Woman's statement to Jackson jurors prompt inquiry

LOS ANGELES (AP) ? A judge questioned two alternate jurors in the civil trial over Michael Jackson's death after a woman approached them and told them not to award the singer's family any money in the case.

Superior Court Judge Yvette Palazuelos and attorneys on the case questioned the alternates, who said the woman approached them during a break Friday afternoon. Both said the woman told them not to award any money in the case against concert promoter AEG Live LLC.

The alternates said they told the woman she couldn't talk to them, but she persisted for several moments before finally leaving them alone. They described the woman but said they did not see her in the courtroom after testimony concluded Friday.

The alternate jurors said their interaction would not affect their judgment about the case. The judge told them to return to court Monday and report to bailiffs or court staffers if they saw the woman again.

Jackson family attorney Brian Panish said the interaction was jury tampering and is a felony.

Katherine Jackson mother is suing AEG Live over her son's death. The company denies wrongdoing.

The case has five alternate jurors remaining after one had to be dismissed because he is moving out of state.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/womans-statement-jackson-jurors-prompt-inquiry-011326428.html

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Southwest bakes in 115 to 120-degree heat

LAS VEGAS (AP) ? A man died and another was hospitalized in serious condition Saturday afternoon in heat-aggravated incidents as a heat wave blistered this sunbaked city and elsewhere in the Southwest.

Forecasters said temperatures in Las Vegas shot up to 115 degrees on Saturday afternoon, two degrees short of the city's all-time record.

Phoenix hit 119 degrees by mid-afternoon, breaking the record for June 29 that was set in 1994. And large swaths of California sweltered under extreme heat warnings, which are expected to last into Tuesday night ? and maybe even longer.

The forecast for Death Valley in California called for 128 degrees Saturday, but it was 3 degrees shy of that, according to unofficial reports from the National Weather Service. Death Valley's record high of 134 degrees, set a century ago, stands as the highest temperature ever recorded on Earth.

Las Vegas fire and rescue spokesman Tim Szymanski said paramedics responded to a home without air conditioning and found an elderly man dead. He said while the man had medical issues, paramedics thought the heat worsened his condition.

Paramedics said another elderly man suffered a heat stroke when the air conditioner in his car went out for several hours while he was on a long road trip. He stopped in Las Vegas, called 911 and was taken to the hospital in serious condition.

The heat wave has sent more than 40 other people to hospitals in Las Vegas since it arrived Friday, but no life-threatening injuries were reported.

"We will probably start to see a rise in calls Sunday and Monday as the event prolongs," Szymanski said in a statement. "People's bodies will be more agitated the longer the event lasts and people may require medical assistance."

The forecast for Death Valley called for 128 degrees, but temperatures topped at 125, according to unofficial reports from the National Weather Service. Death Valley's record high of 134 degrees, set a century ago, stands as the highest temperature ever recorded on Earth.

About 100 miles south in Baker, the temperature peaked at an unofficial 117 degrees in the road tripper's oasis in the Mojave Desert on Interstate 15. The strip of gas stations and restaurants between Los Angeles and Las Vegas is known by travelers for the giant thermometer that often notes temperatures in the triple digits.

Elsewhere in Southern California, Palm Springs peaked at 122 degrees while the mercury in Lancaster hit 111 ? a record.

To make matters worse, National Weather Service meteorologists John Dumas said cooling ocean breezes haven't been traveling far enough inland overnight to fan the region's overheated valleys and deserts.

In Northern California, record-breaking temperatures were recorded in Sacramento, where the high was 107 degrees; Marysville, which sweltered in 109 degrees; and Stockton, which saw 106.

Cooling stations were set up to shelter the homeless and elderly people who can't afford to run their air conditioners. In Phoenix, Joe Arpaio, the famously hard-nosed sheriff who runs a tent jail, planned to distribute ice cream and cold towels to inmates this weekend.

Officials said personnel were added to the Border Patrol's search-and-rescue unit because of the danger to people trying to slip across the Mexican border. At least seven people have been found dead in the last week in Arizona after falling victim to the brutal desert heat.

Temperatures are also expected to soar across Utah and into Wyoming and Idaho, with triple-digit heat forecast for the Boise area. Cities in Washington state that are better known for cool, rainy weather should break the 90s next week.

The heat was so punishing that rangers took up positions at trailheads at Lake Mead in Nevada to persuade people not to hike. Zookeepers in Phoenix hosed down the elephants and fed tigers frozen fish snacks. Dogs were at risk of burning their paws on scorched pavement, and airlines kept close watch on the heat for fear that it could cause flights to be delayed.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/southwest-bakes-115-120-degree-heat-044613451.html

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Not revealing BlackBerry 10 unit sales was a big mistake

BlackBerry Earnings Analysis Q1 2014

BlackBerry?s May-quarter handset shipments of 6.8 million units was probably at least 400,000 units short of what the company needed for the quarter. That is a painful miss for the period when both the Z10 and the Q10 were available. But the decision to avoid disclosing how many BlackBerry 10 units were sold into channels in BlackBerry?s earnings release is making the situation even worse for the company.

[More from BGR: BlackBerry back in the red after posting surprise Q1 loss]

Analysts thought BB10 shipments would fall between 2.5 million and 5 million units in the fiscal quarter.?The unit consensus had ticked up in the days before earnings as analysts raised their expectations. No matter what the real number is, everyone expected BlackBerry to reveal it in the earnings report. Leaving the investors in the dark about this key metric is worse than revealing even a weak figure; the uncertainty makes people speculate about all kinds of worst case scenarios.

[More from BGR: iOS 7 might be more innovative than we think]

It is possible BlackBerry will reveal the BB10 volume number later, but leaving it out of the initial report has already helped trigger a -20% decline in share price by 8:00 a.m. on Friday morning.?Investor confidence in the management has been shaken again.

The most likely reason for the low shipment figure in the May quarter is a combination of sub-3 million shipment volume of BB10 models and weak sales of legacy Curve phones in the emerging markets. This leaves BlackBerry entirely dependent on the success of the Q5 model currently debuting in Middle East and arriving to Europe and Asia within weeks.

The big worry now is that the Z10 and Q10 may have been priced out of the handset market where dirt cheap Android phones are already undermining? both Nokia and Apple. The new Q5 is 40% cheaper than the Q10, but its price still levitates more than 100% above cheaper Android smartphones with similar or better displays and better cameras.

This article was originally published on BGR.com

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/not-revealing-blackberry-10-unit-sales-big-mistake-123029615.html

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Stocks rise on good economic news

Stocks moved higher on Wall Street Thursday, bolstered by good news on jobs and consumer spending.?Stocks have rallied since Tuesday as investors took advantage of lower prices after a sell-off that lasted till Monday.

By Steve Rothwell,?AP Markets Writer / June 27, 2013

Barclay's specialist trader Glenn Carrell works on the floor at the New York Stock Exchange Thursday. Stocks were up Thursday on signs of a healthy economy.

Brendan McDermid/Reuters

Enlarge

Better news on jobs and consumer spending pushed U.S.?stocks?higher Thursday.

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The Dow Jones industrial average and the Standard & Poor's 500 index rose for a third straight day. Bond yields fell for a second day, easing worries that a sudden spike in interest rates could hurt the economy.

Consumer spending rose 0.3 percent last month as incomes increased at the fastest pace in three months, the government reported. The number of Americans seeking unemployment benefits fell 9,000 to 346,000 last week. The report added to evidence that the job market is improving modestly.

Stocks?have rallied since Tuesday as investors took advantage of lower prices after a sell-off that lasted till Monday. The plunge came after Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said that the central bank could cut back on its stimulus later this year and possibly end it next year, if the economy continued to improve.

The Dow sank 560 points over Wednesday and Thursday of last week. Even with the gains this week the index is still 293 points below where it was June 18, the day before the Fed laid out its plans for how it might wind down its stimulus.

The central bank is buying $85 billion in bonds every month to hold down long-term interest rates and encourage borrowing and spending. Fed stimulus has underpinned a?stock?market rally that started in March 2009 by encouraging investors to put money into risky assets.

"What's driving that market up is that people are realizing that they are in a 'win-win' situation," said Rick Robinson, a regional Chief Investment Officer at Wells Fargo Private Bank. "If you have good economic data that should be good for?stocks, if you have poor economic data ... that means the Fed will probably have its (stimulus) longer."

The Dow closed up 114.35 points, or 0.8 percent, to 15,024.49. The S&P 500 index climbed 9.94 points, or 0.6 percent, to 1,613.20.

Nine of the 10 industry groups in the S&P 500 rose, led by financial?stocks. Materials companies were the only group that fell.

In a sign that investors were once again more confident in holding riskier assets, the Russell 2000 index of small-company?stocks?rose 16.09 points, or 1.7 percent, to 979.92, more than twice as much as the rest of the market.

The yield on the 10-year Treasury note fell to 2.48 percent from 2.54 percent late Wednesday. The yield climbed as high 2.66 percent on Monday, the highest since August 2011. The rate has surged since May 3, when it touched its low for the year of 1.63 percent. Concern that the Fed is poised to start pulling back on its stimulus prompted investors to sell bonds, pushing the yield higher.

