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Tuesday, June 25, 2013

A reporter's eyewitness account of Taliban attack

A reporter's eyewitness account of Taliban attack

A reporter's eyewitness account of Taliban attack

Posted: 25 Jun 2013 12:41 PM PDT

Afghan national security arrive near the entrance gate of the presidential palace in Kabul, Afghanistan Tuesday, June 25, 2013. Suicide attackers blew up a car bomb and battled security forces outside the presidential palace Tuesday after infiltrating one of the most secure areas of the capital. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack, which came as reporters were gathering for a news event on Afghan youth at which President Hamid Karzai was expected to talk about ongoing efforts to open peace talks with the militant group. (AP photo/Rahmat Gul)KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — One moment I was standing in a quiet, secure and heavily guarded area and the next it had turned into a battlefield.

Obama takes on power plants, Keystone as part of climate plan

Posted: 25 Jun 2013 12:40 PM PDT

To match feature USA-UTILITIES/SOUTHERNBy Jeff Mason and Roberta Rampton WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama launched a new plan to tackle climate change on Tuesday with a call to limit carbon pollution from all U.S. power plants and a signal that he would block a proposed pipeline from Canada if it boosted greenhouse gas emissions. Obama's long-awaited plan, detailed in a speech at Georgetown University, drew sharp criticism from the coal industry, which would be hit hard by carbon limits, and Republicans, who accused the Democratic president of advancing policies that harm the economy. ...

Judge in Trayvon Martin case weighs police calls

Posted: 25 Jun 2013 12:37 PM PDT

George Zimmerman enters the courtroom for his trial in Seminole County circuit court in Sanford, Fla. Tuesday, June 25, 2013. Zimmerman has been charged with second-degree murder for the 2012 shooting death of Trayvon Martin.(AP Photo/Orlando Sentinel, Gary W. Green, Pool)SANFORD, Fla. (AP) — Several times in six months, neighborhood watch captain George Zimmerman called police to report suspicious characters in the gated townhouse community where he lived. Each time, he pointed out that the suspects were black males.

Frank Stranahan, amateur great, dies at 90

Posted: 25 Jun 2013 12:36 PM PDT

FILE - In this Aug. 21, 1941 file photo, golfer Ray Billows, right, winner of the first Great Lakes amateur golf championship, receives the tournament trophy from Scotty Fessenden, left, president of the Chicago District Golf Association, as Frank Stranahan, center, looks on. Stranahan, a runner-up at two majors as an amateur and a fitness fanatic before it became vogue in golf, died Sunday, June 23, 2013. He was 90. (AP Photo)WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Frank Stranahan, the premier amateur of his era who contended for majors and was the first notable player to make fitness a regimen in golf, has died. He was 90.

Obama aims to tackle pollution, climate change

Posted: 25 Jun 2013 12:36 PM PDT

President Barack Obama wipes his face as he speaks about climate change, Tuesday, June 25, 2013, at Georgetown University in Washington. The president is proposing sweeping steps to limit heat-trapping pollution from coal-fired power plants and to boost renewable energy production on federal property, resorting to his executive powers to tackle climate change and sidestepping the partisan gridlock in Congress. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama declared the debate over climate change and its causes obsolete Tuesday as he announced a wide-ranging plan to tackle pollution and prepare communities for global warming.

'Bonanza' memorabilia going up for auction in Nev.

Posted: 25 Jun 2013 12:35 PM PDT

RENO, Nev. (AP) — Several pieces of memorabilia from the long-running hit TV series "Bonanza" are going up for auction in Nevada, including the branding iron used in the iconic Western's opening credits.

Men's Wearhouse escalates battle with founder

Posted: 25 Jun 2013 12:34 PM PDT

FILE - In this Thursday, May 6, 1999 file photo, George Zimmer, second from left, gestures to Andy Dolich prior to a meeting, in Oakland, Calif. On Tuesday, June 25, 2013, Men's Wearhouse Inc., offered some details on why it parted ways with founder Zimmer, saying that Zimmer seemed to have difficulty "accepting the fact that Men's Wearhouse is a public company with an independent board of directors and that he has not been the chief executive officer for two years."(AP Photo/Ben Margot, File)NEW YORK (AP) — Men's Wearhouse escalated a public battle with its founder and former pitchman George Zimmer on Tuesday, trying to explain why it fired the man who still represents the clothier in many shoppers' minds.

