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Tuesday, August 6, 2013

Escape artist pulls off locked coffin skydive

Escape artist pulls off locked coffin skydive

Escape artist pulls off locked coffin skydive

Posted: 06 Aug 2013 12:48 PM PDT

In this undated photo released by Anthony Martin, escape artist Anthony Martin of Sheboygan, Wis., escapes from a wooden box that was locked and pushed out of a plane at 13,500 feet in August 1988, in Sandwich, Ill. On Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2013, the escape artist will lay inside a plywood box that is subsequently shoved out of an airplane at 14,500 feet to the sky over Serena in northern Illinois, with his hands cuffed to a belt around his waist and his right arm chained to the inside of the box. (AP Photo/Courtesy of Anthony Martin)OTTAWA, Ill. (AP) — An escape artist has parachuted safely to the ground after freeing himself from handcuffs and a locked coffin while it was falling from 14,500 feet in the air.

George W. Bush receives stent for blocked heart artery

Posted: 06 Aug 2013 12:47 PM PDT

By Marice Richter DALLAS (Reuters) - Former President George W. Bush underwent successful surgery at a Dallas hospital on Tuesday to place a stent in a blocked heart artery. Doctors discovered a blockage on Monday during Bush's annual physical at the Cooper Clinic in Dallas and recommended a stent, a wire mesh coil used to prop open arteries, a Bush spokesman said. ...

PBS sticking to split US-UK 'Downton Abbey' airing

Posted: 06 Aug 2013 12:46 PM PDT

This undated publicity photo provided by PBS shows, from left, Elizabeth McGovern as Lady Grantham, Hugh Bonneville as Lord Grantham, Dan Stevens as Matthew Crawley, Penelope Wilton as Isobel Crawley, Allen Leech as Tom Branson, Jim Carter as Mr. Carson, and Phyllis Logan as Mrs. Hughes, from the TV series, "Downton Abbey." (AP Photo/PBS, Carnival Film & Television Limited 2012 for MASTERPIECE, Nick Briggs)BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (AP) — PBS' chief executive says she's sticking with airing "Downton Abbey" after it shows in Britain, spoilers or not.

9 Mexicans win first step in asylum claim

Posted: 06 Aug 2013 12:46 PM PDT

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Homeland Security Department tentatively approved asylum requests for nine Mexican immigrants, including some who were living in the United States illegally but left and attempted to re-enter as part of a protest against U.S. deportation policies.

Texas has to adapt to make playoffs without Cruz

Posted: 06 Aug 2013 12:44 PM PDT

FILE - In this July 21, 2013 file photo, Texas Rangers right fielder Nelson Cruz walks in the dugout during a baseball game against the Baltimore Orioles in Arlington, Texas. Major League Baseball has told the union which players it intends to suspend in its drug investigation and which ones will receive lengthier penalties for their roles in the Biogenesis case. (AP Photo/LM Otero, File)The Texas Rangers are going to have to adapt if they're going to make the playoffs again.

Jury begins deliberations in 'Whitey' Bulger trial

Posted: 06 Aug 2013 12:38 PM PDT

In this courtroom sketch, James "Whitey" Bulger listens to defense attorney, Hank Brennan, during closing arguments at U.S. District Court, in Boston, Monday, Aug. 5, 2013. Bulger's lawyers used their closing arguments to go after three gangsters who took the stand against the reputed Boston crime boss, portraying them as pathological liars whose testimony was bought and paid for by prosecutors. (AP Photo/Jane Flavell Collins)BOSTON (AP) — Jurors in the trial of James "Whitey" Bulger began their deliberations Tuesday in a sweeping racketeering indictment that accuses the reputed crime boss of participating in 19 murders during a two-decade reign over Boston's underworld.

Juan Pablo Galavis is ABC's new 'Bachelor'

Posted: 06 Aug 2013 12:33 PM PDT

This March 2013 publicity photo released by ABC shows Juan Pablo Galavis, a contestant on the past season of "The Bachelorette." Galavis will star in the 18th edition of "The Bachelor" which returns in January of 2014 on ABC. (AP Photo/ABC, Craig Sjodin)NEW YORK (AP) — What Juan Pablo Galavis lacked in airtime on "The Bachelorette," he made up in popularity among viewers.

