Think of him as a cross between Evel Knievel and the nutty professor — with a dash of Neil Armstrong. An Idaho daredevil spent thousands of dollars on a spaceship in his back yard — all so he can fall 15,000 feet to Earth in it like a stone. Maximus …

WASHINGTON – Defense and space projects account for most increases in the $135 billion federal research and development budget next year, worrying scientists who fear that after years of growth the nation is beginning to skimp on technology that fuels marketplace innovation. The realignment by Congress of research money toward …

The Microsoft Office Live beta is expected to go live any day now. Office Live is not a hosted version of Microsoft Office. Instead, it is a set of software services Microsoft is developing as extensions to its shrink-wrapped Office product. Microsoft introduced the Office Live concept in November last …

LAS VEGAS – Tick. Tick. Tick. The dreaded waiting period for a computer to boot up is all too familiar. Even the pilot on my flight to Las Vegas this week told passengers they would have to wait for a few minutes — “like how your computer has to boot …

We come to you LIVE from the heartland Saturdays at 8 p.m. ET! How does Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s health affect America’s relationship with Israel and the Middle East? Could his death spur a nuclear showdown between Israel and Iran? We’ll ask “Countdown to Crisis” author Kenneth Timmerman. Then, …

WASHINGTON – Hundreds of officers and health care professionals have been discharged in the past 10 years under the Pentagon’s policy on gays, a loss that while relatively small in numbers involves troops who are expensive for the military to educate and train. The 350 or so affected are a …

WASHINGTON – The federal government posted the first budget surplus for December in three years as corporate tax payments hit an all-time high, helping offset a record level for spending, the Treasury Department reported Thursday. The department said in its monthly budget report that government receipts surpassed spending by $10.98 …

NEW YORK – Drugmaker Wyeth (WYE) on Monday forecast 2006 earnings would grow 10 percent over 2005 levels but said it sees higher expenses related to litigation involving its withdrawn diet drug. The company also said it expects 2005 profit will slightly exceed the upper end of its previous forecast …

WASHINGTON – A Texas prosecutor issued subpoenas Thursday for records of a contribution to a nonprofit organization linked to Rep. Tom DeLay and lobbyist Jack Abramoff. Travis County District Attorney Ronnie Earle is seeking records about a $500,000 contribution made by the National Republican Congressional Committee to US Family Network, …

GARDEN CITY, N.Y. – Attorneys for an 11-year-old boy who became sick after eating at a Taco Bell allegedly contaminated with the E. coli bacteria have filed a negligence lawsuit against the restaurant chain. The suit is believed to be the first resulting from an E. coli outbreak that has …