CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) It's what spacewalking astronauts like to hear after a successfully completed chore: "Welcome back ... Outstanding job." It was especially good to hear for the astronaut who on a previous walk had seen her toolbag float off into space.

Washington (AP) GM, Ford and Chrysler are promising to submit the blueprint for improvements congressional Democrats are demanding before they consider giving the Big 3 the $25 billion they're asking for. The aid could be reconsidered in another lameduck session next month.

NEW YORK (AP) Retailers are offering even bigger price cuts for Black Friday in a frantic bid to pull in shoppers. But a survey of 100 leading retailers finds they expect sales the day after Thanksgiving to rise only 1.2 percent this year. That's well below last year's 8.3 percent growth.

WASHINGTON (AP) The Humane Society says many Petland stores support puppy mills where dogs are treated as cash crops rather than pets while telling customers the dogs come only from good breeders. Petland says it does not support substandard breeding facilities.

WASHINGTON (AP) A federal judge has ordered the release of five Algerians held at the Guantanamo Bay detention center. It's a major blow to the Bush administration's strategy to keep terror suspects locked up without charges.

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.) APNP 11-20-08 2043CST | save this article / add to your favorites list