HATTIESBURG, Miss. (AP) -- A sorority at the University of Southern Mississippi has placed six of its members on probation for dressing in blackface to depict the Huxtable family from "The Cosby Show" and attending a 1980s-themed costume party last week off campus.

NEW YORK (AP) -- The former Penn State assistant football coach at the heart of a massive sex scandal said he showered with young boys and hugged them but called the allegedly criminal contact "horseplay."

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) -- Say you've had a heart attack and your insurer offered you free medicines to help prevent another one. Doctors did that in a major study and were stunned to find that only about half of patients took them.

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Department of Transportation said Monday it has fined a regional affiliate of American Airlines $900,000 for keeping hundreds of passengers cooped up for hours on planes in Chicago earlier this year, a clear warning to airlines on the eve of the holiday travel season that similar incidents won't be tolerated.

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Obama administration is tapping the health care overhaul law to advance its economic agenda, a political priority for the White House.

CHICAGO (AP) -- Every child should be tested for high cholesterol between ages 9 and 11 so steps can be taken to prevent heart disease later on, a panel of doctors urged Friday in new advice that is sure to be controversial.

WASHINGTON (AP) -- A Chevrolet Volt that caught fire three weeks after its lithium-ion battery was damaged in a government crash test has regulators taking a harder look at the safety of electric car batteries, federal officials said Friday.

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) -- Penn State placed assistant coach Mike McQueary on administrative leave, capping a tumultuous week in which his name surfaced as a key witness in a grand jury investigation into child sexual abuse allegations against a former coach.

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) -- Leaders across the country felt increasing pressure Friday to shut down Occupy encampments after two men died in shootings and another was found dead from a suspected combination of drugs and carbon monoxide poisoning caused by a propane heater inside a tent.

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Determined to deepen relations with Asia, President Barack Obama is devoting nine days to a diplomatic mission in the region while Congress struggles toward a crucial budget deadline and a doubtful outcome.