Associated Press
HUDSON, N.C. (AP) — An explosion at a North Carolina chemical plant set off a multiple-alarm fire Saturday, sending thick black smoke into the air and forcing the evacuation of residents within two miles.
Firefighters in the town of Hudson responded to the explosion at the Chemical Coatings, Inc. plant in Caldwell County at around 3 p.m. Saturday, according to Jessica Carter, a county emergency spokeswoman. Other fire and emergency crews were then quickly dispatched.
The plant is closed weekends, Carter said, and no one is believed to have been inside when the explosion happened.
Two county firefighters were treated and released at a local hospital for minor injuries.
Caldwell County resident Sherry Thompson told The Charlotte Observer she was sitting on the back porch of her nearby home when she heard an explosion and then saw smoke coming from the plant.
"We could feel the heat from where we were at," she told the newspaper. "The house shook."
Authorities shut down U.S. 321 in front of the plant as firefighters from as far away as Charlotte, 70 miles away, battled the blaze into the evening. Evacuations were ordered as thick black smoke filled the air and was visible miles away. The Environmental Protection Agency, workplace safety officials and a state public health unit responded, and the Red Cross set up two temporary shelters. The fire was contained around 6 p.m. and the evacuation order was lifted around 9 p.m.
"It's not out and there's still some hot spots in the area, but they consider it manageable at this point," Carter told The Associated Press earlier Saturday evening.
Carter said authorities did not yet know the cause of the fire.
Chemical Coatings makes dyes, lacquers and other coatings for furniture and other products.
According to The Observer, Chemical Coatings was started in 1975 and became part of RPM International in 1991. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration cited the company in 2007 for violating rules governing guards on machinery and stairway rails, but it wasn't fined.
Hudson is located between Hickory and Lenoir, a corridor that is home to many furniture plants and showrooms as well as industries that support them.
Monday, May 30, 2011
Delta jet has rough landing in Atlanta; 4 hurt
ATLANTA (AP) — The landing gear of a Delta Air Lines jet apparently caught fire during a rough landing Saturday afternoon at Atlanta's main airport, but the flight's approximately 50 passengers and crew were evacuated safely, authorities said.
Four people suffered minor injuries that did not require hospitalization, Atlanta city fire officials said. Passengers were evacuated through the rear stairs. Firefighters quickly extinguished the fire with foam spray.
There were conflicting accounts as to what caused the trouble for Delta flight 2284 from Pittsburgh, which landed at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport at around 4:18 p.m.
Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Kathleen Bergen said the MD-88 jet suffered either a blown tire, a locked-up brake or perhaps both, which caused a fire.
Fire officials initially said the fire was in the plane's right engine, then said it was actually in landing gear toward the back of the plane. Crews had the blaze extinguished less than a minute after they arrived, Atlanta Fire Department Capt. Jolyon Bundrige said.
Delta spokeswoman Leslie Parker said late Saturday afternoon that she did not know if there was a fire on the plane and attributed the problem to an overheated brake. She was unaware of any injuries. The passengers on the plane were transported by bus to the airport terminal.
"There was obviously smoke," Parker said. "The plane will be taken out of service and evaluated by maintenance and they'll be able to determine exactly what happened."
The damaged plane was taken off the runway and did not cause flight delays, airport spokesman John Kennedy said.
Four people suffered minor injuries that did not require hospitalization, Atlanta city fire officials said. Passengers were evacuated through the rear stairs. Firefighters quickly extinguished the fire with foam spray.
There were conflicting accounts as to what caused the trouble for Delta flight 2284 from Pittsburgh, which landed at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport at around 4:18 p.m.
Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Kathleen Bergen said the MD-88 jet suffered either a blown tire, a locked-up brake or perhaps both, which caused a fire.
Fire officials initially said the fire was in the plane's right engine, then said it was actually in landing gear toward the back of the plane. Crews had the blaze extinguished less than a minute after they arrived, Atlanta Fire Department Capt. Jolyon Bundrige said.
Delta spokeswoman Leslie Parker said late Saturday afternoon that she did not know if there was a fire on the plane and attributed the problem to an overheated brake. She was unaware of any injuries. The passengers on the plane were transported by bus to the airport terminal.
"There was obviously smoke," Parker said. "The plane will be taken out of service and evaluated by maintenance and they'll be able to determine exactly what happened."
The damaged plane was taken off the runway and did not cause flight delays, airport spokesman John Kennedy said.
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Newest US aircraft carrier to be named Kennedy May 29, 2011, 2:05 p.m. EDT
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AP Exclusive: Syria to end nuclear secrecy May 29, 2011, 1:26 p.m. EDT
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Mich. governor gets his way without hazing May 29, 2011, 1:15 p.m. EDT
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Number unaccounted for now stands at 39 in Joplin May 29, 2011, 1:12 p.m. EDT
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McCain: US should have used greater force in Libya May 29, 2011, 12:37 p.m. EDT
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Memorial to 9/11 preaches vengeance and tolerance May 29, 2011, 12:01 p.m. EDT
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AP source: Obama picks new US ambassador to Russia May 29, 2011, 10:50 a.m. EDT
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Man celebrates 85 years of living with diabetes May 29, 2011, 10:45 a.m. EDT
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Police in Ga. search for missing mother, infant May 29, 2011, 10:22 a.m. EDT
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McConnell: Ryan Medicare plan 'on the table' May 29, 2011, 10:10 a.m. EDT
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Children of fallen troops turn to each other May 29, 2011, 9:52 a.m. EDT
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Shuttle Endeavour leaves space station _ forever May 29, 2011, 7:24 a.m. EDT
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Obama tours twister-ravaged neighborhood in Joplin May 29, 2011, 5:13 a.m. EDT
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2 dead, 21 injured in Washington state bus crash May 29, 2011, 4:50 a.m. EDT
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More rain, snow, National Guard troops for Mont. May 29, 2011, 4:30 a.m. EDT
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AP Top U.S. News At 12:27 p.m. EDT May 29, 2011, 1:12 a.m. EDT
Obama going to Missouri to offer help in healing Death toll from Joplin tornado is at least 139 Raid on bin Laden compound avenged CIA deaths Memorial to 9/11 preaches vengeance and tolerance Children of fallen troops turn to each other Shuttle astronauts bid farewell to space station Science ...
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2 dead, several injured in Wash. state bus crash May 29, 2011, 12:42 a.m. EDT
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Raid on bin Laden compound avenged CIA deaths May 29, 2011, 12:21 a.m. EDT
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Portrait of a young singer on the cusp of stardom May 29, 2011, 12:01 a.m. EDT
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AP Top Political News At 8 p.m. EDT May 28, 2011, 11:59 p.m. EDT
Obama tours twister-ravaged neighborhood in Joplin Children of fallen troops turn to each other Palin kick-starts bus tour on back of motorcycle Former Texas Gov. Bill Clements dead at 94 AP source: Obama picks new US ambassador to Russia McConnell: Ryan Medicare plan 'on the table' McCain: US should have ...
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Lockheed Martin hit by cyber attack May 28, 2011, 11:17 p.m. EDT
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AP News in Brief May 28, 2011, 6:35 p.m. EDT
Joplin official lowers tornado death toll to 139, with about 100 people still unaccounted for JOPLIN, Mo. (AP) — The numbers look increasingly bleak for families hoping for the best after a monster tornado that devastated the town of Joplin, as the city has raised the death toll to at least ...
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AP Top News At 1:23 p.m. EDT May 28, 2011, 6:25 p.m. EDT
Obama tours twister-ravaged Joplin AP Exclusive: Syria to end nuclear secrecy Raid on bin Laden compound avenged CIA deaths Memorial to 9/11 preaches vengeance and tolerance Children of fallen troops turn to each other Thousands rally in Serbia to protest Mladic arrest McConnell: Ryan Medicare plan 'on the table ...
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Delta jet has rough landing in Atlanta; 4 hurt May 28, 2011, 5:02 p.m. EDT
ATLANTA (AP) — The landing gear of a Delta Air Lines jet apparently caught fire during a rough landing Saturday afternoon at Atlanta's main airport, but the flight's approximately 50 passengers and crew were evacuated safely, authorities said. Four people suffered minor injuries that did not require hospitalization, Atlanta ...
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NC chemical plant blaze forces evacuations May 28, 2011, 4:55 p.m. EDT
HUDSON, N.C. (AP) — An explosion at a North Carolina chemical plant set off a multiple-alarm fire Saturday, sending thick black smoke into the air and forcing the evacuation of residents within two miles. Firefighters in the town of Hudson responded to the explosion at the Chemical Coatings, Inc. plant ...
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UNICEF discloses vaccine prices for 1st time May 28, 2011, 4:15 p.m. EDT
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Married couples in less than half of US households May 28, 2011, 2:59 p.m. EDT
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Three mornings a week, when Becky Leung gets ready for work, her boyfriend is just getting home from his overnight job. When her mother drops hints about her twin sister's marriage, she laughs it off. And when she thinks about getting married herself, she worries first ...
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Woman: Daughter charged in boy's death needs help May 28, 2011, 2:47 p.m. EDT
GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas (AP) — A woman charged with killing her 6-year-old son did not do it out of malice but "something snapped" and she needs help, the boy's grandmother told mourners at his funeral Saturday. As more than 100 people gathered to remember Camden Pierce Hughes, the curly haired ...
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Women plunge from window of Atlanta hotel; 1 dead May 28, 2011, 1:43 p.m. EDT
ATLANTA (AP) — A 30-year-old model died celebrating her birthday and another woman was seriously injured when they plunged from a 10th-story hotel window at a hotel early Saturday morning, investigators said. Witnesses told police that 30-year-old Lashawna Threatt and second woman were "play wrestling" in a room at the W ...
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Del. pediatrician faces trial in sex abuse case May 28, 2011, 1:41 p.m. EDT
WASHINGTON (AP) — Delaware pediatrician Earl Bradley's office looked like a fun place to visit: a merry-go-round and miniature Ferris wheel twirled in the yard, a statue of Buzz Lightyear perched on the roof and a purple hippo swung from a sign. But prosecutors say the office on heavily traveled ...
