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Friday, June 1, 2012

George Lucas names Kennedy as Lucasfilm successor

George Lucas names Kennedy as Lucasfilm successor

George Lucas names Kennedy as Lucasfilm successor

Posted: 01 Jun 2012 01:09 PM PDT

Filmmaker George Lucas on Friday named veteran producer Kathleen Kennedy as his co-chair and successor at the iconic film studio he founded four decades ago.

US employers still waiting for sales to pick up

Posted: 01 Jun 2012 01:09 PM PDT

In this Thursday, May 31, 2012, job seekers gather for employment opportunities at the 11th annual Skid Row Career Fair at the Los Angeles Mission in Los Angeles. U.S. employers created 69,000 jobs in May, the fewest in a year, and the unemployment rate ticked up. The dismal jobs figures could fan fears that the economy is sputtering. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes, File)The U.S. economy suddenly looks a lot weaker.

No solution in Syria unless Assad goes: France

Posted: 01 Jun 2012 01:04 PM PDT

PARIS (Reuters) - French President Francois Hollande said on Friday that the only way out of the ongoing crisis in Syria was the departure of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, which would require an increase in international pressure and more U.N. sanctions. "The regime of Bashar al-Assad has behaved in an unacceptable and intolerable manner and has committed acts which disqualify it," Hollande told a joint news conference with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. "No solution to this crisis is possible without the departure of Bashar al-Assad. ...

Ireland backs EU fiscal pact with clear majority

Posted: 01 Jun 2012 01:02 PM PDT

Ireland's Prime Minister Enda KennyIrish voters have backed the EU fiscal pact by a large majority, final referendum results showed Friday, in what Prime Minister Enda Kenny hailed as a "powerful signal to the world".

Obama says economy will come back stronger

Posted: 01 Jun 2012 01:02 PM PDT

President Barack Obama jogs to greet people on the tarmac as he arrives at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport in Minneapolis, Friday, June 1, 2012. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)President Barack Obama said Friday the latest employment report shows that the economy is not creating jobs "as fast as we want," but he pledged that the economy will improve.

Syria civil war fears rise, Houla probe ordered

Posted: 01 Jun 2012 01:00 PM PDT

Anti-Assad activists in Hass hold a sign: "To the civil world... The death of the last free Syrian becomes very close"World leaders voiced fears that Syria stands on the brink of civil war as the UN Human Rights Council ordered an independent probe to hunt those guilty of the Houla massacre.

Wal-Mart CEO says co. committed to compliance

Posted: 01 Jun 2012 12:58 PM PDT

Walmart Stores Inc. associates from the United Kingdom cheer before the Walmart shareholders' meeting in Fayetteville, Ark., Friday, June 1, 2012. (AP Photo/April L. Brown)Wal-Mart Stores Inc. CEO Mike Duke said Friday that the retailer is committed to integrity in the wake of recent bribery allegations in Mexico.

Federer again stretched to 4 sets at French Open

Posted: 01 Jun 2012 12:56 PM PDT

Roger Federer of Switzerland wipes his forehead after his third round match against Nicolas Mahut of France at the French Open tennis tournament in Roland Garros stadium in Paris, Friday June 1, 2012. Federer won in four sets 6-3, 4-6, 6-2, 7-5. (AP Photo/Michel Spingler)Even though Roger Federer was again far from his best, he still managed to advance at the French Open.

French president says Syria's Assad has to go

Posted: 01 Jun 2012 12:56 PM PDT

Faysal Khabbaz Hamoui, Ambassador of the Permanent Representative Mission of the Syrian Arab Republic to Geneva, delivers his statement during a special session of the Human Rights Council at the European headquarters of the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, Friday, June 1, 2012. The Human Rights Council holds a special session on "the deterioration of the human rights situation in the Syrian Arab Republic and the recent killings in Houla". (AP Photo/Keystone, Salvatore Di Nolfi)France's president says the only way to end the violence in Syria is for its president, Bashar Assad, to go.

Jury: $181M to 3 hurt in Ill. grain elevator blast

Posted: 01 Jun 2012 12:53 PM PDT

A federal jury sided against ConAgra Foods Inc. and a subcontractor Friday in awarding roughly $181 million in damages to three workers severely injured in a 2010 explosion at a southern Illinois grain elevator.

Zimmerman must surrender; bond revoked

Posted: 01 Jun 2012 12:51 PM PDT

FILE - In this April 20, 2012 file photo, George Zimmerman, left, answers a question from attorney Mark O'Mara during a bond hearing in Sanford, Fla. A judge on Friday, June 1, 2012 revoked Zimmerman's bond and ordered him returned to jail within 48 hours. Circuit Judge Kenneth Lester said Zimmerman misled the court about how much money he had available when his bond was set for $150,000 in April. Prosecutors claim Zimmerman had $135,000 available that had been raised by a website he set up. (AP Photo/Orlando Sentinel, Gary W. Green, Pool, File)A judge on Friday revoked the bond of the neighborhood watch volunteer charged with murdering Trayvon Martin and ordered him returned to jail within 48 hours, saying George Zimmerman and his wife misled the court about how much money they had available when his bond was set at $150,000.

