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• Obama: GOP candidate's rape comments 'offensive'
• Obama defends tenor of his campaign, slams Romney
• Early heart death raises disease risk for family
• Romney and Ryan Condemn Congressman Who Went for Skinny-Dip in Israel
• Obama defends tenor of his campaign, slams Romney
• Republicans push Akin to quit Senate race over rape comments
• Malta's former prime minister Dom Mintoff dies at 96
• Augusta, home of the Masters, admits first female members
• UPDATE 4-Augusta, home of the Masters, admits first female members
• Obama warns of military action in Syria over chemical arms
• Inaction in Congress could delay tax refunds
• Pioneering comedian Phyllis Diller dies at age 95
• Factbox: Phyllis Diller's self-deprecating humor
• Factbox: Reaction to death of comedian Phyllis Diller
• Mali forms new caretaker government
• Free Syrian Army bans abuses, party politics
• U.S. seizes $150 million from Lebanese bank in laundering scheme
• Analysis: Afghanistan's peace hopes may rest on Taliban captive
• Obama deeply concerned over Afghan "insider attacks"
• Trump to play "surprise" role at Republican convention
• Early heart death raises disease risk for family
• Seven arrested over attack on East Jerusalem Arab
• Arctic sea ice likely to hit record low next week
• In Pakistan, underground parties push the boundaries
• Court seen reinstating Romanian president in referendum ruling
• US eyes Iran summit of non-aligned nations warily
• EPA seeks input on ethanol mandate waiver requests
• Car bomb kills eight near Turkey's border with Syria
• ap_michelle_obama_school_lunch_state_dinner_ss04_lpl_120820_ssh.jpg
• Boisterous Medicare debate dominates House races
• Insight: At Guantanamo tribunals, don't mention the "T" word
• Conventions play to TV, but with little suspense
• Democrats target Paul Ryan on women's issues

Obama: GOP candidate's rape comments 'offensive' Posted: 20 Aug 2012 10:46 AM PDT President Barack Obama says a GOP Senate candidate's comments on rape are "offensive."

Obama defends tenor of his campaign, slams Romney Posted: 20 Aug 2012 03:31 PM PDT Denounced by his Republican rival for divisiveness, President Barack Obama on Monday defended the tone of his campaign in a combative election year and insisted it's actually Mitt Romney's ads that are "patently false." But Obama did distance himself from a particularly provocative negative ad by a political group that supports him.

Early heart death raises disease risk for family Posted: 20 Aug 2012 02:13 PM PDT Paul Ryan works out and watches his diet, but a new study shows that clean living can only go so far to help people like the vice presidential candidate overcome a strong family history of heart disease.

Romney and Ryan Condemn Congressman Who Went for Skinny-Dip in Israel Posted: 20 Aug 2012 03:32 PM PDT BEDFORD, Mass.  — Mitt Romney said he thinks a congressman's late-night skinny-dipping episode in Israel last year was "reprehensible." News surfaced late Sunday that freshman Kansas Rep. Kevin Yoder went skinny-dipping in the Sea of Galillee in Israel after a late night of drinking with...

Obama defends tenor of his campaign, slams Romney Posted: 20 Aug 2012 03:31 PM PDT Denounced by his Republican rival for divisiveness, President Barack Obama on Monday defended the tone of his campaign in a combative election year and insisted it's actually Mitt Romney's ads that are "patently false." But Obama did distance himself from a particularly provocative negative ad by a political group that supports him.

Republicans push Akin to quit Senate race over rape comments Posted: 20 Aug 2012 03:28 PM PDT WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Senior Republicans on Monday pushed their candidate in the Missouri Senate race, congressman Todd Akin, to quit over his remarks about rape that distracted from the build up to the party's nomination of Mitt Romney for U.S. president next week. Akin was widely criticized for saying in a television interview on Sunday that women have biological defenses to prevent pregnancy in cases of "legitimate rape," making legal abortion unnecessary. ...

