Wednesday, January 2, 2013

Clinton discharged from hospital, doctors expect full recovery

Clinton discharged from hospital, doctors expect full recovery

Clinton discharged from hospital, doctors expect full recovery

Posted: 02 Jan 2013 04:35 PM PST

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton leaves New York Presbyterian Hospital with husband, Bill, and daughter, Chelsea, in New YorkWASHINGTON (Reuters) - Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was discharged from a New York hospital on Wednesday after being treated for a blood clot near her brain and her doctors expect her to make a full recovery, the State Department said. Clinton, who has not been seen in public since December 7, was at New York-Presbyterian Hospital under treatment for a blood clot behind her right ear that stemmed from a concussion she suffered in mid-December, the department said on Sunday. ...

Governor sues NCAA over Penn State sex scandal

Posted: 02 Jan 2013 06:03 PM PST

Pennsylvania Governor Tom Corbett speaks at a news conference in State College(Reuters) - Pennsylvania Governor Tom Corbett filed a lawsuit on Wednesday demanding that sanctions imposed on Penn State University over the Jerry Sandusky sex scandal be thrown out, saying they threatened to devastate the state's economy. Corbett called the sanctions imposed by the National Collegiate Athletic Association, or NCAA, which include an unprecedented $60 million fine, "overreaching and unlawful. ...

Child support claim rankles sperm donor to lesbian couple

Posted: 02 Jan 2013 05:47 PM PST

KANSAS CITY, Kansas (Reuters) - A Kansas man who donated sperm to a lesbian couple so they could have a child said on Wednesday he is shocked the state is now trying to make him pay child support. William Marotta, 46, donated sperm to Jennifer Schreiner and Angela Bauer under a written agreement that he would not be considered the father of the child nor liable for child support. A daughter, now 3, was born to Schreiner. ...

NY newspaper hires armed guards after publishing gun permit names

Posted: 02 Jan 2013 03:49 PM PST

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A suburban New York newspaper that ignited a furor by publishing the identities of thousands of residents who hold gun licenses has hired armed security to guard its staff after receiving an intimidating e-mail, a police report said. Among a "large amount of negative correspondence" that White Plains, New York-based Journal News has received since publishing permit holders' names was one e-mail in which the sender "wondered what would get in her mail next," according to a Clarkstown, New York, police report obtained by Reuters on Wednesday. ...

Sandy Hook kids prepare for 1st school day since attack

Posted: 02 Jan 2013 01:24 PM PST

The sign post that used to mark the entrance to the Sandy Hook Elementary school is seen empty in NewtownMONROE, Connecticut (Reuters) - Many of the children who escaped last month's massacre at a Newtown, Connecticut, elementary school got their first glimpse of their new school on Wednesday afternoon, welcomed to a building that has been decked out as a "Winter Wonderland" with the help of thousands of kids from around the world. More than 400 Sandy Hook Elementary School students in kindergarten through grade 4 will return to classes on Thursday for the first time since the December 14 attack. ...

NY Times loses bid to uncover details on drone strikes

Posted: 02 Jan 2013 02:18 PM PST

The facade of the New York Times building is seen in New YorkNEW YORK (Reuters) - A federal judge on Wednesday rejected The New York Times' bid to force the U.S. government to disclose more information about its targeted killing of people it believes have ties to terrorism, including American citizens. U.S. District Judge Colleen McMahon in Manhattan said the Obama administration did not violate the law by refusing the Times' request for the legal justifications for targeted killings, a strategy the Times said was first contemplated by the Bush administration soon after the attacks of September 11, 2001. ...

Illinois lawmakers begin considering approval of gay marriage

Posted: 02 Jan 2013 05:26 PM PST

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Illinois lawmakers began considering a measure on Wednesday that would make President Barack Obama's home state the 10th in the nation to legalize gay marriage. Supporters and opponents furiously lobbied lawmakers as a leading sponsor of the proposal pressed for a quick vote in the state Senate. The "lame duck" session is the final meeting before a newly elected legislature takes office later in January. ...

Pennsylvania priest gets 8 years behind bars for child porn

Posted: 02 Jan 2013 03:59 PM PST

(Reuters) - A Roman Catholic priest in Pennsylvania who pleaded guilty last year to federal child pornography charges was sentenced on Wednesday to eight years in prison. Bartley Sorensen, a 63-year-old former pastor of St. John Fisher Church outside Pittsburgh, pleaded guilty in May to receiving and possessing thousands of sexually explicit images of exploited children. Sorensen was arrested in December 2011 after a parish employee who had undergone training to identify sexual predators saw him viewing child pornography on his computer and alerted authorities. ...

