UNITED STATES

President Barack Obama will join former first lady Laura Bush Wednesday celebrating the start of construction for the National Museum of African American History and Culture which will showcase the history of black life, art, and culture.

A shrunken budget caused a national nuclear safety lab to announce a plan to reduce its staff by up to 800 employees, officials announced Wednesday.

A fermented concoction made with tea, sugar, bacteria and yeasts might not sound like the most delicious or most beneficial drink, but some believe that is exactly what Kombucha tea is. Some have called it a magical elixir; some have dubbed it the new Red Bull only with healthful properties; some claim it can fight everything from baldness to AIDS. However, other sources cite adverse side effects of and deaths linked to the drink.

Microsoft called on EU antitrust regulators on Wednesday to investigate Motorola Mobility, saying the U.S. phone maker was trying to block sales of its Windows PCs, its Xbox game consoles and other products.

Sales of existing U.S. homes rose 4.3 percent to 4.57 million in January, up from a revised 4.38 million in December, according to the National Assocation of Realtors, marking further improvement in the housing market as interest rates remained low and the job market saw gains.

A Chinese technology firm sought to halt the sale of Apple Inc's iPads across the affluent city of Shanghai, arguing at a local court hearing on Wednesday that the U.S. firm had infringed on its trademark.

In several prominent leaks over the weekend, Apple insiders have confirmed rumors related to the iPad 3's specs in anticipation of its March 2012 release date. Here's a rundown of the rumors the recent leaks have confirmed so far, from the tablet's camera and battery life to the possibility of a dual-core A5X processor rather then a quad-core A6.

DoubleLine Capital's stock market prediction for 2012 is cautious despite the current jolly mood of investors.

Garmin Ltd reported a rise in revenue from personal navigation devices for the first time in several quarters, helping it smash analysts' expectations.

In the past few weeks, a lot of leaks relating to iPad 3 components and expected release date made their way into the Internet and there's no way of verifying what is true and what is not, as Apple has not made any official announcement yet about its upcoming tablet. The latest leak – a photo of affront glass panel (allegedly of iPad 3) – is the clearest photo leaked yet but it has little new to reveal.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said it will resolve a potentially life-threatening shortage of two leading cancer drugs by allowing one of them to be imported from abroad and rushing approval for a new manufacturer to make the second.

U.S. stocks opened slightly lower on Wednesday, putting the S&P 500's three-day winning streak in jeopardy after weaker-than-expected euro zone economic data.

Johnson & Johnson Chief Executive William Weldon will step down from his post in April after a series of recalls called into question the quality of the healthcare giant's products, from artificial hips to infant Tylenol.

Rick Santorum continued to defend comments from his past on Tuesday, this time from a 2008 speech about Satan attacking America.

Wall Street stocks were poised for a modestly lower open on Wednesday, putting the three-day winning streak for the S&P 500 in jeopardy after weaker-than-expected euro zone economic data and ahead of a report on the U.S. housing market.

Gold prices retreated from an earlier two-week high in Europe on Wednesday as persistent concerns over Europe's finances hurt the euro and weighed on stock markets, while a supply upset in major producer South Africa lifted platinum to a five-month high.

The hype around iPad 3, which is expected to debut on March 7, refuses to die – the latest buzz is that it’s going to release in Germany on March 23.

Applications for U.S. home mortgages tumbled last week as demand for loan refinancing sagged, an industry group said on Wednesday.

Under a corporate-tax overhaul to be detailed Wednesday, U.S. companies would be forced to cede a number of loopholes and subsidies, while those with overseas operations could face a minimum tax on their foreign earnings.

MegaUpload founder Kim Dotcom was released on bail Wednesday, after a New Zealand court had decided he lacked the means to flee the country.

Shares of Dell, the No. 3 PC maker, look likely to fall sharply Wednesday after the company reported earnings below estimates and issued a dismal forecast.