Malta's former prime minister Dom Mintoff dies at 96 Posted: 20 Aug 2012 03:26 PM PDT VALLETTA (Reuters) - Dom Mintoff, Malta's former socialist prime minister and dominant political force for more than half a century, died at his residence near Valletta on Monday, the government said. He was 96. Mintoff, known for his confrontational style and fiery speeches, oversaw the closure of Britain's military base on the island in 1979 - ending the 200-year-old military link. The current leader of the labor party Joseph Muscat said on Monday all Maltese had been orphaned by Mintoff's death. ...

Augusta, home of the Masters, admits first female members Posted: 20 Aug 2012 03:25 PM PDT (Reuters) - Augusta National Golf Club, home of the Masters golf tournament, finally ended an all-male policy that had endured for 80 years when it announced on Monday that two women would be admitted as members for the first time. Former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and financier Darla Moore will become the first women to don the renowned green jackets when the Augusta, Georgia, club re-opens for a new season in October. Augusta National's male-only status has drawn criticism for years. ...

UPDATE 4-Augusta, home of the Masters, admits first female members Posted: 20 Aug 2012 03:25 PM PDT * Condoleezza Rice, Darla Moore to join prestigious club * Male-only membership policy drew criticism * Obama welcomes decision - White House (Adds further Moore background, Woods quotes) Aug 20 (Reuters) - Augusta National Golf Club, home of theMasters golf tournament, finally ended an all-male policy thathad endured for 80 years when it announced on Monday that twowomen would be admitted as members for the first time. Former U.S. ...

Obama warns of military action in Syria over chemical arms Posted: 20 Aug 2012 03:23 PM PDT WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama on Monday threatened U.S. military action against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, warning in the strongest terms yet that any attempt to deploy or use chemical or biological weapons would cross a "red line" for the United States. Pointing out that he had refrained "at this point" from ordering U.S. military engagement in Syria's bloody conflict, Obama said that there would be "enormous consequences" if Assad failed to safeguard his weapons of mass destruction. ...

Inaction in Congress could delay tax refunds Posted: 20 Aug 2012 03:17 PM PDT WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Congress could delay billions of dollars in 2013 U.S. tax refunds, dealing a blow to the economy, if it waits too long after the November 6 elections to finalize tax law, a top tax oversight official said. The political uncertainty about what Congress may do after the elections has tax officials foreseeing some potentially bad outcomes for the filing season next year that for most U.S. taxpayers runs from mid- to late January until April 15. ...

Pioneering comedian Phyllis Diller dies at age 95 Posted: 20 Aug 2012 03:15 PM PDT LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Comedian Phyllis Diller, the former housewife whose raucous cackle and jokes about her own looks made her one of America's first female stand-up comedy stars, died in her sleep on Monday at age 95, her longtime manager said. Diller was found in her bed at her home in the affluent Brentwood section of Los Angeles by her son, Perry, who had come to visit her, manager Milt Suchin said. "She had a smile on her face, as you'd expect," Suchin told Reuters. Her publicist, Fred Wostbrock, called her "a true pioneer" and "the first lady of stand-up comedy. ...

Factbox: Phyllis Diller's self-deprecating humor Posted: 20 Aug 2012 03:15 PM PDT (Reuters) - Phyllis Diller, a former housewife whose raucous jokes about her life and looks swept her to fame and made her among America's pioneering female stand-up comediennes, died on Monday, age 95. She was known for her flamboyant style and self-deprecating humor. Here are some examples of Diller's jokes. * "I love to go to the doctor. Where else would a man look at me and say, 'Take off your clothes?'" * "You know you're old when someone compliments you on your alligator shoes and you're barefoot." * "You know you're getting old when your blood type's been discontinued. ...

Factbox: Reaction to death of comedian Phyllis Diller Posted: 20 Aug 2012 03:15 PM PDT LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Phyllis Diller, who died on Monday at age 95, went from housewife to comedian in the 1950s, eventually becoming a star and trailblazer for other female comics. Following are some reactions to her death. DON RICKLES, in a statement - "Phyllis Diller was not only a great comedienne but her memorable teaming with Bob Hope brought female comics to the forefront. Her life was filled with goodness and she deserved the respect she received. She will be missed." BARBRA STREISAND, in a statement - "I adored her. She was a wondrous spirit who was great to me. ...