Investors who have added bonds to their portfolios at the expense of?stocks?should consider reducing their fixed income holdings because yields are likely to rise further, said Doug Cote, chief market strategist at ING Investment Management. Bonds rallied from 2007 to 2012, years that encompassed the financial crisis and the Great Recession. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note fell to a record low of 1.39 percent in July last year.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/EJvFpFRD9Fk/Stocks-rise-on-good-economic-news

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'Swan mom:' A Washington woman is surrogate for baby trumpeters

A Washington woman has become a surrogate 'swan mom' for a bevy of baby trumpeter swans. Each summer for 14 years she's raised hatchlings for 80 days and released them into the wild.

By Staff,?Associated Press / June 28, 2013

Five 13-day-old cygnet trumpeter swans gather around "mom", a decoy swan, in their human foster parent Martha Jordan's back yard earlier this week.

AP

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All Martha Jordan has to do to get her five baby swans to run across the back yard is pull their "mom" along on a rope ? a life-size, plastic swan decoy.

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The fuzzy cygnets, two weeks old, scurry to keep up in a scene that can only be described as impossibly cute.

For all intents and purposes, though, Ms. Jordan is really the baby birds' mom.

A wildlife biologist and authority on swans, Jordan agreed to raise the cygnets until they can be released into the wild.

The babies were hatched by a mating pair of swans at Northwest Trek, a wildlife park near Eatonville. In past years, some of the cygnets hatched there were lost to some of the other inhabitants of the park.

"They were becoming lunch for the bald eagles who live at the lake," Jordan said.

Jordan will raise the cygnets for about 80 days, after which they'll be released in Eastern Oregon. They become fully grown and ready to fly in just over 100 days, she said.

Though the cygnets' fledgling feathers are softer than silk, Jordan says petting them can condition the birds to human contact and make it harder for them to make it in the wild.

"I try not to handle them," she said.

Jordan has served as a foster?parent?for cygnets for 14 of the past 18 years, she said. Usually, she keeps them only for a few weeks and hands them off to another person who has room to house the cygnets as they get bigger.

An adult swan weighs from 25 to nearly 40 pounds and has a wingspan of 7? to 9 feet, according to Jordan.

The person who usually takes the swans from Jordan can't do it this year, so she is having a larger pen built in the back yard of her south Everett home.

Jordan is coordinator of the Washington Swan Stewards, a subsidiary of the Trumpeter Swan Society, a national non-profit organization. The local group provides education about swans and works on habitat conservation.

Trumpeter swans live only in North America and primarily in the Northwest. The other swan species native to the continent is the tundra swan, some of which also winter in the Northwest.

Trumpeter swans are migratory. Those that winter in Western Washington are among the 26,000 that breed in Alaska in the summer, Jordan said. They leave here in March and return in October.

Trumpeter swans are not endangered but their future is only as stable as that of the farmlands on which they depend for food in the winter, Jordan said.

Swans have historically wintered in local wetlands but as those have disappeared, the birds have adapted by landing at farms and eating the corn and other food put out for the livestock, she said. Farmers generally don't mind, Jordan said.

The Skagit Valley is the largest local wintering area, while the Stillaguamish and Snohomish valleys also attract many of the birds, she said.

Hunting Trumpeter swans in Washington state is illegal. Some of the lakes and fields where the swans land, however, are laden with lead buckshot leftover from decades ago or that's been fired at ducks or other waterfowl that may be legally hunted.

Swans ingest small pebbles as grit to help their digestion, and sometimes mistake the buckshot for pebbles, eat them and die from lead poisoning, she said.

Jordan gets paid for some of her work for the swan groups when grants are available. She goes on rescue missions in addition to banding and documenting the birds' whereabouts. But mostly she makes her living as a massage therapist, she said.

Still, she's recognized around the state as a leading authority on swans. She was asked to write the plan for minimizing the effect on swans from the demolition of the Elwha Dam, she said. Jordan confesses that she's sometimes referred to as the "swan lady."

She didn't set out to be a swan expert. Early in her career as a wildlife biologist working with other birds such as migratory geese, she frequently encountered swans and wound up studying them as part of her work.

In 1985, the state paid her to do a comprehensive swan survey.

"By that time, I was hooked on swans," she said.

It hasn't always been as much fun as watching the cygnets run across the lawn. Since 1999, more than 2,300 swans in the state have died from lead poisoning, according to the swan stewards website.

At the height of the die-off around 2003, "I was handling 4,000 pounds of dead swans," Jordan said.

Other times, she's been beaten up by swans when she got too close to a nest. Swans have claws on their webbed feet and hard edges to the front of their wings that they can swing like clubs.

They also have flexible, serrated bills. "They grab you and pinch and then twist and pull," she said.

Still, when she encounters a banded adult swan that she raised as a baby, or when people tell her stories of how swans have inspired them, it makes it all worthwhile, she said.

"You learn about humans and their connection to the land, and all that has come to me through the swan," she said.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/b43h9gMY9VE/Swan-mom-A-Washington-woman-is-surrogate-for-baby-trumpeters

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Gmail update brings the delete option back by default

A quick update to the Gmail app tonight brings about a couple changes. First off is that Google has brought back the delete option by default, alongside the archive button. (Previously you had to turn that back on in the settings.) Also listed is "tap sender images to select multiple e-mails in the conversation list," but we've been doing that for a little while now, right? Plus, the requisite bugfixes. 

Not a huge update, but any update to the Gmail app is an important one. Head on over and set things right.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/zEGEw0sRnUQ/story01.htm

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Effortless daft punk Products ? An AZ - Universit?t Paderborn

The song became so preferred that it was nominated in the Best Dance Recording category of 2008?s Grammy awards. One of the most talked about elements of this film is the music. Ferry Corsten started producing and mixing before he was sixteen years old. de Homem-Christo has also worked as a film director in addition to his music production. Even before French house music had taken its form, Laurent Garnier was playing at legendary UK clubs such as The Hacienda in Manchester.

The two wires together form a coaxial capacitor with roughly 1 n ? F of capacitance the capacitor is charged and discharged so quickly that the phosphor on the internal copper trunking becomes agitated and light is emitted. Whether you agree with my picks or not, there is no disputing that Techno music is one of the most influential genres out there, and a dance is not a dance without it. This is all filmed very artistically and the progression of the tomatoes life is to the rhythm. As disco eventually found itself demoted to smaller venues, the likes of Frankie Knuckles were developing something new. Surprisingly, there is not a weak tune on this twelve-track song cycle ? obviously, getting back together after such a hiatus only served to reinvigorate their passion for making music, and not a single note feels forced, calculated, or mercenary.

However, neither the band nor their label have released a statement confirming that the album streaming for free on i ? Tunes is, in fact, the finished album. Here is more information about daft punk random access memories rar review www.facebook.com/BlitzDown/posts/538354572877047 The music video is fantastic as well, combining 4 of mans favourite things: Grum, babes, food, n humour. They should be glittery, bright or both, with a nearly costume jewelry appearance. Jensen also wanted to make the puzzles feel like a natural part of the environment, and to avoid the feeling that the player was simply moving from puzzle to puzzle through the course of the game. Playing 24-7 songs from Nero, Dirty Loud, Swanky Tunes, Cirex D,Dubstep producers like Bassnectar just to name a few.

This forced her to execute in unique clubs on New York City?s Reduced East Facet on her personal. Grum?s new single ?Can?t Shake This Feeling? is finally here. This is a favorite because you can actually hear Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo and not Daft Punk. About ten to fifteen minutes into the film, Sam is already shot into the Grid just to show off the 3D. Make sure to give all guests a copy of the Tron Legacy Soundtrack produced by Daft Punk.

Today techno music is without question the most popular genre of electronic music, so much so that it is often mistaken by newbie?s as the name for electronic music itself with DJs and groups such as the Aphex Twins, Basshunter, Daft Punk and DJ Rush pushing techno music into the mainstream. Any fashion lover knows that old fashions eventually come back into fashion again, or at least the nice ones do. She has written many articles on Online shopping India, Mens watches, fashion accessories, Ferrari sunglasses, Ladies watches,Top fashion brands, cosmetics products, Ladies watches and many more in India. Here are some of the major differences between the two series:. French electronic music is characterized by the following qualities:.

