NEW YORK (AP) — This time "you're fired" is more than a Donald Trump catchphrase. Fox is turning the firing of real people from real jobs into prime-time entertainment starting this week.

LONDON (AP) — Shakespeare, the Magna Carta — and now some of John Lennon's finest lyrics.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Michelle Obama says stories of toil and sweat by slaves once housed at a historic home within sight of the White House are an important part of U.S. history that must be preserved for future generations.

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — The barrage of hourly tweets sent out by Aly-Khan Satchu — East Africa's version of CNBC's Mad Money host Jim Cramer — cheers on what Satchu says is a growing sentiment among investors: If you're not investing in Africa, you should be. Or as Satchu loudly proclaims on his Twitter feed or newspaper column: "ITS BOOM TOWN BABY."

WASHINGTON (AP) — The House has taken up a Republican-sponsored bill that would speed approval of the proposed Keystone XL oil pipeline from Canada to Texas.

CHICAGO (AP) — The attorney for an 87-year-old woman who accuses Donald Trump of cheating her in a skyscraper condo deal told Chicago jurors on Wednesday that the "Apprentice" star lied on the witness stand — then added he was personal repulsed by him.

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — A Chechen immigrant was shot to death by authorities while being questioned in the Boston Marathon bombing case early Wednesday after he lunged at an FBI agent with a knife, officials said.

NEW YORK (AP) — Target Corp. reported a 29 percent drop in first-quarter profit as unusually cool spring weather and financial pressures chilled customers' appetite for spending.

By Kim Dixon and Patrick Temple-West WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Internal Revenue Service official at the center of a scandal about extra tax scrutiny of conservative groups told Congress on Wednesday she had done nothing wrong but invoked her constitutional right not to answer questions. Lois Lerner, who heads the IRS tax-exempt unit, angered lawmakers by reading a statement before refusing to testify, but she was dismissed from the hearing with a warning that she could be called back for another appearance before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. ...

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Internal Revenue Service official at the center of the storm over the agency's targeting of conservative groups told Congress on Wednesday that she had done nothing wrong in the episode, and then invoked her constitutional right to refuse to answer lawmakers' questions.

By Pedro da Costa and Alister Bull WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Federal Reserve's monetary stimulus is helping the U.S. economy recover but the U.S. central bank needs to see further signs of traction before taking its foot off the gas, Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke said on Wednesday. In testimony that offered little sign he is ready to retreat from the Fed's latest round of bond buying, Bernanke emphasized the high costs of unemployment and inflation that continues to run below the Fed's target. ...

NEW YORK (AP) — One after another, major U.S. corporations have updated anti-discrimination policies to protect gay, lesbian and transgender workers, drawing plaudits from gay-rights groups. There's one prominent exception: Exxon Mobil Corp.

By Matt Scuffham and Steve Slater LONDON (Reuters) - State-backed British lenders Lloyds Banking Group and Royal Bank of Scotland have agreed plans to shore up their capital with the financial regulator, removing a barrier to the government offloading its shares. The regulator said on Wednesday it had finalised capital requirements for the two banks and the lenders had submitted their plans. Both banks said they did not need to issue new equity and could raise the necessary capital by selling assets and through their restructurings, which are already under way. ...

BANGOR, Maine (AP) — A Maine man charged in the death of a 15-year-old girl whose body was found in the woods has made his first court appearance, but he didn't have anything to say.

CANNES, France (AP) — James Franco's filmography is starting to look like a book shelf — and a very respectable one, at that.

JUBA, South Sudan (AP) — Following a lengthy Cabinet meeting, South Sudan's government spokesman said Wednesday that the country will continue to export oil through Sudan and that there had been only a temporary slowdown in production.

MOORE, Okla. (AP) — The cost of a massive tornado that battered an Oklahoma City suburb could be more than $2 billion, according to a preliminary official estimate announced Wednesday. State authorities meanwhile said two infants were among the 24 people who perished in the twister.

LONDON (AP) — Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke's signal that monetary policy will remain loose gave stocks another lift Wednesday, paving the way for many indexes to advance to new record highs.

ATLANTA (AP) — The Minnesota Twins placed third baseman Trevor Plouffe on the seven-day disabled list with a concussion Wednesday after he was struck in the head by Dan Uggla's shin while breaking up an attempted double play.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Below are highlights of the question and answer session of Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke's testimony on the U.S. economy to the congressional Joint Economic Committee on Wednesday. BERNANKE ON WHETHER HE WOULD SERVE A THIRD TERM: "I am not prepared to answer that question now." BERNANKE ON POLICY'S IMPACT ON HIGH MARKET LEVELS: Currently high market levels "may be because the market thinks that monetary policy is creating more profits and growth." BERNANKE ON TIGHT MORTGAGE LENDING: "If you can get a mortgage ... the payments are low and affordability is high. ...