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Tuesday, March 18, 2014

'The Walking Dead' tops Nielsen dramas

'The Walking Dead' tops Nielsen dramas

'The Walking Dead' tops Nielsen dramas

Posted: 18 Mar 2014 01:22 PM PDT

NEW YORK (AP) — The broadcast television networks showed some 20 original dramas among the 50 most-popular programs last week, yet cable's sensation "The Walking Dead" beat them all.

Ex-Colombia rebel admits kidnapping Americans

Posted: 18 Mar 2014 01:22 PM PDT

Colombian policemen guard FARC member Alexander Herrera, before his extraditation to the United States in Bogota on March 9, 2012A former commander of Colombia's FARC rebels faces up to 60 years in prison after pleading guilty Tuesday to charges stemming from the kidnapping of three US citizens in 2003, US justice officials said. Alexander Beltran Herrera, 37, admitted three counts of hostage-taking during an appearance in federal court in Washington following his extradition to the United States in 2012. Beltran Herrera had been a member and commander in FARC, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, during a 15-year spell with the group between 1994 and 2009. He will be sentenced on July 25 in Washington, a statement said.

Gettysburg book wins $50,000 history prize

Posted: 18 Mar 2014 01:21 PM PDT

NEW YORK (AP) — A book about the Civil War conflict in Gettysburg has won a $50,000 prize.

Barra apologizes for deaths tied to recalled cars

Posted: 18 Mar 2014 01:14 PM PDT

FILE - In this Thursday, Jan. 23, 2014, file photo, General Motors CEO Mary Barra ddresses the media during a roundtable meeting with journalists in Detroit. Barra says it's likely she will testify before congressional committees investigating the company's handling of a faulty ignition switch that is tied to 12 deaths. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio, File)DETROIT (AP) — The top executive of General Motors apologized for deaths linked to the delayed recall of 1.6 million small cars, saying the company took too long to bring the cars in for repairs.

Stocks gain after reports on housing, Ukraine

Posted: 18 Mar 2014 01:13 PM PDT

In this Wednesday, March 12, 2014, photo, specialists Anthony Matesic, left, and John Urrbanowitz confer as they work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. Asian stocks advanced Tuesday, March 18, 2014, on stronger U.S. factory production and relief that sanctions imposed on Russia following the Crimea reference avoid its vital economic interests. European markets were down. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks are closing higher after some encouraging news on housing and on hopes that the conflict between Russia and the West over Ukraine won't escalate.

Panthers QB Newton to have surgery, out 4 months

Posted: 18 Mar 2014 01:13 PM PDT

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The Carolina Panthers have announced that quarterback Cam Newton will undergo surgery Wednesday on his left ankle and will be sidelined for four months.

Putin signs Crimea treaty as Ukraine serviceman dies in attack

Posted: 18 Mar 2014 01:12 PM PDT

By Steve Gutterman and Pavel Polityuk MOSCOW/KIEV (Reuters) - Defying Ukrainian protests and Western sanctions, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a treaty in Moscow on Tuesday making Crimea part of Russia again but said he did not plan to seize any other regions of Ukraine. On the peninsula, a Ukrainian serviceman was killed when a base still held by Kiev came under attack in the main town of Simferopol, the first death in Crimea from a military clash since Russia seized control three weeks ago. Kiev said the attackers had been wearing Russian military uniforms and responded by authorizing its soldiers in Crimea to use weapons to protect their lives, reversing previous orders that they should avoid using arms against attack.

Concerns about cancer centers under health law

Posted: 18 Mar 2014 01:10 PM PDT

This photo taken Feb. 24, 2014, provided by the Roswell Park Cancer Institute, shows Dr. Willie Underwood, a urologic oncologist at Roswell Park Cancer Institute, examining patient Richard Waldrop at the Roswell Park Cancer Institute, in Buffalo, N.Y. Cancer patients relieved that they can get insurance coverage because of the new health care law may be disappointed to learn that some of the nation's best cancer hospitals are off limits. Only four of 19 nationally recognized comprehensive cancer centers that responded to an Associated Press survey said patients have access through all the insurance companies in their state's exchange, or primary market. (AP Photo/Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Bill Sheff)WASHINGTON (AP) — Some of America's best cancer hospitals are off-limits to many of the people now signing up for coverage under the nation's new health care program.

NSA collects all phone calls in a foreign country

Posted: 18 Mar 2014 01:10 PM PDT

WASHINGTON (AP) — The National Security Agency has been recording all of a foreign country's phone calls, then listening to the conversations up to a month later, The Washington Post reported Tuesday.

