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Dozens killed as tornado hits Oklahoma

Tue, 21 May 2013 16:11:18 -0400

WASHINGTON - A massive tornado ripped through parts of Oklahoma city and its suburbs in the United States killing at least 24 people, including nine children, besides leaving scores homeless. As winds at over 320 kilometers per hour (kmph) flattened homes and businesses and severely damaged a hospital and two elementary school, the death toll was earlier said to be more than 90 but it was ...

US president lauds Thein Sein for Myanmar reforms but urges end to violence against Muslims

Tue, 21 May 2013 16:16:52 -0400

WASHINGTON - US President Barack Obama praised the reforms of Myanmar leader Thein Sein but urged him to end violence against Muslims. Sein is the country's first president to visit the White House in almost half a century. Speaking from the US capital Monday Obama said he recognized Sein's work to guide Myanmar down "a long and sometimes difficult, but ultimately correct, path to follow." ...

U.S. dollar slips against euro after Fed official remarks

Wed, 22 May 2013 06:50:03 -0400

Beijing, May 22 (Xinhua-ANI): The U.S. dollar advanced against most major currencies on Tuesday, but weakened against the euro after a U.S. Federal Reserve official indicated that the central bank may not taper its bond-purchasing program soon. St. Louis Federal Reserve Bank President James Bullard said at an event in Frankfurt that the Fed should continue with the quantitative easing to boost ...

Oliver tops 110m hurdles at World Challenge Beijing

Wed, 22 May 2013 05:20:02 -0400

With the absence of Chinese star Liu Xiang, American David Oliver topped the men's 110-metre hurdles at the 2013 IAAF World Challenge Beijing here, while China's Li Jinzhe continued his good form and grabbed a second win in the men's long jump. Oliver, bronze medallist in the event at the 2008 Beijing Games, held off the challenge of London Olympic runner-up Jason Richardson and Jamaica's Dwight ...

FBI asked to track hate crimes against Sikhs

Wed, 22 May 2013 05:00:02 -0400

A bipartisan group of 23 lawmakers have asked the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to begin tracking hate crimes against Sikhs, the way it does for other communities. Formed last month to address the Sikh community's issues, the American Sikh Congressional Caucus, co-chaired by Democratic House member Judy Chu and Republican David Valadao, made the request in a letter to the FBI last week. ...

T. rex cousin fed more like falcon than crocodile

Wed, 22 May 2013 03:40:05 -0400

It is believed that the mighty T. rex may have thrashed its massive head from side to side to dismember prey, but a new study has shown that its smaller cousin Allosaurus was a more dexterous hunter and tugged at prey more like a modern-day falcon. "Many people think of Allosaurus as a smaller and earlier version of T. rex, but our engineering analyses show that they were very different ...

Mexican firm to acquire US wireless operator

Wed, 22 May 2013 02:00:01 -0400

Mexican telecommunications giant America Movil says it has agreed to buy US mobile operator Start Wireless Group for an undisclosed amount. In a filing with the Mexican Stock Exchange, the Mexico City-based company announced its US unit Tracfone Wireless had reached a deal to acquire the assets of Start Wireless Group, an Ohio-based mobile virtual network operator. The transaction is expected ...

New evidence supports theory of cosmic impact 12800 years ago

Wed, 22 May 2013 01:20:03 -0400

Emerging evidence continues to point to a major cosmic impact 12,800 years ago as the primary cause for the tragic loss of nearly all of the remarkable large animals that had survived the stresses of many ice age periods, including mammoths, mastodons, giant ground sloths, American camel and horse, and saber- toothed cats. About 12,800 years ago when the Earth was warming and emerging from the ...

Moscow safer than New York Russian minister

Tue, 21 May 2013 08:10:01 -0400

Russian police reforms have proved so successful that, in some areas, Moscow outperforms New York on safety, Russian Interior Minister Vladimir Kolokoltsev has boasted while on a visit to the US. Kolokoltsev made the claims during a meeting in New York late Monday with New York City Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly. "We have compared the crime situation in Moscow and New York, factoring in the ...

White House Press Obama Aides Square Off

Wed, 22 May 2013 08:07:59 -0400

White House Press Secretary Jay Carney is under considerable criticism for his failure to straightforwardly and fully answer questions at his daily briefings, which have frequently descended into testy exchanges with reporters. And Dan Pfeiffer, a senior White House adviser who helps to shape the president's message, is taking hits for his combative and dismissive approach to answering ...

World How bad is Americas tornado

Wed, 22 May 2013 08:05:13 -0400

Dr Fujita's goal was to come up with a robust, quantitative scale for categorising both the intensity and the area of a given tornado, and deriving an after-the-fact estimate of the wind speeds present within ...

FEMA Chief Feds wont go when the cameras leave

Wed, 22 May 2013 08:04:56 -0400

FEMA's Craig Fugate promises in an interview that officials won't desert Oklahoma, saying "We don't leave here when the cameras leave. We stay here and get the job done." Fugate tells CNN that the agency has enough money to assist the people of Moore, Okla., who were caught in the path of destruction as the nearly 1.3-mile-wide twister struck Monday afternoon. He says ...

Teen pleads not guilty in deaths of Ohio brothers

Wed, 22 May 2013 08:00:53 -0400

OTTAWA, Ohio -- A 17-year-old boy charged with killing two teenage brothers in northwest Ohio has pleaded not guilty.Michael Aaron Fay entered the pleas during an arraignment Tuesday in Putnam County Juvenile Court. He's charged with delinquency in connection with aggravated murder.Fay is accused of killing 17-year-old Blake Romes and 14-year-old Blaine Romes in their Ottawa trailer May 9. ...

Highway patrol 29 hurt in Ohio bus car crash

Wed, 22 May 2013 08:00:50 -0400

A woman who fell asleep while driving after midnight Thursday plowed into a highway trooper’s patrol car that had its lights flashing at an Interstate 95 exit ramp, police ...

Oklahoma tornado family pictured round the world identified

Wed, 22 May 2013 07:58:26 -0400

Oklahoma , which was hit by the EF5 tornado. The image was so powerful it was carried by multiple news organisations, featuring on the front page of this morning's Daily Telegraph.Steve Cobb can be seen carrying his ...

Manchester City and New York Yankees launch new MLS franchise - video

Wed, 22 May 2013 07:57:43 -0400

Manchester City and the New York Yankees joined forces to create New York City Football Club . MLS commissioner Don Garber says competition between the two New York teams will help soccer make a breakthrough in the city's competitive sports ...

Is South America’s latest strongman a woman

Wed, 22 May 2013 07:57:19 -0400

LIMA, Peru - High heels and mascara may be the last things that spring to mind when talking about Latin America’s pantheon of authoritarian strongmen. Yet for her opponents, the latest controversial move of Argentina’s immaculately made-up president, Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, has cemented her place in the region’s ...

