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Twister that hit Oklahoma caused $2 bn in damage

Wed, 22 May 2013 17:06:51 -0400

MOORE, Oklahoma - Rescue workers were combing through the battered remains of buildings left behind in the path of the gigantic tornado that killed two dozen people, including nine children, in Oklahoma on Monday. Officials say the search for survivors is nearly over as efforts turn towards recovery. Gary Bird, fire chief of the badly hit Moore suburb, said he was "98% sure" there were no ...

FBI kill Florida man known to Boston bombing suspects

Wed, 22 May 2013 16:03:15 -0400

MIAMI - A man known to the Boston Marathon bombers was shot and killed Wednesday by an Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agent after he turned violent during questioning, the investigating agency said. The Orlando Sentinel newspaper identified the man as Ibragim Todashev, 27. He was killed in the early morning incident in Orlando, Florida. The FBI said the shooting occurred in Orlando, ...

US Senate panel clears key immigration reform bill

Wed, 22 May 2013 16:00:41 -0400

WASHINGTON - A US Senate panel has cleared a proposed legislation that relaxes restrictions on IT companies to hire foreign techies, thus clearing one of the major hurdles to ushering changes in American immigration law in a generation. The Senate Judiciary Committee approved the bill after its authors won a bipartisan support with three Republicans joining 10 Democrats in the 18-member ...

North Korean special envoy visits China to win confidence

Wed, 22 May 2013 15:56:15 -0400

PYONGYANG, North Korea - In an indication that North Korea may give diplomacy a chance to end regional tension, its leader Kim Jong Un Wednesday sent a special envoy to China to win the confidence of its most important ally. The trip by Vice Marshal Choe Ryong Hae, a senior Workers' Party official and the military's top political officer, comes after months of ignoring Chinese warnings to give ...

US officials say hypersonic weapons likely to hit battlefield by 2025

Thu, 23 May 2013 06:00:03 -0400

US military officials say high-tech weapons may be flying through the skies at five times the speed of sound by the middle of the next decade. According to military officials, it depends on continued research into hypersonic vehicles like the Air Force's X-51A Waverider, which completed its final test flight earlier this month, reports Fox News. Charlie Brink, X-51A program manager for the Air ...

Lydia Davis pips Indian writer U.R. Ananthamurthy to win Booker International Prize 2013

Thu, 23 May 2013 06:00:02 -0400

American short story writer Lydia Davis, whose works can be as brief as a single sentence, has won the fifth Man Booker International Prize topling other authors including an Indian named U.R. Ananthamurthy. The influential American writer accepted the 60,000 pounds honour, which is presented every two years to a living, non-UK author for a body of work published in English, at a ceremony held ...

Self-regulation skills better in American girls than boys

Thu, 23 May 2013 03:30:04 -0400

A new study has shown that there is a gender gap when it comes to behavior and self-control in American young children - one that does not appear to exist in children in Asia. In the United States, girls had higher levels of self-regulation than boys. Self-regulation is defined as children's ability to control their behavior and impulses, follow directions, and persist on a task. It has been ...

Sharp decline in US drone strikes in Pakistan

Thu, 23 May 2013 03:30:03 -0400

Islamabad, May 23: (ANI): Drone strikes in Pakistan have fallen sharply since their peak in 2010, perhaps in response to increasing scrutiny of the programme by the US Congress and the American public, according to a media report. This comes just ahead of President Barack Obama's long-awaited address on drones at Washington's National Defence University on Thursday. Bruce Riedel, a former CIA ...

US tourist stabbed in Italy loses kidney

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

A 68-year-old American tourist underwent emergency surgery to remove a kidney after he was stabbed in Italy's Florence city. The tourist, who was not named, was attacked near the famous Duomo cathedral. Doctors at the Santa Maria Nuova hospital said the man suffered knife wounds to a kidney and a lung but was no longer critical, and was conscious and breathing unaided. Police arrested a ...

Belarus dismisses US report on religious freedom

Wed, 22 May 2013 17:50:02 -0400

The Belarusian foreign ministry has dismissed part of the Religious Freedom Report published by the US State Department about the country as "outdated" and failing to take into account the current situation in the country. "As for the State Department's report, it is permeated with trite phrases and usual abstract rubber stamps which the authors of the report rewrite every year, without even ...

Boston bombing probe Man shot dead by FBI

Wed, 22 May 2013 16:50:02 -0400

An FBI agent shot and killed a 27-year-old alleged friend of slain Boston Marathon bombing suspect Tamerlan Tsarnaev in Florida, a day after questioning him as part of the investigation into the April 15 attack, media reports said. The victim, identified as Ibragim Todashev, was shot at a condominium complex Wednesday in Orlando, Florida. The FBI confirmed a man died while one of its agents was ...

Home Minister Shinde in Washington India seeks access to Rana Headley

Wed, 22 May 2013 11:20:04 -0400

India has sought access from the US to the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack convict David Headley and his accomplice Tahawwur Rana, both of undergoing sentence awarded by a Chicago court after being found guilty of terrorism charges. While there was no official word from either side on the issues discussed in particular those with reference to Headley and Rana, officials said it was prominently ...

Adam Scotts Open winning putt to be history from 2016

Wed, 22 May 2013 09:10:02 -0400

Golfer Adam Scott will need to modify his putting stroke following a confirmed ban on anchoring the club by the Ancient Golf Club and the U.S. Golf Association. The golf's governing bodies will implement the new rule 14-1b from January 2016 onwards, News.com.au reports. According to the report, the ban will not allow the golfers to anchor a club directly against any part of the body and will ...