Rising tax revenue eases pressure for budget cuts

Posted: 06 Aug 2013 12:31 PM PDT

FILE - In this Aug. 1, 2013 file photo, House Speaker John Boehner of Ohio speaks on Capitol Hill in Washington. As the economy improves, tax receipts are rising and that will shrink the federal deficit. That development will shape the debate when Congress returns to decide whether to continue, end or modify tens of billions of dollars in automatic cuts in government spending. Some economists worry the improving numbers will reduce pressure to address the nation's long-term debt problem. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)WASHINGTON (AP) — Rising tax receipts are shrinking the federal deficit, and that will shape the budget debate when Congress returns from vacation next month. The big question for lawmakers: Should they renew, end or modify the tens of billions of dollars in "sequester" cuts in government spending that took effect earlier this year?

Iran's leader reaches out to U.S., vows to resolve nuclear row

Posted: 06 Aug 2013 12:30 PM PDT

Iran's new President Rouhani gestures as he arrives to his swearing-in ceremony at the Iranian Parliament in Tehran in this photo provided by the Iranian state news agency (IRNA)By Marcus George and Yeganeh Torbati DUBAI (Reuters) - Iran's incoming President Hassan Rouhani on Tuesday offered an olive branch to the United States in talks on Tehran's disputed nuclear program, raising hopes of progress after years of stalemate. Rouhani, seen in the West as a relatively moderate leader, told his first news conference since taking the oath on Sunday that he was "seriously determined" to resolve the dispute and was ready to enter "serious and substantive" negotiations. ...

Protesters in Mali's north demand prisoner release

Posted: 06 Aug 2013 12:28 PM PDT

BAMAKO, Mali (AP) — Protesters in the remote north Malian town of Kidal on Tuesday called for the release of dozens of rebels imprisoned in the distant capital, underscoring the tensions between the government and the largely separatist region before a presidential runoff election this weekend aimed at stabilizing the country.

President George W. Bush has stent procedure

Posted: 06 Aug 2013 12:25 PM PDT

President George W. Bush visits PentagonFormer President George W. Bush successfully underwent a heart procedure in Dallas on Tuesday after doctors discovered a blockage in an artery during his annual physical, Bush spokesman Freddy Ford said.

U.S. accuses Bank of America of mortgage-backed securities fraud

Posted: 06 Aug 2013 12:24 PM PDT

The logo of the Bank of America is pictured atop the Bank of America building in downtown Los AngelesWASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Justice Department on Tuesday said it had filed a civil lawsuit against Bank of America for what government lawyers said was a fraud on investors involving $850 million of residential mortgage-backed securities. The government filed the suit in U.S. District Court in Charlotte, North Carolina, the Justice Department said in a statement. (Reporting by David Ingram; Editing by Gary Hill)

NOAA report card for 2012's climate: More warming

Posted: 06 Aug 2013 12:23 PM PDT

WASHINGTON (AP) — A massive federal study says the world in 2012 sweltered with continued signs of climate change. Rising sea levels, snow melt, heat buildup in the oceans, and melting Arctic sea ice and Greenland ice sheets, all broke or nearly broke records, but temperatures only sneaked into the top 10.

Syria rebels strike Assad's Alawite stronghold, seize airport

Posted: 06 Aug 2013 12:22 PM PDT

Men sleep inside a house damaged after what activists said was an air raid by forces loyal to Syria's President Bashar al-Assad in Azaz, near AleppoBy Khaled Yacoub Oweis and Mariam Karouny AMMAN/BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syrian Islamist rebels have killed around 200 people in a three-day offensive in the mountain stronghold of President Bashar al-Assad's Alawite sect and driven hundreds of villagers to seek refuge on the Mediterranean coast, activists said on Tuesday. Since launching the surprise assault at dawn on Sunday, the mainly Islamist rebel brigades led by two al Qaeda-linked groups have captured half a dozen villages on the northern edges of the Alawite mountain range, the activists say. ...

Car bombs kill 36 people in Iraq

Posted: 06 Aug 2013 12:16 PM PDT

Iraqis buy clothes for Eid al-Fitr at the Shorjah market in central Baghdad, Iraq, Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2013. Eid al-Fitr marks the end of the holy fasting month of Ramadan. (AP Photo/Karim Kadim)BAGHDAD (AP) — A wave of bombings, mainly targeting markets in and near Baghdad, killed 36 people on Tuesday, officials said, the latest in a surge of violence that has gripped Iraq.

Obama heads to Phoenix to pitch mortgage reform

Posted: 06 Aug 2013 12:15 PM PDT

Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer greets President Barack Obama on his arrival in Phoenix, Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2013. In Arizona the President is expected to tour a construction project and speak about housing, before heading to Los Angeles where he will tape an episode of the PHOENIX (AP) — President Barack Obama is proposing to overhaul the nation's mortgage finance system, including shutting down government-backed Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac — a plan with bipartisan support on Capitol Hill.

