Provides the latest RSS feeds for Alabama News. For more headlines on Breaking, National, Business, Finance, Sports and World News, visit our home page Birmingham Star.com http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/cat/dc5bac5ce154af20/ en-us Tue, 18 Jun 2013 01:19:07 -0400 Tue, 18 Jun 2013 01:19:07 -0400 30 TOKYO (AP) -- Jitters over a possible change in U.S. stimulus efforts by the Federal Reserve helped pull share prices mostly lower in early Asian trading ... http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215261684/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 Mon, 17 Jun 2013 23:44:00 -0400 http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215261684/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 WASHINGTON -; President Barack Obama says Iran's election of a relative moderate shows that the country's people "want to move in a different direction." But he says Tehran still needs to show the international community that it is not pursuing a nuclear ... http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215260880/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 Mon, 17 Jun 2013 23:21:03 -0400 http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215260880/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 Boston Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask (40), of Finland, defends the net as ice crystals swirl around him during the second period in Game 3 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Finals against the Chicago Blackhawks in Boston, Monday, June 17, 2013. (AP Photo/Bruce Bennett, ... http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215261091/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 Mon, 17 Jun 2013 23:21:01 -0400 http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215261091/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama defended top secret National Security Agency spying programs as legal in a lengthy interview Monday, and called them transparent - even though they are authorized in secret."It is transparent," Obama told PBS's Charlie Rose in an interview to be broadcast Monday. "That's why we set up the FISA court," he added, referring to the ... http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215260883/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 Mon, 17 Jun 2013 23:15:53 -0400 http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215260883/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 Boston Bruins fans pass a large banner through the stands before Game 3 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Finals against the Chicago Blackhawks in Boston, Monday, June 17, 2013. (AP Photo/Elise ... http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215260281/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 Mon, 17 Jun 2013 22:15:56 -0400 http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215260281/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 By The Associated Press Your daily look at late-breaking news, upcoming events and the stories that will be talked about Tuesday: 1. SUPREME COURT THROWS UP AN OBSTACLE Monday's ruling will make it harder for states seeking to bar people who are in the U.S. illegally from voting. 2. PUTIN SAYS HE WON'T BUDGE At the G-8 summit, Russia's leader rejects calls from the West to ... http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215260462/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 Mon, 17 Jun 2013 22:03:43 -0400 http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215260462/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 Cities around Central Alabama are looking to break away from county school systems. Alabaster was one of the first. Monday night, Pelham and Northport are taking steps toward offering home-grown education. The Northport City Council approved opening bids on doing a feasibility study for a city school system. There are at least 10 schools in Northport. City leaders have talked about doing this ... http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215260463/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 Mon, 17 Jun 2013 22:03:40 -0400 http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215260463/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 OAKLAND TOWNSHIP, Mich. (AP) -- Federal agents revived the hunt for the remains of Jimmy Hoffa on Monday, digging around in a suburban Detroit field where a reputed Mafia captain says the Teamsters boss' body was ... http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215260484/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 Mon, 17 Jun 2013 21:54:09 -0400 http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215260484/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 MOBILE, Ala. (AP) -- The Carnival Corp. has filed a lawsuit seeking more than $12 million in damage its cruise ship, Triumph, sustained in an early April ... http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215259599/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 Mon, 17 Jun 2013 20:50:46 -0400 http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215259599/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 ISTANBUL (AP) -- Turkish labor groups fanned a wave of defiance against Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's authority, leading rallies and a one-day strike to support activists whose two-week standoff with the government has shaken the country's secular ... http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215259115/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 Mon, 17 Jun 2013 20:32:12 -0400 http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215259115/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 County Engineer Tim Graves said the projects were included in the state’s bid openings last month. The apparent low bidder on both was Tri-City Construction of Hamilton.It submitted a bid of $411,695.50 for replacing the bridge and approach improvements on County Road 87 (Mayo Road) over Bristow Creek near Alabama Highway 179, and a bid of $309,167.50 for replacing a wooden bridge structure ... http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215258656/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 Mon, 17 Jun 2013 20:01:47 -0400 http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215258656/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 Programme Market for Tv, Video,Cable and Satellite) in Cannes, southeastern France. British police say they are investigating after a newspaper published photos of Nigella Lawson's husband Charles Saatchi with his hands around the celebrity chef's throat. The Sunday People newspaper ran pictures of what it said was the couple's violent argument at a London restaurant on June 9, ... http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215257992/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 Mon, 17 Jun 2013 19:54:10 -0400 http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215257992/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 DALLAS -- Thrifty Car Rental says it's sorry, but many customers who were offered a free one-day rental won't be getting that after all. The company says the offer was intended for a select group of top customers but was sent accidentally to many other people. "We're very sorry for any confusion our eagerness may have caused," the chain, which is owned by Hertz Global ... http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215256972/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 Mon, 17 Jun 2013 19:06:08 -0400 http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215256972/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 WASHINGTON -- The White House is threatening to veto the House version of a massive, five-year farm bill, saying food stamp cuts included in the legislation could leave some Americans hungry. The House is preparing to consider the bill this week. The legislation would cut $2 billion annually, or around 3 percent, from food stamps and make it harder for some people to qualify for the program. ... http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215256974/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 Mon, 17 Jun 2013 19:06:05 -0400 http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215256974/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 Mary Margaret McCord of Gadsden was still elated on Monday, a day after finishing as the first runner-up in the 62nd annual Miss USA ... http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215257648/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 Mon, 17 Jun 2013 18:58:25 -0400 http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215257648/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 Tanner Stimpson of the Black Creek 4-H Arrow Slingers archery team practices for the National 4-H Shooting Sports Invitational in North Etowah County, Alabama. June 8, ... http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215257649/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 Mon, 17 Jun 2013 18:58:25 -0400 