Pages

Monday, March 25, 2013

Spring snow closes US schools, cancels flights

Spring snow closes US schools, cancels flights

Spring snow closes US schools, cancels flights

Posted: 25 Mar 2013 01:07 PM PDT

Jonathan Hines digs his car out of the snow on State Street, in Lafayette, Ind., on Monday, March 25, 2013, after a record-setting storm dumped more than 7 inches of snow in the area, bringing plows out in force and keeping police busy chasing a string of slide-offs. (AP Photo/The Journal & Courier, Brent Drinkut) MANDATORY CREDIT; NO SALES .HAMBURG, Pa. (AP) — Five days into spring, warm weather and budding flowers were just a rumor Monday as the East Coast endured another blast of winter.

Haiti splashes slum with psychedelic colors

Posted: 25 Mar 2013 01:04 PM PDT

In this picture taken March 21, 2013, homes painted in bright colors cover a hill in Jalousie, a cinder block shantytown in Petionville, Haiti. Workers this month began painting the concrete facades of buildings in Jalousie slum a rainbow of colors, inspired by the dazzling PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — One of Haiti's biggest shantytowns, a vast expanse of grim cinderblock homes on a mountainside in the nation's capital, is getting a psychedelic makeover that aims to be part art and part homage.

Gun evidence links Ebel, Clements' death

Posted: 25 Mar 2013 01:03 PM PDT

FILE - This undated image provided by the Colorado Department of Corrections shows its director Tom Clements. Sheriff's Lt. Jeff Kramer says Clements was shot to death around 8:30 p.m. Tuesday night March 19, 2013 when he answered his front door in Monument, north of Colorado Springs. Personal safety is always on the mind of most correctional officers and prison administrators when they're working the prison tower or shaking down inmate cells for contraband. But increasingly it's also a concern at the end of their shifts and off prison grounds. The slaying of Clements has officers checking their review mirrors more often and industry experts recommending a closer look at security off the job. (AP Photo/Colorado Department of Corrections)COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) — Gun evidence links a Colorado parolee fatally shot in Texas with the death of Colorado's corrections' chief, investigators said Monday.

Military's same-sex couples seek overturn of DOMA

Posted: 25 Mar 2013 01:03 PM PDT

In this photo taken Wednesday, March 20, 2013 in Raeford, N.C., Tracy Dice Johnson holds a flag from a "widow's box" that platoon mates of her wife prepared during the service they had for their fallen comrade. When her wife was killed in Afghanistan last year, the North Carolina National Guardswoman heard about it from her sister-in-law. Although Sgt. Donna Johnson had listed Dice as her next-of-kin, Army casualty officers informed Johnson's mother of her death first because of a federal law that prohibits the U.S. government from recognizing same-sex unions. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The death certificate read "single," although the fallen soldier was not.

Cyprus' banks to reopen with some capital controls

Posted: 25 Mar 2013 01:02 PM PDT

Protesters hold a banner that reads "Hands off Cyprus" during an anti-bailout rally outside European Union house in capital Nicosia, Cyprus, Sunday, March 24, 2013. After failing for a week to find a solution to a crisis that could force their country into bankruptcy, Cypriot politicians turned to the European Union on Sunday in a last-ditch effort to help the island nation forge a viable plan to secure an international bailout. (AP Photo/Petros Karadjias)NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) — All banks in Cyprus except the two largest will reopen for business Tuesday — more than a week after they shut down to prevent a run by customers — now that the country has clinched a vital bailout deal.

Dell suitors talk tie-ups as board lets in Icahn, Blackstone

Posted: 25 Mar 2013 12:57 PM PDT

Michael Dell Chairman and CEO of Dell Inc arrives for the launch event of Windows 8 operating system in New YorkBy Greg Roumeliotis and Soyoung Kim (Reuters) - A frenzy of backroom negotiations was poised to begin on Monday after Dell Inc invited billionaire investor Carl Icahn and Blackstone Group to make firm takeover offers, potentially turning an existing $24.4 billion take-private deal into a starting bid for the No. 3 PC maker. There were signs of behind-the-scenes attempts to forge alliances among players opposed to a leveraged buyout by private equity firm Silver Lake and the computer maker's founder, Michael Dell. ...

