-proclaimed toughest sheriff Thursday, a rare step after months of negotiations failed to yield an agreement to settle allegations that his department racially profiled Latinos in his trademark immigration patrols. The U.S. Department of Justice officials said the agency filed a lawsuit only once before in the 18-year history of its police reform work. The lawsuit escalates the standoff with Sheriff Joe Arpaio and puts the dispute on track to be decided by a federal judge.

WASHINGTON (AP) - He gave no speech, issued no call to action. He spoke of changing alongside the nation's people, not of leading them into uncharted territory. He made sure to say what so many so passionately believe - that states should decide such issues on their own. The first black president becoming the first president to speak out for a minority denied the right to marry is undoubtedly a powerful political moment. But a significant cultural milestone? A nation full of straight people at ease among openly gay co-workers, relatives and sitcom characters may already have passed Barack Obama by.

ATLANTA (AP) - Half of U.S. adults under 30 say they have had a sunburn at least once in the past year, a government survey found - a sign young people aren't heeding the warnings about skin cancer. The rate of sunburn is about the same as it was 10 years earlier, reversing progress reported just five years ago.

GUNTOWN, Miss. (AP) - The Mississippi man on the run from a double-slaying thought he might be the father of the two girls he's now accused of kidnapping, his mother-in-law said. Authorities said they think the missing girls, Alexandria Bain, 12, and Kyliyah Bain, 8, are still with Adam Mayes, nearly two weeks after he fled with them.

NEW YORK (AP) - A change to the design of a needle that will sit atop One World Trade Center is raising questions over whether the building will be America's tallest when completed. Developer Douglas Durst says the 408-foot-tall needle will no longer be enclosed in a fiberglass and steel enclosure called a radome. Durst says the enclosure was removed from the original design because it was impossible to maintain or repair it.

Stocks rose on Thursday, putting the Dow Jones industrial average on track to break a six-day losing streak. The gains came after the government said claims for unemployment benefits edged lower last week. Investors had been worried that a strong start to hiring this year was coming to an end. The better jobs numbers suggest that hiring will continue to improve.

MOUNT SALAK, Indonesia (AP) - The crash of a new, Russian-made jetliner into a jagged, Indonesian volcano during a flight to impress potential buyers threw doubt on dozens of plane sales Thursday just as Moscow seeks a comeback in foreign markets. All 45 people aboard were feared dead. Search and rescue teams climbed through the mist-shrouded, jungly terrain for nearly 20 hours to reach the site where the plane roared in at nearly 480 mph (800 kph) Wednesday, exploding and raining debris down a nearly vertical slope.

Apple is the world's most valuable company. The Dow Jones industrial average is probably the world's best-known stock index. So don't they deserve each other? Consider this: If Apple had been added to the Dow in June 2009, the last time there were serious rumors that it would happen, the average would be about 2,500 points higher than it is today and well above its all-time high.

DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) - Two suicide car bombs ripped through the Syrian capital Thursday, killing 55 people and tearing the facade off a military intelligence building in the deadliest explosions since the country's uprising began 14 months ago, the Interior Ministry said. Residents told an Associated Press reporter that the blasts happened in quick succession during morning rush hour, with an initial small explosion followed by a larger bomb that appeared aimed at onlookers and rescue crews arriving at the scene. Paramedics wearing rubber gloves collected human remains from the pavement as heavily damaged cars and pickup trucks smoldered.

A list of major suicide bombings and large-scale explosions during Syria's 14-month uprising: _Dec. 23, 2011 - Two car bombers blow themselves up near intelligence agency compounds in the capital Damascus, killing 44 people in the first suicide attacks since the uprising began in March.

PHOENIX (AP) - Federal authorities sued America's self-proclaimed toughest sheriff Thursday, a rare step after months of negotiations failed to yield an agreement to settle allegations that his department racially profiled Latinos in his trademark immigration patrols. The U.S. Department of Justice officials said the agency filed a lawsuit only once before in the 18-year history of its police reform work. The lawsuit escalates the standoff with Sheriff Joe Arpaio and puts the dispute on track to be decided by a federal judge.

WASHINGTON (AP) - He gave no speech, issued no call to action. He spoke of changing alongside the nation's people, not of leading them into uncharted territory. He made sure to say what so many so passionately believe - that states should decide such issues on their own. The first black president becoming the first president to speak out for a minority denied the right to marry is undoubtedly a powerful political moment. But a significant cultural milestone? A nation full of straight people at ease among openly gay co-workers, relatives and sitcom characters may already have passed Barack Obama by.