Anthony Weiner launches bid to become New York City mayor

Wed, 22 May 2013 07:55:53 -0400

New York - Anthony Weiner's run for a renaissance is officially on. The ex-congressman whose career imploded in a rash of raunchy tweets two years ago said in a YouTube video announcement late Tuesday that he's in the New York City mayoral race. He'd said last month he was considering it. "I made some big mistakes and I know I let a lot of people down, but I also learned some ...

Feds 3 scientists took Chinese bribes

Wed, 22 May 2013 07:47:34 -0400

The three researchers were working on MRI technology at a U.S. university Their research was partially funded by a multimillion dollar National Institutes of Health grant Federal authorities allege that the three took Chinese money for their research The research went to a Chinese company and a government institution, authorities ...

Rescuers comb Oklahoma tornado rubble for buried survivors

Wed, 22 May 2013 07:41:13 -0400

MOORE, Oklahoma (Reuters) - Rescue workers with sniffer dogs and searchlights combed through the wreckage of a massive tornado to ensure no survivors remained buried in the rubble of primary schools, homes and buildings in an Oklahoma City ...

Slide Show The 10 most truly made-in-America cars

Wed, 22 May 2013 07:38:29 -0400

Domestic brands have the most American-made content in the U.S. according to a new index released by American University's Kogod School of Business. Professor Frank DuBois, a global supply chain management expert, led the analysis, which considered not only where each vehicle's parts were produced, but also the location of the manufacturer's headquarters and other details, all in ...

Chicago school board to vote on mass school closing

Wed, 22 May 2013 07:36:36 -0400

CHICAGO (Reuters) - The Chicago Board of Education is due to vote on Wednesday on a controversial proposal to close 54 schools in the country's third-largest public school district in what would be the largest mass school closing in the ...

Handel jumps into crowded US Senate race in Ga.

Wed, 22 May 2013 07:27:06 -0400

Karen Handel, the former Susan G. Komen for the Cure executive at the center of last year's public clash with Planned Parenthood, says she'll be running for an open U.S. Senate seat in ...

The American butcher of the Bronze Soldier

Wed, 22 May 2013 07:22:13 -0400

, a monument to Soldier The Liberator was dismantled in Tallinn, the capital of Estonia. The fate of the monument has become a symbol of Russophobia and anti-Russian policy of the Baltic state, a former Soviet republic. A great "contribution" to this behavior of the Baltic state was made by its President Toomas Hendrik Ilves.The removal of the monument from the pedestal took place six ...

White House plotted with Treasury on how to reveal IRS misdeeds

Wed, 22 May 2013 06:59:13 -0400

Treasury Department official about how to break the news of the agency’s improper targeting of conservative groups.Despite the preliminary strategy sessions between ...

Is America’s Economy Being Sovietized

Wed, 22 May 2013 06:54:40 -0400

The Tyranny Of Planned Economy The characteristics of a free market society defy the use of centralized planning. Adam Smith's original concept of free market trade stood as an antithesis to what was then referred to as "mercantilism," a select few "joint stock companies" (corporations) monopolizing production while using government ties to destroy any new competition. ...

Court Rules Vacation Rental Site Illegal In New York

Wed, 22 May 2013 06:52:51 -0400

In New York, a judge has dealt a setback to Airbnb, the popular website for short term apartment rentals. The judge ruled an Airbnb user violated a New York City law when he rented a room to a visitor from out of town. The judge's decision casts doubt on New Yorkers' ability to make use of the site ...

Homes next to Florida sinkhole to be demolished

Wed, 22 May 2013 06:51:53 -0400

A Florida man has been swallowed by a sinkhole that opened under his bedroom, according to CNN. The 36-year-old man vanished Thursday night under his home after his brother tried to rescue him from going under, the network reported. Authorities said the hole is about 100 feet wide and getting bigger. "When he got there, there was no bedroom left," Hillsborough County Fire ...

Twister Parents face tough choice when tornadoes bear down

Wed, 22 May 2013 06:46:56 -0400

By DAVID A. LIEB,Associated Press MOORE, Okla. (AP) - With an ominous storm approaching, the Moore Public School District flashed a text alert to parents: "We are currently holding all students until the current storm danger is over. Students are being released to parents only at this time."Parents had a gut-wrenching choice, and only a few minutes to make it. Trust the safety of the ...

FBI agent fatally shoots man in Orlando

Wed, 22 May 2013 06:43:20 -0400

ORLANDO - The friend of a suspect shot by an FBI agent in Orlando Wednesday morning says agents were questioning the suspect about the Boston Marathon bombings, something the FBI has not confirmed, WFTV ...

Chevy Impala - Big American car done right

Wed, 22 May 2013 06:39:13 -0400

Fortune 500 ) redesigned the Chevrolet Impala the goal seemed to be to create as dull and forgettable a car as possible. In that sense, the Impala was a major success. Few cars were as boring to drive or, once seen, faded from the mind so quickly. Following that performance, the new 2014 Chevrolet Impala is as startling as a splash of ice water to the face. For starters, just look at it. Far ...

Key US Senate panel passes landmark immigration reform bill

Wed, 22 May 2013 06:34:35 -0400

Far-reaching legislation that grants a chance at citizenship to millions of immigrants living illegally in the United States cleared the Senate Judiciary Committee on a solid bipartisan vote Tuesday night after supporters somberly sidestepped a controversy over the rights of gay spouses.The 13-5 vote cleared the way for an epic showdown on the Senate floor on legislation that is one of President ...

Cannes Strand Releasing Grabs Stranger at the Lake for North America

Wed, 22 May 2013 06:29:25 -0400

PHOTOS: Cannes Competition Lineup Features 'Behind the Candelabra,' 'Only God Forgives,' 'Nebraska' Films du Losange’s head of sales, Agathe ...

Disgraced ex-congressman Weiner announces candidacy for NYC mayor

Wed, 22 May 2013 06:29:03 -0400

U.S. Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-NY) pauses as he announces that he will resign from the United States House of Representatives during a news conference in Brooklyn, New York, June 16, ...

Boy Scouts to Vote on Gay Ban

Wed, 22 May 2013 06:25:12 -0400

The Boy Scouts of America will convene a two-day meeting of 1,400 local leaders to consider changing its long-standing ban on allowing openly gay boys to don the Boy Scouts uniform. Officials of the Irving, Texas-based organization are scheduled to open the first of the ballots cast on whether to allow openly gay Scouts. Scouting officials propose allowing openly gay Scouts but retaining the ...