Roberts' gay cousin to attend Prop 8 argument

Posted: 25 Mar 2013 12:57 PM PDT

WASHINGTON (AP) — A woman from California says she and her lesbian partner will attend the gay marriage argument at the Supreme Court, courtesy of her cousin, Chief Justice John Roberts.

Pulitzer Prize-winner Anthony Lewis dies at 85

Posted: 25 Mar 2013 12:55 PM PDT

BOSTON (AP) — Two-time Pulitzer winner Anthony Lewis, whose New York Times column championed liberal causes for three decades, died Monday. He was 85.

Lawyer says 17-year-old not guilty in baby killing

Posted: 25 Mar 2013 12:52 PM PDT

BRUNSWICK, Ga. (AP) — The lawyer for one of the Georgia teenagers suspected in the shooting death of a baby who was in his stroller on a walk with his mother said Monday his client is "absolutely" not guilty.

Man gets 18 years in Seattle terror plot

Posted: 25 Mar 2013 12:52 PM PDT

SEATTLE (AP) — A man who plotted to attack a Seattle military complex with machine guns and grenades was sentenced on Monday to 18 years in prison.

Legion accepts CBS apology over 'Amazing Race'

Posted: 25 Mar 2013 12:52 PM PDT

NEW YORK (AP) — The national commander of the American Legion says he accepts CBS' apology for a passage on "The Amazing Race" where contestants visited the wreckage of an American B-52 bomber in Vietnam.

Officials: US training Syrians forces in Jordan

Posted: 25 Mar 2013 12:51 PM PDT

WASHINGTON (AP) — American and foreign officials say the U.S. is training secular Syrian fighters in Jordan in a bid to bolster forces battling President Bashar Assad's regime and stem the influence of Islamist radicals among the country's persistently splintered opposition.

Fizzy soft drink sales fizzle again in 2012

Posted: 25 Mar 2013 12:50 PM PDT

Americans' consumption of fizzy soft drinks, on the decline since 2005, fell last year to its lowest level since 1996. If it weren't for increasingly popular energy drinks like Monster and Red Bull, the decline would have been worse.

China's Xi tells Africa he seeks relationship of equals

Posted: 25 Mar 2013 12:50 PM PDT

China's President Xi and his Tanzanian counterpart Kikwete attend the opening ceremony of the Julius Nyerere International Convention Centre in Dar es SalaamBy Fumbuka Ng'wanakilala and George Obulutsa DAR ES SALAAM (Reuters) - China's new president told Africans on Monday he wanted a relationship of equals that would help the continent develop, responding to concerns that Beijing is only interested in shipping out its raw materials. On the first stop on an African tour that will include a BRICS summit of major emerging economies, Xi Jinping told Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete that China's involvement in Africa would help the continent grow richer. ...

Serena Williams rallies for 3-set win at Sony Open

Posted: 25 Mar 2013 12:49 PM PDT

Serena Williams reacts after winning a point against Dominika Cibulkova, of Slovakia, during the Sony Open tennis tournament, Monday, March 25, 2013, in Key Biscayne, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)KEY BISCAYNE, Fla. (AP) — Serena Williams overcame a big deficit Monday in her fourth-round match at the Sony Open to beat Dominika Cibulkova 2-6, 6-4, 6-2.

MTV's VMAs taking a road trip to Brooklyn in 2013

Posted: 25 Mar 2013 12:48 PM PDT

FILE - This Sept. 6, 2012 file photo shows video of the year winner Rihanna arriving at the MTV Video Music Awards in Los Angeles. The 2013 MTV Video Music Awards will be held at the Barclays Center in the Brooklyn borough of New York on Sunday, Aug. 25, 2013. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP, file)NEW YORK (AP) — The Video Music Awards are taking a road trip to Brooklyn.

High court weighs drug companies' generics policy

Posted: 25 Mar 2013 12:47 PM PDT

FILE - In this Aug. 12, 2011 file photo, Jeremy Lazarus, president-elect of the American Medical Association (AMA) speaks in Portland, Oregon. The Supreme Court will struggle this week with whether it's legal for patent-holding pharmaceutical companies to pay rivals, who make generic drugs, to temporarily keep those cheaper versions of their brand-name drugs off the market. Now AMA President, Lazarus said in a statement,"The AMA believes that pay-for-delay agreements undermine the balance between spurring innovation through the patent system and fostering competition through the development of generic drugs. Pay for delay must stop to ensure the most cost-effective treatment options are available to patients." (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer, File)WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court struggled Monday with whether it should allow federal officials to challenge deals between pharmaceutical corporations and their generic drug competitors that the government says could keep cheaper forms of medicine off the American market for longer periods of time.