ATLANTA (AP) - Half of U.S. adults under 30 say they have had a sunburn at least once in the past year, a government survey found - a sign young people aren't heeding the warnings about skin cancer. The rate of sunburn is about the same as it was 10 years earlier, reversing progress reported just five years ago.

GUNTOWN, Miss. (AP) - The Mississippi man on the run from a double-slaying thought he might be the father of the two girls he's now accused of kidnapping, his mother-in-law said. Authorities said they think the missing girls, Alexandria Bain, 12, and Kyliyah Bain, 8, are still with Adam Mayes, nearly two weeks after he fled with them.

NEW YORK (AP) - A change to the design of a needle that will sit atop One World Trade Center is raising questions over whether the building will be America's tallest when completed. Developer Douglas Durst says the 408-foot-tall needle will no longer be enclosed in a fiberglass and steel enclosure called a radome. Durst says the enclosure was removed from the original design because it was impossible to maintain or repair it.

Stocks rose on Thursday, putting the Dow Jones industrial average on track to break a six-day losing streak. The gains came after the government said claims for unemployment benefits edged lower last week. Investors had been worried that a strong start to hiring this year was coming to an end. The better jobs numbers suggest that hiring will continue to improve.

MOUNT SALAK, Indonesia (AP) - The crash of a new, Russian-made jetliner into a jagged, Indonesian volcano during a flight to impress potential buyers threw doubt on dozens of plane sales Thursday just as Moscow seeks a comeback in foreign markets. All 45 people aboard were feared dead. Search and rescue teams climbed through the mist-shrouded, jungly terrain for nearly 20 hours to reach the site where the plane roared in at nearly 480 mph (800 kph) Wednesday, exploding and raining debris down a nearly vertical slope.

Apple is the world's most valuable company. The Dow Jones industrial average is probably the world's best-known stock index. So don't they deserve each other? Consider this: If Apple had been added to the Dow in June 2009, the last time there were serious rumors that it would happen, the average would be about 2,500 points higher than it is today and well above its all-time high.

DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) - Two suicide car bombs ripped through the Syrian capital Thursday, killing 55 people and tearing the facade off a military intelligence building in the deadliest explosions since the country's uprising began 14 months ago, the Interior Ministry said. Residents told an Associated Press reporter that the blasts happened in quick succession during morning rush hour, with an initial small explosion followed by a larger bomb that appeared aimed at onlookers and rescue crews arriving at the scene. Paramedics wearing rubber gloves collected human remains from the pavement as heavily damaged cars and pickup trucks smoldered.

A list of major suicide bombings and large-scale explosions during Syria's 14-month uprising: _Dec. 23, 2011 - Two car bombers blow themselves up near intelligence agency compounds in the capital Damascus, killing 44 people in the first suicide attacks since the uprising began in March.

PHOENIX (AP) - Federal authorities sued America's self-proclaimed toughest sheriff Thursday, a rare step after months of negotiations failed to yield an agreement to settle allegations that his department racially profiled Latinos in his trademark immigration patrols. The U.S. Department of Justice officials said the agency filed a lawsuit only once before in the 18-year history of its police reform work. The lawsuit escalates the standoff with Sheriff Joe Arpaio and puts the dispute on track to be decided by a federal judge.

WASHINGTON (AP) - He gave no speech, issued no call to action. He spoke of changing alongside the nation's people, not of leading them into uncharted territory. He made sure to say what so many so passionately believe - that states should decide such issues on their own. The first black president becoming the first president to speak out for a minority denied the right to marry is undoubtedly a powerful political moment. But a significant cultural milestone? A nation full of straight people at ease among openly gay co-workers, relatives and sitcom characters may already have passed Barack Obama by.

ATLANTA (AP) - Half of U.S. adults under 30 say they have had a sunburn at least once in the past year, a government survey found - a sign young people aren't heeding the warnings about skin cancer. The rate of sunburn is about the same as it was 10 years earlier, reversing progress reported just five years ago.

GUNTOWN, Miss. (AP) - The Mississippi man on the run from a double-slaying thought he might be the father of the two girls he's now accused of kidnapping, his mother-in-law said. Authorities said they think the missing girls, Alexandria Bain, 12, and Kyliyah Bain, 8, are still with Adam Mayes, nearly two weeks after he fled with them.