'Bachelorette' talks about surprising engagement

Posted: 06 Aug 2013 12:13 PM PDT

This publicity image released by ABC shows Chris Siegfried, left, placing a ring on the finger of Desiree Hartsock during the final rose ceremony on the romance competition series "The Bachelorette," on the season finale that aired Monday, Aug. 5, 2013 on ABC. (AP Photo/ABC, Francisco Roman)NEW YORK (AP) — For the past few months, Desiree Hartsock and Chris Siegfried have kept their engagement secret as their season on ABC's "The Bachelorette" played out. So secret, they went by the code names Sonny and Cher.

Lawyer: Ohio inmate didn't know of late appeal

Posted: 06 Aug 2013 12:12 PM PDT

FILE - This undated file photo provided by the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction shows Billy Slagle, who was found hanged in his death row cell just three days before his execution on Sunday, Aug. 4, 2013. An autopsy is expected Monday, Aug. 5. (AP Photo/Ohio Department of Rehabilitation, File)A condemned Ohio man who apparently hanged himself just days before his execution didn't know his legal team had new information about his case and planned to ask for a delay, one of his lawyers said.

AP PHOTOS: Curiosity rover's first year on Mars

Posted: 06 Aug 2013 12:04 PM PDT

FILE - This image provided by NASA shows a color self-portrait of the Mars rover Curiosity. The rover used the Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI) to capture dozens of high-resolution images to be combined into self-portrait images of the rover. (AP Photo/NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS, File)LOS ANGELES (AP) — A year ago, NASA's Curiosity rover survived "seven minutes of terror" and landed safely in an ancient Martian crater.

AGING AMERICA: Live to 120? Most say no thanks

Posted: 06 Aug 2013 12:00 PM PDT

Chart shows average life expectancies for Americans born in certain years; 2c x 4 inches; 96.3 mm x 101 mm;WASHINGTON (AP) — Ninety birthdays maybe, but not 120: Americans hope to stretch out life expectancy another decade or so, but they're ambivalent, even skeptical, about a fountain of youth.

Westerners evacuated amid terror fears in Yemen

Posted: 06 Aug 2013 11:56 AM PDT

A policeman on an armored vehicle secures a street leading to the U.S. embassy in Sanaa, Yemen, Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2013. The State Department on Tuesday ordered non-essential personnel at the U.S. Embassy in Yemen to leave the country. The department said in a travel warning that it had ordered the departure of non-emergency U.S. government personnel from Yemen "due to the continued potential for terrorist attacks" and said U.S. citizens in Yemen should leave immediately because of an "extremely high" security threat level. (AP Photo/Hani Mohammed)SANAA, Yemen (AP) — A suspected U.S. drone killed four alleged al-Qaida members Tuesday in Yemen, as the U.S. and British embassies evacuated staff amid reports of a threatened attack by the terrorist group.

Remington asks judge to dismiss lawsuit over rifle

Posted: 06 Aug 2013 11:56 AM PDT

HELENA, Mont. (AP) — Gun manufacturer Remington has asked a judge to dismiss a proposed class-action lawsuit by Montanans who bought a type of rifle that can reportedly misfire without the trigger being pulled.

Manning's max possible sentence cut to 90 years

Posted: 06 Aug 2013 11:51 AM PDT

FILE - In this July 30, 2013 file photo, Army Pfc. Bradley Manning is escorted out of a courthouse in Fort Meade, Md. after receiving a verdict in his court martial. Few Americans in living memory have emerged from obscurity to become such polarizing public figures _ admired by many around the world, fiercely denigrated by many in his homeland. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, File)FORT MEADE, Md. (AP) — Army Pfc. Bradley Manning's possible sentence for disclosing classified information through WikiLeaks was trimmed from 136 years to 90 years Tuesday by a military judge who said some of his offenses were closely related.

NJ cop makes unexpected bust in store bathroom

Posted: 06 Aug 2013 11:49 AM PDT

PARSIPPANY, N.J. (AP) — A police officer who stopped at a northern New Jersey convenience store to use the bathroom instead ended up arresting a man there who allegedly was breaking up marijuana on a $100 bill.