White House More than 2200 Oklahoma victims registered with FEMA for assistance

Thu, 23 May 2013 07:44:20 -0400

Janet A. Napolitano , were on the scene Wednesday, and President Obama is expected to visit the state Sunday to see the damage, visit with impacted families and thank first responders. More than 400 federal personnel are still on the ground in Oklahoma assisting with tornado recovery ...

Ohio kidnap case hero gets burgers for life

Thu, 23 May 2013 07:40:46 -0400

CLEVELAND -; The man who famously put down his Big Mac to help rescue three women held captive for a decade in an Ohio house will never have to pay for another burger in his ...

Threat of North Dakota dam failure may be easing

Thu, 23 May 2013 07:40:46 -0400

BISMARCK, N.D. -; The threat of a dam failure on a river near a northeastern North Dakota city appears to be easing, and officials expect to decide soon on when 1,300 evacuated residents can return to their ...

Ted Cruzs Path From George W. Bush Adviser to Immigration Reform Opponent

Thu, 23 May 2013 07:37:30 -0400

In 2000, Ted Cruz was known only as a Texas-raised, Harvard-trained domestic policy adviser to the George W. Bush campaign. Bush was a two-term governor from a border state who was determined to fix what he saw as a broken, inhumane immigration system. Cruz helped craft the campaign's immigration policy, which called for speeding up the application process, increasing the number of work ...

German football team score after shot rebounds off nearby American football bar – video

Thu, 23 May 2013 07:33:38 -0400

An amateur football game between German teams Altona 93 and Vier-und-Marschlande takes a farcical turn when a long-range effort from Altona striker Patrick Westermann is spectacularly tipped over by opposition keeper Marcel Kindler. The ball flies over the goal but rebounds off the crossbar of an American football goal just above and behind it, and back on to the pitch. The referee bizarrely ...

Mystery surrounding Americans death in Singapore deepens as parents quit inquest into sons death

Thu, 23 May 2013 07:32:54 -0400

SINGAPORE – The parents of an American software engineer who believe their son was murdered last year in Singapore withdrew from the inquest Wednesday, saying they have no confidence in the city-state's legal process. Shane Truman Todd's body was found in his Singapore apartment by his girlfriend last June 24, and police have said he killed himself. State counsel presented ...

Over 12000 Churches Join Billy Grahams Largest N. America Outreach

Thu, 23 May 2013 07:30:05 -0400

Thousands of churches have signed up to participate in the latest evangelism effort by the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association to spread the Gospel in North ...

Czech police search for American suspected of killing family

Thu, 23 May 2013 07:24:27 -0400

Petra Vedrova said the suspect may be armed and dangerous. Police had taken measures to stop him from leaving the country and were in contact with neighboring states. "(The suspect) goes by the ...

One child missing one killed in Minnesota field trip landslide

Thu, 23 May 2013 07:24:21 -0400

Rescue personnel gather near an entrance to Lilydale Regional Park above the Mississippi River during a suspension of search efforts to find a fourth child missing after a landslide swept over a group of children on a fourth grade field trip Wednesday, May 22, 2013, in St. Paul, ...

Urban renewal Census figures show cities surging

Thu, 23 May 2013 07:24:20 -0400

New census estimates show that most of the nation's largest cities further enhanced their allure last year, posting strong population growth for a second straight year. Big cities surpassed the rate of growth of their surrounding suburbs at an even faster clip, a sign of America's continuing preference for urban living after the economic downturn quelled enthusiasm for less-crowded ...

In first public acknowledgement Holder says 4 Americans died in US drone strikes

Thu, 23 May 2013 07:24:18 -0400

National Investigative Correspondent, NBC News The Obama administration publicly acknowledged for the first time Wednesday that U.S. drone strikes have killed four American citizens since 2009, including the previously undisclosed death of a North Carolina resident who left the United States for Pakistan and was later indicted on federal terrorism ...

American Hunted Over Czech Family Murders

Thu, 23 May 2013 07:21:45 -0400

A California man is being hunted by police in the Czech Republic investigating the killing of four members of the same family. Detectives in the eastern European nation's second-largest city of Brno named their suspect as 20-year-old Kevin Dahlgren. They have released a photograph from his Facebook page which says he was born in 1992 and comes from Palo Alto. His online profile ...

Andrew Simpson funeral to be held next week following fatal accident in preparation for the Americas Cup

Thu, 23 May 2013 07:20:16 -0400

'Luna Rossa' team boss sets out demands for new America's Cup rules following death of British sailor Andrew ...

Lawyers in Colorado shooting case to challenge insanity defense law

Thu, 23 May 2013 07:17:28 -0400

DENVER (Reuters) - Public defenders representing James Holmes, accused of killing 12 moviegoers in Colorado last summer, will return to court on Thursday to challenge the state's insanity defense law in a bid to try to avoid the death penalty for their ...

Slide Show Most popular American brands in China

Thu, 23 May 2013 07:14:33 -0400

By 2030, roughly two-thirds of the world's middle class will be in the Asia Pacific region--largely in China--according to a report by Ernst & Young. Currently at around 150 million people, the Chinese middle classis expected to reach 1 billion. Representing a $250 billion market for American companies today,according to the U.S.-China Business Council estimates,it's worth noting ...

Fight over American Idol leads to stabbing police say

Thu, 23 May 2013 07:13:35 -0400

YORK, Pa. – A couple face charges after police in York County say they stabbed each other during an argument over which contestant should win `American Idol.' ...

