By MIKE GLOVER / Associated Press Writer NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry on Friday said job losses “rip the heart out of our economy” and criticized President Bush’s ability to make up for the millions of jobs that have disappeared during his administration. Swinging into the South on his first campaign…

By ERIN McCLAM / Associated Press Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Martha Stewart predicted she would be “completely exonerated” on appeal after a jury delivered a devastating verdict that could take her from the top of a homemaking empire once worth $1 billion to the inside of a prison cell. Only a slight grimace at…

By JONATHAN FOWLER / Associated Press Writer GENEVA (AP) — Women make up a greater percentage of the global work force than ever before, but many make so little money they can barely survive, the United Nations said. A report released Friday by the International Labor Organization said women now account for 40.5 percent of…

By LINDA A. JOHNSON / Associated Press Writer TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — Suddenly tormented by a runny nose, stuffy head, scratchy throat and itchy eyes? You’ve got lots of company. Across the country, the spring allergy season has hit extremely early due to spells of unseasonably warm weather that induced trees such as elm, maple…

By PETER SVENSSON / AP Business Writer NEW YORK (AP) — As retirement draws nearer for baby boomer couples, many are scrambling to understand insurance, investments, Social Security and wills. For those who are in same-sex relationships, the difficulties multiply. “For straight couples, so much of it is automatic, as far as inheritance rights and…

By BEN FELLER / AP Education Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — The national test considered the best measure of how high school seniors perform is suffering from plummeting student participation and growing questions about its reliability, according to a new report released Friday. The National Assessment of Educational Progress, also known as the nation’s report card,…

By ADAM GELLER / AP Business Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Beyond the gallon jars of mayonnaise and the office furniture, shoppers browsing the aisles at some Sam’s Club stores will find something that isn’t usually sold at retail — an employee background check in a box. “Make better hiring decisions,” says the package, a…

By CHERYL WITTENAUER / Associated Press Writer ST. LOUIS (AP) — A federal jury ordered the Tennessee company that is the nation’s leading provider of on-demand book printing to pay $15 million for patent infringement to the company that created the concept. The verdict could mean consumers who follow certain steps when ordering such books…

By TOM SHARP / Associated Press Writer SPRINGFIELD (AP) — Four men were shot and three killed in a spree of shootings Friday, Springfield authorities said. The violence shocked the town of about 14,300 people some 25 miles north of Nashville. “This is probably one of the worst days in the history of Springfield,” Police…