WASHINGTON – A congressional panel endorsed a measure Thursday that would give conditional approval of a civil nuclear cooperation agreement between the United States and Russia. The bill means Congress will not block the deal with Russia despite objections from some lawmakers that Russia should not be rewarded until it …

This is a rush transcript from “America’s Election HQ,” July 15, 2008. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated. HEATHER NAUERT, HOST: With those elections right around the corner, political billboards seem to be popping up across the country. Take a look at this …

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Nationwide figures show that traffic deaths are dropping as gas prices climb. The National Safety Council reports a 9-percent drop in motor vehicle deaths through May, compared with the same time period last year. Researchers say that includes an 18-percent drop in March and 14 percent in …

ISTANBUL, Turkey – Two bombs exploded minutes apart in a packed Istanbul square Sunday night, killing 16 and injuring more than 150 in the deadliest attack against civilians in Turkey in almost five years. The city’s governor called it a “terror attack,” but officials did not blame any specific group …

JERUSALEM – Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said Monday he does not believe his government and the Palestinian leadership will be able to achieve their stated goal of a forging a peace deal by the end of the year. Speaking to the parliament’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, Olmert said …

FORT CALHOUN, Neb. – Lawyers for a scholarship foundation say a dead woman stole $55,000 in scholarship donations years ago, and are asking that her estate be opened to pay back the missing funds. Linda Halford — a banker and treasurer for the foundation for 20 years — died in …

PITTSBURGH – Two men imprisoned for beating a woman 15 years ago have been ordered to stand trial on homicide charges now that she has died, allegedly from the old wounds. Shawn Sadik, 35, and Stevenson Rose, 43, are serving 15- to 30-year prison sentences for the beating of Mary …

Four brothers in the U.K. have all been stricken with a rare, often fatal, genetic disorder, according to a BBC report. Luke Hartley, 7, and his brothers Daniel, 11, Nathan, 13, and Joshua, 15, from Romsey, Hampshire in the U.K., were all born with the immune system disorder XLP — …

A Chinese man who made headlines last July when he was diagnosed with a 33-pound facial tumor is undergoing his second surgery Monday, according to the Australian Broadcasting Corp. Huang Chuncai’s facial tumor became noticeable when he was 4-years-old. It grew bigger and more quickly as he grew older, blocking …

LAS VEGAS – A lawyer says he’ll keep fighting a city order to lower the height of big American flag flapping over a Las Vegas auto dealership. Attorney David Chesnoff says the fight for Towbin Hummer’s flag is about patriotism, and anyone who says otherwise is wrong. Clark County District …