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Wednesday, May 21, 2014

'Aliens of sea' provide new insight into evolution

'Aliens of sea' provide new insight into evolution

'Aliens of sea' provide new insight into evolution

Posted: 21 May 2014 01:04 PM PDT

FILE - This March 29, 2014 file photo shows University of Florida neurobiologist Leonid Moroz pulling a net from the Gulf Stream off the coast of Florida, to examine invertebrate species headed for his unique floating laboratory. New research with mysterious sea creatures called comb jellies suggests nature created more than one way to a nervous system. (AP Photo/Lauran Neergaard, File)WASHINGTON (AP) — Exotic sea creatures called comb jellies may reshape how scientists view early evolution — as their genes suggest nature created more than one way to make a nervous system.

TV ad war begins quickly in Kentucky after primary

Posted: 21 May 2014 01:04 PM PDT

U.S. Senate candidate Alison Lundergan Grimes, center, celebrated on stage with husband Andrew Grimes, left, Gov. Steve Beshear, second from right and former Gov. Martha Lane Collins, right, after she gave her victory speech at her primary election night celebration at the Carrick House in Lexington Lexington, Ky., on Tuesday, May 20, 2014. (AP Photo/The Lexington Herald-Leader, Pablo Alcala)WASHINGTON (AP) — Instantly on the attack, allies of Republican leader Mitch McConnell launched a televised barrage against newly minted Democratic challenger Alison Lundergan Grimes in Kentucky's high-stakes Senate race on Wednesday, a day after primaries in several states that also set up a Republican runoff in Georgia and left tea party insurgents still scratching for a breakthrough triumph.

No sign yet of missing British sailors - U.S. Coast Guard

Posted: 21 May 2014 01:02 PM PDT

By Richard Valdmanis BOSTON (Reuters) - Planes and ships from the United States, Canada, and Britain have turned up no fresh signs of four British sailors missing in the Atlantic, the U.S. Coast Guard said on Wednesday, adding search efforts would continue. The crew members on board the yacht Cheeki Rafiki went missing on Friday as they were returning to Britain from a sailing event in Antigua in the Caribbean and reported that the vessel was taking on water, forcing them to change course for the Azores. "Unfortunately we have had no sightings of a life raft, persons in the water, a sailboat, or debris," U.S. Coast Guard Captain Anthony Popeil, who is leading the search, told reporters at a press conference in Boston. The U.S. Coast Guard, supported by U.S. and Canadian air forces, had mounted a search about 1,000 miles (1,600 km) off Cape Cod, Massachusetts, but called it off on Sunday due to treacherous conditions, saying there was little chance of finding them.

Obama: 80 US troops in Chad seeking abducted girls

Posted: 21 May 2014 01:02 PM PDT

House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Rep. Ed Royce, R-Calif., listens to reporters' question during a news conference with Deborah Peter, left, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, May 21, 2014. Peter, is a sole survivor of a Dec. 11, 2011, Boko Haram attack on her household in Nigeria, where her father and brother were killed for not renouncing their Christian faith. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States has deployed 80 military personnel to Chad to help locate the nearly 300 girls kidnapped in Nigeria last month, President Barack Obama said Wednesday.

George diagnosed with concussion after Game 2 hit

Posted: 21 May 2014 01:01 PM PDT

Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade (3) goes over Indiana Pacers forward Paul George as they went for a loose ball during the fourth quarter of Game 2 of the NBA basketball Eastern Conference finals in Indianapolis, Tuesday, May 20, 2014. The Heat defeated the Pacers 87-83 to tie the series at 1-1. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)MIAMI (AP) — The long break between games in the Eastern Conference finals could be welcomed by Indiana, after Pacers guard Paul George was diagnosed Wednesday with a concussion that will force him to complete several NBA-mandated procedures before he can return to the matchup against the Miami Heat.

GO FIGURE: Ga. GOP primary at least $30 per vote

Posted: 21 May 2014 01:01 PM PDT

ATLANTA (AP) — The first round of Senate Republican primary voting in Georgia cost the campaigns and outside groups about $30 per vote, at least.

GE expects to succeed in Alstom deal

Posted: 21 May 2014 01:00 PM PDT

General Electric's chief executive says that he expects the company's $17 billion offer for part of France's Alstom to be accepted, despite political opposition and a potential counter-bid from Germany's SiemensGeneral Electric's chief executive said Wednesday that he expects GE's $17 billion offer for part of France's Alstom to be accepted, despite political opposition and a potential counter-bid from Germany's Siemens. "We think this deal is good for France. It's good for Alstom," CEO Jeff Immelt said at a conference in Florida. GE has run into opposition from French nationalists over its offer to buy Alstom's energy unit, which builds generators, turbines and transmission systems and would complement GE's own power industry division.

