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Median US home prices fell in February, ending a record streak of 131 consecutive months of year-over-year increases cnn.it/3FENiBt
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The day's most popular stories
The five most popular stories on CNN.com in the last 24 hours, according to NewsPulse:
'Barney Miller' star Steve Landesberg dies: Steve Landesberg (pictured), best known for his role as a cerebral detective on the TV sitcom "Barney Miller," has died of cancer, his agent said. He was 65.
'Spider-Man' performer injured in fall: The Broadway stage musical "Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark" will have new safety protocols when it reopens Wednesday night, following an accident in which a performer fell and suffered serious injuries during a preview, officials said.
UConn women get Division I record 89th straight win
You can argue whether streaks from teams nearly 40 years and a gender apart should be compared. What's not in dispute is that the University of Connecticut women now have the longest winning streak in NCAA Division I basketball history.
UConn won its 89th consecutive game Tuesday, beating Florida State 93-62 in Hartford's XL Center and surpassing the men’s Division I streak of 88 set by coach John Wooden's UCLA teams from 1971 to 1974.
Senior forward Maya Moore scored 41 points - 26 of them in the first half - for the top-ranked Huskies (11-0).
After the game, UConn coach Geno Auriemma told ESPN that it wouldn't be fair to compare the Huskies' and UCLA's streaks.
"I don't want to compare anything to anything, and I don't want my team to compare themselves to anybody else. This stands on its own," Auriemma said. "What John Wooden and UCLA did will never, ever be repeated, and that's not what we set out to do.
"I'm not John Wooden, and this isn’t UCLA. This is Connecticut, and for us, that’s good enough."
Third actor injured playing Spider-Man in musical
The Broadway musical "Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark" is still in previews, which doesn't explain all the publicity, but may have something to do with the accidents and injuries to cast members.
News that an actor was seriously injured in a fall during Monday night's show is the latest in a series of cast injuries, technical difficulties and delays to beset the ambitious production, which involves the biggest budget in Broadway history, lots of aerial stunts and U2 frontman Bono.Â
Monday's accident was the third to befall a performer wearing a Spidey mask (nine performers play the masked Spider-Man due to the physical rigors of the role). Another cast member also suffered a concussion during the first preview performance, according to the New York Times.
"An accident like this is obviously heartbreaking for our entire team and, of course, to me personally," the show's director, Julie Taymor, said in a statement.
"Nothing is more important than the safety of our "Spider-Man" family and we'll continue to do everything in our power to protect the cast and crew."
Before Monday's accident, Taymor had noted that other bad press hadn't affected the box office, and many fans say they are still anxious to see the show.
Actor Christopher Tierney's fall on Monday came three weeks after actress Natalie Mendoz, who plays the villain Arachne, suffered a concussion offstage during the first preview performance when she was struck in the head by a piece of equipment, the New York Times reported. That injury came little more than a month after the newspaper reported injuries to two other cast members who don the Spidey mask for stunts.
The show has earned several dubious distinctions since rehearsals began this summer, and a number of maxims and superlatives have been used to describe it, apart from the basic fact that its price tag, at $65 million, makes it the most expensive production in Broadway history.
It has been described as doomed and dangerous and parodied by Conan O'Brien. It is one of the most technically complex shows to appear on Broadway, with one of the longest preview runs, at 10 weeks, after being delayed four times.
Overheard on CNN.com: Sex-crime victims' take on TSA
COMMENT OF THE DAY: "I guess I personally don't care if someone sees me in a body scan or even pats me down. I'm more upset that we are forced to do it." –cjb21980
Â
Editor's note: This post was written by Kristine Griggs, a member of our comments staff.
Â
Sex-crime victims who opt for pat downs instead of full-body scans at airports face more than inconvenience and blushed cheeks. They might have disabling traumatic flashbacks that can last for days or weeks. And while survivors of sex crimes generally understand the need for safety regulations, many CNN readers think all fliers' rights are being violated by the new regulations and that they simply don't work. Still others are sympathetic both to the victims of sex crimes and the Transportation Security Administration agents who have to perform their duties.
Check out what readers are saying about this and other stories on CNN.com
Lawsuit against golfer who didn't shout 'fore' dismissed
Being hit without warning by an awful golf shot is a risk that golfers assume when they play, New York’s highest court ruled as it dismissed a lawsuit Tuesday.
The New York State Court of Appeals upheld lower courts' dismissal of a lawsuit against Dr. Anoop Kapoor, whose shanked October 2002 golf shot struck a friend, Dr. Azad Anand, in the left eye.
Anand was blinded in the eye and sued Kapoor for damages, alleging Kapoor was negligent for failing to warn of the shot at a course in Long Island's Suffolk County.