Williams, Djokovic sail in Wimbledon openers

Posted: 25 Jun 2013 12:29 PM PDT

Serena Williams of the United States plays a return during her Women's first round singles match against Mandy Minella of Luxembourg at the All England Lawn Tennis Championships in Wimbledon, London, Tuesday, June 25, 2013. (AP Photo/Sang Tan)LONDON (AP) — Back in her comfort zone on Centre Court, Serena Williams delivered an overpowering statement: When her serve is steaming, she's the woman to beat at Wimbledon.

Schwarzenegger opening Algeria office for his NGO

Posted: 25 Jun 2013 12:27 PM PDT

Former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, now president of NGO R20, leaves after a press conference in Algiers, Tuesday, June 25, 2013. Schwarzenegger founded R20, a coalition of partners led by regional governments that work to promote and implement projects that are designed to produce local economic and environmental benefits in the form of reduced energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. The R20 will open an office in Algeria.(AP Photo/Sidali Djarboub)ALGIERS, Algeria (AP) — Arnold Schwarzenegger is opening an office in Algeria of his environmental initiative R20 in a bid to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions there and throughout the Mediterranean.

Qatar's new emir raised profile with sports

Posted: 25 Jun 2013 12:27 PM PDT

FILE - In this Saturday, Jan. 29, 2011, file photo, Qatar's crown prince, Sheik Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, attends the AFC Asian Cup final soccer match between Japan and Australia in Doha, Qatar. Qatar's 61-year-old emir, Sheik Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, said Tuesday, June 25, 2013, he has transferred power to the 33-year-old crown prince in an anticipated move that puts a new generation in charge of the Gulf nation's vast energy wealth and rising political influence. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar, File)DOHA, Qatar (AP) — Qatar's new ruler was the not the first choice to lead the Gulf nation and its growing political and economic ambitions.

Obama links Keystone approval to carbon emissions

Posted: 25 Jun 2013 12:26 PM PDT

FILE - This Jan. 24, 2012 file shows protestors against the Keystone XL pipeline dressed as referees holding banners spelled "Foul Play" during a rally on Capitol Hill in Washington. President Barack Obama says that the proposed Keystone XL pipeline project from Canada to Texas should only be approved if it doesn't worsen carbon pollution.Obama says allowing the oil pipeline to be built requires a finding that doing so is in the nation's interest. He says that means determining that the pipeline does not contribute and "significantly exacerbate" emissions. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta, File)WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama says that the proposed Keystone XL pipeline project from Canada to Texas should only be approved if it doesn't worsen carbon pollution.

Market rises: less on Fed chatter, more on economy

Posted: 25 Jun 2013 12:25 PM PDT

In this Thursday, June 20, 2013 photo, specialist Stephen Ruiz, left, and trader Michael Smyth work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. Asian stock markets were mostly lower Tuesday June 25, 2013 as investors continued their flight from risky assets on the prospect of slower Chinese growth and the winding down of the U.S. Federal Reserve's monetary stimulus. European markets rebounded. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)NEW YORK (AP) — Wall Street focused on good news about the economy, sending stocks higher Tuesday.

Upbeat data brighten economic outlook

Posted: 25 Jun 2013 12:23 PM PDT

Washers and dryers are seen on display at a store in New YorkBy Lucia Mutikani WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The economy appears to be gaining momentum with data showing strong gains in business spending plans last month and the largest annual rise in house prices in seven years in April. Other reports on Tuesday showed new single-family home sales near a five-year high in May and consumer confidence at its highest level in more than five years this month. The data suggested the economy was starting to pull out of a soft patch and it supported the Federal Reserve's view that risks to the economy have lessened. ...

Nielsen's top programs for June 16-23

Posted: 25 Jun 2013 12:23 PM PDT

Prime-time viewership numbers compiled by Nielsen for June 16-23. Listings include the week's ranking and viewership.

Texas senator filibusters against abortion bill

Posted: 25 Jun 2013 12:21 PM PDT

Sen. Wendy Davis, D-Fort Worth, wears tennis shoes in place of her dress shoes as she begins a one-woman filibuster in an effort to kill an abortion bill, Tuesday, June 25, 2013, in Austin, Texas. The bill would ban abortion after 20 weeks of pregnancy and force many clinics that perform the procedure to upgrade their facilities and be classified as ambulatory surgical centers. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Wearing pink tennis shoes to prepare for nearly 13 consecutive hours of standing, a Democratic Texas state senator on Tuesday began her one-woman filibuster to block a GOP-led effort that would effectively close most abortion clinics across the nation's second-most populous state.