Thai radar might have tracked missing plane

Posted: 18 Mar 2014 01:07 PM PDT

Visitors are silhouetted against a slideshow of best wishes for the missing Malaysia Airline, MH370, during an event at a shopping mall, in Petaling Jaya, on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Tuesday, March 18, 2014. A coalition of 26 countries, including Thailand, are looking for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, which vanished March 8 with 239 people aboard on a night flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. Search crews are scouring two giant arcs of territory amounting to the size of Australia — half of it in the remote seas of the southern Indian Ocean. (AP Photo/Joshua Paul)KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — Ten days after a Malaysian jetliner disappeared, Thailand's military said Tuesday it saw radar blips that might have been from the missing plane but didn't report it "because we did not pay attention to it."

Report details out-of-sync response to LAX shooter

Posted: 18 Mar 2014 01:06 PM PDT

FILE - In this Nov. 1, 2013 file photo provided to the AP, which has been authenticated based on its contents and other AP reporting, police officers stand near a weapon at the Los Angeles International Airport after a gunman opened fire in the terminal, killing one person and wounding several others. A report on the emergency response to the shooting cites serious shortcomings in communication between agencies that left major commanders in the dark and a long lag in establishing a coordinated response. (AP Photo/File)LOS ANGELES (AP) — Los Angeles International Airport was ill prepared for a crisis when a gunman ambushed security officers last year, and the emergency response was hindered by communication problems and poor coordination, according to a report released Tuesday.

Fast-food protests shift focus to 'wage theft'

Posted: 18 Mar 2014 01:05 PM PDT

NEW YORK (AP) — Organizers of the fast-food protests for higher pay on Tuesday shifted their attention to another issue: "wage theft."

Auburn hires Bruce Pearl as basketball coach

Posted: 18 Mar 2014 01:04 PM PDT

FILE - In this March 6, 2010 file photo, Tennessee head coach Bruce Pearl reacts during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game in Starkville, Miss. Auburn has hired former Tennessee coach Pearl to lead a struggling basketball program. The school announced the hiring on Tuesday, March 18, 2014, of the charismatic coach, who remains under a show-cause penalty from the NCAA. (AP Photo/Kerry Smith, File)AUBURN, Ala. (AP) — Auburn has hired former Tennessee coach Bruce Pearl to revive a struggling basketball program that hasn't been to the NCAA tournament in more than a decade.

War crimes evidence in Syria solid enough for indictment: U.N.

Posted: 18 Mar 2014 01:04 PM PDT

A man inspects the damage at a site hit by what activists said were barrel bombs dropped by forces loyal to Syria's President Bashar al-Assad in Aleppo's district of al-SukariBy Stephanie Nebehay GENEVA (Reuters) - U.N. investigators said on Tuesday they had expanded their list of suspected war criminals from both sides in Syria's civil war and the evidence was solid enough to prepare any indictment. The U.N. inquiry has identified individuals, military units and security agencies as well as insurgent groups suspected of committing abuses such as torture and bombing civilian areas, it said in its report to the United Nations Human Rights Council. Some 20 investigators have carried out 2,700 interviews with victims, witnesses and defectors in the region and by Skype in Syria, but have never been allowed to enter the country now in its fourth year of an increasingly sectarian conflict. However, despite the accumulation of evidence, diplomats say it is unlikely Syria would be referred to the International Criminal Court (ICC) that tries war crimes suspects in The Hague any time soon.

Serena readies for Miami tourney near home

Posted: 18 Mar 2014 01:03 PM PDT

KEY BISCAYNE, Fla. (AP) — Defending champion Serena Williams is a six-time winner at the Sony Open, collecting more trophies than she's won at any other tournament.

New York probes special deals for high-speed traders

Posted: 18 Mar 2014 12:58 PM PDT

New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman speaks at a press conference on March 3, 2014 in New York CityNew York's top prosecutor Tuesday vowed to end special concessions that exchanges provide to high-speed securities traders, giving them an unfair advantage over retail investors. New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman said the "special services" include providing high-speed traders with extra network bandwidth, or permitting them to locate computer servers at the exchanges themselves. These services can result in a timing advantage, often in milliseconds, that ensures high-speed traders "risk-free" transactions, Schneiderman said in a statement. Schneiderman's office recently launched an inquiry into services provided especially to high-speed traders by the New York Stock Exchange, Nasdaq and other exchanges, according to a person familiar with the matter.

