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Indians' Perez deletes Twitter account ...

CLEVELAND (AP) — Indians closer Chris Perez deactivated his Twitter account following two rough outings, and after receiving a slew of negative comments.

FBI ID's Benghazi suspects _ but no arrests yet ...

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. has identified five men who might be responsible for the attack on the diplomatic mission in Benghazi, Libya, last year, and has enough evidence to justify seizing them by military force as suspected terrorists, officials say. But there isn't enough proof to try them in a U.S. civilian court as the Obama administration prefers.

Ex-Ford execs charged in Argentine torture cases ... BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — Three former Ford Motor Co. executives were charged Tuesday with crimes against humanity for allegedly targeting Argentine union workers for kidnapping and torture after the country's 1976 military coup.
Lawyer: Feds investigating Susan Powell case ...

WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah (AP) — The U.S. Attorney's Office in Utah says it's not true that there's an ongoing federal investigation into the 2009 disappearance of Susan Powell.

Man charged in death of missing Maine teenager ...

BANGOR, Maine (AP) — When 16-year-old Nichole Cable left home May 12, she told her family she was heading out to see someone she'd met on Facebook.

Face-chewing victim recovering, strumming guitar ...

MIAMI (AP) — A homeless man whose face was mostly chewed off in a bizarre attack last year appeared Tuesday to be mostly at peace with his disfigurement, strumming a guitar, making jokes and thanking people for their donations to help pay for his care.

Jodi Arias now asks Arizona jury to spare her death penalty ...

By Tim Gaynor PHOENIX (Reuters) - Convicted killer Jodi Arias asked jurors on Tuesday to spare her the death penalty and sentence her to life in prison for killing her ex-boyfriend, reversing statements she made after her conviction that she preferred death to incarceration. "I made many public statements that I would prefer the death penalty to life in prison. Each time I said that, though I meant it, I lost perspective. Until very recently I could not have imagined standing before you all and asking you to give me life ... I thought I would rather die," Arias said. ...

Iran bars candidates for presidential election ...

By Marcus George DUBAI (Reuters) - Iranian authorities barred two potentially powerful and disruptive candidates from running in next month's presidential election on Tuesday, ensuring a contest largely among hardliners loyal to the clerical supreme leader. Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, a veteran companion of the Islamic Republic's founder, a former president and thought potentially sympathetic to reform, was denied a place on the ballot by the Guardian Council of clerics and jurists, state media said. ...

Court strikes down Arizona 20-week abortion ban ... SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A federal court Tuesday struck down Arizona's ban on abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy absent a medical emergency.
Factbox: The 10 deadliest tornadoes in U.S. history ... (Reuters) - A powerful tornado devastated the Oklahoma City suburb of Moore on Monday, killing 24 people, including nine children, according to the Oklahoma medical examiner's office. At one point, as many as 91 were feared dead, but authorities have since scaled back the official death toll. Here are the 10 deadliest tornadoes in U.S. history: 1. March 18, 1925 - Missouri/Illinois/Indiana - 695 dead 2. May 6, 1840 - Natchez, Mississippi - 317 dead 3. May 27, 1896 - St. Louis - 255 dead 4. April 5, 1936 - Tupelo, Mississippi - 216 dead 5. April 6, 1936 - Gainesville, Georgia - 203 dead 6. ...
IRS official to take the 5th at House hearing ...

WASHINGTON (AP) — Summoned by Congress, a key figure in the Internal Revenue Service's targeting of conservative groups plans to invoke her constitutional right against self-incrimination and decline to testify at a congressional hearing on Wednesday.

JPMorgan's Dimon survives shareholder referendum ...

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Jamie Dimon, the CEO and chairman of JPMorgan Chase, easily survived a vote Tuesday that would have called on him to give up his role as chairman of the nation's largest bank. But shareholders sent a message that the bank needs better oversight by giving only narrow approval to three of the bank's board members.

Best Buy reports 1Q loss on restructuring costs ...

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Best Buy Co. on Tuesday reported a loss for its fiscal first quarter as it sold its stake in Best Buy Europe and works on a turnaround plan that includes cutting costs and closing some stores.

Lawyer: No background check done on Jackson doctor ...

LOS ANGELES (AP) — AEG Live LLC did not conduct any background checks or supervise the doctor who was later convicted of killing Michael Jackson, a corporate attorney testified Tuesday in a lawsuit claiming the concert promoter was negligent in hiring the physician.

Tax official at center of scandal won't testify: lawyer ...

By Kim Dixon WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Lois Lerner, the Internal Revenue Service official at the center of a scandal about the targeting of conservative groups for extra tax scrutiny, plans to assert her constitutional right not to answer questions from a congressional committee on Wednesday. "She has not committed any crime or made any misrepresentation but under the circumstances she has no choice but to take this course," Lerner's attorney, William Taylor, wrote on Monday to the chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee that is holding hearings into the IRS scandal. ...

Andy Murray out of French Open due to back injury ...

LONDON (AP) — Andy Murray withdrew from the French Open on Tuesday because of a chronic back injury and will now focus on preparing for the start of the grass-court season next month.

Teachers credited with saving students in Okla. ...

MOORE, Okla. (AP) — The principal's voice came on over the intercom at Plaza Towers Elementary School: A severe storm was approaching and students were to go to the cafeteria and wait for their parents to pick them up.

The pope and the devil: Is Francis an exorcist? ...

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis' fascination with the devil took on remarkable new twists Tuesday, with a well-known exorcist insisting Francis helped "liberate" a Mexican man possessed by four different demons despite the Vatican's insistence that no such papal exorcism took place.

Dimon keeps JPMorgan chairman title after bruising battle ...

By David Henry TAMPA, Florida (Reuters) - Jamie Dimon, JPMorgan Chase & Co's outspoken chairman and chief executive, won a vote of confidence on Tuesday as shareholders recommended that he keep his chairman title, giving him a greater margin of approval than last year. Investors who had pressed for Dimon to be stripped of his chairman title said they believed they lost because of the chief executive's hints he would quit if he did not win the vote. Just 32.2 percent of shareholder votes were in favor of a proposal to create an independent chairman, compared with 40. ...