1000 Xfinity WI-Fi hotspots on in Chicago

Thu, 23 May 2013 07:11:22 -0400

Comcast said Thursday that it has turned on more than 1,000 Wi-Fi hotspots in the Chicago area for its high-speed Internet customers to connect to while they're on the go.There is no additional charge for Comcast Internet subscribers to access Xfinity Wi-Fi, as the service is called. Comcast is also running a promotion where anyone can use the hotspots for free between May 24 and July 4. ...

Amid scrutiny of commerce pick White House confident about her fate

Thu, 23 May 2013 07:11:21 -0400

top 300 U.S. billionaires , is not without her critics. But as the high-powered businesswoman heads to her confirmation hearing Thursday on the road to becoming President Obama's commerce secretary, vocal opposition to her approval has been limited -- and there's scant evidence to suggest Congress will put up a hard fight to block her from getting the job. Pritzker, who heads the ...

Pakistan arrested American before he was killed in US drone strike

Thu, 23 May 2013 07:11:17 -0400

PESHAWAR, Pakistan - Pakistani authorities once arrested an American citizen now known to have been killed in a U.S. drone strike in the country, but he escaped after being released on bail. The Obama administration revealed Wednesday that Jude Kenan Mohammad died in a U.S. drone strike in Pakistan's tribal region, making him the fourth American citizen killed by unmanned aircraft in ...

10 Things to Know for Today

Thu, 23 May 2013 07:09:07 -0400

Your daily look at late-breaking news, upcoming events and the stories that will be talked about today: 1. OBAMA TO REMAKE COUNTERTERRORISM POLICY The president will announce changes in the way the U.S. conducts unmanned drone strikes after disclosing that a fourth U.S. citizen had been killed in secretive strikes abroad. 2. SOLDIER HACKED TO DEATH ON LONDON STREET British officials ...

India might be Americas next big trade problem

Thu, 23 May 2013 06:56:29 -0400

U.S. manufacturers often complain about China's trade practices; now companies are upset with India as well, the Business Journals reported. That's the word from the National Association of Manufacturers, which contends the Indian government is implementing an industrial policy that discriminates against foreign companies in hopes of creating more manufacturing jobs in that ...

Family of commerce nominee Penny Pritzker bet against America with millions in offshore accounts

Thu, 23 May 2013 06:34:09 -0400

Mitt Romney of ';betting against America'; for investing in offshore accounts that shielded the Republican challenger from paying U.S. ...

Claudio Reyna named director of football at New York City Football Club

Thu, 23 May 2013 06:32:54 -0400

Manchester City and United States international midfielder Claudio Reyna was named as the first director of football for new Major League Soccer (MLS) team New York City Football Club, the team confirmed yesterday. The new club, which will start playing in 2015, was announced on ...

Century-old cult American bike Indian entering Indian market mid-2014

Thu, 23 May 2013 06:24:33 -0400

International News: One of the two motorcycle brands owned by US-based Polaris, the Indian is aggressively venturing beyond the US to push volumes and sees India as a key ...

DOJ FOX HUNT Reporters Parents Number Among Records Seized

Thu, 23 May 2013 06:21:58 -0400

Newly uncovered court documents reveal the Justice Department seized records of several Fox News phone lines as part of a leak investigation -- even listing a number that, according to one source, matches the home phone number of a reporter's parents. The seizure was ordered in addition to a court-approved search warrant for Fox News correspondent James Rosen's personal emails. ...

Amid the rubble laughter and tears for one family devastated by tornado

Thu, 23 May 2013 06:13:48 -0400

From left to right: Amber Bowie, 37, Johnny Knight, 66, Rebecca Garland 63, Janis Knight, 62, Jana Portell, 32, Todd Portell, 31, Chase Shelton, 15, and Dan Garland, 65, pose for a portrait around the underground storm shelter that saved their lives during the tornado that struck Moore, Okla., on May 20. The storm destroyed their 3000-square-foot ...

Hofstra suspect won praise from parole panel

Thu, 23 May 2013 06:08:27 -0400

UNIONDALE, N.Y. (AP) -- The parolee shot and killed along with a Hofstra University student by police won praise from a state parole panel in 2011 before his conditional release from ...

Most of nations biggest cities continuing robust growth

Thu, 23 May 2013 06:01:42 -0400

WASHINGTON Urban renewal? New census estimates show that most of the nation's largest cities further enhanced their allure last year, posting strong population growth for a second straight year. Big cities surpassed the rate of growth of their surrounding suburbs at an even faster clip, a sign of America's continuing preference for urban living after the economic downturn quelled ...

Liberia President Sirleaf Departs Liberia for AU Summit in Ethiopia Ticad V in Japan and Forbes Philanthropy Event in the United States

Thu, 23 May 2013 05:57:25 -0400

President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf departed the country on Wednesday, May 22, for intergovernmental engagements in Ethiopia and Japan, and a philanthropy event sponsored by Forbes Magazine, in the United States. According to an Executive Mansion release, President Sirleaf departed for Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on the first leg of her trip, to attend the 21st Ordinary Session of the Summit of the ...

Maori ABs going to North America

Thu, 23 May 2013 05:20:24 -0400

The Maori All Blacks will play against Canada and the United States in a two-match North American tour this November, it was announced on Thursday. The team takes on Canada in Toronto on 3 November and the USA Eagles in Philadelphia on 9 November.New Zealand Rugby Chief Executive Steve Tew said the matches represented an exciting opportunity to take a special New Zealand team to North ...