Not quiet yet in TV this summer

Posted: 25 Jun 2013 12:19 PM PDT

NEW YORK (AP) — Television hasn't hit its summer doldrums yet. Between a mysterious dome, a high-wire act and climaxes to the NBA season and "The Voice" singing competition, viewers are finding reasons to tune in.

Comparing the Blackhawks, Heat titles

Posted: 25 Jun 2013 12:19 PM PDT

Chicago Blackhawks right wing Patrick Kane hoists the Stanley Cup after the Blackhawks beat the Boston Bruins 3-2 in Game 6 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Finals Monday, June 24, 2013, in Boston. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola)MIAMI (AP) — Comparing the championship runs of the NBA's Miami Heat and the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks:

Broadway marquees to dim to honor James Gandolfini

Posted: 25 Jun 2013 12:19 PM PDT

FILE - This undated publicity photo released by HBO, shows actor James Gandolfini in his role as Tony Soprano, head of the New Jersey crime family portrayed in HBO's "The Sopranos." Funeral services for actor James Gandolfini are scheduled for Thursday, June 27, 2013, at the Cathedral Church of Saint John the Divine in New York City. Gandolfini died June 19, 2013 in Italy. He was 51. (AP Photo/HBO, Barry Wetcher, File)NEW YORK (AP) — Broadway theaters will dim their marquee lights Wednesday night in memory of James Gandolfini, "The Sopranos" star who earned a Tony Award nomination in 2009.

South Africa: Mandela family gathers at rural home

Posted: 25 Jun 2013 12:47 PM PDT

A print of Nelson Mandela and get-well messages hanged outside of the Mediclinic Heart Hospital where former South African President Nelson Mandela is being treated in Pretoria, South Africa Monday, June 24, 2013. Mandela's health has deteriorated and he is now in critical condition, the South African government said. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)JOHANNESBURG (AP) — Members of Nelson Mandela's family and tribal elders gathered Tuesday at the former president's rural hometown in eastern South Africa, as concern grew for the 94-year-old leader who spent a third day in critical condition in a hospital, local media reported.

Los Angeles cabbies protest ride-sharing apps

Posted: 25 Jun 2013 12:17 PM PDT

William Rouse, the General Manager of Los Angeles Yellow Cab, at podium, takes questions from the media as hundreds of Los Angeles area taxi drivers circle City Hall in their cabs to protest unregulated ride-share services being promoted through smart-phone applications and social media in Los Angeles Tuesday, June 25, 2013. The protest came one day after the city's transportation department issued "cease and desist" letters to companies such as Uber that allow consumers to book rides online with limo companies and private drivers. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)LOS ANGELES (AP) — Hundreds of taxis have staged a noisy Los Angeles protest against ride-sharing services that use smartphone apps.

Terror financing fears stop transfers to Somalia

Posted: 25 Jun 2013 12:17 PM PDT

Somalis walk outside of the Dahabshil Bank in Mogadishu, Somalia, Tuesday, June 25, 2013. It is announced Tuesday that Barclays bank will no longer allow customers to send money to Somalia via the Dahabshil bank in Somalia because anti-terror laws hold banks, like Barclays, responsible if they transfer money to criminal or terror elements. A financial power-house in Somalia, Dahabshil describes itself as "the most trusted money transfer company for many immigrants willing to support their families and friends." (AP Photo/Farah Abdi Warsameh)MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP) — When a bank transfers money to Somalia, can it be sure it's not sending money to terrorists? That question is forcing one of Britain's largest banks to cut ties with the largest cash transfer bank in Somalia, a company that brings in the majority of the country's $1.2 billion in yearly remittances.

Report: Iran dismantles terrorist sabotage network

Posted: 25 Jun 2013 12:13 PM PDT

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — An Iranian news agency is reporting that security forces have dismantled a terrorist and sabotage network in southern city of Shiraz.

