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Thursday, January 10, 2013

Factbox: Biden gun violence task force meetings for Thursday

Factbox: Biden gun violence task force meetings for Thursday

Factbox: Biden gun violence task force meetings for Thursday

Posted: 10 Jan 2013 12:52 PM PST

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Vice President Joe Biden is due to give recommendations on curbing gun violence to President Barack Obama by next Tuesday, a job he was charged with after a school shooting in Connecticut last month in which a gunman killed 20 children and six staff. Biden has already met with victims' groups, law enforcement officials, governors, mayors and clergy. Other cabinet members on his task force, including Attorney General Eric Holder, have also been holding meetings to gather ideas. ...

Biden task force likely to urge gun buyer background checks

Posted: 10 Jan 2013 12:52 PM PST

Biden holds a meeting on curbing gun violence in WashingtonWASHINGTON (Reuters) - Vice President Joe Biden said on Thursday his task force on reducing gun violence is likely to recommend background checks for all gun buyers and a ban on high-capacity ammunition clips as part of a plan to be given to President Barack Obama by next Tuesday. Biden on Thursday met with a representative of the powerful National Rifle Association gun rights lobby group for about an hour and a half. Before that meeting, Biden said there is only a "tight window" for action to reduce firearms violence. ...

Pentagon considers hiring freeze, contract delays

Posted: 10 Jan 2013 12:49 PM PST

WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Leon Panetta says he is asking his department to begin taking steps to freeze civilian hiring, delay some contract awards and curtail some maintenance to prepare for drastic budget cuts if Congress can't reach an agreement on a final spending plan.

Acclaimed writer Evan S. Connell has died at 88

Posted: 10 Jan 2013 12:48 PM PST

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Evan S. Connell, an acclaimed and adventurous author whose literary explorations ranged from Depression-era Kansas in the twin novels "Mrs. Bridge" and "Mr. Bridge" was found dead Thursday, his niece said. He was 88.

Steelers cut RB Rainey after arrest in Florida

Posted: 10 Jan 2013 12:48 PM PST

PITTSBURGH (AP) — The Pittsburgh Steelers have cut rookie running back Chris Rainey following his arrest on a battery charge in Florida.

Spielberg's in at Oscars, Bigelow, Affleck are out

Posted: 10 Jan 2013 12:47 PM PST

This September 4, 2012 publicity photo provided by DreamWorks and Twentieth Century Fox, shows actor, Daniel Day-Lewis, left, and director, Steven Spielberg, posing for a portrait in New York. Day-Lewis stars as Abraham Lincoln in the new Spielberg directed film, BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (AP) — Steven Spielberg had a great day at the Academy Awards nominations, where his Civil War saga "Lincoln" led with 12 nominations.

Destiny's Child readies new song, compilation CD

Posted: 10 Jan 2013 12:46 PM PST

FILE - This Oct. 25, 2004 file photo shows members of Destiny's Child, from left, Beyonce Knowles, Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams at the Radio Music Awards at the Aladdin Theater for the Performing Arts in Las Vegas. The R&B trio announced Thursday, Jan. 10, 2013, that they will release a new track called NEW YORK (AP) — Destiny's Child is back together — for a new song.

String of bombings kill 101, injure 200 in Pakistan

Posted: 10 Jan 2013 12:46 PM PST

An injured rescue worker receives treatment in a hospital after the second bomb blast in QuettaQUETTA, Pakistan (Reuters) - At least 101 people were killed in bombings in two Pakistani cities on Thursday in one of the country's bloodiest days in recent years, officials said, with most casualties caused by sectarian attacks in Quetta. The bombings underscored the myriad threats Pakistani security forces face from homegrown Sunni extremist groups, the Taliban insurgency in the northwest and the less well-known Baloch insurgency in the southwest. ...

1 student shot at high school in Taft, Calif.