U.S. job growth trips again, opens door to more Fed moves

Posted: 01 Jun 2012 12:54 PM PDT

Job seekers fill out applications during 11th annual Skid Row Career Fair the Los Angeles Mission in Los AngelesWASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. job growth braked sharply for a third straight month in May and the unemployment rate rose for the first time in nearly a year, raising chances of further monetary stimulus from the Federal Reserve to support the sputtering recovery. Employers added a paltry 69,000 jobs to their payrolls last month, the least since May of last year, and 49,000 fewer jobs were created in the previous two months than had been thought, the Labor Department said on Friday. ...

Wal-Mart chairman: Integrity 'is our business'

Posted: 01 Jun 2012 12:50 PM PDT

Wal-Mart Chairman Rob Walton speaks during the annual Wal-Mart shareholders' meeting in FayettevilleFAYETTEVILLE, Arkansas (Reuters) - Wal-Mart Stores Inc executives told shareholders they would not stand for unethical behavior at the world's largest retailer, whose shares have soared to 12-year highs as strong results more than offset concerns about bribery allegations. Friday's annual shareholders meeting was the first time that Chairman Rob Walton, a son of Wal-Mart founder Sam Walton, publicly addressed the issue of possible bribery in Mexico. ...

Can love affair with royals outlast Elizabeth II?

Posted: 01 Jun 2012 12:50 PM PDT

Britain's Queen Elizabeth II leaves St George's Chapel in Windsor Castle after attending an Easter Matins Service, in Windsor, EnglandLONDON (Reuters) - When Britons sing "God Save the Queen" over four days of celebrations to mark The Queen's 60 years on the throne, monarchists may have cause to roar the line "long to reign over us" more heartily than ever. Polls show the much-loved 86-year-old sovereign remains enormously popular and cherished by Britons, but questions linger about the future of the monarchy when she is gone and her already 63-year-old son Charles becomes king. ...

Oil falls on fresh signs of global slowdown

Posted: 01 Jun 2012 12:50 PM PDT

Oil plunged nearly 4 percent Friday as a bleak report on U.S. job growth heightened worries about a slowing global economy and waning oil demand. Sobering economic news from China and Europe also contributed to the drop.

Big sodas today; bagels with a schmeer tomorrow?

Posted: 01 Jun 2012 12:49 PM PDT

New York City Health Commissioner Thomas Farley, accompanied by Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services Linda Gibbs, addresses a news conference at New York's City Hall, Thursday, May 31, 2012. New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg is proposing a ban on the sale of large sodas and other sugary drinks in the city's restaurants, delis and movie theaters in the hopes of combating obesity, an expansion of his administration's efforts to encourage healthy behavior by limiting residents' choices. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)Just how far would a government go to protect us from ourselves?

Gas prices are silver lining as economy weakens

Posted: 01 Jun 2012 12:48 PM PDT

A sign for $2.99 a gallon gasoline is seen as vehicles wait for a traffic light to turn green at a Hot Spot convenience store on the corner of Henry and Converse Streets on Friday, June 1, 2012 in Spartanburg, S.C. Oil prices plunged as bleak reports on U.S. job growth and manufacturing heightened worries about a slowing global economy. (AP Photo/Rainier Ehrhardt)There's some good news behind the discouraging headlines on the economy: Gas is getting cheaper. It's dropped to $2.99 in some areas of South Carolina and could soon fall below $3 in a handful of Southern states.

Bruins G Thomas considering a year off

Posted: 01 Jun 2012 12:48 PM PDT

Boston Bruins general manager Peter Chiarelli says goalie Tim Thomas is considering taking next year off for family reasons.

Fox: Obama video producer keep job

Posted: 01 Jun 2012 12:47 PM PDT

The Fox News Channel producer credited with a four-minute video criticizing President Barack Obama is keeping his job — although he lost a chance to move to CNN.

Incoming Big 12 commish against paying athletes

Posted: 01 Jun 2012 12:47 PM PDT

FILE - In this Nov. 5, 2011, file photo, Big 12 Interim Commissioner Chuck Neinas speaks during the Barry Switzer statue unveiling before an NCAA college football game against Texas A&M in Norman, Okla. Neinas said Wednesday, May 30, 2012, during the league's spring meeting in Kansas City, Mo., that the Big 12 favors a selection committee to be involved in picking the four teams involved in a college football playoff instead of a system that would emphasize conference champions. (AP Photo/Alonzo J. Adams, File)Bob Bowlsby will have his hands full the next couple of months.

