ABERDEEN TOWNSHIP, N. J. ( AP) — More than 900 students at a New Jersey middle school have been told no more hugging. The district says Matawan- Aberdeen Middle School Principal Tyler Blackmore made an announcement that students were in a “no hugging school” following some “incidents of unsuitable, physical interactions.” School Superintendent David Healy […]

NEW YORK (AP) — Bank of America says it has begun a pilot program offering some of its mortgage customers who are facing foreclosure a chance to stay in their homes by becoming renters instead of owners. The “Mortgage to Lease” program, which was launched this week, will be available to fewer than 1,000 BofA […]

BOSTON (AP) — A federal judge has approved the prosecution’s request and frozen the assets of Catherine Greig, the girlfriend of reputed Boston mob boss James “ Whitey” Bulger, who has pleaded guilty to harboring him for the 16 years the couple was on the lam. The order issued Thursday freezes a bank account with […]

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — A Portland fire spokesman says an explosion involving a chemical reactor at a silicon factory has injured two people. Spokesman Paul Corah says two men were doing maintenance Thursday night near the chemical reactor at Wacker Siltronics. The reactor combines chemicals for manufacturing.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Army Staff Sgt. Robert Bales is expected to be told today he faces 17 counts of murder and six counts of attempted murder, along with other charges, in connection with a shooting rampage in two southern Afghanistan villages that shocked Americans back home and further roiled U.S.- Afghan relations. The charges come […]

SANFORD, Fla. (AP) — The investigation into last month’s shooting death of an unarmed black teenager in an Orlando suburb is out of the hands of the beleaguered police chief and the county prosecutor with the Justice Department looking at possible civil rights violations and a grand jury perhaps considering charges. Until admitted shooter George […]

LOS ANGELES ( AP) — Drugs took many things from Whitney Houston — her pristine voice, clean image and her career — and coroner’s officials revealed Thursday that cocaine also played a role in the Grammy winner’s death in the bathtub of a luxury hotel nearly six weeks ago. Houston drowned accidentally at the Beverly […]