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Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Romney confident as voters end heated Fla. primary (AP)

Romney confident as voters end heated Fla. primary (AP)

Romney confident as voters end heated Fla. primary (AP)

Posted: 31 Jan 2012 12:42 PM PST

Republican presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney laughs as he speaks with a voter at his campaign office in Tampa, Fla., Tuesday, Jan. 31, 2012, during Florida's primary election day. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)AP - Florida Republicans were putting an end to a raucous, big-spending, character-bashing primary campaign Tuesday as they decided whether a confident Mitt Romney or a defiant Newt Gingrich would win the state's 50 delegates, the biggest prize of the GOP race so far.

Santorum, Paul campaign out West as Florida votes (AP)

Posted: 31 Jan 2012 12:23 PM PST

Republican presidential candidate, former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum gives a thumbs-up during a campaign stop, Tuesday, Jan. 31, 2012, at the Lone Tree Golf Club in Lone Tree, Colo. (AP Photo/Ed Andrieski)AP - Certain to lose in Florida, Republican presidential candidates Rick Santorum and Ron Paul courted voters Tuesday in Western states that hold upcoming contests — and made clear they're not going anywhere.

Experts say Gingrich moon base dreams not lunacy (AP)

Posted: 31 Jan 2012 12:11 PM PST

Republican presidential candidate former House Speaker Newt Gingrich speaks with members of the media outside a polling place at the First Baptist Church of Windermere in Orlando, Fla.,Tuesday, Jan. 31, 2012. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)AP - Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich wants to create a lunar colony that he says could become a U.S. state. There's his grand research plan to figure out what makes the human brain tick. And he's warned about electromagnetic pulse attacks leaving America without electricity.

Al-Qaida in decline, but threats to US multiply (AP)

Posted: 31 Jan 2012 12:11 PM PST

From left, FBI Director Robert Mueller, Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, and CIA Director David Petraeus take their seats on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Jan. 31, 2012, prior to testifying before the Senate Intelligence Committee hearing to assess current and future national security threats. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)AP - Al-Qaida is in decline around the world but is still a leading threat to the United States, joined by others like Iran, the top U.S. intelligence official said Tuesday in an annual report to Congress on threats facing America.

Syria troops push back rebels as UN fight looms (AP)

Posted: 31 Jan 2012 12:28 PM PST

In this photo taken during a government-organized tour for the media, Sister Verona, head of the Sednaya Covent, shows journalists a damaged room which was attacked by artillery fire Sunday in Sednaya, north of Damascus, Syria, Tuesday, Jan. 31, 2012. No casualties were reported in the attack, which the Syrian government blamed on 'armed terrorists.' A senior Russian diplomat warned Tuesday that a draft U.N. resolution demanding Syrian President Bashar Assad step aside is a 'path to civil war,' as Syrian troops crushed pockets of resistance by rebel soldiers on the outskirts of Damascus. (AP Photo/Bassem Tellawi)AP - Syrian troops crushed pockets of rebel soldiers Tuesday on the outskirts of Damascus as Western diplomats took up a U.N. draft resolution demanding President Bashar Assad halt the violence and yield power.

AP EXCLUSIVE: Many resist census race labels (AP)

Posted: 31 Jan 2012 01:01 PM PST

AP - When the 2010 census asked people to classify themselves by race, more than 21.7 million — at least 1 in 14 — went beyond the standard labels and wrote in such terms as "Arab," "Haitian," "Mexican" and "multiracial."

NJ parents see hope after transplant denial outcry (AP)

Posted: 31 Jan 2012 12:25 PM PST

FILE - In this Jan. 19, 2012 file photo, Chrissy and Joseph Rivera pose with their 3-year-old mentally disabled daughter, Amelia Rivera, at their home in Stratford, N.J. The Riveras, who had claimed their daughter was denied a kidney transplant at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia because of her mental disability, say she is now being considered for the procedure. (AP Photo/Mel Evans, File)AP - A 3-year-old girl whose parents claimed she was denied a kidney transplant at one of the nation's top children's hospitals because of her mental disability is now being considered for the procedure, her father said Tuesday.

Los Angeles teacher charged with molesting 23 kids (AP)

Posted: 31 Jan 2012 01:04 PM PST

Students are escorted to a waiting bus as they leave Miramonte Elementary school after classes Tuesday, Jan. 31, 2012 in Los Angeles. Veteran Miramontes Elementary school teacher Mark Berndt, 61, was arrested Monday, Jan. 30, on charges of lewd conduct with 23 children after a film processor gave police photos showing blindfolded children with their mouths taped and cockroaches on their faces. Berndt remained jailed Tuesday on $2.3 million bail. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)AP - A veteran elementary school teacher was arrested on horrifying child molestation charges after a film processor gave police photos showing blindfolded children with their mouths taped and cockroaches on their faces, authorities said Tuesday.