Posted: 10 Jan 2013 12:43 PM PST

This image provided by the Taft Midway Driller/Doug Keeler shows paramedics transporting a student wounded during a shooting Thursday Jan. 10, 2013 at San Joaquin Valley high school in Taft, Calif. Authorities said a student was shot and wounded and another student was taken into custody. (AP Photo/Taft Midway Driller, Doug Keeler) MANDATORY CREDITTAFT, Calif. (AP) — The sheriff of Kern County, Calif., says a 16-year-old student shot at a high school in rural Taft is in critical but stable condition.

Obama nominates Lew to lead Treasury

Posted: 10 Jan 2013 12:43 PM PST

FILE - This Jan. 9, 2012, file photo shows then-Budget Director Jack Lew listening as President Barack Obama speaks in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington. Lew, the current White House chief of staff is President Barack Obama's expected pick to lead the Treasury Department, with an announcement possible before the end of the week. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File)WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama nominated White House chief of staff Jack Lew to be secretary of the Treasury Thursday, declaring his complete trust in an aide with three decades of Washington experience in economic policy and a penchant for shunning the limelight.

Obama nominates Jack Lew to succeed Geithner at Treasury

Posted: 10 Jan 2013 12:43 PM PST

U.S. President Obama announces his nomination of White House chief of staff and budget expert Lew as his next Treasury Secretary in WashingtonWASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama on Thursday nominated his chief of staff, Jack Lew, as the next Treasury secretary, praising him as a expert on the pressing national issues of spending cuts and deficit reduction. Lew will succeed Timothy Geithner and take the lead on difficult negotiations with Congress on how to cut the nation's massive debt and rein in spending - a central challenge for Obama's second term. ...

Newtown parents want police to stay at schools

Posted: 10 Jan 2013 12:42 PM PST

NEWTOWN, Conn. (AP) — Since the elementary school massacre in her hometown, Sarah Findley has found herself driving by her children's schools in Newtown, checking to make sure police are still stationed outside.

China's one-child law: Less competitive adults?

Posted: 10 Jan 2013 12:41 PM PST

Parents play with their children at a kid's play area in a shopping mall in Beijing Thursday, Jan. 10, 2013. In China, a law generally limits urban families to having just one child. They grow up as the sole focus of doting parents. How does this affect them? What does it mean to Chinese society if generations of kids are raised this way? Authors of a new study say the one-child policy has significant ramifications for Chinese society. (AP Photo/Alexander F. Yuan)BEIJING (AP) — They're called "little emperors" — the children born in China under a law that generally limits urban families to having just one child.

Gasoline prices predicted to fall in 2013

Posted: 10 Jan 2013 12:41 PM PST

FILE- In this Friday, Oct. 5, 2012, file photo, Luis Cuevas changes the gas prices at the Shell station off California State Route 99. Forecasters say that ample oil supplies and weak U.S. gasoline demand will keep a lid on prices in 2103. The lows will be lower, the highs won't be so high, and the average price of a gallon of gasoline will fall 5 percent to $3.44, according to the Energy Department. (AP Photo/Gary Kazanjian, File)NEW YORK (AP) — At least gasoline should cost you less in 2013.

ABC learns once is enough for all-star dancers

Posted: 10 Jan 2013 12:41 PM PST

PASADENA, Calif. (AP) — There's no second act for celebrities on "Dancing With the Stars."

Pakistani soldier killed by Indian gunfire

Posted: 10 Jan 2013 12:41 PM PST

An Indian Border Security Force (BSF) soldier stands guard during a night patrol near international border fencing at Suchet Garh in Ranbir Singh Pura, about 27 kilometers (17 miles) south of Jammu, India, Thursday, Jan. 10, 2013. The Pakistani army accused Indian troops of firing across the disputed Kashmir border and killing a soldier Thursday, the third deadly incident in the disputed Himalayan region in recent days. (AP Photo/Channi Anand)ISLAMABAD (AP) — Indian troops fired across the disputed Kashmir border and killed a Pakistani soldier Thursday, Pakistan's military said, the third deadly incident in the disputed Himalayan region in recent days.