http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215257649/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 Alabama’s Mary Margaret McCord finishes second to Connecticut in Miss USA competition (gallery) Al.com - June 16 It came down to two. Miss Alabama and Miss Connecticut. In the end, it wasMiss Connecticut named Miss USA 2013. Erin Brady of South Glastonbury, Conn., won after answering a question about the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision upholding widespread DNA tests. She said agreed ... http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215257650/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 Mon, 17 Jun 2013 18:53:20 -0400 http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215257650/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 JACKSON, Miss. - A Mississippi woman has been charged in a second death related to giving buttocks-enhancing injections without being trained or licensed.The state attorney general's office says in a news release Monday that 53-year-old Tracey Lynn Garner of Jackson, formerly known as Morris Garner, was arrested Thursday and charged with one count of depraved heart murder. Conviction is ... http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215256656/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 Mon, 17 Jun 2013 18:03:04 -0400 http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215256656/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 WASHINGTON -; The Republican establishment hopes an overhaul of immigration laws will help the party run stronger presidential races. But that goal is about to hit big hurdles in the form of House ... http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215256154/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 Mon, 17 Jun 2013 18:02:22 -0400 http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215256154/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 A Gadsden man has been indicted by an Etowah County grand jury for capital murder in the March death of his daughter, according to District Attorney Jimmie ... http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215256591/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 Mon, 17 Jun 2013 17:54:56 -0400 http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215256591/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 ATHENS, Greece — Greece's deeply divided governing coalition has avoided collapsing in a dispute over Prime Minister Antonis Samaras' closure of state television. After more than three hours of talks late Monday, Samaras' center-left minority partners said talks would continue this week on how to keep state broadcasts going until Hellenic Broadcasting Corp., or ERT, is ... http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215256255/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 Mon, 17 Jun 2013 17:53:32 -0400 http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215256255/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 By RYAN NAKASHIMAAP Business Writer LOS ANGELES (AP) - Netflix announced a deal on Monday to air television programming from Dreamworks Animation in what the company described as its biggest transaction ever for original first-run content. Though financial details were not disclosed, Netflix Inc. said the agreement includes more than 300 hours of new TV episodes in a multi-year deal starting in ... http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215256592/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 Mon, 17 Jun 2013 17:50:33 -0400 http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215256592/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 ENNISKILLEN, Northern Ireland -- The European Union and the United States will open negotiations next month on a long-sought deal to create free trade between the world's two mightiest economic regions -- an effort that could create millions of jobs but that could also take years to transform from dream to reality. U.S. and EU leaders announced the plans Monday while in Northern Ireland ... http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215256711/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 Mon, 17 Jun 2013 17:50:20 -0400 http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215256711/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 EVERGREEN, Ala. (AP) -- Federal officials have announced they'll be monitoring a municipal election in Evergreen to ensure voting practices are in compliance with the Voting Rights ... http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215256593/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 Mon, 17 Jun 2013 17:41:39 -0400 http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215256593/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 Alabama State Troopers say 25-year-old Patrick Hunt Drury of Meridian, Miss., and 25-year-old Christopher McArthur of Toomsuba, Miss., were killed early Sunday near York in Sumter County. Naval Academy officials confirmed to The Capital of Annapolis that Drury and McArthur were ... http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215256594/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 Mon, 17 Jun 2013 17:41:39 -0400 http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215256594/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 The Legislature earlier this year approved a reorganization of Medicaid into districts around the state. Acting Medicaid Director State Health Officer Don Williamson says it was difficult to decide how to divide the counties, and added that some counties could be shifted before the map is finalized Oct. ... http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215256595/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 Mon, 17 Jun 2013 17:41:39 -0400 http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215256595/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 ENNISKILLEN, Northern Ireland (AP) -- Deep differences over Syria's fierce civil war clouded a summit of world leaders Monday, with Russian President Vladimir Putin defiantly rejecting calls from the U.S., Britain and France to halt his political and military support for Syrian leader Bashar Assad's ... http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215256051/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 Mon, 17 Jun 2013 17:22:53 -0400 http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215256051/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 HARTFORD, Conn. -; The governors of Texas and South Dakota visited Connecticut on Monday to court gun manufacturers that have threatened to leave since the state passed tough new gun-control laws this year in response to the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary ... http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215254978/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 Mon, 17 Jun 2013 16:58:26 -0400 http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215254978/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 CHICAGO -- Chicago's next U.S. attorney faces a dilemma sprung from the twin evils bedeviling America's third-largest city.Should he zero in on Illinois' deep pool of political corruption with the resolve of his predecessor, who sent two governors to prison? Or should he devote even more resources to the gang- and drug-related violence that has claimed hundreds of lives?The ... http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215254779/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 Mon, 17 Jun 2013 16:54:31 -0400 http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215254779/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 Birmingham Barons outfielder Trayce Thompson is the Southern League Hitter of the Week. The No. 2 prospect in the Chicago White Sox organization hit .435 with three home runs and nine RBI in six games. Thompson helped the Barons four of their six games. Thompson is tied for the team lead with eight home runs this season. Birmingham won the first half title in the Southern League North with a ... http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215255434/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 Mon, 17 Jun 2013 16:46:39 -0400 http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215255434/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 Ireland, Monday, June 17, 2013. The visit takes place before leaders from the G-8 nations are to gather to discuss the ongoing conflict in Syria, and free-trade issues. (AP Photo/Evan ... http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215254689/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 Mon, 17 Jun 2013 16:43:16 -0400 http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215254689/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 View Photo Associated Press/Evan Vucci - President Barack Obama meets with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Enniskillen, Northern Ireland, Monday, June 17, 2013. Obama and Putin discussed the ongoing conflict in ... http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215254690/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 