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For ground zero workers, another 9/11 anniversary May 28, 2011, 12:30 p.m. EDT
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2011 now deadliest year for tornadoes since 1950 May 28, 2011, 11:45 a.m. EDT
JOPLIN, Mo. (AP) — This year is now the deadliest year for tornadoes since 1950. That's based on an assessment of figures from the National Weather Service. City officials in Joplin, Mo., raised the death toll on Saturday from last week's massive twister to 139. That puts the total ...
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Death toll from Joplin tornado is at least 139 May 28, 2011, 11:02 a.m. EDT
JOPLIN, Mo. (AP) — The numbers look increasingly bleak for families hoping for the best after a monster tornado that devastated the town of Joplin, with city officials saying death toll is at least 139. State officials say 100 people are still missing. Thousands more people far beyond Joplin had been ...
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Record snow makes spectacular Yosemite waterfalls May 28, 2011, 10:31 a.m. EDT
YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK, Calif. (AP) — Water, water everywhere and it's a spectacular sight. Record Sierra snowfall over the winter now means record snow melt for the spring. In Yosemite National Park, with the tallest falling water in the nation, it means visitors are getting more iconic beauty than travel ...
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Atlanta mayor juggles national profile, local aims May 28, 2011, 9:38 a.m. EDT
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Science can't design away tornadoes' deadly threat May 28, 2011, 9:29 a.m. EDT
WASHINGTON (AP) — Storm science has greatly improved tornado warnings in recent years. But if that's led anyone into a sense of security, that feeling has taken a beating in recent weeks. Super Outbreak 2011, on April 25-28, killed more than 300 people in the South and Midwest. Less than ...
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Aunt: Teen missing after graduation has died May 28, 2011, 9:08 a.m. EDT
JOPLIN, Mo. (AP) — The family of a teenager believed to have been ejected or sucked from a vehicle in the massive Joplin tornado last week on the way home from graduation has been found dead in pond near the truck. Will Norton's aunt, Tracey Presslor, said Saturday his body ...
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Tax reform defined Huntsman's governorship May 28, 2011, 8:45 a.m. EDT
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Conservatives who dominate the Republican presidential nomination contests will applaud parts of Jon Huntsman's five-year record as Utah governor: a statewide flat tax, business incentives and private school vouchers. They're likely to cringe at others, including his support of cap and trade as a ...
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Astronauts pack up on next-to-last shuttle flight May 28, 2011, 7:38 a.m. EDT
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — Endeavour's astronauts took care of some last-minute space station chores Saturday before packing up to come home and end the next-to-last shuttle flight. The space shuttle and its crew of six will depart the International Space Station late Sunday night. They worked to repair one ...
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Biden trumpets resurgent US auto industry May 28, 2011, 6 a.m. EDT
WASHINGTON (AP) — Vice President Joe Biden on Saturday credited the Obama administration's intervention for the American auto industry's recovery from "the brink of extinction" and pointed to Chrysler's early repayment of the federal loan that saved it from disaster. "This announcement came six years ahead of schedule ...
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Flooded Montana towns prepare for more water May 28, 2011, 3:47 a.m. EDT
HELENA, Mont. (AP) — Crews and residents frustrated by a week of major flooding across Montana cleared debris from roadways and some muddied homes on Saturday, even as they braced for more heavy rainfall expected over the Memorial Day weekend. A respite in weather that has brought as much as 8 ...
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Republican presidential contest suddenly heats up May 28, 2011, 3:31 a.m. EDT
WASHINGTON (AP) — The still unsettled race for the Republican nomination to challenge President Barack Obama in 2012 is getting more interesting. After months of resisting calls to join the contest, Texas Gov. Rick Perry said Friday he would consider it. That could reshape the GOP field, adding a sitting governor ...
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Teen accused in NJ cop's death charged with murder May 28, 2011, 3:30 a.m. EDT
NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — A prosecutor says charges against a 19-year-old man accused in a drive-by shooting that killed an off-duty police officer in Newark, N.J., have been upgraded to include murder. Acting Essex County Prosecutor Carol A. Murray said Saturday night that Rasul McNeill-Thomas is being charged with ...
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AP Top Political News At 2:08 p.m. EDT May 28, 2011, 3:15 a.m. EDT
Obama exhorts US, allies to bolster Arab spring Tax reform defined Huntsman's governorship Biden trumpets resurgent US auto industry Republican presidential contest suddenly heats up Clinton: Bin Laden raid a watershed for Pakistan GOP presidential hopefuls shift on global warming Giuliani to visit NH, 1st primary state Huntsman to ...
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Obama exhorts US, allies to bolster Arab spring May 28, 2011, 3:15 a.m. EDT
WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Holding out Poland's transformation to democracy as a model for the world, President Barack Obama on Saturday exhorted Western allies and the American public alike to extend their support, energy and vision to those now reaching for democracy in the Middle East and North Africa. Obama ...
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AP Top U.S. News At 11:12 p.m. EDT May 28, 2011, 3:09 a.m. EDT
Science can't design away tornadoes' deadly threat Joplin official lowers tornado death toll to 139 Delta jet has rough landing in Atlanta; 4 hurt NC chemical plant blaze forces evacuations Women plunge from window of Atlanta hotel; 1 dead Texas deputy gunned down at traffic light Deploying soldier has ...
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Casey Anthony's mother, ex-boyfriend testify May 28, 2011, 3:09 a.m. EDT
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — The mother of a Florida woman accused of killing her 2-year-old daughter gave a tour of the family home, including a playhouse built for the toddler and the above-ground pool the defense team claims the girl drowned in. Cindy Anthony testified Saturday at her daughter's murder ...
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AP Top News At 6:24 p.m. EDT May 28, 2011, 12:45 a.m. EDT
After 4 years, Egypt reopens its border with Gaza Suicide bomber attacks Afghan governor's compound Obama exhorts US, allies to bolster Arab spring 2011 now deadliest year for tornadoes since 1950 Villagers say Mladic arrest a surprise NKorea freed American without aid promise, US says Married couples in less ...
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Gil Scott-Heron, a godfather of rap, dies in NYC May 27, 2011, 11:01 p.m. EDT
NEW YORK (AP) — Long before Public Enemy urged the need to "Fight the Power" or N.W.A. offered a crude rebuke of the police, Gil-Scott Heron was articulating the rage and the disillusionment of the black masses through song and spoken word. Scott-Heron, widely considered one of the godfathers ...
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Hall of Famer Carter's tumor likely malignant May 27, 2011, 8:44 p.m. EDT
NEW YORK (AP) — Hall of Fame catcher Gary Carter has a brain tumor that is likely cancerous. Doctors performed biopsies on a tumor in Carter's brain on Friday morning and Duke Medicine says in a release that preliminary results show it "appears to be malignant." "Once the pathology report ...
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Case unlikely against man who flipped off trooper May 27, 2011, 8:07 p.m. EDT
GOLDEN, Colo. (AP) — The Colorado State Patrol has asked that prosecutors drop a criminal harassment charge against a 35-year-old man accused of displaying his middle finger to a state trooper. Denver's KMGH-TV reported Friday that the Jefferson County district attorney's office has filed a motion to dismiss the ...
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Huntsman to skip New Hampshire debate May 27, 2011, 7:58 p.m. EDT
WASHINGTON (AP) — Former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman won't participate in a June debate in New Hampshire. Huntsman's advisers on Friday said he will not take part in the event scheduled for June 13 in Manchester. Huntsman strategist Paul Collins says Huntsman won't compete in debates until he ...
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Utah mom not competent for trial in kids' deaths May 27, 2011, 6:20 p.m. EDT
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — A judge has ruled a Utah woman not mentally competent to stand trial on charges in the strangulation deaths of her children. Sun Cha (Soon'-cha) Warhola was ordered Friday to the Utah State Hospital to see if her competency can be restored. Court-appointed evaluators testified ...
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Judge won't guard fish farm from Grand Coulee flow May 27, 2011, 5:59 p.m. EDT
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — A federal judge on Friday refused to order a cut in flows from the Grand Coulee Dam that threaten millions of fish raised in pens downstream in the Columbia River. U.S. District Judge James Redden in Portland rejected the bid of a major regional seafood company ...
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Firefighters make progress against Calif wildfire May 27, 2011, 5:57 p.m. EDT
LAKE ISABELLA, Calif. (AP) — Firefighters in California are making progress against a wind-driven wildfire that burned more than 2 square miles, threatening hundreds of homes and prompting evacuations. Kern County fire spokesman Sean Collins says the fire in the Lake Isabella area was 25 percent contained late Friday and residents ...
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FAA says 5 people killed in small airplane crash near Anchorage, Alaska May 27, 2011, 5:26 p.m. EDT
CHUGIAK, Alaska (AP) — FAA says 5 people killed in small airplane crash near Anchorage, Alaska
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Giuliani to visit NH, 1st primary state May 27, 2011, 4:36 p.m. EDT
NEW YORK (AP) — Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani is heading to New Hampshire next week, stirring further speculation that he may jump into the 2012 Republican presidential field. Giuliani will spend Thursday in the state, which is scheduled to host the first presidential primary next February. He'll ...
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5 hurt in fire at Tenn. metal powders plant May 27, 2011, 4:31 p.m. EDT
GALLATIN, Tenn. (AP) — Three workers have been critically burned at a Middle Tennessee chemical plant where two workers were killed in a flash fire earlier this year. The Friday morning accident that injured five is the third since January at the Hoeganaes (HAY'-gan-eez) Corp. plant in Gallatin. The plant ...
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NH man convicted of raping teen church member May 27, 2011, 4:26 p.m. EDT
CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — A New Hampshire man was found guilty Friday of forcibly raping and impregnating his children's 15-year-old baby sitter, who belonged to the same church, more than a decade ago. The case involving 52-year-old Ernest Willis of Gilford garnered national attention because the fundamentalist Baptist church ...
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Hasidic burn victim wants US, NY to investigate May 27, 2011, 4:09 p.m. EDT
WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. (AP) — A lawyer for a man who was badly burned at his home in a Hasidic Jewish village is seeking a federal investigation into what he calls "hate crimes" by the community's religious leadership. He said the attack evoked "the Ku Klux Klan and Nazi ...
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Backyard storm shelters become relics of the past May 27, 2011, 3:36 p.m. EDT
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — When storm clouds threatened his childhood home, James Firestone's family knew where to go until the menace had passed: a bunker-like hole in the backyard that could withstand even the most powerful tornado. But when a twister struck the central Arkansas town of Vilonia, where ...