Major indexes poised for double-digit gains for the year
A look at highlights from the day's business news headlines:
Stocks end at highest levels in more than two yearsÂ
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U.S. stocks rose modestly Tuesday but managed to close at their highest levels in more than two years as investors set their sights on 2011.
The Dow Jones industrial average rose 55 points, or 0.5%, led by gains in shares of American Express, Bank of America and JPMorgan Chase. The blue chip index finished at 11,533, its highest level since August 29, 2008.
The S&P 500 added 8 points, or 0.6%, with Adobe and Jabil Circuit among the biggest winners. The broader index closed at its highest level since September 19, 2008.
The tech-heavy Nasdaq gained 18 points, or 0.7%, to reach its highest level since December 28, 2007.
Halliburton says it settled bribe allegations to secure natural gas contracts
Halliburton said on Tuesday it had agreed to pay $32.5 million to the government of Nigeria to settle allegations of bribes paid to officials to secure $6 billion worth of contracts for a liquefied natural gas project in the Niger Delta.
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Winter solstice: What does it really mean?
Today, December 21, is the winter solstice, and what we like to refer to as the first day of winter.
But what does that really mean? Hasn't winter already started? In November and December, we've already seen extreme winter storms, and now there's a storm for the record books in the Southwest: Parts of California recorded 9 feet of snow from Friday to Sunday, and could be looking at 20 feet by the time the storm ends.
So why do we wait so long to declare winter?
7.4 earthquake hits coast of Japan
A magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck off the coast of Japan near the Bonin Islands early Wednesday, the U.S. Geological Survey reported.
AÂ Pacific-wide tsunami is not expected, according to the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, but the Japanese Meteorological Agency has issued tsunami warnings for the Ogasawara Islands and a tsunami advisory for southern Japan.
Hotel denies it regrets bejeweled tree
The Abu Dhabi hotel that put up that glitzy Christmas tree adorned with $11 million in jewelry denies saying it regrets the ploy, according to The National.
Some commentators had criticized the Emirates Palace Hotel for the 40-foot tree's opulence, saying the money could have been better spent.
Hotel officials seemed to express regret about overdoing it, but now they say they were misunderstood. The ostentatious tree was merely a public relations stunt, nothing more, they say.
"With anything you do, you might get negative responses and negative publicity. That doesn't mean what we did is wrong," Hazem Harfoush, the hotel's assistant director of marketing, told The National.
U.S. population grew slowly since 2000, Census Bureau says
The population of the United States grew 9.7% to 308.7 million people over the past decade - the slowest rate of growth since the Great Depression - the Census Bureau reported on Tuesday.
Read CNNMoney.com's coverage of the census report
Bomb found on train in Rome, official says
[Update 11:30 a.m.] The device found on a train in Rome could not have exploded, officials say.
[Original post] A bomb was found under a train seat Tuesday in Rome, a City Hall spokesman said. It is not clear whether the device could have exploded or who left it, Marco Dell'Asta said.
Train officials found the package containing the device about 10 a.m. at the Rebibbia stop on the outskirts of the city, he said. A police bomb squad and the fire brigade are on the scene, Dell'Asta added.
Read CNN's coverate of the bomb scare
Gotta Watch: Bus fire; Shaq the maestro; 'Conan' redux
'The bus is on fire!' – One passenger who escaped a fire on board a Greyhound bus early Monday said, "I think it's the craziest Christmas I'm ever going to have in my life." No argument there. Investigators think an electrical problem ignited the flames. Everyone got out safely, luggage intact.
Shaq the maestro – NBA star (or more notably, "Kazaam" leading man) Shaquille O'Neal has never been accused of avoiding the spotlight. This year, he helped get his hometown into the holiday spirit by leading the Boston Pops in some Christmas carols. Performing in tie and tails under the moniker "Maestro Shamrock," the center took center stage, finishing with a version of "We are the Champions" he hopes will foreshadow his team's season.
Morning Cup of Conan redux – A menorah? Stockings hung by the fire? Mistletoe? That's so five minutes ago. Last night, Conan O'Brien unveiled his seizure-inducing take on holiday decorating. Fasten your seatbelt before watching.
On the Radar: Census release, winter weather and travel delays, lunar eclipse
The count - We'll find out Tuesday how much the United States has grown in 10 years. The Census Bureau will release results of the 2010 census. In addition to revealing how many people live in the U.S., the census results also will determine how many congressional seats states will get.
Weathering storms - Southern Californians just want the rain to stop, but it's expected to keep coming Tuesday and Wednesday. Flooding and mudslides remain a big concern. Another storm might arrive on Christmas Day. Arizona and Nevada are also getting drenched.
And in Europe, snowy winter weather has stranded thousands of passengers. About a third of planes are expected to operate on schedule Tuesday at London's Heathrow Airport. People are not happy. Are you having trouble traveling? Let CNN know.
