Top New Orleans Stories from the AP

• Second-half comeback not enough as Lin and Knicks fall to Hornets Feb. 17, 2012, 11:27 p.m. CST

  NEW YORK _ Well, you can't Lin 'em all. The Knicks suffered their first loss of the Jeremy Lin era, falling to the New Orleans Hornets, 89-85, at Madison Square Garden on Friday night. Lin had 26 points and five assists, but his nine turnovers were two short of ...

• NBA Capsules Feb. 17, 2012, 11 p.m. CST

  NEW YORK (AP) — The Lin-ning streak is over. And Jeremy Lin's sloppiness was one of the problems. Lin committed nine turnovers, tied for the most in the NBA this season, and the New York Knicks had their seven-game winning streak stopped with an 89-85 loss to the New Orleans ...

• Knicks suffer first loss with Jeremy Lin in starting lineup Feb. 17, 2012, 10 p.m. CST

  NEW YORK _ Well, you can't Lin 'em all. The Knicks suffered their first loss of the Jeremy Lin era, falling, 89-85, to the New Orleans Hornets at Madison Square Garden on Friday night. Lin scored 26 points and had five assists, but his nine turnovers were two short ...

• Jeremy Lin may be tiring as the intense hoopla continues Feb. 17, 2012, 9:45 p.m. CST

  NEW YORK _ Is Lin-sanity fatigue beginning to set in on Jeremy Lin? Friday morning, before the Knicks lost to break a seven-game win streak, their first loss with Lin starting at point guard, he admitted that his sudden rocket to stardom had been at times a bit overwhelming. "Obviously ...

• Hornets end Knicks' Lin-ning streak, 89-85 Feb. 17, 2012, 9:41 p.m. CST

  NEW YORK (AP) — Can't Lin 'em all. Not the way Jeremy Lin handled the ball Friday night, and he put the blame for the loss that halted Linsanity squarely on himself. Lin committed nine turnovers, tied for the most in the NBA this season, and New York's seven-game ...

• Knicks' Jeremy Lin goes network television on Sunday Feb. 17, 2012, 8:42 p.m. CST

  DALLAS _ Here's how low expectations have been for the New York Knicks. In late January, ESPN opted out of a commitment to broadcast Friday night's Knicks-New Orleans Hornets game at Madison Square Garden in favor of the Mavericks-Philadelphia 76ers. At the time, the Knicks were 7-11 while ...

• J.R. Smith says he's joining Knicks Feb. 17, 2012, 5:51 p.m. CST

  Carmelo Anthony won't be the only shooter looking to get some passes from Jeremy Lin. J.R. Smith announced via his Twitter account Friday morning that he will be joining the team. Though the Knicks have yet to make a formal announcement, it appears to be a done deal ...

• Gulf oil spill: First settlement reached for $90 million Feb. 17, 2012, 5:27 p.m. CST

  WASHINGTON _ A minority stakeholder in the Macondo well project agreed to pay $90 million in civil penalties for its liability in the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, federal officials announced Friday. The agreement reached with MOEX Offshore LLC 2007, a subsidiary of the Japanese oil company Mitsui, is the ...

• LSU student charged with lying about Purple Heart Feb. 17, 2012, 5:24 p.m. CST

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A Louisiana State University student has been charged with falsely claiming he was awarded the Purple Heart and with wearing military medals without authorization. An indictment handed up Wednesday by a federal grand jury in Baton Rouge claims 31-year-old Andrew Bryson defrauded the state Office of Motor ...

• Knicks' Lin to play in Rising Stars Challenge after all Feb. 17, 2012, 5:21 p.m. CST

  Even NBA commissioner David Stern can't stop the Lin-sanity. Forty-eight hours after Stern told USA Today that Jeremy Lin would not be added to the roster for one of the NBA All-Star Weekend's showcase events, the league did just that. Lin said Friday that he was surprised to ...

• AP News in Brief at 11:58 p.m. EST Feb. 17, 2012, 5:01 p.m. CST

  Acting swiftly, Congress sends Obama legislation renewing payroll tax cut, jobless benefits WASHINGTON (AP) — Americans are getting an election-year tax present. Congress voted with rare speed and cooperation Friday to extend a Social Security payroll tax cut for 160 million workers and to renew unemployment benefits for millions more who ...

• AP Top U.S. News At 10:33 p.m. EST Feb. 17, 2012, 4:42 p.m. CST

  Federal agent opened fire during job discussion Josh Powell had 400 cartoon sex and incest images APNewsBreak: Filing says MT victim choked, buried Jackson estate, ex-manager sue over earnings share NJ Gov. Christie vetoes gay marriage bill as vowed Md. House passes gay marriage bill States attack 'Obamacare' with birth ...