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Gas tanks are draining family budgets May 27, 2011, 3:32 p.m. EDT
NEW YORK (AP) — There's less money this summer for hotel rooms, surfboards and bathing suits. It's all going into the gas tank. High prices at the pump are putting a squeeze on the family budget as the traditional summer driving season begins. For every $10 the typical household ...
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FAA: 5 fatalities in Alaska small plane crash May 27, 2011, 3:11 p.m. EDT
CHUGIAK, Alaska (AP) — A small airplane crashed near a suburban Anchorage airport Friday, exploding on impact and killing all five family members on board. The victims were identified as pilot Lonn Greiner, 46; his mother, Carolyn Greiner, 69; and his three children, Glory, 13; Nathan, 11, and Grace, 10, Anchorage ...
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'Taxi,' 'Grease' star Jeff Conaway dies at 60 May 27, 2011, 3 p.m. EDT
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Jeff Conaway, who starred in the sitcom "Taxi," played swaggering Kenickie in the movie musical "Grease" and publicly battled drug and alcohol addiction on "Celebrity Rehab," died Friday. He was 60. The actor was taken off life support Thursday and died Friday morning at Encino Tarzana Medical ...
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Court refuses to reconsider Spector's appeal May 27, 2011, 2:58 p.m. EDT
LOS ANGELES (AP) — An appeals court on Friday refused to reconsider music producer Phil Spector's appeal of his murder conviction, saying there was overwhelming evidence of his guilt. The California 2nd District Court of Appeal panel acknowledged it did not consider an issue that defense lawyers now say was ...
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After Obama's European tour, challenges at home May 27, 2011, 2:48 p.m. EDT
WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Hope you've enjoyed your European trip, Mr. President. A lot's awaiting your attention on your return Saturday. The field of GOP presidential candidates angling to take your job has shifted considerably. Congress is growing impatient with the pace of withdrawing American troops from Afghanistan. And ...
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Trial opens for Ore. couple over child health care May 27, 2011, 2:32 p.m. EDT
OREGON CITY, Ore. (AP) — A prosecutor charged Friday that an Oregon City couple watched a growth over their infant daughter's left eye balloon into a golf ball-sized bulge but didn't seek medical treatment because that conflicted with their religious practices. In her opening statement, prosecutor Christine Landers said ...
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Nev. court: Legislature can't raid local coffers May 27, 2011, 2:30 p.m. EDT
CARSON CITY, Nev. (AP) — Gov. Brian Sandoval will consider extending some expiring taxes to help plug a $656 million hole after the state's Supreme Court ruled that lawmakers can't siphon money from local governments to pad the state's coffers, an administration official said Friday. Sandoval had previously ...
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Couple's gender secret for baby touches off debate May 27, 2011, 2:09 p.m. EDT
NEW YORK (AP) — Ridiculous or ultra-enlightened? A Toronto couple's decision to keep the gender of their 4-month-old baby a secret has touched off a sometimes nasty debate over how far parents should go in protecting young ones from society's boy-girl biases. Kathy Witterick and David Stocker recently landed ...
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Ukrainians back Demjanjuk, convicted and stateless May 27, 2011, 1:59 p.m. EDT
CLEVELAND (AP) — Convicted of Nazi war crimes, in failing health at age 91 and lacking a country to call home, John Demjanjuk lives in a world with few allies, save for the fellow Ukrainians who are determined to help a man many of them say was a victim. Supporters of ...
Ala. town hit by tornadoes bans FEMA trailers May 29, 2011, 2:50 p.m. EDT
CORDOVA, Ala. (AP) — James Ruston's house was knocked off its foundation by tornadoes that barreled through town last month and is still uninhabitable. He thought help had finally arrived when a truck pulled up to his property with a mobile home from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Then he ...
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Tech mogul pays bright minds not to go to college May 29, 2011, 2:21 p.m. EDT
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Instead of paying attention in high school, Nick Cammarata preferred to read books on whatever interested him. He also has a gift for coding that got him into Carnegie Mellon University's esteemed computer science program despite his grades. But the 18-year-old programmer won't be going ...
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Newest US aircraft carrier to be named Kennedy May 29, 2011, 2:05 p.m. EDT
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. (AP) — Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus says the nation's next aircraft carrier will be named the John F. Kennedy. Mabus announced the honor Sunday in memory of the 35th president. The nuclear-powered ship will be built at Newport News Shipbuilding in Virginia. Mabus said the ...
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AP Exclusive: Syria to end nuclear secrecy May 29, 2011, 1:26 p.m. EDT
NEW YORK (AP) — In a major turnaround, Syria is pledging full cooperation with U.N. attempts to probe strong evidence that it secretly built a reactor that could have been used to make nuclear arms, according to a confidential document shared with The Associated Press. If Syria fulfills its promise ...
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Mich. governor gets his way without hazing May 29, 2011, 1:15 p.m. EDT
LANSING, Mich. (AP) — David Hecker wasn't sure what to expect when he showed up at the Capitol earlier this year for a meeting with Rick Snyder, the new Republican governor he had worked to defeat in the 2010 election. But what he found surprised him: Snyder in an open-necked ...
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Number unaccounted for now stands at 39 in Joplin May 29, 2011, 1:12 p.m. EDT
JOPLIN, Mo. (AP) — There are now 39 people who remain unaccounted for, plus four others whose families have reported them dead a week after a massive tornado hit Joplin. The Missouri Department of Public Safety said Sunday that 39 people are unaccounted for, but that there are four more people ...
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McCain: US should have used greater force in Libya May 29, 2011, 12:37 p.m. EDT
WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican Sen. John McCain says the fighting in Libya might be over by now if the U.S. had used greater force against Moammar Gadhafi. McCain is one of the strongest proponents in Congress of military intervention in Libya. He told "Fox News Sunday" that NATO is stepping ...
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Memorial to 9/11 preaches vengeance and tolerance May 29, 2011, 12:01 p.m. EDT
PHOENIX (AP) — Matthew Salenger etched 54 phrases in a circular piece of steel, building Arizona's Sept. 11 memorial one story at a time. He wanted everyone's story to be told. Phrases like "10:28 a.m. WTC North Tower Collapses" stated undisputed facts. Then there was "Must Bomb ...
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Palin kick-starts bus tour on back of motorcycle May 29, 2011, 11:49 a.m. EDT
WASHINGTON (AP) — Sarah Palin rumbled through Washington on the back of a Harley motorcycle as she and her family began an East Coast tour, renewing speculation that the former Alaska governor would join the still unsettled Republican presidential contest. Wearing a black leather jacket and surrounded by a throng of ...
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AP source: Obama picks new US ambassador to Russia May 29, 2011, 10:50 a.m. EDT
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama plans to nominate his top Russia adviser as the next U.S. ambassador to that country, a man who helped the administration's work to "reset" the two countries' relationship. A senior administration official on Sunday confirmed the choice of Michael McFaul. That would be ...
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Man celebrates 85 years of living with diabetes May 29, 2011, 10:45 a.m. EDT
LOS ANGELES (AP) — When Bob Krause turned 90 last week, it was by virtue of an unflagging determination and a mentality of precision that kept his body humming after being diagnosed with diabetes as a boy. A leading diabetes research center named the San Diego resident the first American known ...
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Las Vegas Mayor Goodman reluctantly says goodbye May 29, 2011, 10:31 a.m. EDT
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman surveyed the piles of memorabilia spilling from his City Hall office: the bowling ball disguised as an olive, the diamond-studded bottle of gin, the Red Bull mini-refrigerator. It all must go, but he can't bring himself to start packing. The self-proclaimed ...
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Police in Ga. search for missing mother, infant May 29, 2011, 10:22 a.m. EDT
AUSTELL, Ga. (AP) — Police in Georgia are searching for a woman and her newborn baby, both of whom have not been seen since Saturday afternoon. Cobb County Police Sgt. Dana Pierce said Sunday that 27-year-old Holly Daenette Parker-Heard and the infant were last seen at the Austell Inn and Suites ...
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McConnell: Ryan Medicare plan 'on the table' May 29, 2011, 10:10 a.m. EDT
WASHINGTON (AP) — The top Republican in the Senate said Sunday that a controversial House Medicare plan is "on the table" as President Barack Obama and his GOP rivals wrestle over budget cuts to enact this summer. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said on NBC's "Meet The Press" that ...
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Children of fallen troops turn to each other May 29, 2011, 9:52 a.m. EDT
ARLINGTON, Va. (AP) — After Brooke Nyren's dad died in Iraq, she sat alone at recess because her classmates didn't know what to say. One of Alexis Wright's fellow kindergarteners questioned if she was telling the truth about her dad's death in the war, while others told ...
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Shuttle Endeavour leaves space station _ forever May 29, 2011, 7:24 a.m. EDT
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — Endeavour and its crew of six departed the International Space Station late Sunday and headed home to wrap up NASA's next-to-last shuttle flight. The space shuttle undocked — for the very last time — close to midnight as the two spacecraft soared more than 200 miles above ...
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Obama tours twister-ravaged neighborhood in Joplin May 29, 2011, 5:13 a.m. EDT
JOPLIN, Missouri (AP) — President Barack Obama toured the apocalyptic landscape left by Missouri's killer tornado, consoled the bereaved and homeless, and committed the government to helping rebuild shattered lives. After days of focusing on the U.S. relationship with the rest of the world, Obama on Sunday pivoted to ...
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2 dead, 21 injured in Washington state bus crash May 29, 2011, 4:50 a.m. EDT
CLE ELUM, Wash. (AP) — A bus carrying soccer fans forced one car off the road and then slammed into a disabled pickup truck on the shoulder of Interstate 90 in central Washington, killing two people and injuring 21 others, authorities said. The bus careened onto its side after hitting the ...
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More rain, snow, National Guard troops for Mont. May 29, 2011, 4:30 a.m. EDT
More rain began falling Sunday on soaked Montana communities after more than a week of floods in the region, along with a heavy mountain snowpack and burgeoning dams, prompted states downstream to also prepare for flooding. A break in rainy weather at the start of the long holiday weekend allowed ...