Colbert's Super PAC has raised over $1 million (AP)

Posted: 31 Jan 2012 12:11 PM PST

FILE- This Thursday, June 30, 2011 file photo shows comedian Stephen Colbert as he appears before the Federal Election Commission in Washington. Colbert's “super” PAC has raised a staggering $1 million. Political action committees were required to submit their financial reports to the Federal Election Commission on Tuesday. Colbert disclosed that as of Monday, his Americans for a Better Tomorrow PAC has raised $1,023,121.24. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen, File)AP - Stephen Colbert's sway in the presidential election might be a joke, but he's got some real financial muscle.

Paula Abdul exits 'X Factor'; third to leave show (AP)

Posted: 31 Jan 2012 12:37 PM PST

FILE - In this Dec. 22, 2011 file photo, singer Paula Abdul poses on the red carpet at The X Factor Finale show in Los Angeles. Abdul said she's leaving 'The X Factor' after one season as judge. (AP Photo/Dan Steinberg, file)AP - Paula Abdul joined the exodus from Fox's disappointing "The X Factor," attributing her departure to business trumping all else.

Romney confident as Florida votes in high-stakes primary (Reuters)

Posted: 31 Jan 2012 12:34 PM PST

Reuters - Former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney held a comfortable double-digit lead in polls over struggling rival Newt Gingrich as Florida's Republican voters cast ballots on Tuesday in a high-stakes presidential primary election.

Home prices drop, consumers turn gloomier (Reuters)

Posted: 31 Jan 2012 12:01 PM PST

Reuters - Home prices fell more steeply than expected in November, and consumers turned less optimistic in January, highlighting the hurdles still facing the bumpy economic recovery.

Greece must pledge tough reforms for debt swap deal (Reuters)

Posted: 31 Jan 2012 12:39 PM PST

Reuters - Greece must make "difficult" decisions in the coming days to clinch a debt swap agreement and a 130 billion euro bailout package needed to avoid an unruly default, the government said on Tuesday.

Apple hires Dixons chief to drive global retail (Reuters)

Posted: 31 Jan 2012 09:48 AM PST

FILE - In this June 7, 2010, file photo, Apple CEO Steve Jobs smiles with a new iPhone at the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference in San Francisco. In the white-hot competition for tech talent, some workers are alleging Silicon Valley's top companies conspired to keep employees from switching teams. A federal class-action suit claims that senior executives at Google, Intel, Adobe, Intuit, Lucasfilm, Pixar and Apple entered into secret anti-poaching agreements not to hire each other's best workers. And plaintiffs say e-mails uncovered during a U.S. Justice Department investigation put Steve Jobs at the center of the alleged conspiracy of so-called 'gentlemen's agreements.' The defendants say there was no conspiring, just one-to-one pacts between individual companies in the course of doing business and collaborating on innovative products. Apple is seeking to have the case thrown out. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma, File)Reuters - Apple Inc has hired Dixons Chief Executive John Browett, who revived the British electronics retailer by emphasizing customer service, to lead the iPad maker's global retail expansion.

Analysis: Oil reports may offer Obama an out on Iran (Reuters)

Posted: 31 Jan 2012 12:34 PM PST

Reuters - President Barack Obama will soon get regular, albeit incomplete, reports on how oil markets are coping ahead of broader sanctions on Iran that could help him justify easing off sanctions to prevent a politically damaging jump in crude prices.

Iran keeping option open on nuclear weapon: U.S. spy chief (Reuters)

Posted: 31 Jan 2012 08:52 AM PST

Director of National Intelligence James Clapper testifies at a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington February 16, 2011. REUTERS/Jason ReedReuters - Iran is keeping the option open to develop a nuclear weapon but U.S. intelligence agencies do not know whether it will eventually decided to build one, the U.S. intelligence chief said on Tuesday.

U.S. assessing risks of Taliban transfer: Petraeus (Reuters)

Posted: 31 Jan 2012 11:45 AM PST

Reuters - The Obama administration asked intelligence agencies for additional assessments of the risks of transferring five senior Taliban detainees to a third country as part of efforts to broker peace with Afghan militants, U.S. spy chiefs told Congress on Tuesday.

Exxon narrowly beats, but production falls short (Reuters)

Posted: 31 Jan 2012 12:22 PM PST

A motorist fills up her car at an Exxon gas station in Arlington, Virginia, August 10, 2011. REUTERS/Jason ReedReuters - Exxon Mobil Corp reported quarterly earnings that narrowly beat expectations, on higher oil prices and asset sales of about $1 billion, but the company's shares dropped nearly 2 percent as its oil and gas production fell short of estimates.

Weekend violence in Oakland: Is Occupy movement back, or broken? (+video) (The Christian Science Monitor)

Posted: 30 Jan 2012 05:48 PM PST

The Christian Science Monitor - As Oakland puts the Occupy movement back in the national spotlight with TV images of flag burning and violent police clashes, there is a media war going on to define the very nature of the Occupy movement itself, with Oakland as its potential flag-bearer.

