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 *