Holms 1st major league homer lifts Giants past Phillies 4-3

By Gene J. Puskar (AP)

The Atlanta Braves and Pittsburgh Pirates will play a doubleheader Monday after their game Sunday was postponed by rain.

The doubleheader will begin at 12:35 p.m. Jair Jurrjens will start the first game for Atlanta against Zach Duke, and Pittsburgh\'s John Van Benschoten will face Tim Hudson in the nightcap.

Duke and Jurrjens had been the scheduled starters Sunday.

The game was called after a delay of 40 minutes. Light rain in the morning developed into a thunderstorm just before the scheduled 1:35 p.m. start. The tarp was never taken off the field.

By Kimberlee Hewitt (AP)

Jenna Bush couldn\'t see herself getting married at the White House surrounded by antique furniture and oil portraits of presidents. She and Henry Hager said \"I do\" Saturday at President Bush\'s ranch in Crawford where the corn is thigh-high, roads are named Cattle Drive and the Texas flag is painted on the rooftops of barns.

The president and the bride picked \"You Are So Beautiful\" for their father-daughter dance, according to band leader Tyrone Smith of Nashville, Tenn. Smith and his 10-piece party band, The Tyrone Smith Revue, was asked to do \"Lovin\' in My Baby\'s Eyes\"...

By Marty Sohl (AP)

Lay on Macduff _ and Banquo, too.

It was these two supporting characters who stood out Friday night as the Metropolitan Opera assembled an entirely new cast for the season\'s last three performances of Verdi\'s \"Macbeth.\"

As Banquo, Macbeth\'s comrade in arms who falls early victim to his murderous rampage, the German bass Rene Pape dominated the early scenes. His beautiful tone, seamless throughout his range but especially impressive in its upper reaches, always commands attention, as does his deep commitment to character. From his first entrance, he makes Banquo\'s...

By Kimberlee Hewitt (AP)

Jenna Bush couldn\'t see herself getting married at the White House surrounded by antique furniture and oil portraits of presidents. She and Henry Hager opted to say \"I do\" Saturday at President Bush\'s ranch in Crawford where the corn is thigh-high, roads are named Cattle Drive and the Texas flag is painted on the rooftops of barns.

Away from the glare of television cameras that have beamed other first family weddings into American living rooms, Jenna\'s outdoor wedding at the ranch reflects her family\'s penchant for privacy and her preference for the casual over...

By Mary Altaffer (AP)

Citigroup Inc.\'s new chief executive, Vikram Pandit, plans to stick with a global banking model after months of intense review _ but only after shrinking the company by about one-fifth first.

The three-year game plan, revealed Friday, includes getting rid of more businesses, mortgages, real-estate operations and jobs.

The bank aims to shed between $400 billion and $500 billion of its $2.2 trillion in assets and grow revenue by 9 percent over the next few years as it tries to rebound from massive losses tied to deterioration in the credit markets.

The $500 billion in...

By Stephen Morton (AP)

Kenny Perry went to the PGA Tour\'s weekly Bible study in the home of Fred Funk, and if the message was about storing up treasures in heaven, the 47-year-old Perry found inspiration from a more tangible prize.

Three years ago, Funk won The Players Championship at 48, making him the oldest winner of this prestigious event. Perry snooped around the house and found the crystal trophy, rubbing his hands on it.

\"I got a good look at his trophy,\" Perry said Friday. \"That guy inspired me.\"

In demanding conditions on the scary Stadium Course _ wind that gusted to 35 mph and...

By J. SCOTT APPLEWHITE (AP)

This could be the Supreme Court term, one court watcher joked recently, that Justice John Paul Stevens remembers he is a Republican.

A 1975 appointee of President Gerald Ford, Stevens is regarded as the anchor of the court\'s liberal wing. But he has joined with his more conservative colleagues in three high-profile cases that defied predictions they would showcase deep ideological divisions on the court.

Last term was marked by an unusually high number of 5-4 decisions, and many experts believed this term\'s notable cases would produce similar outcomes.

But the biggest...

By J. SCOTT APPLEWHITE (AP)

This could be the Supreme Court term, one court watcher joked recently, that Justice John Paul Stevens remembers he is a Republican.