Europe's cabbies decry competition from Uber app

Posted: 21 May 2014 01:00 PM PDT

Taxi drivers protest in Milan, Italy, Wednesday, May 21, 2014. Milan's taxis have been idle for five days to protest the ride-hailing app Uber, the latest European challenge to a technological advance against old business models. Uber, a San Francisco startup, has been banned in Brussels and is under court scrutiny in Berlin. Milan's 5,000 taxi drivers are seeking similar curbs when representatives meet with Italy's transport minister Wednesday. (AP Photo/Federico Ferramola, Lapresse) ITALY OUTMILAN (AP) — Milan's taxis sat idle for a fifth straight day Wednesday to protest competition from the ride-hailing app Uber, a high-tech challenge that has Europe weighing its consumer benefits versus its threat to old business models.

In Egypt vote, Brotherhood's hope is in boycott

Posted: 21 May 2014 01:00 PM PDT

FILE - In this Monday, May 19, 2014 file photo, supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood and other Islamists gesture from the defendants cage as they receive sentences ranging from death by hanging for one, life in prison for 13 and 8-15 years for the others after they were convicted of murder, rioting, and violence in a mass trial in Alexandria, Egypt. There is a gaping hole in the center of Egypt's presidential election next week: The Muslim Brotherhood. Formerly the country's most powerful electoral machine, the Islamic group has been decimated by a fierce crackdown and its members are boycotting the vote, struggling to step up protests to get their voice heard. But the street protests have become little more than routine, while the May 26-27 vote could seal the group's expulsion from political life if a strong turnout shows the extent of the public's shift away from the group since the ouster of Islamist President Mohammed Morsi. (AP Photo/Heba Khamis)CAIRO (AP) — There is a gaping hole in the center of next week's presidential election in Egypt: The space once filled by the Muslim Brotherhood.

Missouri inmate's hopes rest with Supreme Court

Posted: 21 May 2014 12:58 PM PDT

Russell BucklewBONNE TERRE, Mo. (AP) — The U.S. Supreme Court weighed arguments Wednesday over whether a Missouri inmate's rare vascular condition would cause him great suffering during what would be the nation's first execution since last month's botched case in Oklahoma.

'Happy' video arrests highlight tensions in Iran

Posted: 21 May 2014 12:58 PM PDT

In this frame grab taken from video posted to YouTube, people dance to Pharrell Williams' hit song "Happy" on a rooftop in Tehran, Iran. Police in Iran have arrested six young people and shown them on state television for posting the video. While the song has sparked similar videos all over the world, in Iran some see the trend as promoting the spread of Western culture. And women are banned from dancing in public or appearing outside without the hijab in the Islamic Republic. (AP Photo)TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — An Internet video of six young Iranian men and women dancing to Pharrell Williams' "Happy" has led to their arrests, showing how far Tehran will go to halt what it deems to be decadent Western behavior — despite the views of its moderate president.

Libya's renegade general gains new allies

Posted: 21 May 2014 12:56 PM PDT

FILE - In this Friday, March 18, 2011 file photo, then Libyan senior Rebel commander Khalifa Hifter leaves a press conference in the court house in the center of Benghazi, eastern Libya. Gen. Khalifa Hifter has been waiting for his moment for decades. A top general under Moammar Gadhafi, he was tainted by a disastrous defeat in a war in Chad. Exiled in the United States, he joined the opposition but even since Gadhafi's 2011 ouster he has struggled for a role, distrusted by other generals. Now supporters are flocking to his self-professed campaign to crush Islamists and bring stability. But there are fears his ultimate goal is to become a new strongman. (AP Photo/Anja Niedringhaus, File)TRIPOLI, Libya (AP) — Gen. Khalifa Hifter has been waiting decades for his moment.

CANNES WATCH: Loren's curves; downtime for Lutz

Posted: 21 May 2014 12:55 PM PDT

Actress Sophia Loren, front center, takes a photo as she sits with photographers during a photo call for Human Voice (Voce Umana) at the 67th international film festival, Cannes, southern France, Wednesday, May 21, 2014. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)CANNES, France (AP) — The Associated Press is all over the Cannes Film Festival — from its glitzy premieres to the celeb parties and quirky moments in between. Here's what reporters have seen and heard:

Protesters arrested outside McDonald's building

Posted: 21 May 2014 12:55 PM PDT

OAK BROOK, Ill. (AP) — Protesters were being arrested outside McDonald's headquarters on Wednesday, as hundreds demonstrated in a bid to call attention to the low pay earned by fast-food workers.