Mali forms new caretaker government Posted: 20 Aug 2012 03:12 PM PDT BAMAKO (Reuters) - Mali's interim president Dioncounda Traore approved a new transitional government on Monday, to move the West African country closer to constitutional order after a military coup in March. The 31-member government will replace a transitional authority that was crippled by political infighting, and failed make progress in setting elections. "The president of the republic, after receiving proposals from the prime minister, decrees the list of members of government," said a presidential statement read over state radio. ...

Free Syrian Army bans abuses, party politics Posted: 20 Aug 2012 02:49 PM PDT AMMAN (Reuters) - The Free Syrian Army, which groups rebels fighting to overthrow President Bashar al-Assad, issued new orders on Monday forbidding the torture and killing of prisoners following criticism by U.N. investigators. In what was described as a new internal charter, read out by a rebel commander in a video posted on the Internet, the organization also forbade its members from belonging to political or religious factions and committed them to refraining from engaging in politics in a post-Assad state. ...

U.S. seizes $150 million from Lebanese bank in laundering scheme Posted: 20 Aug 2012 02:40 PM PDT NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. authorities said on Monday that they had seized $150 million from a Lebanese bank suspected of being at the heart of international money-laundering schemes linked to the Lebanese Shi'ite group Hezbollah. In February 2011, the U.S. Treasury department designated the Lebanese Canadian Bank as a "primary money-laundering concern." The privately owned bank was subsequently merged with the Lebanese subsidiary of Societe Generale. Federal prosecutors in Manhattan and the U.S. ...

Analysis: Afghanistan's peace hopes may rest on Taliban captive Posted: 20 Aug 2012 02:30 PM PDT KABUL (Reuters) - In the cloistered circles of the Taliban high command, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar had no equal. As military chief of the hardline Islamic movement that once ruled Afghanistan and was ousted by a U.S.-led alliance, he oversaw the campaign of ambushes and roadside bombings that proved his fighters could threaten the most advanced armies. When the talismanic leader was caught in the Pakistani city of Karachi in 2010, some Afghan officials hoped the magnetism he forged in war would persuade his former comrades to start talking peace. ...

Obama deeply concerned over Afghan "insider attacks" Posted: 20 Aug 2012 02:22 PM PDT WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama on Monday said the United States needed to do more to safeguard U.S. troops after a spate of Afghan "insider" attacks that have left 10 American troops killed in the past two weeks. His comments came during a visit by the top U.S. military officer, General Martin Dempsey, to Afghanistan, where the killings of American forces by Afghans have topped the agenda. Obama, who spoke to Dempsey earlier in the day, said he would reach out to Afghan President Hamid Karzai about the killings. ...

Trump to play "surprise" role at Republican convention Posted: 20 Aug 2012 02:16 PM PDT WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Donald Trump will play a "surprise" role when the Republican Party kicks off its national convention next week in Tampa, Florida, a party official said on Monday. The real estate mogul and reality-television star is scheduled to participate in a to-be-revealed fashion on the first day of the four-day convention, where Republicans are to formally nominate former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney to face Democratic President Barack Obama in the November 6 election. ...

Early heart death raises disease risk for family Posted: 20 Aug 2012 02:13 PM PDT Paul Ryan works out and watches his diet, but a new study shows that clean living can only go so far to help people like the vice presidential candidate overcome a strong family history of heart disease.

Seven arrested over attack on East Jerusalem Arab Posted: 20 Aug 2012 02:08 PM PDT JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Seven people, mostly Jewish youths, have been arrested on suspicion of assaulting a Palestinian resident of Arab East Jerusalem, police said on Monday, in a case that has laid bare racial tensions in the divided city. Jamal Joulani was beaten unconscious by a gang as he walked through a square in West Jerusalem with relatives on Thursday night. The case provoked outrage in the city riven by decades of community and ethnic tensions where Jewish and Arab communities live alongside each other in adjacent neighborhoods but rarely mix. ...

Arctic sea ice likely to hit record low next week Posted: 20 Aug 2012 02:07 PM PDT WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Sea ice in the Arctic Ocean is likely to shrink to a record small size sometime next week, and then keep on melting, a scientist at the U.S. National Climate Data Center said on Monday. "A new daily record ... would be likely by the end of August," said Ted Scambos, lead scientist at the data center, which monitors ice in the Arctic and elsewhere. "Chances are it will cross the previous record while we're still in sea ice retreat. ...

