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A registered sex offender accused of killing 11 women and leaving their remains in and around his Cleveland home pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity Thursday to all charges. Anthony Sowell, 50, was arraigned by video hookup from jail and was ordered held without bond.

At the opening of a White House jobs forum on Thursday, he said progress has been made toward an economic recovery since the depths of the recession last winter, but much more work needs to be done. He said the government's resources are limited, however, and that growth ultimately must come from the private sector.

The chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee told NPR that establishing military teams from both countries is the key to successfully stabilizing the country.

Maryland Democrat Barbara Mikulski's measure would expand coverage of women's health care, allowing the government to require insurers to cover preventive care and screenings for women at little or not cost to them.

Mark Sullivan, the head of the Secret Service, also told a congressional panel that three uniformed officers have been put on administrative leave after two uninvited guests slipped into a White House state dinner.

There is growing concern on Capitol Hill about what more the U.S. can do about terrorist havens in Pakistan. Some lawmakers say the success or failure of President Obama's plan for more troops and a new war strategy in Afghanistan ultimately depends on what happens in Pakistan.

The White House was downplaying the results of Thursday's job summit before it even started. And the administration already knows what tools it could use to help stem unemployment.

Congress is considering a bill that would lift restrictions on Americans traveling to Cuba. Opponents say U.S. tourism dollars would help the Castro government hold on even longer. But many ordinary Cubans and dissidents, too, say that's not a reason to keep the ban in place.

In an Associated Press interview, the Afghanistan leader says he'll have the discussions if the United States and other international partners back the move.

President Obama's troop increase in Afghanistan is being closely watched by many Americans, though pollsters have detected a strong isolationist sentiment, with nearly half of all Americans saying the United States should "mind its own business."

West Bank settler leaders rejected a personal plea from the prime minister to respect a government-ordered construction freeze in their communities, vowing to keep confronting security forces sent to enforce the edict.

Ben Bernanke is widely credited with helping keep the "Great Recession" from becoming a second Great Depression. But the Federal Reserve chairman faces anger from both Congress and the public for bailing out Wall Street, while ordinary Americans are struggling under the crush of high unemployment, stagnant incomes and rising foreclosures.

The pledge to reduce the ratio of pollution to GDP by 20 percent to 25 percent comes just days before world leaders gather to discuss a new climate pact. Indian officials note that the targeted reductions would be only a domestic commitment and would not be legally binding.

Comcast said it will put up $6.5 billion in cash as well as regional networks and cable assets in return for a controlling stake in NBC Universal from General Electric. The deal, valued at about $30 billion, would make Comcast one of the nation's most powerful players in news and entertainment.

First-time claims for unemployment insurance dropped by 5,000 to a seasonally adjusted 457,000, the fifth straight decrease and the lowest total since September 2008. A separate report said productivity rose at an annual rate of 8.1 percent in the third quarter, the biggest jump since 2003.

Vision and dental benefits might be cut back by employers if the Senate Democrats' so-called "Cadillac tax" on high-cost benefits is passed, according to a new survey.

The statement by Prime Minister Vladimir Putin during a four-hour TV appearance that he "will think about it" is one of the strongest signals yet that he may run again for Russia's top office.

Automakers around the globe are looking for ways to save money. The German carmaker Daimler AG says it has found a way by moving some production of its popular Mercedes-Benz C-Class sedan from Germany to Alabama, reducing the company's exposure to exchange-rate risks.

The attack by a suicide bomber disguised in women's clothing leaves at least 15 dead at a graduation ceremony in Mogadishu. The blast raises new questions about the ability of Somalia's weak government to control even the small area of the capital it holds.

Comcast, the nation's largest cable provider, is buying a controlling stake in NBC Universal which has broadcast and cable networks and a movie studio. The deal would make Comcast one of the nation's most powerful players in news and entertainment.

Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke will appear before the Senate Banking Committee Thursday. He is seeking confirmation for another four years as head of the nation's central bank. Bernanke may find himself under fire for decisions he made during the bank bailout from angry lawmakers who are looking to limit the Fed's powers.