AP INTERVIEW: Leno says he's enjoying retirement

Posted: 21 May 2014 12:54 PM PDT

American comedian Jay Leno pauses during an interview with the Associated Press in Jerusalem, Wednesday, May 21, 2014. Leno made his first trip to Israel, where he will host an award ceremony honoring former New York mayor Michael Bloomberg. (AP Photo/Sebastian Scheiner)JERUSALEM (AP) — After two decades of hosting "The Tonight Show," Jay Leno says his transition into retirement has been seamless.

PetSmart to stop selling pet treats made in China

Posted: 21 May 2014 12:52 PM PDT

NEW YORK (AP) — PetSmart said it will join rival Petco and stop selling dog and cat treats made in China because of ongoing fears that the treats are making pets sick.

Yellen, at NYU, hails Bernanke's courage in crisis

Posted: 21 May 2014 12:50 PM PDT

Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen waves to the crowd at New York University's commencement ceremony Wednesday, May 21, 2014, at Yankee Stadium in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)NEW YORK (AP) — Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen paid tribute Wednesday to the man she succeeded three months ago, saying Ben Bernanke demonstrated the grit that was needed to stabilize the financial system and restore economic growth.

Immigration advocates focus on Cantor

Posted: 21 May 2014 12:50 PM PDT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Immigration advocates angry that legislation has stalled in Congress are increasingly focusing their ire at one person: Eric Cantor, the House majority leader.

More crews headed to northern Arizona wildfire

Posted: 21 May 2014 12:47 PM PDT

A wildfire burning in Oak Creek Canyon in northern Arizona has forced people out of the popular recreation area on Wednesday, May 21, 2014. Hundreds of firefighters were battling the wind-whipped blaze. (AP Photo/Felicia Fonseca)OAK CREEK CANYON, Ariz. (AP) — A wind-whipped wildfire burning in a rugged canyon between Sedona and Flagstaff now is estimated at 850 acres and growing.

U.S. deploys about 80 military personnel to help find Nigerian girls

Posted: 21 May 2014 12:46 PM PDT

The United States has deployed about 80 military personnel to Chad in its effort to help find and return more than 200 Nigerian schoolgirls kidnapped by Islamist militant group Boko Haram, President Barack Obama said in a letter to Congress on Wednesday. "These personnel will support the operation of intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance aircraft for missions over northern Nigeria and the surrounding area," Obama said in the letter. "The force will remain in Chad until its support in resolving the kidnapping situation is no longer required," he said. The girls were taken in April from a boarding school close to Nigeria's border with Cameroon, Niger and Chad in a sparsely populated region.

Mexico, US seek to boost student exchanges

Posted: 21 May 2014 12:46 PM PDT

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Americans studying in Latin America have stopped looking so intently at Mexico, which has dropped from first to fourth for U.S. students going abroad in the region in 10 years. Only about 4,000 U.S. students study in Mexico, with crime and drug violence being the main deterrent. More American students go to Costa Rica, Argentina and Brazil today than Mexico.

Immigration advocates focus on House GOP leader

Posted: 21 May 2014 12:45 PM PDT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Immigration advocates angry over stalled legislation in Congress are increasingly focusing their ire at House Majority Leader Eric Cantor.

BP to ask US Supreme Court to rule on spill payouts

Posted: 21 May 2014 12:43 PM PDT

A broken beach pale lays waste as the sun rises on April 19, 2014 in Grand Isle, LouisianaBP said Wednesday it will appeal to the US Supreme Court over being forced to pay for business losses it says have no link to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. BP says the broad language of the deal and the lower court rulings mean it is being forced to pay for losses that took place wholly unrelated to, and even before, the largest oil spill in US history. BP said it is taking its case to the Supreme Court after judges on the 5th Circuit Appeals Court refused on Monday to reconsider earlier rulings in an 8-5 vote against the company. The company said the dissenters in Monday's 5th Circuit ruling said the questions raised in the case were "of exceptional importance" and merit Supreme Court review.

Cuban blogger's news site blocked after going live

Posted: 21 May 2014 12:43 PM PDT

A man reads a copy of Cuba's state newspaper GranmaHAVANA (AP) — Cuba's first major independent general-interest news outlet in five decades was blocked on Wednesday shortly after being launched by the country's best-known dissident blogger.

