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 *
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 *
THE MOTHER OF A 10-YR-OLD PA GIRL WHO FOUGHT FOR A LUNG TRANSPLANT SAYS HER DAUGHTER IS IMPROVING *
JANET MURNAGHAN SAYS HER DAUGHTER SARAH IS NOW ON A VENTILATOR *
SARAH, WHO SUFFERS FROM CYSTIC FIBROSIS, RECEIVED TWO NEW LUNGS AFTER A JUDGE GAVE HER A CHANCE AT THE LIST OF ORGANS FROM ADULT DONORS *
NEW COLORADO WILDFIRE BURNING IN THE FOOTHILLS SW OF DENVER *
THE "LIME GULCH FIRE" HAS FORCED DOZENS OF PEOPLE FROM THEIR HOMES *
THE FLAMES ARE BEING FUELED BY HOT, DRY AND WINDY CONDITIONS *
THE FIRE ERUPTED ROUGHLY 50 MILES FROM THE NOW NEARLY-CONTAINED "BLACK FOREST FIRE" *
THAT FIRE IS BEING CALLED THE MOST DESTRUCTIVE IN STATE HISTORY *
THE TALIBAN OFFERING TO HAND OVER AN AMERICAN SOLDIER IN EXCHANGE FOR FIVE GUANTANAMO DETAINEES *
U.S. ARMY SGT BOWE BERGDAHL OF HAILEY, ID, HAS BEEN HELD CAPTIVE SINCE DISAPPEARING IN EASTERN AFGHANISTAN FOUR YRS AGO *
A TALIBAN SPOX SAYS HE BELIEVES BERGDAHL IS IN GOOD CONDITION *
THE OFFER COMES AS THE U.S. TRIES TO SALVAGE PEACE TALKS WITH THE TALIBAN *
THE PROPOSED NEGOTIATIONS HAVE BEEN CONDEMNED BY AFGHAN PRES HAMID KARZAI *
TROPICAL STORM BARRY IS ZEROING IN ON MEXICO'S GULF COAST *
IT'S EXPECTED TO MAKE LANDFALL NW OF VERACRUZ EARLY THURS, ACCORDING TO THE NATL HURRICANE CENTER *
THE STORM IS PACKING SUSTAINED 45-MPH WINDS *
FORECASTERS SAY BARRY COULD CAUSE LIFE-THREATENING FLASH FLOODING AND MUDSLIDES *
THE STORM IS EXPECTED TO LOSE STEAM OVER SOUTHERN MEXICO ON FRI *
GOV CHRIS CHRISTIE REMEMBERS NEW JERSEY NATIVE JAMES GANDOLFINI AS "A FINE ACTOR, A RUTGERS ALUM AND A TRUE JERSEY GUY" *
THE SOPRANOS STAR DIED WEDNESDAY OF A POSSIBLE A HEART ATTACK WHILE VACATIONING IN ITALY *
HE WAS 51 YRS OLD *