Boehner sets House votes on Sandy aid after Republican attacks

Posted: 02 Jan 2013 04:43 PM PST

U.S. House Speaker John Boehner arrives to speak to the media on the "fiscal cliff" in WashingtonWASHINGTON (Reuters) - House Speaker John Boehner abruptly reversed course on Wednesday and set a timetable to approve $60 billion in Superstorm Sandy relief, after fellow Republicans including New Jersey Governor Chris Christie heaped scorn on his cancellation of an earlier vote. The Republican-controlled House of Representatives will now vote on Friday on a $9 billion down payment for storm-related support to the National Flood Insurance Program. ...

Runaway Alaska oil rig dragged two tugs for miles

Posted: 02 Jan 2013 04:37 PM PST

Waves crash over the conical drilling unit Kulluk where it sits aground on the southeast side of Sitkalidak Island, AlaskaLONDON/ANCHORAGE, Alaska (Reuters) - The runaway oil rig that ran aground in Alaska on New Year's Eve dragged two vessels trying to control it more than 10 miles toward shore in just over an hour before the crews cut it loose to save themselves in "near hurricane" conditions. Details were still emerging on Wednesday from the U.S. Coast Guard and Royal Dutch/Shell, the company at the center of a controversial and accident-prone Arctic oil drilling program of which the Kulluk drillship is a vital part. ...

One dead at ADM Iowa corn processing plant

Posted: 02 Jan 2013 03:39 PM PST

CHICAGO (Reuters) - One worker died and another was hospitalized after they became unconscious while working at an Archer Daniels Midland Co corn processing plant in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Preliminary reports indicate the two men were preparing a fermentation tank for maintenance and encountered "an oxygen-deficient environment," causing them to lose consciousness, the Cedar Rapids fire department said in a statement. The men, ages 50 and 46, respectively, were found unconscious at about 7 a.m. CST (1300 GMT), the company said. ...

Mississippi River nears historic lows, shipping at risk

Posted: 02 Jan 2013 03:30 PM PST

(Reuters) - The drought-drained Mississippi River will rise slightly later this week between St. Louis and Cairo, Illinois, but later continue its decline toward historic lows, according to a National Weather Service forecast. Low water, due to the worst U.S. drought since 1956, has already impeded the flow of billions of dollars worth of grain, coal, fertilizer and other commodities between the central United States and shipping terminals at the Gulf of Mexico. ...

Gun checks soar 39 percent, set new record: FBI

Posted: 02 Jan 2013 02:02 PM PST

Dealer displays firearms for sale at a gun show in Kansas CityWASHINGTON (Reuters) - The number of FBI background checks required for Americans buying guns set a record in December, indicating that more people may purchase one after the Connecticut school massacre stirred interest in self-defense and prompted renewed talk of limits on firearms, according to FBI data. The FBI said it recorded 2.78 million background checks during the month, surpassing the mark set in November of 2.01 million checks - about a 39 percent rise. The latest monthly figure was up 49 percent over December 2011, when the FBI performed a then-record 1.86 million checks. ...

Boehner sets House votes on Sandy aid after Republican attacks

Posted: 02 Jan 2013 02:10 PM PST

U.S. House Speaker John Boehner arrives to speak to the media on the "fiscal cliff" in WashingtonWASHINGTON (Reuters) - House Speaker John Boehner made a U-turn on Wednesday to clear the way for approval of $60 billion in Superstorm Sandy relief by mid-January after drawing withering fire from fellow Republicans, including New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, for canceling an earlier vote. The Republican-controlled House of Representatives will now vote on Friday on a $9 billion down payment for storm-related aid to the National Flood Insurance program. ...

Runaway Alaska oil rig dragged two tugs for miles

Posted: 02 Jan 2013 02:37 PM PST

Waves crash over the conical drilling unit Kulluk where it sits aground on the southeast side of Sitkalidak Island, AlaskaLONDON/ANCHORAGE, Alaska (Reuters) - The runaway oil rig that ran aground in Alaska on New Year's Eve dragged two vessels trying to control it more than 10 miles toward shore in just over an hour before the crews cut it loose to save themselves in "near hurricane" conditions. Details were still emerging on Wednesday from the U.S. Coast Guard and Royal Dutch/Shell, the company at the center of a controversial and accident-prone Arctic oil drilling program of which the Kulluk drillship is a vital part. ...