10 Things to Know for Today

Wed, 22 May 2013 06:25:12 -0400

Your daily look at late-breaking news, upcoming events and the stories that will be talked about today: 1. DIGGING OUT FROM OKLAHOMA TORNADO Rescuers are nearly finished searching for victims, but most Moore residents are just starting to find out whether their homes were destroyed. 2. STAR WITNESS IN IRS HEARINGS NOT TALKING Lois Lerner, who revealed the agency's targeting of ...

Conn. Rail Service Returns to Normal

Wed, 22 May 2013 06:25:11 -0400

Regular train service is returning to Connecticut, five days after a derailment injured scores of commuters and damaged tracks. Commuter rail service from Connecticut to New York City, along with Amtrak service between Boston and New York, was scheduled to resume Wednesday morning on one of the nation's oldest and most heavily traveled railways. Metro-North had been using buses to ...

America’s Bubble Economy Is Going To Become An Economic Black Hole

Wed, 22 May 2013 05:47:23 -0400

mainstream media never talks about that. They are much too busy covering the latest dogfights in Washington and what Justin Bieber has been up to. And most Americans seem to think that if the Dow keeps setting new all-time highs that everything must be okay. Sadly, that is not the case at all. Right now, the U.S. economy is exhibiting all of the classic symptoms of a bubble economy. You can see ...

Under scrutiny Va. govs mansion a dichotomy

Wed, 22 May 2013 05:44:42 -0400

FILE - In this Tuesday Jan. 31, 2006 file photo, Virginia Gov. Timothy M. Kaine, gestures as he practices the Democratic response to the State of the Union in the Governor's Mansion at the Capitol in Richmond, ...

First victims of Oklahoma tornado revealed

Wed, 22 May 2013 05:42:14 -0400

Tragic Janae Hornsby, who has been described as vibrant and full of life, was a student at Plaza Towers Elementary School.Little Janae is one of nine children who lost their lives in the super storm and the death toll has reached 24. Her father Joshua visited a shelter for parents searching for their missing children when he learned the news yesterday morning."She was the best kid anyone ...

Sparks will fly House panel braces for heated IRS hearing

Wed, 22 May 2013 05:32:13 -0400

Deputy Treasury Secretary Neal Wolin testifies before a Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs committee hearing on December 6, 2011. Wolin was the Treasury official who learned about the investigation into the IRS in ...

New York Times accused of treating Latin political leaders differently

Wed, 22 May 2013 05:22:36 -0400

New York Times has yet to carry. A petition, signed by 23 leading US academics, authors and film-makers, has been launched which urges the paper's "public editor" to examine the Times's inconsistent coverage of two Latin American countries.They argue that there are disparities between its largely negative reporting ...

Will Indian outsourcing companies be forced to hire more Americans

Wed, 22 May 2013 05:17:28 -0400

The vote followed the committee's decision to embrace a Republican move to ease restrictions on high-tech US companies that want to hire more skilled workers from countries like India and ...

Major League Soccer announces New York New York City Football Club

Wed, 22 May 2013 05:08:11 -0400

WAM NEW YORK, May 22nd, 2013 (WAM): Major League Soccer Commissioner Don Garber announced today that a partnership of global sports powers, Manchester City Football Club and the New York Yankees, has acquired the League's 20th expansion club. The new team will be named New York City Football Club (NYCFC) and expects to begin play in 2015. "We proudly welcome two of the most ...

Americans have a right to act stupid

Wed, 22 May 2013 05:05:56 -0400

The tour would have not made it to the front pages of European newspapers if it hadn't been for a funny incident that happened in Berlin, Kerry's second stop. Speaking in front of the students at the Berlin University, Kerry began to talk about democracy and moral values, and expressed his personal opinion on the matter. After the conference, world media presented headlines stating that ...

Immigration bill heads to full Senate

Wed, 22 May 2013 04:40:45 -0400

FILE - In this May 20, 2013 file photo, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., left, confers with Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., center, and Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., as the Senate Judiciary Committee assembled to work on a landmark immigration bill to secure the border and offer citizenship to millions, on Capitol Hill in Washington. Leading senators working on immigration ...

600 police photos of Tucson rampage scene released

Wed, 22 May 2013 04:40:45 -0400

In this image released by the Pima County Sheriff's department, police notes are seen scrawled on the trunk of a police car, in the aftermath of the Tucson shooting rampage that killed six people and wounded former U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and 12 others in January 2011. Authorities released more than 300 photos on Tuesday, May 21, 2013, made by investigators during their investigation in ...

GOP questions IRS scrutiny of anti-abortion groups

Wed, 22 May 2013 04:40:44 -0400

Coalition for Life of Iowa president Sue Martinek holds a sign in her home, Tuesday, May 21, 2013, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. When the Coalition applied for tax-exempt status in 2008, the tiny group thought getting IRS approval would be easy. But the group faced months of delay, was ordered to provide details about its prayer events outside the local Planned Parenthood clinic, and even directed to ...

Boy Scouts meet to decide policy on gay Scouts

Wed, 22 May 2013 04:37:01 -0400

With its ranks deeply divided, the Boy Scouts of America is asking its local leaders from across the country to decide whether its contentious membership policy should be overhauled so that openly gay boys can participate in Scout ...

Amid immigration reform calls to change asylums

Wed, 22 May 2013 04:37:01 -0400

As Congress debates legalizing about 11 million immigrants living in the U.S. illegally, immigration advocates are pushing plans they say will open the asylum process for thousands of more people who flee persecution in their home ...

Quotations of the day

Wed, 22 May 2013 04:37:00 -0400

Join the Discussion The Miami Herald is pleased to provide this opportunity to share information, experiences and observations about what's in the news. Some of the comments may be reprinted elsewhere on the site or in the newspaper. We encourage lively, open debate on the issues of the day, and ask that you refrain from profanity, hate speech, personal comments and remarks that are off ...

Research Highlights From The American Journal Of Tropical Medicine And Hygiene May 2013

Wed, 22 May 2013 04:36:47 -0400

1.) New Rapid Diagnostic Test for Worm Infection Provides Substantial Improvement Over Current Standard According to New African Field Study Provides Compass to Guide Public Health Efforts to Halt Debilitating Lymphatic Filariasis (Elephantiasis) A new diagnostic test strip to rapidly detect lymphatic filariasis - also known as elephantiasis - in human blood has significant advantages over ...

City take aim at America

Wed, 22 May 2013 04:34:35 -0400

22 May 2013 Manchester City believe they are in a perfect position to crack America after announcing they are to set up a new club in New ...

Chocoholics devastated as world Nutella day cancelled - by manufacturer

Wed, 22 May 2013 04:34:33 -0400

Brian O'Reilly - 22 May 2013 YOU may not have been aware it even existed - however you may still shed a tear to learn the World Nutella day has been ...

