United States
Noted bicyclist to ride in Maine Dempsey Challenge
Sep 05, 2010 16:21 EDT
Tour de France bicyclists to visit Maine to ride in 'Grey's Anatomy' star's Dempsey Challenge. Olympic bronze medalist and Tour de France veteran Levi Leipheimer (LEE'-vy LYP'-hy-mur) is visiting Maine to take part in the second annual bicycling fundraiser put on by "Grey's Anatomy" star Patrick Dempsey.
Sen. Byrd's family denounces campaign attack ad
Sep 05, 2010 16:14 EDT
Image from Byrd memorial in TV attack ad linking W.Va. gov, Obama upsets late senator's family. The family of the late Robert C. Byrd is angry after the GOP nominee for his U.S. Senate seat included an image from Byrd's West Virginia memorial service in a TV attack ad.
Frogs overcome Fiesta flashback to beat Oregon St.
Sep 05, 2010 16:08 EDT
Fiesta flashback for No. 6 TCU, but win over Beavers moves Frogs ahead on another BCS chase. There had to be a Fiesta Bowl flashback for the TCU Horned Frogs when Andy Dalton threw an interception on their first drive of the new season.
Williams overcomes Peer test to reach last eight
Sep 05, 2010 16:08 EDT
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Twice champion Venus Williams came through a testing match to beat Israel's Shahar Peer 7-6 6-3 and reach the U.S. Open quarter-finals on Sunday.
Verdasco leads Spanish charge at US Open
Sep 05, 2010 16:03 EDT
Fernando Verdasco led the way for Spain in the third round of the US Open on Sunday, blasting past Argentina's David Nalbandian 6-2, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2, while Sam Querrey struck a blow for US hopes.
Attorney: JetBlue attendant in NYC flap resigned
Sep 05, 2010 16:00 EDT
Attorney says JetBlue flight attendant in NYC airport flap resigned, wasn't fired by airline. A flight attendant who captured America's attention when he told off a plane full of passengers and then slid down an emergency chute resigned from his job last week and wasn't fired, his lawyer said Sunday.
Islamist threat to Germany is growing say police
Sep 05, 2010 15:56 EDT
BERLIN (Reuters) - The threat of Islamist attacks in Germany is growing as numbers of people returning from militant camps on the Afghan-Pakistan border rise, a senior police official said.
ETA declares ceasefire in Basque independence battle
Sep 05, 2010 15:56 EDT
Basque separatist fighters ETA declared a ceasefire Sunday in their flagging, decades-long campaign of bombing and shooting for a homeland independent of Spain.
What might make the Fed flinch?
Sep 05, 2010 15:54 EDT
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. economy appears to be trudging along, neither booming nor busting, growing steadily enough to diminish double-dip recession fears but not quickly enough to bring down unemployment.
Focus of Gulf oil disaster shifts to finding the culprit
Sep 05, 2010 15:41 EDT
With a key piece of evidence raised from the depths of the Gulf of Mexico and BP's Macondo well ruled a threat no longer, the focus shifts to what went wrong and who is to blame.
Want cheapskates to spend? Hawk gizmos that save
Sep 05, 2010 15:31 EDT
If you want cheapskates to pull out their wallets, tell them gadget will save them money. How do you get penny pinchers to spend these days? Pitch products that promise to save them money.
Kelly savors 1st win, Michigan up next for Irish
Sep 05, 2010 15:31 EDT
Brian Kelly savors win in first game with Notre Dame, says Irish had no gross errors. Brian Kelly relaxed after his first victory at Notre Dame as only a coach can. He tuned in to some more football, catching the second half of a game involving the school he led to an unbeaten record last season.
Meyer: Gators have 'long way to go' after opener
Sep 05, 2010 15:28 EDT
Coach Urban Meyer says No. 4 Florida has 'long way to go' after sloppy win over Miami (Ohio). Florida coach Urban Meyer expected some growing pains.
Venus wins but never finds comfort at US Open
Sep 05, 2010 15:28 EDT
Williams struggles, Clijsters cruises to advance to quarterfinals at US Open. Venus Williams struggled with her serve. She kept tugging at her dress. Just as big a nuisance was her opponent, Shahar Peer.
U.S. comedian Robert Schimmel dies after car accident
Sep 05, 2010 15:25 EDT
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Comedian Robert Schimmel died on Friday night in a Phoenix hospital from injuries he sustained in a car accident, his public relations firm said on Saturday.