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AP Top U.S. News At 12:27 p.m. EDT May 29, 2011, 1:12 a.m. EDT
Obama going to Missouri to offer help in healing Death toll from Joplin tornado is at least 139 Raid on bin Laden compound avenged CIA deaths Memorial to 9/11 preaches vengeance and tolerance Children of fallen troops turn to each other Shuttle astronauts bid farewell to space station Science ...
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2 dead, several injured in Wash. state bus crash May 29, 2011, 12:42 a.m. EDT
CLE ELUM, Wash. (AP) — A tour bus carrying fans home from a soccer game crashed into a disabled pickup on the shoulder of a central Washington interstate Saturday evening, triggering a three-vehicle crash that killed two people and injured up to 15 others, authorities said. The bus careened onto its ...
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Raid on bin Laden compound avenged CIA deaths May 29, 2011, 12:21 a.m. EDT
WASHINGTON (AP) — For a small cadre of CIA veterans, the death of Osama bin Laden was more than just a national moment of relief and closure. It was also a measure of payback, a settling of a score for a pair of deaths, the details of which have remained a ...
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Portrait of a young singer on the cusp of stardom May 29, 2011, 12:01 a.m. EDT
WEST HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — In his tiny dorm room, Nelson Hebo keeps an envelope containing a few tattered photographs of his family. His mother, Maria, gazes distantly from a black-and-white passport photo. His father, Francisco, stands on a patch of dirt outside their house in Angola clutching his young nephew ...
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AP Top Political News At 8 p.m. EDT May 28, 2011, 11:59 p.m. EDT
Obama tours twister-ravaged neighborhood in Joplin Children of fallen troops turn to each other Palin kick-starts bus tour on back of motorcycle Former Texas Gov. Bill Clements dead at 94 AP source: Obama picks new US ambassador to Russia McConnell: Ryan Medicare plan 'on the table' McCain: US should have ...
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Lockheed Martin hit by cyber attack May 28, 2011, 11:17 p.m. EDT
WASHINGTON (AP) — Hackers launched a "significant and tenacious" cyber attack on Lockheed Martin, a major defense contractor holding highly sensitive information, but its secrets remained safe, the company said Saturday. Lockheed Martin, the Department of Homeland Security and the Pentagon confirmed that the contractor's information systems had come under ...
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AP News in Brief May 28, 2011, 6:35 p.m. EDT
Joplin official lowers tornado death toll to 139, with about 100 people still unaccounted for JOPLIN, Mo. (AP) — The numbers look increasingly bleak for families hoping for the best after a monster tornado that devastated the town of Joplin, as the city has raised the death toll to at least ...
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AP Top News At 1:23 p.m. EDT May 28, 2011, 6:25 p.m. EDT
Obama tours twister-ravaged Joplin AP Exclusive: Syria to end nuclear secrecy Raid on bin Laden compound avenged CIA deaths Memorial to 9/11 preaches vengeance and tolerance Children of fallen troops turn to each other Thousands rally in Serbia to protest Mladic arrest McConnell: Ryan Medicare plan 'on the table ...
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Delta jet has rough landing in Atlanta; 4 hurt May 28, 2011, 5:02 p.m. EDT
ATLANTA (AP) — The landing gear of a Delta Air Lines jet apparently caught fire during a rough landing Saturday afternoon at Atlanta's main airport, but the flight's approximately 50 passengers and crew were evacuated safely, authorities said. Four people suffered minor injuries that did not require hospitalization, Atlanta ...
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NC chemical plant blaze forces evacuations May 28, 2011, 4:55 p.m. EDT
HUDSON, N.C. (AP) — An explosion at a North Carolina chemical plant set off a multiple-alarm fire Saturday, sending thick black smoke into the air and forcing the evacuation of residents within two miles. Firefighters in the town of Hudson responded to the explosion at the Chemical Coatings, Inc. plant ...
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UNICEF discloses vaccine prices for 1st time May 28, 2011, 4:15 p.m. EDT
UNICEF is for the first time publicizing what drugmakers charge it for vaccines, as the world's biggest buyer of lifesaving immunizations aims to spark price competition in the face of rising costs. On Friday, UNICEF posted on its website the actual prices that it has paid individual drugmakers for ...
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Married couples in less than half of US households May 28, 2011, 2:59 p.m. EDT
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Three mornings a week, when Becky Leung gets ready for work, her boyfriend is just getting home from his overnight job. When her mother drops hints about her twin sister's marriage, she laughs it off. And when she thinks about getting married herself, she worries first ...
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Woman: Daughter charged in boy's death needs help May 28, 2011, 2:47 p.m. EDT
GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas (AP) — A woman charged with killing her 6-year-old son did not do it out of malice but "something snapped" and she needs help, the boy's grandmother told mourners at his funeral Saturday. As more than 100 people gathered to remember Camden Pierce Hughes, the curly haired ...
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Women plunge from window of Atlanta hotel; 1 dead May 28, 2011, 1:43 p.m. EDT
ATLANTA (AP) — A 30-year-old model died celebrating her birthday and another woman was seriously injured when they plunged from a 10th-story hotel window at a hotel early Saturday morning, investigators said. Witnesses told police that 30-year-old Lashawna Threatt and second woman were "play wrestling" in a room at the W ...
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Del. pediatrician faces trial in sex abuse case May 28, 2011, 1:41 p.m. EDT
WASHINGTON (AP) — Delaware pediatrician Earl Bradley's office looked like a fun place to visit: a merry-go-round and miniature Ferris wheel twirled in the yard, a statue of Buzz Lightyear perched on the roof and a purple hippo swung from a sign. But prosecutors say the office on heavily traveled ...
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For ground zero workers, another 9/11 anniversary May 28, 2011, 12:30 p.m. EDT
NEW YORK (AP) — The men and women who build New York City's skyscrapers aren't a soft bunch, but even the toughest were unprepared for the job that took over their lives in September of 2001. While Americans grieved the 9/11 attacks and U.S. troops went to ...
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Philly mob, once written off, has bounced back May 28, 2011, 12:12 p.m. EDT
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Just a few years ago, federal authorities thought they had the Philadelphia-area mob close to sleeping with the fishes: One boss had turned government informant, his successor was convicted of racketeering and the underworld organization seemed in disarray. But a federal grand jury report unsealed Monday, announcing charges ...
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2011 now deadliest year for tornadoes since 1950 May 28, 2011, 11:45 a.m. EDT
JOPLIN, Mo. (AP) — This year is now the deadliest year for tornadoes since 1950. That's based on an assessment of figures from the National Weather Service. City officials in Joplin, Mo., raised the death toll on Saturday from last week's massive twister to 139. That puts the total ...
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Death toll from Joplin tornado is at least 139 May 28, 2011, 11:02 a.m. EDT
JOPLIN, Mo. (AP) — The numbers look increasingly bleak for families hoping for the best after a monster tornado that devastated the town of Joplin, with city officials saying death toll is at least 139. State officials say 100 people are still missing. Thousands more people far beyond Joplin had been ...
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Record snow makes spectacular Yosemite waterfalls May 28, 2011, 10:31 a.m. EDT
YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK, Calif. (AP) — Water, water everywhere and it's a spectacular sight. Record Sierra snowfall over the winter now means record snow melt for the spring. In Yosemite National Park, with the tallest falling water in the nation, it means visitors are getting more iconic beauty than travel ...
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Atlanta mayor juggles national profile, local aims May 28, 2011, 9:38 a.m. EDT
ATLANTA (AP) — Mayor Kasim Reed spent a recent morning in Washington announcing the results of a transportation survey of the country's mayors before flying back to Atlanta to lead a nighttime rally for President Barack Obama's re-election campaign. That week he was also fighting to sell a city ...
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Science can't design away tornadoes' deadly threat May 28, 2011, 9:29 a.m. EDT
WASHINGTON (AP) — Storm science has greatly improved tornado warnings in recent years. But if that's led anyone into a sense of security, that feeling has taken a beating in recent weeks. Super Outbreak 2011, on April 25-28, killed more than 300 people in the South and Midwest. Less than ...
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Aunt: Teen missing after graduation has died May 28, 2011, 9:08 a.m. EDT
JOPLIN, Mo. (AP) — The family of a teenager believed to have been ejected or sucked from a vehicle in the massive Joplin tornado last week on the way home from graduation has been found dead in pond near the truck. Will Norton's aunt, Tracey Presslor, said Saturday his body ...
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Tax reform defined Huntsman's governorship May 28, 2011, 8:45 a.m. EDT
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Conservatives who dominate the Republican presidential nomination contests will applaud parts of Jon Huntsman's five-year record as Utah governor: a statewide flat tax, business incentives and private school vouchers. They're likely to cringe at others, including his support of cap and trade as a ...
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Astronauts pack up on next-to-last shuttle flight May 28, 2011, 7:38 a.m. EDT
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — Endeavour's astronauts took care of some last-minute space station chores Saturday before packing up to come home and end the next-to-last shuttle flight. The space shuttle and its crew of six will depart the International Space Station late Sunday night. They worked to repair one ...
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Biden trumpets resurgent US auto industry May 28, 2011, 6 a.m. EDT
WASHINGTON (AP) — Vice President Joe Biden on Saturday credited the Obama administration's intervention for the American auto industry's recovery from "the brink of extinction" and pointed to Chrysler's early repayment of the federal loan that saved it from disaster. "This announcement came six years ahead of schedule ...
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Flooded Montana towns prepare for more water May 28, 2011, 3:47 a.m. EDT
HELENA, Mont. (AP) — Crews and residents frustrated by a week of major flooding across Montana cleared debris from roadways and some muddied homes on Saturday, even as they braced for more heavy rainfall expected over the Memorial Day weekend. A respite in weather that has brought as much as 8 ...
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Republican presidential contest suddenly heats up May 28, 2011, 3:31 a.m. EDT
WASHINGTON (AP) — The still unsettled race for the Republican nomination to challenge President Barack Obama in 2012 is getting more interesting. After months of resisting calls to join the contest, Texas Gov. Rick Perry said Friday he would consider it. That could reshape the GOP field, adding a sitting governor ...