Stocks gain on reassurance from a top Fed official ...

NEW YORK (AP) — Reassuring comments from a Federal Reserve official and better earnings from two big retailers helped push the stock market higher Tuesday.

Housing recovery boosts Home Depot 1Q results ...

NEW YORK (AP) — Home Depot Inc.'s first-quarter net income rose 18 percent, thanks to the ongoing housing recovery, despite a chilly and wet spring.

Man pleads guilty in Picasso vandalism case ...

HOUSTON (AP) — A man accused of vandalizing a 1929 Pablo Picasso painting in a Houston museum — an act that was caught on cellphone video — agreed Tuesday to a two-year prison term as part of a plea deal with prosecutors.

Search nearly complete after Oklahoma tornado ...

MOORE, Okla. (AP) — Helmeted rescue workers raced Tuesday to complete the search for survivors and the dead in the Oklahoma City suburb where a mammoth tornado destroyed countless homes, cleared lots down to bare red earth and claimed 24 lives.

Arias asks jury for life term; deliberations begin ...

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

Smith makes headlines heading into Hall vote ...

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Bruton Smith just can't help himself sometimes.

Pentagon wants $450M for Guantanamo prison ... WASHINGTON (AP) — The Pentagon wants more than $450 million for maintaining and upgrading the Guantanamo Bay prison that President Barack Obama wants to close.
Jury begins deliberating Jodi Arias' sentence ...

PHOENIX (AP) — Jodi Arias asked jurors Tuesday to give her life in prison, arguing she "lacked perspective" when she told a local reporter in an interview after she was convicted of murder that she preferred execution to spending the rest of her days in jail.

Romo active on field while idled over cyst removal ...

IRVING, Texas (AP) — Tony Romo pointed here and there, showing receiver Dez Bryant the best way to use a block on the first day of offseason practice.

Key senator to let Myanmar sanctions bill lapse ...

WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate GOP leader Mitch McConnell, easing up on his long-held tough stance on Myanmar, said Tuesday he planned to allow key sanctions legislation against the Southeast Asian nation to lapse because of the country's progress toward democracy.

Photos of Tucson shooting scene show gun, knife ...

PHOENIX (AP) — Photos taken in the aftermath of the attack that killed six people and wounded former U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords show the handgun, high-capacity pistol magazines and knife that Jared Lee Loughner carried with him as he carried out the January 2011 attack.

The Irish loophole behind Apple's low tax bill ... By Tom Bergin LONDON (Reuters) - Apple's ability to shelter billions of dollars of income from tax has hinged on an unusual loophole in the Irish tax code that helps the country compete with other countries for investment and jobs. A U.S. Senate investigation has revealed that Apple, maker of iPhones, iPads and Mac computers, had channeled profits into Irish-incorporated subsidiaries that had "no declared tax residency anywhere in the world". ...
The 50th Super Bowl goes to San Francisco Bay Area ...

BOSTON (AP) — The NFL will celebrate its 50th Super Bowl in northern California, where its newest, most high-tech venue is being built.

Committee nears final vote on immigration bill ...

WASHINGTON (AP) — Far-reaching immigration legislation neared a final committee vote on Tuesday as the White House and Democratic supporters sought to delay a showdown over the rights of gay spouses until a debate in the full Senate.

Egypt troops in Sinai sweep mistakenly hit funeral ...

CAIRO (AP) — Egyptian troops and police mistakenly fired on a Bedouin funeral in the Sinai Peninsula on Tuesday, security officials said, in the opening salvo of a sweep searching for security personnel kidnapped by suspected militants.

Pulis leaves as Stoke manager by mutual consent ...

STOKE, England (AP) — Stoke says Tony Pulis left as manager by mutual consent Tuesday, ending his seven-year tenure at the Premier League club.

Jury to begin deliberating Jodi Arias' sentence ...

PHOENIX (AP) — A jury has been sent to begin deliberating Jodi Arias' fate, deciding whether she should be sentenced to life in prison or execution.

Microsoft touts Xbox One as all-in-1 entertainment ...

REDMOND, Wash. (AP) — Microsoft thinks it has the one.

Whole neighborhoods razed by Oklahoma tornado that killed 24 ...

By Carey Gillam and Ian Simpson MOORE, Oklahoma (Reuters) - Rescuers went building to building in search of victims and thousands of survivors were homeless on Tuesday, a day after a massive tornado tore through a suburb of Oklahoma City, wiping out whole blocks of homes and killing at least 24 people. The death toll was lower than initially feared, but nine children were among the dead, including seven who died at Plaza Towers Elementary School, which took a direct hit in the deadliest tornado to hit the United States in two years. ...

Factbox: Tornado damage and the Enhanced Fujita scale ... (Reuters) - The tornado that slammed into the Oklahoma City suburb of Moore, killing 24 people, was upgraded on Tuesday to a rating of EF5, the category reserved for the most damaging twisters on the Enhanced Fujita Scale, the National Weather Service said. The Enhanced Fujita scale is an updated version of an earlier chart to measure the ferocity of tornadoes published in 1971 by University of Chicago professor Ted Fujita. ...
No new funds needed for Okla. tornado recovery ...

WASHINGTON (AP) — Top lawmakers and officials said Tuesday that the federal government has plenty of money on hand to pay for recovery efforts in the wake of the devastating tornado that struck Oklahoma.

AP US News
Whole neighborhoods razed by Oklahoma tornado that killed 24 ...

Oklahoma tornado brings back fear in recovering Joplin, Missouri ...

