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Thursday, March 20, 2014

US general spared prison in sexual misconduct case

US general spared prison in sexual misconduct case

US general spared prison in sexual misconduct case

Posted: 20 Mar 2014 01:21 PM PDT

Brig. Gen. Jeffrey Sinclair, who admitted to inappropriate relationships with three subordinates, arrives at the courthouse for sentencing at Fort Bragg, N.C., Thursday, March 20, 2014. Sinclair was reprimanded and docked $20,000 in pay Thursday, avoiding jail time in one of the U.S. military's most closely watched courts-martial.(AP Photo/Ellen Ozier)FORT BRAGG, N.C. (AP) — The Army general at the center of a sexual misconduct case that put the military justice system itself on trial was spared prison Thursday and sentenced to a reprimand and a $20,000 fine — a punishment legal experts, a women's group and members of Congress decried as shockingly light.

IRS watchdog says phone scam is largest ever

Posted: 20 Mar 2014 01:21 PM PDT

WASHINGTON (AP) — More than 20,000 taxpayers have been targeted by fake Internal Revenue Service agents in the largest phone scam the agency has ever seen, the IRS inspector general said Thursday.

Veterans' unemployment edges down but remains high

Posted: 20 Mar 2014 01:18 PM PDT

WASHINGTON (AP) — The unemployment rate for veterans who served since 2001 dipped slightly in 2013 to 9 percent, the Labor Department reported Thursday. That's down from 9.9 percent the year before, but well above overall civilian unemployment levels of around 7 percent over the same period.

Police: Suspect in California deputy slaying linked to fire, shooting death in Oregon

Posted: 20 Mar 2014 01:16 PM PDT

CLEONE, Calif. (AP) — Police: Suspect in California deputy slaying linked to fire, shooting death in Oregon.

Starbucks to roll out beer, wine to more cafes

Posted: 20 Mar 2014 01:15 PM PDT

NEW YORK (AP) — Starbucks plans to turn more of its cafes into a destination for beer and wine in the evenings.

Obama pledges to address gender pay gap

Posted: 20 Mar 2014 01:15 PM PDT

U.S. President Obama pauses while making a statement about Ukraine on the South Lawn of the White House in WashingtonBy Mark Felsenthal ORLANDO, Florida (Reuters) - President Barack Obama used a speech at a community college on Thursday to begin a series of events highlighting economic issues affecting women such as the gender pay gap in which women earn three-quarters as much as their male counterparts. He spoke at the Orlando campus of Valencia College, a two-year institution that has been recognized for placing students in jobs and sending them on for higher degrees. The White House plans similar events in Denver, Boston, Chicago, San Francisco, and New York. The measures would all be aimed at making it easier for women to find good jobs and be paid at levels that match those of their male counterparts.

Syrian troops capture famed Crusader castle

Posted: 20 Mar 2014 01:12 PM PDT

This Wednesday, March. 19, 2014 photo provided by the anti-government activist group Aleppo Media Center (AMC), which has been authenticated based on its contents and other AP reporting, Syrians inspect the rubble of destroyed buildings following a Syrian government airstrike in Aleppo, Syria. (AP Photo/Aleppo Media Center AMC)BEIRUT (AP) — Syrian troops captured a famed Crusader castle near the border with Lebanon on Thursday, running the two-starred government flag high above the stone ramparts of the 12th century fortress after days of intense clashes with rebel fighters.

Stocks rebound from Fed-sparked losses

Posted: 20 Mar 2014 01:12 PM PDT

Traders on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange react to an announcement from the Federal Reserve during the afternoon of March 19, 2014 in New York CityNew York (AFP) - US stocks rebounded on Thursday from the previous Federal Reserve-sparked losses, as markets turned to favorable US economic data for inspiration.