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Teen accused in NJ cop's death charged with murder May 28, 2011, 3:30 a.m. EDT
NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — A prosecutor says charges against a 19-year-old man accused in a drive-by shooting that killed an off-duty police officer in Newark, N.J., have been upgraded to include murder. Acting Essex County Prosecutor Carol A. Murray said Saturday night that Rasul McNeill-Thomas is being charged with ...
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AP Top Political News At 2:08 p.m. EDT May 28, 2011, 3:15 a.m. EDT
Obama exhorts US, allies to bolster Arab spring Tax reform defined Huntsman's governorship Biden trumpets resurgent US auto industry Republican presidential contest suddenly heats up Clinton: Bin Laden raid a watershed for Pakistan GOP presidential hopefuls shift on global warming Giuliani to visit NH, 1st primary state Huntsman to ...
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Obama exhorts US, allies to bolster Arab spring May 28, 2011, 3:15 a.m. EDT
WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Holding out Poland's transformation to democracy as a model for the world, President Barack Obama on Saturday exhorted Western allies and the American public alike to extend their support, energy and vision to those now reaching for democracy in the Middle East and North Africa. Obama ...
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AP Top U.S. News At 11:12 p.m. EDT May 28, 2011, 3:09 a.m. EDT
Science can't design away tornadoes' deadly threat Joplin official lowers tornado death toll to 139 Delta jet has rough landing in Atlanta; 4 hurt NC chemical plant blaze forces evacuations Women plunge from window of Atlanta hotel; 1 dead Texas deputy gunned down at traffic light Deploying soldier has ...
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Casey Anthony's mother, ex-boyfriend testify May 28, 2011, 3:09 a.m. EDT
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — The mother of a Florida woman accused of killing her 2-year-old daughter gave a tour of the family home, including a playhouse built for the toddler and the above-ground pool the defense team claims the girl drowned in. Cindy Anthony testified Saturday at her daughter's murder ...
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AP Top News At 6:24 p.m. EDT May 28, 2011, 12:45 a.m. EDT
After 4 years, Egypt reopens its border with Gaza Suicide bomber attacks Afghan governor's compound Obama exhorts US, allies to bolster Arab spring 2011 now deadliest year for tornadoes since 1950 Villagers say Mladic arrest a surprise NKorea freed American without aid promise, US says Married couples in less ...
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Gil Scott-Heron, a godfather of rap, dies in NYC May 27, 2011, 11:01 p.m. EDT
NEW YORK (AP) — Long before Public Enemy urged the need to "Fight the Power" or N.W.A. offered a crude rebuke of the police, Gil-Scott Heron was articulating the rage and the disillusionment of the black masses through song and spoken word. Scott-Heron, widely considered one of the godfathers ...
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Hall of Famer Carter's tumor likely malignant May 27, 2011, 8:44 p.m. EDT
NEW YORK (AP) — Hall of Fame catcher Gary Carter has a brain tumor that is likely cancerous. Doctors performed biopsies on a tumor in Carter's brain on Friday morning and Duke Medicine says in a release that preliminary results show it "appears to be malignant." "Once the pathology report ...
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Case unlikely against man who flipped off trooper May 27, 2011, 8:07 p.m. EDT
GOLDEN, Colo. (AP) — The Colorado State Patrol has asked that prosecutors drop a criminal harassment charge against a 35-year-old man accused of displaying his middle finger to a state trooper. Denver's KMGH-TV reported Friday that the Jefferson County district attorney's office has filed a motion to dismiss the ...
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Huntsman to skip New Hampshire debate May 27, 2011, 7:58 p.m. EDT
WASHINGTON (AP) — Former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman won't participate in a June debate in New Hampshire. Huntsman's advisers on Friday said he will not take part in the event scheduled for June 13 in Manchester. Huntsman strategist Paul Collins says Huntsman won't compete in debates until he ...
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Utah mom not competent for trial in kids' deaths May 27, 2011, 6:20 p.m. EDT
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — A judge has ruled a Utah woman not mentally competent to stand trial on charges in the strangulation deaths of her children. Sun Cha (Soon'-cha) Warhola was ordered Friday to the Utah State Hospital to see if her competency can be restored. Court-appointed evaluators testified ...
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Judge won't guard fish farm from Grand Coulee flow May 27, 2011, 5:59 p.m. EDT
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — A federal judge on Friday refused to order a cut in flows from the Grand Coulee Dam that threaten millions of fish raised in pens downstream in the Columbia River. U.S. District Judge James Redden in Portland rejected the bid of a major regional seafood company ...
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Firefighters make progress against Calif wildfire May 27, 2011, 5:57 p.m. EDT
LAKE ISABELLA, Calif. (AP) — Firefighters in California are making progress against a wind-driven wildfire that burned more than 2 square miles, threatening hundreds of homes and prompting evacuations. Kern County fire spokesman Sean Collins says the fire in the Lake Isabella area was 25 percent contained late Friday and residents ...
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FAA says 5 people killed in small airplane crash near Anchorage, Alaska May 27, 2011, 5:26 p.m. EDT
CHUGIAK, Alaska (AP) — FAA says 5 people killed in small airplane crash near Anchorage, Alaska
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Giuliani to visit NH, 1st primary state May 27, 2011, 4:36 p.m. EDT
NEW YORK (AP) — Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani is heading to New Hampshire next week, stirring further speculation that he may jump into the 2012 Republican presidential field. Giuliani will spend Thursday in the state, which is scheduled to host the first presidential primary next February. He'll ...
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5 hurt in fire at Tenn. metal powders plant May 27, 2011, 4:31 p.m. EDT
GALLATIN, Tenn. (AP) — Three workers have been critically burned at a Middle Tennessee chemical plant where two workers were killed in a flash fire earlier this year. The Friday morning accident that injured five is the third since January at the Hoeganaes (HAY'-gan-eez) Corp. plant in Gallatin. The plant ...
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NH man convicted of raping teen church member May 27, 2011, 4:26 p.m. EDT
CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — A New Hampshire man was found guilty Friday of forcibly raping and impregnating his children's 15-year-old baby sitter, who belonged to the same church, more than a decade ago. The case involving 52-year-old Ernest Willis of Gilford garnered national attention because the fundamentalist Baptist church ...
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Hasidic burn victim wants US, NY to investigate May 27, 2011, 4:09 p.m. EDT
WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. (AP) — A lawyer for a man who was badly burned at his home in a Hasidic Jewish village is seeking a federal investigation into what he calls "hate crimes" by the community's religious leadership. He said the attack evoked "the Ku Klux Klan and Nazi ...
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Backyard storm shelters become relics of the past May 27, 2011, 3:36 p.m. EDT
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — When storm clouds threatened his childhood home, James Firestone's family knew where to go until the menace had passed: a bunker-like hole in the backyard that could withstand even the most powerful tornado. But when a twister struck the central Arkansas town of Vilonia, where ...
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Gas tanks are draining family budgets May 27, 2011, 3:32 p.m. EDT
NEW YORK (AP) — There's less money this summer for hotel rooms, surfboards and bathing suits. It's all going into the gas tank. High prices at the pump are putting a squeeze on the family budget as the traditional summer driving season begins. For every $10 the typical household ...
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FAA: 5 fatalities in Alaska small plane crash May 27, 2011, 3:11 p.m. EDT
CHUGIAK, Alaska (AP) — A small airplane crashed near a suburban Anchorage airport Friday, exploding on impact and killing all five family members on board. The victims were identified as pilot Lonn Greiner, 46; his mother, Carolyn Greiner, 69; and his three children, Glory, 13; Nathan, 11, and Grace, 10, Anchorage ...
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'Taxi,' 'Grease' star Jeff Conaway dies at 60 May 27, 2011, 3 p.m. EDT
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Jeff Conaway, who starred in the sitcom "Taxi," played swaggering Kenickie in the movie musical "Grease" and publicly battled drug and alcohol addiction on "Celebrity Rehab," died Friday. He was 60. The actor was taken off life support Thursday and died Friday morning at Encino Tarzana Medical ...
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Court refuses to reconsider Spector's appeal May 27, 2011, 2:58 p.m. EDT
LOS ANGELES (AP) — An appeals court on Friday refused to reconsider music producer Phil Spector's appeal of his murder conviction, saying there was overwhelming evidence of his guilt. The California 2nd District Court of Appeal panel acknowledged it did not consider an issue that defense lawyers now say was ...
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After Obama's European tour, challenges at home May 27, 2011, 2:48 p.m. EDT
WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Hope you've enjoyed your European trip, Mr. President. A lot's awaiting your attention on your return Saturday. The field of GOP presidential candidates angling to take your job has shifted considerably. Congress is growing impatient with the pace of withdrawing American troops from Afghanistan. And ...
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Trial opens for Ore. couple over child health care May 27, 2011, 2:32 p.m. EDT
OREGON CITY, Ore. (AP) — A prosecutor charged Friday that an Oregon City couple watched a growth over their infant daughter's left eye balloon into a golf ball-sized bulge but didn't seek medical treatment because that conflicted with their religious practices. In her opening statement, prosecutor Christine Landers said ...
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Nev. court: Legislature can't raid local coffers May 27, 2011, 2:30 p.m. EDT
CARSON CITY, Nev. (AP) — Gov. Brian Sandoval will consider extending some expiring taxes to help plug a $656 million hole after the state's Supreme Court ruled that lawmakers can't siphon money from local governments to pad the state's coffers, an administration official said Friday. Sandoval had previously ...
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Couple's gender secret for baby touches off debate May 27, 2011, 2:09 p.m. EDT
NEW YORK (AP) — Ridiculous or ultra-enlightened? A Toronto couple's decision to keep the gender of their 4-month-old baby a secret has touched off a sometimes nasty debate over how far parents should go in protecting young ones from society's boy-girl biases. Kathy Witterick and David Stocker recently landed ...
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Ukrainians back Demjanjuk, convicted and stateless May 27, 2011, 1:59 p.m. EDT
CLEVELAND (AP) — Convicted of Nazi war crimes, in failing health at age 91 and lacking a country to call home, John Demjanjuk lives in a world with few allies, save for the fellow Ukrainians who are determined to help a man many of them say was a victim. Supporters of ...
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GOP presidential contenders drift to the right May 30, 2011, 7:25 a.m. EDT
WASHINGTON (AP) — In the first presidential election since the tea party's emergence, Republican candidates are drifting rightward on a range of issues, even though more centrist stands might play well in the 2012 general election. On energy, taxes, health care and other topics, the top candidates hold positions that ...
