http://hosted.ap.org/ AP Top U.S. News At 11:30 p.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 This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.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>. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_WINTER_WEATHER?SITE=MAHYC&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT WASHINGTON (AP) -- If snow keeps 230,000 government employees home for the better part of a week, will anyone notice? With at least another foot of snow headed for Washington, Philadelphia and New York, we're about to find out. The federal government in the nation's capital has largely been shut down since Friday afternoon, when a storm began dumping up to 3 feet of snow in some parts of the region. Offices were remaining closed at least through Wednesday.... Wed, 10 Feb 2010 02:33:12 GMT By JESSICA GRESKO http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_WINTER_WEATHER?SITE=MAHYC&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_NY_GOVERNOR?SITE=MAHYC&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) -- New York Gov. David Paterson, defying calls from even fellow Democrats to drop out of the race for a full term, said Tuesday that he would leave only if the voters turned him out through the ballot box, or he's carried out "in a box."... Wed, 10 Feb 2010 04:12:34 GMT By MICHAEL GORMLEY http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_NY_GOVERNOR?SITE=MAHYC&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_SENATOR_ASSAULT?SITE=MAHYC&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT ALBANY, N.Y (AP) -- The state Senate voted Tuesday night to expel a state senator convicted of a misdemeanor charge of assaulting his girlfriend.... Wed, 10 Feb 2010 04:23:14 GMT By MICHAEL VIRTANEN http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_SENATOR_ASSAULT?SITE=MAHYC&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_CALIFORNIA_STORM?SITE=MAHYC&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT LA CANADA FLINTRIDGE, Calif. (AP) -- A new wave of winter rains washed over the wildfire-scarred foothill towns north of Los Angeles Tuesday, leaving some residents to flee their homes in bag-laden cars while others risked remaining to deploy shovels and buckets in an attempt to hold back the muddy deluge.... Wed, 10 Feb 2010 04:29:03 GMT By JACOB ADELMAN http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_CALIFORNIA_STORM?SITE=MAHYC&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_HEALTH_INSURER_RATE_HIKE?SITE=MAHYC&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT LOS ANGELES (AP) -- In his push to move stalled health care reform, President Barack Obama is appealing to American pocketbooks by calling one health insurer's major rate hike in California a harbinger of rising premiums.... Wed, 10 Feb 2010 02:51:15 GMT By SHAYA TAYEFE MOHAJER http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_HEALTH_INSURER_RATE_HIKE?SITE=MAHYC&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_GANG_INTERVENTIONIST_KILLED?SITE=MAHYC&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT LOS ANGELES (AP) -- When Ronald "Loony" Barron urged a young graffiti tagger to put away his paint cans, he was doing what he viewed as his mission - steering kids away from crime - but he paid for it with his life.... Wed, 10 Feb 2010 04:23:31 GMT By CHRISTINA HOAG http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_GANG_INTERVENTIONIST_KILLED?SITE=MAHYC&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_VALENTINE_BEARS_LEAD?SITE=MAHYC&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) -- Target Corp. said Tuesday it was pulling its Valentine's Day "Message Bears" from store shelves after California's attorney general raised concerns that the toys have illegal levels of lead.... Wed, 10 Feb 2010 00:56:48 GMT By JASON DEAREN http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_VALENTINE_BEARS_LEAD?SITE=MAHYC&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_NANCY_KERRIGANS_FATHER?SITE=MAHYC&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT BOSTON (AP) -- The family of Olympic skater Nancy Kerrigan insisted Tuesday that they do "not blame anyone" for her father's death and criticized a medical examiner's finding that Daniel Kerrigan died of a heart rhythm problem after a fight with his son.... Wed, 10 Feb 2010 00:21:15 GMT By DENISE LAVOIE http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_NANCY_KERRIGANS_FATHER?SITE=MAHYC&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_TEXAS_CHURCH_FIRES?SITE=MAHYC&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT TYLER, Texas (AP) -- A spate of recent fires that destroyed or damaged several churches in eastern Texas were intentionally set, likely by the same person or group, federal authorities said Tuesday.... Tue, 09 Feb 2010 22:02:55 GMT By SCHUYLER DIXON http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_TEXAS_CHURCH_FIRES?SITE=MAHYC&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_DNA_CRIMINAL_RELATIVES?SITE=MAHYC&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT DENVER (AP) -- Police in at least two states are increasingly using a DNA crime-solving technique that some legal experts say amounts to guilt by association: If your brother, father, uncle or son has been in trouble with the law and is in a DNA database because of it, you, too, could fall under suspicion.... Tue, 09 Feb 2010 21:02:47 GMT By P. SOLOMON BANDA http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_DNA_CRIMINAL_RELATIVES?SITE=MAHYC&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT