Sun, 23 Nov 2008 11:17:09 -0500 Quake Hits Waters Off Jakarta JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) - A powerful earthquake struck the waters off western Indonesia late Saturday, but it did not trigger a tsunami and there were no initial reports of injuries or damage. The U.S. Geological Survey said the 6.8-magnitude quake hit 90 miles southwest of Bengkulu, a city on Sumatra island. It was centered about three miles beneath the ocean floor. Though strong and shallow, the temblor did not spawn a tsunami, said Fauzi, an official with Indonesia's geological agency. Like many here, he only uses one name.

Sat, 22 Nov 2008 06:39:54 -0500 East Will Get Snow Several inches of snow was forecast for the Great Lakes region and parts of the Northeast on Friday, while lesser amounts were expected in New England, the mid-Atlantic and the northern Plains. Lake-effect snow watches and warnings were issued for Michigan, the Ohio Valley, Pennsylvania and New York. Most the mid-Atlantic was expected to receive an inch or two of snow, though 4 inches were predicted in parts of West Virginia, Virginia and western North Carolina. Scattered flurriers were possible in New England.

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 09:00:41 -0500 Texas Governor Forms Hurricane Response Commission Gov. Rick Perry on Thursday called the federal government's efforts to help Texas recover from Hurricane Ike "underwhelming" and announced the formation of a state commission to help move the process along. Hurricane Ike slammed into the Texas coast on Sept. 13, but more than two months later, there are still thousands of displaced residents without homes and counties with debris fields as long as 30 miles.

Thu, 20 Nov 2008 09:11:24 -0500 China Pledges Hurricane Relief for Cuba China's president signed trade and investment deals with communist ally Cuba on Tuesday, part of a Latin America trip on which Chinese businessmen have been snapping up all manner of raw materials. Taking the long view at a time of financial crisis, China is investing heavily in commodity-producing countries, and Cuba is no exception. More than a dozen deals agreed to by President Hu Jintao included purchases of Cuban nickel and sugar, along with pledges to send food and building materials to help the Caribbean nation recover from three major hurricanes.

Wed, 19 Nov 2008 09:23:47 -0500 Chill Across the Nation More snow was forecast for the Great Lakes region on Wednesday, while chilly temperatures were expected in the central and southern Plains and the Southeast. Northern Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan were forecast to get 6 to 10 inches of snow. Two to 5 inches were expected in northern New York. Forecasters warned that whiteout conditions were likely. Temperatures in the central and southern Plains were expected to fall below seasonable norms, though the regions were not predicted to see any precipitation.