Trainer of Belmont starter Dullahan rips new rules

Posted: 01 Jun 2012 12:47 PM PDT

Trainer Dale Romans criticized the New York State Racing and Wagering Board's decision to establish a detention barn to house Belmont Stakes starters, saying regulators "think we're all crooks."

FACT CHECK: Romney misses a mark on Solyndra claim

Posted: 01 Jun 2012 12:45 PM PDT

FILE - In this May 31, 2012 file photo, Republican presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney holds a news conference outside the Solyndra manufacturing facility in Fremont, Calif. Mitt Romney mischaracterized an Energy Department Inspector General investigation when he claimed it found the Obama administration had steered federal contracts to friends and family at Solyndra, the California solar company that went bankrupt. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer, File)Republican presidential contender Mitt Romney has revived charges about the failed solar company Solyndra as he assails President Barack Obama' green energy policy. But he didn't get the story completely straight when he accused the administration of favoring "cronies."

Dow plunges more than 200 after dismal jobs report

Posted: 01 Jun 2012 12:45 PM PDT

Trader Gregory Rowe works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange Friday, June 1, 2012. Stocks fell sharply Friday after the release of a dismal report on job creation in the United States. Stocks fell sharply Friday after the release of a dismal report on job creation in the United States. The Dow Jones industrial average dropped more than 200 points, erasing what was left of its gain for the year. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)A dismal U.S. jobs report and other evidence of a global economic slowdown clobbered U.S. stocks Friday. The Dow Jones industrial average dropped 200 points, leaving it down for the year.

Clinton urges Democrats to vote out Wis. governor

Posted: 01 Jun 2012 12:45 PM PDT

Former President Bill Clinton, left, speaks on behalf of Democratic candidate for Wisconsin Gov. Tom Barrett, right, at a recall election rally Friday, June 1, 2012, in Milwaukee. Clinton urged hundreds of Wisconsin Democrats to vote out Republican Gov. Scott Walker in next week's recall election because he refused to govern through compromise and honest negotiation. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Phelps)Former President Bill Clinton urged Wisconsin Democrats to vote against Gov. Scott Walker in Tuesday's recall election, saying the Republican has governed without compromise or honest negotiation.

Green Lantern relaunched as brave, mighty and gay

Posted: 01 Jun 2012 12:45 PM PDT

This combo made from images provided by DC Entertainment shows pages from the second issue of the company's "Earth 2" comic book series featuring Alan Scott, the alter ego of its Green Lantern character, who is revealed to be gay. The reveal is the latest example of how comics publishers big and small are making their characters just as diverse as the people who read their books. The issue will be available on June 6, 2012 (AP Photo/DC Entertainment)Green Lantern, one of DC Comics' oldest and most enduring heroes, is serving as a beacon for the publisher again, this time as a proud, mighty and openly gay hero.

THE RACE: Weakening jobs outlook colors campaign

Posted: 01 Jun 2012 12:44 PM PDT

President Barack Obama poses for a photo with Myra Soukup, 16, center, as Jane Soukup, left, makes the image with an iPad, upon his arrival in Minneapolis, Friday, June 1, 2012, for an event on the economy at Honeywell, followed by a campaign event. (AP Photo/Genevieve Ross)President Barack Obama and Republican Mitt Romney both made the economy the main focus of their respective campaigns. Friday's weak jobs report keeps it there.

Romney says May jobs report is 'devastating news'

Posted: 01 Jun 2012 12:44 PM PDT

Republican presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney holds a news conference outside the Solyndra manufacturing facility, Thursday, May 31, 2012, in Fremont, Calif. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)Seizing on what he called a "devastating" jobs report, Mitt Romney argued Friday that the best prescription for economic recovery is to replace President Barack Obama.

Clash kills Palestinian militant, Israeli soldier

Posted: 01 Jun 2012 12:44 PM PDT

A relative of Ahmed Abu Nasr shows his photograph at his home in Khan Younis Refugee Camp, Friday, June 1, 2012. Abu Nasr and an Israeli soldier were killed in a shootout near the border with the Gaza Strip early Friday, the Israeli military said. The exchange of fire began after the militant crossed the fence separating the Hamas-run coastal strip and southern Israel. (AP photo/Hatem Moussa)A gunbattle along Israel's border with the Gaza Strip on Friday killed a Palestinian militant and an Israeli soldier, the military said, in the latest flare-up along the volatile frontier.

GM to shift white-collar pensions to annuity

Posted: 01 Jun 2012 12:42 PM PDT

General Motors Co. will change the way it makes pension payments to white-collar retirees, shoring up its finances by offering buyouts and shifting liabilities to an annuity.

