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WASHINGTON – A year ago, an activist group from the Seattle area gave Howard Dean (search) a thin, golden statue of a backbone. The Oscar-like award honored the former Democratic presidential candidate and Vermont governor for standing up against the Iraq (search) war and other Bush administration policies. Now, as …

DENVER – A professor who likened World Trade Center (search) victims to a notorious Nazi refused to apologize, but said his treatise was a “gut response” in his first public comments since the University of Colorado began a review that could lead to his dismissal. “I don’t believe I owe …

SYDNEY, Australia – Russell Crowe’s (search) halftime visit to an Australian rugby league team’s dressing room appears to have inspired the players to gladiator-like feats on the field. South Sydney, with longtime supporter Crowe watching, won for the fourth time in five matches, beating the Canberra Raiders 29-16 Saturday in …

WASHINGTON – President Bush (search) will make his first trip to Idaho next week, spending Monday evening and Tuesday vacationing in the lake and resort region near Donnelly and then speaking about the war against terrorism at the agricultural community of Nampa on Wednesday. The president will fly to Boise …

NEW YORK – U.S. power company Exelon Corp. (EXC) raised its 2005 earnings outlook on Friday on higher generation margins and load growth at its utility units but forecast 2006 earnings below the average Wall Street estimate. The company’s shares were down more than 2 percent in early Friday trading. …

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Ohio’s House Democrats are considering impeachment proceedings against Republican Gov. Bob Taft (search), who pleaded no contest last week to four ethics violations. House Minority Leader Chris Redfern (search) said Sunday that Democrats had made no decision yet about whether to seek Taft’s ouster — impeachment would …

PASADENA, Calif. – “Desperate Housewives” star Eva Longoria (search) was injured Wednesday during taping of the hit ABC comedy and was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment, officials said. Longoria, 30, was “bumped on the head by something” while shooting on location and was taken to a hospital where …

LOS ANGELES – There is no proof that “American Idol” judge Paula Abdul (search) had an affair with one of the show’s contestants, according to FOX TV, which said Abdul will remain on the show. An “enhanced non-fraternization policy” will be in place when Abdul and her fellow judges return …

NEW DELHI – India’s biggest state-run oil company, Oil and Natural Gas Corp. (search) , may make a counteroffer for PetroKazakhstan Inc. (search) , the chief executive of the Indian company said a day after it was outbid by a unit of China National Petroleum Corp. (search). “We lost very …

BANGALORE, India – India will introduce female condoms (search) later this year to help fight the spread of AIDS among its billion-plus population, with cheap supplies available to commercial sex workers, the state-owned contraceptive maker said Friday. “Female condoms will empower the woman to protect herself from infection,” M. Ayyappan, …