Syrian activists: 200 dead in government assault (AP)

AP - In a barrage of mortar shells, Syrian forces killed 200 people and wounded hundreds in Homs in an offensive that appears to be the bloodiest episode in the nearly 11-month-old uprising, activists said Saturday.

Over 200 people killed in Syria's Homs before U.N. vote (Reuters)

Reuters - More than 200 people were killed in shelling by Syrian forces in the city of Homs, activists said on Saturday, as the U.N. Security Council prepared to vote on a draft resolution backing an Arab call for President Bashar al-Assad to give up power.

Romney looks to boost front-runner status in Nevada (Reuters)

Reuters - With a huge lead in polls, Republican front-runner Mitt Romney appears poised for an easy win in Nevada on Saturday that would put him in firm command of the party's see-sawing presidential nominating race.

Kobayashi downs record 337 wings at Pa. Wing Bowl (AP)

AP - Competitive-eating champ Takeru Kobayashi (tah-kah-roo koh-bee-yah-shee) conquered Philadelphia's annual gustatory gorge-fest by eating 337 chicken wings in a half-hour before a crowd of nearly 20,000 at Wing Bowl XX.

Hackers intercept FBI, Scotland Yard call (AP)

AP - Trading jokes and swapping leads, investigators from the FBI and Scotland Yard spent the conference call strategizing about how to bring down the hacking collective known as Anonymous, responsible for a string of embarrassing attacks across the Internet.

Prosecutors won't charge cyclist Lance Armstrong (AP)

AP - The case against Lance Armstrong is closed. His legacy as a seven-time Tour de France champion endures.

Popular character actor Ben Gazzara dies in NY (AP)

AP - Ben Gazzara, whose powerful dramatic performances brought an intensity to a variety of roles and made him a memorable presence in such iconic productions over the decades as the original "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" on Broadway and the film "The Big Lebowski," has died at age 81.

Hiring surges in January; jobless rate at 8.3 pct. (AP)

AP - In a long-awaited surge of hiring, companies added 243,000 jobs in January — across the economy, up and down the pay scale and far more than just about anyone expected. Unemployment fell to 8.3 percent, the lowest in three years.

Surprises about Planned Parenthood cancer testing (AP)

AP - To many people, breast cancer screening means a mammogram. But for millions of poor, mostly young women who visit Planned Parenthood, it is usually just a physical exam by the only health professional they may ever see.

Heavy snowstorm hits Colorado on its way east (AP)

AP - The most powerful storm of the winter season pounded Colorado and parts of neighboring states on Friday, creating whiteout conditions on the eastern plains, cancelling more than 600 flights in Denver and closing hundreds of miles of highway between major Colorado cities and the Kansas border.

Micron CEO dies in plane crash, industry stunned (Reuters)

Reuters - Micron Technology Inc Chief Executive and Chairman Steve Appleton died in a small plane crash on Friday, a major loss for a U.S. memory chipmaker already struggling with sluggish computer sales and declining prices.

CEO of chip maker Micron dies in plane crash (AP)

AP - The head of memory chip maker Micron, long known for taking risks in stunt piloting, died Friday when a small experimental plane he was piloting steeply banked, stalled and crashed near an Idaho runway.

Insight: Syria's Assad set for long conflict (Reuters)

Reuters - With the enemy at the gates, Bashar al-Assad was dining out.