Who's behind 'toxic' super PAC ads? We may never know. (The Christian Science Monitor)

Posted: 30 Jan 2012 05:39 PM PST

The Christian Science Monitor - The secret donors funding a flood of negative ads in the 2012 presidential race are supposed to go public Tuesday. But loopholes in federal disclosure rules mean that Americans will still be left largely in the dark about who is financing what, campaign watchdogs say. 
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Monday, January 30, 2012

Romney credits change in tactics for Florida surge (AP)

Romney credits change in tactics for Florida surge (AP)

Romney credits change in tactics for Florida surge (AP)

Posted: 30 Jan 2012 01:18 PM PST

Republican presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney campaigns at Ring Power Lift Trucks in Jacksonville, Fla., Monday, Jan. 30, 2012. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)AP - Looking for a convincing win, a confident Mitt Romney said Monday the Florida primary is breaking his way and urged voters to send Newt Gingrich "to the moon." Gingrich claimed he's gaining ground and will stay in the race until summer.

Emboldened GOP wants to abolish state income taxes (AP)

Posted: 30 Jan 2012 01:17 PM PST

AP - A year after Republicans swept into office across the country, many have trained their sights on what has long been a fiscal conservative's dream: the steep reduction or even outright elimination of state income taxes.

State Dept: Americans take refuge at Cairo embassy (AP)

Posted: 30 Jan 2012 01:18 PM PST

FILE - In this Aug. 14, 1998 file photo, the U.S. embassy in downtown Cairo, Egypt. Three U.S. citizens whom Egyptian authorities have barred from leaving the country have sought refuge in the American Embassy in Cairo, U.S. officials said Monday, Jan. 30, 2012. (AP Photo/Leila Gorchev, File)AP - Three American citizens barred from leaving Egypt have sought refuge at the American Embassy in Cairo amid growing tensions between the two allies over an Egyptian investigation into foreign-funded pro-democracy groups.

Syrian troops push back in fight on Damascus edges (AP)

Posted: 30 Jan 2012 01:18 PM PST

This image from amateur video made available by the Ugarit News group and shot on Sunday, Jan. 29, 2012, purports to show a funeral in Damascus, Syria. The Syrian military launched an offensive to regain control of suburbs on the eastern edge of Damascus on Sunday, storming neighborhoods and clashing with groups of army defectors in fierce fighting that sent residents fleeing and killed at several people, activists said. (AP Photo/Ugarit News Group via APTN) THE ASSOCIATED PRESS CANNOT INDEPENDENTLY VERIFY THE CONTENT, DATE, LOCATION OR AUTHENTICITY OF THIS MATERIAL. TV OUTAP - Syrian forces heavily shelled the restive city of Homs on Monday, and troops pushed back dissident troops from some suburbs on the outskirts of Damascus in an offensive trying to regain control of the capital's eastern doorstep, activists said.

Pythons apparently wiping out Everglades mammals (AP)

Posted: 30 Jan 2012 01:18 PM PST

In this November 14, 2009 photo provided by the University of Florida, University of Florida researchers hold a 162-pound Burmese python captured in Everglades National Park, Fla. Therese Walters, left, Alex Wolf and Michael R. Rochford, right, are holding the 15-foot snake shortly after the python ate a six-foot American alligator. The National Academy of Science report released Monday, Jan. 30, 2012, indicates that the proliferation of pythons coincides with a sharp decrease of mammals in the park. (AP Photo/ University of Florida, Michael R. Rochford)AP - A burgeoning population of huge pythons — many of them pets that were turned loose by their owners when they got too big — appears to be wiping out large numbers of raccoons, opossums, bobcats and other mammals in the Everglades, a study says.

Questions remain in deadly Florida highway crash (AP)

Posted: 30 Jan 2012 01:25 PM PST

Debris and wreckage lie along the highway after a multi-vehicle accident that killed at least nine people, on Interstate 75 near Gainesville, Fla., Sunday, Jan. 29, 2012. Authorities were still trying to determine what caused the pileup on the highway, which had been closed for a time because of the mixture of fog and heavy smoke from a brush fire. At least five cars and six tractor-trailers were involved, and some burst into flame. (AP Photo/Phil Sandlin)AP - Just hours before a pileup that killed 10 people, authorities had closed a stretch of highway smothered in smoke and fog due to a three-vehicle crash that left a passenger seriously injured. Why they reopened it just minutes before the second crash — and who made the call — remained murky Monday, with the Florida Highway Patrol refusing to answer questions as national investigators hinted they might join the inquiry.

Senator's stroke shows they can hit the young, too (AP)

Posted: 30 Jan 2012 12:54 PM PST

FILE - In this Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2011 photo, Sen. Mark Kirk, R-Ill. leaves a Republican caucus on Capitol Hill in Washington. When a stroke hits at 52, like what happened to Sen. Kirk, the reaction is an astonished, 'But he's so young.' The reality is that strokes can happen at any age, even to children - and they're on the rise among the young and middle-aged. The vast majority of strokes do occur in older adults. But up to a quarter of them strike people younger than 65, says Dr. Ralph Sacco, a University of Miami neurologist and past president of the American Heart Association. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)AP - When a stroke hits at 52, like what happened to Sen. Mark Kirk of Illinois, the reaction is an astonished, "But he's so young."

