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Thursday, June 27, 2013

High school seniors fare no better than in 1970s

High school seniors fare no better than in 1970s

High school seniors fare no better than in 1970s

Posted: 27 Jun 2013 12:49 PM PDT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Students preparing to leave high school are faring no better in reading or math than their peers four decades ago, the government said Thursday. Officials attributed the bleak finding on more lower-performing students staying in school rather than dropping out.

EU strikes provisional $1.3 trillion budget deal

Posted: 27 Jun 2013 12:47 PM PDT

Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny, right, and European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso participate in a media conference at EU headquarters in Brussels on Thursday, June 27, 2013. The European Union may soon have a new seven-year budget after a surprise breakthrough deal was announced Thursday morning. European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso announced the agreement Thursday after late-night talks with the president of the European Parliament and other officials from EU member states. Barroso said it includes more flexibility than earlier versions. (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo)BRUSSELS (AP) — Top European Union officials on Thursday hashed out a tentative deal on a 960 billion euro ($1.3 trillion) budget for the bloc for the next seven years.

Hernandez is denied bail in Mass. murder case

Posted: 27 Jun 2013 12:39 PM PDT

Former New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez, left, stands with his attorney Michael Fee, right, during arraignment in Attleboro District Court Wednesday, June 26, in Attleboro, Mass. Hernandez was charged with murdering Odin Lloyd, a 27-year-old semi-pro football player for the Boston Bandits, whose body was found June 17 in an industrial park in North Attleborough, Mass. (AP Photo/The Sun Chronicle, Mike George, Pool)FALL RIVER, Mass. (AP) — A judge has denied bail for former New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez, who's charged with first-degree murder in the shooting death of a friend.

Suspect in Boston Marathon bombing indicted

Posted: 27 Jun 2013 12:41 PM PDT

FILE - This file photo provided Friday, April 19, 2013 by the Federal Bureau of Investigation shows Boston Marathon bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev. A federal grand jury in Boston returned a 30-count indictment against Tsarnaev on Thursday, June 27, 2013, on charges including using a weapon of mass destruction and bombing a place of public use, resulting in death. (AP Photo/Federal Bureau of Investigation, File)BOSTON (AP) — Boston Marathon bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev downloaded bomb-making instructions from an al-Qaida magazine, gathered online material on Islamic jihad and martyrdom, and later scribbled anti-American messages inside the boat where he lay wounded, a federal indictment charged Thursday.

US suspends Bangladesh trade privileges

Posted: 27 Jun 2013 12:40 PM PDT

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama is suspending U.S. trade privileges for Bangladesh because of concerns over labor rights and worker safety that intensified after hundreds died there in the global garment industry's worst accident.

Will.i.am says Pharrell's trademark is too similar

Posted: 27 Jun 2013 12:37 PM PDT

FILE - In this May 19, 2013 photo, Will.i.am arrives at the Billboard Music Awards at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. Will.i.am says his NEW YORK (AP) — Will.i.am says a trademark Pharrell's company tried to register is too similar to his "I AM" trademark.

Weekend heat wave to bake western US

Posted: 27 Jun 2013 12:35 PM PDT

Construction workers gather at a new home site at sunrise to beat daytime high temperatures, Thursday, June 27, 2013 in Queen Creek, Ariz. Excessive heat warnings will continue for much of the Desert Southwest as building high pressure triggers major warming in eastern California, Nevada, and Arizona. Dangerously hot temperatures are expected across the Arizona deserts throughout the week with a high of 118 by Friday. (AP Photo/Matt York)LAS VEGAS (AP) — A high pressure system hanging over the West this weekend is expected to bring temperatures extreme even in a regions used to baking during the summer.

