GSA offered contractors tax breaks _ at a price

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• GSA offered contractors tax breaks _ at a price
• Facebook sets $28 to $35 price range for IPO
• Natural gas prices rise 4 percent; oil drops
• US stocks fall after conflicting economic reports
• Hawker Beechcraft files for bankruptcy protection
• Wife of former Minn. Viking guilty in hit-and-run
• 4 students killed as Syrian forces raid university
• 9/11 families prepare for Guantanamo arraignment
• Military commanders warned to get troops in line
• Minnesota Vikings stadium vote set for Monday
• Blasts hit police post in Russia's Dagestan area
• Facebook plans to raise up to $12 billion in mega IPO
• White House: Time to try another tactic in Syria
• First Solar restructuring leads to loss of $449M
• French debate: No knockout punch from Sarkozy
• Fowler in 5-way tie for lead at Quail Hollow
• Wash. mayors get started on weight-loss campaigns
• US F-15 crashes in Mideast, crew ejects safely
• Outgoing Nokia board chief concedes mistakes
• GM Q1 earnings plunge on Europe troubles
• Romney criticizes Obama administration over Chen
• Investors say Berkshire will endure after Buffett
• Facebook IPO price values firm above $70 bn
• Buckner ball up for auction in Dallas
• Federal lawmaker: DEA debacle suggests breakdown
• Challengers outraise GOP incumbents in 1st quarter
• Notre Dame QB Rees jailed in police confrontation
• Galifiniakis' series makes TV debut, ferns in tow
• Yahoo investor says CEO lied about tech degree
• Ravens LB Suggs tears Achilles tendon
• Obama under pressure over China dissident seeking asylum
• Alleged 'Bishop' bomber calls self to stand
• Sudan agrees to AU roadmap, must meet South Sudan
• Ohio zoo: Widow to get 5 exotic animals on Friday
• French candidate goes from wishy-washy to wow
• Attorney: Wife's arrest in Sanders case a 'setup'
• US uses bin Laden letters to degrade al-Qaida
• Amateur sleuth helps stop National Archives thefts
• Mexican experts find ancient blood on stone knives

GSA offered contractors tax breaks _ at a price Posted: It was a curious offer to contractors from a government agency: We'll give you a tax deduction for making federal buildings more energy efficient if you qualify and if you'll write us a check for 19 percent of the tax break's value.

Facebook sets $28 to $35 price range for IPO Posted: Facebook has set a price range of $28 to $35 for its initial public offering of stock.

Natural gas prices rise 4 percent; oil drops Posted: Natural gas prices jumped 4 percent Thursday after a government report eased concerns that the U.S. could run out of room to store its expanding supply of the fuel. Oil prices moved in the opposite direction, falling 2.5 percent on concerns about U.S. economic growth.

US stocks fall after conflicting economic reports Posted: Wall Street gnawed on a muddle of economic data and corporate earnings news Thursday, then sent stock indexes lower for a second day.

Hawker Beechcraft files for bankruptcy protection Posted: Aircraft maker Hawker Beechcraft filed for bankruptcy protection Thursday after reaching agreement with the majority of its secured lenders and bondholders on a plan to restructure its massive debt.

Wife of former Minn. Viking guilty in hit-and-run Posted: The wife of a former Minnesota Viking was convicted Thursday of two felonies in a hit-and-run that killed a man.

4 students killed as Syrian forces raid university Posted: Syrian forces stormed student dormitories during an anti-government protest at Aleppo University Thursday, firing tear gas and bullets in an hours-long siege that killed at least four students and forced the closure of the state-run school, activists said.

9/11 families prepare for Guantanamo arraignment Posted: It has been a year of milestones for the families of those killed on Sept. 11, with the death of Osama Bin Laden followed by the 10th anniversary of the terrorist attacks. Now another painful chapter is set to begin: the prosecution of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the self-proclaimed mastermind of 9/11.