By Kevin Murphy KANSAS CITY, Missouri (Reuters) - Less than three hours after a deadly twister on Monday flattened a swath of Moore, Oklahoma, tornado warning sirens sounded in Joplin, Missouri, 215 miles to the northeast. While no twister touched down, the Oklahoma disaster and the sirens stirred painful memories in Joplin, which on Wednesday observes the second anniversary of one of the most catastrophic tornadoes in American history. "It brought back a lot of fear, especially since there was a chance that a tornado could hit here," Sarah Jo Radcliffe, a Joplin resident, said on Tuesday. ...

Moore shows that as cities grow, tornado damage grows with them ...

By Ben Berkowitz and Julie Steenhuysen (Reuters) - Moore, Oklahoma, has had the bad luck of being hit by two highly destructive tornadoes, both in the month of May, 14 years apart. But the Moore that got struck on Monday is not the same as in 1999. Like a lot of towns across America and in the so-called "Tornado Alley," rapid growth has made it a bigger target, vulnerable to more damage. The tornado, with winds that may have topped 200 miles per hour, killed at least 24 people and injured hundreds more, with many of the casualties children from two schools that were destroyed. ...

Man watched tornado destroy his home: ‘I just felt totally helpless’ ... OKLAHOMA CITY—Anthony Connel was sitting in traffic off of South 149th Street, about a mile from his home, when he saw it happen: A dark black cloud, so ominous and wide that it didn’t even look like a tornado, dropped to the ground—and headed straight for his house. Connel, a sales manager at Anheuser-Busch, had [...]
Residents’ storm stories: ‘We can’t go back, the destruction is so bad’ ... Susan and Bob Njoo's destroyed home. They managed to escape from the rubble with minor injuries. (Photo courtesy of Larry Ong) Yahoo News invited Oklahoma City area residents to share their firsthand experiences and observations from Monday’s tornadoes and rescue efforts, and the cleanup that began Tuesday. Below are excerpts from what they’ve written. *** [...]
Witnesses describe deadly Oklahoma tornado; Gov. Fallin says death count unknown ... [Updated at 2:30 p.m. CT] MOORE, Okla. –As a hailstorm bore down on the devastated region Tuesday afternoon, first responders continued to sift through debris to try to find survivors and figure out how many people died in the massive tornado that ripped through southern Oklahoma City and other towns a day earlier. Twenty four [...]
Video: Watch the Moore tornado form ... An Oklahoma man captured on video what appears to be the formation of Monday's deadly tornado. The incredible footage, posted to YouTube, shows a swirling funnel cloud forming over a field near Newcastle, Okla. The man, identified as Charles Cook, shot the cell phone video from a parking lot while sitting in his car. "The [...]
Report: Fort Hood shooting victims struggle while defendant draws salary ... Soldiers wounded in the Fort Hood shooting spree in November 2009 have a new problem on their hands: getting the shooting's classification changed from "workplace violence" to "combat related." As reported by Dallas-Fort Worth's NBC 5 Investigates, the injured soldiers are struggling to pay their bills. Because the government doesn't classify the shooting as an [...]
Massive search underway for abducted teen in Iowa ...

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A 15-year-old central Iowa girl who was abducted after getting off her school bus was still missing Tuesday, and authorities said a massive search was underway. Meanwhile, the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation said the man who is suspected of taking her and another girl committed suicide.

FBI ID's Benghazi suspects _ but no arrests yet ...

Lawyer: Feds investigating Susan Powell case ...

WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah (AP) — The U.S. Attorney's Office in Utah says it's not true that there's an ongoing federal investigation into the 2009 disappearance of Susan Powell.

Man charged in death of missing Maine teenager ...

BANGOR, Maine (AP) — When 16-year-old Nichole Cable left home May 12, she told her family she was heading out to see someone she'd met on Facebook.

Texas judge: Lesbian couple can't cohabitate ... MCKINNEY, Texas (AP) — A judge has ruled that a North Texas lesbian couple can't live together because of a morality clause in one of the women's divorce papers.
Chemical-safety watchdog criticizes probe of Texas blast ...

By M.B. Pell (Reuters) - Officials with the U.S. Chemical Safety Board say they may never know what caused last month's deadly fertilizer-plant explosion in Texas because of interference by federal and Texas agencies, according to a letter sent by the head of the regulatory board to U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer. The federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Texas State Fire Marshal's Office declined CSB access to witnesses and the explosion scene, wrote Rafael Moure-Eraso, chairperson of the safety board. ...

APNewsBreak: Coast Guardsman admits desertion ... HONOLULU (AP) — A Coast Guard rescue swimmer whose disappearance led to a massive search in Hawaii pleaded guilty to desertion Tuesday, saying he left work one day, decided never to return and spent the next three months camping in the mountains of Oahu.
2 more reports of anti-gay attacks in NYC ...

NEW YORK (AP) — Hours after New Yorkers rallied in response to a spate of gay-bashing that's resulted in one death and fueled concern about hate crimes, there were two more reports of possible anti-gay attacks on Manhattan streets, authorities said Tuesday.

Face-chewing victim recovering, strumming guitar ...

Jodi Arias now asks Arizona jury to spare her death penalty ...

