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NEW YORK – U.S. mortgage applications rose for a second consecutive week, driven by increased demand for home purchase loans as interest rates remained near a recent four-year high, an industry trade group said on Wednesday. The Mortgage Bankers Association said its seasonally adjusted index of mortgage application activity for …

UNITED NATIONS – The five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council and Japan agreed Monday to continue discussions on a resolution against North Korea in response to missile tests that rattled the region last week. The Tokyo-sponsored resolution that calls for sanctions would have to be altered for the …

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – A rare coin has brought a Florida couple a pretty penny. Denis Loring and Donna Levin bought the 1792 copper penny at auction last year for $437,000. They sold it in May for $660,000. The coin originally was owned by descendants of Oliver Wolcott, who …

OLYMPIA, Washington – Decades of files that the Boy Scouts of America compiled on sexual abuse allegations can be used in a lawsuit claiming the organization was ineffective at preventing abuse, the state Supreme Court ruled Thursday. About 1,000 files, with names redacted, have been given to the lawyers for …

TRENTON, N.J. – Registered voters give Gov. Jon S. Corzine high marks after the budget crisis that froze New Jersey government for a week, but a new poll indicates they don’t feel the same about lawmakers. Corzine’s 44 percent approval rating in a poll released Friday by Quinnipiac University is …

WASHINGTON – House Republicans have whipped through a series of bills to crack down on illegal immigration with hopes they might provide an election boost in November. But there’s wide disagreement on what they would cost and little inclination among lawmakers to come up with the money in any case. …

This is a partial transcript from “Hannity & Colmes,” September 20, 2006, that has been edited for clarity. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) JAMES MCGREEVEY, FORMER GOVERNOR OF NEW JERSEY: And so my truth is that I am a gay American, and I am blessed to live in the greatest nation with …

LOS ANGELES – Eleven members and associates of a notorious street gang have been indicted on federal racketeering charges of using threats and violence to control the drug trade near downtown Los Angeles. The indictment, unsealed Tuesday, accuses the defendants of belonging to two “cliques” of the 18th Street gang …

SAN FRANCISCO – Among the companies whose shares are expected to see active trade in Wednesday’s session are Oracle Corp., Morgan Stanley and Agile Software Corp. AAR Corp. (AIR) is expected to report earnings per share for the first quarter of 28 cents, according to analysts polled by Thomson First …

TOKYO – When Japan’s Princess Kiko announced she was pregnant earlier this year, the government quickly shelved a much-debated proposal to avoid a succession crisis and allow a female to inherit the Chrysanthemum Throne. Now Japan will find out when Kiko gives birth on Wednesday whether the throne will have …