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Yahoo! News - Top Stories

http://news.yahoo.com/topstories/ en-USCopyright (c) 2013 Yahoo! Inc. All rights reservedThu, 27 Jun 2013 17:04:56 -04005http://news.yahoo.com/topstories/ http://l.yimg.com/a/i/us/nws/th/main_142c.gif<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/perry-filibuster-star-clash-over-texas-abortions-175240836.html"><img src="http://l3.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/D8_WjL0IE9E5_yvGlANDqg--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/ap_webfeeds/0166416f7fcbf915350f6a706700c733.jpg" width="130" height="86" alt="Gov. Rick Perry responds to questions from reporters during a news conference after delivering a speech at the National Right To Life Convention, Thursday, June 27, 2013, in Grapevine, Texas. The Republican has called a second special legislative session beginning July 1, allowing the GOP-controlled statehouse another crack at passing restrictions opponents say could shutter nearly all the abortion clinics across the country&#039;s second-largest state. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)" align="left" title="Gov. Rick Perry responds to questions from reporters during a news conference after delivering a speech at the National Right To Life Convention, Thursday, June 27, 2013, in Grapevine, Texas. The Republican has called a second special legislative session beginning July 1, allowing the GOP-controlled statehouse another crack at passing restrictions opponents say could shutter nearly all the abortion clinics across the country&#039;s second-largest state. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)" border="0" /></a>GRAPEVINE, Texas (AP) ? Gov. Rick Perry hit back Thursday at the star of a Democratic filibuster that killed tough new Texas abortion restrictions, saying state Sen. Wendy Davis&#039; rise from a tough upbringing should have taught her the value of each human life.</p><br clear="all"/>http://news.yahoo.com/perry-filibuster-star-clash-over-texas-abortions-175240836.htmlThu, 27 Jun 2013 17:04:56 -0400Associated Pressperry-filibuster-star-clash-over-texas-abortions-175240836<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/perry-filibuster-star-clash-over-texas-abortions-175240836.html"><img src="http://l3.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/D8_WjL0IE9E5_yvGlANDqg--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/ap_webfeeds/0166416f7fcbf915350f6a706700c733.jpg" width="130" height="86" alt="Gov. Rick Perry responds to questions from reporters during a news conference after delivering a speech at the National Right To Life Convention, Thursday, June 27, 2013, in Grapevine, Texas. The Republican has called a second special legislative session beginning July 1, allowing the GOP-controlled statehouse another crack at passing restrictions opponents say could shutter nearly all the abortion clinics across the country&#039;s second-largest state. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)" align="left" title="Gov. Rick Perry responds to questions from reporters during a news conference after delivering a speech at the National Right To Life Convention, Thursday, June 27, 2013, in Grapevine, Texas. The Republican has called a second special legislative session beginning July 1, allowing the GOP-controlled statehouse another crack at passing restrictions opponents say could shutter nearly all the abortion clinics across the country&#039;s second-largest state. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)" border="0" /></a>GRAPEVINE, Texas (AP) ? Gov. Rick Perry hit back Thursday at the star of a Democratic filibuster that killed tough new Texas abortion restrictions, saying state Sen. Wendy Davis&#039; rise from a tough upbringing should have taught her the value of each human life.</p><br clear="all"/><p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/body-nyc-storm-victim-lay-undetected-months-065513402.html"><img src="http://l2.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/kqK6I9lilsBUVhwSFwW.9A--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/ap_webfeeds/77c2a7737d31ed15350f6a706700d1ae.jpg" width="130" height="86" alt="A dilapidated trailer sits parked in a trash strewn lot in the Queens borough of New York, Tuesday, June 15, 2013. Thought to be vacant, the trailer went unsearched after Superstorm Sandy flooded the area in late 2012. More than five months after the storm, the partially skeletonized remains of 62-year-old Keith Lancaster were found inside on April 5, 2013. He was among the 44 lives claimed by Sandy in New York City (AP Photo/Jake Pearson)" align="left" title="A dilapidated trailer sits parked in a trash strewn lot in the Queens borough of New York, Tuesday, June 15, 2013. Thought to be vacant, the trailer went unsearched after Superstorm Sandy flooded the area in late 2012. More than five months after the storm, the partially skeletonized remains of 62-year-old Keith Lancaster were found inside on April 5, 2013. He was among the 44 lives claimed by Sandy in New York City (AP Photo/Jake Pearson)" border="0" /></a>NEW YORK (AP) ? In the chaotic days after Superstorm Sandy, an army of aid workers streamed onto the flood-ravaged Rockaway Peninsula looking for anyone who needed help. Health workers and National Guard troops went door to door. City inspectors checked thousands of dwellings for damage. Seaside neighborhoods teemed with utility crews, Red Cross trucks and crews clearing debris.</p><br clear="all"/>http://news.yahoo.com/body-nyc-storm-victim-lay-undetected-months-065513402.htmlThu, 27 Jun 2013 17:02:16 -0400Associated Pressbody-nyc-storm-victim-lay-undetected-months-065513402<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/body-nyc-storm-victim-lay-undetected-months-065513402.html"><img src="http://l2.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/kqK6I9lilsBUVhwSFwW.9A--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/ap_webfeeds/77c2a7737d31ed15350f6a706700d1ae.jpg" width="130" height="86" alt="A dilapidated trailer sits parked in a trash strewn lot in the Queens borough of New York, Tuesday, June 15, 2013. Thought to be vacant, the trailer went unsearched after Superstorm Sandy flooded the area in late 2012. More than five months after the storm, the partially skeletonized remains of 62-year-old Keith Lancaster were found inside on April 5, 2013. He was among the 44 lives claimed by Sandy in New York City (AP Photo/Jake Pearson)" align="left" title="A dilapidated trailer sits parked in a trash strewn lot in the Queens borough of New York, Tuesday, June 15, 2013. Thought to be vacant, the trailer went unsearched after Superstorm Sandy flooded the area in late 2012. More than five months after the storm, the partially skeletonized remains of 62-year-old Keith Lancaster were found inside on April 5, 2013. He was among the 44 lives claimed by Sandy in New York City (AP Photo/Jake Pearson)" border="0" /></a>NEW YORK (AP) ? In the chaotic days after Superstorm Sandy, an army of aid workers streamed onto the flood-ravaged Rockaway Peninsula looking for anyone who needed help. Health workers and National Guard troops went door to door. City inspectors checked thousands of dwellings for damage. Seaside neighborhoods teemed with utility crews, Red Cross trucks and crews clearing debris.</p><br clear="all"/>PHOENIX (AP) ? Gay marriage proponents marked another victory Thursday after the Supreme Court rejected appeals from Arizona and Nevada involving the rights of same-sex couples.http://news.yahoo.com/court-rejects-gay-rights-cases-ariz-nev-135355306.htmlThu, 27 Jun 2013 17:01:57 -0400Associated Presscourt-rejects-gay-rights-cases-ariz-nev-135355306<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/goodbye-m-ms-hello-granola-bars-school-snacks-195352021.html"><img src="http://l2.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/QDinXswZmBrD21yCusj5gg--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/ap_webfeeds/3e84dffe7f64f715350f6a7067004e1c.jpg" width="130" height="86" alt="FILE - In this May 3, 2006 file photo, a student purchases a brown sugar Pop-Tart from a vending machine in the hallway outside the school cafeteria, in Wichita, Kan. High-calorie sports drinks and candy bars will be removed from school vending machines and cafeteria lines as soon as next year, replaced with diet drinks, granola bars and other healthier items the Agriculture Department said Thursday, June 27, 2013. (AP Photo/The Wichita Eagle, Mike Hutmacher, File)" align="left" title="FILE - In this May 3, 2006 file photo, a student purchases a brown sugar Pop-Tart from a vending machine in the hallway outside the school cafeteria, in Wichita, Kan. High-calorie sports drinks and candy bars will be removed from school vending machines and cafeteria lines as soon as next year, replaced with diet drinks, granola bars and other healthier items the Agriculture Department said Thursday, June 27, 2013. (AP Photo/The Wichita Eagle, Mike Hutmacher, File)" border="0" /></a>WASHINGTON (AP) ? Kids, your days of blowing off those healthier school lunches and filling up on cookies from the vending machine are numbered. The government is onto you.</p><br clear="all"/>http://news.yahoo.com/goodbye-m-ms-hello-granola-bars-school-snacks-195352021.htmlThu, 27 Jun 2013 17:01:16 -0400Associated Pressgoodbye-m-ms-hello-granola-bars-school-snacks-195352021<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/goodbye-m-ms-hello-granola-bars-school-snacks-195352021.html"><img src="http://l2.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/QDinXswZmBrD21yCusj5gg--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/ap_webfeeds/3e84dffe7f64f715350f6a7067004e1c.jpg" width="130" height="86" alt="FILE - In this May 3, 2006 file photo, a student purchases a brown sugar Pop-Tart from a vending machine in the hallway outside the school cafeteria, in Wichita, Kan. High-calorie sports drinks and candy bars will be removed from school vending machines and cafeteria lines as soon as next year, replaced with diet drinks, granola bars and other healthier items the Agriculture Department said Thursday, June 27, 2013. (AP Photo/The Wichita Eagle, Mike Hutmacher, File)" align="left" title="FILE - In this May 3, 2006 file photo, a student purchases a brown sugar Pop-Tart from a vending machine in the hallway outside the school cafeteria, in Wichita, Kan. High-calorie sports drinks and candy bars will be removed from school vending machines and cafeteria lines as soon as next year, replaced with diet drinks, granola bars and other healthier items the Agriculture Department said Thursday, June 27, 2013. (AP Photo/The Wichita Eagle, Mike Hutmacher, File)" border="0" /></a>WASHINGTON (AP) ? Kids, your days of blowing off those healthier school lunches and filling up on cookies from the vending machine are numbered. The government is onto you.</p><br clear="all"/><p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/us-agency-sues-corzine-over-failure-mf-global-185641107.html"><img src="http://l3.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/7Cvl6Rk85SxPeea1GHKXgQ--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/ap_webfeeds/186b21308059fc15350f6a7067000be8.jpg" width="130" height="86" alt="FILE - In this Dec. 15, 2011 file photo, former MF Global Holdings Ltd. Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Jon Corzine testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington, before the House Financial Services Committee. Federal regulators announced Thursday, June 27, 2013, that they have accused former New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine of failing to properly manage MF Global, which misused customer funds before its 2011 collapse. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File)" align="left" title="FILE - In this Dec. 15, 2011 file photo, former MF Global Holdings Ltd. Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Jon Corzine testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington, before the House Financial Services Committee. Federal regulators announced Thursday, June 27, 2013, that they have accused former New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine of failing to properly manage MF Global, which misused customer funds before its 2011 collapse. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File)" border="0" /></a>WASHINGTON (AP) ? Federal regulators have accused former New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine of misusing customer money while he was CEO of brokerage firm MF Global, which collapsed in 2011.</p><br clear="all"/>http://news.yahoo.com/us-agency-sues-corzine-over-failure-mf-global-185641107.htmlThu, 27 Jun 2013 17:01:06 -0400Associated Pressus-agency-sues-corzine-over-failure-mf-global-185641107<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/us-agency-sues-corzine-over-failure-mf-global-185641107.html"><img src="http://l3.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/7Cvl6Rk85SxPeea1GHKXgQ--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/ap_webfeeds/186b21308059fc15350f6a7067000be8.jpg" width="130" height="86" alt="FILE - In this Dec. 15, 2011 file photo, former MF Global Holdings Ltd. Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Jon Corzine testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington, before the House Financial Services Committee. Federal regulators announced Thursday, June 27, 2013, that they have accused former New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine of failing to properly manage MF Global, which misused customer funds before its 2011 collapse. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File)" align="left" title="FILE - In this Dec. 15, 2011 file photo, former MF Global Holdings Ltd. Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Jon Corzine testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington, before the House Financial Services Committee. Federal regulators announced Thursday, June 27, 2013, that they have accused former New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine of failing to properly manage MF Global, which misused customer funds before its 2011 collapse. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File)" border="0" /></a>WASHINGTON (AP) ? Federal regulators have accused former New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine of misusing customer money while he was CEO of brokerage firm MF Global, which collapsed in 2011.</p><br clear="all"/><p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/donovan-back-us-not-bocanegra-152521733.html"><img src="http://l2.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/v63dT01EH1j_Lv0CTjRhXw--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/ap_webfeeds/ecfaee477f66f715350f6a7067003e88.jpg" width="130" height="86" alt="FILE - In this April 3, 2013 file photo, Los Angeles Galaxy midfielder Landon Donovan controls the ball during the second half of the CONCACAF Champions League semifinal against Monterrey in Carson, Calif. Donovan is returning to the U.S. national team after an absence of nearly 11 months. (AP Photo/Bret Hartman, File)" align="left" title="FILE - In this April 3, 2013 file photo, Los Angeles Galaxy midfielder Landon Donovan controls the ball during the second half of the CONCACAF Champions League semifinal against Monterrey in Carson, Calif. Donovan is returning to the U.S. national team after an absence of nearly 11 months. (AP Photo/Bret Hartman, File)" border="0" /></a>NEW YORK (AP) ? Landon Donovan is getting a chance to earn back his spot on the U.S. national team.</p><br clear="all"/>http://news.yahoo.com/donovan-back-us-not-bocanegra-152521733.htmlThu, 27 Jun 2013 16:58:31 -0400Associated Pressdonovan-back-us-not-bocanegra-152521733<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/donovan-back-us-not-bocanegra-152521733.html"><img src="http://l2.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/v63dT01EH1j_Lv0CTjRhXw--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/ap_webfeeds/ecfaee477f66f715350f6a7067003e88.jpg" width="130" height="86" alt="FILE - In this April 3, 2013 file photo, Los Angeles Galaxy midfielder Landon Donovan controls the ball during the second half of the CONCACAF Champions League semifinal against Monterrey in Carson, Calif. Donovan is returning to the U.S. national team after an absence of nearly 11 months. (AP Photo/Bret Hartman, File)" align="left" title="FILE - In this April 3, 2013 file photo, Los Angeles Galaxy midfielder Landon Donovan controls the ball during the second half of the CONCACAF Champions League semifinal against Monterrey in Carson, Calif. Donovan is returning to the U.S. national team after an absence of nearly 11 months. (AP Photo/Bret Hartman, File)" border="0" /></a>NEW YORK (AP) ? Landon Donovan is getting a chance to earn back his spot on the U.S. national team.</p><br clear="all"/><p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/gandolfini-big-man-everyman-eulogized-205655387.html"><img src="http://l.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/0tyEeIRc3knSm21Dcqx_cw--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/ap_webfeeds/464a7c9a8028fb15350f6a7067000512.jpg" width="130" height="86" alt="HBO CEO Richard Plepler, center, and David Chase, center right, producer of &quot;The Sopranos&quot;, walk out of Cathedral Church of Saint John the Divine after funeral services for actor James Gandolfini, Thursday, June 27, 2013, in New York. Gandolfini, who played Tony Soprano in the hit HBO show, died while vacationing in Italy last week. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)" align="left" title="HBO CEO Richard Plepler, center, and David Chase, center right, producer of &quot;The Sopranos&quot;, walk out of Cathedral Church of Saint John the Divine after funeral services for actor James Gandolfini, Thursday, June 27, 2013, in New York. Gandolfini, who played Tony Soprano in the hit HBO show, died while vacationing in Italy last week. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)" border="0" /></a>NEW YORK (AP) ? The funeral of James Gandolfini took place in one of the largest churches in the world and didn&#039;t stint on ceremony.</p><br clear="all"/>http://news.yahoo.com/gandolfini-big-man-everyman-eulogized-205655387.htmlThu, 27 Jun 2013 16:56:55 -0400Associated Pressgandolfini-big-man-everyman-eulogized-205655387<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/gandolfini-big-man-everyman-eulogized-205655387.html"><img src="http://l.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/0tyEeIRc3knSm21Dcqx_cw--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/ap_webfeeds/464a7c9a8028fb15350f6a7067000512.jpg" width="130" height="86" alt="HBO CEO Richard Plepler, center, and David Chase, center right, producer of &quot;The Sopranos&quot;, walk out of Cathedral Church of Saint John the Divine after funeral services for actor James Gandolfini, Thursday, June 27, 2013, in New York. Gandolfini, who played Tony Soprano in the hit HBO show, died while vacationing in Italy last week. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)" align="left" title="HBO CEO Richard Plepler, center, and David Chase, center right, producer of &quot;The Sopranos&quot;, walk out of Cathedral Church of Saint John the Divine after funeral services for actor James Gandolfini, Thursday, June 27, 2013, in New York. Gandolfini, who played Tony Soprano in the hit HBO show, died while vacationing in Italy last week. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)" border="0" /></a>NEW YORK (AP) ? The funeral of James Gandolfini took place in one of the largest churches in the world and didn&#039;t stint on ceremony.</p><br clear="all"/><p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/jewell-makes-emotional-pledge-native-americans-191859719.html"><img src="http://l.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/T7qTcMJS5yEhKUgPXm8dxw--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/ap_webfeeds/adfbae0e8039fb15350f6a706700b136.jpg" width="130" height="86" alt="FILE - This June 6, 2013 file photo shows Interior Secretary Sally Jewell, on Capitol Hill in Washington. Jewell made an emotional pledge, Thursday June 27, 2013, in her first address to Indian Country as the 51st U.S. Interior secretary, saying she&#039;ll help right past wrongs against Native Americans and work with tribes &quot;nation-to-nation&quot; to protect their sovereignty. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, file)" align="left" title="FILE - This June 6, 2013 file photo shows Interior Secretary Sally Jewell, on Capitol Hill in Washington. Jewell made an emotional pledge, Thursday June 27, 2013, in her first address to Indian Country as the 51st U.S. Interior secretary, saying she&#039;ll help right past wrongs against Native Americans and work with tribes &quot;nation-to-nation&quot; to protect their sovereignty. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, file)" border="0" /></a>RENO, Nev. (AP) ? In her first address to Indian Country as the 51st U.S. Interior Secretary, Sally Jewell made an emotional pledge Thursday to help right past wrongs against Native Americans and work together with tribes &quot;nation-to-nation&quot; to protect their sovereignty and develop their cultural and natural resources to become more economically self-reliant.</p><br clear="all"/>http://news.yahoo.com/jewell-makes-emotional-pledge-native-americans-191859719.htmlThu, 27 Jun 2013 16:53:45 -0400Associated Pressjewell-makes-emotional-pledge-native-americans-191859719<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/jewell-makes-emotional-pledge-native-americans-191859719.html"><img src="http://l.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/T7qTcMJS5yEhKUgPXm8dxw--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/ap_webfeeds/adfbae0e8039fb15350f6a706700b136.jpg" width="130" height="86" alt="FILE - This June 6, 2013 file photo shows Interior Secretary Sally Jewell, on Capitol Hill in Washington. Jewell made an emotional pledge, Thursday June 27, 2013, in her first address to Indian Country as the 51st U.S. Interior secretary, saying she&#039;ll help right past wrongs against Native Americans and work with tribes &quot;nation-to-nation&quot; to protect their sovereignty. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, file)" align="left" title="FILE - This June 6, 2013 file photo shows Interior Secretary Sally Jewell, on Capitol Hill in Washington. Jewell made an emotional pledge, Thursday June 27, 2013, in her first address to Indian Country as the 51st U.S. Interior secretary, saying she&#039;ll help right past wrongs against Native Americans and work with tribes &quot;nation-to-nation&quot; to protect their sovereignty. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, file)" border="0" /></a>RENO, Nev. (AP) ? In her first address to Indian Country as the 51st U.S. Interior Secretary, Sally Jewell made an emotional pledge Thursday to help right past wrongs against Native Americans and work together with tribes &quot;nation-to-nation&quot; to protect their sovereignty and develop their cultural and natural resources to become more economically self-reliant.</p><br clear="all"/><p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/watchdog-defends-review-irs-conservative-scrutiny-174620329.html"><img src="http://l2.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/dyHbQ9z0CDE5MX87j9UfHA--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/Reuters/2013-06-27T205331Z_1_CBRE95Q1M1B00_RTROPTP_2_USA-IRS.JPG" width="130" height="86" alt="Werfel testifies before a House Ways and Means Committee hearing on the status of the IRS&#039;s targeting of political groups, on Capitol Hill in Washington" align="left" title="Werfel testifies before a House Ways and Means Committee hearing on the status of the IRS&#039;s targeting of political groups, on Capitol Hill in Washington" border="0" /></a>By Patrick Temple-West WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, facing criticism of his findings that tax authorities targeted Tea Party-linked groups for extra scrutiny, said his office did not find evidence that the term &quot;progressives&quot; was used to target liberal-leaning groups. As the Internal Revenue Service Tea Party controversy turned inward on itself, with investigators themselves under scrutiny, J. Russell George said in a letter to Democrats that his office found the IRS did not scrutinize conservative and progressive groups equally. ...</p><br clear="all"/>http://news.yahoo.com/watchdog-defends-review-irs-conservative-scrutiny-174620329.htmlThu, 27 Jun 2013 16:53:31 -0400Reuterswatchdog-defends-review-irs-conservative-scrutiny-174620329<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/watchdog-defends-review-irs-conservative-scrutiny-174620329.html"><img src="http://l2.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/dyHbQ9z0CDE5MX87j9UfHA--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/Reuters/2013-06-27T205331Z_1_CBRE95Q1M1B00_RTROPTP_2_USA-IRS.JPG" width="130" height="86" alt="Werfel testifies before a House Ways and Means Committee hearing on the status of the IRS&#039;s targeting of political groups, on Capitol Hill in Washington" align="left" title="Werfel testifies before a House Ways and Means Committee hearing on the status of the IRS&#039;s targeting of political groups, on Capitol Hill in Washington" border="0" /></a>By Patrick Temple-West WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, facing criticism of his findings that tax authorities targeted Tea Party-linked groups for extra scrutiny, said his office did not find evidence that the term &quot;progressives&quot; was used to target liberal-leaning groups. As the Internal Revenue Service Tea Party controversy turned inward on itself, with investigators themselves under scrutiny, J. Russell George said in a letter to Democrats that his office found the IRS did not scrutinize conservative and progressive groups equally. ...</p><br clear="all"/><p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/target-cuts-ties-deen-drugmaker-distances-155508712.html"><img src="http://l2.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/VvEGNgM9RmoTRd9yQm27WA--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/ap_webfeeds/4eeac6356160e315350f6a7067006aad.jpg" width="130" height="86" alt="In this publicity image released by NBC, celebrity chef Paula Deen appears on NBC News&#039; &quot;Today&quot; show, wednesday, June 26, 2013 in New York. Deen dissolved into tears during a &quot;Today&quot; show interview Wednesday about her admission that she used a racial slur in the past. The celebrity chef, who had backed out of a &quot;Today&quot; interview last Friday, said she was not a racist and was heartbroken by the controversy that began with her own deposition in a lawsuit. Deen has been dropped by the Food Network and as a celebrity endorser by Smithfield Foods. (AP Photo/NBC, Peter Kramer)" align="left" title="In this publicity image released by NBC, celebrity chef Paula Deen appears on NBC News&#039; &quot;Today&quot; show, wednesday, June 26, 2013 in New York. Deen dissolved into tears during a &quot;Today&quot; show interview Wednesday about her admission that she used a racial slur in the past. The celebrity chef, who had backed out of a &quot;Today&quot; interview last Friday, said she was not a racist and was heartbroken by the controversy that began with her own deposition in a lawsuit. Deen has been dropped by the Food Network and as a celebrity endorser by Smithfield Foods. (AP Photo/NBC, Peter Kramer)" border="0" /></a>NEW YORK (AP) ? Paula Deen&#039;s multimillion-dollar merchandise and media empire continues to unravel following revelations that she used racial slurs in the past.</p><br clear="all"/>http://news.yahoo.com/target-cuts-ties-deen-drugmaker-distances-155508712.htmlThu, 27 Jun 2013 16:53:27 -0400Associated Presstarget-cuts-ties-deen-drugmaker-distances-155508712<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/target-cuts-ties-deen-drugmaker-distances-155508712.html"><img src="http://l2.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/VvEGNgM9RmoTRd9yQm27WA--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/ap_webfeeds/4eeac6356160e315350f6a7067006aad.jpg" width="130" height="86" alt="In this publicity image released by NBC, celebrity chef Paula Deen appears on NBC News&#039; &quot;Today&quot; show, wednesday, June 26, 2013 in New York. Deen dissolved into tears during a &quot;Today&quot; show interview Wednesday about her admission that she used a racial slur in the past. The celebrity chef, who had backed out of a &quot;Today&quot; interview last Friday, said she was not a racist and was heartbroken by the controversy that began with her own deposition in a lawsuit. Deen has been dropped by the Food Network and as a celebrity endorser by Smithfield Foods. (AP Photo/NBC, Peter Kramer)" align="left" title="In this publicity image released by NBC, celebrity chef Paula Deen appears on NBC News&#039; &quot;Today&quot; show, wednesday, June 26, 2013 in New York. Deen dissolved into tears during a &quot;Today&quot; show interview Wednesday about her admission that she used a racial slur in the past. The celebrity chef, who had backed out of a &quot;Today&quot; interview last Friday, said she was not a racist and was heartbroken by the controversy that began with her own deposition in a lawsuit. Deen has been dropped by the Food Network and as a celebrity endorser by Smithfield Foods. (AP Photo/NBC, Peter Kramer)" border="0" /></a>NEW YORK (AP) ? Paula Deen&#039;s multimillion-dollar merchandise and media empire continues to unravel following revelations that she used racial slurs in the past.</p><br clear="all"/><p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/stocks-gain-encouraging-news-economy-165409772.html"><img src="http://l2.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/GAQooeVFHm9.76W838P3qA--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/ap_webfeeds/098d6beb7e1ff115350f6a706700a9fb.jpg" width="130" height="86" alt="FILE - In this Tuesday, May 28, 2013, file photo, trader William McInerney works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. Global stock markets were mostly higher Thursday June 27, 2013 after the U.S. said quarterly growth may be weaker than expected, raising investors&#039; hopes that the Federal Reserve would delay plans to wind down its stimulus program. (AP Photo/Richard Drew, File)" align="left" title="FILE - In this Tuesday, May 28, 2013, file photo, trader William McInerney works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. Global stock markets were mostly higher Thursday June 27, 2013 after the U.S. said quarterly growth may be weaker than expected, raising investors&#039; hopes that the Federal Reserve would delay plans to wind down its stimulus program. (AP Photo/Richard Drew, File)" border="0" /></a>NEW YORK (AP) ? Better news on jobs and consumer spending pushed stocks higher Thursday.</p><br clear="all"/>http://news.yahoo.com/stocks-gain-encouraging-news-economy-165409772.htmlThu, 27 Jun 2013 16:51:35 -0400Associated Pressstocks-gain-encouraging-news-economy-165409772<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/stocks-gain-encouraging-news-economy-165409772.html"><img src="http://l2.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/GAQooeVFHm9.76W838P3qA--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/ap_webfeeds/098d6beb7e1ff115350f6a706700a9fb.jpg" width="130" height="86" alt="FILE - In this Tuesday, May 28, 2013, file photo, trader William McInerney works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. Global stock markets were mostly higher Thursday June 27, 2013 after the U.S. said quarterly growth may be weaker than expected, raising investors&#039; hopes that the Federal Reserve would delay plans to wind down its stimulus program. (AP Photo/Richard Drew, File)" align="left" title="FILE - In this Tuesday, May 28, 2013, file photo, trader William McInerney works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. Global stock markets were mostly higher Thursday June 27, 2013 after the U.S. said quarterly growth may be weaker than expected, raising investors&#039; hopes that the Federal Reserve would delay plans to wind down its stimulus program. (AP Photo/Richard Drew, File)" border="0" /></a>NEW YORK (AP) ? Better news on jobs and consumer spending pushed stocks higher Thursday.</p><br clear="all"/><p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/once-strength-te-now-mark-pats-205113941.html"><img src="http://l.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/umhuAN6vI9mNl.UGFsniag--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/ap_webfeeds/5b9e7d99617fe415350f6a706700441b.jpg" width="130" height="86" alt="Former New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez, left, stands with his attorney Michael Fee, right, during arraignment in Attleboro District Court Wednesday, June 26, in Attleboro, Mass. Hernandez was charged with murdering Odin Lloyd, a 27-year-old semi-pro football player for the Boston Bandits, whose body was found June 17 in an industrial park in North Attleborough, Mass. (AP Photo/The Sun Chronicle, Mike George, Pool)" align="left" title="Former New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez, left, stands with his attorney Michael Fee, right, during arraignment in Attleboro District Court Wednesday, June 26, in Attleboro, Mass. Hernandez was charged with murdering Odin Lloyd, a 27-year-old semi-pro football player for the Boston Bandits, whose body was found June 17 in an industrial park in North Attleborough, Mass. (AP Photo/The Sun Chronicle, Mike George, Pool)" border="0" /></a>FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) ? The New England Patriots seemed set for years with their young, record-breaking tight end combination.