Appeals court strikes down Arizona ban on abortions at 20 weeks ... By Dan Whitcomb (Reuters) - A federal appeals court struck down an Arizona law on Tuesday that bans abortions from 20 weeks gestation, saying it violated "unalterably clear" U.S. Supreme Court rulings that women have a right to terminate pregnancies until a fetus is viable. The decision by a three-member panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of appeals in San Francisco, which overturned the ruling of a federal district court judge, was hailed by abortion rights groups as a "huge victory" in a state they say has taken one of the nation's toughest stances on the issue. ...
NY art dealer tied to alleged forgeries charged with tax fraud ... By Jonathan Stempel NEW YORK (Reuters) - Federal prosecutors on Tuesday charged a New York art dealer with tax fraud in connection with the sale of paintings she claimed to be the works of celebrated abstract expressionists, but some of which the government said were fakes. Glafira Rosales, 56, faces three counts of filing false tax returns and five counts of concealing a Spanish bank account from the U.S. Internal Revenue Service. "Rosales gave new meaning to the phrase 'artful dodger' by avoiding taxes on millions of dollars in income from dealing in fake art works for fake clients," U.S. ...
Court strikes down Arizona 20-week abortion ban ... SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A federal court Tuesday struck down Arizona's ban on abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy absent a medical emergency.
Factbox: The 10 deadliest tornadoes in U.S. history ... (Reuters) - A powerful tornado devastated the Oklahoma City suburb of Moore on Monday, killing 24 people, including nine children, according to the Oklahoma medical examiner's office. At one point, as many as 91 were feared dead, but authorities have since scaled back the official death toll. Here are the 10 deadliest tornadoes in U.S. history: 1. March 18, 1925 - Missouri/Illinois/Indiana - 695 dead 2. May 6, 1840 - Natchez, Mississippi - 317 dead 3. May 27, 1896 - St. Louis - 255 dead 4. April 5, 1936 - Tupelo, Mississippi - 216 dead 5. April 6, 1936 - Gainesville, Georgia - 203 dead 6. ...
IRS official to take the 5th at House hearing ...

'Bishop' would-be pipe bomber gets 37 years ...

CHICAGO (AP) — An Iowa letter carrier was sentenced to 37 years in prison Tuesday for sending dud pipe bombs with letters signed "The Bishop" in an odd but potentially deadly bid to drive up the value of shares he owned.

NY judge refuses to dismiss Kerry Kennedy case ...

ARMONK, N.Y. (AP) — Kerry Kennedy, the ex-wife of Gov. Andrew Cuomo, is likely to go on trial in the fall after a town judge refused to dismiss a drugged-driving case against her Tuesday.

New York City seeing spike in anti-gay crime, officials say ...

By Jonathan Allen NEW YORK (Reuters) - New York City is seeing a spike in anti-gay attacks, with two assaults coming within days of the fatal shooting of a gay man over the weekend, the city's police commissioner said on Tuesday. Two men in their early 40s were attacked on a street in Manhattan's SoHo neighborhood early on Tuesday morning by two men who shouted anti-gay slurs in Spanish and English and left one victim with a minor eye injury, police said. ...

Teachers credited with saving students in Okla. ...

Scientists: Don't drop federal wolf protections ... TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) — Groups of scientists are urging federal officials not to remove protections for gray wolves across the Lower 48 states.
Man pleads guilty in Picasso vandalism case ...

Search nearly complete after Oklahoma tornado ...

Arias asks jury for life term; deliberations begin ...

Impact of Okla. tornado beyond mere cleanup ...

MOORE, Okla. (AP) — Lives were forever changed in a few short minutes as a large tornado battered the Oklahoma City suburb of Moore, killing at least 24 people and injuring dozens. The storm tore apart one elementary school and severely damaged another; it ripped homes off their foundations, scattered prized possessions, laid waste to businesses.

Photos of Tucson shooting scene show gun, knife ...

Committee nears final vote on immigration bill ...

Arizona jury begins death penalty deliberations for Jodi Arias ... PHOENIX (Reuters) - Jurors began a final round of deliberations on Tuesday to determine whether convicted killer Jodi Arias deserves a death sentence or life in prison for murdering an ex-boyfriend in Arizona five years ago. Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Sherry Stephens told jurors they must reach a unanimous verdict in the sentencing phase. If they are unable reach a unanimous decision, a new jury will be impaneled to determine whether the death penalty should be imposed. (Reporting by Tim Gaynor; Editing by Cynthia Johnston)
Jury to begin deliberating Jodi Arias' sentence ...

PHOENIX (AP) — A jury has been sent to begin deliberating Jodi Arias' fate, deciding whether she should be sentenced to life in prison or execution.

Microsoft touts Xbox One as all-in-1 entertainment ...

REDMOND, Wash. (AP) — Microsoft thinks it has the one.

AP Business News
Apple CEO makes no apology for company's tax strategy ...

By Patrick Temple-West and Kevin Drawbaugh WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Apple Inc Chief Executive Tim Cook made no apology on Tuesday for the iPad maker saving billions of dollars in U.S. taxes through Irish subsidiaries and told lawmakers that his company backs corporate tax reform, even though it may end up paying more. The Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations has found that Apple in 2012 alone avoided paying $9 billion in U.S. taxes, using a strategy involving three offshore units with no discernible tax home, or "residence. ...

Scandal or not, one SAC investor can't get enough of Steve Cohen ...

By Svea Herbst-Bayliss and Sam Forgione BOSTON/NEW YORK (Reuters) - As federal prosecutors circle Steven A. Cohen's $15 billion hedge fund in a long-running insider trading probe, one financial adviser in Texas is so devoted to the billionaire investor that he may give him more money. "I'm thinking about putting more money with him," said Ed Butowsky, managing director at Chapwood Capital Investment Management, who manages $1 billion in client money. ...

Exclusive: Bob Lutz, Chinese in bid to buy Fisker Automotive - sources ...

By Deepa Seetharaman DETROIT (Reuters) - A boutique carmaker led by former General Motors Co executive Bob Lutz and China's largest auto parts supplier made an offer this month to buy cash-strapped "green" car company Fisker Automotive, people familiar with the matter said. VL Automotive and China's Wanxiang Group are looking to gain control of Fisker through a prepackaged bankruptcy. This comes alongside a separate push by investors in Europe and Hong Kong, including billionaire Richard Li, to buy out the U.S. Department of Energy's position in Fisker. ...

Dow, S&P end at records on Fed officials' reassurance ...

By Angela Moon NEW YORK (Reuters) - Stocks rose on Tuesday, with the Dow and the S&P 500 closing at new all-time highs as Federal Reserve officials' comments eased some concerns that the central bank could start reducing its stimulus program. Dow component Home Depot gave the market a lift after the world's largest home improvement chain raised its profit outlook, driving its stock to a record intraday high. JPMorgan also bolstered the Dow, rising more than 1 percent to a 52-week high after the bank's chief executive won a vote of confidence from shareholders. ...

