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Monday, June 24, 2013

Inquiry backs NY sex abuse plea examined in film

Inquiry backs NY sex abuse plea examined in film

Inquiry backs NY sex abuse plea examined in film

Posted: 24 Jun 2013 12:51 PM PDT

FILE - In this Jan. 7, 2004 file photo, Jesse Friedman poses for a portrait in his lawyer's New York office. There is no reason to overturn the conviction of Friedman in a notorious 1980s sex abuse scandal, prosecutors announced Monday, June 24, 2013, after a three-year review that was prompted in part by the 2003 Oscar-nominated documentary that questioned the prosecution. There was strong reason to investigate and prosecute both Jesse Friedman and his father when the scandal erupted in 1987, Nassau County District Attorney Kathleen Rice said in a 168-page report Monday. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II, File)MINEOLA, N.Y. (AP) — There is no reason to overturn the conviction of a man in a notorious 1980s sex abuse scandal, prosecutors announced Monday after a three-year review that was prompted in part by a 2003 Oscar-nominated documentary that questioned the prosecution.

Texas Republicans on verge of passing abortion law

Posted: 24 Jun 2013 12:50 PM PDT

Women's rights protesters react in gallery of the House of Representative Chambers as State Rep. Jodie Laubenberg, R-Parker, works on the second reading of Senate Bill 5, the bill she sponsored, during debate on abortion held on the House floor of the State Capitol in Austin, Texas, on Sunday, June 23, 2013. If passed, the bill would ban abortions after 20 weeks, require that they take place in surgical centers, and restrict where and when women can take abortion-inducing pills_and force 37 out of 42 abortion clinics in Texas to close and undergo millions of dollars in upgrades. (AP Photo/Statesman.com, Rodolfo Gonzalez)AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — The Republican-dominated Texas Legislature pushed Monday to enact wide-ranging restrictions that would effectively shut down all abortion clinics in the nation's second most-populous state, and Democrats planned an old-fashioned marathon filibuster to stop the final vote.

Malibu fight involving Pippen being investigated

Posted: 24 Jun 2013 12:49 PM PDT

MALIBU, Calif. (AP) — Authorities are investigating a fight involving former Chicago Bulls star Scottie Pippen and a man outside a popular Malibu sushi restaurant during the weekend.

Brazil leader meets core protest group

Posted: 24 Jun 2013 12:47 PM PDT

A man shouts slogans during a protest outside the home of Sergio Cabral, the governor of Rio de Janeiro state, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Sunday, June 23, 2013. A wave of protests have shaken Brazil and pushed the government to promise a crackdown on corruption and greater spending on social services. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana)SAO PAULO (AP) — Brazilian leader Dilma Rousseff scrambled to contain nationwide protests Monday by meeting with the leaders of a free-transit activist group that launched the first demonstrations more than a week ago and has called for new actions Tuesday.

House investigators: Disability judges are too lax

Posted: 24 Jun 2013 12:43 PM PDT

FILE - In this Friday, Jan. 11, 2013 file photo, the Social Security Administration's main campus is seen in Woodlawn, Md. U.S. House investigators say Social Security is approving state-rejected claims for disability benefits at strikingly high rates for people who might not deserve them. Compounding the problem, the agency often fails to do required follow-up reviews to make sure people still qualify for benefits months or years later. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, File)WASHINGTON (AP) — Social Security is approving disability benefits at strikingly high rates for people whose claims were rejected by field offices or state agencies, according to House investigators. Compounding the situation, the agency often fails to do required follow-up reviews months or years later to make sure people are still disabled.

'Obamacare' countdown gets under way

Posted: 24 Jun 2013 12:43 PM PDT

FILE - In this April 12, 2013 file photo, Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington. With less than 100 days to go before uninsured Americans can start signing up for health care, the Obama administration is gearing up with new call centers and a retooled website that consumers will be able to shop on. Sebelius says open enrollment will start on schedule in all 50 states. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)WASHINGTON (AP) — Fewer than 100 days before uninsured Americans can sign up for coverage, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said Monday the administration is gearing up with new call centers, a revamped website — and a confab with the National Football League.

Series of bomb attacks in Iraq kill at least 42

Posted: 24 Jun 2013 12:40 PM PDT

Shiite Muslim worshippers gather at the holy shrine of Imam Abbas during the annual festival of Shabaniyah, which marks the anniversary of the birth of the ninth-century Shiite leader known as the Hidden Imam, in Karbala, 50 miles (80 kilometers) south of Baghdad, Iraq, Monday, June 24, 2013. (AP Photo/ Hadi Mizban)BAGHDAD (AP) — A series of evening bombings near markets in and around Baghdad and other blasts north of the capital killed at least 42 people and wounded dozens of others Monday in the latest eruption of bloodshed to rock Iraq.