Americans Outlook for U.S. Moral Values Still Pessimistic

Wed, 22 May 2013 04:33:21 -0400

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Most Americans are still highly pessimistic about the direction in which moral values in the United States are headed. Seventy-two percent say moral values in the country as a whole are getting worse, essentially unchanged from 73% last year, but improved from more than 80% in 2006 through 2008. Twenty percent now say values are getting better, and 6% say they are staying the ...

Star witness to stay mum for House hearing on IRS

Wed, 22 May 2013 04:28:41 -0400

Councilman Eric Garcetti, who jammed with pop star Moby and fashioned himself as a voice for a new generation of city leaders, has opened a growing lead in the race for Los Angeles mayor with the pool of ...

How Infrastructure Investment Brought America’s Game To Santa Clara California

Wed, 22 May 2013 04:28:40 -0400

John Maynard Keynes has been validated once again. Through a wise investment in infrastructure, and in forward growth, the city of Santa Clara, California has turned what once was a center for dried fruit into the high tech heart of the United States. And through this investment in the infrastructure needed for growth, the city has not only gained a status once considered only for major cities, ...

Garcetti builds growing lead as LA picks new mayor

Wed, 22 May 2013 04:28:37 -0400

(AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes). Los Angeles Mayoral candidate Eric Garcetti gets a kiss from his wife Amy Wakeland, as they vote early Tuesday morning, May 21, 2013, in Los ...

House panel seeks to curb military sexual assaults

Wed, 22 May 2013 04:28:37 -0400

A House committee taking Congress' latest look at the Internal Revenue Service's mistreatment of tea party groups will apparently have to do so without input from the star ...

Susan Powells dad gets private eye to review file

Wed, 22 May 2013 04:26:52 -0400

Police say they've taken their best shot at finding missing Utah mother Susan Powell. Now, her dad is hoping a review of the newly released case file - containing tens of thousands of pages of detective reports, maps, interview transcripts and more - might turn up something the investigators ...

Obama Applauds Immigration Bill Vote We All Owe It To The American People To Bring Results

Wed, 22 May 2013 04:15:44 -0400

Obama released a statement after the Senate's 13-5 decision in favor of the measure, applauding the inclusion of many of the "principles of commonsense reform" he has proposed. ...

Burlingame Restaurant Pulls Lion Meat From Menu After Uproar

Wed, 22 May 2013 04:09:47 -0400

BURLINGAME (KPIX 5) — A restaurant on the Peninsula that offers several exotic animals on the menu has stopped serving lion meat following an uproar online. Mokutanya Yakitori Restaurant in ...

Bernanke testimony follows charge he withheld information

Wed, 22 May 2013 04:05:32 -0400

Ben Bernanke 's Capitol Hill testimony Wednesday follows lawmakers charging he purposely withheld strategic information from them. Bernanke is to appear before the House-Senate Joint Economic Committee at 10 a.m. This will be followed 4 hours later by the release of the minutes of the central bank's most recent policy meeting. The testimony and the minutes release could alter the ...

Conn. rail service returning to normal

Wed, 22 May 2013 03:34:15 -0400

Metro North employees, in orange vests, help transfer westbound commuters at the transportation center in Bridgeport, Ct., to buses Monday, May 20, 2012, after a train collision on Friday injured 72 people and disrupted rail service into New York City. The commuters had arrived from New Haven by train and were being bused to Stamford, Ct., where rail service to New York was available. (AP ...

Arias speaks out about case in jailhouse interview

Wed, 22 May 2013 03:34:14 -0400

Convicted killer Jodi Arias speaks during an interview at the Maricopa County Estrella Jail on Tuesday, May 21, 2013, in Phoenix. Arias was convicted recently of killing her former boyfriend Travis Alexander in his suburban Phoenix home back in 2008, made a plea in court on Tuesday for life in prison, instead of execution, saying she can contribute to society if allowed to live. (AP Photo/Ross D. ...

‘Cake Boss’ star and pastry chef Buddy Valastro to open Italian American restaurant at Palazzo

Wed, 22 May 2013 03:29:52 -0400

Elizabeth Blau of Blau & Associates with business partner Jason Lapin, center, and husband Kim Canteenwalla at Honey Salt, a new restaurant at 1031 S. Rampart Blvd. in Summerlin, on Monday, Oct. 22, 2012. END .inline-content ...

Okla. residents come home to pick up the pieces

Wed, 22 May 2013 03:28:26 -0400

MOORE, Okla. - Helmeted rescue workers raced Tuesday to complete the search for survivors and the dead in the Oklahoma City suburb where a mammoth tornado destroyed countless homes, cleared lots down to bare red earth and claimed 24 lives, including those of nine children.Scientists concluded the storm was a rare and extraordinarily powerful type of twister known as an EF5, ranking it at the top ...

Caitlin McBride in Oklahoma I feel as if I am on a different planet

Wed, 22 May 2013 03:27:50 -0400

Oklahoma City may not traditionally be known as the tourism epicentre of the US, but today, the capital of the Sooner State is quite literally, filled to the brim.Nearly every room in the city is sold out, flights are fully booked and those keen to either return to their native state or simply visit will have their patience tested as they attempt to travel to a post-tornado state.I was lucky to ...

Two arrested after looting in Moore Oklahoma

Wed, 22 May 2013 03:27:49 -0400

Teacher's assistant Amber Ford takes a photo of first grade teacher Sheri Bittle after finding items inside Bittle's classroom at Briarwood Elementary School after the building was destroyed by yesterday's tornado on May 21, 2013 in Moore, ...

Oklahoma picks up the pieces after tornado

Wed, 22 May 2013 03:27:48 -0400

Curtis Cook recovers his high school football photo from the rubble of his family's house after a powerful tornado ripped through the area destroying his ...

Officials say Benghazi suspects under surveillance

Wed, 22 May 2013 03:21:11 -0400

Five men are under round-the-clock U.S. surveillance in Libya, wanted for questioning in the attack last year on the diplomatic mission in Benghazi, ...

US Senate committee votes to arm Syrian rebels

Wed, 22 May 2013 03:19:35 -0400

War A US Senate committee had passed a bill that would allow, if signed for the Obama administration to supply arms to Syrian opposition -- a move that could threaten the entire region if these weapons end up in terrorist cells operating on the ground. The Senate Committee on Foreign ...

Parents of dead American doubt honesty of Singaporean inquest prepare to head for home

Wed, 22 May 2013 03:13:01 -0400

The parents of an American software engineer who believe their son was murdered last year in Singapore withdrew from the inquest today, saying they have no confidence in the island’s legal process. (Pictured, the brothers of American Shane Todd, John, left, and Dylan). Shane Truman Todd's body was found in his Singapore apartment by his girlfriend last June 24, and police have said ...