Sony rejects Loeb's proposal to spin off entertainment unit

Posted: 06 Aug 2013 11:48 AM PDT

File photo of entrance gate to Sony Pictures Entertainment at Sony Pictures lot in Culver CityBy Mari Saito TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan's Sony Corp on Tuesday rejected a proposal from activist shareholder Daniel Loeb to partially spin off its entertainment business but the billionaire investor vowed to keep talking with the company and to explore other options. Sony said it could still squeeze synergies from its decades-old marriage of content and hardware and promised more disclosure in its entertainment operations. ...

Kirilenko, Ivanovic open with wins at Rogers Cup

Posted: 06 Aug 2013 11:48 AM PDT

Ana Ivanovic of Serbia serves to Su-Wei Hsieh of Taiwan during their Rogers Cup women's tennis match in Toronto on Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2013. T(AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Frank Gunn)TORONTO (AP) — Maria Kirilenko and Ana Ivanovic won in straight sets at the Rogers Cup on Tuesday.

Spotify's Top 10 most streamed tracks

Posted: 06 Aug 2013 11:48 AM PDT

FILE - In this Sept. 7, 2012 file photo, musician Robin Thicke performs during Macy's Passport presents Glamorama 2012 at The Orpheum Theatre in Los Angeles. Thicke's "Blurred Lines (feat. T.I. & Pharrell)" was the top streamed tracks on Spotify from Monday, June 10, to Sunday, June 16, 2013. (Photo by Matt Sayles/Invision/AP, File)The following list represents the top streamed tracks on Spotify from Monday, July 29, to Sunday, August 4:

UBS paying $50M to settle SEC charges on bond sale

Posted: 06 Aug 2013 11:45 AM PDT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Switzerland's biggest bank, UBS, has agreed to pay about $50 million to settle federal civil charges of misleading investors in its sale of risky mortgage bonds ahead of the 2008 financial crisis.

Stanford to retire John Elway's No. 7 jersey

Posted: 06 Aug 2013 11:44 AM PDT

STANFORD, Calif. (AP) — Stanford football is finally retiring John Elway's No. 7 jersey.

Syria: Car bomb in Damascus suburb kills 18

Posted: 06 Aug 2013 11:34 AM PDT

FILE - In this June 18, 2013 file photo, citizen journalism image provided by Aleppo Media Center AMC which has been authenticated based on its contents and other AP reporting, shows Syrian military helicopters at Mannagh air base in Aleppo province, Syria. Syrian rebels captured a major air base in the north of the country on Tuesday after months of fighting, depriving President Bashar Assad's forces of one of their main posts near the border with Turkey, activists said. State TV denied that the base had fully fallen. (AP Photo/Aleppo Media Center AMC, File)DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — Syrian state media say a car bomb has struck in a Damascus suburb, killing at least 18 people and wounding 56.

Post-Romney, some in GOP reject advice to moderate

Posted: 06 Aug 2013 11:29 AM PDT

FILE - In this July 24, 2013 file photo, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas speaks on Capitol Hill in Washington. After Mitt Romney's 2012 loss, many senior Republicans concluded the party must moderate its image on issues such as immigration and reproductive rights. But some GOP lawmakers have done the opposite. They imposed new restrictions on abortion in several states. They are strongly resisting a broad immigration bill in the U.S. House. They're waging a steady assault on WASHINGTON (AP) — After Mitt Romney's 2012 loss, many senior Republicans concluded the party must moderate its image on issues such as immigration and reproductive rights.

CVS Caremark's 2Q profit climbs 16 percent

Posted: 06 Aug 2013 11:29 AM PDT

FILE - In this Feb. 7, 2012 file photo, pedestrians walk past a CVS store in Chicago. CVS Caremark Corp. is reporting their earnings on Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2013. (AP Photo/M. Spencer Green, File)CVS Caremark Corp.'s second-quarter earnings jumped 16 percent, as the drug store operator and pharmacy benefits manager continued to reap bottom-line gains from generic drugs.

Python's strangling of 2 boys in Canada probed

Posted: 06 Aug 2013 11:27 AM PDT

A memorial sits outside the Reptile Ocean exotic pet store in Campbellton, New Brunswick, Canada, on Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2013. Autopsies will be performed Tuesday on two young boys who were strangled in their sleep by a large African rock python that escaped from the pet store and slithered into the living room of an apartment upstairs from the pet store. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, John LeBlanc)CAMPBELLTON, New Brunswick (AP) — A 100-pound (45-kilogram) python blamed in the strangling deaths of two Canadian boys apparently escaped from its pet store enclosure, slithered through a ventilation system and fell through the ceiling into the room where the young brothers were sleeping, the shop owner said Tuesday.