NEW YORK (AP) - A change to the design of a needle that will sit atop One World Trade Center is raising questions over whether the building will be America's tallest when completed. Developer Douglas Durst says the 408-foot-tall needle will no longer be enclosed in a fiberglass and steel enclosure called a radome. Durst says the enclosure was removed from the original design because it was impossible to maintain or repair it.

Stocks rose on Thursday, putting the Dow Jones industrial average on track to break a six-day losing streak. The gains came after the government said claims for unemployment benefits edged lower last week. Investors had been worried that a strong start to hiring this year was coming to an end. The better jobs numbers suggest that hiring will continue to improve.

MOUNT SALAK, Indonesia (AP) - The crash of a new, Russian-made jetliner into a jagged, Indonesian volcano during a flight to impress potential buyers threw doubt on dozens of plane sales Thursday just as Moscow seeks a comeback in foreign markets. All 45 people aboard were feared dead. Search and rescue teams climbed through the mist-shrouded, jungly terrain for nearly 20 hours to reach the site where the plane roared in at nearly 480 mph (800 kph) Wednesday, exploding and raining debris down a nearly vertical slope.

Apple is the world's most valuable company. The Dow Jones industrial average is probably the world's best-known stock index. So don't they deserve each other? Consider this: If Apple had been added to the Dow in June 2009, the last time there were serious rumors that it would happen, the average would be about 2,500 points higher than it is today and well above its all-time high.

DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) - Two suicide car bombs ripped through the Syrian capital Thursday, killing 55 people and tearing the facade off a military intelligence building in the deadliest explosions since the country's uprising began 14 months ago, the Interior Ministry said. Residents told an Associated Press reporter that the blasts happened in quick succession during morning rush hour, with an initial small explosion followed by a larger bomb that appeared aimed at onlookers and rescue crews arriving at the scene. Paramedics wearing rubber gloves collected human remains from the pavement as heavily damaged cars and pickup trucks smoldered.

A list of major suicide bombings and large-scale explosions during Syria's 14-month uprising: _Dec. 23, 2011 - Two car bombers blow themselves up near intelligence agency compounds in the capital Damascus, killing 44 people in the first suicide attacks since the uprising began in March.

PHOENIX (AP) - Federal authorities sued America's self-proclaimed toughest sheriff Thursday, a rare step after months of negotiations failed to yield an agreement to settle allegations that his department racially profiled Latinos in his trademark immigration patrols. The U.S. Department of Justice officials said the agency filed a lawsuit only once before in the 18-year history of its police reform work. The lawsuit escalates the standoff with Sheriff Joe Arpaio and puts the dispute on track to be decided by a federal judge.

WASHINGTON (AP) - He gave no speech, issued no call to action. He spoke of changing alongside the nation's people, not of leading them into uncharted territory. He made sure to say what so many so passionately believe - that states should decide such issues on their own. The first black president becoming the first president to speak out for a minority denied the right to marry is undoubtedly a powerful political moment. But a significant cultural milestone? A nation full of straight people at ease among openly gay co-workers, relatives and sitcom characters may already have passed Barack Obama by.

ATLANTA (AP) - Half of U.S. adults under 30 say they have had a sunburn at least once in the past year, a government survey found - a sign young people aren't heeding the warnings about skin cancer. The rate of sunburn is about the same as it was 10 years earlier, reversing progress reported just five years ago.

GUNTOWN, Miss. (AP) - The Mississippi man on the run from a double-slaying thought he might be the father of the two girls he's now accused of kidnapping, his mother-in-law said. Authorities said they think the missing girls, Alexandria Bain, 12, and Kyliyah Bain, 8, are still with Adam Mayes, nearly two weeks after he fled with them.

NEW YORK (AP) - A change to the design of a needle that will sit atop One World Trade Center is raising questions over whether the building will be America's tallest when completed. Developer Douglas Durst says the 408-foot-tall needle will no longer be enclosed in a fiberglass and steel enclosure called a radome. Durst says the enclosure was removed from the original design because it was impossible to maintain or repair it.

Stocks rose on Thursday, putting the Dow Jones industrial average on track to break a six-day losing streak. The gains came after the government said claims for unemployment benefits edged lower last week. Investors had been worried that a strong start to hiring this year was coming to an end. The better jobs numbers suggest that hiring will continue to improve.