Over the moon - Did you see the lunar eclipse overnight? If not, just hang out for the next total one expected in the continental U.S. in 2014. The Earth's shadow covered the moon for more than three hours early Tuesday. The last lunar eclipse to happen on the first day of winter was in 1638. For more of this amazing sight, check out pictures from CNN iReporters.
The Big Baton steps up
Researchers are still checking, but it's a good bet the Boston Pops Orchestra has never had a bigger conductor than it had Monday night.
Boston Celtics center Shaquille O'Neal - all 7 feet 1 inch and 325 pounds of him - donned a black tie and tails to conduct the Pops and the Tanglewood Festival Chorus in the Christmas classic "Sleigh Ride" during a pops concert at Boston's Symphony Hall, CNN affiliate WCVB-TV reports.
Some of the musicians wore Celtics jerseys under their topcoats.
It was the latest in a long line of stunts, jokes and public appearances by O'Neal, who has been known by dozens of nicknames during his 18-year NBA career, including Shaq Daddy, the Big Fella, the Big Diesel, the Big Baryshnikov and the Big Aristotle.
His recent sideline enterprises include lip-syncing to a Beyonce song on a subway and posing as a statue on Harvard Square.
Mummified Arctic forest could yield clues to global warming
A mummified ancient forest unearthed north of the Arctic Circle may give researchers clues about what to expect as climate change again affects the polar region.
Joel Barker, a researcher at The Ohio State University, stumbled on the forest's remnants while camping last year on Canada's Ellesmere Island, just 500 miles from the North Pole.
The forest stood more than 1,000 miles north of the northernmost trees of today.
The trees and their branches, leaves, needles and roots were perfectly preserved from when they were buried in an avalanche 2 million to 8 million years ago, when the Arctic climate was getting colder, according to Canada's CBC News.
"Mummified forests aren't so uncommon, but what makes this one unique is that it's so far north. When the climate began to cool 11 million years ago, these plants would have been the first to feel the effects," Barker said in an OSU news release.
"And because the trees' organic material is preserved, we can get a high-resolution view of how quickly the climate changed and how the plants responded to that change."
He presented his findings Friday at the American Geophysical Union conference in San Francisco.
Barker next plans to study tree rings to learn how past climate conditions stressed plant life and predict how the Arctic ecosystem will respond to global warming.
In case you missed it ...
Weren't able to tune in for CNN's and HLN's prime-time programming Monday night? Hey, we understand, which is why we're giving you a chance to catch up on "In Case You Missed It."
On "AC 360°," guest host Dr. Sanjay Gupta took a closer look at the case of author Phillip Greaves, who was arrested on obscenity charges Monday in Florida.
His book, "The Pedophile's Guide to Love and Pleasure: A Child-Lover's Code of Conduct," has sparked outrage.
But do Greaves' First Amendment rights protect him from prosecution? Gupta asks Sheriff Grady Judd of Polk County, Florida, and CNN legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin for their take on the situation.
Later in the show, Gupta addresses whether Michael Vick should be allowed to own another dog - now, or ever again. Gupta is joined by Wayne Pacelle, president of the Humane Society of the United States, who takes what some may consider to be a surprising stance on Vick's statements.
Wolf Blitzer phoned in to "Parker Spitzer" from Pyongyang, North Korea, where he has been accompanying New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, a former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. Has Richardson been able to make any progress in defusing tensions between the North and South Korean governments? Blitzer says he thinks so.
On "Nancy Grace," guest host Jean Casarez explored the mystery of a missing Las Vegas showgirl. Debbie Flores-Narvaez was last seen by her boyfriend on Sunday night, and her car later was found abandoned with the license plates removed. Casarez and guests go over the facts and evidence that police have gathered so far.
Music stars provided their share of memorable "OMG" moments and scandals in 2010, but which pop star takes home the "Showbiz Tonight" most shocking award? Was it Taylor Swift? LeAnn Rimes or John Mayer, perhaps? Brooke Anderson and crew analyze the evidence and crown a king - or queen.
Tuesday's live video events
There may be four shopping days left until Christmas, but Senate lawmakers won't have time to shop today, as they continue debating the issues of the day on Capitol Hill. CNN.com Live will have that debate and more throughout the day.
Today's programming highlights...
9:30 am ET - Senate in session - Senate lawmakers extend their lame-duck session another day to take up the New START accord, health care legislation benefiting 9/11 first responders and government spending.
Queen's granddaughter engaged to marry
Zara Phillips, daughter of Britain's Princess Anne and Capt. Mark Phillips and granddaughter of Queen Elizabeth II, announced her engagement Tuesday to English rugby star Mike Tindall.
Read more about the royal couple
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