| Why Afghanistan's historic elections matter Posted: 04 Apr 2014 03:30 PM PDT  After 12 years of war, how will democracy fare after the U.S. leaves?
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| Grand jury now probing NJ bridge closing scandal Posted: 04 Apr 2014 04:48 PM PDT  Grand Jury Convened in NJ to Look Further Into the Matter
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| Judge rejects lawsuit over drone strikes that killed U.S. citizens Posted: 04 Apr 2014 03:26 PM PDT  WASHINGTON (AP) — A judge on Friday dismissed a lawsuit against Obama administration officials for the 2011 drone-strike killings of three U.S. citizens in Yemen, including an al-Qaida cleric.
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| Detroit police hunt suspects in motorist's brutal beating Posted: 04 Apr 2014 04:55 PM PDT  DETROIT (AP) — As Steve Utash lies in a Detroit hospital bed, with his brain swollen and a gash in his head, he appears to remember the brutal beating that a neighborhood mob inflicted days earlier.
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| 3 million Medicaid enrollments bring Obamacare signup total to 10 million Posted: 04 Apr 2014 12:00 PM PDT  By David Morgan WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Three million lower-income Americans have enrolled in the Medicaid program for the poor so far during the rollout of U.S. President Barack Obama's healthcare reform law, the administration announced on Friday. That brings to more than 10 million the number of people who have signed up for both public and private health coverage since the October 1 launch of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, known as Obamacare. "The increase in Medicaid enrollments across the country is encouraging," U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said in a government blog posting. The latest data show for the first time actual enrollments in Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) from October 1 through February 28 for 46 states that have reported statistics to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
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| So what? U.S. regains jobs lost in the recession Posted: 04 Apr 2014 02:48 PM PDT  Analysts downplay milestone as economy is still millions of jobs short of goal.
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| States rebel against powerful new painkiller Posted: 04 Apr 2014 12:52 PM PDT  Officials fear pill that hit market last month will deepen prescription drug abuse crisis.
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| 3 employees suspended following Mo. school rape allegations Posted: 04 Apr 2014 12:17 PM PDT  KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Months after vowing to boost security at a Kansas City school where a student says she was dragged to a room and raped, district officials have suspended three employees amid new allegations from a 14-year-old girl who alleges a boy repeatedly raped her at school.
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| 20,000 march for democracy in Bahrain ahead of high-profile race Posted: 04 Apr 2014 10:58 AM PDT  By Farishta Saeed MANAMA (Reuters) - Tens of thousands of mainly Shi'ite protesters marched for democratic reforms in Bahrain on Friday, two days before its annual Formula One motor race turns international attention toward the Sunni-led kingdom. The protest, organized by al-Wefaq Islamic Society, the main opposition group, drew an estimated 20,0000 men and women who marched with national flags and posters in northwestern Bahrain demanding reforms and release of prisoners. The tiny Gulf Arab monarchy, a U.S. ally, has suffered sporadic unrest since an uprising led by its Shi'ite Muslim majority in early 2011 demanding reforms and a bigger share of power in the minority-led government. The turmoil forced the cancellation of that year's race, but the event went ahead despite continuing unrest in 2012 and 2013, with Germany's Sebastian Vettel winning both times.
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| Remembering Fort Hood's fallen Posted: 04 Apr 2014 02:48 PM PDT  The three soldiers who died in shooting rampage were all men in their 30s.
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| Yellowstone swats at supervolcano fears after video goes viral Posted: 04 Apr 2014 01:38 PM PDT  YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, Wyo. (AP) — Yellowstone National Park is fighting online rumors that running bison seen in a YouTube video are fleeing a possible explosion of the park's supervolcano.
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| Federal judge says he will strike down Ohio gay marriage ban Posted: 04 Apr 2014 11:29 AM PDT  CINCINNATI (AP) — A federal judge said Friday that he will strike down Ohio's voter-approved ban on gay marriage, a move that stops short of forcing Ohio to perform same-sex weddings but will make the state recognize gay couples legally wed elsewhere.