Friend: Trayvon Martin encounter racially charged

Posted: 27 Jun 2013 12:35 PM PDT

Rachel Jeantel, the witness that was on the phone with Trayvon Martin just before he died, gives her testimony to the prosecution during George Zimmerman's trial in Seminole circuit court in Sanford, Fla. Wednesday, June 26, 2013. Zimmerman has been charged with second-degree murder for the 2012 shooting death of Trayvon Martin.(AP Photo/Orlando Sentinel, Jacob Langston, Pool)SANFORD, Fla. (AP) — George Zimmerman's defense attorney insisted during several testy exchanges with a key prosecution witness Thursday that Trayvon Martin injected race into their confrontation and insinuated the young woman was not believable because of inconsistencies in her story.

Gay rights clash: Obama, African host are at odds

Posted: 27 Jun 2013 12:33 PM PDT

President Barack Obama listens as Senegalese President Macky Sall speaks during a news conference at the Presidential Palace, in Dakar, Senegal, Thursday, June 27, 2013. Obama is visiting Senegal, South Africa, and Tanzania on a week long trip. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — Laying bare a clash of cultures, President Barack Obama on Thursday urged African leaders to extend equal rights to gays and lesbians but was bluntly rebuked by Senegal's president, who said his country "still isn't ready" to decriminalize homosexuality.

Senators: Student loan interest rates to double

Posted: 27 Jun 2013 12:33 PM PDT

Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pension Committee Chairman Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, discusses a graph and legislation to try and prevent the increase in the interest rates on some student loans, Thursday, June 27, 2013, during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, June 27, 2013. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)WASHINGTON (AP) — A compromise to keep student loan interest rates low proved unwinnable before Monday's deadline and interest rates on new loans are going to double — at least for a while — senators said Thursday.

32 killed in ethno-religious clashes in Nigeria

Posted: 27 Jun 2013 12:32 PM PDT

JOS, Nigeria (AP) — Community leaders say 32 people died Thursday and many were injured in tribal clashes sparked by cattle rustling in Nigeria's volatile central Plateau state.

Zach Braff to star in 'Bullets Over Broadway'

Posted: 27 Jun 2013 12:29 PM PDT

FILE - This April 22, 2013 file photo provided by Millennium shows actor Zach Braff at the DeLeon Tequila special screening of "The Iceman" at the Arclight in Los Angeles. Braff will make his Broadway debut next year in a musical adaptation of Woody Allen's crime caper "Bullets Over Broadway." Written by Allen and Douglas McGrath, the story follows a struggling young playwright who is forced to cast a mobster's talentless girlfriend in his latest drama. (AP Photo/ Millennium, Todd Williamson, File)NEW YORK (AP) — Zach Braff will make his Broadway debut next year in a musical adaptation of Woody Allen's crime caper "Bullets Over Broadway." The only person who might be more excited than Braff is his dad.

Egypt's opposition criticizes president's speech

Posted: 27 Jun 2013 12:29 PM PDT

CORRECTS DATE - In this Wednesday, June 26, 2013 image released by the Egyptian Presidency, Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi delivers a speech, in Cairo, Egypt. Morsi told his opponents to use elections not protests to try to change the government and said the military should focus on its role as the nation's defenders in a nationally televised address on Wednesday, days before the opposition plans massive street rallies aimed at removing him from office. (AP Photo/Egyptian Presidency)CAIRO (AP) — Egypt's main opposition coalition on Thursday rejected the Islamist president's offer for dialogue on reconciliation and said it insists on holding early elections, ratcheting up pressure on Mohammed Morsi just days ahead of planned mass protests seeking his ouster.

Japan conversation robot ready for outer space

Posted: 27 Jun 2013 12:28 PM PDT

Humanoid communication robot Kirobo, left, talks with Fuminori Kataoka, project general manager from Toyota Motor Corp., during a press unveiling in Tokyo Wednesday, June 26, 2013. The world's first space conversation experiment between a robot and humans is ready to be launched. Developers from the Kirobo project, named after TOKYO (AP) — The world's first space conversation experiment between a robot and humans is ready to be launched.

US mortgage rates jump to 2-year high of 4.46 pct.

Posted: 27 Jun 2013 12:41 PM PDT

A home is for sale in Glenview, Ill., on Sunday, June 16, 2013. Average U.S. rates on fixed mortgages surged the week of June 24, 2013, to their highest levels in two years, and the rate on the 30-year loan jumped by the most in 26 years. The increase is evidence that the Federal Reserve's comments about possibly reducing its bond purchases are already affecting consumers. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. mortgage rates have suddenly jumped from near-record lows and are adding thousands of dollars to the cost of buying a home.

Bickell says he wants to stay with Blackhawks

Posted: 27 Jun 2013 12:27 PM PDT

CHICAGO (AP) — Bryan Bickell is looking forward to Friday's parade and rally for the Chicago Blackhawks' second Stanley Cup title in four seasons.

Williams, Djokovic restore order to Wimbledon

Posted: 27 Jun 2013 12:23 PM PDT

Novak Djokovic of Serbia plays a return to Bobby Reynolds of the United States during their Men's second round singles match at the All England Lawn Tennis Championships in Wimbledon, London, Thursday, June 27, 2013. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)LONDON (AP) — Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams restored a semblance of order to this wildest of Wimbledon.

Federal agency finds lax regulation of chemicals

Posted: 27 Jun 2013 12:22 PM PDT

FILE - The damage from the fertilizer plant explosion is seen from helicopters in accompanying President Barack Obama in West, Texas, in this April 25, 2013 file photo. The U.S Chemical Safety Board will tell a Senate committee Thursday June 27, 2013 that regulation of the dangerous chemicals used in the industry fall under a HOUSTON (AP) — The Environmental Protection Agency has displayed a lack of urgency in the wake of a deadly Texas fertilizer plant explosion and must regulate potentially explosive chemicals immediately, legislators said Thursday.

CFTC charges MF Global, Corzine, O'Brien over brokerage collapse

Posted: 27 Jun 2013 12:21 PM PDT

Corzine testifies before a House Financial Services Committee Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee hearing on the collapse of MF Global, at the U.S. Capitol in WashingtonWASHINGTON (Reuters) - Regulators on Thursday settled charges against MF Global over the futures brokerage's collapse, and also charged former Chief Executive Jon Corzine and former Assistant Treasurer Edith O'Brien in connection with the alleged misuse of customer funds. The Commodity Futures Trading Commission said MF Global had agreed to settle all charges against it, pay a $100 million penalty, and pay all the funds still owed to commodity customers. ...

Terrorism still a threat for East Africa embassies

Posted: 27 Jun 2013 12:20 PM PDT

CAPTION CORRECTS REMOVES NUMBER OF PEOPLE KILLED IN FIRST SENTENCEFILE - In this file photo of Monday, March 3, 2003, A new U.S. Embassy on the outskirts of Nairobi. The largest U.S. diplomatic mission in sub-Saharan Africa replaces the earlier mission that was destroyed by a terrorist bomb on Aug, 7, 1998, killing over 200 people. As President Barack Obama prepares to visit East Africa nearly 15 years after terrorists bombed two U.S. embassies here, a former United States ambassador to Kenya says he worries that security at the Nairobi embassy has been "complacent" and may not have had adequate priority in the recent past. Obama is scheduled on Monday, July 1, 2013, to visit Dar es Salaam, the commercial capital of Tanzania, which along with Nairobi was the site of near-simultaneous embassy attacks in August 1998. The attacks killed 224 people, mostly Kenyans, but also a dozen Americans. Obama is likely to visit the memorial for the victims of the Tanzania attack. (AP Photo/Khalil Senosi, File)NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — As President Barack Obama prepares to visit East Africa, nearly 15 years after terrorists bombed two U.S. embassies here, security experts say that the region still faces threats from militants.

Obama visits slave site of disputed importance

Posted: 27 Jun 2013 12:20 PM PDT

U.S. President Barack Obama, left, talks with Slave House curator Eloi Coly, as they look out to sea through the 'Door of No Return,' on Goree Island, in Dakar, Senegal, Thursday, June 27, 2013. Obama is calling his visit to a Senegalese island from which Africans were said to have been shipped across the Atlantic Ocean into slavery, a 'very powerful moment.' President Obama was in Dakar Thursday as part of a weeklong trip to Africa, a three-country visit aimed at overcoming disappointment on the continent over the first black U.S. president's lack of personal engagement during his first term.(AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)GOREE ISLAND, Senegal (AP) — Soon after being released from his 27-year incarceration in South Africa, apartheid icon Nelson Mandela made a pilgrimage to this small island off the Senegalese coast.

Jewell makes emotional pledge to Native Americans

Posted: 27 Jun 2013 12:20 PM PDT

RENO, Nev. (AP) — Sally Jewell made an emotional pledge in her first address to Indian Country as the 51st U.S. Interior secretary, saying she'll help right past wrongs against Native Americans and work with tribes "nation-to-nation" to protect their sovereignty.

Oil price rises above $97 as Fed fears ease

Posted: 27 Jun 2013 12:20 PM PDT

NEW YORK (AP) — The price of oil rose above $97 a barrel Thursday, as the latest U.S. economic data raised hopes for an increase in gasoline demand but suggested the Federal Reserve can wait to pull back on its current stimulus measures.

McDonald's refuses to operate in Jewish settlement

Posted: 27 Jun 2013 12:18 PM PDT

FILE - In this Sept. 20, 2010 aerial file photo, taken through the window of an airplane, the West Bank Jewish settlement of Ariel is seen. The Israeli branch of McDonald's says it won't open a restaurant in a Jewish settlement to protest Israel settlement policy. Irina Shalmor, spokeswoman for McDonald's Israel, said the owners of a planned mall in the Ariel settlement asked McDonald's to open a branch there about six months ago (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit, File)JERUSALEM (AP) — The McDonald's restaurant chain refused to open a branch in a West Bank Jewish settlement, the company said Thursday, adding a prominent name to an international movement to boycott Israel's settlements.

US agency sues Corzine over failure of MF Global

Posted: 27 Jun 2013 12:14 PM PDT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal regulators are accusing former New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine of failing to properly manage MF Global, which misused customer funds before its 2011 collapse.

Israeli leader signals readiness to compromise

Posted: 27 Jun 2013 12:10 PM PDT

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, left, shakes hands with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during their meeting in Jerusalem, on Thursday, June 27, 2013. Kerry is in Israel for the fifth time in three months, to make further efforts to resume peace talks between the Jewish country and the Palestinians. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, Pool)JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel's prime minister, known for his rigid negotiating positions, has been sending signals that he is ready for significant compromises in a peace deal with the Palestinians — and that he accepts the narrative increasingly favored by his opponents that says ending the West Bank occupation is essential for Israel itself.

Target cuts ties with Deen; drugmaker distances

Posted: 27 Jun 2013 12:09 PM PDT

In this publicity image released by NBC, celebrity chef Paula Deen appears on NBC News' "Today" show, wednesday, June 26, 2013 in New York. Deen dissolved into tears during a "Today" show interview Wednesday about her admission that she used a racial slur in the past. The celebrity chef, who had backed out of a "Today" interview last Friday, said she was not a racist and was heartbroken by the controversy that began with her own deposition in a lawsuit. Deen has been dropped by the Food Network and as a celebrity endorser by Smithfield Foods. (AP Photo/NBC, Peter Kramer)NEW YORK (AP) — Paula Deen's merchandise and media empire is fast unraveling.

Perry, filibuster star clash over Texas abortions

Posted: 27 Jun 2013 12:09 PM PDT

Gov. Rick Perry responds to questions from reporters during a news conference after delivering a speech at the National Right To Life Convention, Thursday, June 27, 2013, in Grapevine, Texas. The Republican has called a second special legislative session beginning July 1, allowing the GOP-controlled statehouse another crack at passing restrictions opponents say could shutter nearly all the abortion clinics across the country's second-largest state. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)GRAPEVINE, Texas (AP) — A fight over sweeping attempts to limit abortion in Texas became a personal grudge match Thursday between conservative Republican Gov. Rick Perry and a state senator whose lengthy, one-woman filibuster has catapulted her to sudden, national political stardom.

Djokovic eliminates last American man at Wimbledon

Posted: 27 Jun 2013 12:08 PM PDT

Novak Djokovic of Serbia plays a return to Bobby Reynolds of the United States during their Men's second round singles match at the All England Lawn Tennis Championships in Wimbledon, London, Thursday, June 27, 2013. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)LONDON (AP) — Top-ranked Novak Djokovic made this the worst Wimbledon for American men in 101 years.

Accused Boston Marathon bomber charged in four deaths

Posted: 27 Jun 2013 12:54 PM PDT

By Scott Malone and Stephanie Simon BOSTON (Reuters) - A federal grand jury on Thursday indicted accused Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev on charges of killing four people in the largest mass-casualty attack on U.S. soil since September 11, 2001. The 30-count indictment filed in Boston federal court charges the 19-year-old ethnic Chechen with setting off two homemade pressure-cooker bombs in a crowd of thousands at the race's finish line and with committing a carjacking and engaging in a fierce gunbattle with police prior to his April 19 arrest. ...

2 new leads are tapped for Broadway's 'Annie'

Posted: 27 Jun 2013 12:05 PM PDT

In this undated publicity image, actress Taylor Richardson poses for a photo. Richardson and fellow actress Sadie Sink will share the title role in "Annie," the stage's most famous redhead beginning July 30. They replace Lilla Crawford, whose last performance will be on July 28. (AP Photo/Boneau/Bryan-Brown)NEW YORK (AP) — Two 11-year-old actresses who have played orphans and been understudies in the Broadway revival of "Annie" have been picked to permanently take over from Lilla Crawford in the title role, a step up that has left them beaming.

Egypt braced for protests as Mursi stands ground

Posted: 27 Jun 2013 12:03 PM PDT

Protesters, opposing Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi, shout slogans during Mursi's speech to the nation in CairoBy Asma Alsharif and Alastair Macdonald CAIRO (Reuters) - Egypt faces a showdown in the streets after President Mohamed Mursi failed, in an address to the nation, to satisfy the demands of opponents who want to force him from office. Days of brawling between his Islamist supporters and their rivals have already left several dead and scores injured and the camps now plan mass rallies, raising the risk of bigger clashes that the army warns could prompt it to take command again. On Friday, Mursi's Muslim Brotherhood and their allies will gather in Cairo, as will some opposition groups. ...

US envoy accosted amid Kosovo vote on Serbia deal

Posted: 27 Jun 2013 11:59 AM PDT

Kosovo police splashed with paint clash with hardline opposition members protesting a deal with Serbia in capital Pristina, Kosovo, Thursday, June 27, 2013. Kosovo lawmakers voted in favor of an agreement to normalize relations with Serbia.( AP Photo / Visar Kryeziu )PRISTINA, Kosovo (AP) — Hardline opposition supporters tried but failed to stop Kosovo lawmakers from approving a key deal with Serbia on Thursday — with hundreds clashing with police outside parliament, lawmakers scuffling with the body's speaker inside, and some protesters even attacking the U.S. ambassador as she tried to enter the building.

AP Interview: Egypt's Moussa urges new election

Posted: 27 Jun 2013 11:59 AM PDT

Amr Moussa, former Secretary-General of the Arab League speaks during an interview with the Associated Press, in Cairo, Egypt, Thursday, June 27, 2013. The prominent opposition leader on Thursday criticized Egypt's president for not offering a detailed road map for national reconciliation, saying his offer for a dialogue was a repeat of earlier proposals that never panned out. In comments made later to The Associated Press in an interview, Moussa accused the president of CAIRO (AP) — Leading opposition figure Amr Moussa is urging Egypt's Islamist president to listen to the voices of opposition and respond to their demands by holding early presidential elections.

Defense wins round on WikiLeaks helicopter video

Posted: 27 Jun 2013 11:59 AM PDT

Army Pfc. Bradley Manning is escorted out of a courthouse in Fort Meade, Md., Tuesday, June 25, 2013, after the start of the fourth week of his court martial. Manning is charged with indirectly aiding the enemy by sending troves of classified material to WikiLeaks. He faces up to life in prison if convicted. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)FORT MEADE, Md. (AP) — Lawyers for Army Pfc. Bradley Manning can offer evidence contradicting the government's assertion that he revealed classified information in a leaked battlefield video from Iraq, a military judge said Thursday.

Obama: No wheeling or dealing to extradite Snowden

Posted: 27 Jun 2013 11:56 AM PDT

U.S. President Barack Obama, left, shakes hands with Senegalese President Macky Sall after a joint press conference at the presidential palace in Dakar, Senegal, Thursday, June 27, 2013. Senegal's national slogan, printed on the wall behind them, reads 'One People, One Goal, One Faith.' President Obama arrived in Senegal Wednesday night to kick off a weeklong trip to Africa, a three-country visit aimed at overcoming disappointment on the continent over the first black U.S. president's lack of personal engagement during his first term. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — The United States won't be scrambling military jets or engaging in high-level diplomatic bartering to get National Security Agency leaker Edward Snowden extradited to the U.S., President Barack Obama said Thursday.

Mormon church-owned Utah NBC affiliate to air SNL

Posted: 27 Jun 2013 11:55 AM PDT

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — A Mormon church-owned NBC television station in Utah plans to begin showing first-run "Saturday Night Live" episodes this fall after years of refusing to air the sketch comedy show.

Jarrett, Braxton among 2014 NEA Jazz Masters

Posted: 27 Jun 2013 11:49 AM PDT

FILE - This undated file photo provided by ECM Records shows pianist Keith Jarrett. The NEA announced Thursday, June 27, 2013, that its 2014 Jazz Masters, the nation's highest jazz honor, will go to pianist Keith Jarrett, saxophonist-composer Anthony Braxton, bassist-educator Richard Davis, and educator Jamey Aebersold. Jarrett was cited by the NEA for his work in both the jazz and classical fields. (AP Photo/EMC Records, Jimmy Katz)NEW YORK (AP) — Pianist Keith Jarrett says "only music excites me, and awards and ceremonies do not." But the pianist says he feels honored to receive the National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Masters Award, joining many past recipients who've influenced him.

Defense challenges testimony of woman on phone with Trayvon Martin

Posted: 27 Jun 2013 11:49 AM PDT

Witness Jeantel watches defense attorney West while on the stand during George Zimmerman's second-degree murder trial in SanfordBy Barbara Liston SANFORD, Florida (Reuters) - A woman who was on the phone with unarmed black teenager Trayvon Martin moments before he was shot by a volunteer watchman rejected attempts by a lawyer in a Florida court to depict Martin as the aggressor in a struggle that ended in his death. During an argumentative cross-examination on Thursday at the trial of George Zimmerman, a defense lawyer also suggested to the witness, 19-year-old Rachel Jeantel, that she had embellished her account of the conversation with Martin after news coverage portrayed the shooting as "a racial thing. ...

NASA set to launch sun-observation satellite

Posted: 27 Jun 2013 11:48 AM PDT

File-This undated image provided by NASA shows technicians preparing at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif. for the launch of NASA's latest satellite, Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS), that will study the sun. The Iris satellite is set to ride into Earth orbit on a rocket, which will be dropped from an airplane flying over the Pacific some 100 miles off California's central coast Thursday June 27, 2013. (AP Photo/NASA,VAFB, Randy Beaudoin,File)VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. (AP) — NASA on Thursday was poised to launch a satellite to observe a little-understood region just above the surface of the sun.
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