Children among 74 dead in 2 days of Syrian turmoil (AP)

AP - Two days of bloody turmoil in Syria killed at least 74 people, including small children, as forces loyal to President Bashar Assad shelled residential buildings and fired on crowds in a dramatic escalation of violence, activists said Friday.

GOP insiders rise up to cut Gingrich down to size (AP)

AP - Republican insiders are rising up to cut Newt Gingrich down to size, testament to the GOP establishment's fear that the mercurial candidate could lead the party to disaster this fall.

American economy not healthy yet, but it's healing (AP)

AP - The American economy may not be truly healthy yet, but it's healing.

Obama 'putting colleges on notice' on high tuition (AP)

AP - President Barack Obama fired a warning at the nation's colleges and universities on Friday, threatening to strip their federal aid if they "jack up tuition" every year and to give the money instead to schools showing restraint and value.

Court: Senegal's president can run for 3rd term (AP)AP - Senegal's highest court ruled Friday the country's increasingly frail, 85-year-old president could run for a third term in next month's election, a deep blow to the country's opposition which has vowed to take to the streets if the leader does not step aside.Facebook IPO could value it among top companies (AP)

AP - When Facebook makes its long-expected debut as a public company this spring, the social-networking company will likely vault into the top ranks of the largest public companies in the world, on par with the likes of McDonald's, Amazon.com and Bank of America.

Ship carrying rocket parts hits Ky. bridge (AP)

AP - The voyage of a cargo boat that carries space rocket components to Florida's coast for NASA and the Air Force has stalled in a western Kentucky river after it slammed into an aging traffic bridge.

Tubby tabby gets revolutionary new knee joint (AP)

AP - Because Cyrano weighs more than 20 pounds, amputating his cancer-weakened leg was out of the question. So the tubby tabby's owners turned to doctors and engineers at North Carolina State University to get him back into mice-catching trim.

Actress' claim to be gay by choice riles activists (AP)

AP - Cynthia Nixon learned the hard way this week that when it comes to gay civil rights, the personal is always political. Very political.

Column: Stop shrieking about women's tennis noise (AP)

AP - On serve and when whipping his forehand, Novak Djokovic's grunt is that of a bullfrog, "WooooAH-UH." Rafael Nadal goes for a throatier, "AAArrgggHH." Occasionally, Andy Murray offers up a more hushed, constricted, "Eeeeeehhh." From Roger Federer, of course, we tend to get the sound of silence.

Fitch cuts Italy, Spain, other euro zone ratings (Reuters)Reuters - Fitch downgraded the sovereign credit ratings of Belgium, Cyprus, Italy, Slovenia and Spain on Friday, indicating there was a 1-in-2 chance of further cuts in the next two years.Growth quickens, but speed bumps ahead (Reuters)

Reuters - The economy grew at its fastest pace in 1-1/2 years in the fourth quarter, but a rebuilding of stocks by businesses and slower business spending warned of weaker growth in early 2012.

Subpoenas issued to financial firms in expanded probe (Reuters)Reuters - The Justice Department issued civil subpoenas to 11 financial institutions as part of a new effort to investigate misconduct in the packaging and sale of home loans to investors, Attorney General Eric Holder said on Friday.Greek PM sees quick debt swap deal, end-game in sight (Reuters)Reuters - Greece expects to clinch a long-awaited bond swap deal within days, Prime Minister Lucas Papademos told Reuters Friday, promising the country would avoid an unruly default feared by financial markets worldwide.Syria violence kills 37, U.N. Security Council to meet (Reuters)

Reuters - Security forces killed 37 people in Syria on Friday, activists and residents said, as people in Homs mourned 14 members of a family they said were slain by militiamen in one of the worst sectarian attacks in a revolt against President Bashar al-Assad.

Romney puts Gingrich on defensive in Florida debate (Reuters)

Reuters - Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney took the fight to chief rival Newt Gingrich on Thursday in his most aggressive debate performance yet, five days ahead of Florida's primary vote.

In Facebook IPO, bankers seek prestige over fees (Reuters)Reuters - Facebook's initial public offering is likely to set a new standard for how low investment banks are willing to go on advisory fees to win big business.Apple not turning "blind eye" to supply chain problems: CEO (Reuters)Reuters - Apple Inc has never turned "a blind eye" to the problems in its supply chain and any suggestion it does not care about the plight of workers is "patently false," Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook said in an email to employees.How Pentagon budget cuts will reshape the Army (The Christian Science Monitor)The Christian Science Monitor - Military officials moved quickly Friday to counter the perception that the Army was the big loser in the new Pentagon budget unveiled Thursday.Obama outlines plan to cut college costs. Could it backfire on students? (+video) (The Christian Science Monitor)The Christian Science Monitor - President Obama Friday made a set of bold proposals to tie federal aid to efforts by states and colleges to keep tuition under control and provide a good value to students.