Mon, 17 Jun 2013 16:43:15 -0400 http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215254690/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 The settlement came on the eve of a scheduled Delaware chancery court trial that threatened to cast an unflattering light on Google co-founders Larry Page and Sergey ... http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215255558/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 Mon, 17 Jun 2013 16:30:11 -0400 http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215255558/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 Community Action of Etowah County will begin scheduling appointments for its Regular Cooling and Crisis Cooling assistance programs at 9 a.m. Wednesday. Applicants of households that cool with electric power are ... http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215254287/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 Mon, 17 Jun 2013 15:48:02 -0400 http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215254287/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 Investigators are getting closer to pinpointing where Colorado's most destructive wildfire started and that should help allow residents of the area hit hardest by the blaze to temporarily return ... http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215254289/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 Mon, 17 Jun 2013 15:43:56 -0400 http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215254289/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 By The Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) - The price of oil fell slightly after it climbed to a high for the year Monday, as the market waits to see the results of this week's Federal Reserve policy meeting. Benchmark oil for July delivery fell 8 cents to finish at $97.77 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Earlier, crude rose to $98.74, the highest level since mid-September. ... http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215254290/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 Mon, 17 Jun 2013 15:43:54 -0400 http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215254290/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 a "path of moderation," the easing of nuclear tensions and steps to narrow the huge divide with the United States. He also make clear where he won't go, saying he opposes any halt to uranium enrichment, at the heart of the nuclear standoff. (AP Photo/Ebrahim ... http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215253638/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 Mon, 17 Jun 2013 15:40:55 -0400 http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215253638/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 was 15 after stabbing a 78-year-old Bible school teacher 33 times during a 1985 robbery in Gary, Ind. A Department of Correction spokesman says Cooper, now 43, was released from an Indiana prison Monday, June 17, 2013. A state court overturned her death sentence in 1988. (AP Photo/Lake County Police Depatmrnt via The Indianapolis ... http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215253639/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 Mon, 17 Jun 2013 15:40:53 -0400 http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215253639/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Obama administration won't welcome the election of a relative moderate as Iran's next president with any new nuclear offer. A State Department spokeswoman says it's up to Tehran to ... http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215253844/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 Mon, 17 Jun 2013 15:35:37 -0400 http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215253844/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 SOFIA, Bulgaria -; Bulgaria's prime minister said Monday that Parliament's appointment of a media mogul as the nation's security chief was a mistake, but that his government will not resign over ... http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215252693/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 Mon, 17 Jun 2013 14:54:14 -0400 http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215252693/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 WASHINGTON -; Republican Sen. John McCain is questioning President Barack Obama about political appointees' use of secret government email accounts to conduct official ... http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215252790/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 Mon, 17 Jun 2013 14:54:06 -0400 http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215252790/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 A Fyffe man on Friday was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, according to a news release from Cherokee County Sheriff Jeff ... http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215253252/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 Mon, 17 Jun 2013 14:46:27 -0400 http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215253252/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 View Photo Associated Press/The Guardian, File - FILE - This June 9, 2013 photo provided by The Guardian newspaper in London shows Edward Snowden, who worked as a contract employee at the U.S. National Security ... http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215252500/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 Mon, 17 Jun 2013 14:39:07 -0400 http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215252500/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 The price of a gallon of gas in Massachusetts has crept up by a penny in the past week yet remains well below the national average. AAA Southern New England reports Monday that self-serve, regular climbed ... http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215253507/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 Mon, 17 Jun 2013 14:36:27 -0400 http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215253507/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 Officers arrested 23-year-old Keondrae Devon Long of Tuscaloosa early Monday. He is charged with robbery and receiving stolen property from a previous ... http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215253254/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 Mon, 17 Jun 2013 14:33:33 -0400 http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215253254/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 NEW YORK -- The price of oil climbed to a high for the year Monday amid concerns over an escalation in the civil war in Syria.Benchmark oil for July delivery was up 37 cents to $98.22 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange in afternoon trading. Earlier, crude rose to $98.74, the highest level since mid-September.Concern that the conflict in Syria could spread and disrupt oil supplies from ... http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215251423/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 Mon, 17 Jun 2013 13:47:33 -0400 http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215251423/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 SEATTLE -- The plans of a former Microsoft manager to create the "Starbucks of Pot" are worrying other activists who pushed for the legalization of marijuana in Washington state.They say Jamen Shively's ambitions don't merely raise questions about whether big corporations will come to dominate the legal pot industry, but also about whether his profit-driven approach might ... http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215251460/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 Mon, 17 Jun 2013 13:47:31 -0400 http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215251460/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 HELENA, Mont. -- A well-traveled cat named "Mata Hairi" will soon be reunited with her owner after spending nearly 10 months traveling thousands of miles with a hitchhiker who rescued her from the rain.The feline adventure started in Portland, Ore., when the cat's owner, Ron Buss, let her out of the house on Sept. 1. The cat, white with patches of dark gray, usually left for no ... http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215251600/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 Mon, 17 Jun 2013 13:47:31 -0400 http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215251600/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 A protester leaves the headquarters of Greek state broadcaster , ERT, in Athens, on Sunday, June 16, 2013. Greece's fragile governing coalition failed to reach a compromise Wednesday about the closure of the state-run ERT broadcaster, that has left the government in a crisis that could lead to early elections, just a year after it was formed to save the country from ... http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215251812/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 Mon, 17 Jun 2013 13:46:34 -0400 http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215251812/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 