Houston

When in doubt, sit them out: States consider bills to protect athletes against concussions. At least a half-dozen states are considering measures that would toughen restrictions on young athletes returning to play after head injuries, inspired by individual cases and the attention the issue has received in the NFL.

At least a half-dozen states are considering measures that would toughen restrictions on young athletes returning to play after head injuries, inspired by individual cases and the attention the issue has received in the NFL.

Spurs win big against Hawks 105-90, but lose Parker to left ankle sprain. The San Antonio Spurs snapped a three-game losing streak by blowing out one of the best teams in the league.

Countrywide parent says mortgage crash affected Texas contract; Perry defends enterprise fund. Bank of America canceled a jobs contract with Texas because the mortgage crisis and a complex merger were preventing its Countrywide Home Loans from adding the 7,500 jobs it promised to the state by late 2010, the company said Wednesday.

Higher oil prices drive ConocoPhillips to $1.2 billion profit in 4Q. ConocoPhillips said Wednesday it earned $1.2 billion in the fourth quarter as profits from oil production made up for huge losses in the company's refining business.

HOUSTON (Reuters) - The Justice Department charged four men on Tuesday with tampering with phones in the New Orleans office of Democratic Senator Mary Landrieu, one of them a conservative filmmaker who last year provoked a scandal involving a liberal grass-roots group.

Athletics bring in oft-injured pitcher Ben Sheets with $10 million, 1-year deal. Once Billy Beane received positive word on Ben Sheets' throwing session last week, the Oakland general manager pounced. The pitcher's agent had an impressive offer in hand from the Athletics practically by the time Sheets was done icing down his arm afterward. It was merely an hour later.

Delta Air Lines posts $25M loss for fourth quarter, see signs of business travel pickup. Delta Air Lines Inc.'s corporate travel demand is picking up, its trans-Atlantic business has rebounded and it is holding its own in Asia as it closes the books on a turbulent 2009.

Plane through: Pilot lands Cessna on Houston golf course after running out of fuel. An area near the 11th hole at a Houston golf course provided a smooth landing spot after a small plane ran out of fuel and glided on to the grass. The Cessna 170 was expected to be moved from Hermann Park on Tuesday. The unplanned landing of the single-engine plane happened Monday night on a flight from Lafayette, La.

Plane through: Pilot lands Cessna on Houston golf course after running out of fuel. An area near the 11th hole at a Houston golf course provided a smooth landing spot after a small plane ran out of fuel and glided on to the grass.

HOUSTON (Reuters) - A group of shareholders who focus on the environment said on Tuesday they are targeting companies operating in the Marcellus Shale to ensure development of natural gas does not pollute or endanger human health.

Major business events and economic events scheduled for Wednesday:

Calendar of major business events scheduled for Wednesday. Major business events and economic events scheduled for Wednesday:

HOUSTON (Reuters) - The Sabine-Neches Waterway remained closed Tuesday as crews prepared to clear the main channel for limited traffic and workers continued picking up oil spilled in a tanker-barge collision last weekend.

Airlines drop latest fare increase after some carriers resist hike. Major U.S. airlines have dropped an effort to raise fares by up to $16 a roundtrip after some carriers resisted the increase.

Weak energy demand squeezes oil services company Baker Hughes; 4Q profit tumbles 81 percent. Baker Hughes Inc. said Tuesday that its fourth-quarter profit plunged 81 percent as last year's tumble in energy prices discouraged companies from drilling for more oil.

Rose shakes off aches, scores 27 as Bulls beat Spurs 98-93 to win third straight on the road. When the last chance for the San Antonio Spurs came up short, Joakim Noah grabbed the rebound and punctuated a third straight win with a triumphant roar.

Depleted Nuggets get 27 points from Billups in a 104-93 victory over Charlotte. Chauncey Billups scored 27 points, Aaron Afflalo matched his career high with 24 points and the depleted Denver Nuggets beat the Charlotte Bobcats 104-93 for their season-high seventh straight win.

Shooting guard Devin Brown was traded from the New Orleans Hornets to the Chicago Bulls on Monday for 7-foot reserve center Aaron Gray in an NBA trade.

Halliburton still recovering from plunge in energy consumption, 4th-qtr profit tumbles 48 pct. Halliburton said Monday it's still recovering from a plunge in U.S. energy consumption last year that forced oil drillers to pull hundreds of rigs offline, slashing the company's fourth-quarter income by 48 percent.