MOUNT SALAK, Indonesia (AP) - The crash of a new, Russian-made jetliner into a jagged, Indonesian volcano during a flight to impress potential buyers threw doubt on dozens of plane sales Thursday just as Moscow seeks a comeback in foreign markets. All 45 people aboard were feared dead. Search and rescue teams climbed through the mist-shrouded, jungly terrain for nearly 20 hours to reach the site where the plane roared in at nearly 480 mph (800 kph) Wednesday, exploding and raining debris down a nearly vertical slope.

Apple is the world's most valuable company. The Dow Jones industrial average is probably the world's best-known stock index. So don't they deserve each other? Consider this: If Apple had been added to the Dow in June 2009, the last time there were serious rumors that it would happen, the average would be about 2,500 points higher than it is today and well above its all-time high.

DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) - Two suicide car bombs ripped through the Syrian capital Thursday, killing 55 people and tearing the facade off a military intelligence building in the deadliest explosions since the country's uprising began 14 months ago, the Interior Ministry said. Residents told an Associated Press reporter that the blasts happened in quick succession during morning rush hour, with an initial small explosion followed by a larger bomb that appeared aimed at onlookers and rescue crews arriving at the scene. Paramedics wearing rubber gloves collected human remains from the pavement as heavily damaged cars and pickup trucks smoldered.

A list of major suicide bombings and large-scale explosions during Syria's 14-month uprising: _Dec. 23, 2011 - Two car bombers blow themselves up near intelligence agency compounds in the capital Damascus, killing 44 people in the first suicide attacks since the uprising began in March.

PHOENIX (AP) - Federal authorities sued America's self-proclaimed toughest sheriff Thursday, a rare step after months of negotiations failed to yield an agreement to settle allegations that his department racially profiled Latinos in his trademark immigration patrols. The U.S. Department of Justice officials said the agency filed a lawsuit only once before in the 18-year history of its police reform work. The lawsuit escalates the standoff with Sheriff Joe Arpaio and puts the dispute on track to be decided by a federal judge.

WASHINGTON (AP) - He gave no speech, issued no call to action. He spoke of changing alongside the nation's people, not of leading them into uncharted territory. He made sure to say what so many so passionately believe - that states should decide such issues on their own. The first black president becoming the first president to speak out for a minority denied the right to marry is undoubtedly a powerful political moment. But a significant cultural milestone? A nation full of straight people at ease among openly gay co-workers, relatives and sitcom characters may already have passed Barack Obama by.

ATLANTA (AP) - Half of U.S. adults under 30 say they have had a sunburn at least once in the past year, a government survey found - a sign young people aren't heeding the warnings about skin cancer. The rate of sunburn is about the same as it was 10 years earlier, reversing progress reported just five years ago.

GUNTOWN, Miss. (AP) - The Mississippi man on the run from a double-slaying thought he might be the father of the two girls he's now accused of kidnapping, his mother-in-law said. Authorities said they think the missing girls, Alexandria Bain, 12, and Kyliyah Bain, 8, are still with Adam Mayes, nearly two weeks after he fled with them.

NEW YORK (AP) - A change to the design of a needle that will sit atop One World Trade Center is raising questions over whether the building will be America's tallest when completed. Developer Douglas Durst says the 408-foot-tall needle will no longer be enclosed in a fiberglass and steel enclosure called a radome. Durst says the enclosure was removed from the original design because it was impossible to maintain or repair it.

Stocks rose on Thursday, putting the Dow Jones industrial average on track to break a six-day losing streak. The gains came after the government said claims for unemployment benefits edged lower last week. Investors had been worried that a strong start to hiring this year was coming to an end. The better jobs numbers suggest that hiring will continue to improve.

MOUNT SALAK, Indonesia (AP) - The crash of a new, Russian-made jetliner into a jagged, Indonesian volcano during a flight to impress potential buyers threw doubt on dozens of plane sales Thursday just as Moscow seeks a comeback in foreign markets. All 45 people aboard were feared dead. Search and rescue teams climbed through the mist-shrouded, jungly terrain for nearly 20 hours to reach the site where the plane roared in at nearly 480 mph (800 kph) Wednesday, exploding and raining debris down a nearly vertical slope.

Apple is the world's most valuable company. The Dow Jones industrial average is probably the world's best-known stock index. So don't they deserve each other? Consider this: If Apple had been added to the Dow in June 2009, the last time there were serious rumors that it would happen, the average would be about 2,500 points higher than it is today and well above its all-time high.