they were young and decided to stay, becoming unauthorized immigrants with no legal status. Now, one year after President Barack Obama announced an executive order allowing young people living in the U.S. illegally to stay and work, nearly 300,000 young adults previously living illegally in the United States have been granted permission to stay and work through the program, the most significant ... http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215251418/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 Mon, 17 Jun 2013 13:37:00 -0400 http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215251418/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 NEW YORK -- Stocks are rising in midday trading as traders expect the Federal Reserve to continue its stimulus of the U.S. economy when it meets this week. The Dow Jones industrial average was up 160 points, or 1.1 percent, at 15,230 just before noon Eastern Daylight time Monday. The Standard & Poor's 500 index climbed 16 points, or 1 percent, to 1,643. The Nasdaq composite rose 40 ... http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215249966/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 Mon, 17 Jun 2013 12:49:20 -0400 http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215249966/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 WASHINGTON -; An outside group supporting President Barack Obama's agenda plans to air a series of ads this summer promoting Obama's health care ... http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215250268/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 Mon, 17 Jun 2013 12:49:02 -0400 http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215250268/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 WASHINGTON -; The Supreme Court on Monday handed down decisions in five cases and agreed to hear two important appeals in the fall. Among the court's ... http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215250128/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 Mon, 17 Jun 2013 12:49:00 -0400 http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215250128/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 A British Airways Airbus A380, right, takes off in front of an Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner during the first day of the 50th Paris Air Show at Le Bourget airport, north of Paris, Monday, June 17, 2013. (AP Photo/Francois ... http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215250290/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 Mon, 17 Jun 2013 12:48:59 -0400 http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215250290/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 Police fire tear gas as riot police spray water cannon at demonstrators who remained defiant after authorities evicted activists from an Istanbul park, making clear they are taking a hardline against attempts to rekindle protests that have shaken the country, near city's main Taksim Square in Istanbul, Turkey, Sunday, June 16, 2013.(AP Photo ... http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215250127/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 Mon, 17 Jun 2013 12:48:58 -0400 http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215250127/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 Gadsden Police Capt. Bobby Jackson said Deborah Naylor Bolin, 53, is charged with third-degree robbery, and further charges are pending.Bolin allegedly stole merchandise Wednesday from Belk and Sears and fought against those who tried to stop her.Loss prevention employees at Bels told police they saw Bolin put about $686 of merchandise in a bag and attempt to leave. When officers and security ... http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215250973/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 Mon, 17 Jun 2013 12:40:57 -0400 http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215250973/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 in Hong Kong. The Guardian newspaper says that the British eavesdropping agency GCHQ repeatedly hacked into foreign diplomats' phones and emails when the U.K. hosted international conferences, even going so far as to set up a bugged Internet caf in an effort to get an edge in high-stakes negotiations. The Guardian cites more than half a dozen internal government documents provided by former ... http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215250024/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 Mon, 17 Jun 2013 12:33:44 -0400 http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215250024/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 Guantanamo Bay, Cuba . Here's a look at where things stand: -- CURRENT POPULATION: The U.S. holds 166 men at the prison, down from a peak of about 680 in June 2003. -- GETTING OUT OF GUANTANAMO: Nearly 90 prisoners have been approved for either release or transfer, which in some cases will mean continued detention in their homeland or a third country. The new envoy appointed by Obama will ... http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215250025/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 Mon, 17 Jun 2013 12:33:41 -0400 http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215250025/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 Two years after that storm, Hayes once again found herself at DCH, but this time for a much different reason: She gave birth to twins, a daughter and a son. They were born on April 27, 2013, exactly two years after the ... http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215250974/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 Mon, 17 Jun 2013 12:28:38 -0400 http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215250974/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 feel comfortable with the idea that government may be offering surveillance for own own good. Or do they? An answer given by Miss Alabama during the Miss USA pageant on Sunday night fully expressed how pretzel-ish the thinking has to be around our personal safety and ... http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215250048/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 Mon, 17 Jun 2013 12:22:55 -0400 http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215250048/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 LONDON — British police said today they are investigating newspaper photos that show Nigella Lawson's husband Charles Saatchi with his hands around the celebrity chef's throat.The pictures drew widespread condemnation after they were published by the Sunday People tabloid. The paper said the images were taken during an argument at a London restaurant on June 9.Lawson's ... http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215250772/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 Mon, 17 Jun 2013 12:14:14 -0400 http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215250772/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 NEW YORK -- Here's the latest goal for food makers: Perfect the art of imperfection. When stretching out the dough for its premium "Artisan Pizzas," Domino's workers are instructed not to worry about making the rectangles too perfect: The pies are supposed to have a more rustic look. At McDonald's, the egg whites for the new breakfast sandwich called the Egg White ... http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215248750/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 Mon, 17 Jun 2013 11:47:16 -0400 http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215248750/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 WASHINGTON -; The Supreme Court says lawyers may not obtain personal information from state driver license records to recruit clients for ... http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215248917/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 Mon, 17 Jun 2013 11:46:59 -0400 http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215248917/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 JERUSALEM -; An Israeli committee has chosen a consortium led by Swedish company ViaEuropa to build a nationwide high-speed broadband ... http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215249134/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 Mon, 17 Jun 2013 11:46:57 -0400 http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215249134/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 WASHINGTON -; NSA leaker Edward Snowden is defending his disclosure of top-secret U.S. spying programs in an online chat with The Guardian and attacking U.S. officials for calling him a ... http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215249497/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 Mon, 17 Jun 2013 11:46:56 -0400 http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215249497/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -; Former NFL star Chad Johnson is being released immediately from jail after apologizing to a judge for lack of respect when he slapped his attorney on the backside in court last ... http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215249082/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 Mon, 17 Jun 2013 11:46:51 -0400 http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215249082/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 President Barack Obama added a deal would be "a priority of mine" and that he was "confident we can get it done." Negotiations would focus on lowering tariffs and rules that hinder the trade of goods and services and is seen as a way of promoting new growth and jobs amid an uncertain global recovery. Summit host British Prime Minister David Cameron said the trade pact could ... http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215248803/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 Mon, 17 Jun 2013 11:31:28 -0400 http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215248803/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 View Photo Associated Press/J. Scott Applewhite - U.S. History students from Austin, Minn. High School visit the Supreme Court in Washington, Monday, June 17, 2013, in anticipation of key decisions being announced. ... http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215248804/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 Mon, 17 Jun 2013 11:31:26 -0400 http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215248804/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 MOBILE, Ala. (AP) -- A Coast Guard report says a passing tugboat helped spark the massive explosions that rocked the Mobile River and injured three people in ... http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215249614/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 Mon, 17 Jun 2013 11:26:03 -0400 http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215249614/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 U.S. District Judge Myron Thompson ruled Monday that defense attorneys for former Lt. Michael Smith did not engage in racial discrimination in striking potential jurors who are ... http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215249613/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 Mon, 17 Jun 2013 11:26:03 -0400 http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215249613/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 British police said Monday they are investigating newspaper photos that show celebrity chef Nigella Lawson's husband, Charles Saatchi, with his hands around her throat. The pictures drew widespread condemnation after ... http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215248935/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 Mon, 17 Jun 2013 11:19:25 -0400 http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215248935/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 Drivers in St. Clair and Bibb counties who were stopped at roadblocks in the area over last weekend were asked to give anonymous breath, saliva and blood samples as part of a national study, authorities said Monday. Giving samples was voluntary, and participants were paid $10 for mouth swabs and $50 for blood samples, St. Clair County Sheriff’s Lt. Freddie Turrentine told AL.com. Off-duty ... http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215248909/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 Mon, 17 Jun 2013 11:12:06 -0400 http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215248909/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 For the first time in seven years, most U.S. homebuilders are optimistic about home sales, a sign that construction could help drive stronger economic growth in coming months. The National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo builder sentiment index released Monday leaped to 52 this month from 44 in May. A reading above 50 indicates more builders view sales conditions as good, rather than ... http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215249782/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 Mon, 17 Jun 2013 11:10:59 -0400 http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215249782/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 NEW YORK -- The U.S. stock market rose in early trading Monday, driven not by any new economic data but by investors counting on the Federal Reserve to extend programs meant to boost the economy.The Dow Jones industrial average was up 158 points, or 1 percent, to 15,228 after the first half-hour of trading. All but two of the 30 stocks in the Dow rose, led by Cisco Systems, which gained 64 ... http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215247664/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 Mon, 17 Jun 2013 10:41:45 -0400 http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215247664/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 Officials say 19-year-old Ricardo Perez of Rome, Ga., was found in 9 feet of water in Little River Canyon on Saturday night.Perez and friends reportedly were trying to swim across Little River when Perez went under the water earlier in the day.The superintendent of the Little River Canyon preserve, Gail Bishop, says Perez was the first person to drown in the canyon this ... http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215248402/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 Mon, 17 Jun 2013 10:38:14 -0400 http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215248402/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 The Supreme Court has agreed to decide another dispute involving race, whether people must prove they were victims of intentional housing discrimination to win lawsuits under federal ... http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215248403/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 Mon, 17 Jun 2013 10:34:00 -0400 http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215248403/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 The Supreme Court has agreed to decide another dispute involving race, whether people must prove they were victims of intentional housing discrimination to win lawsuits under federal ... http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215248404/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 Mon, 17 Jun 2013 10:33:59 -0400 http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215248404/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 By PHILLIP RAWLSAssociated Press MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) - Alabama Board of Education member Mary Scott Hunter said she's considering entering the Republican race for governor against incumbent Robert Bentley. The 40-year-old Huntsville lawyer said she's been encouraged to consider the race by people from many different walks of life, and she plans to decide by the end of summer. ... http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215248681/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 Mon, 17 Jun 2013 10:33:56 -0400 http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215248681/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 The Supreme Court won't reconsider a jury's decision that an off-duty Seattle police officer who was cut off in traffic violated a man's rights by detaining him at ... http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215248377/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 Mon, 17 Jun 2013 10:31:50 -0400 http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215248377/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 WASHINGTON -; The Supreme Court has agreed to decide another dispute involving race, whether people must prove they were victims of intentional housing discrimination to win lawsuits under federal ... http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215246663/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 Mon, 17 Jun 2013 09:44:53 -0400 http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215246663/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 Police fire tear gas as riot police spray water cannon at demonstrators who remained defiant after authorities evicted activists from an Istanbul park, making clear they are taking a hardline against attempts to rekindle protests that have shaken the country, near city's main Taksim Square in Istanbul, Turkey, Sunday, June 16, 2013.