</p><br clear="all"/>http://news.yahoo.com/once-strength-te-now-mark-pats-205113941.htmlThu, 27 Jun 2013 16:51:13 -0400Associated Pressonce-strength-te-now-mark-pats-205113941<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/once-strength-te-now-mark-pats-205113941.html"><img src="http://l.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/umhuAN6vI9mNl.UGFsniag--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/ap_webfeeds/5b9e7d99617fe415350f6a706700441b.jpg" width="130" height="86" alt="Former New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez, left, stands with his attorney Michael Fee, right, during arraignment in Attleboro District Court Wednesday, June 26, in Attleboro, Mass. Hernandez was charged with murdering Odin Lloyd, a 27-year-old semi-pro football player for the Boston Bandits, whose body was found June 17 in an industrial park in North Attleborough, Mass. (AP Photo/The Sun Chronicle, Mike George, Pool)" align="left" title="Former New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez, left, stands with his attorney Michael Fee, right, during arraignment in Attleboro District Court Wednesday, June 26, in Attleboro, Mass. Hernandez was charged with murdering Odin Lloyd, a 27-year-old semi-pro football player for the Boston Bandits, whose body was found June 17 in an industrial park in North Attleborough, Mass. (AP Photo/The Sun Chronicle, Mike George, Pool)" border="0" /></a>FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) ? The New England Patriots seemed set for years with their young, record-breaking tight end combination.</p><br clear="all"/><p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/immigration-overhaul-senate-passes-historic-bill-204725955.html"><img src="http://l.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/JSTLMM9ghTFUClbMmhPXuQ--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/ap_webfeeds/86a3f2bb8053fc15350f6a70670015a4.jpg" width="130" height="86" alt="Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., left, and Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., right, two of the authors of the immigration reform bill crafted by the Senate&#039;s bipartisan &quot;Gang of Eight,&quot; shakes hands on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, June 27, 2013, prior to the final vote. The historic legislation would dramatically remake the U.S. immigration system and require a tough new focus on border security. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)" align="left" title="Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., left, and Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., right, two of the authors of the immigration reform bill crafted by the Senate&#039;s bipartisan &quot;Gang of Eight,&quot; shakes hands on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, June 27, 2013, prior to the final vote. The historic legislation would dramatically remake the U.S. immigration system and require a tough new focus on border security. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)" border="0" /></a>WASHINGTON (AP) ? With a solemnity reserved for momentous occasions, the Senate passed historic legislation Thursday offering the priceless hope of citizenship to millions of immigrants living illegally in America&#039;s shadows. The bill also promises a military-style effort to secure the long-porous border with Mexico.</p><br clear="all"/>http://news.yahoo.com/immigration-overhaul-senate-passes-historic-bill-204725955.htmlThu, 27 Jun 2013 17:11:56 -0400Associated Pressimmigration-overhaul-senate-passes-historic-bill-204725955<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/immigration-overhaul-senate-passes-historic-bill-204725955.html"><img src="http://l.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/JSTLMM9ghTFUClbMmhPXuQ--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/ap_webfeeds/86a3f2bb8053fc15350f6a70670015a4.jpg" width="130" height="86" alt="Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., left, and Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., right, two of the authors of the immigration reform bill crafted by the Senate&#039;s bipartisan &quot;Gang of Eight,&quot; shakes hands on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, June 27, 2013, prior to the final vote. The historic legislation would dramatically remake the U.S. immigration system and require a tough new focus on border security. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)" align="left" title="Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., left, and Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., right, two of the authors of the immigration reform bill crafted by the Senate&#039;s bipartisan &quot;Gang of Eight,&quot; shakes hands on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, June 27, 2013, prior to the final vote. The historic legislation would dramatically remake the U.S. immigration system and require a tough new focus on border security. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)" border="0" /></a>WASHINGTON (AP) ? With a solemnity reserved for momentous occasions, the Senate passed historic legislation Thursday offering the priceless hope of citizenship to millions of immigrants living illegally in America&#039;s shadows. The bill also promises a military-style effort to secure the long-porous border with Mexico.</p><br clear="all"/><p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/federal-agency-finds-lax-regulation-chemicals-113258231.html"><img src="http://l1.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/XuSK1YzExeSsNcrLGZzpKQ--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/ap_webfeeds/f7d78da07e8af315350f6a7067009e23.jpg" width="130" height="86" alt="FILE - The damage from the fertilizer plant explosion is seen from helicopters in accompanying President Barack Obama in West, Texas, in this April 25, 2013 file photo. The U.S Chemical Safety Board will tell a Senate committee Thursday June 27, 2013 that regulation of the dangerous chemicals used in the industry fall under a ?patchwork? of standards that are decades old and are far weaker than rules used by other countries. The findings will be presented to the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak, File)" align="left" title="FILE - The damage from the fertilizer plant explosion is seen from helicopters in accompanying President Barack Obama in West, Texas, in this April 25, 2013 file photo. The U.S Chemical Safety Board will tell a Senate committee Thursday June 27, 2013 that regulation of the dangerous chemicals used in the industry fall under a ?patchwork? of standards that are decades old and are far weaker than rules used by other countries. The findings will be presented to the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak, File)" border="0" /></a>HOUSTON (AP) ? The Environmental Protection Agency has displayed a lack of urgency in the wake of a deadly Texas fertilizer plant explosion and must regulate potentially explosive chemicals immediately, legislators said Thursday.</p><br clear="all"/>http://news.yahoo.com/federal-agency-finds-lax-regulation-chemicals-113258231.htmlThu, 27 Jun 2013 16:43:59 -0400Associated Pressfederal-agency-finds-lax-regulation-chemicals-113258231<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/federal-agency-finds-lax-regulation-chemicals-113258231.html"><img src="http://l1.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/XuSK1YzExeSsNcrLGZzpKQ--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/ap_webfeeds/f7d78da07e8af315350f6a7067009e23.jpg" width="130" height="86" alt="FILE - The damage from the fertilizer plant explosion is seen from helicopters in accompanying President Barack Obama in West, Texas, in this April 25, 2013 file photo. The U.S Chemical Safety Board will tell a Senate committee Thursday June 27, 2013 that regulation of the dangerous chemicals used in the industry fall under a ?patchwork? of standards that are decades old and are far weaker than rules used by other countries. The findings will be presented to the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak, File)" align="left" title="FILE - The damage from the fertilizer plant explosion is seen from helicopters in accompanying President Barack Obama in West, Texas, in this April 25, 2013 file photo. The U.S Chemical Safety Board will tell a Senate committee Thursday June 27, 2013 that regulation of the dangerous chemicals used in the industry fall under a ?patchwork? of standards that are decades old and are far weaker than rules used by other countries. The findings will be presented to the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak, File)" border="0" /></a>HOUSTON (AP) ? The Environmental Protection Agency has displayed a lack of urgency in the wake of a deadly Texas fertilizer plant explosion and must regulate potentially explosive chemicals immediately, legislators said Thursday.</p><br clear="all"/><p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/us-suspends-bangladesh-trade-privileges-194015796.html"><img src="http://l1.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/bk1.dS21R6Y1ZTFelRU_lA--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/ap_webfeeds/019b2d25806cfc15350f6a706700f6bd.jpg" width="130" height="86" alt="FILE - This Dec. 13, 2012 file photo shows labels of garments made in Bangladesh, India, China and Pakistan, that were purchased at a Wal-Mart store in Atlanta. President Barack Obama said Thursday, June 27, 2013, it is suspending U.S. trade privileges for Bangladesh because of concerns over labor rights and worker safety that intensified after hundreds died there in the global garment industry&#039;s worst accident. (AP Photo/David Goldman, File)" align="left" title="FILE - This Dec. 13, 2012 file photo shows labels of garments made in Bangladesh, India, China and Pakistan, that were purchased at a Wal-Mart store in Atlanta. President Barack Obama said Thursday, June 27, 2013, it is suspending U.S. trade privileges for Bangladesh because of concerns over labor rights and worker safety that intensified after hundreds died there in the global garment industry&#039;s worst accident. (AP Photo/David Goldman, File)" border="0" /></a>WASHINGTON (AP) ? President Barack Obama announced Thursday the suspension of U.S. trade privileges for Bangladesh because of concerns over labor rights and worker safety that intensified after hundreds died there in the global garment industry&#039;s worst accident.</p><br clear="all"/>http://news.yahoo.com/us-suspends-bangladesh-trade-privileges-194015796.htmlThu, 27 Jun 2013 16:42:32 -0400Associated Pressus-suspends-bangladesh-trade-privileges-194015796<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/us-suspends-bangladesh-trade-privileges-194015796.html"><img src="http://l1.