Parents withdraw from inquiry into death of U.S. engineer Shane Todd

Wed, 22 May 2013 03:08:12 -0400

SINGAPORE (Reuters) - The parents of a U.S. engineer found dead in Singapore last year said on Wednesday they will not take part in the rest of a coroner's inquiry into his death, which they say was linked to a project involving the transfer of sensitive technology to ...

Weiner Launches Bid for NYC Mayor

Wed, 22 May 2013 03:04:16 -0400

Anthony Weiner's run for a renaissance is officially on. The ex-congressman whose career imploded in a rash of raunchy tweets two years ago said in a YouTube video announcement late Tuesday that he's in the New York City mayoral race. He'd said last month he was considering it. "I made some big mistakes and I know I let a lot of people down, but I also learned some tough ...

GOP lawmakers Oklahoma tornado aid must be offset

Wed, 22 May 2013 02:59:19 -0400

As Moore, Okla., residents came to terms with the tornado tragedy, Washington Republicans said extra storm aid would have to be offset by budget cuts elsewhere. Gov. Mary Fallin said she was left speechless after taking an aerial tour of the violent tornado's path and inspecting the damage by car and on foot. "There's just sticks and bricks, basically," she said in the lobby ...

Feds vs. feds over Texas blast

Wed, 22 May 2013 02:26:16 -0400

Federal agents and the state fire marshal have effectively barred a federal safety panel from the site of a Texas fertilizer plant blast that killed 15 people and injured about 200 others, hampering its investigation, the panel’s chairman said.In a May 17 letter to Sen. Barbara Boxer, U.S. Chemical Safety Board Chairman Rafael Moure-Eraso asked the California Democrat to help the board ...

Up to 30 hurt in crash in northwest Ohio

Wed, 22 May 2013 02:11:32 -0400

Bowling Green was closed for a couple hours following Tuesday night's crash, but has since been reopened. Initial reports indicated that the passengers of the two vehicles were taken to local hospitals but were not badly hurt. Toledo News Now reports that a Toyota Camry was rear-ended by a bus transporting employees of ...

African-American Integration in U.S ‘A Model for Muslims’

Wed, 22 May 2013 02:06:41 -0400

ROB L. WAGNER: They provide an easy scapegoat for right-wing politicians looking to attribute blame for economic woes. Assimilation or integration? ...

Pathologists testify young American found dead in Singapore killed self

Wed, 22 May 2013 02:05:54 -0400

(1 hr ago) Two US pathologists said an American scientist found hanged last year on the island committed suicide and was not murdered as his family believes. Medical examiners David Fowler of Maryland and Valerie Rao of Florida testified as independent experts a day after the family of the late researcher Shane Todd walked out of a coroner's inquest in Singapore saying they had lost faith ...

Los Angeles voters choose from two Democrats for mayor

Wed, 22 May 2013 02:00:27 -0400

1 of 2. Supporters hold signs as they wait during the election night party for candidate for Mayor of Los Angeles Wendy Greuel in Los Angeles, California May 21, ...

Voters oust mayor of Harrisburg Pennsylvania in primary

Wed, 22 May 2013 02:00:27 -0400

(Reuters) - The embattled mayor of Pennsylvania's financially crippled capital of Harrisburg was ousted on Tuesday when she lost the Democratic primary to the owner of an independent ...

US raises concern over American firms evading taxes

Wed, 22 May 2013 01:55:55 -0400

Mayer, CEO of the biggest US Web portal since July, is betting that Tumblr will help transform Yahoo into a hip destination in the era of social networking as she challenges Google and Facebook ...

Giants Rally Late Defeat Nationals In 10 Innings

Wed, 22 May 2013 01:55:04 -0400

Gregor Blanco #7 of the San Francisco Giants hits an RBI tripled against the Washington Nationals during the ninth inning at AT&T Park on May 21, 2013 in San Francisco. (Photo by Jason O. Watson/Getty ...

PRESS DIGEST-New York Times business news - May 22

Wed, 22 May 2013 01:22:47 -0400

Wed May 22, 2013 1:22am EDT May 22 (Reuters) - The following are the top stories on the New York Times business pages. Reuters has not verified these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy. * Other countries have long been annoyed by Irish tax laws, but the benefit to the struggling country's economy means the rules are unlikely to change. () * Tim Cook came to Capitol Hill prepared to ...

Americans Reign in Credit Card Debt

Wed, 22 May 2013 01:20:45 -0400

LOS ANGELES | Americans got better about paying their credit card debt on time in the first three months of the year, a period when many borrowers use income tax returns to tackle their holiday season ...

Biden Jewish heritage is American

Wed, 22 May 2013 01:17:36 -0400

Vice President Joe Biden spoke at length Tuesday night about the influence of Judaism on the United States, dating back to the country's founding and to the present day as Jews helped shape views on gay rights. "The truth is that Jewish heritage, Jewish culture, Jewish values are such an essential part of who we are that it’s fair to say that Jewish heritage is American ...

TV ratings ABC tops demo American Idol finale tanks

Wed, 22 May 2013 01:15:49 -0400

Candice Glover was crowned the 12th "American Idol" in the singing competition's lowest-rated finale ever. With Modern Family beating American Idol on Wednesday night, Scandal tying a series high and the Billboard Music Awards, ABC took the top spot in week 34 of the broadcast television season in adults 18-49. The Alphabet also closed in on CBS in total viewership but was unable to ...

Bernanke testimony to be studied for policy clues

Wed, 22 May 2013 01:15:15 -0400

FILE - In this May 10, 2013 file photo, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke waves goodbye after speaking during a banking conference in Chicago. When Bernanke testifies about the U.S. economy Wednesday, May 22, 2013, the Federal Reserve chairmans words will be examined for any clues that the Fed might soon taper _ or increase _ its support for the ...

Indian American teenagers invention may charge phones in 20 seconds

Wed, 22 May 2013 01:15:08 -0400

The problem of batteries draining out has been intensified with the arrival of smartphones as these phones come loaded with hundreds of applications that consume lot of battery. Just like the saying 'there is always light at the end of the tunnel', an NRI teenager Eesha Khare has shown that light by building a charger that can charge a phone completely in 20-30 ...

Human toll amid scenes of utter devastation in Oklahoma

Wed, 22 May 2013 01:12:47 -0400

22 May 2013 Rescue workers were still frantically searching through rubble for people trapped in homes, schools, and offices flattened by the two-mile-wide tornado that devastated an Oklahoma town, killing at least 24 people - including at least nine children. Above, teachers who were themselves injured in the tornado, carry children from the ruins of Briarwood Primary School. Emergency ...

Rescuers hunt for survivors as town counts cost of deadly twister

Wed, 22 May 2013 01:12:47 -0400

Jon Swaine - 22 May 2013 Rescue workers from four states were last night searching through rubble for more survivors of the vicious tornado that devastated ...