(AP Photo ... http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215246780/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 Mon, 17 Jun 2013 09:44:50 -0400 http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215246780/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 ENNISKILLEN, Northern Ireland -; The top official with the European Union's executive arm says a free trade deal with the United States would be a "game-changer" for the global ... http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215246782/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 Mon, 17 Jun 2013 09:44:49 -0400 http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215246782/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 BERLIN -- Descendants of German automobile entrepreneur Ferdinand Porsche have bought back a 10 percent stake in their holding company from Qatar's sovereign wealth fund. Carmaker Porsche confirmed the transaction Monday but didn't reveal the sales price. The Porsche and Piech families are now again the sole shareholders of Porsche Automobil Holding SE. That company is the largest ... http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215245500/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 Mon, 17 Jun 2013 08:46:30 -0400 http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215245500/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 FILE - In this Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2012, file photo, members of the Mujahedeen-e-Khalq organization are seen inside Camp Liberty in Baghdad, Iraq. The Iranian exile group living in the camp near Baghdad airport said Saturday, June 15, 2013, it came under attack from rockets that caused casualties among its members, according to camp spokesman Shahriar Kia. (AP Photo/ Hadi Mizban, ... http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215245721/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 Mon, 17 Jun 2013 08:46:12 -0400 http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215245721/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 In this photo taken on Sunday, June 16, 2013, and released by the official website of the Iranian supreme leader's office, supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, left, speaks during his meeting with President-elect Hasan Rowhani in Tehran, Iran. On Sunday, Rowhani had his first meeting as president-elect with Khamenei, who offered "necessary guidelines" to him, state TV said, ... http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215245724/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 Mon, 17 Jun 2013 08:46:10 -0400 http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215245724/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 A worker stretches on a chair during a morning trading at the Tokyo Stock Exchange in Tokyo Monday, June 17, 2013. Asian stocks edged up Monday amid hopes that the U.S. Federal Reserve will put off plans to wind down its stimulus program. Tokyo's Nikkei 225, the regional heavyweight, jumped 2.2 percent to 12,960.81, extending Friday's 2.4 percent gain. (AP Photo/Koji ... http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215245723/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 Mon, 17 Jun 2013 08:46:10 -0400 http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215245723/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 NEW YORK (AP) - U.S. stock futures are rising sharply ahead of this week's two-day policy meeting of the U.S. Federal Reserve. Dow Jones futures are up 124 points to 15,112. S&P futures have added 14.3 points to 1,632.70. Nasdaq futures are up 29 points to 2,966. Markets have been roiled by uncertainty for several weeks regarding the Fed's commitment to a massive bond-buying ... http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215246188/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 Mon, 17 Jun 2013 08:34:54 -0400 http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215246188/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 SAN ANTONIO — Five things to note from Game 5 of the San Antonio Spurs' win over the Miami Heat in Game 5 of the NBA Finals on Sunday night: --- MANU THE MAN: Spurs coach Gregg Popovich told Manu Ginobili on Saturday that he would be starting Game 5. And how did Ginobili respond? By putting up just the second 24-point, 10-assist game of his entire career, that's how. Ginobili ... http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215246163/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 Mon, 17 Jun 2013 08:32:53 -0400 http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215246163/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 AMMAN, Jordan -- Canada has pledged an additional $98.4 million to Jordan to help the Arab country cope with the costly fallout from the worsening crisis next door in Syria, its foreign affairs minister said in a statement Monday. The pledge followed a visit by John Baird, who held talks on Syria's two-year civil war with his Jordanian counterpart, Nasser Judeh, late Sunday in the capital, ... http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215245957/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 Mon, 17 Jun 2013 08:29:13 -0400 http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215245957/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 ABBEVILLE, Ala. (AP) -- Authorities were searching for a motorist who apparently fired a gun at state police and sheriff's deputies during a high-speed pursuit in southeast ... http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215246189/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 Mon, 17 Jun 2013 08:27:08 -0400 http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215246189/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 Apple says it received between 4,000 and 5,000 requests from U.S. law enforcement for customer data between Dec. 1, 2012 and May 31.The company, like some other businesses, had asked the U.S government to be able to share how many requests it received related to national security and how it handled them.Apple Inc. said that between 9,000 and 10,000 accounts or devices were specified in those ... http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215245168/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 Mon, 17 Jun 2013 07:48:39 -0400 http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215245168/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 NEW YORK -- One of Smithfield Foods' largest shareholders says a $4.72 billion takeover bid from China's largest meat producer falls short of what the company would be worth if sold off piece by piece. New York-based investment firm Starboard Value LP, which owns about 5.7 percent of Smithfield's common stock, estimated the Smithfield, Va.-based pork producer's value at $9 ... http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215244509/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 Mon, 17 Jun 2013 07:48:25 -0400 http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215244509/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 BERLIN -; Union members at online retailer Amazon's German operations have begun a two-day strike to ratchet up pressure on the company over pay ... http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215244794/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 Mon, 17 Jun 2013 07:48:03 -0400 http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215244794/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 MOORESVILLE, N.C. (AP) - Lowe's plans to expand its California presence with an acquisition of Sears spinoff Orchard Supply Hardware Stores for about $205 million in cash. Orchard Supply filed a voluntary Chapter 11 bankruptcy petition on Monday, so the offer from Lowe's will become the "stalking horse" bid for an auction of Orchard's assets. Such a bid sets the floor ... http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215245181/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 Mon, 17 Jun 2013 07:37:16 -0400 http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215245181/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 NEW YORK (AP) - Shareholders of Irish drugmaker Elan Corp. PLC voted in favor of a share buyback but rejected three separate deals its board has pushed instead of a takeover offer from Royalty Pharma. The approval of the buyback ends the acquisition offer from Royalty Pharma. However, Royalty is fighting that decision by Irish regulators in court. Royalty offered $13 per share plus $2.50 per ... http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215245182/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 Mon, 17 Jun 2013 07:37:15 -0400 http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215245182/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 roadside restaurant killed 15 people on Monday, officials said, the latest in a surge of violence that has left nearly 2,000 dead since the beginning of April. The bomb left inside the restaurant ... http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215244929/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 Mon, 17 Jun 2013 07:32:02 -0400 http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215244929/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 WASHINGTON -- The United States and Cuba will resume talks this week on restarting direct mail service despite a deadlock between Washington and Havana over detainees that has largely stalled most rapprochement efforts, a U.S. official said ... http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215244782/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 Mon, 17 Jun 2013 07:24:14 -0400 http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215244782/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 A protester leaves the headquarters of Greek state broadcaster , ERT, in Athens, on Sunday, June 16, 2013. Greece's fragile governing coalition failed to reach a compromise Wednesday about the closure of the state-run ERT broadcaster, that has left the government in a crisis that could lead to early elections, just a year after it was formed to save the country from bankruptcy. (AP ... http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215243804/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 Mon, 17 Jun 2013 06:50:21 -0400 http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215243804/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 By The Associated Press Your daily look at late-breaking news, upcoming events and the stories that will be talked about today: 1. SYRIA, ECONOMY HEADLINE G-8 SUMMIT Obama and Russian Prime Minister Vladmir Putin will meet to discuss their differences on Syria's civil war, while thousands of police are securing the summit from protests. 