Winter cold snap kills 36 in eastern Europe (AP)

Posted: 30 Jan 2012 01:18 PM PST

A couple walks on a snow covered road near the Lake of Eymir, Ankara, Turkey, on Sunday, Jan. 29, 2012. Winter temperatures and recent snowfall has partially paralyzed life in Turkey. (AP Photo/Selcan Hacaoglu)AP - A severe and snowy cold snap across central and eastern Europe has left at least 36 people dead, cut off power to towns, and snarled traffic. Officials are responding with measures ranging from opening shelters to dispensing hot tea, with particular concern for the homeless and elderly.

Nearly 14-pound baby boy born in Des Moines (AP)

Posted: 30 Jan 2012 12:46 PM PST

Asher Stewardson was born Jan. 26, 2012, weighing 13 pounds, 13 ounces. He measured 23 1/2 inches. He is believed to be the biggest baby ever born at Mercy Hospital without a surgical delivery. (AP Photo/The Des Moines Register, Todd Erzen)AP - An Iowa woman has given birth to a boy weighing 13 pounds and 13 ounces — without the aid of surgery.

'All in the Family' director John Rich dies at 86 (AP)

Posted: 30 Jan 2012 12:02 PM PST

FILE - In this May 26, 1963 file photo, writer Carl Reiner, right, and director John Rich, left, pose with the Emmy awards they won for their work on the 'Dick Van Dyke Show,' during the annual Emmy Awards presentation in Hollywood, Calif. Television director John Rich, who won an Emmy Award for the memorable 'All in the Family' scene showing Sammy Davis Jr. planting a kiss on Archie Bunker, has died in Los Angeles at 86. (AP Photo/File)AP - Television director John Rich, who won an Emmy Award for the memorable "All in the Family" scene showing Sammy Davis Jr. planting a kiss on Archie Bunker, has died in Los Angeles at 86.

Gingrich stays on attack in Florida with one day left (Reuters)

Posted: 30 Jan 2012 10:01 AM PST

U.S. Republican presidential candidate and former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich speaks to the media after attending a church service at the Exciting Idlewild Baptist Church in Lutz, Florida January 29, 2012. REUTERS/Shannon StapletonReuters - U.S. Republican Newt Gingrich scrambled to revive his fading hopes in Florida on Monday, lashing out at rival Mitt Romney as a liberal party insider the day before the state's crucial presidential primary.

EU leaders struggle to reconcile austerity, growth (Reuters)

Posted: 30 Jan 2012 01:05 PM PST

Reuters - European leaders agreed on a permanent rescue fund for the euro zone on Monday and 25 of the 27 EU states backed a German-inspired pact for stricter budget discipline, but they struggled to reconcile fiscal austerity with economic growth.

Democrats slam Tea Party ties in Oregon special election (Reuters)

Posted: 30 Jan 2012 12:29 PM PST

Reuters - An Oregon special election in which national Democrats have sought to paint the Republican congressional candidate as a Tea Party radical foreshadows a tactic the party will employ in its quest to take back Congress seats lost in the 2010 election.

U.S. consumers fizzle out even as incomes rise (Reuters)

Posted: 30 Jan 2012 09:43 AM PST

Reuters - U.S. consumer spending was flat in December as households put the largest rise in income in nine months into their savings, potentially signaling slower consumption early in 2012.

Arrests in Oakland protests rise to more than 400 (Reuters)

Posted: 29 Jan 2012 09:30 PM PST

An Occupy Oakland demonstrator waits for medical assistance during a mass arrest outside a YMCA after a day-long demonstration in Oakland, California January 28, 2012. REUTERS/Stephen LamReuters - Crews cleaned up Oakland's historic City Hall on Sunday from damage inflicted overnight during violent anti-Wall Street protests that resulted in about 400 arrests, marking one of the largest mass arrests since nationwide protests began last year.

Syrian forces kill 25 in Damascus suburbs: activists (Reuters)

Posted: 30 Jan 2012 01:14 PM PST

Reuters - Forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad killed at least 25 people Monday as they battled their way deep into eastern suburbs of Damascus to seize them back from rebels, activists said from the edge of the sprawling capital.

Relief in U.S. food prices seen as crop supplies grow (Reuters)

Posted: 30 Jan 2012 11:51 AM PST

Reuters - After being hammered by record high food prices in 2011, which helped ignite the Arab Spring uprisings, consumers worldwide may find some relief in 2012 if U.S. farmers, induced by last year's high crop prices, plant more fields to grain this year.

Pentagon suspends flights of 15 F-35 fighter jets (Reuters)

Posted: 30 Jan 2012 01:16 PM PST

Reuters - The Pentagon's F-35 program office said on Monday it was suspending high speed ground and flight operations of 15 Lockheed Martin Corp F-35 fighter jets after discovering improperly packed parachutes under the pilot's ejection seat.

Los Angeles Mayor Villaraigosa sees "draconian" cuts ahead in Obama's budget (The Christian Science Monitor)

Posted: 29 Jan 2012 09:00 PM PST

The Christian Science Monitor - Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa (D) is currently president of the US Conference of Mayors. He previously served as speaker of the California Assembly. He was the guest speaker at the Jan. 18 Monitor breakfast in Washington.