A 1975 appointee of President Gerald Ford, Stevens is regarded as the anchor of the court\'s liberal wing. But he has joined with his more conservative colleagues in three high-profile cases that defied predictions they would showcase deep ideological divisions on the court.

Last term was marked by an unusually high number of 5-4 decisions, and many experts believed this term\'s notable cases would produce similar outcomes.

But the biggest...

By Haraz N. Ghanbari (AP)

A federal judge ordered imprisoned quarterback Michael Vick to repay more than $2.4 million to a Canadian bank for defaulting on a loan. The Royal Bank of Canada sued Vick in September, arguing his guilty plea to a federal dogfighting charge _ and the resulting impact on his career _ prevented him from repaying the loan.

According to the suit filed in U.S. District Court in Newport News, the loan\'s terms specify that any employment change negatively impacting Vick\'s income constitutes a default on the loan.

Vick is serving a 23-month prison sentence at the U.S. penitentiary...

By Seth Wenig (AP)

Forget the Empire State Building. Some New York tourists are eager to see the city\'s other landmarks: Carrie\'s stoop, Charlotte\'s gallery and that restaurant where Samantha threw a martini in a boyfriend\'s face.

Fans of \"Sex and the City\" have long arrived here eager to see the $500 shoes, the Cosmopolitan-drinking fashionistas and the glamorous serial daters for themselves. Now, with the movie follow-up to the show set to premiere later this month, a number of them are planning trips so that they can see \"Sex and the City\" ... in the city.

\"Once we found out there...

By RYAN MOORE (AP)

Amber Parker watched on television as the storm near her home grew into a tornado threat. Then, when the roaring wind outside suddenly fell silent, she grabbed her two toddlers and rushed to get under the stairwell.

\"We just got inside the door frame when I was pushed inside ... then everything went,\" said Parker, tears welling in her eyes as she described the chaotic scene during a brief discussion with reporters near her demolished home in central North Carolina.

Neighbors helped the 36-year-old Parker and her two children _ a 2-year-old and a 3-year-old _ out of the...

By Charles Dharapak (AP)

Perhaps Barack Obama\'s competitive juices need new outlets now that he has expanded his lead over Democratic presidential rival Hillary Rodham Clinton.

On a five-hour flight from Washington to Oregon late Thursday, the Illinois senator came to the back of his charter plane for a spirited word game against reporters, and it was clear he did not intend to lose.

In \"Taboo,\" a player under time constraints must prompt teammates to guess words or names without using obvious hints. For instance, in giving clues for \"equator,\" the player is penalized if he says \"Earth,\"...

By Mark Humphrey (AP)

The flag was in a tempting location, back and left on the 13th green at the TPC Sawgrass with a pond running alongside the left side. Sergio Garcia took dead aim with a 7-iron and the ball never left its target.

This is nothing new with Garcia, who rarely struggles to make solid contact.

What pleased him was to see the 6-foot putt break sharply toward the water and drop into the center of the cup for one of seven birdies Thursday at The Players Championship, leading to a 6-under 66 and a two-shot lead.

\"I\'m just looking forward to keep doing the same things _ keep...

By Mark Humphrey (AP)

The flag was in a tempting location, back and left on the 13th green at the TPC Sawgrass with a pond running alongside the left side. Sergio Garcia took dead aim with a 7-iron and the ball never left its target.

This is nothing new with Garcia, who rarely struggles to make solid contact.

What pleased him was to see the 6-foot putt break sharply toward the water and drop into the center of the cup for one of seven birdies Thursday at The Players Championship, leading to a 6-under 66 and a two-shot lead.

\"I\'m just looking forward to keep doing the same things _ keep...

By Susan Walsh (AP)

Sen. Barack Obama got a front-runner\'s welcome back at the Capitol Thursday, pressing congressional \"superdelegates\" to support him in a visit that had the look and feel of a campaign victory lap.

On the House floor, he was quickly surrounded by well-wishers calling him, \"Mr. President\" and reaching out to pat him on the back or shake his hand. The glad-handers included a few Republicans and supporters of his Democratic presidential rival, Hillary Rodham Clinton.

He picked up the superdelegate support of at least two lawmakers: Rep. Brad Miller of North Carolina, where...