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/bk1.dS21R6Y1ZTFelRU_lA--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/ap_webfeeds/019b2d25806cfc15350f6a706700f6bd.jpg" width="130" height="86" alt="FILE - This Dec. 13, 2012 file photo shows labels of garments made in Bangladesh, India, China and Pakistan, that were purchased at a Wal-Mart store in Atlanta. President Barack Obama said Thursday, June 27, 2013, it is suspending U.S. trade privileges for Bangladesh because of concerns over labor rights and worker safety that intensified after hundreds died there in the global garment industry&#039;s worst accident. (AP Photo/David Goldman, File)" align="left" title="FILE - This Dec. 13, 2012 file photo shows labels of garments made in Bangladesh, India, China and Pakistan, that were purchased at a Wal-Mart store in Atlanta. President Barack Obama said Thursday, June 27, 2013, it is suspending U.S. trade privileges for Bangladesh because of concerns over labor rights and worker safety that intensified after hundreds died there in the global garment industry&#039;s worst accident. (AP Photo/David Goldman, File)" border="0" /></a>WASHINGTON (AP) ? President Barack Obama announced Thursday the suspension of U.S. trade privileges for Bangladesh because of concerns over labor rights and worker safety that intensified after hundreds died there in the global garment industry&#039;s worst accident.</p><br clear="all"/>Week ending June 23rd, 2013, powered by Nielsen BookScan. Copyright 2013 The Nielsen Company.http://news.yahoo.com/publishers-weekly-best-sellers-225330511.htmlThu, 27 Jun 2013 16:42:30 -0400Associated Presspublishers-weekly-best-sellers-225330511<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/egypt-skepticism-over-religion-politics-204121626.html"><img src="http://l3.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/yL_OjotwogPvyJl7.9bY4A--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/ap_webfeeds/7a668f7a7f76f715350f6a7067002a94.jpg" width="130" height="86" alt="FILE - In this Monday, March 4, 2013, file photo, a journalist take pictures of Egyptian Salafi Muslims, unseen, during a protest in support of bearded police officers who were prevented from carrying out their work in the interior ministry, in front of the Shura Council, the upper house of Parliament, in Cairo, Egypt. Amid Egypt?s multiple woes under an Islamist-dominated administration, religion is not the political selling point it once was among Egyptians, one factor fueling planned weekend protests calling for Morsi?s fall. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil, File)" align="left" title="FILE - In this Monday, March 4, 2013, file photo, a journalist take pictures of Egyptian Salafi Muslims, unseen, during a protest in support of bearded police officers who were prevented from carrying out their work in the interior ministry, in front of the Shura Council, the upper house of Parliament, in Cairo, Egypt. Amid Egypt?s multiple woes under an Islamist-dominated administration, religion is not the political selling point it once was among Egyptians, one factor fueling planned weekend protests calling for Morsi?s fall. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil, File)" border="0" /></a>CAIRO (AP) ? In a tiny mosque in southern Egypt, the cleric railed in his sermon against opponents of Islamist President Mohammed Morsi, comparing them to &quot;the Devil, who rebelled against God and was kicked out of heaven.&quot; Among the Muslim worshippers, a 42-year-old civil servant had enough.</p><br clear="all"/>http://news.yahoo.com/egypt-skepticism-over-religion-politics-204121626.htmlThu, 27 Jun 2013 16:41:21 -0400Associated Pressegypt-skepticism-over-religion-politics-204121626<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/egypt-skepticism-over-religion-politics-204121626.html"><img src="http://l3.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/yL_OjotwogPvyJl7.9bY4A--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/ap_webfeeds/7a668f7a7f76f715350f6a7067002a94.jpg" width="130" height="86" alt="FILE - In this Monday, March 4, 2013, file photo, a journalist take pictures of Egyptian Salafi Muslims, unseen, during a protest in support of bearded police officers who were prevented from carrying out their work in the interior ministry, in front of the Shura Council, the upper house of Parliament, in Cairo, Egypt. Amid Egypt?s multiple woes under an Islamist-dominated administration, religion is not the political selling point it once was among Egyptians, one factor fueling planned weekend protests calling for Morsi?s fall. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil, File)" align="left" title="FILE - In this Monday, March 4, 2013, file photo, a journalist take pictures of Egyptian Salafi Muslims, unseen, during a protest in support of bearded police officers who were prevented from carrying out their work in the interior ministry, in front of the Shura Council, the upper house of Parliament, in Cairo, Egypt. Amid Egypt?s multiple woes under an Islamist-dominated administration, religion is not the political selling point it once was among Egyptians, one factor fueling planned weekend protests calling for Morsi?s fall. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil, File)" border="0" /></a>CAIRO (AP) ? In a tiny mosque in southern Egypt, the cleric railed in his sermon against opponents of Islamist President Mohammed Morsi, comparing them to &quot;the Devil, who rebelled against God and was kicked out of heaven.&quot; Among the Muslim worshippers, a 42-year-old civil servant had enough.</p><br clear="all"/><p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/iraq-official-says-baghdad-open-us-military-aid-142850054.html"><img src="http://l3.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/EBC0G4xp.0Cb0r3.QKmGBw--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/ap_webfeeds/ffc113be6148e315350f6a706700757f.jpg" width="130" height="86" alt="Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, left, accompanied by Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, answers a question during a news conference at the Pentagon, Wednesday, June 26, 2013. Hagel, following the Supreme Court ruling that same-sex couples should get the same federal benefits as heterosexual couples, said the Pentagon would begin the process to extend benefits to the same-sex spouses of military members as soon as possible. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)" align="left" title="Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, left, accompanied by Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, answers a question during a news conference at the Pentagon, Wednesday, June 26, 2013. Hagel, following the Supreme Court ruling that same-sex couples should get the same federal benefits as heterosexual couples, said the Pentagon would begin the process to extend benefits to the same-sex spouses of military members as soon as possible. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)" border="0" /></a>BAGHDAD (AP) ? Iraq is open to greater American military cooperation as U.S. commanders explore ways to boost security assistance to the country, a top Iraqi official said Thursday as a fresh wave of bombings claimed 16 lives.</p><br clear="all"/>http://news.yahoo.com/iraq-official-says-baghdad-open-us-military-aid-142850054.htmlThu, 27 Jun 2013 16:40:40 -0400Associated Pressiraq-official-says-baghdad-open-us-military-aid-142850054<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/iraq-official-says-baghdad-open-us-military-aid-142850054.html"><img src="http://l3.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/EBC0G4xp.0Cb0r3.QKmGBw--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/ap_webfeeds/ffc113be6148e315350f6a706700757f.jpg" width="130" height="86" alt="Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, left, accompanied by Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, answers a question during a news conference at the Pentagon, Wednesday, June 26, 2013. Hagel, following the Supreme Court ruling that same-sex couples should get the same federal benefits as heterosexual couples, said the Pentagon would begin the process to extend benefits to the same-sex spouses of military members as soon as possible. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)" align="left" title="Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, left, accompanied by Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, answers a question during a news conference at the Pentagon, Wednesday, June 26, 2013. Hagel, following the Supreme Court ruling that same-sex couples should get the same federal benefits as heterosexual couples, said the Pentagon would begin the process to extend benefits to the same-sex spouses of military members as soon as possible. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)" border="0" /></a>BAGHDAD (AP) ? Iraq is open to greater American military cooperation as U.S. commanders explore ways to boost security assistance to the country, a top Iraqi official said Thursday as a fresh wave of bombings claimed 16 lives.</p><br clear="all"/><p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/weekend-heat-wave-bake-western-us-181304892.html"><img src="http://l1.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/TuHB53Q_khufB9O0ymoMbA--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/ap_webfeeds/0b98319b7fc8f915350f6a7067009910.jpg" width="130" height="86" alt="Construction workers gather at a new home site at sunrise to beat daytime high temperatures, Thursday, June 27, 2013 in Queen Creek, Ariz. Excessive heat warnings will continue for much of the Desert Southwest as building high pressure triggers major warming in eastern California, Nevada, and Arizona. Dangerously hot temperatures are expected across the Arizona deserts throughout the week with a high of 118 by Friday. (AP Photo/Matt York)" align="left" title="Construction workers gather at a new home site at sunrise to beat daytime high temperatures, Thursday, June 27, 2013 in Queen Creek, Ariz. Excessive heat warnings will continue for much of the Desert Southwest as building high pressure triggers major warming in eastern California, Nevada, and Arizona. Dangerously hot temperatures are expected across the Arizona deserts throughout the week with a high of 118 by Friday. (AP Photo/Matt York)" border="0" /></a>LAS VEGAS (AP) ? A high pressure system hanging over the West this weekend is expected to bring temperatures extreme even in a region used to baking during the summer.</p><br clear="all"/>http://news.yahoo.com/weekend-heat-wave-bake-western-us-181304892.htmlThu, 27 Jun 2013 16:40:24 -0400Associated Pressweekend-heat-wave-bake-western-us-181304892<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/weekend-heat-wave-bake-western-us-181304892.html"><img src="http://l1.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/TuHB53Q_khufB9O0ymoMbA--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/ap_webfeeds/0b98319b7fc8f915350f6a7067009910.jpg" width="130" height="86" alt="Construction workers gather at a new home site at sunrise to beat daytime high temperatures, Thursday, June 27, 2013 in Queen Creek, Ariz. Excessive heat warnings will continue for much of the Desert Southwest as building high pressure triggers major warming in eastern California, Nevada, and Arizona. Dangerously hot temperatures are expected across the Arizona deserts throughout the week with a high of 118 by Friday. (AP Photo/Matt York)" align="left" title="Construction workers gather at a new home site at sunrise to beat daytime high temperatures, Thursday, June 27, 2013 in Queen Creek, Ariz. Excessive heat warnings will continue for much of the Desert Southwest as building high pressure triggers major warming in eastern Cal