Mitt Romney: From South Carolina loss to big Florida surge (The Christian Science Monitor)

Posted: 29 Jan 2012 01:23 PM PST

The Christian Science Monitor - In the final days and hours before the Republican primary in South Carolina, Newt Gingrich surged ahead in the polls, leaving Mitt Romney scrambling to make the best of an increasingly losing situation. Romney got shellacked in that race, losing to Gingrich by nearly 13 points.
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Sunday, January 29, 2012

Time short for Gingrich to close gap in Florida (AP)

Time short for Gingrich to close gap in Florida (AP)

Time short for Gingrich to close gap in Florida (AP)

Posted: 29 Jan 2012 12:48 PM PST

Republican presidential candidate, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, speaks to media during a news conference outside the Exciting Idlewild Baptist Church, Sunday, Jan. 29, 2012, in Lutz, Fla. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)AP - Newt Gingrich slammed GOP rival Mitt Romney on Sunday for the steady stream of attacks he likened to "carpet-bombing," trying to cut into the resurgent front-runner's lead in Florida in the dwindling hours before Tuesday's pivotal presidential primary.

The fight for Cuban-Americans is on in Florida (AP)

Posted: 29 Jan 2012 12:30 PM PST

Republican presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney campaigns at The Hispanic Leadership Network's Lunch at Doral Golf Resort and Spa in Miami, Fla., Friday, Jan. 27, 2012. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)AP - If Mitt Romney wins Tuesday's primary, a sliver of the GOP electorate in Florida may be one of the big reasons. Cuban-Americans are deeply committed voters who can have an impact in competitive races, and Romney has strong support among the influential Cuban-American establishment.

Syrian troops storm areas near capital of Damascus (AP)

Posted: 29 Jan 2012 12:28 PM PST

This image from amateur video made available by the Ugarit News group and shot on Sunday, Jan. 29, 2012, purports to show a funeral in Damascus, Syria. The Syrian military launched an offensive to regain control of suburbs on the eastern edge of Damascus on Sunday, storming neighborhoods and clashing with groups of army defectors in fierce fighting that sent residents fleeing and killed at several people, activists said. (AP Photo/Ugarit News Group via APTN) THE ASSOCIATED PRESS CANNOT INDEPENDENTLY VERIFY THE CONTENT, DATE, LOCATION OR AUTHENTICITY OF THIS MATERIAL. TV OUTAP - In dozens of tanks and armored vehicles, Syrian troops stormed rebellious areas near the capital Sunday, shelling neighborhoods that have fallen under the control of army dissidents and clashing with fighters. At least 62 people were killed in violence nationwide, activists and residents said.

Florida highway pileup kills at least 10 people (AP)

Posted: 29 Jan 2012 12:33 PM PST

Firemen hose down a commercial carrier truck on Interstate 75 near Gainesville, Fla., after it was involved in a multi-vehicle wreck which killed at least nine people in the early hours of Sunday, Jan. 29, 2012. Authorities were still trying to determine what caused the pileup on the highway, which had been closed for a time because of the mixture of fog and heavy smoke from a brush fire. At least five cars and six tractor-trailers were involved, and some burst into flame. (AP Photo/Phil Sandlin)AP - A long line of cars and trucks collided one after another early Sunday on a dark Florida highway so shrouded in haze and smoke that drivers were virtually blinded. At least 10 people were killed.

Oakland to assess damage after Occupy protests (AP)

Posted: 29 Jan 2012 12:53 PM PST

Occupy Oakland protestors burn an American flag found inside Oakland City Hall during an Occupy Oakland protest on the steps of City Hall, Saturday, January 28, 2012, in Oakland, Calif. (AP Photo/Beck Diefenbach)AP - Oakland officials assessed damage to City Hall caused by Occupy protesters while leaders of the movement claimed Sunday that police acted illegally in arresting hundreds of demonstrators and could face a lawsuit.

UN nuclear inspection gets under way in Iran (AP)

Posted: 29 Jan 2012 12:53 PM PST

Iran's Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi speaks at the African Union Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Sunday, Jan. 29, 2012. U.N. nuclear inspectors began a critical mission to Iran on Sunday to probe allegations of a secret atomic weapons program amid escalating Western economic pressure and warnings about safeguarding Gulf oil shipments from possible Iranian blockades. (AP Photo/Elias Asmare)AP - Iran's foreign minister expressed optimism Sunday that a visit by U.N. inspectors to Iran's nuclear facilities would produce an understanding, despite world concerns that Iran is trying to build nuclear weapons.

Up to 10 months to remove capsized cruise ship (AP)

Posted: 29 Jan 2012 12:59 PM PST

An Italian Coast Guard dinghy sails around the grounded cruise ship Costa Concordia off the Tuscan island of Giglio, Italy, Sunday, Jan. 29, 2012. Rough seas off the Tuscan coast have delayed for a second day the start of operations to remove half a million gallons of fuel from the grounded Costa Concordia. Officials called off both the fuel removal and search operations Sunday after determining the ship had moved 4 centimeters (an inch and a half) over six hours. (AP Photo/Pier Paolo Cito)AP - The cruise ship that capsized off Italy's coast will take up to 10 months to remove, officials said Sunday, as rough seas off the Tuscan coast forced the suspension of recovery operations.

