Romney endorses McCain...Stocks plunge because of Fed view...Taking aim

BOSTON (AP) Mitt Romney is playing a role in the Republican presidential race again. This time he's endorsing his former rival, now front-runner John McCain. Romney says McCain is the right man to lead the country at a dangerous time.

NEW YORK (AP) Stocks have lost more ground following remarks by Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke that the economic outlook is deteriorating. The Dow fell 175 points to close at 12,376, while the S&P 500 lost 18 and the Nasdaq dropped 41. The losses followed three days of gains.

PENTAGON (AP) The Pentagon says it's going to try to shoot down a spy satellite before it crashes to Earth next month.

Officials say President Bush ordered the shootdown to minimize the risk to humans from the spacecraft's toxic fuel.

OXNARD, Calif. (AP) Prosecutors in Southern California are calling it a hate crime. They're charging a 14-year-old boy with attempted murder for the classroom shooting of another boy who classmates say occasionally wore makeup and high heels. Doctors declared the victim brain dead yesterday.

UNDATED (AP) Brian McNamee says he injected Roger Clemens with performance-enhancing drugs. Now, his lawyer is predicting President Bush will pardon Clemens. Richard Emery says Republicans teed off on McNamee because of Clemens friendship with the Bush family.

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.) APNP 02-14-08 1547CST | save this article / add to your favorites list