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Hospitals hunt substitutes as drug shortages rise May 30, 2011, 7:22 a.m. EDT
WASHINGTON (AP) — A growing shortage of medications for a host of illnesses — from cancer to cystic fibrosis to cardiac arrest — has hospitals scrambling for substitutes to avoid patient harm, and sometimes even delaying treatment. "It's just a matter of time now before we call for a drug that we ...
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Shuttle Endeavour gone forever from space station May 30, 2011, 5:08 a.m. EDT
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — Endeavour and its crew of six left the International Space Station and headed home to close out NASA's next-to-last shuttle flight, pausing just long enough Monday to perform a victory lap and test equipment for a future interplanetary ship. "Endeavour looks real nice out there ...
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Quotations of the day May 30, 2011, 4:45 a.m. EDT
"We're not going to stop till Joplin's back on its feet." — President Barack Obama, at a memorial service in Joplin, Mo., a week after the city was hit by a devastating tornado. ___ "While we were playing volleyball today, no doubt some soldier gave the ultimate sacrifice." — Col ...
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More rain, snow, National Guard troops for Mont. May 30, 2011, 4:32 a.m. EDT
The governor of flood-plagued Montana ordered more National Guard troops to join the anti-flood effort, while states downstream along the bloated Missouri River strengthened levees and laid sandbags ahead of the release of waters from dams and reservoirs. More rain fell Sunday on soaked Montana communities after more than a ...
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Obama expected to name new Joint Chiefs head May 30, 2011, 4:09 a.m. EDT
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama is expected to introduce Army Gen. Martin Dempsey as his choice to lead the Joint Chiefs of Staff in a Rose Garden announcement Monday. Dempsey is an accomplished veteran of the Iraq war. He would succeed Navy Adm. Mike Mullen as the president's top ...
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Obama consoles tornado-ravaged Joplin May 30, 2011, 4:06 a.m. EDT
JOPLIN, Mo. (AP) — Exactly a week after Joplin was nearly leveled by the deadliest tornado to strike the U.S in decades, President Barack Obama visited the Missouri city to offer hope to survivors and promises of help. Obama came face to face Sunday with the legions of homeless, consoling ...
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Singer Sean Kingston crashes watercraft in Fla. May 30, 2011, 1:33 a.m. EDT
MIAMI (AP) — Authorities say rapper Sean Kingston is hospitalized after crashing a personal watercraft into a Miami Beach bridge. Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission spokesman Jorge Pino says Kingston and a female passenger were injured when the watercraft hit the Palm Island Bridge around 6 p.m. Sunday. Pino ...
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AP Top Political News At 8:31 a.m. EDT May 29, 2011, 10:16 p.m. EDT
Hospitals hunt substitutes as drug shortages rise Obama expected to name new Joint Chiefs head Voter registration could be key to Obama in 2012 Obama tours twister-ravaged neighborhood in Joplin Children of fallen troops turn to each other Palin kick-starts bus tour on back of motorcycle Former Texas Gov. Bill ...
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Family: Ga. hotel fall survivor aware of others May 29, 2011, 9:55 p.m. EDT
LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — A hospital spokeswoman says a Kentucky woman who fell from a 10th-floor Atlanta hotel window remains in critical condition. Witnesses told Atlanta police that 30-year-old model LaShawna Threatt and a second woman were "play wrestling" in a room at the W Atlanta-Midtown hotel around 3:15 a ...
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Loughner's lawyers want notice if he is drugged May 29, 2011, 8:14 p.m. EDT
TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — Lawyers for the man charged in the deadly Tucson shooting rampage want federal officials to notify them if they plan to give their client psychotropic medication. A federal judge in Tucson ruled last week that 22-year-old Jared Lee Loughner is mentally unfit to assist his lawyers or ...
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AP News in Brief May 29, 2011, 7:39 p.m. EDT
Troops fight in Afghanistan, remain stationed in Iraq as US holds Memorial Day remembrances KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — U.S. troops fighting in Afghanistan paused Monday to remember the fallen in Memorial Day services, as a war nearly a decade old trudges on. Some prayed and held flag-raising ceremonies at dawn ...
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AP Top U.S. News At 8:15 a.m. EDT May 29, 2011, 6:56 p.m. EDT
Obama consoles tornado-ravaged Joplin Shuttle Endeavour gone forever from space station More rain, snow, National Guard troops for Mont. Loughner's lawyers want notice if he is drugged Ala. town hit by tornadoes bans FEMA trailers Obama consoles tornado-ravaged Joplin Lockheed attack highlights rise in cyber espionage Former TV skipper ...
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Lockheed attack highlights rise in cyber espionage May 29, 2011, 5:42 p.m. EDT
NEW YORK (AP) — This cyber attack didn't go after people playing war games on their PlayStations. It targeted a company that helps the U.S. military do the real thing. Lockheed Martin says it was the recent target of a "significant and tenacious" hack, although the defense contractor and ...
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Former Texas Gov. Bill Clements dead at 94 May 29, 2011, 5:07 p.m. EDT
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Former Texas Gov. Bill Clements, who in 1979 became the state's first Republican elected governor since Reconstruction, has died at 94, his family said. Clements, whose belief that state government should operate like a big business helped change the face of Texas politics, died Sunday after ...
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Former TV skipper pleads guilty in fatal crash May 29, 2011, 4:41 p.m. EDT
KENAI, Alaska (AP) — An Alaska fishing captain who led a crew on the program that spawned the cable TV show "Deadliest Catch" has pleaded guilty to criminally negligent homicide and driving under the influence in a fatal crash. Clarence "Ole" Helgevold Jr., of Soldotna, pleaded guilty Friday in Kenai Superior ...
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Obama says Joplin shows world how to come together May 29, 2011, 4:09 p.m. EDT
JOPLIN, Mo. (AP) — President Barack Obama says survivors of Missouri's killer tornado in Joplin are showing the world how to come together, and he is pledging that the nation, as he put it, "will be with you every step of the way." Obama spoke at a memorial service for ...
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Hildebrand comes up one turn short at Indy 500 May 29, 2011, 3:21 p.m. EDT
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — One turn. One stinkin' turn. JR Hildebrand made it through 799 of 'em without any trouble. As the young Californian approached that final left, all he had to do was keep his car off the wall, speed down the main straightaway and collect a win in the Indianapolis ...
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AP Top News At 8:37 a.m. EDT May 29, 2011, 3:14 p.m. EDT
Memorial Day comes as troops fight in Afghanistan Obama consoles tornado-ravaged Joplin Suicide bomber attacks Italian base in Afghanistan Lawyer: Mladic won't live to see a trial Belgian church to pay victims for abuse GOP presidential contenders drift to the right Hospitals hunt substitutes as drug shortages rise Yemen ...
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12-year-old girl dies when horse falls at SC rodeo May 29, 2011, 3 p.m. EDT
PENDLETON, S.C. (AP) — Authorities say a 12-year-old girl has died a day after a horse fell on her during a rodeo in South Carolina. Anderson County Chief Deputy Coroner Charlie Boseman said Lauren Mackenzie Mathias, of Chester, died Saturday from head trauma at a Greenville hospital. Investigators say the ...
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Ala. town hit by tornadoes bans FEMA trailers May 29, 2011, 2:50 p.m. EDT
CORDOVA, Ala. (AP) — James Ruston's house was knocked off its foundation by tornadoes that barreled through town last month and is still uninhabitable. He thought help had finally arrived when a truck pulled up to his property with a mobile home from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Then he ...
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Tech mogul pays bright minds not to go to college May 29, 2011, 2:21 p.m. EDT
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Instead of paying attention in high school, Nick Cammarata preferred to read books on whatever interested him. He also has a gift for coding that got him into Carnegie Mellon University's esteemed computer science program despite his grades. But the 18-year-old programmer won't be going ...
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Newest US aircraft carrier to be named Kennedy May 29, 2011, 2:05 p.m. EDT
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. (AP) — Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus says the nation's next aircraft carrier will be named the John F. Kennedy. Mabus announced the honor Sunday in memory of the 35th president. The nuclear-powered ship will be built at Newport News Shipbuilding in Virginia. Mabus said the ...
GOP presidential contenders drift to the right May 30, 2011, 7:25 a.m. EDT
WASHINGTON (AP) — In the first presidential election since the tea party's emergence, Republican candidates are drifting rightward on a range of issues, even though more centrist stands might play well in the 2012 general election. On energy, taxes, health care and other topics, the top candidates hold positions that ...
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Hospitals hunt substitutes as drug shortages rise May 30, 2011, 7:22 a.m. EDT
WASHINGTON (AP) — A growing shortage of medications for a host of illnesses — from cancer to cystic fibrosis to cardiac arrest — has hospitals scrambling for substitutes to avoid patient harm, and sometimes even delaying treatment. "It's just a matter of time now before we call for a drug that we ...
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Shuttle Endeavour gone forever from space station May 30, 2011, 5:08 a.m. EDT
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — Endeavour and its crew of six left the International Space Station and headed home to close out NASA's next-to-last shuttle flight, pausing just long enough Monday to perform a victory lap and test equipment for a future interplanetary ship. "Endeavour looks real nice out there ...
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Quotations of the day May 30, 2011, 4:45 a.m. EDT
"We're not going to stop till Joplin's back on its feet." — President Barack Obama, at a memorial service in Joplin, Mo., a week after the city was hit by a devastating tornado. ___ "While we were playing volleyball today, no doubt some soldier gave the ultimate sacrifice." — Col ...
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More rain, snow, National Guard troops for Mont. May 30, 2011, 4:32 a.m. EDT
The governor of flood-plagued Montana ordered more National Guard troops to join the anti-flood effort, while states downstream along the bloated Missouri River strengthened levees and laid sandbags ahead of the release of waters from dams and reservoirs. More rain fell Sunday on soaked Montana communities after more than a ...
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Obama expected to name new Joint Chiefs head May 30, 2011, 4:09 a.m. EDT
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama is expected to introduce Army Gen. Martin Dempsey as his choice to lead the Joint Chiefs of Staff in a Rose Garden announcement Monday. Dempsey is an accomplished veteran of the Iraq war. He would succeed Navy Adm. Mike Mullen as the president's top ...