Military commanders warned to get troops in line Posted: Military leaders are telling commanders to get their troops in line and refrain from misconduct such as urinating on enemy corpses, in a sharp response to the tasteless photos and other disturbing examples of bad behavior that have enraged Afghans and complicated war-fighting.

Minnesota Vikings stadium vote set for Monday Posted: The Minnesota Legislature will finally vote Monday on a plan to build a new Vikings stadium, with the expected outcome too close to call.

Blasts hit police post in Russia's Dagestan area Posted: Two powerful explosions went off Thursday night near a traffic police post in the capital of Russia's restive Dagestan region. There was no definitive word on casualties.

Facebook plans to raise up to $12 billion in mega IPO Posted: SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Facebook Inc plans to raise as much as $12 billion in Silicon Valley's largest IPO, dwarfing the coming-out parties of tech companies like Google Inc and granting the world's largest social network a market value close to Amazon.com's. The eight-year-old social network that began as Mark Zuckerberg's Harvard dorm room project priced its initial public offering at between $28 and $35 a share on Thursday, attaining a valuation of as much as $95.9 billion at the high end. ...

White House: Time to try another tactic in Syria Posted: It may be time for the world to acknowledge that a cease-fire is not holding in Syria, and that it is time to try another approach to stop the violence, the White House said Thursday.

First Solar restructuring leads to loss of $449M Posted: First Solar, one of the world's biggest solar panel manufacturers, posted a loss of $449 million in the first quarter as it struggles to withstand a shakeout in the solar industry.

French debate: No knockout punch from Sarkozy Posted: Socialist candidate Francois Hollande appeared to solidify his chances at winning France's presidency Thursday after his strong showing in a debate against beleaguered incumbent Nicolas Sarkozy.

Fowler in 5-way tie for lead at Quail Hollow Posted: Rickie Fowler is starting to hear chatter about why he hasn't won on the PGA Tour. He hopes it won't be long before he no longer has to listen.

Wash. mayors get started on weight-loss campaigns Posted: Sean Guard watched other people exercising from the window of his car or his office in City Hall, as the pounds piled on slowly, a little bit at a time. The Washougal mayor left his city's bike trails and foot paths to those more inclined to exercise while he made short work of chicken-fried steaks.

US F-15 crashes in Mideast, crew ejects safely Posted: A U.S. Air Force F-15E fighter crashed Thursday during a routine training mission in the Middle East, but investigators have ruled out insurgent activity as a cause, the military said. Both crew members ejected safely.

Outgoing Nokia board chief concedes mistakes Posted: Nokia Corp.'s outgoing board chairman said Thursday the company made mistakes during his tenure at the helm of the cell phone maker that held the No. 1 spot for 14 years.

GM Q1 earnings plunge on Europe troubles Posted: General Motors' earnings fell by nearly two-thirds in the first quarter as the company's European operations racked up losses due to the eurozone crisis, the largest US automaker said Thursday.

Romney criticizes Obama administration over Chen Posted: Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney said Thursday the Obama administration had "failed" to protect a blind Chinese dissident by factoring political considerations into the negotiations that ultimately led him to leave the U.S. Embassy in Beijing. The White House said the president wasn't concerned about the politics of the case.

Investors say Berkshire will endure after Buffett Posted: Berkshire Hathaway shareholders make their annual pilgrimage here this weekend, and this year they have to confront an uncomfortable truth: Warren Buffett, Berkshire's CEO and the greatest celebrity in investing, can't go on forever.

Facebook IPO price values firm above $70 bn Posted: Facebook is proposing a price range for its hotly anticipated public offering which would value the social network between $70 billion and $87.5 billion, documents showed Thursday.

Buckner ball up for auction in Dallas Posted: The baseball that broke the hearts of Boston Red Sox fans everywhere and turned Bill Buckner into one of the most famous goats in sports history is up for sale.