Judge bars 9/11 mastermind's testimony in NYC

Posted: 18 Mar 2014 12:57 PM PDT

FILE - This image made from video provided by by Al-Jazeera shows Sulaiman Abu Ghaith, Osama bin Laden's son-in-law and spokesman. Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the self-described mastermind of the Sept. 11 attacks, says Abu Ghaith, who is on trial in New York, had no role in planning military operations for al-Qaida. Mohammed said in a statement filed in Manhattan federal court late Sunday, March 16, 2014 that Abu Ghaith served as an al-Qaida spokesman because he was "an eloquent, spellbinding speaker." (AP Photo/Al-Jazeera, File)NEW YORK (AP) — A federal judge ruled Tuesday that the self-described architect of the Sept. 11 attacks will not be allowed to testify in the terrorism trial of Osama bin Laden's son-in-law, but defense lawyers later asked him to reconsider.

Paging Tommy John: Pitchers having painful spring

Posted: 18 Mar 2014 01:26 PM PDT

FILE - In this March 5, 2014, file photo, Oakland Athletics' Jarrod Parker throws before an exhibition spring training baseball game against the Milwaukee Brewers in Phoenix. All over spring training, there's been an outbreak of wrecked elbows and pained pitchers. The AL West champion Athletics once again lost Parker to an operation. (AP Photo/Morry Gash, File)TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Jarrod Parker, Kris Medlen and Luke Hochevar are out for the season, Patrick Corbin and Brandon Beachy might join them in the operating room.

IRS: Worker took home personal info on 20K workers

Posted: 18 Mar 2014 01:27 PM PDT

WASHINGTON (AP) — An Internal Revenue Service employee took home personal information on about 20,000 IRS workers, former workers and contractors, putting the data at risk for public release, the agency said Tuesday.

Obama giving Medal of Honor to 24 vets from 3 wars

Posted: 18 Mar 2014 12:55 PM PDT

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama is presenting 24 Medals of Honor in a rare ceremony meant to commemorate acts of bravery that the government concluded should have been recognized long time ago.

'NSA can retrieve, replay phone calls'

Posted: 18 Mar 2014 12:52 PM PDT

Civil liberties activists hold a rally against surveillance by the National Security Agency (NSA) at the Justice Department in Washington on January 17, 2014America's National Security Agency has technology that is capable of recording the phone calls of an entire country and replaying them later, a report based on leaked documents said Tuesday. The Washington Post, citing papers released by the former NSA contractor Edward Snowden, said the eavesdropping agency's equipment functions like a time machine by being able to reach into the past. The report said the NSA can collect 100 percent of the calls of a target country, reaching as far back as one month with tools called MYSTIC and RETRO. A classified summary of the program cited by the Post said an NSA collection system can store billions of calls in a 30-day rolling buffer that clears the oldest calls as new ones arrive.

Russia, US set aside Ukraine crisis for Iran nuclear talks

Posted: 18 Mar 2014 12:48 PM PDT

Catherine Ashton (L), EU foreign affairs chief, and Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif attend the first day of the second P5+1 talks with Iran at the UN headquarters in Vienna on March 18, 2014Russia, the United States and other world powers put their sharp differences over Ukraine to one side on Tuesday as they held their latest nuclear talks with Iran in Vienna. So far, despite disagreements over the Syria conflict and other issues, the six powers have shown a united front over Iran, but events in Ukraine in recent weeks have precipitated the worst crisis in East-West relations since the Cold War. On Tuesday Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a treaty claiming Crimea as Russian territory and said the Black Sea peninsula has always been "in the hearts" of his compatriots. Despite the tensions, a spokesman for Catherine Ashton, the powers' chief negotiator and EU foreign policy chief, said he had seen "no negative effect" on the Iran talks, with the six "still united".

Candidates vie for Afghan women's vote

Posted: 18 Mar 2014 12:42 PM PDT

Afghan women push to enter a room to register for the upcoming presidential elections in a school in Kabul, Afghanistan, Tuesday, March 18, 2014. Last minute registration of voters continues despite the fact that more than 21 million voter registration cards have been issued while only roughly 12 million Afghans are eligible to vote. The discrepancy is the result of repeated registrations since the first round of elections in Afghanistan in 2004. (AP Photo/Anja Niedringhaus)KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — The candidate strode down the aisle separating hundreds of male and female supporters at a campaign rally in Kabul. She shook hands with the women filling the chairs to her right. To the men on the other side, she simply nodded.