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| New underground railroad -- but for drug running, between US, Mexico Posted: 04 Apr 2014 01:11 PM PDT  By Dan Whitcomb LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - U.S. federal agents have uncovered two drug-smuggling tunnels underneath the U.S.-Mexico border, both surfacing in San Diego-area warehouses and equipped with rail systems for moving contraband, officials said on Friday. The discovery led to the arrest of a 73-year-old woman accused of running one of the warehouses connected to a drug smuggling operation, according to a joint news release by four federal agencies. The tunnels were discovered as part of a five-month investigation by the so-called San Diego Tunnel Task Force. Federal law enforcement officials said the first tunnel, which connects a warehouse in Tijuana, Mexico, with one in an industrial park in the border community of Otay Mesa, is about 600 yards long and is furnished with lighting, a crude rail system and wooden trusses.
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| Nine-month-old baby accused of attempted murder in Pakistan Posted: 04 Apr 2014 08:07 AM PDT  Lahore (Pakistan) (AFP) - While many children his age are still learning how to crawl, a nine-month-old boy in Pakistan has been accused of attempted murder in a case observers say highlights endemic flaws in the country's legal system. Baby Mohammad Musa along with his father and other family members was booked for throwing rocks at gas company officials in the working-class Ahata Thanedaran neighbourhood on February 1, the family's lawyer Chaudhry Irfan Sadiq told AFP Friday. Inspector Kashif Muhammad, who attended the alleged crime scene and has since been suspended, wrote in his report that it was a case of attempted murder. Appearing in a packed court room with others accused in the case on Thursday, Musa was seen crying as his grandfather Muhammad Yasin held him on his shoulder.
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| Time's ticking in search for Malaysia plane Posted: 04 Apr 2014 06:23 AM PDT  Crews take urgent measures because the black box batteries only have a 30-day life.
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| MIlwaukee residents pitch to bring PBR back Posted: 04 Apr 2014 08:31 AM PDT  MILWAUKEE (AP) — Long before it was known for fine cheddar cheese or the Green Bay Packers, Wisconsin was famous for beer, especially the national brands brewed in Milwaukee: Schlitz, Blatz and Pabst Blue Ribbon.
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| John Kerry's peripatetic diplomacy: Crises everywhere! Posted: 03 Apr 2014 09:31 PM PDT  RABAT, Morocco (AP) — More than a week into what was supposed to be only a five-day trip to Europe and Saudi Arabia, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry sat in a Paris hotel suite contemplating his next moves on multiple crisis fronts.
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| Veteran AP photographer Niedringhaus' amazing body of work Posted: 31 Mar 2014 02:22 PM PDT  A U.S. Marine of the 1st Division carries a mascot for good luck in his backpack as his unit pushed further into the western part of Fallujah, Iraq, Sunday, Nov. 14, 2004. The Associated Press won a Pulitzer prize in breaking news photography for the series of pictures of bloody combat in Iraq. The award was the AP's 48th Pulitzer. (AP Photo/Anja Niedringhaus) |
| McDonald's closes its Crimea restaurants Posted: 04 Apr 2014 06:03 AM PDT  By Natalia Zinets KIEV (Reuters) - McDonald's announced on Friday it had closed its restaurants in Crimea, prompting fears of a backlash as a prominent Moscow politician called for all the U.S. fast food chain's outlets in Russia to be shut. Crimea's annexation by Russia, which Ukraine and the West do not acknowledge, has worried companies with assets in the Black Sea peninsula as it is unclear how the change may impact their business. While McDonald's did not mention the political situation in its statement, its decision to leave the region is likely to be seen as emblematic of the rift in Western-Russian relations, now at their lowest ebb since the end of the Cold War. "Due to operational reasons beyond our control, McDonald's has taken the decision to temporarily close our three restaurants in Simferopol, Sevastopol and Yalta," a spokeswoman said.
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| World leaders as seen through the eyes (and paint brush) of George Bush Posted: 04 Apr 2014 04:37 AM PDT  Former President and noted painter George W. Bush has unveiled his portraits of 24 current and former world leaders, including Vladimir Putin, Tony Blair, the Dalai Lama and his father, George H.W. Bush.
