WASHINGTON – Mysterious dark energy, which likely causes the universe to keep expanding, seems to have another effect: It prevents the biggest clusters of galaxies from getting too fat. Astronomers used X-rays to study the formation of galactic clusters billions of years ago. Their research supports the hard-to-fathom concept of …

LAS VEGAS – CC Sabathia and the New York Yankees agreed Wednesday on the framework for a $161 million, seven-year contract, the richest for a pitcher in baseball history. The Yankees and Sabathia’s agents still need to work out all the details, a baseball official familiar with the talks told …

This is a rush transcript from “Hannity & Colmes,” September 26, 2008. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated. SEAN HANNITY, CO-HOST: Welcome to “Hannity & Colmes.” We are coming to you live tonight. We are in the spin room at the University of …

RALEIGH, N.C. – Tropical Storm Hanna accelerated toward New England on Saturday after the storm’s whipping winds and rain didn’t linger long enough over the Southeast to cause much more than some isolated flooding and power outages. Hanna moved quickly inland after cruising ashore overnight with winds of around 50 …

RUSSELLVILLE, Ala. – Police say a dog in northwest Alabama dug up a child’s severed foot — and an investigation is under way to find the child. Chris Hargett, the police chief of Russelville, Ala., said Monday that his officers got a weekend call from an area resident who says …

BAGHDAD – The U.S. military arrested an Iraqi cameraman and three family members Thursday during a raid on their home in Baghdad, an official with Baghdad TV said. The arrest comes two days after American and Iraqi forces detained a freelance photographer for the Reuters news agency south of Baghdad. …

Millions of Washington Mutual customers woke up Friday morning fearing that their life savings, checking accounts and mortgages were in danger, after federal regulators seized the bank’s assets and sold them in a fire sale Thursday night. Despite assurances by the federal government that it guarantees deposits of up to …

BRISBANE, Australia – An Australian bauxite mining company has won the right to continue exploration on land that includes a wildlife reserve run by the family of the late “Crocodile Hunter” Steve Irwin, a court ruled Wednesday. The Queensland state Land Court in Brisbane confirmed that Cape Alumina was lawfully …

BEIJING – The U.S. Geological Survey says a 6.0 earthquake has hit China’s Sichuan province that was devastated by a more powerful quake in May. There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries from today’s temblor, the latest of scores of aftershocks from the 7.9 quake that struck Sichuan …

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A West Virginia mother is seeking a recall of a popular walkie-talkie after her 3-year-old’s toy apparently intercepted a profanity-laced conversation between truckers about drugs and strip clubs. Deborah Pancaro, 34, said she contacted Fisher-Price after she heard a conversation in which a man said “10-4” and …