reality

Electoral College math: Not all votes are equal

By SETH BORENSTEINAP Science Writer WASHINGTON (AP) - When it comes to electing the president, not all votes are created equal. And chances are yours will count less than those of a select few. For example, the vote of Dave Smith in Sheridan, Wyo., counts almost three-and-a-half times as much

Oil posts 8.5 pct gain for quarter; gas at $3.79

By JONATHAN FAHEY NEW YORK (AP) - Oil ended the third quarter with a slight gain as investors weighed whether the world economy could pull out of the doldrums. Benchmark oil rose 34 cents to $92.19 per barrel in morning trading in New York. In London, Brent crude, which reflects what most U.S.

Politician kept budget vow, now tries to keep job

By JOHN FLESHERAssociated Press TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) - Shortly after newly elected Rep. Dan Benishek arrived in Washington, staffers raised a banner that proclaimed to visitors in his Capitol Hill suite: "If you are here to ask for more money, you're in the wrong office!" The message

'Dirty DUIs' private investigator gets 8 years

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) - A disgraced former California police officer involved in the sensational "Dirty DUIs" scandal in which he acknowledged stealing drugs from law enforcement and setting up men for drunken driving arrests was sentenced to eight years in federal prison. Christopher Butler was