Partly sunny, with a high near 23. Thursday: Sunny and warmer, with a high near 42. PIERRE, S.D. (AP) _ THE SOUTH DAKOTA SENATE HAS REJECTED A BILL TO EXPAND THE STATE’S SMOKING BAN. KILLED WAS A BILL THAT WOULD HAVE BANNED SMOKING IN NEARLY ALL PUBLIC PLACES.

ST. PAUL, MINN. (AP) _ THE JUDGES IN MINNESOTA’S SENATE ELECTION TRIAL THREW REPUBLICAN NORM COLEMAN A LIFELINE ON TUESDAY, OPENING THE DOOR TO ADDING NEARLY 5,000 ABSENTEE BALLOTS TO A RACE THAT DEMOCRAT AL FRANKEN LEADS BY JUST 225 VOTES. IT WASN’T AN OUTRIGHT VICTORY FOR COLEMAN, WHO HAD WANTED THE JUDGES TO LOOK AT ABOUT 11,000 SUCH BALLOTS. HE ALSO HAS TO PROVE THE ABSENTEES WERE UNFAIRLY REJECTED.

Washington (ap) – PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA HAS A MESSAGE FOR THE AMERICAN PEOPLE — “I MESSED UP.” AFTER TWO OF HIS NOMINATIONS FELL FLAT AMID TAX PROBLEMS, THE NEW PRESIDENT DID A SERIES OF TV INTERVIEWS SAYING HE’S FRUSTRATED WITH HIMSELF AND HIS TEAM.

SANTA ANA, CALIF. (AP) _ AN INTERNATIONAL MINISTRY HAS RELEASED ITS ANNUAL RANKING OF NATIONS WHERE CHRISTIANS FACE THE WORST PERSECUTION. FOR THE SEVENTH STRAIGHT YEAR, NORTH KOREA TOPS the LIST. THE COMMUNIST NATION IS FOLLOWED BY SAUDI ARABIA AND IRAN IN WHAT some have called THE WORLD’S “HALL OF SHAME.”

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) _ AMERICA’S SOUP KITCHENS AND FOOD BANKS ARE BEING REPLENISHED THIS WEEK, THANKS TO A COLLECTION THAT WAS TAKEN UP IN CHURCHES ON SUPER BOWL SUNDAY. THE ANNUAL “SOUPER BOWL OF CARING” ADDED THE LETTER “O” TO THE WORD “SUPER” BECAUSE CHURCH MEMBERS WERE ASKED TO DROP ONE DOLLAR INTO SOUP BOWLS AS THEY LEFT CHURCH, WITH ALL THE MONEY GOING TO LOCAL SOUP KITCHENS AND FOOD BANKS. It’s reported that nearly 6,000 YOUTH GROUPS have COLLECTED ABOUT $2.8 MILLION.

NEW YORK (AP) _ NIELSEN HAS RECOUNTED AND NOW SAYS SUNDAY’S SUPER BOWL GAME WAS THE MOST WATCHED IN HISTORY. NIELSEN SAYS 98.7 MILLION PEOPLE, ON AVERAGE, WERE WATCHING COMPARED TO THE 97.5 MILLION WHO WATCHED THE 2008 GAME WHICH SET A NEW RECORD.

LOS ANGELES (AP) _ WHERE ARE ALL THOSE DIAPERS? IT TURNS OUT THE CALIFORNIA WOMAN WHO HAD OCTUPLETS IS NOT BEING DELUGED WITH UNLIMITED SUPPLIES OF BABY STUFF THAT MULTIPLE BIRTHS SOMETIMES BRING. ANALYSTS SAY SOME PEOPLE DON’T APPROVE OF A SINGLE MOTHER OF SIX CONCEIVING BY HAVING EMBRYOS IMPLANTED.

WASHINGTON (AP) _ WITH AUTO SALES STALLED, PLANTS CLOSING AND JOBS BEING CUT, THE SENATE HAS APPROVED A MEASURE AIMED AT PUTTING PEOPLE BACK IN AUTO SHOWROOMS. MANY BUYERS COULD CLAIM AN INCOME TAX DEDUCTION FOR SALES TAXES PAID ON NEW AUTOS AND INTEREST PAYMENTS ON CAR LOANS.