• Seattle arena plan now public but is it realistic? Feb. 17, 2012, 3:37 p.m. CST

  BC-BKN--New Seattle Arena, 1st Ld-Writethru,763 Seattle arena plan now public but is it realistic? AP Photo WASEA102, WASET106, WASEA106, WASET304, WASET303, WASET302, WASET301, WASET101, WASEA101, WASEA103 (Eds: Updates with quotes, details. With AP Photos.) By TIM BOOTH AP Sports Writer SEATTLE (AP) — Those whispers that circulated for months about ...

• Josh Powell had 400 cartoon sex and incest images Feb. 17, 2012, 3:23 p.m. CST

  OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — Josh Powell had hundreds of images of disturbing cartoon sex and graphic depictions of incest on his home computer, something Utah authorities investigating his wife's disappearance kept private for about two years, according to files released Friday. A Washington state psychologist who had previously said Powell ...

• Jackson estate, ex-manager sue over earnings share Feb. 17, 2012, 3:09 p.m. CST

  LOS ANGELES (AP) — A legal war erupted Friday over earnings from Michael Jackson's estate with a former manager claiming a 15 percent stake and the singer's executors seeking to block any payments to the former adviser. Attorneys for Jackson's estate and Tohme R. Tohme filed dueling cases ...

• Linsanity helps end Knicks blackout on Time Warner Feb. 17, 2012, 3 p.m. CST

  First, he lifted the Knicks back into the playoff hunt. Now Jeremy Lin has put them back on TV. The Madison Square Garden Co. said Friday it had reached a tentative deal to put Knicks games back on television for some 2 million Time Warner Cable subscribers in the New ...

• 'The Help' cleans up at 43rd NAACP Image Awards Feb. 17, 2012, 2:28 p.m. CST

  LOS ANGELES (AP) — "The Help" collected three prizes at the NAACP Image Awards, including top actress honors for Viola Davis, the supporting actress prize for Octavia Spencer and outstanding motion picture. Davis and Spencer have collected armloads of accolades for their work in the film about black maids who speak ...

• [BC-MCT-SUNDAY-NEWS-BJT] Feb. 17, 2012, 2:15 p.m. CST

  McClatchy-Tribune News Service News Budget for papers of Sunday, February 19, 2012 ^< Updated at 3 p.m. EST (2000 UTC). ^< These stories are embargoed for Sunday release, except as noted. Please make sure you are adhering to embargoes on our stories in both your print and online operations. This budget ...

• R&B singer Robin Thicke arrested on NYC pot charge Feb. 17, 2012, 1:39 p.m. CST

  NEW YORK (AP) — Police say R&B singer-songwriter Robin Thicke has been arrested on a minor drug charge in New York City. The 34-year-old is the son of Alan Thicke, who played patriarch Jason Seaver on the long-running ABC sitcom "Growing Pains." He was arrested early Friday afternoon in Manhattan ...

• Terror suspect arrested near Capitol in FBI sting Feb. 17, 2012, 12:47 p.m. CST

  WASHINGTON (AP) — A 29-year-old Moroccan man who believed he was working with al-Qaida was arrested Friday near the U.S. Capitol as he was planning to detonate what he thought was a suicide vest that undercover operatives gave him, officials said. Amine El Khalifi of Alexandria, Virginia, was taken into ...

• Minority partner to pay $90 million over oil spill Feb. 17, 2012, 12:41 p.m. CST

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A minority partner in BP's blown-out well in the Gulf of Mexico has agreed to pay $90 million in a settlement with the federal government and Gulf states to resolve allegations the company violated the Clean Water Act. MOEX Offshore 2007 LLC owned 10 percent interest ...

• Knicks sign J.R. Smith, waive Balkman Feb. 17, 2012, 12:34 p.m. CST

  NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Knicks signed J.R. Smith on Friday, hoping his 3-point shooting can improve one of their biggest weaknesses. The timing may be risky with the Knicks playing their best basketball of the season, but the Knicks think Smith will be worth the risk. "We ...

• Minority partner to pay $90 million over oil spill Feb. 17, 2012, 12:22 p.m. CST

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A minority partner in BP's blown-out well in the Gulf of Mexico agreed Friday to pay $90 million in a settlement with the federal government and Gulf states over the 2010 oil spill. It includes the largest civil penalty ever recovered under the federal Clean Water ...

• Minority partner MOEX Offshore to pay $90 million in settlement over BP well blowout. Feb. 17, 2012, 12:17 p.m. CST

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Minority partner MOEX Offshore to pay $90 million in settlement over BP well blowout.

• Cirque du Soleil plans one-time-only Oscar piece Feb. 17, 2012, 11:43 a.m. CST

  LOS ANGELES (AP) — Aerialists, acrobats and contortionists from Cirque du Soleil are among the guests at this year's Academy Awards. The three-minute performance at the Oscars on Feb. 26 will be among the international troupe's biggest yet, said Cirque du Soleil special events director Yasmine Khalil, featuring more ...