Ireland rejects blame for Apple's low tax rate ...

By Conor Humphries and Padraic Halpin CORK/DUBLIN (Reuters) - Ireland said on Tuesday it was not to blame for Apple Inc's low global tax payments and had no special rate deal with the company after the U.S. Senate said it paid little or no tax on tens of billions of dollars in profits stashed in Irish subsidiaries. The Irish government, which has seen the luring of U.S. multinationals with low taxes as a key part of its economic policy since the 1960s, said its system was transparent and other countries were responsible if the tax rate paid by Apple was too low. ...

Sprint raises Clearwire offer, not enough for some ...

By Sinead Carew (Reuters) - Sprint Nextel Corp raised its buyout offer for wireless service provider Clearwire Corp to $3.40 per share on Tuesday under pressure from activist shareholders, but the new bid failed to impress several big investors. Clearwire shares traded around the new offer price after Sprint was forced to revise its original $2.97 per share offer just hours before a scheduled shareholder vote on the deal. Analysts and investors had predicted that the original bid would not have won approval. Clearwire said it would review the new bid and postponed the vote to May 30. ...

Fed officials dampen talk of imminent bond buying cutback ...

By Jonathan Spicer and Paul Carrel NEW YORK/FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Two senior Federal Reserve officials on Tuesday played down the chances that the U.S. central bank would signal a readiness to reduce its bond buying at its meeting next month, dampening speculation the Fed's ultra-easy monetary policy might end soon. New York Federal Reserve Bank President William Dudley and St. Louis Fed chief James Bullard, both of whom will vote at the June 18-19 meeting, made clear further economic progress was needed before they would support curtailing bond purchases. ...

Dimon keeps JPMorgan chairman title after bruising battle ...

Sony to assess spin-off proposal for entertainment business: Nikkei ...

(Reuters) - Sony Corp is considering evaluating a proposal from top shareholder Third Point LLC to spin off part of its movie and music business, Japanese daily Nikkei reported. Sony's U.S. listed shares rose 9 percent on Tuesday on the New York Stock Exchange. Billionaire hedge fund investor Daniel Loeb last week called on the company to spin off its lucrative entertainment arm, setting the stage for a clash between his activist Wall Street fund and management at the Japanese electronics maker. Sony declined to comment when contacted by Reuters. ...

Disney-owned ESPN cutting hundreds of jobs: source ...

By Liana B. Baker (Reuters) - ESPN, the sports channel that is Walt Disney Co's most profitable unit, is cutting 300 to 400 jobs across the company and closing a small Denver office, a person with knowledge of the cuts said. The job cuts, comprising 4 to 6 percent of ESPN's staff of 7,000, include open positions that will not be filled, said the source, who asked not to be named because the information is not public. But ESPN will continue hiring for other open positions, the person said. The channel has recently won rights to exclusive coverage of the U.S. ...

JPMorgan's Dimon survives shareholder referendum ...

Apple's Cook faces Senate questions on taxes ...

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate dragged Apple Inc., the world's most valuable company, into the debate over the U.S. tax code Tuesday, grilling CEO Tim Cook over allegations that its Irish subsidiaries help the company avoid billions in U.S. taxes.

Stocks gain on reassurance from a top Fed official ...

NEW YORK (AP) — Reassuring comments from a Federal Reserve official and better earnings from two big retailers helped push the stock market higher Tuesday.

Does France have right plan to revive its economy? ...

PARIS (AP) — The man charged with reviving France's shrinking economy and attracting businesses to invest here is gaining a reputation for doing the opposite.

Leahy steps back on gay marriage issue ...

WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy says he will not offer — for now — an amendment to an immigration bill allowing gay Americans to seek green cards for their spouses.

Microsoft touts Xbox One as all-in-1 entertainment ...

REDMOND, Wash. (AP) — Microsoft thinks it has the one.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew says the Internal Revenue Service's targeting of conservative political groups was "unacceptable and inexcusable" and he has directed the agency's acting director to hold people accountable.

Best Buy reports 1Q loss on restructuring costs ...

Poll: Teens migrating to Twitter ...

WASHINGTON (AP) — Twitter is booming as a social media destination for teenagers who complain about too many adults and too much drama on Facebook, according to a new study published Tuesday about online behavior. It said teens are sharing more personal information about themselves even as they try to protect their online reputations.