By Charles Dharapak (AP)

Sen. Barack Obama got a front-runner\'s welcome back at the Capitol Thursday, pressing congressional \"superdelegates\" to support him in a visit that had the look and feel of a campaign victory lap.

On the House floor, he was quickly surrounded by well-wishers calling him, \"Mr. President\" and reaching out to pat him on the back or shake his hand. The glad-handers included a few Republicans and supporters of his Democratic presidential rival, Hillary Rodham Clinton.

He picked up the superdelegate support of at least two lawmakers: Rep. Brad Miller of North Carolina, where...

By ALASTAIR GRANT (AP)

Consumer electronics chain Best Buy Co. Inc. is establishing a foothold in the European market with a $2.1 billion investment in the continent\'s largest cell phone retailer, allowing the American company to roll out its trademark big box stores in Europe, the companies said Thursday.

The London-based Carphone Warehouse Group PLC will put its 2,400 Carphone Warehouse and Phone House stores in Europe into the new joint venture.

In a conference call with analysts, the companies said they have been speaking for four years and have collaborated for two, developing the Best Buy...

By M. Spencer Green (AP)

Aaron Alpern, 46, and his wife live in Chicago and have a combined income of $30,000. They have a 4-year-old son. Alpern\'s an actor, and not always employed. He says it\'s hard to pay the bills each month, but they\'ve managed to contribute to Obama four or five times online, about $50 at a time. \"I plan on giving every time I have a chance,\" he says. \"He has excited me in a way that no other candidate has.\" Alpern says he\'s been particularly motivated by one of Obama\'s frequent campaign pitches: \"The change you\'re waiting for is you.\" He has also helped the campaign by making...

By Randy Snyder (AP)

Kriss Riggs isn\'t one to spend her money on politicians.

\"Even the place you can donate a dollar on your taxes, I refuse to do it,\" says the 60-year-old photographer from Blue River, Ore.

Likewise for Kate Schwartz, a 24-year-old marketing expert from Chicago. Past elections, she says, always seemed far removed from young people.

\"A lot of people felt like it wasn\'t happening in my demographic,\" Schwartz said.

Not this time.

Riggs and Schwartz are foot soldiers in Barack Obama\'s 1.5-million-strong army of campaign contributors. Dozens of Associated...

By THANASSIS STAVRAKIS (AP)

The European Central Bank and the Bank of England both held their official interest rates steady on Thursday as rising inflation outweighed concerns about slowing economic growth across the European Union.

But the two banks are expected to take different paths next month when the ECB is likely to again keep its borrowing rate at 4 percent to fight inflation, while many economists expect the British central bank to cut its own rate by a quarter percentage point from the current 5 percent.

Soaring food and energy prices have made the European banks reluctant to follow the U.S....

By THANASSIS STAVRAKIS (AP)

The European Central Bank left its interest steady at 4 percent on Thursday, following a similar decision by the British central bank to leave its rate at 5 percent.

Analysts had expected Thursday\'s decision by both banks as evidence mounted that growth in the euro zone and in Britain is likely to slow in coming months.

Higher rates, used to combat inflation, also can strengthen a currency and are considered to be supporting the euro.

While the U.S. Federal Reserve has lowered rates seven times in seven months to 2 percent, the ECB has been content to stand pat to try...

By Patti Longmire (AP)

Sometimes during peak hours, the phones are silent in Andy Freitas\' pizza restaurants, yet the cooks are busy keeping pace with hungry customers.

That\'s because orders are rolling in through the Internet.

\"It\'s pretty amazing not to hear a phone ring on a busy night,\" said Freitas, an operating partner with the largest Papa John\'s franchisee in the Washington, D.C., market.

In the past seven years, Louisville-based Papa John\'s International Inc. has made a lot of dough from online ordering _ more than $1 billion to be exact.

The nation\'s third-largest...

By Elise Amendola (AP)

Barack Obama\'s march toward the Democratic presidential nomination picked up support from four more superdelegates Wednesday, pushing him ever closer to victory over Hillary Rodham Clinton _ even as their primary marathon staggered on.

She added two superdelegates herself in what has become the last big contest as their race winds toward a finish.

There are just 217 delegates to be chosen in the final six primaries, and neither candidate can win enough of them to claim final victory. Meanwhile, 265 additional delegates _ the party elders and other \"superdelegates\" _ have...