Google sees spending $30 bn buying foreign firms

Posted: 21 May 2014 12:42 PM PDT

Google told US regulators that it could spend as much as $30 billion of its offshore cash reserves on buying foreign companies or technology rights, it emerged WednesdayGoogle told US regulators that it could spend as much as $30 billion of its offshore cash reserves on buying foreign companies or technology rights, it emerged Wednesday. In responses to questions from the US Securities and Exchange Commission, the Internet titan said that the bulk of the money it is amassing outside the country is likely to be spent on acquisitions. Google told regulators in a letter that "it is reasonable to forecast" that it needs from $20 billion to $30 billion of its foreign earnings to pay to companies or technology in the years ahead. "We continue to expect substantial use of our offshore earnings for acquisitions as our global business has expanded into other product offerings like mobile devices where our competitors and business partners are no longer primarily US based multinationals," Google said in the letter, which was dated December of 2013.

Suh at practice, talks contract, 2010 draft

Posted: 21 May 2014 12:40 PM PDT

Detroit Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh runs through drills during organized team activities at the Lions training camp facility in Allen Park, Mich., Wednesday, May 21, 2014. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)ALLEN PARK, Mich. (AP) — Ndamukong Suh was back with his teammates at practice, and he was almost done talking to reporters when he made an odd reference to the beginning of his career with the Detroit Lions.

Talks to end Thai crisis inconclusive, new round called

Posted: 21 May 2014 12:39 PM PDT

A Thai soldier directs traffic on a highway in Thailand's Ayutthaya provinceBy Panarat Thepgumpanat and Amy Sawitta Lefevre BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thailand's rival political factions would not agree to stop street protests on Wednesday during crisis talks aimed at ending the confrontation a day after the army declared martial law, a pro-government activist said. Although the military denied Tuesday's surprise intervention amounted to a coup, army chief General Prayuth Chan-ocha appeared to be setting the agenda by forcing groups and organizations with a central role in the crisis to talk. "When asked whether each group can stop protesting, there was no commitment from either side," Thida Thawornseth, a leader of the pro-government "red shirt" political group, told Reuters. "There was no clear conclusion." Puchong Nutrawong, secretary-general of the Election Commission, who was also at the talks, said all sides would meet again on Thursday.

Support for gay marriage in US hits 55 percent

Posted: 21 May 2014 12:38 PM PDT

A same-sex couple gets married at the Oakland County courthouse in Pontiac, Michigan, on March 22, 2014Fifty-five percent of Americans now approve of same-sex marriage, the highest level ever, according to a Gallup public opinion poll released Wednesday. Recalling how support for marriage equality broke the 50-percent mark in 2012, Gallup said its latest result was "further evidence that support for gay marriage has solidified above the majority level." Regionally, opposition remains strong in southern states, where Gallup said advocates of traditional marriage are in the majority.

In Ukraine, chaos meets self-declared independence

Posted: 21 May 2014 12:37 PM PDT

FILE - This, Sunday, May 18, 2014, file photo shows a pro-Russian youngster looking down while standing in a crowd control line during a rally by pro-Russian people in Lenin Square, in Donetsk, Ukraine. In the streets of Donetsk, the separatist leaders and their followers are increasingly derided as a collection of heavily armed, barely employed misfits. Outside of the rebels' headquarters, it can be difficult to find anyone who agrees with their calls to secede from Ukraine and link this part of the country — with its generations of ethnic and linguistic ties to Russia — to Moscow.(AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda, File)DONETSK, Ukraine (AP) — The Donetsk People's Republic is starting to smell.

Malian army flees Tuareg rebels in northern town

Posted: 21 May 2014 12:35 PM PDT

TIMBUKTU, Mali (AP) — Malian soldiers retreated Wednesday from the northern town of Kidal after heavy gunbattles with ethnic Tuareg separatists, a major setback for the army less than a year after its highly unpopular return to the rebel stronghold.

Kerry says Russia-China gas deal not linked to Ukraine

Posted: 21 May 2014 12:33 PM PDT

A $400 billion gas supply deal signed between Russia and China on Wednesday was the result of 10 years of negotiations and is not tied to diplomatic tensions in Ukraine, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said. "We don't see any relationship whatsoever to an agreement with respect to gas and energy supplies between Russia and China that they've been working on for 10 years, for 10 years," Kerry told a news conference during a visit to Mexico City. The deal between state-controlled entities Gazprom and China National Petroleum Corp will link Russia's huge gas fields to Asia's booming market for the first time - via thousands of miles of pipeline across Siberia. The agreement was a political triumph for Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is courting partners in Asia as those in Europe and the United States seek to isolate him over Moscow's annexation of Ukraine's Crimea peninsula.