Hillary Clinton discharged from N.Y. hospital: State Department

Posted: 02 Jan 2013 03:41 PM PST

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton leaves New York Presbyterian Hospital with husband, Bill, and daughter, Chelsea, in New YorkWASHINGTON (Reuters) - Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was discharged from hospital on Wednesday after being treated for a blood clot in a vein behind her right ear, and her doctors expect her to make a full recovery, a State Department spokesman said. "Her medical team advised her that she is making good progress on all fronts, and they are confident she will make a full recovery," said Philippe Reines in a statement. "She's eager to get back to the office, and we will keep you updated on her schedule as it becomes clearer in the coming days," he said. ...

New York City fire deaths at an all-time low

Posted: 02 Jan 2013 02:02 PM PST

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Fewer people died in fires in New York City in 2012 than in any year since modern record keeping began nearly a century ago, Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced on Wednesday. There were 58 fire-related deaths last year, compared to 66 in 2011, according to the city's data, which extends back to 1916. Bloomberg said the shrinking figures marked a continual decline in fire-related deaths in recent decades. There was an average of 140 fire-related deaths a year in the 1990s, and 278 in the 1970s, according to the city. ...

Pennsylvania suit against NCAA a long shot: experts

Posted: 02 Jan 2013 03:55 PM PST

Pennsylvania Governor Tom Corbett speaks at a news conference in State College(Reuters) - Pennsylvania Governor Tom Corbett faces serious obstacles to winning his antitrust lawsuit against the NCAA over the harsh sanctions it imposed on Penn State in the Jerry Sandusky child sex-abuse scandal, legal experts said on Wednesday. While targeting the National Collegiate Athletic Association may be popular politically in a state where Penn State football is widely loved, the federal court handling the case might rule that the state lacks standing to bring the lawsuit in the first place, experts said. ...

What fiscal cliff? Shoppers shrug off budget debate

Posted: 02 Jan 2013 01:21 PM PST

Shoppers walk past a shop while carrying shopping bags in New York(Reuters) - The "fiscal cliff" drama that dominated the news and spooked businesses and financial markets did little to dampen spending by shoppers this holiday season. A new Reuters/Ipsos poll shows nearly three-quarters of Americans said the debate around the fiscal cliff had no impact on their holiday spending. Fewer than 20 percent of those polled said they spent less during the season than they did in the 2011 holidays, according to the poll. Holiday season sales overall - including December sales data from several chains due this week - were likely good, but not great. ...

Man who donated sperm to resist state petition for child support

Posted: 02 Jan 2013 12:41 PM PST

KANSAS CITY, Kansas (Reuters) - A Kansas man who donated sperm to a lesbian couple so they could have a child and now faces a petition for child support, will resist the demand in court next week, one of his lawyers said on Wednesday. William Marotta, 46, donated sperm to Jennifer Schreiner and Angela Bauer under a written agreement that he would not be considered the father of the child nor liable for child support. A daughter, now 3, was born to Schreiner. ...

Evidence in Colorado theater shooting to be revealed

Posted: 02 Jan 2013 12:03 PM PST

Police handout photo of accused killer James HolmesCENTENNIAL, Colo. (Reuters) - Evidence from a shooting in July in a Colorado movie theater, that killed 12 movie-goers and wounded 58, will be made public for the first time at a hearing next week, prosecutors said on Wednesday. The evidence will be presented to a district judge who will decide if there are sufficient grounds for James Holmes, accused of the shootings, to stand trial. Holmes, a 25-year-old former neuroscience graduate student, is charged with multiple counts of murder and attempted murder for the shooting rampage, in the Denver suburb of Aurora, Colorado, on July 20. ...

Most Americans believe in love at first sight: poll

Posted: 02 Jan 2013 10:52 AM PST

A couple kisses while standing underneath a tree inside Central Park during a warm day in New YorkNEW YORK (Reuters) - Most Americans believe in love at first sight, have never read their partner's email and think good sex is very important to a successful relationship, a poll released on Wednesday showed. They also cited a partner's TV choices as the most annoying source of strife - more than household chores, bedside reading or cleaning the bathroom. "Fifty-six percent of Americans believe in love at first sight, and the percentage is even higher for married people and those in relationships," according to CBS.com, which conducted the 60 Minutes/Vanity Fair poll. ...

