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WASHINGTON – Clear Channel Outdoor Holdings Inc., the wholly owned billboard advertising subsidiary of Clear Channel Communications Inc. (CCU), may raise up to $350 million in an initial public offering (search), according to a regulatory filing on Wednesday. The San Antonio, Texas-based company did not set terms for the expected …

WASHINGTON – U.S. retail gasoline prices, after declining for two weeks in a row, increased a slight 0.2 cent over the last week to $2.29 a gallon, the government said on Monday. The latest pump price is up 40 cents from a year ago, based on the Energy Information Administration’s …

WASHINGTON – After a week of protests by conservatives, an abortion-rights group said Thursday night it is withdrawing a television advertisement linking Supreme Court nominee John Roberts (search) to violent anti-abortion activists. “We regret that many people have misconstrued our recent advertisement about Mr. Roberts’ record,” said Nancy Keenan, president …

LONDON – Tensions in London remained high Tuesday as police investigated reports of a possible bomb on a double-decker bus that ended up being nothing more than a possible mechanical malfunction. Authorities had sealed off a portion of central London (search) due to a suspect package on the bus but …

Saying “I do” in an exotic locale can be a romantic and inexpensive way to tie the knot — if you do it right. Newlyweds Leslie and Val Felipe grew up in San Francisco, and they still live there. But they were married on the island of Oahu, Hawaii. “We …

Many asset-allocation models (including SmartMoney’s) leave out midcap stocks. So where do my midcap funds belong? QUESTION: Most Web site asset-allocation tools suggest a certain percentage of large caps and small caps, but midcaps are seldom mentioned. When creating an asset-allocation plan, should you treat midcap funds as large-cap funds, …

WASHINGTON – The Federal Emergency Management Agency (search) is seeking 2,000 Homeland Security Department workers to spend two weeks carrying out duties in the area devastated by Hurricane Katrina (search). FEMA director Michael Brown told Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff (search) in a letter that he needs 1,000 people within …

Did you know that collectibles, and even country-club memberships, qualify for long-term capital-gains rates? If you’re a stock or mutual-fund investor, then you probably know that investments held for more than a year and sold for a profit are subject to lower tax rates as long-term capital gains. Generally speaking, …

KIEV, Ukraine – Russia apologized Monday to two U.S. senators who were detained for three hours in an airport while officials refused to let their U.S. military flight take off. Sens. Richard Lugar (search), R-Ind., and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Barack Obama (search), D-Ill., arrived in …

Your morning cup of coffee may provide more than just a caffeine jolt — it could be your most valuable source of disease-fighting antioxidants. A new study shows coffee is the No. 1 source of antioxidants in the American diet. “Americans get more of their antioxidants from coffee than any …