Minn. lawmaker apologizes for 'Uncle Thomas' tweet

Posted: 25 Jun 2013 12:12 PM PDT

FILE - In this March 15, 2010, file photo Minnesota Rep. Ryan Winkler, D-Golden Valley, talks to the press in St Paul, Minn. Winkler apologized swiftly Tuesday, June 25, 2013, for a tweet he sent that referred to Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas as ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — A Democratic legislator from Minnesota swiftly apologized Tuesday for a tweet he sent that referred to Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas as "Uncle Thomas" following a major ruling on the nation's landmark voting rights law.

Blackhawks fan celebrate another Stanley Cup

Posted: 25 Jun 2013 12:11 PM PDT

Chicago Blackhawks center Michal Handzus carries the Stanley Cup after arriving at O'Hare International Airport in Chicago, on Tuesday, June 25, 2013. (AP Photo/Paul Beaty)CHICAGO (AP) — The victorious Chicago Blackhawks brought the Stanley Cup home Tuesday and proceeded to take it on a pub crawl, with scores of ecstatic fans flocking to taverns and restaurants in hopes of catching a glimpse of their beloved players and the sacred trophy awarded to the NHL champion.

Senators propose overhaul of housing finance

Posted: 25 Jun 2013 12:11 PM PDT

WASHINGTON (AP) — A bipartisan group of senators has proposed an overhaul to the housing finance system that shifts more mortgage and credit risk to the private sector and gradually dissolves Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the two government-sponsored mortgage guarantee giants.

The executed: A glance at 10 key Texas executions

Posted: 25 Jun 2013 12:07 PM PDT

FILE - In this Dec. 5, 1982 file photo, Texas prison inmate Charlie Brooks Jr. waits in a death house holding cell in Huntsville, Texas, while the U.S. Supreme Court debated his fate. He was executed two days later by lethal injection. Brooks was executed on Dec. 7, 1982. (AP Photo, File)HUNTSVILLE, Texas (AP) — Texas is approaching its 500th lethal injection since the Supreme Court in 1976 cleared the way to resume executions in the United States. The execution total in Texas is by far the largest in the country. Here are eight noteworthy executions since that ruling:

IG: IRS credit cards used for wine, pornography

Posted: 25 Jun 2013 12:06 PM PDT

WASHINGTON (AP) — A government watchdog says lax oversight by the Internal Revenue Service allowed workers to use agency credit cards to buy wine for an expensive luncheon and, in one case, romance novels, diet pills and baby clothes.

Reports reflect Fed's message of stronger economy

Posted: 25 Jun 2013 12:04 PM PDT

In this Monday, May 6, 2013 photo, construction is underway on the infrastructure of a multi-acre housing development in Zelienople, Pa. The Commerce Department reports on new-home sales for May, on Tuesday, June 25, 2013. (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic)WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. housing recovery is strengthening. Factories are fielding more orders. And Americans' confidence in the economy has reached its highest point in 5½ years.

Texas prepares to execute 500th inmate

Posted: 25 Jun 2013 12:04 PM PDT

In this photo taken June 12, 2013, death penalty opponents gather outside the Huntsville Unit before the execution of confessed killer Elroy Chester in Huntsville, Texas. Chester, convicted of the 1988 the fatal shooting of Port Arthur firefighter Willie Ryman III, was the 499th prisoner to be executed in Texas since 1982. (AP Photo/Pat Sullivan)HUNTSVILLE, Texas (AP) — Jim Willett remembers the night of Dec. 6, 1982, when he was assigned to guard a mortuary van that had arrived at the death house at the Huntsville prison.

Report: Delays, cost hikes hit new Haiti housing

Posted: 25 Jun 2013 12:03 PM PDT

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. government had ambitious plans to help earthquake-ravaged Haiti where more than three-fourths of the population lives on less than $2 a day — construction of 15,000 homes in the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere.

Institute: NKorea tunnel work at nuke test site

Posted: 25 Jun 2013 12:00 PM PDT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Satellite photos show signs of new tunnel work at North Korea's underground nuclear test site, a U.S. research institute said Tuesday.

Key points in the leadership switch in Qatar

Posted: 25 Jun 2013 12:00 PM PDT

A man prepares to take a picture with his mobile photo of a televised address by Qatar's Emir Sheik Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, in Doha, Qatar,Tuesday, June 25, 2013. Qatar's ruler said Tuesday he has transferred power to the 33-year-old crown prince in an anticipated move that puts a new generation in charge of the Gulf nation's vast energy wealth and rising political influence. (AP Photo/Osama Faisal)DOHA, Qatar (AP) — Background on Tuesday's leadership transition in Qatar from the 61-year-old emir to his 33-year-old son, Sheik Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.