Federal lawmaker: DEA debacle suggests breakdown Posted: The case of a detained college student who was forgotten in a holding cell for more than four days suggests a breakdown in procedure and oversight within the Drug Enforcement Administration, a California federal lawmaker said Thursday.

Challengers outraise GOP incumbents in 1st quarter Posted: Democratic challengers raised more money than Republican incumbents in 20 competitive House races from California to Virginia during the first three months of the year, and President Barack Obama's party has the upper-hand in eight other districts where congressmen are retiring.

Notre Dame QB Rees jailed in police confrontation Posted: Police pepper-sprayed Notre Dame quarterback Tommy Rees and put him in jail early Thursday after he allegedly raised his knee and knocked the wind out of a police officer who had chased him down following an off-campus house party.

Galifiniakis' series makes TV debut, ferns in tow Posted: Certainly, the Internet has its purposes, but there might be none greater than "Between Two Ferns."

Yahoo investor says CEO lied about tech degree Posted: A major Yahoo shareholder is accusing the Internet company's CEO of lying about his technology credentials to make himself appear more qualified for the job.

Ravens LB Suggs tears Achilles tendon Posted: Baltimore Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs will have surgery for a partially torn Achilles tendon, an injury he insists will not keep him sidelined for the entire 2012 season.

Obama under pressure over China dissident seeking asylum Posted: BEIJING/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama came under pressure on Thursday to ensure the safety of blind Chinese dissident Chen Guangcheng who briefly took refuge in the American embassy and whose later desperate pleas for asylum from a Beijing hospital bed threaten to fan U.S.-China tensions. Chen, a self-taught legal activist, left the U.S. Embassy on Wednesday shortly before Secretary of State Hillary of Clinton arrived in Beijing for talks aimed at improving economic and strategic relations between the two superpowers. But within hours, Chen changed his mind about a deal that U. ...

Alleged 'Bishop' bomber calls self to stand Posted: A former Iowa letter carrier accused of sending dud pipe bombs and taunting letters signed "The Bishop" called himself to the witness stand at his own trial Thursday, admitting he sent the devices but insisting they never would have gone off.

Sudan agrees to AU roadmap, must meet South Sudan Posted: Sudan on Thursday endorsed the African Union's roadmap to avert an all-out war with South Sudan, though it insisted on retaining the right to self-defense.

Ohio zoo: Widow to get 5 exotic animals on Friday Posted: An Ohio zoo says it will transfer five exotic animals on Friday to the widow of a suicidal animal owner who released dozens of wild creatures last fall.

French candidate goes from wishy-washy to wow Posted: The last time France voted for president, Francois Hollande was a portly, smiley man likened to custard pudding who played second fiddle to Segolene Royal, his Socialist party's candidate and the mother of his four kids.

Attorney: Wife's arrest in Sanders case a 'setup' Posted: The recent arrest of the estranged wife of Deion Sanders following accusations that she attacked the Hall of Fame cornerback was "a complete setup," the woman's attorney in their tumultuous divorce case said Thursday.

US uses bin Laden letters to degrade al-Qaida Posted: Letters from Osama bin Laden's last hideaway, released by U.S. officials intent on discrediting his terror organization, portray a network weak, inept and under siege — and its leader seemingly near wit's end about the passing of his global jihad's glory days.

Amateur sleuth helps stop National Archives thefts Posted: When J. David Goldin saw the recorded interview of baseball great Babe Ruth for sale on eBay he knew something was wrong. There was only one original record of that 1937 interview of Ruth on a hunting trip, and Goldin had donated it to a government archive more than 30 years ago. Now someone was auctioning it off, the winning bid just $34.75.

Mexican experts find ancient blood on stone knives Posted: Traces of blood and fragments of muscle, tendon, skin and hair found on 2,000-year-old stone knives have given researchers the first conclusive evidence that the obsidian blades were used for human sacrifice so long ago in Mexico.

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