WASHINGTON (AP) _ PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA HAS A MESSAGE FOR THE AMERICAN PEOPLE — “I MESSED UP.” AFTER TWO OF HIS NOMINATIONS FELL FLAT AMID TAX PROBLEMS, THE NEW PRESIDENT DID A SERIES OF TV INTERVIEWS SAYING HE’S FRUSTRATED WITH HIMSELF AND HIS TEAM.

DURANGO, COLO. (AP) _ A COLORADO MAN ACCUSED OF THREATENING TO KILL PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA AND BLOW UP A SUBURBAN MINNEAPOLIS MALL HAS PLEADED NOT GUILTY. TWENTY-YEAR-OLD TIMOTHY GUTIERREZ HAS SAID THE THREATS WERE A PRANK.

PIERRE, S.D. (AP) _ A BILL APPROVED BY THE SOUTH DAKOTA SENATE WOULD ALLOW LAW OFFICERS TO STOP AND TICKET MOTORISTS SOLELY FOR NOT WEARING SEAT BELTS. UNDER CURRENT LAW, SEAT BELT TICKETS CAN BE ISSUED ONLY IF THE DRIVER IS STOPPED FIRST FOR ANOTHER VIOLATION.

UNDATED (AP) _ THE NUMBER OF AMERICANS WHO BELIEVE THAT A COLLEGE DEGREE IS THE TICKET TO SUCCESS CONTINUES TO GROW. BUT A NEW SURVEY ALSO SHOWS TWO-THIRDS BELIEVE THAT TICKET IS PRICED OUT FOR SOME QUALIFIED STUDENTS. THE SURVEY, BY THE GROUPS PUBLIC AGENDA AND THE NATIONAL CENTER ON PUBLIC POLICY, NOTES GROWING ANXIETY ABOUT THE IMPACT OF THE RECESSION ON COLLEGE COSTS.

ROSENDALE, N.Y. (AP) _ RESEARCHERS SAY A MYSTERIOUS AND DEADLY BAT DISORDER DISCOVERED JUST TWO WINTERS AGO IN A FEW NEW YORK CAVES HAS NOW SPREAD TO AT LEAST SIX NORTHEASTERN STATES. EXPERTS SAY IF THE BAT POPULATION SHRINKS, INSECTS AND CROP PESTS BATS EAT COULD FLOURISH.

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CAPE CANAVERAL, FLA. (AP) _ NASA HAS DELAYED NEXT WEEK’S LAUNCH OF SPACE SHUTTLE DISCOVERY. IT’S BEEN PUSHED BACK BY AT LEAST A WEEK TO FEB. 19 AT THE EARLIEST. THERE ARE CONCERNS ABOUT FUEL VALVES.

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ATLANTA (AP) _ HABITAT FOR HUMANITY CO-FOUNDER MILLARD FULLER HAS DIED UNEXPECTEDLY AT THE AGE OF 74. HIS WIFE SAYS FULLER FELL ILL AND DIED TUESDAY WHILE BEING TRANSFERRED BETWEEN GEORGIA HOSPITALS. MILLARD FULLER WAS A MILLIONAIRE WHO GAVE IT ALL AWAY TO FOUND HABITAT FOR HUMANITY IN 1976. SINCE THEN, THE CHRISTIAN CHARITY HAS BUILT 300,000 HOUSES FOR MORE THAN 1.5 MILLION PEOPLE — A MINISTRY HE CALLED “THE THEOLOGY OF THE HAMMER.” FULLER LOST CONTROL OF HABITAT IN A CONFLICT WITH ITS BOARD IN 2005. HE AND HIS WIFE THEN STARTED THE FULLER CENTER FOR HOUSING TO RAISE MONEY FOR HABITAT AFFILIATES. FORMER PRESIDENT JIMMY CARTER CALLS FULLER “ONE OF THE MOST EXTRAORDINARY PEOPLE I HAVE EVER KNOWN.”