| Indians 1B/OF Swisher done for season Posted: 20 Aug 2014 01:28 PM PDT CLEVELAND (AP) — Indians first baseman Nick Swisher is having surgery on both knees and is done for the season. |
| Feds order reinstatement of nuclear whistleblower Posted: 20 Aug 2014 01:26 PM PDT SEATTLE (AP) — A Hanford Nuclear Reservation contractor has been ordered to reinstate a worker who the U.S. Department of Labor says was fired for voicing concerns about nuclear and environmental safety, officials said Wednesday. |
| Fed debates merits of earlier rate hike given U.S. jobs gains Posted: 20 Aug 2014 01:26 PM PDT  Federal Reserve hinted on Wednesday that a surprisingly strong jobs market recovery could lead it to raise interest rates earlier than it had been anticipating. At the same time, most Fed officials wanted further evidence before changing their view on when rates should rise, according to the minutes from the central bank's July 29-30 meeting. "Labor market conditions had moved noticeably closer to those viewed as normal in the longer run," the minutes said, adding that policymakers "generally agreed" the job market was healing faster than they had expected. The Fed had said in its policy statement following the July meeting that there was "significant" labor market slack, but the minutes showed many members of its policy-setting panel thought this characterization "might have to change before long." "The committee as a whole has started to shift its stance," said Paul Dales, an economist at Capital Economics in London.
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| Stocks advance for third day, despite Fed minutes Posted: 20 Aug 2014 01:26 PM PDT  NEW YORK (AP) — The stock market rose for a third straight day Wednesday despite a report from the Federal Reserve that showed a growing chorus of central bank officials willing to raise interest rates sooner rather than later.
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| Hewlett-Packard manages surprise quarterly revenue gain Posted: 20 Aug 2014 01:24 PM PDT  SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Hewlett-Packard Co posted a surprise increase in quarterly revenue, as it works through an internal overhaul aimed at cutting costs and re-orienting the sprawling computing company. HP recorded sales of $27.6 billion in its fiscal third quarter, ended July, up 1 percent from $27.2 billion a year earlier. Wall Street analysts, on average, had forecast a drop in revenue to $27.01 billion. (Reporting by Edwin Chan)
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| Obama: U.S. won't stop confronting Islamic State Posted: 20 Aug 2014 01:19 PM PDT  President Barack Obama pledged Wednesday to continue to confront Islamic State militants despite the beheading of an American journalist in Iraq, standing firm in the face of the militants' threats to kill another hostage unless the U.S. military changes course.
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| Guilty plea expected by friend of marathon suspect Posted: 20 Aug 2014 01:18 PM PDT BOSTON (AP) — A college friend of Boston Marathon bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev plans to plead guilty to impeding the investigation into the deadly attack, his lawyer said Wednesday. |
| McConnell, Grimes spar at Kentucky farm forum Posted: 20 Aug 2014 01:18 PM PDT LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — What was supposed to be a forum on agriculture turned into a political slugfest as the candidates in a key Senate race traded blows on everything from attendance in committee meetings to allegations of improper campaign finance. |
| Afghanistan gives NYT reporter 24 hours to leave country Posted: 20 Aug 2014 01:18 PM PDT  By Jessica Donati and Hamid Shalizi KABUL (Reuters) - Afghanistan has given a New York Times reporter 24 hours to leave the country, accusing him of not cooperating with an investigation into his reporting, the Attorney General's office said on Wednesday. Matthew Rosenberg, 40, was summoned for questioning on Tuesday after the newspaper ran a story about officials discussing plans to form an interim government and "seize power" if a deadlock over the presidential election failed to break soon. "Due to the lack of proper accountability and non-cooperation, the Attorney General's office has decided that Matthew Rosenberg should leave Afghanistan within 24 hours," the office said in a statement. "We were also never informed of a formal investigation and we do not understand how insisting on the right to a lawyer is not cooperating." Afghanistan is in the midst of a ballot that has dragged on for months, with both candidates claiming victory after the June 14 run-off and allegations of mass fraud threatening to derail the process.
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| Liberian slums barricaded as Ebola sets new record Posted: 20 Aug 2014 01:15 PM PDT  MONROVIA, Liberia (AP) — Riot police and soldiers acting on their president's orders used scrap wood and barbed wire to seal off 50,000 people inside their Liberian slum Wednesday, trying to contain the Ebola outbreak that has killed 1,350 people and counting across West Africa.