NFL star Junior Seau suffered from brain disease

Posted: 10 Jan 2013 12:36 PM PST

FILE - In this Jan. 10, 2010, file photo, New England Patriots linebacker Junior Seau (55) warms up on the field before an NFL wild-card playoff football game in Foxborough, Mass. Star linebacker Junior Seau had a degenerative brain disease when he committed suicide last May, the National Institutes of Health told The Associated Press on Thursday Jan. 10, 2013. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa, File)Junior Seau, one of the NFL's best and fiercest players for two decades, suffered from a degenerative brain disease often associated with repeated blows to the head when he committed suicide last May, the National Institutes of Health said in a study released Thursday.

Sheriff: Taft, Calif., school shooter was talked into surrender by teacher, staff member

Posted: 10 Jan 2013 12:36 PM PST

Sheriff: Taft, Calif., school shooter was talked into surrender by teacher, staff member.

Pakistan says soldier killed amid worsening Kashmir violence

Posted: 10 Jan 2013 12:35 PM PST

An Indian BSF soldier patrols near the fenced border with Pakistan amid fog in SuchetgarhISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Indian troops killed a Pakistani soldier on Thursday in the disputed region of Kashmir, the Pakistani army said, in the worst outbreak of violence in the area since the nuclear-armed neighbors agreed a ceasefire nearly a decade ago. In the third fatal attack in five days, the Pakistani was killed by "unprovoked" Indian fire while manning a post in the Battal sector of Kashmir, which is split between the two sides by a heavily fortified border known as the Line of Control (LoC), the army spokesman said. ...

Reactions to nominations for 85th Academy Awards

Posted: 10 Jan 2013 12:35 PM PST

This Jan. 8, 2013 photo released by Starpix shows actress Quvenzhane Wallis, left, and director Benh Zeitlin at the National Board of Review awards gala in New York. Wallis was nominated for an Academy Award on Thursday, Jan. 10, 2013, for best actress for the film, "Beasts of the Southern Wild". Zeitlin was also nominated for best director. The 85th Academy Awards will air live on Sunday, Feb. 24, 2013 on ABC. (AP Photo/Starpix, Marion Curtis)LOS ANGELES (AP) — Reactions to nominations announced Thursday for the 85th annual Academy Awards:

Sheriff: 16-year-old victim of Taft, Calif., school shooting in critical but stable condition

Posted: 10 Jan 2013 12:34 PM PST

Sheriff: 16-year-old victim of Taft, Calif., school shooting in critical but stable condition.

Gadget Watch: Samsung shows bendable phone screen

Posted: 10 Jan 2013 12:33 PM PST

Eric Rudder, chief technical strategy officer of Microsoft, holds a prototype Windows smartphone with a flexible OLED display during Samsung's keynote address at the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Wednesday, Jan. 9, 2013. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)LAS VEGAS (AP) — By showing off a phone with a flexible screen, Samsung is hinting at a day when we might fold up our large phone or tablet screens as if they were maps.

Lawmakers release documents on Wal-Mart bribery

Posted: 10 Jan 2013 12:32 PM PST

NEW YORK (AP) — Lawmakers are making public emails that show that Wal-Mart Stores Inc.'s CEO found out in 2005 that the retailer was handing out bribes in Mexico.

Source: Britney Spears out of 'X Factor'

Posted: 10 Jan 2013 12:30 PM PST

FILE - This Nov. 5, 2012 file photo shows singer and celebrity judge Britney Spears at the "X-Factor" Finalists Party in Los Angeles. A person familiar with plans for Fox's "The X Factor" says Britney Spears is out of the show. Spears was a mentor on the singing contest for one season, reportedly drawing a $15 million paycheck but failing to pull reviews to match. The person who confirmed reports of her departure wasn't authorized to comment publicly, speaking Thursday on condition of anonymity. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP, file)LOS ANGELES (AP) — A person familiar with plans for Fox's "The X Factor" says Britney Spears is out of the show.