Venezuela moves swiftly against opposition

Posted: 20 Mar 2014 01:12 PM PDT

An anti-government demonstrator takes part in a protest in Plaza Altamira,Caracas, Venezuela, Wednesday, March 19, 2014. Caracas and other Venezuelan cities have been roiled by more than a month of anti-government demonstrations. Student-led protests that began in early February have drawn support from middle-class people frustrated by inflation, soaring violent crime and shortages of basic items such as cooking oil and toilet paper. (AP Photo/Esteban Felix)CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has used the military, legislative and judicial power consolidated during 15 years of socialist rule in a sudden series of blows against opponents who have spent more than a month protesting in the streets, knocking down their barricades and throwing dissident leaders in jail.

Health care law has uneven impact on companies

Posted: 20 Mar 2014 01:12 PM PDT

Sarah Curtis-Fawley will have to offer insurance to her workers at Pacific Pie Co. because of the health care overhaul, and the estimated $100,000 cost means she may have to raise prices or postpone opening a third restaurant.

West, Russia trade tit-for-tat sanctions over Ukraine crisis

Posted: 20 Mar 2014 01:11 PM PDT

Russia's President Vladimir Putin looks on during his meeting with Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu in the Kremlin in Moscow on March 20, 2014.US President Barack Obama announced a new round of punitive measures for Moscow's annexation of Crimea on Thursday as Europe's leaders also readied to hit back at Russia with fresh sanctions. But in Moscow, where the lower house of parliament rubber-stamped the absorption of the rebel peninsula, Russia issued its own list of sanctions against nine US officials, including senior political figures and presidential aides. Obama, who threatened to target the broader Russian economy if Moscow does not reverse course, said: "Russia must know that further escalation will only isolate it further from the international community." Among those named are top businessmen close to President Vladimir Putin such as billionaires Gennady Timchenko, Arkady Rotenberg and Boris Rotenberg plus a bank used by close associates.

Rome's iconic Spanish Steps getting a face-lift

Posted: 20 Mar 2014 01:08 PM PDT

FILE - In this Wednesday, June 20, 2012 file photo, a tourists cools off in the 17th-century Bernini fountain, also known as Barcaccia, in front of the historical Spanish Steps in Rome. Rome's iconic Spanish Steps are getting a makeover. High-end jeweler Bulgari is donating 1.5 million euros ($2 million) to the city of Rome to restore the staircase that connects the swank Piazza di Spagna with the Trinita dei Monti church above. It's the latest Italian luxury brand to step in to spruce up Rome's historic landmarks as public funding dips: Shoemaker Tod's has put up 25 million euros to restore the Colosseum while fashion house Fendi is taking care of Rome's fountains. The restoration announced Thursday, March 20, 2014, involves cleaning the travertine steps, removing plants that have sprung up in cracks and repairing steps that have been chipped since the last major renovation in 1995. Bulgari, whose flagship store is just down the street, offered the funding to mark its 130th anniversary. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini, File)ROME (AP) — Rome's iconic Spanish Steps are getting a makeover.

Israel says eight Iranian Jews missing since 1990s were murdered

Posted: 20 Mar 2014 01:08 PM PDT

Israel declared dead on Thursday eight Iranian Jews who disappeared while trying to leave Iran in the 1990s, saying its Mossad intelligence service had proof that they had been murdered. The men were among 12 members of the Islamic republic's Jewish minority whose disappearances in 1994 and 1997, and the attendant silence from Tehran, have been cited by the U.S. State Department as pointing to possible anti-Semitic persecution. The families of the eight had pressed Israel to seek information about their fate as part of its past prisoner swaps with Iranian-backed Lebanese militia Hezbollah. Iran is deeply hostile to the Jewish state, precluding any direct inquiries.

Better news on the US economy drives stocks higher

Posted: 20 Mar 2014 01:08 PM PDT

FILE - In this Friday, March 14, 2014, file photo, trader Steven Kaplan works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. Global stocks fell Thursday March 20, 2014 after comments from the new head of the Federal Reserve suggested U.S. interest rates could rise sooner than financial markets were anticipating. (AP Photo/Richard Drew. File)NEW YORK (AP) — The stock market is closing higher as encouraging news about the U.S. economy outweighs concerns that interest rates could start climbing sooner than many people had expected.