In wake of Earl, U.S. eyes other potential storms
Sep 05, 2010 15:23 EDT
MIAMI (Reuters) - The remnants of Tropical Storm Gaston look very likely to strengthen again as a tropical cyclone in the Atlantic and could threaten the Caribbean's Leeward Islands in coming days on a westward track, U.S. forecasters said on Sunday.
US troops fire back as suicide bombers kill 12 in Baghdad
Sep 05, 2010 15:22 EDT
American troops were among those who fired back to repel a coordinated suicide attack on an Iraqi army complex that killed 12 people on Sunday, days after US forces officially ended combat operations in the country.
Netanyahu seeks 'new solutions' to Palestinian conflict
Sep 05, 2010 15:18 EDT
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that creative thinking was needed to end the decades-old conflict with the Palestinians.
Michigan QB Robinson aims for focus at Notre Dame
Sep 05, 2010 15:17 EDT
Michigan QB Denard Robinson draws comparisons to 1 of Rich Rodriguez's stars at West Virginia. Michigan quarterback Denard Robinson vows to stay focused during Notre Dame week.
Twelve killed in suicide assault on Iraq army base
Sep 05, 2010 15:13 EDT
BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Up to six suicide bombers, some armed with rifles, tried to storm an army base in Baghdad on Sunday, killing 12 people and wounding 36 less than a week after Washington declared U.S. combat operations in Iraq over.
Facts from the Wikipedia page:
| United States of America | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ||||||
| Motto: In God We Trust (official) E Pluribus Unum (traditional) (Latin: Out of Many, One) | ||||||
| Anthem: "The Star-Spangled Banner" | ||||||
.svg) | ||||||
| Capital | Washington, D.C. 38°53′N 77°01′W / 38.883°N 77.017°W | |||||
| (and largest city) | New York City | |||||
| Official languages | None at federal level1 | |||||
| National language | English (de facto)2 | |||||
| Demonym | American | |||||
| Government | Federal constitutional republic | |||||
| - | President | Barack Obama (D) | ||||
| - | Vice President | Joe Biden (D) | ||||
| - | Speaker of the House | Nancy Pelosi (D) | ||||
| - | Chief Justice | John Roberts | ||||
| Independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain | ||||||
| - | Declared | July 4, 1776 | ||||
| - | Recognized | September 3, 1783 | ||||
| - | Current constitution | June 21, 1788 | ||||
| Area | ||||||
| - | Total | 9,826,675 km2 [1](3rd/4th3) 3,794,101 sq mi | ||||
| - | Water (%) | 6.76 | ||||
| Population | ||||||
| - | 2009 estimate | 308,174,000[2] (3rd4) | ||||
| - | 2000 census | 281,421,906[3] | ||||
| - | Density | 31/km2 (180th) 80/sq mi | ||||
| GDP (PPP) | 2008 estimate | |||||
| - | Total | $14.441 trillion[4] (1st) | ||||
| - | Per capita | $47,440[4] (6th) | ||||
| GDP (nominal) | 2008 estimate | |||||
| - | Total | $14.441 trillion[4] (1st) | ||||
| - | Per capita | $47,440[4] (17th) | ||||
| Gini (2007) | 45.0[1] (44th) | |||||
| HDI (2007) | ▲ 0.956[5] (very high) (13th) | |||||
| Currency | United States dollar ($) (USD) | |||||
| Time zone | (UTC-5 to -10) | |||||
| - | Summer (DST) | (UTC-4 to -10) | ||||
| Date formats | m/d/yy (AD) | |||||
| Drives on the | right | |||||
| Internet TLD | .us .gov .mil .edu | |||||
| Calling code | +1 | |||||
| 1 | English is the official language of at least 28 states—some sources give a higher figure, based on differing definitions of "official".[6] English and Hawaiian are both official languages in the state of Hawaii. | |||||
| 2 | English is the de facto language of American government and the sole language spoken at home by 80% of Americans age five and older. Spanish is the second most commonly spoken language. | |||||
| 3 | Whether the United States or the People's Republic of China is larger is disputed. The figure given is from the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency's World Factbook. Other sources give smaller figures. All authoritative calculations of the country's size include only the 50 states and the District of Columbia, not the territories. | |||||
| 4 | The population estimate includes people whose usual residence is in the fifty states and the District of Columbia, including noncitizens. It does not include either those living in the territories, amounting to more than 4 million U.S. citizens (most in Puerto Rico), or U.S. citizens living outside the United States. | |||||