2. REPORT SAYS BRITISH SPIES HACKED DIPLOMATS AT ... http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215244236/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 Mon, 17 Jun 2013 06:39:58 -0400 http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215244236/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 By DARKO BANDIC and DUSAN STOJANOVICAssociated Press ZAGREB, Croatia (AP) - There will be festivities and fireworks, but Kata Secic can't muster much enthusiasm for Croatia's historic entry into the European Union. The 53-year-old Croatian textile factory worker has a more immediate worry: The underwear manufacturer she works for went bust and she hasn't received her 300-euro ... http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215244237/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 Mon, 17 Jun 2013 06:39:48 -0400 http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215244237/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 GADSDEN — George White began repairing marble tombstones quite by accident. ... http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215243418/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 Mon, 17 Jun 2013 05:51:06 -0400 http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215243418/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 By PAMELA SAMPSONAP Business Writer BANGKOK (AP) - Oil prices rose Monday ahead of a critical meeting of U.S. central bank policymakers later in the week. Benchmark oil for July delivery rose 28 cents to $98.14 a barrel at late afternoon Bangkok time in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract for July delivery rose $1.16 to close at $97.85 a barrel on the Nymex amid ... http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215243419/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 Mon, 17 Jun 2013 05:44:07 -0400 http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215243419/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 BANGKOK (AP) - Thailand's national Buddhism body says it is monitoring monks nationwide for any inappropriate behavior following complaints ignited by a video showing Buddhist monks boarding a private jet. The YouTube video emerging recently showing 1 of the monks was wearing stylish aviator sunglasses, carrying a brand name travel bag and sporting a pair of modern-looking wireless ... http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215243474/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 Mon, 17 Jun 2013 05:38:34 -0400 http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215243474/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 A wellwisher carrying get-well placard arrives at the Mediclinic Heart Hospital where former South African President Nelson Mandela is being treated in Pretoria, South Africa Sunday, June 16, 2013. South Africa's president says that Nelson Mandela is seeing sustained improvement from the recurring lung infection that is forcing him to spend a ninth day in the hospital. (AP Photo/Ben ... http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215242941/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 Mon, 17 Jun 2013 05:31:14 -0400 http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215242941/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 BELFAST, Northern Ireland (AP) -- President Barack Obama declared peace in Northern Ireland a "blueprint" for those living amid conflict around the world, while acknowledging that the calm between Catholics and Protestants will face further tests. Summoning young people to take responsibility for their country's future, Obama warned there is "more to lose now than there has ... http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215243082/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 Mon, 17 Jun 2013 05:19:10 -0400 http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215243082/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 LE BOURGET, France -- Airbus says aircraft leasing company IFLC has made a firm order for 50 single-aisle A320neo jets, which represents a robust start for the European plane maker at the Paris Air Show. Financial details were not disclosed Monday. However, the planes have a list price of $100 million but customers often negotiate steep discounts. The A320neo, a more fuel-efficient model than ... http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215242238/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 Mon, 17 Jun 2013 05:01:05 -0400 http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215242238/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 WASHINGTON -; The White House says President Barack Obama and South Korea's President Park Geun-hye (goon-hay) have discussed North Korea's proposal for high-level talks with the ... http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215242478/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 Mon, 17 Jun 2013 05:00:46 -0400 http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215242478/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 That's the question - and the fear - Chairman Ben Bernanke will face this week when he takes questions after a Federal Reserve policy ... http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215241557/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 Mon, 17 Jun 2013 04:07:41 -0400 http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215241557/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 WASHINGTON -; President Barack Obama has chosen a high-powered Washington lawyer with extensive experience in all three branches of the government to be the State Department's special envoy for closing down the military-run prison at the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base in ... http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215241750/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 Mon, 17 Jun 2013 04:07:34 -0400 http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215241750/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 Breaking hearts, winning minds ; Five directors have been nominated for the Irish Council for Civil Liberties film award. Here they discuss their ... http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215242051/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 Mon, 17 Jun 2013 04:01:14 -0400 http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215242051/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 The university is experimenting with various ways to create replacement organs for human implantation, from altering animal parts to building them from scratch with a patient's own cells. (AP Photo/Allen ... http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215241571/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 Mon, 17 Jun 2013 03:53:54 -0400 http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215241571/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 Republican Party " if immigration overhaul fails to pass. The Senate is moving forward with an overhaul and appears to be on track to have a vote from the full Senate by July 4. A timeline for a House proposal is less certain, although leaders say they are working on plans that more closely follow conservatives' wish list. The Senate last week overcame a procedural hurdle in moving ... http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215241572/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 Mon, 17 Jun 2013 03:53:50 -0400 http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215241572/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 BELFAST, Northern Ireland (AP) -- President Barack Obama will appeal to Northern Ireland's youth to sustain their peace in his first opportunity to highlight the role the United States has played helping bring about reconciliation in the ... http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215241664/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 Mon, 17 Jun 2013 03:49:45 -0400 http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215241664/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 Holly Paz, who until recently was a top deputy in the division that handles applications for tax-exempt status, told congressional investigators she reviewed 20 to 30 applications. Her assertion contradicts initial claims by