U.S. approves Nasdaq payback plan for Facebook IPO, UBS unhappy

Posted: 25 Mar 2013 12:47 PM PDT

Man walks past sign welcoming Facebook to the NASDAQ Marketsite in New YorkBy John McCrank and Jennifer Saba (Reuters) - Regulators approved Nasdaq OMX Group's $62 million compensation plan for firms that lost money in Facebook Inc's glitch-ridden market debut, a victory for the exchange operator that also set the stage for potential lawsuits from firms seeking more. The Nasdaq plan will give retail market makers far less than the $500 million in estimated losses from Facebook's initial public offering. Nasdaq said in a note to traders on Monday that the U.S. ...

High court takes on a new affirmative action case

Posted: 25 Mar 2013 12:46 PM PDT

FILE - In this Nov. 2, 2010 file photo, Michigan Attorney General-elect Bill Schuette speaks in Detroit on election night. The Supreme Court is broadening its examination of affirmative action by adding a case about Michigan's effort to ban consideration of race in college admissions. The court on Monday said it would add the Michigan case, which focuses on the 6-year-old voter-approved prohibition on affirmative action and the appeals court ruling that overturned the ban. The new case will be argued in the fall. A decision in the Texas case is expected by late June. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio, File)WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court's decision to hear a new case from Michigan on the politically charged issue of affirmative action offers an intriguing hint that the justices will not use a separate challenge already pending from Texas for a broad ruling bringing an end to the consideration of race in college admissions.

George Mason makes 'bittersweet' move to A-10

Posted: 25 Mar 2013 12:45 PM PDT

FAIRFAX, Va. (AP) — Think Syracuse in the Big East. Or Maryland in the Atlantic Coast Conference. That's the sort of emotional tie George Mason had with the Colonial Athletic Association, helping launch the mid-major conference in the 1980s and making it part of basketball lore with a Final Four run in 2006.

Oil hits 5-week high on Cyprus financial bailout

Posted: 25 Mar 2013 12:45 PM PDT

NEW YORK (AP) — The price of oil rose to a five-week high after Europe patched up the latest problem in its yearslong financial crisis.

Colo. gov: Dead suspect killed corrections chief

Posted: 25 Mar 2013 12:45 PM PDT

FILE - This undated image provided by the Colorado Department of Corrections shows its director Tom Clements. Sheriff's Lt. Jeff Kramer says Clements was shot to death around 8:30 p.m. Tuesday night March 19, 2013 when he answered his front door in Monument, north of Colorado Springs. Personal safety is always on the mind of most correctional officers and prison administrators when they're working the prison tower or shaking down inmate cells for contraband. But increasingly it's also a concern at the end of their shifts and off prison grounds. The slaying of Clements has officers checking their review mirrors more often and industry experts recommending a closer look at security off the job. (AP Photo/Colorado Department of Corrections)COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) — Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper says he doesn't think there's any doubt the parolee fatally shot in Texas is the person responsible for killing Colorado's corrections chief.

Cyprus imposes "temporary" capital controls after bailout

Posted: 25 Mar 2013 12:43 PM PDT

Cyprus' Finance Minister Michalis Sarris holds a news conference after a Eurogroup meeting in BrusselsBy Michele Kambas and Karolina Tagaris NICOSIA (Reuters) - Cyprus is introducing "very temporary" restrictions on capital flows when banks reopen this week, the island's president said on Monday, seeking to reassure panicked Cypriots that a bailout deal struck overnight was in their best interests. The step follows a last-ditch deal with international lenders on a 10-billion euro ($13-billion) rescue plan to avoid economic meltdown, with Cyprus agreeing to close down its second-largest bank and inflict heavy losses on big depositors. ...