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Obama consoles tornado-ravaged Joplin May 30, 2011, 4:06 a.m. EDT
JOPLIN, Mo. (AP) — Exactly a week after Joplin was nearly leveled by the deadliest tornado to strike the U.S in decades, President Barack Obama visited the Missouri city to offer hope to survivors and promises of help. Obama came face to face Sunday with the legions of homeless, consoling ...
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Singer Sean Kingston crashes watercraft in Fla. May 30, 2011, 1:33 a.m. EDT
MIAMI (AP) — Authorities say rapper Sean Kingston is hospitalized after crashing a personal watercraft into a Miami Beach bridge. Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission spokesman Jorge Pino says Kingston and a female passenger were injured when the watercraft hit the Palm Island Bridge around 6 p.m. Sunday. Pino ...
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AP Top Political News At 8:31 a.m. EDT May 29, 2011, 10:16 p.m. EDT
Hospitals hunt substitutes as drug shortages rise Obama expected to name new Joint Chiefs head Voter registration could be key to Obama in 2012 Obama tours twister-ravaged neighborhood in Joplin Children of fallen troops turn to each other Palin kick-starts bus tour on back of motorcycle Former Texas Gov. Bill ...
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Family: Ga. hotel fall survivor aware of others May 29, 2011, 9:55 p.m. EDT
LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — A hospital spokeswoman says a Kentucky woman who fell from a 10th-floor Atlanta hotel window remains in critical condition. Witnesses told Atlanta police that 30-year-old model LaShawna Threatt and a second woman were "play wrestling" in a room at the W Atlanta-Midtown hotel around 3:15 a ...
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Loughner's lawyers want notice if he is drugged May 29, 2011, 8:14 p.m. EDT
TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — Lawyers for the man charged in the deadly Tucson shooting rampage want federal officials to notify them if they plan to give their client psychotropic medication. A federal judge in Tucson ruled last week that 22-year-old Jared Lee Loughner is mentally unfit to assist his lawyers or ...
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AP News in Brief May 29, 2011, 7:39 p.m. EDT
Troops fight in Afghanistan, remain stationed in Iraq as US holds Memorial Day remembrances KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — U.S. troops fighting in Afghanistan paused Monday to remember the fallen in Memorial Day services, as a war nearly a decade old trudges on. Some prayed and held flag-raising ceremonies at dawn ...
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AP Top U.S. News At 8:15 a.m. EDT May 29, 2011, 6:56 p.m. EDT
Obama consoles tornado-ravaged Joplin Shuttle Endeavour gone forever from space station More rain, snow, National Guard troops for Mont. Loughner's lawyers want notice if he is drugged Ala. town hit by tornadoes bans FEMA trailers Obama consoles tornado-ravaged Joplin Lockheed attack highlights rise in cyber espionage Former TV skipper ...
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Lockheed attack highlights rise in cyber espionage May 29, 2011, 5:42 p.m. EDT
NEW YORK (AP) — This cyber attack didn't go after people playing war games on their PlayStations. It targeted a company that helps the U.S. military do the real thing. Lockheed Martin says it was the recent target of a "significant and tenacious" hack, although the defense contractor and ...
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Former Texas Gov. Bill Clements dead at 94 May 29, 2011, 5:07 p.m. EDT
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Former Texas Gov. Bill Clements, who in 1979 became the state's first Republican elected governor since Reconstruction, has died at 94, his family said. Clements, whose belief that state government should operate like a big business helped change the face of Texas politics, died Sunday after ...
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Former TV skipper pleads guilty in fatal crash May 29, 2011, 4:41 p.m. EDT
KENAI, Alaska (AP) — An Alaska fishing captain who led a crew on the program that spawned the cable TV show "Deadliest Catch" has pleaded guilty to criminally negligent homicide and driving under the influence in a fatal crash. Clarence "Ole" Helgevold Jr., of Soldotna, pleaded guilty Friday in Kenai Superior ...
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Obama says Joplin shows world how to come together May 29, 2011, 4:09 p.m. EDT
JOPLIN, Mo. (AP) — President Barack Obama says survivors of Missouri's killer tornado in Joplin are showing the world how to come together, and he is pledging that the nation, as he put it, "will be with you every step of the way." Obama spoke at a memorial service for ...
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Hildebrand comes up one turn short at Indy 500 May 29, 2011, 3:21 p.m. EDT
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — One turn. One stinkin' turn. JR Hildebrand made it through 799 of 'em without any trouble. As the young Californian approached that final left, all he had to do was keep his car off the wall, speed down the main straightaway and collect a win in the Indianapolis ...
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AP Top News At 8:37 a.m. EDT May 29, 2011, 3:14 p.m. EDT
Memorial Day comes as troops fight in Afghanistan Obama consoles tornado-ravaged Joplin Suicide bomber attacks Italian base in Afghanistan Lawyer: Mladic won't live to see a trial Belgian church to pay victims for abuse GOP presidential contenders drift to the right Hospitals hunt substitutes as drug shortages rise Yemen ...
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12-year-old girl dies when horse falls at SC rodeo May 29, 2011, 3 p.m. EDT
PENDLETON, S.C. (AP) — Authorities say a 12-year-old girl has died a day after a horse fell on her during a rodeo in South Carolina. Anderson County Chief Deputy Coroner Charlie Boseman said Lauren Mackenzie Mathias, of Chester, died Saturday from head trauma at a Greenville hospital. Investigators say the ...
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Ala. town hit by tornadoes bans FEMA trailers May 29, 2011, 2:50 p.m. EDT
CORDOVA, Ala. (AP) — James Ruston's house was knocked off its foundation by tornadoes that barreled through town last month and is still uninhabitable. He thought help had finally arrived when a truck pulled up to his property with a mobile home from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Then he ...
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Tech mogul pays bright minds not to go to college May 29, 2011, 2:21 p.m. EDT
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Instead of paying attention in high school, Nick Cammarata preferred to read books on whatever interested him. He also has a gift for coding that got him into Carnegie Mellon University's esteemed computer science program despite his grades. But the 18-year-old programmer won't be going ...
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Newest US aircraft carrier to be named Kennedy May 29, 2011, 2:05 p.m. EDT
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. (AP) — Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus says the nation's next aircraft carrier will be named the John F. Kennedy. Mabus announced the honor Sunday in memory of the 35th president. The nuclear-powered ship will be built at Newport News Shipbuilding in Virginia. Mabus said the ...
Women breaking barriers in Navy, not SEALs yet
Elite Navy SEALs storm a walled compound in Pakistan and take out the world's most wanted terrorist.
Footnote: They were all men.
While America's last 10 years of war have propelled women into new and far more risky roles across the military, there are still some doors that are closed. Chief among those are the special operations forces.
But perhaps that door is inching open.
"As a philosophical thing, there shouldn't be anything that's closed off as a career," said Navy Secretary Ray Mabus. And while he is quick to note there is a ban on moving women into combat and infantry jobs, Mabus said more and more women are working with special operations forces in support roles. And he did not rule out the idea that a qualified woman could eventually become an elite commando.
Still, Mabus cautioned that it would take time. "We're going to have to take some careful, well-thought-out steps in that direction," he said.
Defense Secretary Robert Gates expressed a similar view late last year, telling North Carolina ROTC students that he believes women will eventually be allowed to serve in special operations jobs. At some point, he said, "there will be a careful step in that direction."
One of those steps is the Navy's recent decision to allow women to serve on submarines. Of the 18 women selected for the program, eight will report to their submarines in November to serve as supply corps officers. Others will report to subs next summer.
The first eight — all are newly commissioned ensigns — will be divided among four ballistic missile submarines, the USS Wyoming, USS Georgia, USS Maine and the USS Ohio. And there will be a senior female officer — likely a lieutenant — on each of the subs to serve as a mentor and work with the ensigns to help with the transition.
"We are making a concerted effort to not only look at retaining women, but at bringing more women into the Navy," said Lt. Cmdr. Jean Marie Sullivan, chief of the naval personnel's office of women's policy.
With the addition of those women to the subs, the only Navy jobs still closed to female officers are with the SEALs.
By announcing the subs and putting a senior female officer on board with the two ensigns, the Navy says it is working to ensure a smooth transition that will gradually put women on attack subs, and eventually on nuclear submarines. And, as more female officers merge into the ranks, they will pave the way for the eventual inclusion of enlisted women.
Currently, however, the cramped quarters on subs don't provide adequate berthing for enlisted women, and it would be costly to make the necessary modifications.
Overall, the Air Force has the highest percentage of women in its ranks, with a bit more than 19 percent. The Navy is close behind, with nearly 17 percent women, followed by the Army with 13 percent and the Marines with less than 7 percent.
On Friday, women made up almost 21 percent of the 2011 graduation class of sailors at the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis, Md., and more than 17 percent of the Marines.
Across the services, just a handful of jobs are closed to women, and those are mainly combat, infantry, artillery, pararescue, tank and special operations forces.
The growth in the number of women in the military, and their increasing roles in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, may be tearing down slowly the remaining walls that bar them from serving in front line combat.
Earlier this year, a military advisory panel recommended that the final areas of discrimination be dismantled, bucking concerns that women lack the strength and stamina to fulfill those grueling jobs, or that the American public will balk at seeing large numbers of women coming home in body bags.
Already more than 255,000 women have served in Iraq and Afghanistan and nearly 150 have been killed in those wars.
And while women may not be SEALs, or members of the Army's prestigious Delta Force, they are increasingly serving with special operations teams in supporting jobs such as intelligence analysts, legal specialists, builders and administrative assistants.
So, while the SEALs who stormed Osama bin Laden's compound early this month were all men, women have been deploying to the warfront with Naval Special Warfare Command squadrons for several years. Since 2007, 10 to 15 women have deployed with each NSW squadron, and more than 400 female sailors serve with the Navy's special operations forces in supporting jobs.
That program temporarily assigns women to units that are close to the warfront, but it precludes them from doing combat missions. So far, said Sullivan, it has been very successful.
"One of the things we are seeing is that as women move up and get more and more responsibilities, our retention rates for junior officers and junior enlisted are going up as well," Mabus said.
Footnote: They were all men.