Candidate barred for English deficit vows appeal (AP)

Posted: 29 Jan 2012 12:53 PM PST

AP - A city council candidate in Arizona who was barred from running because she doesn't speak English proficiently is vowing to appeal the judge's ruling.

Neeson's 'The Grey' tops box office with $20M (AP)

Posted: 29 Jan 2012 12:42 PM PST

In this film image released by Open Road Films, from left, Liam Neeson is shown in a scene from 'The Grey.' (AP Photo/Open Road Films, Kimberley French)AP - Beware the Liam in Winter. Liam Neeson's "The Grey" topped the weekend box office with $20 million, according to studio estimates Sunday, continuing the actor's success as an action star in the winter months.

Djokovic wins Australian Open in longest final (AP)

Posted: 29 Jan 2012 12:20 PM PST

Novak Djokovic of Serbia celebrates after defeating Rafael Nadal of Spain during the men's singles final at the Australian Open tennis championship, in Melbourne, Australia, early Monday, Jan. 30, 2012. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft)AP - Novak Djokovic ripped off his shirt and let out a primal scream, flexing his torso the way a prize fighter would after a desperate, last-round knockout.

Detroit's best-dressed man aims to mend Motown (Reuters)

Posted: 29 Jan 2012 12:39 PM PST

Reuters - The Big Three automakers may be on the rebound but the original Motor City, Detroit, is still battling to turn the tide of decline. One of the people leading the fight is Charles Pugh.

Iran says to stop some oil sales, inspectors visit (Reuters)

Posted: 29 Jan 2012 10:11 AM PST

EDITORS' NOTE: Reuters and other foreign media are subject to Iranian restrictions on leaving the office to report, film or take pictures in Tehran. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad sits in a vehicle as he visits an industrial site in Kerman province, southeast Iran January 26, 2012. The European Union rather than Iran will lose out under new EU sanctions banning Iranian oil, Ahmadinejad said on Thursday as lawmakers said they might cut supplies to EU countries ahead of a July 1 deadline. REUTERS/President.ir/Handout (IRAN - Tags: POLITICS) FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY. NOT FOR SALE FOR MARKETING OR ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS. THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. IT IS DISTRIBUTED, EXACTLY AS RECEIVED BY REUTERS, AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTSReuters - Iran sent conflicting signals in a dispute with the West over its nuclear ambitions on Sunday, vowing to stop oil exports soon to "some" countries but postponing a parliamentary debate on a proposed halt to such sales to the European Union.

Gingrich struggles to stop surging Romney in Florida (Reuters)

Posted: 29 Jan 2012 11:06 AM PST

Reuters - Republican Newt Gingrich struggled to halt surging rival Mitt Romney's momentum on Sunday, accusing him of launching false attacks as polls showed Romney widening his lead two days before Florida's presidential primary.

Greece should give up budget control: Germany (Reuters)

Posted: 29 Jan 2012 08:51 AM PST

Reuters - Greece must surrender control of its budget policy to outside institutions if it cannot implement reforms attached to euro zone rescue measures, the German economy minister was quoted as saying on Sunday.

French 2011 deficit to be under 5.4 percent GDP: Sarkozy (Reuters)

Posted: 29 Jan 2012 11:23 AM PST

Reuters - France's public deficit could come in at 5.4 percent, or even 5.3 percent of gross domestic product for 2011, well below the government's initial forecast, President Nicolas Sarkozy said on Sunday.

Syria troops battle to retake Damascus suburbs (Reuters)

Posted: 29 Jan 2012 12:51 PM PST

Reuters - Around 2,000 Syrian troops backed by tanks launched an assault to retake Damascus suburbs from rebels on Sunday, activists said, a day after the Arab League suspended its monitoring mission in Syria because of worsening violence.

Republican leaders expect payroll tax deal (Reuters)

Posted: 29 Jan 2012 10:16 AM PST

Reuters - Top Republican lawmakers on Sunday said they expect to forge a deal with Democrats to extend the payroll tax cut before it expires at the end of February but offered no specifics on how they would pay for it.

Putin critics take to cars to demand fair elections (Reuters)

Posted: 29 Jan 2012 12:32 PM PST

A participant stands near his car, which was modified to resemble a tank, before taking part in Reuters - Critics of Prime Minister Vladimir Putin drove in their hundreds around central Moscow on Sunday in cars trailing white ribbons, a symbol of Russia's protest movement, staging a mobile demonstration to demand fair elections.

As GOP presidential contenders dogfight, how's Obama doing? (The Christian Science Monitor)

Posted: 28 Jan 2012 01:39 PM PST

The Christian Science Monitor - It’s way too early in the presidential campaign to make predictions about the 2012 outcome. But at this point, President Obama might confidently say, “I’ve got ‘em right where I want ‘em.”