Police will release new Kurt Cobain photo

Posted: 20 Mar 2014 01:08 PM PDT

SEATTLE (AP) — With the 20th anniversary of Kurt Cobain's death approaching, a Seattle police detective re-examined the case files in connection with the Nirvana front man's suicide.

Benfica survive Spurs onslaught to reach last eight

Posted: 20 Mar 2014 01:05 PM PDT

Benfica's Brazilian forward Rodrigo Lima (C) celebrates after scoring a goal during the UEFA Europa League Round of 16 football match SL Benfica vs Tottenham Hotspur FC at the Luz stadium in Lisbon on March 20, 2014Benfica survived a dramatic late onslaught from Tottenham to reach the Europa League quarter-finals with a 2-2 draw in Thursday's last 16 second leg in Lisbon. After winning the first leg 3-1 at White Hart Lane last week, Jorge Jesus's team appeared to be cruising towards the last eight when Ezequiel Garay scored in the first half at the Estadio da Luz. But Nacer Chadli struck twice in quick succession late in the second half to give Spurs hope of forcing extra-time. Benfica barely managed to hold out before Rodrigo Lima's penalty in stoppage-time sealed a 5-3 aggregate success which secured the Portuguese club's spot in Friday's quarter-final draw.

Mayor: Death of NYC inmate in hot cell 'shocking'

Posted: 20 Mar 2014 01:04 PM PDT

In this March 12, 2014 photo, a picture of Jerome Murdough is held by his mother Alma Murdough left, and sister Cheryl Warner at Alma Murdough's home in the Queens borough of New York. Jerome Murdough, a mentally ill, homeless former Marine arrested for sleeping in the roof landing of a New York City public housing project during one of the coldest recorded winters in city history, died last month in a Rikers Island jail cell that multiple city officials say was at least 100 degrees when his body was discovered. Murdough, 56, was found dead in his cell in a mental observation unit in the early hours of Feb. 15, after excessive heat, believed to be caused by an equipment malfunction, redirected it's flow to his upper-level cell, the officials said. (AP Photo/Jason DeCrow)NEW YORK (AP) — New York Mayor Bill de Blasio is calling the death of a mentally ill veteran in an overheated jail cell "shocking and troubling."

All big U.S. banks but one pass Fed's health test

Posted: 20 Mar 2014 01:04 PM PDT

Sun rises to the east of the U.S. Federal Reserve building in WashingtonBy Emily Stephenson WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. big banks have enough capital buffers to withstand a drastic economic downturn, the Federal Reserve said on Thursday, announcing that 29 out of 30 major banks met the minimum hurdle in its annual health check. All of the big banks except for Zions Bancorp stayed above the 5 percent requirement for top-tier capital in the latest round of stress tests. "The annual stress test is one of the Federal Reserve's most important tools to gauge the resiliency of the financial sector and to help ensure that the largest firms have strong capital positions," Fed Governor Daniel Tarullo said in a statement. Stress tests are closely watched by financial markets as a sign of the industry's health, and also because the Fed can reject banks' plans to return capital to shareholders if they think the banks are not strong enough to carry them out.

Nearly all major US banks pass Fed 'stress tests'

Posted: 20 Mar 2014 01:03 PM PDT

WASHINGTON (AP) — All but one of the nation's 30 largest banks are better able to withstand a severe U.S. recession and global downturn than at any time since the financial crisis, the Federal Reserve has determined.

Salman Rushdie, Twitter CEO to receive PEN awards

Posted: 20 Mar 2014 01:03 PM PDT

NEW YORK (AP) — One writes novels and likes to tweet. The other is Twitter's CEO. Both men, Salman Rushdie and Dick Costolo, will be honored May 5 in New York at the annual gala of the PEN American Center.