Bleak jobs report spells trouble for Obama re-election

Posted: 01 Jun 2012 12:39 PM PDT

Obama speaks at bill signing in WashingtonWASHINGTON (Reuters) - A grim jobs report put President Barack Obama on the defensive over the weak economy on Friday with Republican opponent Mitt Romney quickly seizing on what he called "devastating news" on the top issue for American voters. The jobless rate ticked up to 8.2 percent in May from 8.1 percent in April and only 69,000 jobs were added during the month, presaging a possible summer economic dip. The jobs report provided a reminder of the political challenges Obama faces as he seeks to convince Americans to give him a second term on November 6. ...

2 California deputies face weapons charges

Posted: 01 Jun 2012 12:35 PM PDT

Federal prosecutors announced charges Friday against two Sacramento County sheriff's deputies accused of illegally selling dozens of weapons, some of which authorities say fell into the hands of criminals.

Movie Scores: How the critics rated the new movies

Posted: 01 Jun 2012 12:34 PM PDT

This film image released by Universal Pictures shows Charlize Theron in a scene from "Snow White and the Huntsman". (AP Photo/Universal Pictures)"Snow White & the Huntsman," a revisionist telling of the classic fairy tale, is only earning fair reviews from critics in its opening weekend.

Facebook to let users vote on privacy changes

Posted: 01 Jun 2012 12:32 PM PDT

FILE - In this Oct. 10, 2011 file photo, a magnifying glass is posed over a monitor displaying a Facebook page in Munich. Facebook is letting its nearly 1 billion users vote on changes to its privacy policy beginning on Friday, June 1, 2012. This is the second time Facebook let users vote on policy changes. The first time was in 2009 when Facebook was a much smaller, privately held company with about 200 million users (AP Photo/dapd, Joerg Koch)Facebook is letting its nearly 1 billion users vote on changes to its privacy policy.

U.N. General Assembly to meet on Syria massacre: envoys

Posted: 01 Jun 2012 12:31 PM PDT

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The 193-nation U.N. General Assembly is planning to meet next week to discuss the escalating crisis in Syria and the recent massacre in the town of Houla, reflecting the growing international outrage over the killings, envoys said on Friday. International mediator Kofi Annan, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and, most likely, U.N. human rights chief Navi Pillay are expected to address the assembly on Thursday, U.N. diplomats told Reuters. Annan is also scheduled to speak to the 15-nation U.N. ...

Brazil economy barely grows in 1st quarter

Posted: 01 Jun 2012 12:28 PM PDT

Brazil's economic growth has slowed to a near halt as the government reports expansion of just 0.2 percent in the first quarter over the fourth quarter last year.

Canada police: Body parts victim a Chinese student

Posted: 01 Jun 2012 12:20 PM PDT

This undated photo provided by City of Montreal Police Service media relations shows Luka Rocco Magnotta, 29, who is wanted for homicide. Montreal police said on Wednesday, May 30, 2012, they have identified Magnotta as a suspect in the gruesome case of severed body parts discovered in packages mailed to Ottawa, Ontario, and in a garbage heap in Montreal. (AP Photo/City of Montreal Police Service)The man killed in a videotaped attack that was discovered after body parts were mailed to Canada's top political parties was a Chinese student, police said Friday, as authorities in France searched for the suspect, a Canadian porn actor.

Rio closes its massive Jardim Gramacho dump

Posted: 01 Jun 2012 12:16 PM PDT

In this May 29, 2012 photo, a vulture flies over Jardim Gramacho, one of the world's largest open-air landfills, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Jardim Gramacho, a vast, seaside mountain of trash where thousands of people made a living sorting through the debris by hand, is closing after three decades in service. (AP Photo/Victor R. Caivano)One of the world's largest open-air landfills, a vast, seaside mountain of trash where thousands of people have made a living sorting through the debris by hand, will close this weekend after 34 years in malodorous service.

Sean 'Diddy' Combs' son gets football scholarship

Posted: 01 Jun 2012 12:15 PM PDT

Justin Combs, the 18-year-old son of hip-hop mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs, will attend UCLA on a $54,000 football scholarship.

NY suit over 'Spider-Man' musical airs in court

Posted: 01 Jun 2012 12:14 PM PDT

A judge has warned lawyers at the end of a two-hour hearing that she may narrow the scope of a lawsuit stemming from the Broadway production of "Spider-Man."

Florida shooting suspect's bail revoked: US media

Posted: 01 Jun 2012 12:13 PM PDT

George ZimmermanA Florida judge revoked the bail bond of George Zimmerman, the man charged with killing unarmed black teenager Trayvon Martin, and ordered him to surrender within 48 hours, US media reports said Friday.
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