Health Care Costs More Than Year Of Groceries For American Families

Thu, 23 May 2013 05:17:42 -0400

The average family in the U.S. with health insurance coverage through their employer now spends more on yearly medical care than on a year of groceries, according to a new study. The report, the 2013 Milliman Medical Index, published by Milliman Inc., looked at the costs of health care for a family of four living in the U.S. The experts found that the yearly cost of benefits through an ...

Diplomat Stands by Report that Clinton Not to Blame

Thu, 23 May 2013 05:10:49 -0400

WASHINGTON -- The seasoned diplomat who penned a highly critical report on security at a U.S. outpost in Benghazi, Libya, defended his scathing assessment but absolved then-Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton. "We knew where the responsibility rested," Thomas Pickering, whose career spans four decades, said Sunday. "They've tried to point a finger at people more senior ...

US Confirms Four American Citizens Killed by Drones

Thu, 23 May 2013 05:10:15 -0400

Washington, May 23 (BNA) - The US attorney general has acknowledged four US citizens have been killed in drone strikes since 2011. In a letter to the Senate judiciary committee, Eric Holder defended the targeted killing of Anwar al-Awlaki, according to the (BBC). But he said Awlaki's 16-year-old son as well as two other individuals were "not specifically targeted by the US". The ...

Americas Cup precautions put TNZ on back foot

Thu, 23 May 2013 05:08:07 -0400

Increased safety provisions and reduced windspeed limits are among a raft of rule changes announced today for the America's Cup in San Francisco. The changes follow the fatal accident that claimed the life of British sailor Andrew Simpson two weeks ago. With Team New Zealand making final preparations for its first sail on the Bay, along comes the list of 37 recommendations to make the ...

FBI arrests suspect in Wash. state ricin case

Thu, 23 May 2013 05:07:13 -0400

The FBI has arrested a suspect in a case involving the discovery of a pair of letters containing the deadly poison ricin and says investigators are working "around the clock" to address any remaining ...

Boy Scouts vote on gay members Whats at stake

Thu, 23 May 2013 05:05:52 -0400

With the Boy Scouts of America set to vote on a policy that would allow openly gay youths to participate, activists ramp up the volume on their ...

U.S. govt acknowledges 4 American citizens killed in drone strikes since 2009

Thu, 23 May 2013 05:04:04 -0400

FILE - In this May 21, 2013 file photo, President Barack Obama speaks in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington. The U.S. will refocus its attention on homegrown terror threats against Americans, President Barack Obama will say in a Thursday speech that is forecast as skimpy on any new sweeping policies. The move reflects the global fragmentation of al-Qaida’s top leaders as ...

Joaquin Miller Elementary celebrates African American Living History Day

Thu, 23 May 2013 04:55:56 -0400

Fourth-graders at Joaquin Miller Elementary School celebrate, learn and relive the history of the migration of African-Americans to California from the south in the 1940s with music, dance, costumes, food and ...

Obama to limit drone strikes restart Guantanamo closure

Thu, 23 May 2013 04:46:04 -0400

Obama will say Thursday. The president will also announce new limits to unmanned combat drone strikes, the officials said of the program that has been central to White House efforts to combat terrorism. Obama's 2 p.m. speech at the Defense Department's National Defense University in Washington will lay out how he intends to bring his counter-terrorism policies in line with the legal ...

Vote on gay Scouts comes at emotional moment

Thu, 23 May 2013 04:12:30 -0400

Matthew Ray, 15, of North Richland Hills, Texas, holds signs near where the Boy Scouts of America are holding their annual meeting Wednesday, May 22, 2013, in Grapevine, Texas. Delegates to the meeting are expected to address a proposal to allow gay scouts into the organization. (AP Photo/LM ...

Colorado killers reprieve sharply criticized

Thu, 23 May 2013 04:12:30 -0400

Religious leaders from Colorado, from left, Dr. Jim Ryan, Colorado Council of Churches, Dean Peter Eaton, St. John's Cathedral, Rabbi Steven Foster and Catholic Archbishop Samuel J. Aquila listen as Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper announces at a news conference at the Capitol in Denver on Wednesday, May 22, 2013, that he was granting a temporary reprieve to Nathan Dunlap from his death ...

Jury in Jodi Arias trial resumes deliberations

Thu, 23 May 2013 04:12:30 -0400

Jodi Arias stands as the jury enters the courtroom on Wednesday, May 22, 2013 during the penalty phase of her murder trial at Maricopa County Superior Court in Phoenix. Jodi Arias was convicted of first-degree murder in the stabbing and shooting to death of Travis Alexander. (AP Photo/The Arizona Republic, Rob Schumacher, ...

$2B in Okla. tornado damage means hard recovery

Thu, 23 May 2013 04:12:28 -0400

An unidentified man tosses a board as residents sort through their tornado-ravaged homes Wednesday, May 22, 2013, in Moore, Okla. Cleanup continues two days after a huge tornado roared through the Oklahoma City suburb, flattening a wide swath of homes and businesses. (AP Photo/Charlie ...

Oil falls below $94 as China manufacturing weakens

Thu, 23 May 2013 04:12:27 -0400

BANGKOK -; The price of oil fell below $94 per barrel Thursday after a private survey showed manufacturing activity in China falling to its lowest level in seven months, a sign that the recovery in the world's No. 2 economy is ...

Bronx ghetto tours stop amid residents outrage

Thu, 23 May 2013 04:12:26 -0400

A young man runs under an elevated section of subway tracks in The Bronx borough of New York, Wednesday, May 22, 2013. A company that offered tourist treks to the Bronx "ghetto" has shut down under scathing criticism from neighborhood leaders offended by the tours that took mostly European and Australian tourists past food-pantry lines and "pickpocket" park. But other New York ...