the agency that a small group of agents working in an office in Cincinnati were solely responsible for mishandling the ... http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215240961/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 Mon, 17 Jun 2013 03:15:13 -0400 http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215240961/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 LONDON - The Guardian newspaper says the British eavesdropping agency GCHQ repeatedly hacked into foreign diplomats' phones and e-mails when the U.K. hosted international conferences, even going so far as to set up a bugged Internet cafe in an effort to get an edge in high-stakes negotiations.The report - the latest in a series of revelations that have ignited a worldwide debate over the ... http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215241417/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 Mon, 17 Jun 2013 02:59:19 -0400 http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215241417/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 ENNISKILLEN, Northern Ireland - British Prime Minister David Cameron says leaders gathering Monday for the G-8 summit in Northern Ireland should reach speedy agreement on trade and tax reforms, and draw inspiration from the host country's ability to resolve its own stubborn conflict. Speaking hours ahead of the summit's official opening at a lakeside golf resort, Cameron said he ... http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215241239/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 Mon, 17 Jun 2013 02:58:10 -0400 http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215241239/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 LAS VEGAS — A 25-year-old contestant from Connecticut won the title of Miss USA in Las Vegas on Sunday night, with Alabama coming in as the ... http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215240130/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 Mon, 17 Jun 2013 01:23:41 -0400 http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215240130/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 This is one of the pedal cars made by Don Turner of Hokes Bluff modeled after the Allis-Chalmers Model G tractors that were made in Gadsden from 1948 to 1955. Turner sells the cars, which take about 150 hours to make, for between $4,000 and ... http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215240129/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 Mon, 17 Jun 2013 01:23:41 -0400 http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215240129/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 JACKIE EDMONDSON | SPECIAL TO THE TIMES Johnny Bryant of Southside founded JB’s Buggy Club in 1993. The group has won the Club Participation Award at the Goodyear Car & Tractor Show twice for having the most members at the ... http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215240128/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 Mon, 17 Jun 2013 01:23:41 -0400 http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215240128/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 WASHINGTON — Republicans are ';in a demographic death spiral'; and will fail in their effort to win the presidency if the party blocks an immigration overhaul, a leading GOP senator said ... http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215240132/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 Mon, 17 Jun 2013 01:23:40 -0400 http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215240132/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 Tyrone Prothro, a former player for the University of Alabama football team, will be signing autographs and posing for photographs from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at Petco on East Meighan Boulevard in Gadsden, George Iliff of Friends of the Unwanted and Abandoned said.All proceeds from the autograph signing will benefit the cooling system for the shelter, Iliff said.The cost is $20 per autograph, ... http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215240131/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 Mon, 17 Jun 2013 01:23:40 -0400 http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215240131/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 LAS VEGAS -- A 25-year-old contestant from Connecticut won the title of Miss USA in Las Vegas on Sunday night.Erin Brady of South Glastonbury, Conn., won the beauty pageant at the Planet Hollywood hotel-casino after strutting in a white sparkly gown and answering a question about the U.S. Supreme Court's decision upholding widespread DNA tests. Asked if she agreed with the decision, Brady ... http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215238859/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 Sun, 16 Jun 2013 23:39:42 -0400 http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215238859/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP, file ). FILE - This May 1, 2013 file photo shows Jay-Z at "The Great Gatsby" world premiere at Avery Fisher Hall in New ... http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215238916/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 Sun, 16 Jun 2013 23:32:05 -0400 http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215238916/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 View Photo Associated Press/Eric Gay - Miami Heat's LeBron James (6) is defended by San Antonio Spurs' Danny Green during the second half at Game 5 of the NBA Finals basketball series, Sunday, June 16, 2013, in San ... http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215238611/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 Sun, 16 Jun 2013 23:28:43 -0400 http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215238611/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 View Photo Associated Press/Charlie Riedel - Justin Rose, of England, poses with the trophy after winning the U.S. Open golf tournament at Merion Golf Club, Sunday, June 16, 2013, in Ardmore, Pa. (AP Photo/Charlie ... http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215238612/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 Sun, 16 Jun 2013 23:28:42 -0400 http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215238612/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 BEIJING (AP) -- A Chinese dissident who was allowed to travel to the U.S. after escaping from house arrest says New York University is forcing him and his family to leave at the end of this month because of pressure from the Chinese ... http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215238669/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 Sun, 16 Jun 2013 23:05:38 -0400 http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215238669/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 View Photo Associated Press/Eric Gay - San Antonio Spurs' Tim Duncan (21) drives past Miami Heat's Chris Bosh (1) during the first half at Game 5 of the NBA Finals basketball series, Sunday, June 16, 2013, in San ... http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215237681/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 Sun, 16 Jun 2013 21:42:10 -0400 http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215237681/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 The lights of the U.S. Capitol remain lit into the night as the House continues to work on the "fiscal cliff" legislation proposed by the Senate, in Washington, on Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2013. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin) WASHINGTON (AP) - An Internal Revenue Service supervisor in Washington says she was personally involved in scrutinizing some of the earliest applications from tea party ... http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215237483/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 Sun, 16 Jun 2013 20:59:54 -0400 http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215237483/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 (Photo by Scott Kirkland/Invision/AP, File). FILE - In this Thursday, June 13, 2013 photo, Elizabeth Hendrickson, left, and Max Ehrich arrive at the 40th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards nominee reception at the Montage Beverly Hills, in Beverly Hills, ... http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215237478/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 Sun, 16 Jun 2013 20:52:34 -0400 http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215237478/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 FILE - In this Oct. 4, 2012 file photo, television personality Kim Kardashian poses for photographers at the red carpet during the 40th anniversary of Cosmopolitan magazine in Spanish in Mexico City. Kardashian reportedly gave birth to a baby girl in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Marco Ugarte, ... http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215235692/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20 Sun, 16 Jun 2013 18:30:40 -0400 http://www.birminghamstar.com/index.php/sid/215235692/scat/dc5bac5ce154af20