Russian economy, tycoons take hit in Crimea crisis

Posted: 20 Mar 2014 01:01 PM PDT

The head of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs Alexander Shokhin, left, listens as Russia's President Vladimir Putin speaks at a congress of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs in Moscow, Russia, on Thursday, March 20, 2014. (AP Photo/ Sergei Chirikov, pool)MOSCOW (AP) — Russia's most powerful businessmen waited for over an hour Thursday to hear from President Vladimir Putin, whose decision to annex the Crimean Peninsula has cost their companies hundreds of millions of dollars in market value.

TW Cable execs set to get $135M 'golden parachute'

Posted: 20 Mar 2014 12:59 PM PDT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Departing Time Warner Cable Inc. executives are in line to receive "golden parachute" compensation totaling around $135 million as part of Comcast Corp.'s $45 billion acquisition of the cable operator.

In Fla., Obama calls for equal pay for women

Posted: 20 Mar 2014 12:59 PM PDT

President Barack Obama shakes hands after speaking at Valencia College in Orlando, Fla., Thursday, March 20, 2014. Obama is visiting the school to highlight women's economic issues. He will also then travel to Miami for a pair of fundraisers for the democrats before returning to Washington later tonight. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Amid grappling with crisis in Ukraine, President Barack Obama made a pitch for women's pocketbook issues Thursday, calling for legislation requiring equal pay for equal work and saying Congress would get more done if it had more women.

Possible debris off Australia a "credible lead" for missing Malaysia jet

Posted: 20 Mar 2014 12:59 PM PDT

Satellite imagery provided to AMSA of objects that may be possible debris of the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370By Jane Wardell and Siva Govindasamy SYDNEY/KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - Aircraft and ships ploughed through dire weather in search of objects floating in remote seas off Australia that Malaysia's government called a "credible lead" in the trans-continental hunt for a jetliner missing for nearly two weeks. New Zealand's air force, whose P-3K2 Orion returned from a 2 1/2-hour search mission in the Indian Ocean early on Friday, said it had found nothing that could have come from the Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 which disappeared on March 8. "The crew never found any object of significance," Kevin Short, air vice marshal at New Zealand's Defense Forces, told Radio New Zealand. The large objects which Australian officials said were spotted by satellite four days ago are the most promising find in days as searchers scour a vast area for the plane lost with 239 people on board.

Pelosi says health law a winner for Dems

Posted: 20 Mar 2014 12:57 PM PDT

WASHINGTON (AP) — A defiant House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi declared firmly Thursday that the health care law looms as a political winner for her party this fall, despite ceaseless Republican attacks and palpable nervousness among some of her rank and file who fear their re-election may be in jeopardy because of it.

Russian: No military moves planned against Ukraine

Posted: 20 Mar 2014 12:55 PM PDT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Russia's defense chief assured Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel on Thursday that Russian forces along Ukraine's eastern border have no intention of crossing into Ukrainian territory.

Landfill search for 'E.T.' video game halted

Posted: 20 Mar 2014 12:54 PM PDT

ALAMOGORDO, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico environmental regulators are blocking two companies from digging up an Alamogordo landfill in search of a rumored cache of what some consider the worst Atari video game of all time.

4 gunmen killed in attack on luxury Afghan hotel

Posted: 20 Mar 2014 12:48 PM PDT

Afghan police officers arrive to the scene after a multi-pronged attack on a police station in Jalalabad, the capital of eastern Nangarhar province, Afghanistan, Thursday, March 20, 2014. Taliban insurgents staged the attack, using a suicide bomber and gunmen to lay siege to the station, government officials said. Two remotely detonated bombs also exploded nearby. (AP Photo/Rahmat Gul)KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — Four gunmen opened fire in a luxury hotel frequented by foreigners in the Afghan capital Thursday, prompting guests and staff members to take refuge in the basement as security forces killed the assailants in a three-hour standoff, officials said.