With Weiner NYC mayor race takes on new dynamic

Thu, 23 May 2013 04:12:25 -0400

FILE - In this June 16, 2011 file photo, Anthony Weiner speaks at a news conference in New York. The Democratic ex-congressman who resigned over raunchy tweets said late Tuesday, May 21, 2013, that he's in the New York City mayoral race. Although the field is crowded for September's primary, Weiner is arriving with some significant advantages, including a $4.8 million campaign war ...

Nixon library hosts 40th reunion for Vietnam POWs

Thu, 23 May 2013 04:07:58 -0400

In 2007, I had the privilege of becoming the first director of the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum. My job was to move Nixon’s presidential materials from the Washington, D.C. area, where they had been kept as federal property because of the Watergate investigation, to California, where Nixon’s friends and supporters had built a private library in 1990. My job involved ...

Winners of the 79th National Headliner Awards

Thu, 23 May 2013 04:07:57 -0400

Two charter airplanes carrying the "Today" show anchor team and their crew from Hawaii to Yellowstone National Park were diverted in the air to Oklahoma for coverage Tuesday of the catastrophic tornado outside of Oklahoma ...

Inception Media Group Purchases North American Rights to Trevor Noah African American from Levity Entertainment Group

Thu, 23 May 2013 04:04:59 -0400

Inception Media Group, a diversified media company specializing in the production, acquisition and distribution of entertainment content, announced it has acquired North American rights from Levity Entertainment Group (LEG) to distribute African American, a live stand-up performance from Trevor Noah, a South African comedian. According to a release, Noah was discovered by LEG while touring South ...

Mystery in Sea of Galilee

Thu, 23 May 2013 04:03:50 -0400

The massive circular structure appears to be an archaeologists dream: a recently discovered antiquity that could reveal secrets of ancient life in the Middle East and is just waiting to be excavated. It's thousands of years old -- a conical, manmade behemoth weighing hundreds of tons, practically begging to be explored. The problem is -- it's at the bottom of the biblical Sea of ...

LeBron James delivers winner as Miami Heat beat Pacers

Thu, 23 May 2013 04:01:28 -0400

Miami Heat's LeBron James (L) drives on Indiana Pacers' Lance Stephenson during Game 1 of their NBA Eastern Conference final basketball playoff in Miami, Florida May 22, ...

Tea party storm largely inside IRS _ so far

Thu, 23 May 2013 03:59:02 -0400

Three days of congressional hearings about the Internal Revenue Service's targeting of conservative political groups have lawmakers looking for ways to widen an investigation that has so far been ...

LeBron layup at buzzer give Miami Heat 103-102 Game 1 overtime win

Thu, 23 May 2013 03:54:51 -0400

LeBron James . In the end he almost stole Game 1 of the Eastern conference final. Almost. "I grabbed him after the game and told him to quickly forget about the last play," Indiana coach Frank Vogel said of his conversation with George after the Pacers' 103-102 overtime loss at the buzzer to James and the defending champion Heat. "He's a third-year player and ...

America’s Newest Public Enemy No1 The Humble Pressure Cooker

Thu, 23 May 2013 03:43:10 -0400

When I went to the United States for the first time, long before 9/11, I wondered if immigration officials would harass me, a single young man from a turbulent part of the world. I didn't have to worry. Customs officials and their formidable sniffing dogs were much more interested in middle-aged Indian women. They rifled through the contents of the bursting-at-the-seams suitcase of a lady ...

Facts about the Boy Scouts of America

Thu, 23 May 2013 03:39:52 -0400

Boy Scouts carry U.S. flags up Congress Avenue towards the Texas Capitol during the annual Boy Scouts Parade and Report to State, Saturday, Feb. 2, 2013, in Austin, ...

Dead Boston bombing suspect said involved in triple murder

Thu, 23 May 2013 03:33:43 -0400

Boston Marathon bombing suspect is now tied to a triple murder, officials said after an alleged accomplice was gunned down by an agent questioning him. Tamerlan Tsarnaev was fingered by Ibragim Todashev in Orlando, Fla., in a 2011 Waltham, Mass., murder in which three people had their throats slashed, federal law enforcement officials told several news outlets. Todashev also implicated himself ...

Ohio rape investigation grand jury resumes work

Thu, 23 May 2013 02:55:35 -0400

COLUMBUS, Ohio - An eastern Ohio grand jury is resuming its examination of whether other laws were broken in the case of a 16-year-old girl raped by two high school football players.The panel in Steubenville was scheduled to start up Thursday after a three-week break while investigators went back to analyzing evidence and interviewing witnesses.The grand jury had met just three days before the ...

U.S. may arm rebels if diplomacy fails Kerry says

Thu, 23 May 2013 02:41:25 -0400

John Kerry said. "In the event that we can't find that way forward, in the event that the Assad regime is unwilling to negotiate in good faith, we will also talk about our continued support and growing support for the opposition in order to permit them to continue to fight for the freedom of their country," Kerry said in Amman, Jordan, before a Friends of Syria meeting with key ...

Man charged with mailing ricin letter to judge in Washington state

Thu, 23 May 2013 02:37:42 -0400

OLYMPIA, Washington (Reuters) - Federal authorities on Wednesday arrested a man charged with mailing a letter containing the deadly poison ricin to a U.S. district judge in Spokane, Washington, the FBI ...

