IBT Staff Reporter

Emboldened by the pending repeal of the Don't Ask Don't Tell law, President Barack Obama, and his top legal official, have concluded that in two pending cases, the Administration will not defend a federal law that defines marriage as being the union between one man and one woman.

U.S. consumers could see food costs spiking to levels seen during the food crisis of 2008 as higher commodity and energy prices force companies to raise prices on products lining grocery store shelves, the Agriculture Department said on Thursday.

The Dow and S&P slumped for a third straight day on Thursday as investors continued to fret about the economic impact of continued violence in Libya and oil prices, though gains in Priceline kept the Nasdaq in positive territory.

General Motors Co posted fourth-quarter results that topped Wall Street expectations, but its shares fell below their IPO price as investor concerns shifted to the pressure from rising oil prices and higher costs of launching and selling new cars.

New U.S. single-family home sales fell more than expected in January, a government report showed on Thursday, pulled down by a plunge in activity in the country's West as a homebuyer state tax credit in California ended.

Anonymous dealt have taken down Westboro Church's websites and left a stern message to the radical religious group.

The 83rd Annual Academy Awards ceremony is days away and the preparations in Hollywood are well under way.

The U.S. Air Force prepared on Thursday to announce the winner of an epic $35 billion procurement battle between Boeing and Airbus over 179 aerial refueling planes, its third attempt to start replacing a fleet of planes built before humans first landed on the moon.

General Motors Co posted fourth-quarter results that topped Wall Street expectations, but its shares dipped below its IPO price as investor concerns shifted to the pressure ahead from rising oil prices and other costs.

Astronomers at the European Southern Observatory have found a companion to a star that is clearing out part of a dust cloud, the first time anyone has seen a planet in the process of formation.

Google resumed its spat with Facebook over contacts list as in its recent Gingerbread update to its Nexus S phone; it has restricted Facebook users from syncing their Facebook friends list with contacts list stored in the phone.

Facebook voting joins phone and SMS as the newest voting option available to viewers.

Researchers at the University of Michigan have created the world's smallest computer - a new millimeter-scale computing system that can hold up to a week's worth of information.

According to reports by The New York Times and a document obtained by WikiLeaks, several of the hottest pop stars such as Beyoncé, Usher, and Mariah Carey were paid extravagant amounts to perform for member of Moammar Gaddafi's family.

Long-term South African government bonds continued to fall on Thursday in anticipation of supply to fund the budget deficit, while the rand climbed and stocks closed moderately lower.

Turmoil in Libya has slashed its oil output by 75 percent or 1.2 million barrels per day, key Libyan oil sector player ENI said on Thursday.

Forces loyal to Muammar Gaddafi launched a counter-attack on Thursday, fighting fierce gun battles with rebels who have threatened the Libyan leader by seizing important towns close to the capital.

The nearly 30 year old space fleet Discovery will be used to deliver specialized equipment to the International Space Station on its last space mission.

Arsenal have signed 16-year-old Jon Toral from Barcelona's youth academy provoking a reaction from Barcelona's top.

The Gold Price rose further in London trade Thursday morning, hitting new 2011 highs for Dollar investors as Brent crude oil jumped to $119 per barrel and a raft of economic analysis warned of stagflation ahead for the global economy.

Newmont Mining Corp's (NEM.N) fourth-quarter profit rose sharply, beating Wall Street estimates, and the company increased its gold reserves by 2 percent. The world's No. 2 gold producer said on Thursday that net earnings were $812 million, or $1.61 per share, compared with $558 million, or $1.13 per share, in the same quarter of 2009.

From long black trousers to low cut button down shirts take a look back on Lindsay's courtroom outfits and see how they have evolved with time.

Scientists have detected massive waves, known as 'sausage waves', in giant magnetic holes on the surface of the Sun, bringing a step closer to unveiling the secrets of the Sun.

The upgrade makes the new models the first to include Apple and Intel's new high-speed data transfer technology.

An Iraqi immigrant, who ran over his daughter in his car and assaulted her boyfriend's mother in a case billed as honor killing, has been convicted of second-degree murder by a Phoenix jury.

Top lawyers are deserting Howrey en masse and are joining rival law firms in search of greener pastures.

An appellate court in Texas has affirmed the dismissal of a defamation suit filed by an Austin-based neurosurgeon against a local television station, ruling that accurate and fair reports on third-party allegations do not amount to defamation.

A New York Supreme Court judge has ruled that a person's constitutional right to a fair trial outweighs the press privilege, even if the information obtained by the latter is confidential in nature.

Malikah Shabazz, one of the children of slain civil rights leader Malcolm X, has been denied bail by a North Carolina court in connection with grand larceny, forgery and identity theft and could face trial in New York City where warrants have been issued against her.