The top American commander in Afghanistan spent a second day briefing Afghan government officials about how President Obama's new strategy will play out there. Gen. Stanley McChrystal says his main goal is to pair the additional U.S. and NATO troops with Afghan soldiers and police officers. McChrystal says this will speed the handover of the country's security responsibilities to Afghans, which if President Obama has his way, would begin in 18 months.

Three top administration officials are making the case for how the war in Afghanistan can be won. Defense Secretary Robert Gates, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Admiral Mike Mullen, the nation's top military officer, are making the rounds on Capitol Hill. Their mission: sell the president's new strategy for Afghanistan.

Bank of America says it plans to repay the government bailout funds it received during the credit crisis and after it purchased Merrill Lynch & Co. The move would allow Bank of America, which is trying to recruit a new CEO, to free itself from government restrictions on executive pay that come along with bailout funds.

Efforts are underway to expand the scope of evidence-based medicine as part of an attempt to reign in health care costs. Congress is still meddling in medical decisions, such as the new guidelines on mammograms. Wednesday's discussions by a House panel on routine mammograms got tangled with the issue of health care overhaul.

Attorney General Eric Holder has said he is not a proponent of capital punishment. But by Oct. 3, he had authorized death penalty prosecutions at a pace comparable to that of his immediate predecessor.

A breakfast joint and pizzeria in Springfield, Mo., share restaurant space to cut costs. At lunchtime, the aromas of frying bacon and bubbling pizza sauce mingle.

Cities are getting into the business of developing iPhone apps. Boston has created a Citizens Connect app as a way to make a one-touch kvetch about anything from potholes to broken streetlights. Users snap a photo, and the location's coordinates automatically embed in the photo.

The White House is hosting a jobs summit Thursday to collect ideas about how to put people back to work. Since pushing for the stimulus package earlier this year, the president has been hesitant about spending a lot more money to create jobs. He's caught in a tug of war between those worried about rising unemployment and a rising federal deficit.

In a move that will help it recruit a new CEO, the bank said Wednesday it plans to repay the government funds in the next few days. It said it would use available cash and raise $18.8 billion in capital to repay the money, which it received during the height of the credit crisis last year and after its purchase of Merrill Lynch earlier this year.

On the eve of a hearing to confirm a second term for the chairman of the Federal Reserve, Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont said Bernanke should have done more to help struggling Americans. The Senate needs 60 votes to override Sanders' "hold" on the nomination and move forward with a vote.

More than a million American households lost access to basic banking services like savings accounts last year, bank regulators say. Poor, minority and immigrant families are especially hard-hit.

Sen. Dick Durbin says a nearly empty state prison in western Illinois appears to be the leading facility in the running to become the new home for Guantanamo Bay detainees.

Protesters had blocked security forces from entering the community to enforce a construction freeze. The showdown was the most serious incident of settler unrest since Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last week announced the 10-month building freeze, which bars the construction of new homes in West Bank settlements.

Smoking rates have gone down, but instead of enjoying longer and better quality lives, Americans are in danger of just the opposite, due to the rapid rise of obesity.

Gen. Stanley McChrystal, the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan, spent Wednesday pitching President Obama's revised Afghan strategy to his troops and Afghan officials. McChrystal acknowledged it's going to take more than words to persuade Afghans that Obama's new strategy can bring peace.

The Obama administration went to Capitol Hill on Wednesday to sell its new Afghanistan policy to lawmakers. At the witness table before Senate and House committees: Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Michael Mullen.

In his speech on Afghan strategy Tuesday, President Obama said that Pakistan and the United States "share a common enemy." Obama also said success in Afghanistan "was inextricably linked" to Pakistan eradicating safe havens within its borders. Many Pakistanis, however, reject that premise.

Soldiers at Fort Drum in Watertown, N.Y., say they are not surprised by the news that more of them will be deploying to Afghanistan. Most of them seem resigned to spending more time in combat, but they say it will be hard on their families.