NY, NJ governors slam U.S. lawmakers for delay of Sandy relief

Posted: 02 Jan 2013 08:57 AM PST

Governor Christie tours hurricane damage in Little Ferry(Reuters) - Governors Chris Christie of New Jersey and Andrew Cuomo of New York excoriated the U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday for delaying action on a $60.4 billion Superstorm Sandy disaster aid bill, according to a joint statement. Lawmakers ended their session on Tuesday night without voting on the measure, a move that Cuomo and Christie said was a "dereliction of duty." "This continued inaction and indifference ... is inexcusable," the governors said. Some residents are still without jobs, homes and heat more than two months after the storm made landfall. ...

Kidnapped U.S. journalist missing in Syria for six weeks

Posted: 02 Jan 2013 08:03 AM PST

BEIRUT (Reuters) - An American journalist is missing after being kidnapped by unidentified gunmen in northwest Syria six weeks ago, his family said on Wednesday. The family of freelance journalist James Foley, 39, launched a public campaign to bring him home after requesting a news blackout since Foley was taken on 22 November in Idlib province. According to GlobalPost, a news website he had previously reported for, Foley had been driving towards the Syrian border with Turkey when he was intercepted by a car. ...

Lawyer behind Newtown claim says meant to prevent future attacks

Posted: 02 Jan 2013 07:18 AM PST

A woman with flowers walks past a makeshift memorial in Sandy Hook(Reuters) - The lawyer who filed and then quickly withdrew a $100 million legal claim against the state of Connecticut in the wake of the deadly Newtown elementary school shooting said on Wednesday his motive in the case is to prevent future school massacres and that he continues to investigate evidence for a future claim. New Haven, Connecticut-based attorney Irving Pinsky, appearing on CNN, said his job is "to stop this happening again." "It hurts me, but I know it's coming," Pinsky said, referring to the likelihood of a future attack on a school. ...

Obama urges House Republicans to quickly pass Sandy aid package

Posted: 02 Jan 2013 08:43 AM PST

U.S. President Obama delivers remarks after the House of Representatives acted on legislation intended to avoid the "fiscal cliff," at the White House in WashingtonWASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama urged Republicans in the House of Representatives to vote Wednesday on a $60.4 billion Superstorm Sandy disaster aid bill, saying hard-hit states need the federal aid urgently to help rebuild after the October 29 storm. "When tragedy strikes, Americans come together to support those in need. I urge Republicans in the House of Representatives to do the same, bring this important request to a vote today, and pass it without delay for our fellow Americans," Obama said in a statement. (Reporting by Roberta Rampton; Editing by Bill Trott)

NCAA calls Pennsylvania suit an affront to Sandusky's victims

Posted: 02 Jan 2013 10:11 AM PST

Pennsylvania Governor Tom Corbett speaks at a news conference in State College(Reuters) - The National Collegiate Athletic Association on Wednesday said a lawsuit by Pennsylvania Governor Tom Corbett appeared "without merit" and was "an affront to all of the victims" of convicted child molester Jerry Sandusky. Corbett said he would sue the NCAA in federal court to challenge the sanctions it levied against Penn State University over the Sandusky child sex-abuse scandal. "We are disappointed by the governor's action today," the NCAA said in a statement. (Reporting by Daniel Trotta; Editing by Gerald E. McCormick)

Governor announces lawsuit vs NCAA over Penn State scandal

Posted: 02 Jan 2013 08:54 AM PST

Pennsylvania Governor Tom Corbett speaks at a news conference in State College(Reuters) - Pennsylvania Governor Tom Corbett announced on Wednesday he will ask a federal court to throw out the multimillion-dollar sanctions levied by the NCAA against Pennsylvania State University regarding the Jerry Sandusky child sex-abuse scandal. "This was a criminal matter, not a violation of NCAA rules," Corbett said at a news conference, calling the NCAA sanctions "overreaching and unlawful." Sandusky, Penn State's former defensive coordinator, was convicted in June of 45 counts of sexually abusing 10 boys over 15 years, some in the football team's showers. ...
Posted by Harshad at 7:27 PM

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