In Pakistan, underground parties push the boundaries Posted: 20 Aug 2012 02:01 PM PDT ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Women in short skirts and men with gelled hair bump and grind on a dance floor as a disc jockey pumps up the volume. The air is thick with illicit smoke and shots of hard liquor are being passed around. Couples cuddle and kiss in a lounge. This is not Saturday night at a club in New York, London or Paris. It is the secret side of Pakistan, a Muslim nation often described in the West as a land of bearded, Islamic hardmen and repressed, veiled women. ...

Court seen reinstating Romanian president in referendum ruling Posted: 20 Aug 2012 01:58 PM PDT BUCHAREST (Reuters) - Romania's Constitutional Court is expected to rule on Tuesday that a referendum on whether to impeach suspended President Traian Basescu is invalid - a decision that would return him to office and probably prolong his power struggle with the prime minister. The battle pitting Basescu against Prime Minister Victor Ponta, who has led a campaign to unseat the president, is testing democracy in Romania two decades after the overthrow of communist leader Nicolae Ceausescu. ...

US eyes Iran summit of non-aligned nations warily Posted: 20 Aug 2012 01:50 PM PDT The Obama administration said Monday that Iran doesn't deserve to host a summit of non-aligned nations later this month but urged foreign leaders who decide to attend to press the Iranian government comply with international demands to come clean about its nuclear program.

EPA seeks input on ethanol mandate waiver requests Posted: 20 Aug 2012 01:37 PM PDT WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Monday officially began its review of state requests to suspend the federal ethanol mandate, calling for a 30-day period of public comment on the waiver applications. The governors of North Carolina and Arkansas asked the agency last week to temporarily waive the U.S. ethanol quota, as the worst drought in 50 years has sent corn prices soaring. (Reporting by Ayesha Rascoe; Editing by Gary Hill)

Car bomb kills eight near Turkey's border with Syria Posted: 20 Aug 2012 01:35 PM PDT HAKKARI, Turkey (Reuters) - A car bomb a senior Turkish politician blamed on Kurdish separatists exploded near a police station in a city near Turkey's southeastern border with Syria on Monday, killing at least eight people and wounding dozens more. TV footage from Gaziantep showed a bus and the surrounding area ablaze and smoke billowing into the sky as firemen tried to fight the fire. Ambulances ferried casualties to hospital while anxious residents looked on. ...

ap_michelle_obama_school_lunch_state_dinner_ss04_lpl_120820_ssh.jpg Posted: 20 Aug 2012 01:27 PM PDT First lady Michelle Obama welcomes the winners, family members and guests to the first ever Kids? "State Dinner" luncheon, Monday, Aug. 20, 2012, in the East Room of the White House in Washington.

Boisterous Medicare debate dominates House races Posted: 20 Aug 2012 01:24 PM PDT Freshman Rep. Nan Hayworth offers no apologies for embracing fellow Republican Paul Ryan's blueprint for Medicare and government spending.

Insight: At Guantanamo tribunals, don't mention the "T" word Posted: 20 Aug 2012 01:20 PM PDT MIAMI/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - CIA agents have written books about it. Former President George W. Bush has explained why he thought it was necessary and legal. Yet the al Qaeda suspects who were subjected to so-called harsh interrogation techniques, and the lawyers charged with defending them at the Guantanamo Bay military tribunals, are not allowed to talk about the treatment they consider torture. ...

Conventions play to TV, but with little suspense Posted: 20 Aug 2012 01:19 PM PDT Long gone are the passionate debates. Long gone is the suspense about who will emerge as the party's presidential nominee. Political conventions now are carefully scripted pep rallies aimed at a national TV audience.

Democrats target Paul Ryan on women's issues Posted: 20 Aug 2012 01:14 PM PDT Since Mitt Romney selected Paul Ryan as his running mate, the presidential campaign's focus has largely centered on the Wisconsin congressman's ambitious plan to transform Medicare and slash government spending.

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