Clock ticking for Obama climate change push

Posted: 24 Jun 2013 12:38 PM PDT

The Capitol Dome is seen behind the Capitol Power Plant in Washington, Monday, June 24, 2013. The plant provides power to buildings in the Capitol Complex. President Barack Obama is running out of time to make good on his lofty vow to confront climate change head-on, and Congress is in no mood to help. The executive actions and regulations Obama announces Tuesday will take years to implement. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama is running out of time to make good on his lofty vow to confront climate change head-on, and Congress is in no mood to help.

Trayvon Martin murder trial: Opening clash on shooter's motive

Posted: 24 Jun 2013 12:38 PM PDT

George Zimmerman waits for his defense counsel to arrive in Seminole circuit court on the opening day of his trial in Sanford

Nadal loses to 135th-ranked player at Wimbledon

Posted: 24 Jun 2013 12:36 PM PDT

Rafael Nadal of Spain, left, waves to spectators after losing to Steve Darcis of Belgium, right, in their Men's first round singles match at the All England Lawn Tennis Championships in Wimbledon, London, Monday, June 24, 2013. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)LONDON (AP) — For the second straight year, Rafael Nadal is leaving Wimbledon early after a stunning loss to a little-known player ranked in the hundreds.

Officials: 1 dead in explosion at Indiana plant

Posted: 24 Jun 2013 12:35 PM PDT

UNION MILLS, Ind. (AP) — A fertilizer plant in northwest Indiana has exploded, killing one person.

Key vote on immigration set in Senate

Posted: 24 Jun 2013 12:32 PM PDT

FILE - In this April 18, 2013 file photo, Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn. speaks on Capitol Hill in Washington. At the start of a crucial week for far-reaching immigration legislation backed by the White House, the Senate headed Monday for the first test vote on the measure offering the prize of U.S. citizenship to millions and pouring new technology and manpower into the border. (AP Photo/Molly Riley, File)WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate headed Monday for a crucial test vote on White House-backed immigration legislation offering the prize of U.S. citizenship to millions and pouring new technology and manpower into the border.

Syria: Arming rebels is 'dangerous' US decision

Posted: 24 Jun 2013 12:31 PM PDT

DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — The decision by the United States and its allies to arm rebel groups in Syria is "very dangerous" and will prolong the violence and killing, Syria's foreign minister said Monday.

Hospital chain Tenet to buy Vanguard Health for $1.73 billion

Posted: 24 Jun 2013 12:31 PM PDT

Trevor Fetter, CEO of Tenet Healthcare, speaks at the Reuters Health Summit in New YorkBy Susan Kelly and Esha Dey (Reuters) - U.S. hospital operator Tenet Healthcare Corp said on Monday it will buy smaller rival Vanguard Health Systems Inc for $1.73 billion, putting it in a better position to benefit from the millions of Americans about to get insurance under President Barack Obama's healthcare reform. Investors expect hospital revenue to grow from treating more Americans insured under the reform, and speculation that major hospital chains would increase their acquisitions has fueled stocks in the sector. ...

Carrey says 'Kick-Ass 2' too violent after Newtown

Posted: 24 Jun 2013 12:31 PM PDT

FILE - This March 11, 2013 file photo shows actor Jim Carrey at the world premiere of "The Incredible Burt Wonderstone" at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles. Carrey says that he NEW YORK (AP) — Jim Carrey says that he cannot support the violence of his upcoming superhero action flick "Kick-Ass 2" in the wake of the Sandy Hook Elementary massacre.

IRS chief: Inappropriate screening was broad

Posted: 24 Jun 2013 12:31 PM PDT

FILE - In this June 6, 2013 file photo, acting IRS commissioner Danny Werfel testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington. Werfel unveils his plan to fix an agency besieged by scandal. President Barack Obama ordered Werfel to conduct a 30-day review of the IRS when he appointed him last month. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak, File)WASHINGTON (AP) — The Internal Revenue Service's screening of groups seeking tax-exempt status was broader and lasted longer than has been previously disclosed, the new head of the agency said Monday.

US ties France 1-1 in Under-20 World Cup

Posted: 24 Jun 2013 12:27 PM PDT

France's head coach Pierre Mankowski gestures during the Under-20 World Cup Group A soccer match between France and the U.S. in Istanbul, Turkey, Monday, June 24, 2013. (AP Photo/Gero Breloer)ISTANBUL (AP) — The United States improved its chances of reaching the knockout stage of the Under-20 World Cup, tying France 1-1 Monday on an 85th-minute goal by substitute Daniel Cuevas.

Egypt's presidency: military won't step in

Posted: 24 Jun 2013 12:25 PM PDT

CAIRO (AP) — An Egyptian presidential spokesman on Monday dismissed an apparent threat by the military to both Egypt's president and opposition that it would step in if political fighting descends into chaos.

Greece: Socialists handed key posts in new cabinet

Posted: 24 Jun 2013 12:20 PM PDT

Socialist leader Evangelos Venizelos leaves the official residence of conservative Prime Minister Antonis Samaras in Athens on Monday, June 24, 2013. Members of Venizelos' PASOK party are expenced to be handed top posts in a cabinet reshuffle due to be finalized late Monday, in the wake of a political crisis triggered by Samaras' decision to shut down state broadcaster ERT. Samaras' year-old government narrowly avoided collapse after he ordered ERT's closure on June 11. Coalition member Democratic Left pulled out of the government last week, cutting its majority in parliament to just three seats. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis)ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Members of Greece's minority Socialist party were handed key posts in a cabinet reshuffle Monday, following a political crisis over the decision by Prime Minister Antonis Samaras to shut state broadcaster ERT.

Egypt's Shiite killings raise alarm on hate speech

Posted: 24 Jun 2013 12:20 PM PDT

Egyptians carry the coffin of a Shiite man during the funeral procession of four Shiites outside the Sayida Nafisa mosque in Cairo, Egypt, Monday, June 24, 2013. Egypt's Islamist president condemns the killing of four Shiites by a Sunni Muslim mob that beat the men to death in their homes. But critics say he is in part to blame for implicitly supporting his hard-line allies as they stir up incitement against Shiites over Syria's civil war, and they warn that militant Islamists are acting with impunity. (AP Photo/Manu Brabo)CAIRO (AP) — Egypt's Islamist president on Monday condemned the brutal killing of four Shiites by a cheering Sunni Muslim mob while the police looked on, saying the culprits must be swiftly brought to justice.

New IRS chief: Inappropriate screening was broader

Posted: 24 Jun 2013 12:17 PM PDT

FILE - In this June 6, 2013 file photo, acting IRS commissioner Danny Werfel testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington. Werfel unveils his plan to fix an agency besieged by scandal. President Barack Obama ordered Werfel to conduct a 30-day review of the IRS when he appointed him last month. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak, File)WASHINGTON (AP) — The head of the Internal Revenue Service says inappropriate screening of groups seeking tax-exempt status was broader and lasted longer than was previously disclosed.

Italy minister resigns over tax troubles

Posted: 24 Jun 2013 12:12 PM PDT

Italian Minister for Sports Josefa Idem attends a press conference at Chigi palace, Premier's office, in Rome, Saturday, June 22, 2013. Premier Enrico Letta's cross-party government is facing one of its first major fissures as pressure mounts for the equal opportunities minister to resign over tax troubles. Josefa Idem, a German-born eight-time Olympic kayaker, has admitted that there were irregularities in the tax payments on one of her residences. She has apologized, saying she had trusted professionals to build and register the structure correctly, and said the problems were being fixed. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)ROME (AP) — Italy's equal opportunities minister, a German-born, eight-time Olympic kayaker, has resigned over tax troubles in a case with both racist and sexist overtones.

Obama on immigration: 'Now is the time to do it'

Posted: 24 Jun 2013 12:09 PM PDT

President Barack Obama speaks during his meeting in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington, Monday, June 24, 2013, with CEOs, business owners and entrepreneurs to discuss immigration reform. From left are, Cecilia Muñoz, direcor of the White House Domestic Policy Council, the president, senior White House adviser Valerie Jarrett, National Economic Council Director Gene Sperling, and Dilawar Syed, CEO Yonja Media Group. Obama hosted the meeting to discuss the importance of commonsense immigration reform including the Congressional Budget Office analysis that concludes immigration reform would promote economic growth and reduce the deficit. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama is pressing the Senate and the House to complete action on immigration legislation before the August summer break. He says: "Now is the time to do it."

Court makes it harder to sue businesses

Posted: 24 Jun 2013 12:08 PM PDT

People line up in front of the Supreme Court in Washington, Monday, June 24, 2013, before it opens. The Supreme Court has 11 cases, including the term's highest profile matters, to resolve before the justices take off for summer vacations, teaching assignments and international travel. The Supreme Court has 11 cases, including the term's highest profile matters, to resolve before the justices take off for summer vacations, teaching assignments and international travel. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)WASHINGTON (AP) — A sharply divided Supreme Court on Monday decided to make it harder for Americans to sue businesses for retaliation and discrimination, leading a justice to call for Congress to overturn the court's actions.

Italy court convicts Berlusconi on sex charges

Posted: 24 Jun 2013 12:05 PM PDT

People of Freedom (PDL) party member and former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi wipes his forehead as he attends the Upper house of the parliament in RomeBy Silvia Aloisi and Sara Rossi MILAN (Reuters) - Silvio Berlusconi was handed a seven-year jail sentence on Monday for abuse of office and paying for sex with a minor, adding to the complications facing Italy's fragile left-right government. The former prime minister will not have to serve any jail time before he has exhausted an appeals process that could take years, but the conviction angered members of his centre-right party who questioned whether he should continue to support the coalition. ...

Oil jumps after stocks cut into big losses

Posted: 24 Jun 2013 12:05 PM PDT

The price of oil had a sudden burst Monday after the stock market tried to put the brakes on a four-day skid.

Smithfield drops Paula Deen as spokeswoman

Posted: 24 Jun 2013 12:02 PM PDT

FILE - This undated image released by Smithfield Foods shows celebrity chef Paula Deen wearing a Smithfield apron as she stands in front of various Smithfield meat products. On Monday, June 24, 2013, Smithfield Foods said it was dropping Deen as a spokeswoman. The announcement came days after the Food Network said it would not renew the celebrity cook's contract in the wake of revelations that she used racial slurs in the past. (AP Photo/Smithfield Foods via PRNewsFoto)NEW YORK (AP) — Paula Deen lost another part of her empire on Monday: Smithfield Foods said it was dropping her as a spokeswoman.

House investigators: Disability judges too lax

Posted: 24 Jun 2013 12:01 PM PDT

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. House investigators say Social Security is approving state-rejected claims for disability benefits at strikingly high rates for people who might not deserve them. Compounding the problem, the agency often fails to do required follow-up reviews to make sure people still qualify for benefits months or years later.

Report: Qatar's emir plans to step down for son

Posted: 24 Jun 2013 12:00 PM 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) — Qatar's ruler said Monday he plans to transfer power to his 33-year-old son, the Gulf nation's crown prince, a report said, in what would mark a rare transition of authority in a region where most leaders remain until death.

Lebanon clashes present test for weak military

Posted: 24 Jun 2013 12:00 PM PDT

Lebanese army soldiers help injured soldiers after clashes between followers of a radical Sunni cleric Sheik Ahmad al-Assir and Shiite gunmen, in the southern port city of Sidon, Lebanon, Monday, June 24, 2013. Lebanese troops battled heavily armed followers of a hard-line Sunni cleric holed up in a mosque complex in a southern port city on Monday, the second day of fighting that has left more than a dozen of soldiers dead, the military said. (AP Photo/Mohammed Zaatari)BEIRUT (AP) — Lebanon's third-largest city was turned into a battle zone Monday as the military battled heavily armed followers of an extremist Sunni cleric holed up in a mosque in a southern port city.

China slump, higher bond yields weigh on markets

Posted: 24 Jun 2013 11:58 AM PDT

Trader David O''Day, left, works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, Friday, June 21, 2013. Global stock markets reeled Monday, June 24, 2013 with Shanghai's index enduring its biggest loss in four years, after China allowed commercial lending rates to soar in a move analysts said was aimed at curbing a booming underground lending industry. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)Wall Street is jittery.

New Samsung tablets mimic Galaxy phones

Posted: 24 Jun 2013 11:58 AM PDT

The 10-inch model of Samsung Electronics Company's new Galaxy Tab 3 series tablet computer is seen in an undated photo provided by Samsung. Samsung Electronics Co., the second-largest maker of tablets after Apple, is putting three new tablets in the Galaxy Tab 3 series on sale in the U.S. on July 7, making its tablet computers look more like its hit Galaxy phones in the hope that the success of the smartphones can boost tablet sales. (AP Photo/Samsung Electronics Co.)NEW YORK (AP) — Samsung is making its tablet computers look more like its hit Galaxy phones in the hope that the success of the smartphones can boost tablet sales.

Germany investigates commander of Nazi-led unit

Posted: 24 Jun 2013 11:57 AM PDT

In this May 22, 1990 photo, Michael Karkoc, photographed in Lauderdale, Minn. prior to a visit to Minnesota from Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev in early June of 1990. Karkoc a top commander whose Nazi SS-led unit is blamed for burning villages filled with women and children lied to American immigration officials to get into the United States and has been living in Minnesota since shortly after World War II, according to evidence uncovered by The Associated Press. (AP Photo/The St. Paul Pioneer Press, Chris Polydoroff)BERLIN (AP) — German prosecutors said Monday that they opened a formal preliminary investigation of a Minnesota man who was a commander of a Nazi-led unit during World War II, to determine whether there is enough evidence to bring charges and seek his extradition.

Rights case ruling favors Colo. transgender girl

Posted: 24 Jun 2013 11:57 AM PDT

FILE -In this Monday, Feb. 25, 2013, file photo, Coy Mathis, left, plays with her sister Auri, at their home in Fountain, Colo. Coy has been diagnosed with Gender Identity Disorder. Biologically, Coy, 6, is a boy, but to her family members and the world, Coy is a transgender girl. The New York-based Transgender Legal Defense and Education Fund plans to explain a ruling by the Colorado Civil Rights Division that allows Mathis a 6-year-old to use the girls' bathroom. (AP Photo/Brennan Linsley,File)DENVER (AP) — A Colorado civil rights panel has ruled that a suburban Colorado Springs school district likely discriminated against a 6-year-old transgender girl when it prevented her from using the girls' bathroom at her elementary school.

Free agent WR Collins suspended 4 games by NFL

Posted: 24 Jun 2013 11:57 AM PDT

NEW YORK (AP) — New York Giants free-agent wide receiver Brandon Collins has been suspended without pay for the first four games of the 2013 regular season for violating the NFL Policy and Program for Substances of Abuse.

Angelina Jolie urges world to end rape in war

Posted: 24 Jun 2013 11:55 AM PDT

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Actress Angelina Jolie made her debut before the U.N.'s most powerful body as a special envoy for refugees Monday and urged the world's nations to make the fight against rape in war a top priority.

South Africa leader: Mandela 'asleep' during visit

Posted: 24 Jun 2013 11:55 AM PDT

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — South Africa's president on Monday said a critically ill Nelson Mandela was "asleep" when he visited the 94-year-old at the hospital, and he urged the country to pray for Mandela, describing him as the "father of democracy" who made extraordinary sacrifices on behalf of his people.

White House presses Russia to expel Snowden; sharp words for China

Posted: 24 Jun 2013 11:55 AM PDT

Journalists show an iPad with the picture of Snowden, former contractor for the U.S. National Security Agency, to passengers of a flight from Hong Kong to find out if Snowden was aboard the plane, in Moscow's Sheremetyevo airportBy Jeff Mason and Roberta Rampton WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The White House pressed Russia on Monday to exercise all options to expel Edward Snowden and slammed China for allowing the former U.S. spy agency contractor who disclosed government surveillance secrets to leave Hong Kong. White House spokesman Jay Carney told reporters it was the U.S. assumption that Snowden was still in Russia and he dismissed suggestions that the decision to allow Snowden to depart Hong Kong was a technical one. ...

High court to hear Obama recess appointments case

Posted: 24 Jun 2013 11:55 AM PDT

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Monday waded into a major constitutional clash between President Barack Obama and congressional Republicans that could fundamentally limit a president's use of recess appointments to fill high-level administration posts.

Prosecutor opens with Zimmerman's obscenity

Posted: 24 Jun 2013 11:53 AM PDT

FILE - This June 20, 2013 file photo, George Zimmerman listens as his defense counsel Mark O'Mara questions potential jurors during Zimmerman's trial in Seminole circuit court in Sanford, Fla. Judge Debra Nelson said Saturday, June 22, 2013, that prosecution audio experts who point to Trayvon Martin as screaming on a 911 call moments before he was killed won't be allowed to testify at trial. Opening statement begin Monday June 24, 2013. (AP Photo/Orlando Sentinel, Gary Green, Pool, file)SANFORD, Fla. (AP) — A prosecutor told jurors in opening statements Monday that George Zimmerman fatally shot Trayvon Martin "because he wanted to," not because he had to, while a defense attorney said the neighborhood watch volunteer shot the teen in self-defense to stop him from smashing Zimmerman's head into a concrete sidewalk.
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