Tour boat crew rescues woman who plunged into Chicago River

Thu, 23 May 2013 02:32:37 -0400

A woman who is believed to have jumped into the Chicago River downtown for a swim was quickly rescued by the crew of a tour boat — in the middle of their annual Coast Guard inspection, officials said.The woman went into the Chicago River near Michigan Avenue about 11 a.m., and the crew of Chicago's Fair Lady saw her and called emergency crews on a marine radio channel, Chicago Fire ...

Parents ask why some Okla.schools lack tornado shelters

Thu, 23 May 2013 02:32:26 -0400

(CBS News) MOORE, Okla. - The mayor of Oklahoma City said Wednesday as many as 13,000 homes were damaged or destroyed in Monday's tornado, and 33,000 people have been affected. The mayor says the damage could total $2 billion. The state medical examiner said there were 24 deaths. Two were infants: four months old and seven months ...

Optimism and American Dream surviving pragmatism survey shows

Thu, 23 May 2013 02:29:46 -0400

Robert McDaniel in his backyard in West Valley City, Utah. McDaniel is assistant superintendent of the Murray School District in Murray, Utah and was featured in another story about the American Dream in ...

Pickup Crashes Into San Francisco’s Outer Mission Driver Flees

Thu, 23 May 2013 02:29:08 -0400

Authorities said a truck crashed into this home near Florentine and Morse in San Francisco’s Outer Mission neighborhood on May 22, 2013. ...

Video Weiner launches bid to become New York mayor

Thu, 23 May 2013 01:54:44 -0400

In running for mayor, Anthony Weiner is seeking to get past the tawdry-tweeter punch line that has dogged him since his congressional career imploded two years ...

Is The American Red Cross Evil For Paying Their CEO $500k A Year Watch Before Answering

Thu, 23 May 2013 01:41:00 -0400

CEO compensation ? Of course we don’t want our money going to an organization that isn’t going to apply as much of it as possible to providing relief. The American Red Cross pays the ...

Woman in custody after attempted kidnapping at Little Rock Clinton airport www.privateofficer.com

Thu, 23 May 2013 01:36:00 -0400

LITTLE ROCK, AR May 23 2013– A friendly conversation with a stranger suddenly becomes an attempted kidnapping case at Clinton National Airport in Little Rock. According to police, a two-year-old boy was walking back from the bathroom on the concourse with his aunt when 19-year-old Marivel Salazar reportedly approached the two, saying ‘hello’ to the little boy. ';She did ...

Former Secretary of State Clinton honoured with humanitarian award in NYC

Thu, 23 May 2013 01:25:56 -0400

FILE - In this Feb. 14, 2013 file photo, former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton laughs as she gives a speech during a ceremony honoring her at the Pentagon in Washington. Clinton was honored with the 2013 Helen Keller Humanitarian Award from Helen Keller International in New York on Wednesday, May 22, 2013. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, ...

Experts release 37 recommendations to increase safety in the Americas Cup

Thu, 23 May 2013 01:25:52 -0400

SAN FRANCISCO - A group of sailing experts has released 37 recommendations they say will increase safety in the America's Cup, which is set to take place on the wind-raked San Francisco Bay this summer. Led by regatta director Iain Murray, the group unveiled the proposals Wednesday evening, nearly two weeks after a practice run on the bay turned deadly. Among those recommendations are ...

Obama presents Carole King with Gershwin Prize

Thu, 23 May 2013 01:18:35 -0400

Carole King " at a Washington ceremony Wednesday night. King became the first woman to win the Gershwin Prize for Popular Song. The prize was created by the Library of Congress in 2007 to honor George ...

Pension plans can make all the difference in retirement

Thu, 23 May 2013 01:18:32 -0400

Pension plans can make all the difference in how financially well off U.S. retirees are, Gallup's annual Economy and Personal Finance survey indicates. The survey of 2,000 U.S. adults, including 636 retirees, conducted April 4-14, found U.S. retirees with $50,000 or more in annual income were twice as likely as retirees below that threshold to have a work-sponsored pension plan as a major ...

U.S. urges DPRK to immediately release sentenced American

Thu, 23 May 2013 01:11:21 -0400

The U.S. State Department on Thursday urged the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) to immediately release a U.S. citizen who was sentenced to 15 years of compulsory labor by its court. "There is no greater priority for us than the welfare and safety of U.S. citizens abroad, and we urge the DPRK authorities to grant Mr. Bae amnesty and immediate release," said State ...

Basements scarce in tornado-prone area

Thu, 23 May 2013 00:56:33 -0400

>Country star Toby Keith tours the damage in his hometown of Moore, Oklahoma on 'AC360' tonight, 8pm ET. (CNN) -- It's one of the most familiar pieces of advice from authorities to people in the path of a tornado: Get into your basement. Yet few homes in the Oklahoma City area have them -- even though that state is hit by far more powerful tornadoes than most others. "Probably less than one ...

Chicago officials release final list of 49 school closures

Thu, 23 May 2013 00:49:02 -0400

In the face of mass opposition, the Chicago Board of Education released its final list of school closings Tuesday, announcing the closure of 49 elementary schools and one high school program this year. The city has shuttered public schools every year since 2001, but the latest round is the largest yet, and one of the biggest mass shutdown of schools in US history. Democratic Mayor Rahm ...

Ford grows in America shrinks in Australia

Thu, 23 May 2013 00:45:03 -0400

Ford Motor Co. is adding production, and 3,500 jobs, in North America as it tries to keep up with Americans’ appetite for new cars and trucks. But the automaker will end production in Australia, cutting 1,200 jobs by 2016, as high costs left it unable to ...