Photos: Frank Lloyd Wright Homes For Sale ... Frank Lloyd Wright may have died in 1959, but his architecture is alive and well. A recent story in the Wall Street Journal revealed the cost to upkeep some of his historic homes may be more than buyers bargain for, but others clamor to invest in history.
Martha Stewart Case Judge Ruling Favors JCP ... The judge presiding over the lawsuit against Martha Stewart and J.C. Penney ruled on Friday allowing the sale of Martha Stewart merchandise in J.C. Penney stores.
Couple Finds $100,000 in Safe Deposit Box ... An elderly couple in Brooklyn, N.Y., found a huge pile of cash–what they reckon was $100,000–in cash in a bank’s safe deposit box. Joe Valinoti, 82, and his companion, Kathleen Ricigliano, 81, said they opened a safe deposit box account with Sovereign Bank in February....
3 Indicted for Millions of Fake Marlboros ... Three men were indicted this week for shipping millions of packs of untaxed contraband Marlboro cigarettes that were part of a sting conducted by the FBI. Jia Yongming, Yazhou Wu, and Ricky Le were indicted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office on Monday in a U.S....
Men Charged for Millions of Fake Marlboros ... Three men were indicted this week for shipping millions of packs of untaxed contraband Marlboro cigarettes that were part of a sting conducted by the FBI. Jia Yongming, Yazhou Wu, and Ricky Le were indicted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office on Monday in a U.S....
Holy Grail of Books Could Fetch $30M ... A rare psalm book from 1640 could fetch between $15 million to $30 million at a Sotheby’s auction on Nov. 26 in New York. “It’s going to be far and away the most expensive book ever sold,” David Redden, vice chairman of Sotheby’s auction house,...
Holy Grail of Rare Books, Hymnal Could Fetch $30M ... A rare psalm book from 1640 could fetch between $15 million to $30 million at a Sotheby’s auction on Nov. 26 in New York. “It’s going to be far and away the most expensive book ever sold,” David Redden, vice chairman of Sotheby’s auction house,...
McDonald's Apologizes for Sad Big Mac Ad ... McDonald’s has apologized for a Big Mac ad that enflamed the fast food giant in a whopper-sized controversy. The ad, a poster placed on Boston mass transit, featured a photo of a seemingly despondent woman with her head buried in her hands next to the...
Retail Sales Fall, Sending Stocks Down ... Retail sales fell by 0.4 percent in March, according to the Commerce Department, the biggest drop in nine months. The major stock market indexes slid on the news. Taxes went up at the beginning of the year for everyone who gets a paycheck and that...
Photos: Rock Icon's Former Home on Sale ... A former home of rock legend Stevie Nicks and silent-movie star Vilma Banky is on sale for $1.625 million. The 4-bedroom home in the Hollywood Hills has a guest apartment, sunset views and spans 3,538-square feet. Nicks purchased the property in the late '70s and recorded numerous demos there, according to Curbed. Banky reportedly lived there after it was built in the late '20s. The home was last purchased in December 2000 for $1.15 million.
A New Way to Buy Powerball Tickets ... Those Californians who missed out on the state’s first Powerball drawing on Wednesday, which did not yield a winner, will have another chance at the estimated $60 million jackpot during the second drawing on Saturday. Homebound residents or anybody else who doesn’t feel like visiting...
Investment Scam Hits NFL, NBA Stars ... Morning Business Memo… Dozens of current and former NFL and NBA players may have been the victims of an investment scam. FINRA – the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority – filed a cease-and-desist order against Success Trade Securities, alleging the online investment firm ripped off 58...
Lotto Tickets Now Available Online ... Those Californians who missed out on the state’s first Powerball drawing on Wednesday, which did not yield a winner, will have another chance at the estimated $60 million jackpot during the second drawing on Saturday. Homebound residents or anybody else who doesn’t feel like visiting...
Website Wants to Sell You Lotto Tickets Online ... Those Californians who missed out on the state’s first Powerball drawing on Wednesday, which did not yield a winner, will have another chance at the estimated $60 million jackpot during the second drawing on Saturday. Homebound residents or anybody else who doesn’t feel like visiting...
Photos: Rock Legend's Former Home on Sale ... A former home of rock legend Stevie Nicks and silent-movie star Vilma Banky is on sale for $1.625 million. The 4-bedroom home in the Hollywood Hills has a guest apartment, sunset views and spans 3,538-square feet. Nicks purchased the property in the late '70s and recorded numerous demos there, according to Curbed. Banky reportedly lived there after it was built in the late '20s. The home was last purchased in December 2000 for $1.15 million.
Tiger Woods Boosts Masters Prices ... With round one of the Masters Golf Tournament underway, tickets for the famous game in Augusta, Ga., are still being sold online today. Though ABC News’ Darren Rovell reports prices on web sites like StubHub have dropped to $3,000 to $4,000 today, some badges were...
Masters Ticket Prices Highest Since Tiger Woods Debut ... With round one of the Masters Golf Tournament underway, tickets for the famous game in Augusta, Ga., are still being sold online today. Though ABC News’ Darren Rovell reports prices on web sites like StubHub have dropped to $3,000 to $4,000 today, some badges were...
Microsoft Falls on PC Shipment Decline ... Microsoft Corp. shares took a beating today after Goldman Sachs issued a sell recommendation amid news that PC shipments dropped 14 percent in the first quarter, in part because Windows 8 hasn’t caught on. Microsoft fell 5.1 percent to $28.75 at 2:35 p.m. Until today, it had been slightly...
Microsoft Swoons on PC Shipment Decline ... Microsoft Corp. shares took a beating today after Goldman Sachs issued a sell recommendation amid news that PC shipments dropped 14 percent in the first quarter, in part because Windows 8 hasn’t caught on. Microsoft fell 5.1 percent to $28.75 at 2:35 p.m. Until today, it had been slightly...
Microsoft (MSFT) Swoons on PC Shipment Decline ... Microsoft Corp. shares took a beating today after Goldman Sachs issued a sell recommendation amid news that PC shipments dropped 14 percent in the first quarter, in part because Windows 8 hasn’t caught on. Microsoft fell 5.1 percent to $28.75 at 2:35 p.m. Until today, it had been slightly...

AP Strange News
10 years later, ‘Star Wars Kid’ speaks ... Star Wars Kid was one of the first breakthrough Internet memes. But whatever came of the kid parodied by millions as he clumsily swings his imaginary lightsaber with reckless abandon? He recently spoke out publicly for the first time, sharing his thoughts on being arguably the first large-scale victim of cyberbullying. “What I saw was [...]
Bold turkey: woman hits cop to kick smoking habit ...

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Think you've heard of every way possible to quit smoking? Etta Mae Lopez came up with a new one: slap a cop and go to jail, where smoking isn't allowed.

With cicadas come cicada-killing wasps ... The cicada invasion is about to begin. Bring on the cicada-killer wasps. Residents from North Carolina to Connecticut are bracing for the Brood II cicada invasion, 17 years in the making. The numbers are staggering. According to Charlotte, N.C., NBC station WCNC, Gary Hevel of the Smithsonian Institution says as many as 1 trillion lie [...]
Calif. woman hit cop to go to jail to quit smoking ...

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Think you've heard of every way possible to quit smoking? Etta Mae Lopez came up with a new one: slap a cop so you'll go to jail, where smoking isn't allowed.