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| Exclusive: Brazil's Silva would get opposition's support in election runoff Posted: 20 Aug 2014 01:13 PM PDT  By Brian Winter SAO PAULO (Reuters) - Brazil's biggest opposition party would support Marina Silva for president if its own candidate fails to make an October runoff, a party source told Reuters, an alliance that would damage President Dilma Rousseff's chances for a second term. The presidential race was upended last week by the late entry of Silva, a popular environmentalist and anti-establishment icon among many young voters, following the death of her party's previous candidate in a plane crash. A recent poll showed Rousseff in first place for the Oct. 5 vote, with Silva and Senator Aecio Neves of the centrist Brazilian Social Democracy Party (PSDB) in a statistical tie for second. The PSDB is fully confident that Neves will make the runoff, party leaders said on Wednesday.
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| Johnny Manziel: 'I'm the backup quarterback' Posted: 20 Aug 2014 01:12 PM PDT  BEREA, Ohio (AP) — Johnny Manziel waved both arms as if he was quieting the home crowd before a big play.
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| Almanac predicts colder winter, hotter summer Posted: 20 Aug 2014 01:11 PM PDT CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — The Old Farmer's Almanac, the familiar, 223-year-old chronicler of climate, folksy advice and fun facts, is predicting a colder winter and warmer summer for much of the nation. |
| Obama condemns killing of reporter, U.S. hits militants in Iraq Posted: 20 Aug 2014 01:11 PM PDT President Barack Obama expressed revulsion on Wednesday at the beheading of an American journalist by Islamist militants and vowed the United States would do what it must to protect its citizens as international condemnation of the insurgents grew. Not long after Obama called Islamic State a "cancer" with a bankrupt ideology, the Pentagon said U.S. |
| High court blocks same-sex unions in Virginia Posted: 20 Aug 2014 01:10 PM PDT RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Same-sex couples will have to wait longer to begin marrying in Virginia after the U.S. Supreme Court agreed Wednesday to delay an appeals court ruling striking down the state's gay marriage ban. |
| Hedge fund brands Argentina 'outlaws' over debt payment shift Posted: 20 Aug 2014 01:09 PM PDT  New York (AFP) - One of two hedge funds which sued Argentina over defaulted bonds branded the country's leaders "outlaws" Wednesday after Buenos Aires moved to shift its bond payments to avoid paying it.
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| Ukrainian govt troops take over much of Luhansk Posted: 20 Aug 2014 01:06 PM PDT  DONETSK, Ukraine (AP) — After days of street battles and weeks of shelling, Ukrainian troops made a significant push Wednesday into rebel-held territory, claiming control over a large part of the separatist stronghold of Luhansk and nearly encircling Donetsk, the largest rebel-held city.
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| Brine firm sues over biblical fracking billboard Posted: 20 Aug 2014 01:06 PM PDT  COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — An Ohio man who uses a biblical reference and a statement against "poisoned waters" on billboards opposing wells for disposal of gas-drilling wastewater is fighting a legal threat from the Texas well owner on free-speech grounds.
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| Bank of America $17 bn deal could come Thursday: report Posted: 20 Aug 2014 01:04 PM PDT  Bank of America is expected to pay $17 billion to settle charges it misled investors on mortgage-linked securities in a deal that could come this week, US media reported Wednesday. The agreement, the largest US settlement with a single company, could come as soon as Thursday, reported the Wall Street Journal, citing an unnamed source. The agreement is the latest to hold large banks accountable for the packaging and sale of securities linked to risky mortgages that were marketed as low-risk to investors ahead of the housing bust. Some of the allegations are expected to cover securities sold by Merrill Lynch and Countrywide, both of which were acquired by Bank of America amid the housing bust.
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| Holder arrives in Ferguson after police shooting Posted: 20 Aug 2014 01:03 PM PDT CLAYTON, Mo. (AP) — U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder has met briefly with the officer in charge of security in Ferguson since the shooting of a black 18-year-old by a white police officer. |
| Gaza war rages on, Hamas says Israel tried to kill its military chief Posted: 20 Aug 2014 01:01 PM PDT  By Nidal al-Mughrabi and Maayan Lubell GAZA/JERUSALEM (Reuters) - An Israeli air strike in Gaza killed the wife and infant son of Hamas's military leader, Mohammed Deif, the group said, calling it an attempt to assassinate him after a ceasefire collapsed. Palestinians launched more than 180 rockets on Tuesday and Wednesday, mainly at southern Israel, with some intercepted by the Iron Dome anti-missile system, the military said. Israeli aircraft have carried out more than 100 strikes in the Gaza Strip since Tuesday, Defence Minister Moshe Ya'alon said, the military adding it was "targeting terror sites". Hamas and medical officials said 23 people had died in the latest Israeli raids, including Deif's wife and seven-month-old son.
