IBT Staff Reporter

J.C. Penney Co Inc said on Friday said it fully backs its partnership with chat show host Ellen DeGeneres after a conservative group urged the retailer to reconsider hiring DeGeneres as a spokeswoman because she is a lesbian.

The Super Bowl is still two days away but some advertisers already are looking like winners as their yet-to-be-aired commercials score millions of hits online and rack up pre-game buzz.

This is the best potential pairing since news that Chris Rock might launch a joint comedy tour with Dave Chappelle: Rock is writing a script for a romantic comedy he hopes will star him and Bridesmaids Oscar nominee Melissa McCarthy.

The son of Soul Train creator Don Cornelius said on Thursday his father called him shortly before taking his life, and that he was unhappy and in failing health but kept most of his feelings inside.

An elusive assailant known as the Civic Center Slapper -- or possibly a copycat -- has struck again in Los Angeles, punching a federal prosecutor in the jaw, police said on Thursday.

Facebook, the social network giant on the verge of a huge initial public stock offering, pays an unusually high tax rate, but that is likely to change soon, analysts said.

The Cuban government has denied a request by dissident blogger Yoani Sanchez to travel to Brazil, her 19th failed effort to obtain a permit to leave the country, she said on Friday.

Caterpillar Inc has decided to close its Electro-Motive locomotive plant in London, Ontario, and lay off at least 450 workers following several months of unsuccessful contract negotiations with the Canadian Auto Workers union.

By day, Robert Leitao manages a Catholic church in Southern California. By night, he indulges his other passion: predicting Apple Inc's results.

BOISE, Idaho/SAN FRANCISCO, Feb 3 - 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.

A second teacher has been removed from a Los Angeles-area elementary school where one instructor is accused of having taken bondage-style photos of students with cockroaches on their faces, school and police officials said on Friday.

The Susan G. Komen for the Cure foundation backed down from its decision to cut funding for Planned Parenthood, which provides abortion and birth control services, following a massive outcry by supporters of the world's largest breast cancer charity.

The United States created jobs at the fastest pace in nine months in January and the unemployment rate unexpectedly dropped to a near three-year low, giving a boost to President Barack Obama.

A surge in hiring in the world's largest economy last month drove the Nasdaq to an 11-year high on Friday as optimism grew that the labor market is on a steady path to recovery.

A surge in hiring in the world's largest economy last month drove stocks higher on Friday, with the Nasdaq hitting an 11-year high as optimism grew that the labor market is on a steady path to recovery.

Welcome to the airport terminal of the future.

Stock-picking once again matters on Wall Street.

Internet activist group Anonymous published a recording on Friday of a confidential call between FBI agents and London detectives in which the law-enforcement agents discuss action they are taking against hacking.

Detroit automakers are urging President Barack Obama to reject Japan's bid to join talks on a regional free trade agreement, the head of an automotive group representing GM, Ford and Chrysler said on Thursday.

Advanced Micro Devices' new chief executive's aggressive plans for the company's revival fell short of expectations as they offered no clear details, analysts said.

Hungarian flag-carrier Malev ceased operating early on Friday after its planes were held overseas for unpaid debts, leaving a gap in the market that low-cost competitors were quick to exploit.

The United States created jobs at the fastest pace in nine months in January and the unemployment rate unexpectedly dropped to a near three-year low, giving a boost to President Barack Obama.

Stocks rose on Friday, propelling the Nasdaq index to an 11-year high, after January's U.S. employment report sailed past expectations, boosting hopes the world's largest economy has turned a corner.

A surge in hiring last month lifted U.S. stocks on Friday, with the Nasdaq index hitting an 11-year high, as the data boosted hopes the world's largest economy has turned a corner.

Four are left dead and one struggling for survival after violent car crash on Major Deegan Expressway.

British police said on Friday they were investigating reports that the activist hacker group Anonymous had hacked into a conference call between FBI agents and London detectives to discuss action they were taking against hacking.

Aon Corp posted a higher quarterly profit that narrowly beat market estimates, but the world's largest insurance broker continued to face margin pressures in its Aon Hewitt segment for the second-straight quarter.

Last year, gay-rights advocates nationwide celebrated when New York became the sixth and by far the largest state to legalize same-sex marriage. This year, they may have four times as many reasons to celebrate.

The pace of growth in the U.S. services sector accelerated in January to its highest level in nearly a year as new orders and employment jumped, an industry report showed on Friday.