Movie theater publicity stunt results in police response ... The manager of a movie theater in Jefferson City, Mo., is defending himself after a publicity stunt resulted in a police response last weekend. KMIZ reports that management of Goodrich Capital 8 Theaters hired an actor to dress in full tactical gear (complete with a fake gun) and walk into the movie theater during the [...]
Man awarded $59K for being wrongly diagnosed as near death ... It’s everyone’s worst nightmare: Being diagnosed with a terminal illness and given only months to live. Of course, there's always the extremely rare chance it was all a mistake. Luckily for a traumatized Mark Templin, it was an incorrect diagnosis—one that resulted in an almost $60,000 settlement. In 2009, Templin had gone to the Fort [...]
Durango, Colo., area couple gives up catwalk fight ... DURANGO, Colo. (AP) — A Durango area couple is giving up their fight to keep a 13-foot escape route for their cats outside their Colorado apartment.
Celebrity panda at center of Thai-China deal ...

BANGKOK (AP) — Thailand's celebrity baby panda Lin Ping is almost 4 years old now. It's time to move to China, find a mate and have cubs.

"Too pretty" label mars South Korean boxing starlet's win ...

By Narae Kim SEOUL (Reuters) - When romantic actress Lee Si-young swapped her glamorous roles in South Korean dramas for boxing gloves in a bid to win an Olympic medal, her victories triggered a storm of protest that has marred her unexpected success in the ring. The 31-year-old, better known for her roles in TV shows such as "Wild Romance" and "Boys Before Flowers", had tears of joy in her eyes when she defeated 19-year-old Kim Da-som by 22 points to 20 in the 48 kg (106 lb) class at the South Korean national team tryouts in late April. ...

Sophia top baby name for U.S. girls; Messiah and King on the rise for boys ...

By Alex Dobuzinskis LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Sophia tops the list of names for American baby girls for the second year in a row, while King and Messiah are becoming increasingly popular names for boys, the U.S. Social Security Administration said on Thursday. Jacob has become a standby for boys' names, topping that category for the 14th straight year. Liam and Elizabeth broke into the Top 10 at No. 6 and No. 10 respectively, the SSA said in a statement. But rising on the list are a couple of less traditional, but more attention-grabbing names. ...

Ore. smokejumpers skydive into illegal pot garden ... MEDFORD, Ore. (AP) — A team of smokejumpers parachuting into a fire in the mountains of Southern Oregon landed in an illegal marijuana garden being prepared for growing season.
Landlord mistakes tenant’s tomato plants for pot, calls cops ... You say “tomato”, I say, “illegal pot farm on a Brooklyn rooftop.” A resident in a Brooklyn apartment building got an unexpected, and unmerited, visit from the police after his superintendent called the cops to report an illegal pot-growing operation on the building’s roof. There was just one small problem―the plants growing on the building’s [...]
Your Prius does not impress them. Workers commute via excavators ... Think your commute is fraught with peril? Check out what these workers in Siberia go through to get to their jobs. This video is a few months old, but it's getting renewed interest, thanks to a segment on "Today." In the clip, bridge builders take turns climbing into the scooper of an excavator and taking [...]
Animated graphic illustrates impact of meteorites on Earth ... Meteroites-–debris from space that falls to Earth, usually in a fiery blaze-–are few and far between. And they’re especially rare to witness. But over the millennia, they add up. A cool animated visualization by Carlo Zapponi called Bolides tracks the meteorites that have collided with Earth, focusing on ones that were seen falling and then [...]
16-year-old girl, born without legs and one arm, is now a swimming champ ... Kayla Wheeler was born with three congenital amputations: missing both legs and one arm. Her doctor recommended swimming as a form of physical therapy. And now, at age 16, Wheeler is literally breaking world records. Washington CNN affiliate KCPQ reports that Wheeler already has competed in Brazil, Mexico and the Netherlands and has her sights [...]
Woman accused of slapping deputy so she’d go to jail and quit smoking ... File this one under "B" for "Bad Ideas." A woman allegedly slapped a Sacramento County deputy in order to get arrested. Why? So she would go to jail and be forced to give up smoking cigarettes. CBS-Sacramento reports that Deputy Matt Campoy was leaving his shift when he felt a slap across his face. "It [...]
Mass. panel: No profanity on rapper's headstone ... LYNN, Mass. (AP) — Commissioners at a Massachusetts cemetery have said no to profanity on headstones.
Arizona climber and his dog apparently stung to death by bees ... PHOENIX (Reuters) - An Arizona climber has been found dead, dangling from a rope on a cliff face south of Tucson, after apparently being stung to death by bees, police said on Wednesday. Steven Wallace Johnson, 55, a counselor with some 30 years experience hiking and climbing, headed into the mountains south of Tucson on Friday, Santa Cruz County Sheriff Tony Estrada said. Johnson was reported missing on Monday by co-workers after he failed to show up for work. A Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office search and rescue team found his body that afternoon, Estrada said. ...
China probes reports of film director Zhang Yimou's seven children ...

BEIJING (Reuters) - Chinese authorities have begun investigating reports that Zhang Yimou, one of China's best-known movie directors, has seven children in violation of strict family planning rules, which could result in a fine of 160 million yuan ($26.05 million), state media said on Thursday. Online reports have surfaced that Zhang, who dazzled the world in 2008 with his Beijing Olympic ceremonies, "has at least seven children and will face a 160 million yuan fine," said the website of the People's Daily, the Chinese Communist Party mouthpiece. ...

Man uses spoon to break out of Russian maximum-security prison ... One man, using only a spoon, has escaped from one of Russia’s most infamous prisons. Sky News reports that 33-year-old Oleg Topalov escaped from Matrosskaya Tishina, apparently by using a single spoon to dig a hole through his cell’s ceiling. He is only the fourth person in 20 years to escape from the prison. Russian [...]
Brazilian woman survives harpoon shooting ...

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — A 28-year-old woman miraculously survived after her husband accidentally shot her in the mouth with a harpoon, Brazilian officials said Wednesday.