Urban renewal Big US cities showing strong growth

Thu, 23 May 2013 00:44:48 -0400

WASHINGTON -; Urban renewal? New census estimates show that most of the nation's largest cities further enhanced their allure last year, posting strong population growth for a second straight ...

For some homeowners a house is a canvas

Thu, 23 May 2013 00:44:47 -0400

In this photo taken April, 2013, resident Richard Ormbrek stands next to his house, which has been decorated with a 20-foot wide American flag made up of 180 individually-painted tiles, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Cedar ...

Helen Keller award for Clinton

Thu, 23 May 2013 00:43:30 -0400

Former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton touted the efforts of a group combatting malnutrition and blindness during an awards speech in New York City.Clinton delivered the remarks Wednesday while being honored with the 2013 Helen Keller Humanitarian Award from Helen Keller ...

Bid to tighten Americas Cup safety

Thu, 23 May 2013 00:38:13 -0400

23 May 2013 Sailing experts have made 37 recommendations they say will increase safety in the America's Cup, following the death of British Olympic sailing champion Andrew ...

Gun rights advocates file lawsuit over Conn. gun law

Thu, 23 May 2013 00:37:02 -0400

April 10, 2013: A rack of AR-15 rifles stand to be individually packaged as workers move a pallet of rifles for shipment at the Stag Arms company in New Britain, ...

Doctors save Ohio boy by printing an airway tube- Polish man gets face transplant 3 weeks after injury

Thu, 23 May 2013 00:37:02 -0400

In a medical first, doctors used plastic particles and a 3-D laser printer to create an airway splint to save the life of a baby boy who used to stop breathing nearly every day. It's the latest advance from the booming field of regenerative medicine, making body parts in the lab. In the case of Kaiba Gionfriddo, doctors didn't have a moment to spare. Because of a birth defect, the ...

Bill Clinton honoured by new Queens institution

Thu, 23 May 2013 00:32:22 -0400

Don Mattrick, the software giant's president of Interactive Entertainment, has told an audience of gaming journalists at Microsoft HQ in Redmond, Washington, that the new Xbox ONE console is not simply a games console, but "The ultimate all-in-one home entertainment ...

Gov. Fallin on Obama’s visit ‘We hope it brings encouragement’

Thu, 23 May 2013 00:28:22 -0400

Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin talks to MSNBC's Lawrence O'Donnell about President Obama's upcoming visit and the road to recovery in Moore, Oklahoma after the massive tornado that left at least 24 ...

Humanitarian award goes to Hillary Clinton

Thu, 23 May 2013 00:23:48 -0400

(47 mins ago) Former US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton praised the efforts of a group combatting malnutrition and blindness during an awards speech in New York City. Clinton delivered the remarks on Wednesday while being honored with the 2013 Helen Keller Humanitarian Award from Helen Keller International, AP reports. Clinton continues to be spoken of as a possible presidential ...

Nebraska attorney general wants abortion clinic nurses license revoked

Thu, 23 May 2013 00:22:14 -0400

By Katie Schubert OMAHA, Nebraska (Reuters) - Nebraska Attorney General Jon Bruning on Wednesday filed a petition to revoke the license of the only nurse at a controversial abortion clinic in the state for allegedly providing substandard care and improperly administering drugs. Bruning, a Republican who received support from anti-abortion groups during a run for the Senate last year, argued ...

GM Chevy Spark electric cars price 38 percent less than sibling hybrid Volts

Thu, 23 May 2013 00:20:53 -0400

DETROIT (Reuters) - The Chevrolet Spark all-electric subcompact car will cost U.S. buyers as much as 38 percent less than what it takes to buy its larger sibling, the hybrid Volt, General Motors Co said on ...

Feds push for Bulger informant files DNA tests

Thu, 23 May 2013 00:15:49 -0400

Federal prosecutors want James "Whitey" Bulger’s FBI informant files as well as dozens of pages of DNA tests used to establish the identity of five of Bulger’s alleged victims to become evidence as the gangster’s trial nears, according to court filings yesterday.Prosecutors want the informant files collected by corrupt ex-FBI agent John Connolly on Bulger and Stephen ...

Fire Marshals Office Panel had blast site access

Wed, 22 May 2013 23:35:25 -0400

AUSTIN, Texas -; The State Fire Marshal's Office says a federal safety panel's investigators had access to the site of a Texas fertilizer plant blast that killed 15 people and injured about 200 ...

New York Times threatens tech startup over web design tool

Wed, 22 May 2013 23:31:37 -0400

future of online journalism and reportedly took months to code and create. But entrepreneur Cody Brown had been working on a simpler way to create a similar effect. He decided to build a replica of Snow Fall to demonstrate what his web design ...

2013 North American Effie Effectiveness Index Reveals The Most Effective Advertisers

Wed, 22 May 2013 23:27:28 -0400

2013 Most Effective Advertisers In North America What defines the most effective advertisers in North America? They embrace the full breadth of media and creative available to them. That's reflected in the 2013 North American Effie Effectiveness Index, ...

37-year-old man charged in Wash. state ricin scare

Wed, 22 May 2013 23:20:25 -0400

SPOKANE, Wash. — A man was arrested Wednesday in a case involving last week's discovery of a pair of letters containing the deadly poison ricin. A grand jury indictment accuses Matthew Ryan Buquet, 37, of mailing a death threat to U.S. District Judge Fred Van Sickle in Spokane on May 14. A search of federal court records turned up no indication that Buquet had ever appeared before ...

