Bounce houses a party hit but kids' injuries soar

CHICAGO (AP) — They may be a big hit at kids' birthday parties, but inflatable bounce houses can be dangerous, with the number of injuries soaring in recent years, a nationwide study found.Kids often crowd into bounce houses, and jumping up and down can send other children flying into the air, too.The numbers suggest 30 U.S. children a day are treated in emergency rooms for broken bones, sprains,...

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Anna Nicole Smith daughter a Guess model

The 6-year-old daughter of the late Anna Nicole Smith is walking in her mother's shoes, taking a starring role in the spring ad campaign for Guess Kids.Guess? Inc.'s creative director Paul Marciano says in a statement that Dannielynn Birkhead has the "same playful spirit" that her mother would carry onto a set.The brand hired Smith in 1992, and she appeared in its sexy denim-wear ads through 1993....

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Obama taps Walter as new SEC chief

WASHINGTON -- President Obama on Monday designated Elisse Walter as chairwoman of the Securities and Exchange Commission, but...

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Halftime: Bears 25, Vikings 3

The Chicago Bears were coming off a short practice week and trying to have a short memory when they hosted the Minnesota Vikings...

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Professor finds profiling in ads for personal data website

LAS VEGAS (Reuters) - Dr. Latisha Smith, an expert in decompression sicknesses afflicting deep sea divers, has cleared criminal background checks throughout her medical career. Yet someone searching the Web for the Washington State physician might well come across an Internet ad suggesting she may have an arrest record. "Latisha Smith, arrested?" reads one such advertisement. ...

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Notre Dame still the 1 in AP rankings

NEW YORK (AP) — Notre Dame is No. 1 in The Associated Press college football rankings with nothing left to do but wait to find out who its opponent in the national championship game will be.Toward the bottom of the rankings, there was plenty of movement. Ten Top 25 teams lost this weekend, the most since Oct. 11, 2003.No. 2 Alabama and No. 3 Georgia, both easy winners in rivalry games Saturday, held...

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Rolling Stones mark 50th year with London show

LONDON (AP) — The Rolling Stones are marking their 50th anniversary with a concert in London.The band says R&B singer Mary J. Blige and rock guitarist Jeff Beck will be joining them on stage Sunday at the O2 Arena. Most of the tickets for the gig had sold out within minutes.Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Charlie Watts and Ronnie Wood will also be joined by former Stones members Bill Wyman and Mick...

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AP PHOTOS: Simple surgery heals blind Indonesians

PADANG SIDEMPUAN, Indonesia (AP) — They came from the remotest parts of Indonesia, taking crowded overnight ferries and riding for hours in cars or buses — all in the hope that a simple, and free, surgical procedure would restore their eyesight.Many patients were elderly and needed help to reach two hospitals in Sumatra where mass eye camps were held earlier this month by Nepalese surgeon Dr. Sanduk...

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'Twilight,' Bond, 'Lincoln' lead record weekend

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Bella Swan, James Bond and Abe Lincoln have combined to lift Hollywood to record Thanksgiving revenue at the box office.Kristen Stewart's finale as Bella in "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn — Part 2" was No. 1 again with $64 million during the five-day holiday stretch that began Wednesday, according to studio estimates Sunday.Daniel Craig's Bond adventure "Skyfall" came in at No....

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Rosenthal: Big Ten getting too big for its own good?

There's a lesson the empire builders at Big Ten Conference headquarters in Park Ridge would do well to heed if they can be convinced to stop peering out to the distant horizon:Growth through acquisition is fraught with peril."In the business world you acquire new companies and you have to deal with different corporate cultures, different priorities...

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