GM cuts price of Volt electric car by 13 percent

Posted: 06 Aug 2013 11:27 AM PDT

DETROIT (AP) — General Motors is knocking 13 percent off the sticker price of the Chevrolet Volt electric car as it tries to keep pace with rivals in the market for plug-in vehicles.

Officials: Car bombs kill 31 people in Iraq

Posted: 06 Aug 2013 11:20 AM PDT

Iraqis buy clothes for Eid al-Fitr at the Shorjah market in central Baghdad, Iraq, Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2013. Eid al-Fitr marks the end of the holy fasting month of Ramadan. (AP Photo/Karim Kadim)BAGHDAD (AP) — A wave of bombings, mainly targeting markets in and near Baghdad, killed 31 people on Tuesday, officials said, the latest in a surge of violence that has gripped Iraq.

Rep: Jazz keyboardist George Duke dies at 67

Posted: 06 Aug 2013 11:15 AM PDT

FILE - In this July 13, 2009 file photo, US jazz artist George Duke performs on the Stravinski Hall stage at the 43rd Montreux Jazz Festival, in Montreux, Switzerland. Duke, 67, the Grammy-winning jazz keyboardist and producer whose sound infused acoustic jazz, electronic jazz, funk, R&B and soul in a 40-year-plus career, died Monday, Aug. 5, 2013, in Los Angeles. He was being treated for chronic lymphocytic leukemia. (AP Photo/Keystone, Jean-Christophe Bott, File)NEW YORK (AP) — George Duke, the Grammy-winning jazz keyboardist and producer whose sound infused acoustic jazz, electronic jazz, funk, R&B and soul in a 40-year-plus career, has died. He was 67.

Smaller US trade gap could lift 2nd-quarter growth

Posted: 06 Aug 2013 11:14 AM PDT

In this Friday, June 28, 2013 photo, the container ship Baghira, foreground, and the oil tanker Seabulk Arctic, rear, are anchored off shore as they wait to enter Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. The government reports on the U.S. trade deficit for June on Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2013. AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)WASHINGTON (AP) — A sharp decline in the trade deficit with other nations suggests the U.S. economy grew this spring at a faster pace than previously estimated, helped by a record level of exports.

Maj. Hasan: Evidence will show 'I am the shooter'

Posted: 06 Aug 2013 11:12 AM PDT

A U.S. solider stands guard outside where the court-martial of Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan is beginning, Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2013, in Forth Hood, Texas. After years of delays, the trial of the man who carried out the Fort Hood shooting is starting, with Hasan representing himself against charges of murder and attempted murder for the 2009 attack that left 13 people dead on the Army post. (AP Photo/LM Otero)FORT HOOD, Texas (AP) — The Army psychiatrist accused in the 2009 shooting rampage at Fort Hood targeted fellow soldiers in a meticulously planned attack that included stockpiling bullets and researching Taliban leaders calling for jihad, a military prosecutor said Tuesday during the opening day of the long-awaited trial.

Havana skaters defy scarcity to keep on rolling

Posted: 06 Aug 2013 11:08 AM PDT

In this Wednesday, July 31, 2013 photo, skaters pose for a photo with a man on a his bicycle in the Malecon in Havana, Cuba. Like listening to rock music in the 1960s, interest in such a uniquely American import once marked the young skaters as socially suspicious. But attitudes have changed, and today a small but thriving urban tribe of pierced youths prowls Havana's streets, looking to have fun and, just maybe, land the perfect trick. (AP Photo/Franklin Reyes)HAVANA (AP) — Some call Che Pando the godfather of Havana's skateboarding scene, and the 40-year-old tattoo artist can still recall how tough things were in the 1980s when he and a handful of other pioneers first started shredding in public squares.

U.S. senators urge Egypt dialogue, prisoner release

Posted: 06 Aug 2013 11:07 AM PDT

Egypt's Armed Forces General Sisi meets with U.S. Senators' McCain and Graham at the Ministry of Defense in CairoBy Maggie Fick and Yasmine Saleh CAIRO (Reuters) - Two senior U.S. senators delivered a strong message on Tuesday to the Egyptian military, saying it should release political prisoners, start a national dialogue and return the Arab nation swiftly to democratic rule. Republicans Lindsey Graham and John McCain were sent to Cairo by U.S. President Barack Obama to help resolve the crisis brought on by the army's overthrow of elected Islamist President Mohamed Mursi. ...
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