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AP Top News at 7:10 a.m. EST

Romney's bad day is Santorum's best in GOP race

WASHINGTON (AP) - Republican Rick Santorum is looking to capitalize on a string of stunning victories that snapped his four-state losing streak and raised new questions about front-runner Mitt Romney's clout with conservatives. Romney shrugged off his poor showing, but his losses Tuesday in Missouri, Minnesota and Colorado laid bare his stubborn weakness just when it looked as if his party was beginning to embrace him. Bringing up the rear of the Santorum surge: Newt Gingrich, the former House speaker who mostly skipped the contests and finished at or near the back of the pack in all three states.

EU set to adopt new sanctions against Syria

BRUSSELS (AP) - A senior EU official say the bloc will soon impose harsher sanctions against Syria as it seeks to weaken the regime and end President Bashar Assad's crackdown against political opponents. The official said Wednesday the new measures may include bans on the import of Syrian phosphates, on commercial flights between Syria and Europe, and on financial transactions with the country's central bank.

US searches for strategy to halt Syria violence

WASHINGTON (AP) - The United States appears to be out of answers on what to do with Syria. The Obama administration says it is not considering invading Syria or arming its rebels to remove President Bashar Assad from power. Diplomatic efforts at the U.N. have collapsed. A new, much-touted option of humanitarian assistance for Syria's beleaguered population is a longshot - and would only bandage over the violence instead of stopping it.

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Experts: Marriage ban's path to high court unclear
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Conservative critics like to point out that the federal appeals court that just declared California's same-sex marriage ban to be unconstitutional has its decisions overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court more often than other judicial circuits, a record that could prove predictive if the high court agrees to review the gay marriage case on appeal. Yet legal experts seemed to think the panel of the San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit of Appeals struck down the voter-approved ban on Tuesday purposefully served up its 2-1 opinion in a narrow way and seasoned it with established holdings so the Supreme Court would be less tempted to bite.

Prosecutors describe Mo. teen as thrill killer

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) - A Missouri teenager who confessed to murdering a 9-year-old girl faces the possibility of life in prison when she's sentenced Wednesday morning. Prosecutors described Alyssa Bustamante, 18, as a thrill killer who lacked remorse. Defense attorneys said she was a disturbed child who deserved the chance of freedom one day.

AP Interview: Homecoming inspires wounded Marine

JACKSONVILLE, Ala. (AP) - Shot through the upper back on a rooftop in Afghanistan and gasping for breath after a bullet ripped through his chest, Marine Sgt. Ben Tomlinson had a fear worse than death. Heat and shock from the round damaged his spinal cord, paralyzing him from the chest down. This injury was so much worse than one nine months before, when he'd been hit by a mortar blast during his first tour in Afghanistan. Yet through all the pain, Tomlinson was haunted by the idea people back home wouldn't remember him, that they wouldn't even know he was hurt.

Getting caffeine fix as easy as taking deep breath

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (AP) - Move over, coffee and Red Bull. A Harvard professor thinks the next big thing will be people inhaling their caffeine from a lipstick-sized tube. Critics say the novel product is not without its risks. The product, called AeroShot, went on the market late last month in Massachusetts and New York, and is also available in France. A single unit costs $2.99 at convenience, mom-and-pop, liquor and online stores.

House GOP introduces its insider trading bill

WASHINGTON (AP) - House Republicans have introduced their version of a bill to ban insider trading by thousands of federal officials, and have added provisions to bar lawmakers convicted of a felony from collecting their government pensions. In a provision aimed directly at Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi, the bill, introduced late Tuesday, would ban lawmakers from using their positions to invest in initial public offerings of stock. Pelosi has denied that she did anything like that.

Mrs. Obama beats Fallon in WH fitness challenge

WASHINGTON (AP) - Michelle Obama and "Late Night" host Jimmy Fallon turned the White House into a playground to promote the first lady's "Let's Move!" fitness campaign. Mrs. Obama and Fallon did pushups and twirled hula hoops. They competed at dodge ball and tug-of-war. And the first lady triumphed over the comedian in a climactic potato sack race.

Donovan says Kentucky has champions' 'disposition'

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) - Florida coach Billy Donovan handicapped what could be the national title game in April. The most intriguing matchup? Kentucky against Syracuse.