NFL tells Steelers they won't lose draft pick

Posted: 20 Mar 2014 12:47 PM PDT

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Pittsburgh Steelers president Art Rooney II says the NFL has told the team it will not be docked a pick in this year's draft for coach Mike Tomlin's foray onto the field against Baltimore last November.

Wisconsin devastates American 75-35 in NCAA opener

Posted: 20 Mar 2014 12:46 PM PDT

Wisconsin forward Sam Dekker, left, and guard Ben Brust celebrate during the second half of a second-round game against the American in the NCAA college basketball tournament Thursday, March 20, 2014, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Phelps)MILWAUKEE (AP) — Wisconsin turned its NCAA tournament opener into a red-and-white party.

Sanford lifts Dayton to 60-59 win over Ohio State

Posted: 20 Mar 2014 12:46 PM PDT

Ohio State's Aaron Craft (4) and Dayton's Jordan Sibert (24) fight for control of the ball during the first half of a second-round game in the NCAA college basketball tournament in Buffalo, N.Y., Thursday, March 20, 2014. (AP Photo/Bill Wippert)BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Ohio State belongs to Dayton.

Judge tosses lawsuit by radio host 'Piolin'

Posted: 20 Mar 2014 12:42 PM PDT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed by Southern California-based Spanish-language radio host Eddie "Piolin" Sotelo against six former Univision employees accusing them of a $4.9 million extortion plot.

Scott off to a record start at Bay Hill

Posted: 20 Mar 2014 12:42 PM PDT

Caddie Steve Williams, left, gestures as he talks to Adam Scott, of Australia, on the 16th fairway during the first round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational golf tournament at Bay Hill Thursday, March 20, 2014, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Masters champion Adam Scott was feeling ill when he arrived at Bay Hill. One majestic round with the putter Thursday made him feel a lot better.

Missing Malaysia plane puts new satellite sensors in the spotlight

Posted: 20 Mar 2014 12:40 PM PDT

A message for passengers onboard the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 is seen on big screen in Kuala LumpurBy Victoria Bryan and Andrea Shalal FRANKFURT/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The unexplained fate of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 has thrown the spotlight on some satellite technologies that will make it easier in future for authorities to track and communicate with aircraft over water and uninhabited areas. The plane vanished from radar screens on March 8 with 239 people aboard. Currently, information on a plane's location can be picked up by ground-based radar, which loses coverage over oceans or remote areas, or it can be combined with optional on-board satellite communications tools that require pilot actions and that airlines, many under budget constraints, must pay for. While automated signals giving an aircraft's location could still be switched off, as may have happened in the Malaysian case, the new satellite sensors could still aid search and rescue efforts and help airlines save fuel.

US teens plead not guilty in Australian's death

Posted: 20 Mar 2014 12:40 PM PDT

FILE - This file photo provided by East Central University shows Christopher Lane, an Australian who was on a baseball scholarship at East Central University in Ada, Okla. Lane was in Duncan, Okla., visiting his girlfriend, when he was shot and killed Friday, Aug. 16, 2013. Arraignments for two teenagers charged in the shooting death of Lane, Chancey Luna, 16, and Michael DeWayne Jones, 18, are scheduled for March 20, 2014. (AP Photo/East Central University Communications & Marketing, Gina Smith, File)DUNCAN, Okla. (AP) — Two Oklahoma teenagers charged in the shooting death of an Australian baseball player in Oklahoma pleaded not guilty and waived their right to a speedy trial during a brief court appearance on Thursday.

Garcia quizzes Blatter, FIFA board on WCup bids

Posted: 20 Mar 2014 12:38 PM PDT

FILE - In this May 10, 2011 file picture Mohamed Bin Hammam, chief of the Asian Football Confederation, talks to local media in Port of Spain, Trinidad & Tobago. Organizers of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar have distanced themselves from fresh allegations of corruption surrounding the Gulf nation's winning bid for the tournament in 2010. The Tuesday March 18, 2014 edition of British newspaper The Daily Telegraph alleges it has evidence that former FIFA vice president Jack Warner and his family were paid almost $2 million from a company controlled by Mohamed Bin Hammam, a Qatari who used to be an executive committee member of world football's governing body (AP Photo/Shirley Bahadur, File)GENEVA (AP) — Sepp Blatter and other FIFA officials involved in choosing Russia and Qatar as future World Cup hosts are facing questions from ethics prosecutor Michael Garcia.