Parents walked for miles not knowing if theyd find their children dead or alive

Wed, 22 May 2013 01:12:46 -0400

Philip Sherwell Moore, Oklahoma - 22 May 2013 WITH faces bruised and bloodied, parents, teachers and children staggered from the wreckage of their suburban school ...

One word was on most lips and all front pages tornado was a monster

Wed, 22 May 2013 01:12:45 -0400

It passed with an "incredible, thundering roar". It was a thing of terror, something beastly and murderous that gobbled up everything in its rotating maw and then moved on, hungry for more.Those who have lived through tornadoes often speak of this most mesmerising of meteorological phenomena in animal terms. As the number of dead continued to rise yesterday, the local newspapers used ...

We will help you fill allthe empty spaces

Wed, 22 May 2013 01:12:45 -0400

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) did not respond to a request for comment yesterday.Mr Obama assured the people of Moore that federal authorities would be beside them as they tended to "frightened children who will need our continued love and attention"."There are empty spaces where there used to be living rooms, and bedrooms, and classrooms, and, in time, we're ...

Killer twisters 40 minutes on ground made it so destructive

Wed, 22 May 2013 01:12:44 -0400

For nearly 40 minutes it travelled 20 miles across largely urban areas, sweeping up debris, trees and homes in winds estimated to have reached 200mph.It was classified as a top-of-the-scale EF-5 twister with winds of at least 200 mph (322 kph) The upgrade was based on the enormity of the damage.Yet the area is no stranger to storms of this magnitude.In 1999 the city was hit by the most intense ...

Shelters programme was put on hold over lack of cash

Wed, 22 May 2013 01:12:44 -0400

Raf Sanchez Washington - 22 May 2013 THE devastated city of Moore developed a plan to help residents build storm shelters, but it was put "on hold" as authorities battled for federal dollars and through a maze of regulations, city officials ...

Bank of America JPMorgan said mortgage help done

Wed, 22 May 2013 01:00:39 -0400

Bank of America and JPMorgan Chase and Co. said they have met their obligations under a mortgage settlement made with state and federal officials. The Los Angeles Times reported Wells Fargo and Co. also was 90 percent done. The five largest banks agreed last year to a settlement with states over bad mortgages. So far more than 600,000 borrows have been granted a total of $50.6 billion in relief. ...

Grilled by US Senate Apple CEO makes no apology for companys tax strategy

Wed, 22 May 2013 00:57:22 -0400

Apple Inc ., the world's most valuable company, into the debate over the U.S. tax code on Tuesday, grilling CEO Tim Cook over allegations that its Irish subsidiaries help the company avoid billions in U.S. taxes.Cook said the subsidiaries have nothing to do with reducing its U.S. taxes, a message he struggled to convey to the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations."We pay all ...

Judge rejects plea from men who sought to join al Qaeda affiliate

Wed, 22 May 2013 00:55:39 -0400

NEWARK (Reuters) - A federal judge on Tuesday refused to overturn the prison sentences of two New Jersey men convicted on terrorism charges, rejecting the argument that the decision was tainted by the Boston Marathon ...

Ford adds production in North America to meet new car demand

Wed, 22 May 2013 00:55:35 -0400

F.N ) is adding a week of production at 20 North American factories this year to build an additional 40,000 vehicles and help sustain its gains in U.S. market ...

Americans believe it takes $58K annually to get by

Wed, 22 May 2013 00:53:46 -0400

A new survey finds Americans believe it takes about $58,000 a year to get by in the U.S. CNBC reported the findings from a Gallup survey is more than double what the government considers the poverty threshold for a family of four at $24,000. Those numbers are consistent with surveys Gallup conducted in ...

Mysterious respiratory illness kills 2 in southeast Alabama

Wed, 22 May 2013 00:52:20 -0400

MONTGOMERY, Ala. – A mysterious respiratory illness has left five people hospitalized and two dead in southeast Alabama, state health officials said Tuesday. Seven people have been admitted to hospitals with a fever, cough and shortness of breath in recent weeks, Alabama Department of Public Health spokeswoman Mary McIntyre said in a statement. Two of the seven have died. The Alabama ...

Warriors Honored By San Francisco Mayor Curry Given Key To City

Wed, 22 May 2013 00:46:04 -0400

Klay Thompson #11 of the Golden State Warriors celebrates a three-point shot with Stephen Curry #30 and Jarrett Jack #2 against the San Antonio Spurs during Game Two of the Western Conference Semifinals of the 2013 NBA Playoffs at AT&T Center on May 8, 2013 in San Antonio. (Ronald Martinez/Getty ...

Malcolm Xs grandson buried in NY

Wed, 22 May 2013 00:06:08 -0400

Mourners are gathering at the Islamic Cultural Center of Northern California in Oakland to remember Malcolm X's grandson, Malcolm ...

Busy time for news beyond tornado tragedy

Tue, 21 May 2013 23:53:48 -0400

Rachel Maddow recaps the major headlines that have gone largely unnoticed by the news media as attention has been focused on the tornado disaster in Moore, ...

White House Memo A Sleeper Scandal Awakens Post-Election

Tue, 21 May 2013 23:45:45 -0400

For a White House typically equipped with well-honed political radar designed to sniff out and derail conservative conspiracy theories about Mr. Obama, the potentially damaging events at the I.R.S. seemed to pass with little ...

Straily Cespedes Lead A’s Past Rangers

Tue, 21 May 2013 23:37:14 -0400

Starting pitcher Dan Straily #67 of the Oakland Athletics throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the Texas Rangers at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington on May 21, 2013 in Arlington, Texas. (Brandon Wade/Getty ...

Giants’ Affeldt Grows To Love Open-Minded Bay Area

Tue, 21 May 2013 23:37:13 -0400

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) When Jeremy Affeldt came to the Bay Area as an opposing player, he refused to leave his hotel room aside from going to and from the ballpark. He was admittedly ...

Mall of America nets up to $250 million in tax breaks

Tue, 21 May 2013 23:00:45 -0400

Bloomington behemoth to double its size with more stores, movie theaters, hotels, and maybe a water park. To help ensure the project moves forward, up to $250 million in tax breaks were approved this week by the Minnesota Legislature. In recent years, the megamall’s pleas for public subsidies have failed. This year, lawmakers supported a controversial new funding mechanism that draws from ...

Safety Board ATF blocking plant blast probe

Tue, 21 May 2013 22:56:26 -0400

Investigators working in the remnants of an exploded Texas fertilizer plant sifted by hand through untold kernels of corn, moved tons of debris and conducted more than 400 interviews, while searching for the missing piece to solve what many officials compared to an extraordinary ...