'The Grey': Is film's portrayal of wolves as man-killers too dramatic? (The Christian Science Monitor)

Posted: 28 Jan 2012 10:12 AM PST

The Christian Science Monitor - Any casual reader of Jack London will get a stab of recognition from the portrayal in the movie “The Grey” of battered survivors defending with flaming torches against snarling, snapping wolves.
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Saturday, January 28, 2012

Arab League halts observer mission in Syria (AP)

Arab League halts observer mission in Syria (AP)

Arab League halts observer mission in Syria (AP)

Posted: 28 Jan 2012 10:29 AM PST

This citizen journalism image provide by the Local Coordination Committees in Syria and released early Friday Jan. 27, 2012, purports to show a Syrian man, right, mourning over the dead body of his son, who was shot by the Syrian forces, in Idlib province, Syria, on Thursday Jan. 26, 2012. A 'terrifying massacre' in the restive Syrian city of Homs has killed more than 30 people, including small children, in a barrage of mortar fire and attacks by armed forces loyal to President Bashar Assad, activists said Friday. (AP Photo/Local Coordination Committees in Syria) EDITORIAL USE ONLY, NO SALES, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS IS UNABLE TO INDEPENDENTLY VERIFY THE AUTHENTICITY, CONTENT, LOCATION OR DATE OF THIS HANDOUT PHOTOAP - The Arab League halted its observer mission in Syria on Saturday because of escalating violence that killed nearly 100 people the past three days, as pro-Assad forces battled dissident soldiers in a belt of suburbs on the eastern edge of Damascus in the most intense fighting yet so close to the capital.

Private investors near deal on Greek debt (AP)

Posted: 28 Jan 2012 12:48 PM PST

Charles Dallara, left and Jean Lemiere from the Institute of International Finance leave Maximos Mansion after meeting Greek Prime Minister Lucas Papademos and Greek Finance Minister Evangelos Venizelos in Athens on Saturday Jan. 28 2012. Talks between Greece and private creditors on halving the country's privately held debt load have ended and a deal is very close, according to the creditors' representatives. (AP Photo)AP - Greece and its private investors are close to a deal that will significantly reduce the country's debt and pave the way for it to receive a much-needed euro130 billion bailout.

Romney would rank among richest presidents ever (AP)

Posted: 28 Jan 2012 12:50 PM PST

Republican presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, campaigns at the Fish House in Pensacola, Fla., Saturday, Jan. 28, 2012. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)AP - Just how rich is Mitt Romney? Add up the wealth of the last eight presidents, from Richard Nixon to Barack Obama. Then double that number. Now you're in Romney territory.

St. Louis hosting 1st big parade on Iraq War's end (AP)

Posted: 28 Jan 2012 11:38 AM PST

Stephanie King holds a picture of her uncle, Col. Stephen Scott who was killed in Iraq in 2008, as she prepares to participate in a parade to honor Iraq War veterans Saturday, Jan. 28, 2012, in St. Louis. Thousands turned out to watch the first big welcome home parade in the U.S. since the last troops left Iraq in December. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)AP - Thousands of people lining downtown streets cheered wildly as veterans, some wiping away tears, marched through St. Louis on Saturday during the nation's first big welcome-home parade for Iraq War veterans.

Cuba Communist Party eyes term limits at gathering (AP)

Posted: 28 Jan 2012 12:12 PM PST

A santera looks back while crossing the street where a wall is covered with a mural of the Cuban flag and an image of Cuba's revolutionary hero Ernesto 'Che' Guevara in Havana, Cuba, Friday Jan. 27, 2012. After economic reforms by President Raul Castro were endorsed by the communist congress in mid-2011, the Communist Party of Cuba (PCC) is preparing to hold a party conference this weekend. (AP Photo/Franklin Reyes)AP - Cuba's Communist Party opened a two-day conference Saturday to hold an internal debate on the future of the party, the possibility of political term limits and perhaps even a change or two at the top.

Blood found at home where Maine tot was last seen (AP)

Posted: 28 Jan 2012 12:18 PM PST

AP - Investigators have been analyzing blood found in the basement of a Maine home where a missing toddler was last seen six weeks ago, an official said Saturday.

Suit claims Silicon Valley anti-poaching scheme (AP)

Posted: 28 Jan 2012 12:11 PM PST

FILE - In this June 7, 2010, file photo, Apple CEO Steve Jobs smiles with a new iPhone at the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference in San Francisco. In the white-hot competition for tech talent, some workers are alleging Silicon Valley's top companies conspired to keep employees from switching teams. A federal class-action suit claims that senior executives at Google, Intel, Adobe, Intuit, Lucasfilm, Pixar and Apple entered into secret anti-poaching agreements not to hire each other's best workers. And plaintiffs say e-mails uncovered during a U.S. Justice Department investigation put Steve Jobs at the center of the alleged conspiracy of so-called 'gentlemen's agreements.' The defendants say there was no conspiring, just one-to-one pacts between individual companies in the course of doing business and collaborating on innovative products. Apple is seeking to have the case thrown out. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma, File)AP - In Silicon Valley's white-hot competition for tech talent, programmers can face a daily barrage of calls from recruiters seeking to woo them to rival companies with offers of better pay and perks.