'The Warriors' author Sol Yurick dies in NYC at 87

Posted: 10 Jan 2013 12:30 PM PST

NEW YORK (AP) — A writer whose street gang novel "The Warriors" was adapted into a film of the same title that became a cult favorite has died. Sol Yurick was 87.

Sporting KC to host MLS All-Star game in July

Posted: 10 Jan 2013 12:27 PM PST

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — Major League Soccer is bringing its All-Star game to the home of Sporting Kansas City.

Syrian rebels seize parts of strategic air base

Posted: 10 Jan 2013 12:24 PM PST

In this image taken from video obtained from the Shaam News Network, which has been authenticated based on its contents and other AP reporting, smoke rises due to heavy shelling in Taftanaz, Idlib province, northern Syria, on Thursday, Jan. 10, 2013. (AP Photo/Shaam News Network via AP video)BEIRUT (AP) — Hundreds of Islamic militants fighting to topple Syrian President Bashar Assad seized parts of a strategic northwestern air base Thursday after weeks of battling government troops for control of the sprawling facility.

US Chamber makes immigration overhaul top priority

Posted: 10 Jan 2013 12:21 PM PST

WASHINGTON (AP) — The president of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce said Thursday that the "door to the American dream must always remain open" as he announced a broad coalition of business, labor, faith organizations, law enforcement and ethnic groups intent on overhauling the nation's immigration system.

Calif. Gov. proposes budget with rosier outlook

Posted: 10 Jan 2013 12:20 PM PST

Gov. Jerry Brown points to a chart showing an increase in education funding during a news conference where he unveiled his proposed 2013-14 state budget at the Capitol in Sacramento, Calif., Thursday, Jan. 10, 2013. Brown is proposing to spend $2.7 billion more on K-12 education for the next fiscal year. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Riding a wave of new tax revenue, California's spending plan for the coming fiscal year will rise by nearly $5 billion, a powerful indication that the state that came to symbolize fiscal mismanagement during the heart of the recession is emerging into brighter days.

Yemeni chief killed, apparent al-Qaida revenge

Posted: 10 Jan 2013 12:18 PM PST

CAIRO (AP) — Yemeni security officials say a prominent tribal chief has been killed in an ambush, an apparent revenge attack by al-Qaida for his security links.

NYC firm hit hard on 9/11 gives $10M in Sandy aid

Posted: 10 Jan 2013 12:18 PM PST

Parents of school children, including Victoria Petronio, center, line up to collect relief funds at a school auditorium in the Rockaways section of New York, Thursday, Jan. 10, 2013. The New York City financial services firm that lost the most workers in the Sept. 11 terror attacks announced that it will "adopt" 19 schools in communities hit hard by Superstorm Sandy and give a total of $10 million to families in those schools. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)NEW YORK (AP) — Dozens of New Yorkers from a neighborhood ravaged by Superstorm Sandy lined up in a school auditorium Thursday to receive $1,000 debit cards from a financial services firm that lost hundreds of employees in the Sept. 11 terror attacks.

Venezuela holds symbolic inauguration for Chavez

Posted: 10 Jan 2013 12:18 PM PST

Supporters of Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez chant slogans at a rally in Caracas, Venezuela, Thursday, Jan. 10, 2013. Supporters of Chavez rallied outside his presidential palace in an exuberant symbolic inauguration for a leader too ill to return home for the real thing. The government organized the unusual show of support for the cancer-stricken leader on the streets outside Miraflores Palace on what was supposed to be his inauguration day. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Nothing shows the extent of Hugo Chavez's grip on power quite as clearly as his absence from his own inauguration on Thursday.