Senate backs judge pick who wrote drone memos

Posted: 21 May 2014 12:31 PM PDT

WASHINGTON (AP) — A former Justice Department official who helped craft the Obama administration's legal rationale for using drones to kill suspected American terrorists abroad won preliminary Senate approval Wednesday to become a federal appeals court judge.

Public 'overwhelmed' as 9/11 museum opens

Posted: 21 May 2014 12:31 PM PDT

Firemen and members of the public hold the American flag during a ceremony marking the opening of the 9/11 Memorial Museum on May 21, 2014, in New York CityNew York's 9/11 museum opened to the general public on Wednesday, praised by early visitors as an overwhelming and beautiful tribute to the survivors and nearly 3,000 victims. The National September 11 Memorial Museum, built into the bedrock of the World Trade Center Twin Towers, documents the attacks, their impact and legacy with 10,000 artifacts. It was inaugurated last week at a ceremony attended by President Barack Obama but on Wednesday ordinary Americans and foreign visitors got their first chance to visit.

'Star Wars' fans to get chance at cameo

Posted: 21 May 2014 12:27 PM PDT

In this Nov. 25, 2013 file photo, r=the "Founders Award" recipient producer and director J.J. Abrams arrives at the 2013 International Emmy Awards Gala at the New York Hilton, in New York. From the set of LOS ANGELES (AP) — "Star Wars: Episode VII" director J.J. Abrams is giving fans a shot at a cameo in the film that's set to be released next year.

EBay asks users to change password after breach

Posted: 21 May 2014 12:27 PM PDT

NEW YORK (AP) — E-commerce site eBay is asking users to change their password after a cyberattack compromised a database containing encrypted passwords.

NBA Pacers' George diagnosed with concussion

Posted: 21 May 2014 12:27 PM PDT

Paul George (R) of the Indiana Pacers takes a shot against the Miami Heat during Game Two of the Eastern Conference Finals of the 2014 NBA Playoffs at at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on May 20, 2014 in Indianapolis, IndianaIndiana Pacers forward Paul George has been diagnosed with a concussion after taking a knee to the head in an NBA playoff loss to Miami on Tuesday. The Pacers said on Wednesday that George will be evaluated according to the NBA's concussion policy to determine when he can return to action. Paul was cleared by team doctors to continue to play on Tuesday night after he collided with Heat star Dwyane Wade going for a loose ball in the fourth quarter of Miami's 87-83 triumph.

Proposal: Airlines openly disclose seat, bag fees

Posted: 21 May 2014 12:25 PM PDT

FILE - This Feb. 11, 2014 file photo shows an airline passenger waiting for his rescheduled flight to Orlando under the departure board showing hundreds of cancellations at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta. Airlines should be required to disclose fees for basic services like checked bags, an assigned seat and a carry-on bag wherever tickets are sold so that passengers know the true cost of airfares, the government said Wednesday. Under new regulations proposed by the Department of Transportation, information on fees must be provided wherever passengers can purchase an airfare, including on a website, by telephone, or in-person. (AP Photo/David Tulis, File)WASHINGTON (AP) — Passengers love the idea, but airlines hate it. The government wants to require that travelers be told upfront about basic services that aren't included in the price of a ticket and how much extra they'll cost.

CANNES WATCH: Age-defying Loren shows off curves

Posted: 21 May 2014 12:22 PM PDT

CORRECTS SPELLING OF NAME Actress Sophia Loren during a photo call for Human Voice (Voce Umana) at the 67th international film festival, Cannes, southern France, Wednesday, May 21, 2014. (Photo by Arthur Mola/Invision/AP)CANNES, France (AP) — Svelte 79-year-old siren Sophia Loren has outshone women half her age at the Cannes film festival in head-to-toe red.

Race tightens for Cannes' canine prize Palm Dog

Posted: 21 May 2014 12:22 PM PDT

In this Saturday, May 17, 2014 file photo, the tail of a dog hangs off the edge of a table during a photo call for White God (Feher Isten) at the 67th international film festival, Cannes, southern France, Saturday, May 17, 2014. Proving that it's a dog eat dog world, four-legged performances have stolen the show in a number of films screened at the festival from top directors including Jean-Luc Godard and David Cronenberg. And there's no clear front runner. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)CANNES, France (AP) — The race from the kennel is tightening for Cannes' top canine prize, the Palm Dog, announced Friday.

Burwell gets committee approval for health post

Posted: 21 May 2014 12:21 PM PDT

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate Finance Committee has voted overwhelmingly to approve Sylvia Mathews Burwell's nomination to be the nation's next health secretary.
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