Source: http://rss.news.yahoo.com/rss/topstories

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China's latest manned spacecraft lands safely after mission: Xinhua

1 of 6. Ground crew talks to astronaut Nie Haisheng before helping him out of the re-entry capsule of China's Shenzhou-10 spacecraft after it landed at its main landing site in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region in this still image taken from a video, June 26, 2013.

Credit: Reuters/CCTV via REUTERS TV

Source: http://feeds.reuters.com/~r/reuters/scienceNews/~3/adEINw5tHPQ/story01.htm

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Hernandez charged with murder, cut by Patriots

FILE - In this Jan. 13, 2013 file photo, New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez runs after a catch during the second half of an AFC divisional playoff NFL football game against the Houston Texans in Foxborough, Mass. Hernandez has been taken from his home in Attleboro, Mass. in handcuffs, Wednesday, June 26, 2013, after a Boston semi-pro football player was found dead in an industrial park a mile from his house. (AP Photo/Stephan Savoia, File)

FILE - In this Jan. 13, 2013 file photo, New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez runs after a catch during the second half of an AFC divisional playoff NFL football game against the Houston Texans in Foxborough, Mass. Hernandez has been taken from his home in Attleboro, Mass. in handcuffs, Wednesday, June 26, 2013, after a Boston semi-pro football player was found dead in an industrial park a mile from his house. (AP Photo/Stephan Savoia, File)

Former New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez, left, stands with his attorney Michael Fee, right, during arraignment in Attleboro District Court Wednesday, June 26, in Attleboro, Mass. Hernandez was charged with murdering Odin Lloyd, a 27-year-old semi-pro football player for the Boston Bandits, whose body was found June 17 in an industrial park in North Attleborough, Mass. (AP Photo/The Sun Chronicle, Mike George, Pool)

FILE - In this Jan. 1, 2012 file photo, New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez (81) tries to break free of Buffalo Bills linebacker Chris Kelsay (90) during the fourth quarter of an NFL football game in Foxborough, Mass. Hernandez has been taken from his home in handcuffs, Wednesday, June 26, 2013, after a Boston semi-pro football player was found dead in an industrial park a mile from his house. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola, File)

Family of Odin Lloyd react during the arraignment of former New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez in Attleboro District Court Wednesday, June 26, in Attleboro, Mass. Hernandez was charged with murdering Lloyd, a 27-year-old semi-pro football player for the Boston Bandits, whose body was found June 17 in an industrial park in North Attleborough, Mass. (AP Photo/The Sun Chronicle, Mike George, Pool)

Michael Fee, defense attorney for former New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez, speaks to the media outside Attleboro District Court after Hernandez was arraigned Wednesday, June 26, 2013, in Attleboro, Mass. Hernandez was charged with murdering Odin Lloyd, a 27-year-old semi-pro football player for the Boston Bandits, whose body was found June 17 in an industrial park in North Attleborough, Mass. (AP Photo/The Sun Chronicle, Mark Stockwell) MANDATORY CREDIT MAGS OUT PROVIDENCE JOURNAL OUT

The New England Patriots did not wait until Aaron Hernandez was charged with murder to cut ties with the troubled tight end, releasing him from the roster on Wednesday morning soon after police led him from his house in handcuffs.

In a rare instance of public relations before football for one of the league's most successful teams, the Patriots released a statement saying, "At this time, we believe this transaction is simply the right thing to do."

The swift dissociation came the same day the Cleveland Browns released rookie linebacker Ausar Walcott, who has been charged with attempted murder and accused of punching a man outside a New Jersey strip club. And it comes the same week NFL rookies are gathering at the Browns' facilities for lectures and workshops designed to help them avoid the pitfalls of professional sports.

From Atlanta quarterback Michael Vick's dogfighting ring to the murder-suicide involving Kansas City linebacker Jovan Belcher, the league has struggled to keep pace with its players' off-field problems, some of them violent. Hernandez was charged Wednesday with the slaying of semi-pro football player Odin Lloyd, whose bullet-riddled body was found in an industrial park about a mile away from Hernandez's North Attleborough, Mass., home.

Prosecutor Bill McCauley said at the arraignment that Hernandez "orchestrated the crime from the beginning." Hernandez, who was held without bail, did not enter a plea, but his lawyer said the case against the 23-year-old football player "is not a strong case."

If convicted, Hernandez faces life in prison without parole.

"The involvement of an NFL player in a case of this nature is deeply troubling," the NFL said in a statement. "The Patriots have released Aaron Hernandez, who will have his day in court. At the same time, we should not forget the young man who was the victim in this case and take this opportunity to extend our deepest sympathy to Odin Lloyd's family and friends."

Even as Hernandez was being arrested, the Patriots continued the business of football.

The decision to release him broke up the tight end tandem of Hernandez and Rob Gronkowski that had been one of the most effective in history, a pairing of Pro Bowl players who combined for 16 touchdowns and 1,479 yards receiving last season ? the most for any team at the position, according to STATS. Two years ago, with 169 catches for 2,237 yards and 24 touchdowns, the New England tight ends set NFL records in each category.

Gronkowski has had five operations this offseason on his back and broken left forearm, leaving his future uncertain and New England ? at least temporarily ? with five other tight ends expected to be ready for the start of training camp; together they caught a total of nine passes last season. Tim Tebow, a quarterback who may be better suited for tight end, is also an option.

With a single-minded focus on football that has made him one of the most successful coaches in NFL history, the taciturn Bill Belichick has long been willing to take a chance on talented but troubled players in hopes that a fresh start with New England and a winning environment would keep them in line.

In most cases, players are given short-term deals that make it easy for the team to purge them if the problems reappear.

But under the five-year, $41 million contract extension Hernandez signed last year, a copy of which was obtained by The Associated Press, he will cost the Patriots about $4 million under the league's salary cap in 2013. That would include the $1.323 million salary for 2013 plus a pro-rated portion of his signing bonus, according to an NFL agent familiar with the contract who spoke on the condition of anonymity because such details are not public.

Next year's cap hit would be even worse ? the $7.5 million left on his signing bonus plus his base salary of about $1.1 million, the agent said. The NFL's collective bargaining agreement allows teams to recoup bonus money when a player is incarcerated, but by releasing him the team probably lost the opportunity to take advantage of that provision, the agent said.

An All-American at Florida, Hernandez's behavior in college led him to be red-flagged entering the NFL, when several teams reportedly took him off their draft boards ? refusing to pick him under any circumstances ? and enough had questions about his character to let him slide all the way to New England in the fourth round.

Afterward, Hernandez said he had failed a single drug test in college, reportedly for marijuana, and was honest with teams about it.

And the Patriots seemed like the perfect fit.

Even before Belichick became the coach, the organization tried to maintain a delicate balance ? publicly stressing good character while signing players with questions in their past.

In 1996, New England drafted defensive lineman Christian Peter from Nebraska in the fifth round even though he had been arrested eight times, accused of grabbing one woman around the throat and of sexually assaulting a former Miss Nebraska. "They're not all choir boys in this league," then-coach Bill Parcells said, but the team ? spurred by the wife of owner Bob Kraft ? soon relinquished its draft rights to him.

Nor has Belichick shied away from players with troubled pasts more recently, though none faced charges as serious as Hernandez. Among the players signed by the Patriots were receivers Randy Moss and the one known at the time as Chad Ochocinco; defensive backs Alfonzo Dennard, Aqib Talib and Brandon Meriweather; running back Corey Dillon, and offensive lineman Nick Kaczur.

Most had questions about their personal lives before coming to New England, already wearing out their welcome with one or more other NFL teams. Some ran into legal trouble only after signing with New England. Others, like Moss and Dillon, produced on the field for a while before the Patriots grew tired of them, too.

Despite his problems in college, Hernandez seemed to be staying out of trouble in New England. But since Hernandez was connected with Lloyd's death, other issues have become public.

A South Florida man filed a lawsuit last week claiming Hernandez shot him in the face after they argued at a strip club. The man, who lost his right eye, told police after the February incident that he did not know who shot him.

The Boston Globe reported that Hernandez lost his temper and threatened teammate Wes Welker during an argument in the team's weight room shortly after being drafted.

But Hernandez became a father to a daughter on Nov. 6, and he said it made him think.

"I'm engaged now and I have a baby. So it's just going to make me think of life a lot differently and doing things the right way," he said. "Now, another one is looking up to me. I can't just be young and reckless Aaron no more. I'm going to try to do the right things, become a good father and (have her) be raised like I was raised."

___

Howard Ulman contributed to this story from North Attleborough and Michelle R. Smith contributed from Attleboro.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2013-06-26-Patriots-Hernandez/id-bf1a9ae282804cf1848f7733b84b90c8

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