28 killed in American-owned Freeport mine in Indonesia

Tue, 21 May 2013 22:39:02 -0400

(45 mins ago) Rescuers have recovered seven more bodies from a collapsed American-owned mine tunnel in eastern Indonesia, its US operator said, taking the accident's final toll to 28. The rescue team ';recovered and identified the last of the remains of the buried workers early this morning'', the Indonesian subsidiary of US-based Freeport-McMoRan said in a statement. ...

American general turfed over adultery

Tue, 21 May 2013 22:38:57 -0400

(47 mins ago) An American general was suspended as commander of an army training center following allegations of adultery and a physical altercation. Brigadier General Bryan Roberts was suspended as commanding general of the US Army training center at Fort Jackson, South Carolina ';due to allegations of misconduct,'' army spokesman Harvey Perritt said. ';The allegations ...

Family of California woman killed by U.S. Border Patrol files suit

Tue, 21 May 2013 22:32:04 -0400

SAN DIEGO (Reuters) - The family of a San Diego woman killed in an encounter with the U.S. Border Patrol filed a federal wrongful death lawsuit on Tuesday alleging a plainclothes agent used excessive force when he opened fire on the woman as she tried to flee in a ...

US Senate Committee Approves Immigration Reform Bill

Tue, 21 May 2013 21:54:18 -0400

The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee has approved a massive immigration reform bill, voting to send it to the entire Senate for debate. Tuesday evening's vote was 13 to five. It came after one of the bill's eight sponsors, Democrat Patrick Leahy, withdrew an amendment that would have given same-sex couples the same legal protections in immigration questions as heterosexual couples. ...

10 Things to Know for Wednesday

Tue, 21 May 2013 21:50:04 -0400

Apple CEO Tim Cook adjusts his glasses as he testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, May 21, 2013, before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Permanent subcommittee on Investigations hearing to examine the methods employed by multinational corporations to shift profits offshore and how such activities are affected by the Internal Revenue Code. Lawmakers want to know ...

APNewsBreak Coast Guard deserter to be confined

Tue, 21 May 2013 21:50:03 -0400

HONOLULU -; A military judge has ruled that a Coast Guard rescue swimmer who admitted he deserted his job in Hawaii to camp out in the mountains of Oahu for three months will be confined for more than 6 months and discharged with bad ...

Details of the Senate immigration bill

Tue, 21 May 2013 21:50:02 -0400

-Within six months of enactment of the bill, the Homeland Security Department must develop a border security plan to achieve those goals, including the use of drones, additional agents and other approaches; and develop a plan to identify where more fencing is ...

Search for Okla. tornado survivors nearly complete

Tue, 21 May 2013 21:44:35 -0400

MOORE, Okla. (AP) Helmeted rescue workers raced Tuesday to complete the search for survivors and the dead in the Oklahoma City suburb where a mammoth tornado destroyed countless homes, cleared lots down to bare red earth and claimed 24 lives, including those of nine children. Scientists concluded the storm was a rare and extraordinarily powerful type of twister known as an EF5, ranking it at the ...

Xis Latin American tour to enhance cooperation spokesman

Tue, 21 May 2013 21:42:55 -0400

Chinese president to visit three Latin American nations and US China will take the opportunity of President Xi Jinping's upcoming visits to three Latin American nations to further increase political trust and consolidate friendship with them, a Foreign Ministry spokesman said Tuesday.Hong Lei's comments at a press briefing came after Qin Gang, also a Ministry of Foreign Affairs ...

U.S. Trust Study Finds Wealthy Americans Underinvested And Unprepared

Tue, 21 May 2013 21:42:06 -0400

2013 Insights on Wealth and Worth report on Tuesday. The nation's oldest trust company, under the wing of Bank of America since 2007, surveyed 711 wealthy American adults over the age of 18 with investable assets north of $3 million on a variety of wealth-related topics. The results revealed a significant amount of dissonance in this cohort, which U.S. Trust has labeled "high net worth ...

New Poll Results Shows GOP Has Lost Favor Among Record Breaking Percentage Of Americans

Tue, 21 May 2013 21:37:08 -0400

The Republican Party’s net favorability ratings are down 8 points in the past two months. The amount of respondents viewing the GOP favorably fell from 38 percent to 35 percent, while the number of people who view the party unfavorably climbed five points, up from 54 percent in ...

After tornado whats next for Moore Okla. Our view

Tue, 21 May 2013 21:34:26 -0400

Monday's tornado wasn't even the strongest to hit this same suburban community. The pictures make you wonder how anyone lived through the monster tornado that devastated an Oklahoma City suburb on Monday. Neighborhoods scraped to the foundations. ...

Twister leaves tragedies miracles Other views

Tue, 21 May 2013 21:34:26 -0400

"Every Okie accepts that atmospheric instability is a part of our legacy." The Oklahoman,Oklahoma City, editorial: "Now come the sad stories, the heartrending deaths of young and old, the miracles and the survivals, as the black funnel wraps itself in grief. Now come the recovery, the selfless deeds, the sacrificial giving and the comforting words. This is a time when patience is ...

Immigration bill clears hurdle with 13-5 approval by Senate committee

Tue, 21 May 2013 21:33:52 -0400

By Carrie Dann, NBC News A sweeping bill to overhaul the nation's immigration system cleared its first major hurdle late Tuesday night, with the 18-member committee charged with completing a first round of legislative edits voting to advance the amended bill to the full Senate. The vote in the Senate Judiciary Committee was 13-5. Three Republicans - Sens. Jeff Flake of Arizona, Lindsey ...

Feds take over states high-risk insurance program

Tue, 21 May 2013 21:23:05 -0400

SACRAMENTO (AP) — About 17,000 Californians with serious medical problems will be moved from a state-run stopgap health insurance program to a federal plan starting in July, ensuring they will have no break in medical coverage until the national health care reforms kick in next year, state officials announced this ...

Director Bryan Singer Tweets Image of Jennifer Lawrence As ‘Mystique

Tue, 21 May 2013 21:17:28 -0400

Director Bryan Singer delighted fanboys around the world on Monday by releasing an image of the 24-year-old ';Silver Linings Playbook'; Oscar-winner donning her Mystique costume for the upcoming ';X-Men: Days of Future ...

Eminem’s Publisher Sues Facebook Over Song Usage

Tue, 21 May 2013 21:17:27 -0400

CBS NEWS/AP ) – Eminem’s song publisher is suing Facebook and an ad agency, saying they copied music from one of the rapper’s ...

‘Arrested Development’ Is Reborn On Netflix

Tue, 21 May 2013 21:17:27 -0400

Netflix , too.) I think the show scored some ‘cool points’ for dying before its time,'; says Cera. ';But there are still a lot more places for it to ...

Television actor Laurence Haddon dead at 90

Tue, 21 May 2013 21:13:20 -0400

Television actor Laurence Haddon has died from complications of dementia in Santa Monica, Calif., his family said Tuesday. He was 90. TVGuide.com said Haddon began his career as a stage and live television actor in the late 1950s after he served as a Merchant Marine in WWII. In addition to playing Ed, one of American TV's first gay characters, on ...