Iraq officials say bombings kill 15 people

Posted: 18 Mar 2014 12:42 PM PDT

BAGHDAD (AP) — A series of bombings targeting commercial streets and security forces in Baghdad and its surroundings killed 15 people on Tuesday, officials said.

Palestinians seek to drill for oil in West Bank

Posted: 18 Mar 2014 12:41 PM PDT

JERUSALEM (AP) — The Palestinian Authority on Tuesday announced plans to explore for oil in the West Bank, throwing a new element of uncertainty and confusion into troubled U.S.-backed peace efforts.

Jagger pays tribute to companion, Stones halt tour

Posted: 18 Mar 2014 12:40 PM PDT

La diseñadora L'Wren Scott y su novio Mick Jagger tras el desfile de su colección otoño 2012 en la Semana de la Moda de Nueva York en una fotografía del 16 de febrero de 2012. Scott apareció muerta el lunes 17 de marzo de 2014 en Manhattan por un aparente suicidio. (Foto AP/Richard Drew, archivo)NEW YORK (AP) — Mick Jagger paid poignant tribute to his late companion, designer L'Wren Scott, on Tuesday, calling her his "lover and best friend" and saying he was struggling to understand why she might have taken her own life.

Donahue fired as Boston College basketball coach

Posted: 18 Mar 2014 12:35 PM PDT

BOSTON (AP) — Steve Donahue was fired as basketball coach at Boston College on Tuesday after failing to take the Eagles to the NCAA tournament in his four seasons.

Chechen warlord who threatened Sochi reported dead

Posted: 18 Mar 2014 12:34 PM PDT

FILE - In this screen shot taken in Moscow, Wednesday, Dec. 2, 2009 off a computer screen showing an undated photo of a man identified as Chechen separatist leader Doku Umarov, posted on the Kavkazcenter.com site. An Islamic militant group in Russia's North Caucasus is reporting the death of its leader, who had threatened to attack Sochi Olympics and was one of Russia's most wanted men. The death of Chechen warlord Doku Umarov has been reported previously, but this appears to be the first time by the organization he headed. (AP Photo/Kavkazcenter.com, file)MOSCOW (AP) — Doku Umarov, a Chechen warlord who had threatened to attack the Sochi Olympics and claimed responsibility for some of Russia's deadliest terror attacks in recent years, was reported dead on Tuesday by the Islamic militant group he led. One of Russia's most wanted men, he was 49.

Report: Pentagon must focus on insider threat

Posted: 18 Mar 2014 12:34 PM PDT

FILE - This Sept. 17, 2013 file photo shows an armed officer who said he is with the Defense Department, standing near guard the gate at the Washington Navy Yard the day after a gunman launched an attack inside the Yard. An independent review triggered by the Washington Navy Yard killings last year says threats to Defense Department personnel and facilities increasingly are coming from within. It says the department must rethink its outdated security theory that suggests defending the perimeters can keep threats away. Instead, it says that terrorism, espionage and even physical threats are coming from trusted insiders. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File)WASHINGTON (AP) — Threats to Defense Department personnel and facilities increasingly are coming from trusted insiders, and to defeat them the Pentagon must beef up security from within, according to several reviews triggered by last year's Washington Navy Yard killings.

Prosecutor: Sex assault victim was black-out drunk

Posted: 18 Mar 2014 12:30 PM PDT

FILE - This July, 24, 2013 file photo provided by the U.S. Naval Academy shows Midshipman Joshua Tate, a former U.S. Naval Academy football player accused of sexual assault. Lawyers are expected to give opening statements Tuesday in the court-martial of Joshua Tate of Nashville, Tenn. Opening statements had been scheduled for Monday but were delayed because of snow. (AP Photo/U.S. Naval Academy, File)WASHINGTON (AP) — A woman sexually assaulted by a former Naval Academy football player was so drunk at a party that she blacked out, walking and talking but not remembering what was going on, a prosecutor said Tuesday.

Morocco sees record 2013 tourism; 10M visitors

Posted: 18 Mar 2014 12:27 PM PDT

RABAT, Morocco (AP) — Morocco's tourism minister says a record-breaking 10 million people visited the North African country in 2013, indicating the industry is recovering from the setbacks of the Arab Spring revolutions.

Google redesigns Android to power smartwatches

Posted: 18 Mar 2014 12:26 PM PDT

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Google thinks it's time for an Internet-connected watch that performs many of the same tasks as a smartphone but with fewer distractions and rude interruptions.