American army cadet charged over filming women

Wed, 22 May 2013 23:14:59 -0400

(32 mins ago) A sergeant at the US West Point military academy has been accused of secretly filming female cadets without their consent, including when they were in the shower, officials said. Sergeant First Class Michael McClendon has been charged under the military's legal code with indecent acts, dereliction of duty, cruelty and maltreatment and acts harmful to good order and ...

U.S. industry touts drone promise as public debate flares

Wed, 22 May 2013 23:12:21 -0400

An X-47B pilot-less drone combat aircraft is launched for the first time off an aircraft carrier, the USS George H. W. Bush, in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Virginia, May 14, ...

U.S. military lawyers put more pressure on Guantanamo

Wed, 22 May 2013 23:12:06 -0400

U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel takes part in a news conference on efforts to eliminate VA claims backlogs, at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, May 22, ...

Colorado governor grants reprieve to quadruple killer on death row

Wed, 22 May 2013 23:06:32 -0400

Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper becomes emotional as he discusses the shooting death of Tom Clements, the head of Colorado state's prison system at a news conference in Denver March 20, ...

Minn. park landslide leaves 1 child dead 1 missing

Wed, 22 May 2013 23:04:49 -0400

At least 20 injured as trains collide north of New York after derailment

Wed, 22 May 2013 22:51:31 -0400

Two trains collided after one of them derailed during the Friday evening rush hour in Fairfield, the U.S. state of Connecticut, injuring at least 20 people, local authorities said. The Fairfield police estimated that 20 to 25 people were injured in the accident, but no fatalities had been reported so far, media reports here said. An New York-bound train from New Haven derailed at around 6 p.m. ...

Safety recommendations released for Americas Cup

Wed, 22 May 2013 22:24:12 -0400

SAN FRANCISCO -; A group of sailing experts has released 37 recommendations they say will increase safety in the America's Cup, which is set to take place on the wind-raked San Francisco Bay this ...

Obama honors Carole King at White House concert

Wed, 22 May 2013 22:24:08 -0400

President Barack Obama presents the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song during an East Room concert honoring singer-songwriter Carole King, Wednesday, May 22, 2013, at the White House in Washington. King is the first woman to receive the award. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn ...

Audits detail side jobs for state managers

Wed, 22 May 2013 22:24:05 -0400

SACRAMENTO -; Hundreds of state government managers who were supposed to be working on salary also took lower-level jobs in the same class and facility, padding their pay with hourly wages, a series of state audits has ...

Americas Cup makes changes to improve safety following death

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

By Noel Randewich and Jonathan Weber SAN FRANCISCO | Wed May 22, 2013 10:22pm EDT SAN FRANCISCO May 22 (Reuters) - America's Cup organizers said on Wednesday that they have made rule changes to improve safety in the upcoming regatta after a fatal training accident on San Francisco Bay earlier this month. As a result of investigations into the death of a sailor when an ultra-fast AC72 ...

Conn. bill gives families say over Newtown records

Wed, 22 May 2013 22:20:24 -0400

Public school employees with concealed weapons permits could carry guns in South Carolina schools if a bill filed Tuesday in the South Carolina state House of Representatives becomes ...

Kenyas Beijing 1500 champion makes comeback in New York league

Wed, 22 May 2013 22:16:43 -0400

Beijing Olympic 1,500m champion Nancy Jebet Lagat and London 800m winner David Rudisha led a group of Kenyan athletes heading to New York for the Diamond league meet on Saturday.Whereas Rudisha, will be one of the biggest stars in the Adidas Grand Prix, which is third stop in the 2013 IAAF Diamond League, the return to action of Lagat has tilted the equation over the four lap race."I have ...

Flavours of South America on show

Wed, 22 May 2013 22:14:50 -0400

The Flavours of South America Roadshow Sydney showcased exciting destinations, providing an insight into the unique tours and opportunities available throughout the continent. Adventure World hosted the event, bringing together destination specialists from Peru, Brazil, Patagonia, Argentina, Bolivia, Condor Travel, LATAM Airlines, Exodus and Metropolitan Touring and Cruceros. Adventure ...

Orlando honors American Cancer Societys 100th birthday

Wed, 22 May 2013 22:12:49 -0400

ORLANDO -- In the City of Orlando, May 22, 2013 is now American Cancer Society Day. Mayor Buddy Dyer issued a proclamation, recognizing the American Cancer Society's 100th Birthday. Wednesday marks 100 years that the Cancer Society has raised money and support for cancer research. To celebrate, officials are encouraging people to join together, and take action to finish the fight ...

Washington state man arrested over ricin letters

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

By Nicholas K. Geranios, Associated Press SPOKANE, Wash. -- A 37-year-old man was arrested Wednesday after a pair of letters containing the deadly poison ricin were discovered in Washington state last ...

Born to save her sister’s life Marissa Ayala graduates from college

Wed, 22 May 2013 22:07:37 -0400

The bone marrow transplant was a success, and watching Marissa Ayala graduate from California State University Long Beach more than two decades later is the sister she saved along with the rest of her proud family. NBC's Ayman Mohyeldin ...

Miami receiver Harwell leaving for Kansas

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

Tim G. Zechar/Icon SMI LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) -- Wide receiver Nick Harwell is transferring to Kansas after spending three seasons at Miami of Ohio, where he set the school record with 219 yards receiving in a game as a freshman. Kansas coach Charlie Weis announced his decision in a statement Wednesday. Harwell missed three games last season with a knee injury but still led ...