Brazilian bikinis burgeon to fit the fat (AP)

Posted: 28 Jan 2012 12:10 PM PST

In this photo taken Jan. 27, 2012, women shop for bikinis at a store in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. A growing number of bikini manufacturers have woken up to Brazil's thickening waistline and are reaching out to the ever-expanding ranks of heavy women with new plus-size lines. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana)AP - Tall and tan and young and ... chunky?

Etta James remembered as triumphant trailblazer (AP)

Posted: 28 Jan 2012 12:31 PM PST

Singer Etta James's picture is seen next to her casket during a funeral, Saturday, Jan. 28, 2012, at Greater Bethany Community Church City of Refuge in Gardena, Calif. James died last Friday at age 73 after battling leukemia and other ailments, including dementia. She was most famous for her classic 'At Last,' but over her decades-long career, she became revered for her passionate singing voice. (AP Photo/Ringo H.W. Chiu)AP - Rev. Al Sharpton says Etta James should be remembered as a woman and an artist who "turned her pain into power."

Tributes to Paterno highlight influence of wife (AP)

Posted: 28 Jan 2012 12:10 PM PST

Sue Paterno, center, wife of former Penn State football coach Joe Paterno, consoles her grandson as they leave a memorial service for Joe at Penn State's Bryce Jordan Center in State College, Pa., Thursday Jan. 26, 2012. A capacity crowd of more than 12,000 packed the Bryce Jordan Center for one more tribute to Paterno, the Hall of Fame football coach who died Sunday from lung cancer. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)AP - For decades, Joe Paterno was the public face of Penn State. For almost as long, his near-constant companion, wife Sue, seemingly wielded as much influence.

Romney seeks to knock out Gingrich in Florida (Reuters)

Posted: 28 Jan 2012 12:26 PM PST

U.S. Republican presidential candidate and former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich (L) speaks during the Hispanic Leadership Network conference in Doral, Florida January 27, 2012. REUTERS/Shannon StapletonReuters - Bolstered by positive poll numbers, Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney on Saturday sought to vanquish rival Newt Gingrich in Florida with a biting new ad about ethics charges and a mocking tone about his debate complaints.

Greece, creditors on verge of clinching debt deal (Reuters)

Posted: 28 Jan 2012 12:00 PM PST

Reuters - Greece and its private creditors said on Saturday they were piecing together the final elements of a debt swap and expected to have a deal ready next week, essential for sealing a new bailout and avoiding an uncontrolled default.

Sanctions to hit EU buyback firms: Iran oil chief (Reuters)

Posted: 28 Jan 2012 11:30 AM PST

Reuters - European companies owed oil by Iran could lose out if Tehran imposes a ban on crude exports to the European Union next week, the head of Iran's state oil company said on Saturday.

UK police arrest Murdoch tabloid staff, raid offices (Reuters)

Posted: 28 Jan 2012 12:29 PM PST

Police officers stand outside an entrance to News International in London July 10, 2011. REUTERS/Luke MacGregor BUSINESS CRIME LAW POLITICS)Reuters - British police arrested four current and former staff of Rupert Murdoch's best-selling Sun tabloid plus a policeman on Saturday as part of an investigation into suspected payments by journalists to officers, police and the newspaper's publisher said.

Goldman executives get access to restricted stock (Reuters)

Posted: 28 Jan 2012 09:41 AM PST

Reuters - Top Goldman Sachs Group Inc executives received previously restricted stock awards that are now worth $47.7 million, according to regulatory filings, though the executives are still limited in selling most of their Goldman stock.

Bankers resist regulatory restraint on bonuses (Reuters)

Posted: 28 Jan 2012 08:09 AM PST

Reuters - Budding bankers expecting the bumper bonuses of years gone by will have to think again, with only the top performers likely to be paid top dollar.

Arab League suspends Syria mission as violence rages (Reuters)

Posted: 28 Jan 2012 12:07 PM PST

Demonstrators protest against Syria's President Bashar al-Assad after Friday prayers in Hula near Homs, January 27, 2012. REUTERS/HandoutReuters - The Arab League suspended its monitoring mission in Syria on Saturday because of worsening violence, a move Damascus said was an attempt to draw foreign intervention as it struggles to quell a 10-month revolt against President Bashar al-Assad's rule.

Yemen says kills Islamists, Saleh heads for U.S. (Reuters)

Posted: 28 Jan 2012 12:20 PM PST

Reuters - Yemeni troops killed four Islamist fighters in a southern town they seized from government control, a local official said on Saturday, but a spokesman for the Islamists denied his side had suffered any casualties.

Why Florida's Latino Republicans tilt toward Mitt Romney (The Christian Science Monitor)

Posted: 28 Jan 2012 05:17 AM PST

The Christian Science Monitor - Heading into Tuesday’s pivotal GOP primary in Florida, Mitt Romney clearly has stronger support than Newt Gingrich among the state’s influential Republican Latino community.

Can California change US cars forever? New zero-emissions rules take aim. (The Christian Science Monitor)

Posted: 27 Jan 2012 04:23 PM PST

The Christian Science Monitor - Confirming its role as a national trend-setter on auto emissions, California passed stringent new standards Friday intended to boost the production and sale of electric and hybrid vehicles here and nationwide. 
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