AP Top Headlines At 9:28 a.m. EST http://hosted.ap.org/ AP Top Headlines At 9:28 a.m. EST &copy; 2010 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 This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.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>. Blizzards pound snowbound Mid-Atlantic to New York http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_WINTER_WEATHER?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT WASHINGTON (AP) -- Snow, wind and slush hounded eastern commuters early Wednesday as blizzard warnings from Baltimore to New York City heralded the second major storm in a region already largely blanketed by weekend snowfall.... Pakistani officials confirm Taliban chief is dead http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AS_PAKISTAN?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AP) -- Pakistani Taliban chief Hakimullah Mehsud has died, the country's top civilian security official told The Associated Press on Wednesday. It was the government's first categorical confirmation of the death of the feared militant, whose passing is likely to weaken, but not vanquish, the al-Qaida-linked insurgent network he led.... New report: Consumers spent modestly in January http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_RETAIL_SALES_JANUARY?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT NEW YORK (AP) -- Americans backed off from holiday spending in January, but retail sales rose for a third month in a row compared with a year earlier, largely because of gas price hikes, according to figures released Wednesday by a key data service....