http://hosted.ap.org/ AP Top News at 12:12 p.m. EST &copy; 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our <a href="http://apdigitalnews.com/privacy.html">Privacy Policy</a>. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_HEALTH_CARE_OVERHAUL?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT WASHINGTON (AP) - A bruising debate on health care awaits the Senate after Thanksgiving now that the historic legislation has cleared a key hurdle over the opposition of Republicans eager to inflict a punishing defeat on President Barack Obama. The bill would extend coverage to roughly 31 million who lack it, crack down on insurance company practices that deny or dilute benefits and curtail the growth of spending on medical care nationally.... http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_RI_BISHOP_KENNEDY?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT EAST PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) - The Roman Catholic bishop of Rhode Island says he asked Rep. Patrick Kennedy to stop receiving Holy Communion in 2007 because of the lawmaker's stand on what he called moral issues. Kennedy told The Providence Journal in a story published Sunday that Bishop Thomas Tobin "instructed" him not to receive Communion because of his abortion rights stance. Kennedy said diocesan priests have been told not to give him Communion, but he did not explain how he knew that.... http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_SEPT_11_TRIAL_DEFENDANTS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT NEW YORK (AP) - A lawyer for one of five men facing trial for the Sept. 11 attacks says the men plan to plead not guilty and use the trial to express their political views. Attorney Scott Fenstermaker says his client Ali Abd al-Aziz Ali and the others will not deny their role in the 2001 attacks but will tell the jury "why they did it."... http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/M/ML_ISRAEL_PALESTINIANS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT JERUSALEM (AP) - Israeli aircraft attacked two suspected weapons-making factories and a smuggling tunnel in the Gaza Strip early Sunday in what the military said was retaliation for Palestinian rocket fire into southern Israel. The airstrikes, which wounded at least seven people - including one seriously - came despite an announcement by Gaza's Hamas rulers that the territory's military factions had all agreed to stop firing rockets. The Hamas announcement came late Saturday, after the rock... http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_KENNEDY_DYNASTY?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT WASHINGTON (AP) - Sen. Edward M. Kennedy will be a tough act to follow, even for the Kennedys. His death, coupled with the decision by family members not to seek the seat he held for nearly five decades, has prompted predictions that the family's long-running political dynasty is over. There's talk the Kennedy political bloodlines are running thin. Some say the younger brood lacks the grit and zest for political combat that drove the liberal Democrat to become one of the leading politicians... http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AS_CHINA_MINE_EXPLOSION?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT HEGANG, China (AP) - When gas levels suddenly spiked deep in the Xinxing coal mine, Wang Jiguo grabbed two co-workers and they ran for their lives. Minutes later, there was a huge bang, a torrent of hot air and the earth shuddered. Nearly two days later, at least 92 people are reported dead and 16 missing, the official Xinhua news agency said. The deadliest accident in China's mining industry for two years has highlighted how heavy demand for power-generating coal comes at a high human cost... http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_THANKSGIVING_TRAVEL?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT WASHINGTON (AP) - The number of Americans traveling away from home for Thanksgiving will be up only slightly this year from 2008, according to a report from the AAA auto club. The group, which surveyed 1,350 households, said there will be about 33.2 million people traveling by car this year - a 2.1 percent increase from last year.... http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/C/CN_CANADA_FACEBOOK_INSURANCE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT BROMONT, Quebec (AP) - A Canadian woman on long-term sick leave for depression says she lost her benefits because her insurance agent found photos of her on Facebook in which she appeared to be having fun. Nathalie Blanchard has been on leave from her job at IBM in Bromont, Quebec, for the last year.... http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_BOX_OFFICE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT LOS ANGELES (AP) - The vampire romance "The Twilight Saga: New Moon" sucked up $140.7 million in its first three days and pulled in a total of $258.8 million worldwide, according to studio estimates Sunday. The No. 1 domestic debut for Summit Entertainment's "New Moon" was more than twice the $69.6 million haul over the same weekend last year for "Twilight," the first in the franchise based on Stephenie Meyer's novels.... http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/T/TEN_ATP_FINALS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT LONDON (AP) - Andy Murray has won his opening group match of the season-ending ATP World Tour Finals, beating Juan Martin Del Potro 6-3, 3-6, 6-2. The win on Sunday improves Murray's chances of advancing from the round-robin phase to the semifinals of the lucrative eight-player tournament....