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| Los Angeles port welcomes massive rubber duck Posted: 20 Aug 2014 01:01 PM PDT  LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Port of Los Angeles is welcoming an unusual visitor — the world's biggest bath toy.
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| Emmys: Billy Crystal to pay tribute to Williams Posted: 20 Aug 2014 01:00 PM PDT  LOS ANGELES (AP) — Billy Crystal will pay tribute to Robin Williams, his longtime friend and fellow comedian, at next week's Emmy Awards.
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| U.S. officials: Military mulling more troops to Iraq Posted: 20 Aug 2014 12:56 PM PDT U.S. officials say military planners are weighing the possibility of sending more American forces to Iraq mainly to provide additional security around Baghdad. |
| Airstrike kills wife and child of Hamas figure Posted: 20 Aug 2014 12:53 PM PDT  GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) — Hamas' shadowy military chief escaped an apparent Israeli assassination attempt that killed his wife and infant son, the militant group said Wednesday as Israel's prime minister warned that the bombardment of Gaza will continue until rocket fire out of the Palestinian territory stops.
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| Judge delays start of Arias penalty-phase retrial Posted: 20 Aug 2014 12:52 PM PDT  PHOENIX (AP) — An Arizona judge on Wednesday granted Jodi Arias' motion to delay the start of her planned Sept. 8 penalty phase retrial.
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| BofA in $16.5 billion deal with U.S. over mortgage bonds: source Posted: 20 Aug 2014 12:45 PM PDT  Bank of America Corp is expected to pay more than $16.5 billion to end investigations into mortgage securities that the bank and its units sold in the run-up to the financial crisis, in a deal that could be announced as early as Thursday, a person familiar with the matter said. An agreement in principle was reached earlier this month after a phone call between the bank's chief executive, Brian Moynihan, and Attorney General Eric Holder. Representatives of the Justice Department and Bank of America declined comment.
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| Opposition leader Khan opens talks with Pakistan government over protests Posted: 20 Aug 2014 12:43 PM PDT  By Mehreen Zahra-Malik and Syed Raza Hassan ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Opposition leader Imran Khan opened negotiations Wednesday with the Pakistani government, a lawmaker from his party said, in an effort to end protests against the prime minister and overcome a political impasse. The announcement came the day after Pakistan's powerful military said the two sides should engage in dialogue and warned that key government institutions were under its protection. Former cricket star Khan and cleric Tahir ul-Qadri, who controls a network of Islamic schools and hospitals, have been leading protests in the capital Islamabad since Friday. Both want Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to resign over allegations of corruption and election rigging.
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| Father of Norway's mass murderer asks: What if? Posted: 20 Aug 2014 12:37 PM PDT COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — The father of Anders Behring Breivik, the Norwegian who killed 77 people in 2011, has written a book that questions his behavior as a parent. |
| Argentina defends plan to pay creditors outside US Posted: 20 Aug 2014 12:37 PM PDT  BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — Argentina will make its next round of scheduled debt payments, the economy minister said Wednesday as he defended a new plan to pay creditors locally and avoid the jurisdiction of a U.S. court that forced the country into default last month.
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| U.S. attorney general visits racially charged St. Louis suburb Posted: 20 Aug 2014 12:36 PM PDT  Attorney General Eric Holder was visiting Ferguson, Missouri, on Wednesday, hours after nearly 50 protesters were arrested in the 11th straight night of demonstrations over the killing of an unarmed black teenager by a white police officer. The St. Louis County prosecutor's office will also begin presenting evidence on Wednesday to a regularly seated grand jury investigating the Aug. 9 shooting death of 18-year-old Michael Brown. Prosecuting attorney Bob McCulloch said his office could continue presenting evidence to the grand jury through mid-October as he confronts conflicting pressures for speed and thoroughness. The officer, 28-year-old Darren Wilson, has been placed on leave and gone into seclusion.