While America's last 10 years of war have propelled women into new and far more risky roles across the military, there are still some doors that are closed. Chief among those are the special operations forces.
But perhaps that door is inching open.
"As a philosophical thing, there shouldn't be anything that's closed off as a career," said Navy Secretary Ray Mabus. And while he is quick to note there is a ban on moving women into combat and infantry jobs, Mabus said more and more women are working with special operations forces in support roles. And he did not rule out the idea that a qualified woman could eventually become an elite commando.
Still, Mabus cautioned that it would take time. "We're going to have to take some careful, well-thought-out steps in that direction," he said.
Defense Secretary Robert Gates expressed a similar view late last year, telling North Carolina ROTC students that he believes women will eventually be allowed to serve in special operations jobs. At some point, he said, "there will be a careful step in that direction."
One of those steps is the Navy's recent decision to allow women to serve on submarines. Of the 18 women selected for the program, eight will report to their submarines in November to serve as supply corps officers. Others will report to subs next summer.
The first eight — all are newly commissioned ensigns — will be divided among four ballistic missile submarines, the USS Wyoming, USS Georgia, USS Maine and the USS Ohio. And there will be a senior female officer — likely a lieutenant — on each of the subs to serve as a mentor and work with the ensigns to help with the transition.
"We are making a concerted effort to not only look at retaining women, but at bringing more women into the Navy," said Lt. Cmdr. Jean Marie Sullivan, chief of the naval personnel's office of women's policy.
With the addition of those women to the subs, the only Navy jobs still closed to female officers are with the SEALs.
By announcing the subs and putting a senior female officer on board with the two ensigns, the Navy says it is working to ensure a smooth transition that will gradually put women on attack subs, and eventually on nuclear submarines. And, as more female officers merge into the ranks, they will pave the way for the eventual inclusion of enlisted women.
Currently, however, the cramped quarters on subs don't provide adequate berthing for enlisted women, and it would be costly to make the necessary modifications.
Overall, the Air Force has the highest percentage of women in its ranks, with a bit more than 19 percent. The Navy is close behind, with nearly 17 percent women, followed by the Army with 13 percent and the Marines with less than 7 percent.
On Friday, women made up almost 21 percent of the 2011 graduation class of sailors at the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis, Md., and more than 17 percent of the Marines.
Across the services, just a handful of jobs are closed to women, and those are mainly combat, infantry, artillery, pararescue, tank and special operations forces.
The growth in the number of women in the military, and their increasing roles in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, may be tearing down slowly the remaining walls that bar them from serving in front line combat.
Earlier this year, a military advisory panel recommended that the final areas of discrimination be dismantled, bucking concerns that women lack the strength and stamina to fulfill those grueling jobs, or that the American public will balk at seeing large numbers of women coming home in body bags.
Already more than 255,000 women have served in Iraq and Afghanistan and nearly 150 have been killed in those wars.
And while women may not be SEALs, or members of the Army's prestigious Delta Force, they are increasingly serving with special operations teams in supporting jobs such as intelligence analysts, legal specialists, builders and administrative assistants.
So, while the SEALs who stormed Osama bin Laden's compound early this month were all men, women have been deploying to the warfront with Naval Special Warfare Command squadrons for several years. Since 2007, 10 to 15 women have deployed with each NSW squadron, and more than 400 female sailors serve with the Navy's special operations forces in supporting jobs.
That program temporarily assigns women to units that are close to the warfront, but it precludes them from doing combat missions. So far, said Sullivan, it has been very successful.
"One of the things we are seeing is that as women move up and get more and more responsibilities, our retention rates for junior officers and junior enlisted are going up as well," Mabus said.
APNewsBreak: Schumer targets rental car recalls
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer of New York is introducing a bill that would stop car rental agencies from renting automobiles that are under recall for problems that aren't yet fixed.
Schumer says the federal law is needed because of serious crashes in recent years involving rental cars under recalls. He said car rental agencies must be held to the same standard as automobile dealerships that don't lease cars for longer terms until a problem identified in a recall is fixed.
The American Car Rental Association has proposed a two-tiered system in which serious problems would keep a car from being rented. Less serious problems that don't threaten safety would be fixed as soon as possible, but the car could be rented until then.
Schumer says the federal law is needed because of serious crashes in recent years involving rental cars under recalls. He said car rental agencies must be held to the same standard as automobile dealerships that don't lease cars for longer terms until a problem identified in a recall is fixed.
The American Car Rental Association has proposed a two-tiered system in which serious problems would keep a car from being rented. Less serious problems that don't threaten safety would be fixed as soon as possible, but the car could be rented until then.
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
63 people under scanner in 2G spectrum case, CBI tells SC Read more: 63 people under scanner in 2G spectrum case, CBI tells SC - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/63-people-under-scanner-in-2G-spectrum-case-CBI-tells-SC/articleshow/7600680.cms#ixzz1F9gGH7Mg
A Raja
A Raja
NEW DELHI: Sixty-three persons, including promoters and CEOs of 10 telecom firms have come under its scanner in the 2G spectrum case, the CBI on Tuesday told the Supreme Court which expressed satisfaction over the ongoing probe.
The central government, which is also party to the case, informed a bench of justices G S Singhvi and A K Ganguly that it is in favour of setting up a special court to try the accused in the 2G case and the law minister has written a letter to the Delhi high court chief justice asking him to constitute a court and identify a judge for this purpose.
"The matter is under consideration," additional solicitor general Indira Jaisingh told the bench, which wanted to know about the progress of investigation into the case.
Senior advocate K K Venugopal, representing the CBI, apprised the bench about the progress by the CBI and placed the probe status report in a sealed cover.
"63 persons including promoters and CEOs of 10 companies have come under the scanner of the CBI in its probe into the 2G spectrum scam," Venugopal said.
The bench asked the CBI and the Enforcement Directorate to place before it their reports about the investigation by March 10 and posted the matter for further hearing on March 15.
Senior advocate Harish Salve, appearing for Tata group of companies, meanwhile, pleaded for in-camera proceedings.
Earlier on February 10, while hearing a plea by Centre for public interest litigation for probe into the 2G case, the Supreme Court had asked the CBI to widen its probe ambit and include into it high flying corporate honchos without getting influenced by their status.
While giving the CBI a free hand to probe the case, the court had also asked the government to set up a special court to exclusively try the spectrum scam case accused.
"We have a large number of persons who think themselves to be the law. Law must catch them. It should be done with greater expedition. Merely that they are on the Forbes list or they are millionaires does not make any difference," the bench had remarked after perusing the CBI's probe status report in which names of big corporate houses and their officials had been mentioned.
But counsel Prashant Bhushan appearing for petitioner CPIL had pointed out to the court that the agencies have not questioned the heads of several companies including those of Swan Technology, which was controlled by Anil Ambani's Reliance Group, when the spectrum was allocated.
At this, the bench said, "Top authorities of companies were not questioned. It is surprising that the managing directors were not summoned".
Seeking to widen the CBI's probe ambit, the apex court had said the agency's freedom to investigate the matter should not be curtailed in any way and asked the agency to go beyond the role of the four persons, including former Telecom Minister A Raja, already arrested in the case.
"This investigation has led to prima-facie conclusion about the culpability of four persons. What about the beneficiaries. They are part of a larger conspiracy. We want to know about them. You (CBI) take instructions and tell us what action you are planning to take," the bench had told the CBI.
Read more: 63 people under scanner in 2G spectrum case, CBI tells SC - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/63-people-under-scanner-in-2G-spectrum-case-CBI-tells-SC/articleshow/7600680.cms#ixzz1F9gLIuAU
A Raja
NEW DELHI: Sixty-three persons, including promoters and CEOs of 10 telecom firms have come under its scanner in the 2G spectrum case, the CBI on Tuesday told the Supreme Court which expressed satisfaction over the ongoing probe.
The central government, which is also party to the case, informed a bench of justices G S Singhvi and A K Ganguly that it is in favour of setting up a special court to try the accused in the 2G case and the law minister has written a letter to the Delhi high court chief justice asking him to constitute a court and identify a judge for this purpose.
"The matter is under consideration," additional solicitor general Indira Jaisingh told the bench, which wanted to know about the progress of investigation into the case.
Senior advocate K K Venugopal, representing the CBI, apprised the bench about the progress by the CBI and placed the probe status report in a sealed cover.
"63 persons including promoters and CEOs of 10 companies have come under the scanner of the CBI in its probe into the 2G spectrum scam," Venugopal said.
The bench asked the CBI and the Enforcement Directorate to place before it their reports about the investigation by March 10 and posted the matter for further hearing on March 15.
Senior advocate Harish Salve, appearing for Tata group of companies, meanwhile, pleaded for in-camera proceedings.
Earlier on February 10, while hearing a plea by Centre for public interest litigation for probe into the 2G case, the Supreme Court had asked the CBI to widen its probe ambit and include into it high flying corporate honchos without getting influenced by their status.
While giving the CBI a free hand to probe the case, the court had also asked the government to set up a special court to exclusively try the spectrum scam case accused.
"We have a large number of persons who think themselves to be the law. Law must catch them. It should be done with greater expedition. Merely that they are on the Forbes list or they are millionaires does not make any difference," the bench had remarked after perusing the CBI's probe status report in which names of big corporate houses and their officials had been mentioned.
But counsel Prashant Bhushan appearing for petitioner CPIL had pointed out to the court that the agencies have not questioned the heads of several companies including those of Swan Technology, which was controlled by Anil Ambani's Reliance Group, when the spectrum was allocated.
At this, the bench said, "Top authorities of companies were not questioned. It is surprising that the managing directors were not summoned".
Seeking to widen the CBI's probe ambit, the apex court had said the agency's freedom to investigate the matter should not be curtailed in any way and asked the agency to go beyond the role of the four persons, including former Telecom Minister A Raja, already arrested in the case.
"This investigation has led to prima-facie conclusion about the culpability of four persons. What about the beneficiaries. They are part of a larger conspiracy. We want to know about them. You (CBI) take instructions and tell us what action you are planning to take," the bench had told the CBI.
Read more: 63 people under scanner in 2G spectrum case, CBI tells SC - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/63-people-under-scanner-in-2G-spectrum-case-CBI-tells-SC/articleshow/7600680.cms#ixzz1F9gLIuAU
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