Greenpeace stages audacious protest at France's oldest nuclear plant

Posted: 18 Mar 2014 12:21 PM PDT

Militants of Greenpeace deploy a banner reading "Stop risking Europe" on a reactor of the nuclear power plant of Fessenheim on March 18, 2014Fessenheim (France) (AFP) - Dozens of Greenpeace activists sneaked into France's oldest nuclear power plant Tuesday to highlight alleged security weaknesses at atomic facilities, prompting the government to pledge to reinforce protection of the sensitive sites. The 60-odd activists broke into the Fessenheim plant in eastern France near the border with Germany and Switzerland and hung a banner reading "Stop risking Europe" on the side of one of its reactors. The action, which the environmental group said aimed "to denounce the risk of French nuclear power for the whole of Europe", prompted Ecology Minister Philippe Martin to take immediate action.

Egypt leader writes detained journalist's family

Posted: 18 Mar 2014 12:20 PM PDT

CAIRO (AP) — In a rare gesture, Egypt's interim president has written to the family of an Australian journalist being tried on terrorism charges for his work with Qatar-based broadcaster Al-Jazeera, saying he would to push to expedite the case.

Newspaper: NSA collects calls in 1 foreign country

Posted: 18 Mar 2014 12:18 PM PDT

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Washington Post is reporting that the National Security Agency has been sweeping up all of a foreign country's telephone calls, then rewinding and listening to the conversations up to a month later.

Seattle news helicopter crash: 'Ball of flames'

Posted: 18 Mar 2014 12:14 PM PDT

SEATTLE (AP) — A news helicopter crashed into the street and exploded into flames Tuesday near Seattle's Space Needle, killing two people on board, badly injuring a man in a car and sending plumes of black smoke over the city during the morning commute.

Mayor: Communications improved after LAX shooting

Posted: 18 Mar 2014 12:12 PM PDT

FILE - In this Nov. 1, 2013 file photo provided to the AP, which has been authenticated based on its contents and other AP reporting, police officers stand near a weapon at the Los Angeles International Airport after a gunman opened fire in the terminal, killing one person and wounding several others. A report on the emergency response to the shooting cites serious shortcomings in communication between agencies that left major commanders in the dark and a long lag in establishing a coordinated response. (AP Photo/File)LOS ANGELES (AP) — Mayor Eric Garcetti says last year's deadly shooting at Los Angeles International Airport exposed shortcomings in the airport's emergency communications infrastructure that have been addressed.

Ronaldo starts in much-changed Madrid side

Posted: 18 Mar 2014 12:11 PM PDT

Real Madrid's Portuguese forward Cristiano Ronaldo reacts during the Spanish league football match Malaga CF vs Real Madrid CF at Rosaleda stadium in Malaga on March 15, 2014Madrid (AFP) - Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti named Cristiano Ronaldo in his starting line-up for their Champions League last 16, second leg against Schalke despite leading 6-1 from the first leg.

2nd day of sentencing in US Army general sex case

Posted: 18 Mar 2014 12:07 PM PDT

Brig. Gen. Jeffrey Sinclair shakes hands with his defense attorney Ellen C. Brotman outside the Fort Bragg, N.C., courthouse, Monday, March 17, 2014. Sinclair, who admitted to improper relationships with three subordinates, appeared to choke up as he told a judge that he'd failed the female captain who had leveled the most serious accusations against him. (AP Photo/The Fayetteville Observer, Johnny Horne)FORT BRAGG, N.C. (AP) — Suspicions of an Army general's extramarital affair with a subordinate had circulated widely enough that soldiers portrayed the two in a sexually suggestive skit at a 2010 party, according to witness testimony Tuesday.

Pushing back on Russia, Biden vows more sanctions

Posted: 18 Mar 2014 12:03 PM PDT

U.S. Vice President Joe Biden, right, and Estonian President Toomas Hendrik Ilves shake hands after meeting the media in Warsaw, Poland, Tuesday, March 18, 2014. Biden arrived in Warsaw for consultations with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, Polish President Bronislaw Komorowski and Estonian President Toomas Hendrik Ilves , a few hours after Russian President Vladimir Putin approved a draft bill for the annexation of Crimea, one of a flurry of steps to formally take over the Black Sea peninsula. (AP Photo/Alik Keplicz)WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Denouncing Russia's actions in Crimea as "nothing more than a land grab," Vice President Joe Biden warned Russia on Tuesday that the U.S. and Europe will impose further sanctions as Moscow moved to annex part of Ukraine.
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