Bernanke says Fed's easy policy benefits world economy

Posted: 25 Mar 2013 12:42 PM PDT

Federal Reserve Board Chairman Bernanke pauses while answering questions at a news conference at the Federal Reserve offices in WashingtonBy Pedro Nicolaci da Costa WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke on Monday defended the central bank's aggressive easing of monetary policy, saying while it was aimed at bolstering the economic recovery, it was helping other countries as well. The Fed's asset-purchase programs, aimed at keeping long-term borrowing costs down and spurring investment, have been criticized overseas for their adverse impact on emerging market currencies. ...

Fed's Bernanke sees mixed picture in euro zone

Posted: 25 Mar 2013 12:42 PM PDT

LONDON (Reuters) - The situation in the euro zone has shown the difficulties of operating a single currency across several countries, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said on Monday. "There is a basic question - what is the right size for a single monetary policy?" Bernanke said in response to a question at a panel discussion in London. While some aspects of the euro zone were optimal, including the credibility of its central bank to deliver low inflation, there were also differences across countries in terms of competitiveness and their different stages in the economic cycle, he said. ...

Venezuelan leader warns of sabotage plans

Posted: 25 Mar 2013 12:40 PM PDT

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro claims government opponents are planning to sabotage the country's power grid and interrupt food distribution ahead of the April 14 presidential election.

Conservative group wins Macedonia local elections

Posted: 25 Mar 2013 12:37 PM PDT

Supporters of Macedonian Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski's party wave party and national flags while celebrating the party's victory in local elections, in downtown Skopje, Macedonia, early Monday, March 25, 2013. Macedonians voted peacefully in local elections Sunday, boosting hopes the country is turning a page and won't repeat the political and ethnic violence that has marred past voting cycles. (AP Photo/Boris Grdanoski)SKOPJE, Macedonia (AP) — Macedonia's conservative coalition won most of the local elections in the country with outside observers approving the process, but the opposition party's leader objected, declaring the elections "were not free and fair."

Tiger back on top in golf

Posted: 25 Mar 2013 12:34 PM PDT

Tiger Woods, left, and Arnold Palmer share a laugh during the trophy presentation after Woods won the Arnold Palmer Invitational golf tournament in Orlando, Fla., Monday, March 25, 2013. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Tiger Woods is back to No. 1 in the world with a game that looks as good as ever.

Israelis get kosher cigarettes for Passover

Posted: 25 Mar 2013 12:29 PM PDT

Cigarettes are for sale with a stamp of approval reading in Hebrew, "kosher for Passover" at a kiosk in the Jewish ultra-Orthodox town of Bnei Brak, near Tel Aviv, Israel, Monday, March. 25, 2013. For the first time cigarettes have joined the long list of goods stringently checked to ensure they comply with Passover rules on what items are allowed, or kosher for the holiday meaning they have not come in contact with grains or other forbidden ingredients. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)JERUSALEM (AP) — Observant Jews in Israel craving a smoke during the week-long Passover holiday that starts at sundown Monday can now enjoy a rabbi-approved puff.

APNewsBreak: Historic ship short on funds and time

Posted: 25 Mar 2013 12:28 PM PDT

FILE - In this July 1, 2010 file photo show is the SS United States in Philadelphia. Money and time are running out for the historic ocean liner, which carried princes and presidents across the Atlantic in the 1950s and 1960s but has spent decades patiently awaiting a savior at its berth on the Philadelphia waterfront. The nonprofit conservancy working to secure a home and purpose for the 990-foot-long ship said it could be sold for scrap in the spring of 2013 unless they can raise $500,000 immediately. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File)PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The SS United States is sending out what may be its final distress call.

Cyprus central bank to impose capital controls

Posted: 25 Mar 2013 12:26 PM PDT

From left, French Finance Minister Pierre Moscovici, Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund Christine Lagarde and German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble speak with each other during an emergency eurogroup meeting in Brussels on Sunday, March 24, 2013. The EU says a top official will chair a high-level meeting on Cyprus in a last-ditch effort to seal a deal before finance ministers decide whether the island nation gets a 10 billion euro bailout loan to save it from bankruptcy. (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert)NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) — Cyprus' president says the central bank will impose some limits on bank transactions on Tuesday, when most of the country's financial institutions reopen for the first time in over a week.