Oil higher on durable goods data; pump price down

Posted: 25 Jun 2013 11:58 AM PDT

NEW YORK (AP) — The price of oil showed a small gain Tuesday, as positive U.S. economic news provided some support while traders wait for the latest supply reports.

Judge taking no action in Jackson guardianship

Posted: 25 Jun 2013 11:57 AM PDT

FILE - In this Oct. 8, 2011 file photo shows Paris Jackson on stage at the Michael Forever the Tribute Concert, at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, Wales. A judge overseeing a guardianship of Michael Jackson's children said Tuesday June 25, 2013, that he was making no changes to oversight of the children after receiving an investigator's report on their well-being and speaking with lawyers for their guardians, Katherine and TJ Jackson. (AP Photo/Joel Ryan, file)LOS ANGELES (AP) — A judge said Tuesday he will make no changes to the guardianship of Michael Jackson's children after receiving an investigator's report on their well-being and meeting with attorneys for their caretakers.

Tsunami may have hit East Coast earlier in June

Posted: 25 Jun 2013 11:56 AM PDT

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — A storm that blew through earlier this month might have spurred a rare phenomenon for the East Coast: a tsunami.

Walgreen 3Q profit jumps but misses estimates

Posted: 25 Jun 2013 11:56 AM PDT

This Friday, June 21, 2013 photo shows the script "Walgreens" over windows at the store in Wexford, Pa. Walgreen Co. reports quarterly financial results, Tuesday, June 25, 2013. (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic)Walgreen Co.'s fiscal third quarter earnings jumped 16 percent, but its shares tumbled Tuesday as investors fretted over sluggish sales outside the drugstore chain's pharmacies and other troubling trends.

Russia, U.S. fail to agree plan for Syria peace talks

Posted: 25 Jun 2013 11:52 AM PDT

Russia Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs Bogdanov and Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs Gatilov prepare for a meeting on Syria at UN in GenevaBy Oliver Holmes and Tom Miles BEIRUT/GENEVA (Reuters) - Talks between the United States and Russia to set up a Syrian peace conference produced no deal on Tuesday, with the powers on either side of the two-year civil war failing to agree when it should be held or who would be invited. Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal accused the Syrian government of "genocide" and described the involvement in the conflict of foreign militias backed by Iran as "the most dangerous development". ...

Army to cut brigades at 10 US bases

Posted: 25 Jun 2013 11:50 AM PDT

FILE - In this April 23, 2013 file photo, Army Chief of Staff Gen. Ray Odierno is seen on Capitol Hill in Washington. The U.S. Army is slashing the number of combat brigades from 45 to 33, and shifting thousands of soldiers out of bases around the county as it moves forward with the long-planned move to cut the size of the service by 80,000. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)WASHINGTON (AP) — In a massive restructuring, the U.S. Army is slashing the number of active duty combat brigades from 45 to 33, and shifting thousands of soldiers out of bases around the country as it moves forward with a longtime plan to cut the size of the service by 80,000.

Qatar ruler hands power to son to mark 'new era'

Posted: 25 Jun 2013 11:49 AM PDT

FILE - In this Tuesday, March 26, 2013 file photo, Emir of Qatar Sheik Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani, center, attends the opening session of the Arab League Summit in Doha. Qatar's emir moves to hand power over to his son, aiming to bring a youthful new face to rule in a tiny Gulf nation that has become one of the most powerful in the Middle East, aggressively spreading its influence through cash. (AP Photo/Ghiath Mohamad, File)DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — With a few words in a short speech, Qatar's huge energy riches and its expanding political influence passed into the hands of a 33-year-old ruler Tuesday in a seamless transition from a region where old guard leaders have been toppled or besieged by the Arab Spring.

White House urges Russia to expel Snowden without delay

Posted: 25 Jun 2013 11:48 AM PDT

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The White House on Tuesday urged Russia to expel former government contractor Edward Snowden without delay, saying Moscow has a "clear legal basis" for his expulsion. White House National Security Council spokeswoman Caitlin Hayden said the legal basis for expelling Snowden are the status of his travel documents and the pending espionage charges against him. "Accordingly, we are asking the Russian government to take action to expel Mr. ...
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