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| 'Fearless' AP photographer killed in Afghanistan Posted: 04 Apr 2014 03:56 PM PDT  An AP correspondent also was wounded in the attack on the eve of the nation's elections.
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| SKorea saves 3 NKorea sailors; 2 dead, 11 missing Posted: 03 Apr 2014 11:06 PM PDT  SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Rescuers recovered the bodies of two North Korean sailors, pulled three survivors and were searching for 11 others missing after their cargo ship sank off South Korea's coast early Friday, the coast guard said.
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| Judge dismisses lawsuit over drone strikes Posted: 04 Apr 2014 04:59 PM PDT  WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge on Friday dismissed a lawsuit against Obama administration officials for the 2011 drone-strike killings of three U.S. citizens in Yemen, including an al-Qaida cleric.
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| Kerry: It's 'reality check' time for Mideast talks Posted: 04 Apr 2014 02:39 PM PDT  WASHINGTON (AP) — With Mideast peace talks on the verge of collapse, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry declared Friday that "it's reality check time" on whether an agreement can be reached anytime soon after decades of bitterness between Israeli and Palestinian leaders. The U.S. will re-evaluate its role as mediator, he said.
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| Mozilla CEO resignation raises free-speech issues Posted: 04 Apr 2014 04:43 PM PDT  SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — The resignation of Mozilla's CEO amid outrage that he supported an anti-gay marriage campaign is prompting concerns about how Silicon Valley's strongly liberal culture might quash the very openness that is at the region's foundation.
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| Samsung adding anti-theft solutions to smartphones Posted: 04 Apr 2014 04:19 PM PDT SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Samsung Electronics will add two safeguards to its latest smartphone in an effort to deter rampant theft of the mobile devices nationwide, the company said Friday. |
| Black women worried about Army hair regulations Posted: 04 Apr 2014 04:17 PM PDT  WASHINGTON (AP) — New Army regulations meant to help standardize and professionalize soldiers' appearance are now coming under criticism by some black military women, who say changes in the hair requirement are racially biased.
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| Harrison twins behind Kentucky's Final Four run Posted: 04 Apr 2014 03:40 PM PDT  ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Whether they're setting up game-winning shots or hitting them, Andrew and Aaron Harrison have become the maestros orchestrating Kentucky's unexpected run to the Final Four.
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| Investigator gave nuke force positive 2013 review Posted: 04 Apr 2014 12:17 PM PDT  WASHINGTON (AP) — A retired general chosen to explore flaws in U.S. nuclear forces signed off one year ago on a study describing the nuclear Air Force as "thoroughly professional, disciplined" and performing effectively — an assessment service leaders interpreted as an encouraging thumbs-up.
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| NC judge denies Duke motion to seal coal ash docs Posted: 04 Apr 2014 03:10 PM PDT RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — A North Carolina judge on Friday denied Duke Energy's motion seeking to shield records related to groundwater pollution leaching from 33 coal ash dumps in the state while a separate federal criminal investigation is ongoing. |
| Cuba's official media abuzz over 'secret Twitter' Posted: 04 Apr 2014 12:00 PM PDT  HAVANA (AP) — Revelations of a secret U.S. government program to set up a cellphone-based social network in Cuba are being trumpeted in the island's official media as proof of Havana's repeated allegations that Washington is waging a "cyber-war" to try to stir up unrest.
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| Desperate hunt is on for Flight 370 'black boxes' Posted: 04 Apr 2014 10:17 AM PDT  PERTH, Australia (AP) — Four weeks after the Malaysia Airlines jet vanished, two ships deployed sound locators Friday in the southern Indian Ocean in a desperate attempt to find the plane's flight recorders before their signal beacons fall silent.
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| No clear security fixes for Fort Hood violence Posted: 04 Apr 2014 03:30 PM PDT  DALLAS (AP) — After three mass shootings at military bases in the U.S. over the last five years, security experts say the sad truth is that there is probably no practical way of preventing members of the armed forces or civilian employees from carrying guns onto big installations like Fort Hood.
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