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SACRAMENTO. Calif. – Under pressure from firefighters and police officers, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (search) on Thursday backed off, for now, his plan to privatize California’s public employee pension system. The Republican said “misconceptions” among firefighters and police officers that privatization would strip them of death and disability benefits had come …

Here’s what is on tap for Monday: “FOX & Friends First” Starts at 6 a.m. ET Israel’s prime minister arrives in Crawford, Texas for a summit with the president. The big topic of discussion: Israel’s West Bank (search) withdrawal plan. Can both sides hammer out an agreement? We’ll get a …

“They Just Don’t Get It!” So says retired Army Colonel and counterterrorism specialist David Hunt (search) in his new book. He says Washington is still compromising your safety. And politicians have still left us ill equipped to wipe out this threat. In this book, Col. Hunt is publishing 50 pages …

Watch “On the Record” weeknights at 10 p.m. ET A hundred thousand mourners gather in Rome to say goodbye to Pope John Paul II (search) — and millions more are on their way — as the pope lies in state at St. Peter’s Basilica. Plus, an exclusive jailhouse interview with …

SAN JOSE, Calif. – A woman who claimed she scooped up a human finger in her chili at a Wendy’s restaurant (search) has decided not to sue the fast-food chain. Anna Ayala (search) dropped her claim because it “has caused her great emotional distress and continues to be difficult emotionally,” …

What’s the first thing you do when you have a fight in your car with your lady love? Why, drive into a row of lawn mowers, of course. That’s what Brownwood, Texas, police figure 19-year-old Joseph Eisenbach was thinking Sunday morning, according to the Brownwood Bulletin. “I just lost it …

CUPERTINO, Calif. – Apple Computer Inc. (AAPL) on Tuesday said the latest version of its Mac OS X operating system will go on sale at the end of this month. Its shares rose in early trading. The highly anticipated upgrade, code-named “Tiger,” will hit shelves at Apple’s retail stores and …

WASHINGTON – Beyond the sound and fury of the Senate fight over U.N. ambassador-nominee John R. Bolton (search) is the reality that presidents typically get their man — or woman — and President Bush boasts one of the better records on high-level appointments. The stunning turn of events in the …

VATICAN CITY – Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger reached back into the Catholic Church’s past when he selected the name Pope Benedict XVI (search). Here’s a look at some of the previious Benedicts: — Benedict XV (reigned 1914-1922): He was chosen as a contrast with his predecessor Pius X, whose theological crackdown …

Mosquito season is just around the corner in the U.S., and scientists may have a new lead against West Nile virus infection. An experimental new treatment based on human infection-fighting antibodies may help fight the virus. “To our knowledge, these experiments are the first successful demonstration of the use of …