U.S. BLASTS CHINA AND RUSSIA FOR FAILING TO MEET MINIMUM STANDARDS TO FIGHT HUMAN TRAFFICKING *

STATE DEPT DOWNGRADED THE COUNTRIES, PUTTING THEM ON A PAR WITH N KOREA AND SYRIA *

THE U.S. ALSO DOWNGRADED UZBEKISTAN OVER ITS STATE-SANCTIONED USE OF FORCED LABOR IN ITS ANNUAL COTTON HARVEST *

PRES OBAMA NOW HAS 90 DAYS TO DETERMINE WHETHER TO APPLY SANCTIONS, ALTHOUGH THAT WOULD BE UNLIKELY *

TROPICAL STORM BARRY FORMS OFF MEXICO'S GULF COAST *

NATL HURRICANE CENTER SAYS THE ATLANTIC SEASON'S SECOND TROPICAL STORM IS DRENCHING THE REGION WITH UP TO 10 INCHES OF RAIN *

BARRY IS ABOUT 70 MILES EAST OF VERACRUZ, MEXICO, WHERE IT'S EXPECTED TO MAKE LANDFALL TOMORROW MORNING *

A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FROM PUNTA EL LAGARTO TO BARRA DE NAUTLA *

ACTOR JAMES GANDOLFINI, BEST KNOWN FOR HIS PORTRAYAL OF MOB BOSS TONY SOPRANO ON THE HBO SERIES "THE SOPRANOS", HAS DIED *

THE EMMY AWARD-WINNING ACTOR WAS WORKING ON A NEW SERIES FOR HBO AT THE TIME OF HIS DEATH *

GANDOLFINI SUFFERED A POSSIBLE HEART ATTACK ON VACATION IN ITALY *

CO FIREFIGHTERS ARE CLOSE TO WINNING THE FIGHT AGAINST THE MOST DESTRUCTIVE WILDFIRE IN STATE HISTORY *

THE BLACK FOREST FIRE IS 85% CONTAINED AND OFFICIALS EXPECT TO HAVE THE FLAMES UNDER FULL CONTROL BY THURS *

HOWEVER, FORECASTED HIGH WINDS AND HOT WEATHER COULD HAMPER FIRE-FIGHTING EFFORTS TOMORROW *

THE FIRE HAS TORCHED 22 SQUARE MILES AND KILLED TWO PEOPLE SINCE IT SPARKED MORE THAN A WEEK AGO *

U.S. AND SEVERAL OTHER COUNTRIES WILL MEET IN QATAR THIS WKND TO DECIDE ON HOW TO RESPOND TO REQUESTS FOR HELP FROM THE FREE SYRIAN ARMY *

MEETING WILL INCLUDE GOVT OFFICIALS FROM 11 COUNTRIES IN THE SO-CALLED FRIENDS OF SYRIA GROUP *

TALKS COME A WEEK AFTER THE OBAMA ADMIN AGREED TO SEND ARMS TO SYRIAN REBELS AMID THE COUNTRY'S DEADLY TWO-YEAR CIVIL WAR *

FED RESERVE SAYS IT EXPECTS UNEMPLOYMENT TO FALL FASTER THIS YEAR THAN ITS PREDICTION IN MARCH *

THE FED NOW PREDICTS THE JOBLESS RATE WILL FALL TO 7.2% OR 7.3% BY THE END OF 2013 *

THAT'S DOWN FROM ITS PREDICTION OF 7.6% THREE MONTHS AGO *

THE FED ALSO EXPECTS THOSE RATES TO FALL BETWEEN 6.5% AND 6.8% BY THE END OF NEXT YEAR *

STOCKS CLOSE LOWER ON WALL STREET AFTER THE FED RESERVE SAYS IT COULD SLOW BOND PURCHASES LATER THIS YEAR *

THE DOW SANK 206 POINTS ON WED TO CLOSE AT 15,112, A LOSS OF 1.4% *

S&P 500 FELL 22 POINTS WHILE THE NASDAQ WAS DOWN 39 *

HOUSE VOTES TO CUT FOOD STAMPS BY $2 BIL A YEAR *

THE BILL CUTS ABOUT 3% FROM THE $80 BIL-A-YEAR FOOD STAMP PROGRAM *

THE CHAMBER REJECTED A DEMOCRATIC PLAN TO MAINTAIN CURRENT SPENDING LEVELS ON FOOD STAMPS AND CUT FARM SUBSIDIES INSTEAD *

HE WAS 51 YEARS OLD *