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| Drug for Ebola-like virus promising in ill monkeys Posted: 20 Aug 2014 12:27 PM PDT WASHINGTON (AP) — An experimental drug saved monkeys from a virus closely related to Ebola even after symptoms began, Texas researchers reported Wednesday. A drug that targets Ebola in the same way is under development, and the study raises questions about how late after infection treatments might work. |
| ICRC team enters eastern Ukraine to smooth way for Russian convoy Posted: 20 Aug 2014 12:27 PM PDT Red Cross officials entered eastern Ukraine on Wednesday to smooth the planned delivery of relief supplies aboard a Russian aid convoy, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said. "An advance ICRC team crossed into eastern Ukraine this morning, having received security guarantees from groups controlling the territory for this mission. The team is checking conditions of the road, and the general situation, and establishing contacts in preparation for the passage of the convoy," ICRC spokesman Ewan Watson told Reuters in Geneva. |
| Dozens die in Ukraine in street battles, Donetsk shelling Posted: 20 Aug 2014 12:27 PM PDT  By Richard Balmforth and Thomas Grove KIEV/DONETSK Ukraine (Reuters) - Heavy shelling hit residential neighborhoods in Ukraine's rebel stronghold of Donetsk and government forces fought street battles in other towns on Wednesday as they sought to crush a four-month-old separatist rebellion. The forces of the Western-backed Kiev government are steadily gaining the upper hand over the separatists in Russian-speaking eastern Ukraine and are tightening the noose around the main rebel bastions of Donetsk and Luhansk.
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| Separatists shoot down Ukrainian SU-25 fighter plane - military Posted: 20 Aug 2014 12:27 PM PDT KIEV (Reuters) - Pro-Russian separatists shot down a Ukrainian SU-25 single-seat fighter jet in the Luhansk region of eastern Ukraine on Wednesday, a military spokesman said. It was now known if the pilot was able to eject or had been killed in the crash, spokesman Andriy Lysenko told Ukrainian channel 112.ua. (Reporting by Natalia Zinets; Writing by Alessandra Prentice; Editing by Louise Ireland) |
| George W. Bush takes ice bucket challenge, dares Bill Clinton Posted: 20 Aug 2014 12:26 PM PDT  Former president George W. Bush took the so-called Ice Bucket Challenge in support of Lou Gehrig's disease research Wednesday, and challenged his Democratic predecessor Bill Clinton to do the same. "To you all that challenged me, I do not think it's presidential for me to be splashed with ice water," Bush said while sitting on a sunny porch dressed in a t-shirt. "That check is from me, I don't wanna ruin my hairstyle," Laura Bush said, bucket in hand. "Yesterday was Bill's birthday and my gift to Bill is a bucket of cold water," the former Republican president said.
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| Liberia's Ebola clampdown turns violent as Asia fears new cases Posted: 20 Aug 2014 12:25 PM PDT  Violence erupted in an Ebola quarantine zone in Liberia's capital Wednesday as authorities struggled to contain the epidemic, with new suspected cases in Asia sparking fears of it spreading beyond Africa. Four residents were injured in Monrovia's West Point slum when soldiers opened fire and used tear gas on crowds as they tried to evacuate a state official and her family from the quarantined quarter. The crackdown in Liberia comes as authorities around the world are scrambling to stem the worst-ever outbreak of Ebola, with the latest official toll jumping 106 in two days to 1,350 dead. Liberia, with 576 deaths from 972 diagnosed cases, is the worst hit of the four affected west African countries, with the numbers of deaths and infections rising dramatically.
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| Picture emerges of officer in Ferguson shooting Posted: 20 Aug 2014 12:19 PM PDT  FERGUSON, Mo. (AP) — A police officer whose shooting death of an unarmed 18-year-old ignited racial upheaval in a St. Louis suburb has been characterized as either an aggressor whose deadly gunfire constituted a daylight execution or a law enforcer wrongly maligned for just doing his job.
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| Ex-deputy: Gunfire after driver shot not in report Posted: 20 Aug 2014 12:16 PM PDT  ANGLETON, Texas (AP) — An ex-deputy told jurors Wednesday he failed to note in a report that more gunfire had taken place well after a drunken driver was fatally shot in Texas following an accident that killed two boys, a detail a defense attorney says helps point to the innocence of the boys' father who is on trial for murder.
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| Mother of US journalist Foley says never prouder of son Posted: 20 Aug 2014 12:10 PM PDT  Friends, relatives and colleagues have paid tribute to American journalist James Foley, executed by Islamic State jihadists, with his parents praising their "fearless" son. Condolences and shocked messages poured in after the Islamist group released a video of Foley's beheading late Tuesday, including from French journalists who revealed they had been held alongside him in the past year. Foley, 40, had been missing since he was seized in Syria in November 2012. He was a courageous, fearless journalist, a very compassionate American.
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