Obama hits closest Putin allies with sanctions over Crimea

Posted: 20 Mar 2014 12:36 PM PDT

Armed men, believed to be a Russian servicemen, walk as they change shifts near a military base in Perevalnoye, near the Crimean city of SimferopolBy Steve Holland and Maria Tsvetkova WASHINGTON/MOSCOW (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama raised the stakes in an East-West confrontation over Crimea on Thursday by targeting some of Russian President Vladimir Putin's closest long-time political and business allies with personal sanctions. The extension of visa bans and asset freezes into Putin's inner circle came as Moscow rushed to consolidate the annexation of the Black Sea peninsula, seized from Ukraine last month, and to boost its military presence in the region. Russian troops took over three Ukrainian warships in Crimea on Thursday, using stun grenades in one incident, a Ukrainian spokesman said. Kiev also said it had begun withdrawing its border guards, surrounded and outnumbered by Russian forces, from Crimea to the mainland.

Insufficient evidence for core allegation in UK Iraqi abuse inquiry: lawyers

Posted: 20 Mar 2014 12:32 PM PDT

By Costas Pitas LONDON (Reuters) - The gravest accusation in an inquiry into abuse of Iraqis by British troops was effectively dropped on Thursday when lawyers for relatives of dead Iraqis said there was insufficient evidence they had been unlawfully killed by soldiers. The inquiry, which has cost 22.2 million pounds ($37 million) so far, has been set up to investigate allegations by Iraqis that soldiers killed up to 20 men at an army camp in 2004, and mistreated up to nine detainees. But lawyers representing the Iraqi relatives of those allegedly mistreated or killed said there was not enough evidence to establish that Iraqi civilians were unlawfully killed in the custody of British troops. "It is accepted that on the material which has been disclosed to date there is insufficient evidence to support a finding of unlawful killing in Camp Abu Naji," said John Dickinson, a lawyer at Public Interest Lawyers (PIL).

Ohio ex-cop freed again in ex-wife's killing

Posted: 20 Mar 2014 12:31 PM PDT

FILE- In this Tuesday, Jan. 29, 2013 file photo, Doug Prade, a former Ohio police captain who has spent nearly 15 years in prison for his ex-wife's killing, answers questions from the media after being released from the Madison Correctional Institution in London, Ohio. An appeals court in Ohio says a judge was wrong to release Prade. The ruling released Wednesday, March 19, 2014, comes a little more than a year after Prade was freed from prison based on new testing of a bite mark. A judge in Akron ruled in January 2013 that new DNA test results proved Prade didn't kill his former wife. (AP Photo/Jay LaPrete, File)AKRON, Ohio (AP) — A former Ohio police captain imprisoned in his ex-wife's killing and released last year is free again after spending a few hours in jail as prosecutors seek to keep him behind bars.

US questioning more than 100 from 'stash house'

Posted: 20 Mar 2014 12:31 PM PDT

Authorities search people, Wednesday, March 19, 2014, in southeast Houston. A house overflowing with more than 100 people presumed to be in the U.S. illegally was uncovered just outside Houston on Wednesday, a police spokesman said. The suspected stash house was found during a search for a 24-year-old woman and her two children that were reported missing by relatives Tuesday after a man failed to meet them, said a spokesman for the Houston Police Department. (AP Photo/Houston Chronicle, Cody Duty)HOUSTON (AP) — U.S. immigration authorities on Thursday were interviewing more than 100 people presumed to be in the country illegally after they were discovered crammed into a small house in the city of Houston.
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