The U.S. military’s Special Operations Command has backed off a plan giving it the power to conduct independent, top-secret missions in the war on terror, The New York Times reported Wednesday. This is the latest move by Defense Secretary Robert Gates to reverse policies set in motion by his predecessor, …

LOS ANGELES – After months of playing coy, newlyweds Ashlee Simpson-Wentz and Pete Wentz have made it official: Yes, they’re expecting a baby. “While many have speculated about this, we wanted to wait until after the first trimester to officially confirm that we are expecting our first child,” said a …

Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell do it. So do Susan Sarandon and Tim Robbins. And these days, it’s not just the celebrities. More and more unmarried couples are living together, and research indicates that most people have tried it. The distinction between cohabitation and marriage is eroding in many contemporary …

WASHINGTON – California Rep. Laura Richardson claimed Friday that her Sacramento home was sold into foreclosure without her knowledge and contrary to an agreement with her lender. She said she is like any other American suffering in the mortgage crisis and wants to testify to Congress about her experience as …

SANTIAGO, Chile – Police and soldiers were clearing the last remaining people from the shadow of a Chilean volcano on Thursday after a strong explosion spewed glowing-hot rocks. The week-old eruption at the Chaiten volcano has scattered ash across a wide swath of South America, forced regional airports to close …

COLUMBIA, S.C. – Prosecutors have dropped the most serious federal charge against a South Carolina teen accused of plotting to blow up his high school. Ryan Schallenberger, 18, still faces three federal explosives charges that carry a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison, but prosecutors dropped a charge of …

LOS ANGELES – Warren G has been arrested on a drug charge after police pulled over the car he was riding in. Police say the 35-year-old rapper was arrested early Sunday after being pulled over for a red light violation. Officer Karen Smith says marijuana was found in the vehicle. …

SAN FRANCISCO – Dairy owner Mark McAfee started selling raw milk in 2000, marketing it to customers who believe it contains beneficial microbes that treat everything from asthma to autism. The unpasteurized milk swiftly caught on as part of the growing natural food movement. But the Food and Drug Administration …

NEW YORK – Americans gave to charities last year at about the same rate they did the previous year, holding steady on their donations in the face of a housing-market meltdown and a crisis in credit, a study released Monday showed. But soaring gasoline and food prices have been added …

CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. – A military judge has dismissed one of the charges against a Marine lieutenant accused of helping cover up a squad’s killings of 24 Iraqis, including women and children. The judge dismissed an obstruction of justice charge Tuesday against 1st Lt. Andrew Grayson. Grayson is being court-martialed …