Jury weighing Jodi Arias fate adjourns for day

Tue, 21 May 2013 20:41:04 -0400

Jodi Arias points to her family as a reason for the jury to give her a life in prison sentence instead of the death penalty on Tuesday, May 21, 2013, during the penalty phase of her murder trial at Maricopa County Superior Court in PhoenixZ. Arias was convicted of first-degree murder in the stabbing and shooting to death of Travis Alexander in his suburban Phoenix home in June 2008. (AP Photo/The ...

Mourners say Hofstra students death preventable

Tue, 21 May 2013 20:41:02 -0400

CORRECTS SPELLING OF LAST NAME -- In this photo copied from the 2010 Sleepy Hollow High School yearbook, high school student Andrea Rebello is shown. Police said Rebello, a junior at Hofstra University in Hempstead, N.Y., was shot and killed Friday, May 17, 2013, during a break-in near the college campus. (AP Photo/Sleepy Hollow High ...

UN Poaching threatens central Africa peace

Tue, 21 May 2013 20:41:02 -0400

UNITED NATIONS -; The illegal trade in elephant ivory may constitute an important source of funding for armed groups, including the Lord's Resistance Army, threatening peace and security in central Africa, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said in a report to the Security ...

Leahy steps back on gay marriage issue

Tue, 21 May 2013 20:41:01 -0400

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., right, confers with the committee's ranking Republican, Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Monday, May 20, 2013, as the committee assembles to work on a landmark immigration bill to secure the border and offer citizenship to millions. The panel is aiming to pass the legislation out of committee this week, ...

2 more reports of anti-gay attacks in NYC

Tue, 21 May 2013 20:40:58 -0400

Members of the LGBT community and their supporters gather to speak out after a string a bias attacks, including the fatal shooting of 32-year old Mark Carson on Saturday, during a rally in New York's Greenwich Village, Monday, May 20, 2013. A spate of hate-fueled attacks on gay men in New York, including a killing last week on a busy street in one of Manhattan's most gay-friendly ...

2 FBI agents who died remembered for valor

Tue, 21 May 2013 20:36:58 -0400

Two FBI agents who died while training off the Virginia Beach coast fell to their deaths when a helicopter had trouble during a "maritime counterterrorism exercise," an agency spokeswoman said Monday ...

Hospital prices baffle patients Your Say

Tue, 21 May 2013 20:25:23 -0400

Hospital charges vary widely from one part of the country to another. The Affordable Care Act requires hospitals to tell patients how much a procedure will ...

Wickham Republicans relish role as Party of No

Tue, 21 May 2013 20:25:23 -0400

But blocking tactics aren't the same thing as providing proof of supposed administration abuses. Never lacking chutzpah, Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., the Chief Obstructionist of the Party of No, turned up on Meet the Press Sunday to denounce the Obama administration for creating ...

Allow prayer at government meetings tellusatoday

Tue, 21 May 2013 20:25:23 -0400

On Monday, the Supreme Court announced it would take up a case about whether prayer should be allowed at government meetings. We asked our readers how they would rule. Comments are from Twitter and Facebook:Should prayer be allowed at government meetings? Absolutely! Politicians need all the help they can get. -- @VILLARREAL_14Pray at home or church. Not everyone is a Bible-thumping Christian. We ...

Leahy withholds amendment to include LGBT couples in immigration reform

Tue, 21 May 2013 20:24:48 -0400

By Carrie Dann, NBC News Acknowledging that it would jeopardize the passage of a sweeping immigration reform bill, a top ally of LGBT rights advocates will not call for a committee vote on an amendment that would include the spouses of LGBT individuals with the same standing as heterosexual couples in immigration law. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy announced "with a heavy ...

Ex-manager doubts IRS on Tea Party scandal

Tue, 21 May 2013 20:24:47 -0400

A woman who worked in the IRS Cincinnati office at the center of controversy over targeting of conservative groups says she doubts that the blame resides with front-line employees, as the agency has ...

Granderson The courage of teachers

Tue, 21 May 2013 20:24:20 -0400

>Editor's note: LZ Granderson, who writes a weekly column for CNN.com, was named journalist of the year by the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association and was a 2011 Online Journalism Award finalist for commentary. He is a senior writer and columnist for ESPN the Magazine and ESPN.com. Follow him on Twitter @locs_n_laughs.(CNN) -- Each day more than 55 million students attend the ...

Jodi Arias asks for life term jury deliberates

Tue, 21 May 2013 20:19:23 -0400

PHOENIX (AP) -- Jodi Arias begged jurors Tuesday to give her life in prison, saying she "lacked perspective" when she told a local reporter in an interview that she preferred execution to spending the rest of her days in ...

Lawmakers move to address U.S. military sex assault problem

Tue, 21 May 2013 20:14:22 -0400

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Lawmakers frustrated by a spate of high-profile military sexual assault cases unveiled draft proposals in the House of Representatives on Tuesday to crack down on the crime, but they stopped short the kind of overhaul sought by some ...

Chemical-safety watchdog criticizes probe of Texas blast

Tue, 21 May 2013 20:14:21 -0400

(Reuters) - Officials with the U.S. Chemical Safety Board say they may never know what caused last month's deadly fertilizer-plant explosion in Texas because of interference by federal and Texas agencies, according to a letter sent Tuesday by the head of the regulatory board to U.S. Senator Barbara ...

Mass. US Senate race focuses 911 resolutions ads

Tue, 21 May 2013 20:13:30 -0400

BOSTON -- In their contest for Massachusetts' open U.S. Senate seat, Republican Gabriel Gomez and Democrat Edward Markey continued to clash Tuesday over votes Markey cast against two resolutions honoring the victims of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.At the same time, Gomez ramped up his attacks on Markey in a new 30-second ad criticizing what Gomez describes as Markey's "dirty ...

UN chief urges more action to end recruitment of child soldiers in Myanmar

Tue, 21 May 2013 20:13:08 -0400

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Myanmar's government has made progress in reducing the recruitment of children into the armed forces but still needs to stamp out the practice. Ban's comments came as Myanmar President Thein Sein was making a landmark visit to Washington. The former general met with President Barack Obama on Monday, marking a turnaround in the Asian nation's ...

US outsources data cull for State Department terrorism report complicating trend analysis

Tue, 21 May 2013 20:13:03 -0400

WASHINGTON - The U.S. government has given the job of compiling statistics used by the State Department to analyze trends in global terrorism to an academic group, a move that may complicate accurate unclassified assessments of patterns of terrorist activity for years to come. As President Barack Obama prepares to deliver a major speech on counterterrorism this week and the State Department ...