Large pet reptile found guarding Calif. pot stash

Posted: 10 Jan 2013 12:16 PM PST

In this photo released by the Alameda County Sheriffs office, an alligator named "Mr. Teeth" is seen after it was discovered in a home in Castro Valley, Calif., on Wednesday, Jan. 9, 2013. Authorities say the alligator, apparently used to protect a stash of marijuana inside the home, has been taken to a zoo. When deputies entered Assif Mayar's home on Wednesday for a probation check, they found 34 pounds of marijuana and the five-foot alligator in a tank in the bedroom. (AP Photo/Alameda County Sheriffs)CASTRO VALLEY, Calif. (AP) — Zoo officials say a five-foot-long alligator-like reptile named "Mr. Teeth" that had apparently been protecting a stash of marijuana in a Northern California home has died.

5 Things to Know about the California Budget

Posted: 10 Jan 2013 12:12 PM PST

Highlights of the California budget plan Gov. Jerry Brown released Thursday:

Banks prepare for earnings; mortgages cast a pall

Posted: 10 Jan 2013 12:12 PM PST

FILE - In this May 14, 2012, file photo, people arrive at JPMorgan Chase headquarters in New York. Legal troubles and regulatory scuffles keep piling up for the banking industry, a fact that's sure to drag down results when the banks start reporting fourth-quarter earnings beginning Friday, Jan. 11, 2013. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan, File)NEW YORK (AP) — Legal troubles and regulatory scuffles keep piling up for the banking industry, a fact that's sure to drag down results when the banks start reporting fourth-quarter earnings beginning Friday.

Wal-Mart CEO knew of Mexico bribe claim: lawmakers

Posted: 10 Jan 2013 12:11 PM PST

A general view of a Wal-Mart store in Mexico CityWASHINGTON/CHICAGO (Reuters) - Lawmakers increased public pressure on Wal-Mart Stores Inc on Thursday by releasing company emails they said contradicted prior statements about when senior executives knew of bribery allegations tied to its Mexican affiliate. The emails show that senior Wal-Mart executives including current Chief Executive Mike Duke knew as far back as 2005 of allegations that company representatives had bribed officials in Mexico. Wal-Mart quickly refuted the characterization of the emails saying they were consistent with the company's prior comments. ...

Tunisian prosecutors opposed freeing Libya suspect

Posted: 10 Jan 2013 12:10 PM PST

FILE - In this Thursday, Sept. 13, 2012 file photo, a Libyan man investigates the inside of the U.S. Consulate after an attack that killed four Americans, including Ambassador Chris Stevens, on the night of Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2012, in Benghazi, Libya. A man linked to the attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi has been conditionally released by Tunisian authorities due to lack of evidence, his lawyer said Tuesday Jan. 8, 2013. The release of Ali Harzi, a 26-year-old Tunisian, appears to represent a blow to the investigation of the Sept. 11 attack on the consulate in Libya. (AP Photo/Mohammad Hannon, File)TUNIS, Tunisia (AP) — Tunisia's attorney general's office opposed the recent release of one of the only people in custody for the September attack on the U.S. diplomatic mission in the Libyan city of Benghazi that killed four Americans, an official said Thursday. The prosecutor's opposition means the decision could be reversed on appeal.

Corps praised for averting Miss. River shutdown

Posted: 10 Jan 2013 12:08 PM PST

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Shippers who have idled towboats and lightened barge loads as the Mississippi River shrinks from drought credit the waterway's stewards for so far averting their worst fear: a potentially crippling shutdown of the artery used to move everything from corn and grain to construction materials and petroleum.

How to tell a cold from the flu

Posted: 10 Jan 2013 12:07 PM PST

The common cold and flu are caused by different viruses but can have some similar symptoms, making them tough to tell apart. In general, the flu is worse and symptoms are more intense.

Caiman found guarding pot stash at Calif. home

Posted: 10 Jan 2013 12:07 PM PST

CASTRO VALLEY, Calif. (AP) — Zoo officials say a caiman named "Mr. Teeth" that had been apparently protecting a stash of marijuana in a Northern California home has died.
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