Scratch-and-sniff cards prompt natural gas scare ... GREAT FALLS, Mont. (AP) — Those scratch-and-sniff cards the energy company sends to customers to teach them to recognize the artificial smell added to natural gas? Turns out they work pretty well.
Kenya co. turns old sandals into colorful objects ...

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — The colorful handmade giraffes, elephants and warthogs made in a Nairobi workshop were once only dirty pieces of rubber cruising the Indian Ocean's currents.

Senior class president suspended after tweet about high-school sports ... Was his tweet a bullying act, or merely the stating of a fact? Either way, reports the Wichita Eagle, the senior class president of Heights High School in Kansas has been suspended and banned from participating in most of this year’s graduation activities after posting a tweet about the school’s athletic program. “‘Heights U’ is [...]
Brazilian woman survives harpoon accident ... RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Brazilian health officials say a 28-year-old woman miraculously survived after her husband accidentally shot her in the mouth with a harpoon.
Charles Ramsey gets autotuned, and not everyone is pleased ... Charles Ramsey’s account of his rescue of Amanda Berry, believed to have been held captive along with two other young women in a Cleveland home for a decade, already had gotten attention on the Web. Now, Ramsey is being celebrated for his way with words the way only the Internet can do it: with a [...]
Puppy survives after being locked in car for nearly a month ... A 12-week-old puppy has miraculously overcome a harrowing ordeal and survived being locked inside an impounded car for nearly a month. The Kansas City, Mo., animal shelter now caring for the terrier and schnauzer mix they’ve named Kia said she survived by eating trash left in the car from a McDonald’s restaurant. However, she apparently [...]
Houston braces for giant snail invasion ... Houston, we have a problem. A giant African land snail has been spotted in a Houston garden, and residents are being warned to stay away from it—and to watch out for others. Texas station KPRC reports that the slow-moving menaces are sometimes carriers of a life-threatening meningitis. It "can cause a lot of harm to [...]
Rodman to Kim: 'Do me a solid' and free American ... SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Former NBA star Dennis Rodman is tapping his friendship with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to ask for the release of a Korean-American man sentenced to 15 years of hard labor in the North.
Japan hopes for a lift from "Abenomics" bra ...

TOKYO (Reuters) - The Japanese division of lingerie maker Triumph International unveiled on Wednesday an "Abenomics" bra, a special edition it says offers a "growth strategy" and a potential lift towards Japan's elusive inflation target. Launches of Triumph's concept bras in Tokyo have become a regular event over the past quarter of a century and are an important publicity tool for 127-year-old, Swiss-headquartered company. The latest "Branomics Bra" follows earlier solar-powered, recycled and "husband-hunting" models but, like its predecessors, will not go on sale. ...

Dozens of climbers caught in middle of deadly volcanic eruption ... Five mountain climbers were killed and either others injured when a sudden volcanic eruption in the Philippines sent down rocks “big as cars.” “I heard a sound similar to a sudden drop of coconuts. Then I heard noise of cascading rocks. But the thick fog clouding us that time blinded us from seeing the falling [...]
Authorities tried earlier visit to house where Ohio women found ...

By Kim Palmer and Daniel Trotta CLEVELAND (Reuters) - As three Cleveland women reunited with their families on Tuesday after vanishing for about a decade in their own neighborhood, police scoured the house they escaped from for clues on how they could be held captive for so long with no one noticing. Cleveland authorities said there was one attempt to visit the home in 2004 on an unrelated matter but no one answered the door. They said they combed through records and found no other calls to the house nor reports of anything amiss in the years the women were missing. ...

Critter cams provide peek into the lives of bears ... ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Biologists at the Alaska Department of Fish and Game are getting a peek into what city bears do all day.
Stop motion effects pioneer Ray Harryhausen dies at 92 ... The name Ray Harryhausen probably isn’t familiar to the average moviegoer, but fans of today’s science fiction and fantasy films owe a debt to the legendary effects wizard, who died Tuesday at the age of 92. For decades, Harryhausen was Hollywood’s premiere stop motion effects artist, building models that would seemingly interact with actors on [...]
Woman seeks home for World War II letters found in hatbox ... About 15 years ago, Pamela Gilliland bought a hatbox at an estate sale in Oklahoma for a dollar. When she got around to opening the box a few days later, she discovered it was full of letters from World War II. Tulsa World has the story. Gilliland, it reports, recently enlisted the help of history [...]
Dad helps deliver baby boy in Sam’s Club parking lot ... When Fritz Rosales and Josephine Rosales, who was in labor, realized they wouldn't make it to the hospital in time, they pulled into a Sam's Club parking lot to deliver their fifth child. CBS-Sacramento interviewed the proud parents. Fritz Rosales explained that events seemed to conspire against them. First, they needed to stop at a [...]
British economy claims new victim: Prince Charles' veg shop ...

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's weak economy has taken its toll on the nation's poshest greengrocer with Prince Charles forced to close his organic vegetable store, citing falling trade and rising prices. Prince Charles, the heir to the throne and a champion of the environment, opened a store near to his country home Highgrove in Gloucestershire, south-west England, about eight years ago after converting his estate to organic farming in 1986. ...

Urban Outfitters under fire for Rx-related products ... Popular retailer Urban Outfitters is under fire for selling a line of products that some say glamorizes prescription drug abuse. KABC in Los Angeles reports that the store is selling shot glasses that resemble pill bottles, flasks that feature a prescriptionlike label for "Boozemin" and "syringe shot shooters." The gag products are available in stores [...]
NJ governor 'saves' children from spider ... TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie wasn't in a pardoning mood when an itsy, bitsy spider crawled on his desk while he spoke to a group of schoolchildren.
Newsreel footage shows Hindenburg disaster in stunning detail ... Rarely seen footage of the Hindenburg airship's tragic end, posted by the Public Domain Review, is an amazingly intimate look at a 76-year-old disaster. While the exact cause of the airship’s fiery demise is still debated, the video—which also includes historical newsreel coverage of the Hindenburg on safely executed flights—is a moving look at the [...]