Rajaratnam's brother pleads not guilty to insider charges

Posted: 25 Mar 2013 12:25 PM PDT

Rengan Rajaratnam, the younger brother of imprisoned hedge fund manager Raj Rajaratnam, departs Manhattan Federal Court in New YorkBy Bernard Vaughan NEW YORK (Reuters) - Rengan Rajaratnam, the younger brother of imprisoned hedge fund manager Raj Rajaratnam, pleaded not guilty on Monday to insider trading charges. The younger Rajaratnam entered his plea in Manhattan federal court, one day after his arrest at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York. Vinoo Varghese, an attorney for Rajaratnam, said his client arrived in New York early Sunday morning, accompanied on a flight from Brazil by an FBI agent. ...

US challenges Laos over missing activist

Posted: 25 Mar 2013 12:19 PM PDT

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. is challenging Laos over the disappearance of a prominent social activist who went missing 100 days ago. The case has put a rare spotlight on the authoritarian nation's murky governance and human rights record.

Cyprus capital controls will be "very temporary"-president

Posted: 25 Mar 2013 12:18 PM PDT

NICOSIA (Reuters) - Cyprus will introduce capital restrictions to prevent an outflow of money when its banks reopen this week but the measures will be "very temporary," President Nicos Nastasiades said on Monday. "The central bank will implement capital controls on transactions," he said in a televised address to the nation. "I want to assure you that this will be a very temporary measure that will gradually be relaxed." Anastasiades said the bailout deal reached overnight in frantic talks with the island's partners in the euro zone was "painful" but the best under the circumstances. ...

Judge sides with Wyoming in fracking chemical suit

Posted: 25 Mar 2013 12:09 PM PDT

CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — A judge in Casper has sided with the state of Wyoming and ruled against environmentalists who sought to obtain lists of the ingredients that go into hydraulic fracturing fluids.

Hamlin has compression fracture in lower back

Posted: 25 Mar 2013 12:08 PM PDT

From front, Denny Hamlin, Brad Keselowski, Timmy Hill, Joey Logano, Paul Menard and others pit during the first caution flag during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series auto race in Fontana, Calif., Sunday, March 24, 2013. (AP Photo/Reed Saxon)Denny Hamlin suffered a compression fracture in his lower spine during Sunday's last-lap crash at Fontana, Calif., his racing team said Monday.

Gov't spent nearly $3.7M on ex-presidents in 2012

Posted: 25 Mar 2013 12:07 PM PDT

FILE - In this Dec. 26, 2008 file photo, President George W. Bush walks with his father, former President George H.W. Bush, at Andrews Air Force Base, Md. A criminal investigation is under way after a hacker apparently accessed private photos and emails sent between members of the Bush family, including both former presidents, the Houston Chronicle first reported Friday, Feb. 8, 2013. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)WASHINGTON (AP) — Being the leader of the free world is an expensive proposition. But the costs don't stop once you leave the White House.

AG: Pa. sheriff said he would chop worker's hands

Posted: 25 Mar 2013 12:05 PM PDT

PITTSBURGH (AP) — A county sheriff threatened to cut off the hands of a political campaign worker, pulled a gun on a newspaper reporter and then intimidated underlings and other witnesses so they wouldn't confirm the encounters to journalists and investigators, police and prosecutors said Monday.

Berezovky's billions: How the tycoon lost so much

Posted: 25 Mar 2013 12:03 PM PDT

FILE - A Friday, Aug. 31, 2012 photo from files showing Russian tycoon Boris Berezovsky talking to the media after losing his case against Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich as he leaves the High Court in London. United Kingdom police have said that Berezovsky has been found dead Saturday March 23, 2013.(AP Photo/Sang Tan, File)LONDON (AP) — How do you burn through billions?

Insight: Money fled Cyprus as president fumbled bailout

Posted: 25 Mar 2013 12:01 PM PDT

Cyprus' President Nicos Anastasiades leaves the European Council building in BrusselsBy Annika Breidthardt, Luke Baker and Michele Kambas BRUSSELS/NICOSIA (Reuters) - As new President Nicos Anastasiades hesitated over an EU bailout that has wrecked Cyprus's offshore financial haven status, money was oozing out of his country's closed banks. In banknotes at cash machines and exceptional transfers for "humanitarian supplies", large amounts of euros fled the east Mediterranean island before and after Cypriot lawmakers stunned Europe by rejecting a levy on all bank deposits. ...
Posted by Anonymous at 1:15 PM

0 comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)