Sunday, November 25, 2012

Benefits fight brings lesbian couple to high court

Benefits fight brings lesbian couple to high court

Benefits fight brings lesbian couple to high court

Posted: 25 Nov 2012 12:59 PM PST

In this photo taken Monday, Nov. 12, 2012, Amy Cunninghis, left, and Karen Golinski, right, walk down a street near their home in San Francisco. All Golinski wanted was to enroll her spouse in her employer-sponsored health plan. Four years later, her request still is being debated. Because Golinski is married to another woman and she works for the federal government, her personal personnel problem has morphed into a multi-pronged legal attack by gay rights activists to overturn the 1996 law that defines marriage as the union of a man and a woman. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg)Like a lot of newlyweds, Karen Golinski was eager to enjoy the financial fruits of marriage. Within weeks of her wedding, she applied to add her spouse to her employer-sponsored health care plan, a move that would save the couple thousands of dollars a year.

'Twilight,' Bond, 'Lincoln' lead record weekend

Posted: 25 Nov 2012 12:52 PM PST

FILE - This Oct. 22, 2012 file photo shows British actor Robert Pattinson, right, having his photo taken with fans upon arrival for an exclusive fan event for the final chapter of the Twilight Saga "Breaking Dawn Part 2" in Sydney, Australia. Thanksgiving newcomers have been unable to knock off the big three at the box office: Bella, Bond and Abe Lincoln. Kristen Stewart's finale as Bella Swan led the holiday weekend ticket sales. (AP Photo/Rob Griffith, File)Bella Swan, James Bond and Abe Lincoln have combined to lift Hollywood to record Thanksgiving revenue at the box office.

Tourists visit Southfork to remember Larry Hagman

Posted: 25 Nov 2012 12:49 PM PST

Southfork Ranch can be seen through a gate where fans left flowers Saturday, Nov. 24, 2012, in Parker, Texas. The flowers were in memory of Larry Hagman, who played J.R. Ewing on the TV series Dallas, set at Southfork. Hagman died Friday, Nov. 23, 2012 in Dallas. He was 81. (AP Photo/Angela K. Brown)Tourists and locals flocked to Southfork Ranch on Saturday, bringing flowers in memory of Larry Hagman, who played the infamous J.R. Ewing on the TV show "Dallas."

Utility worker pierced pipe before Mass. gas blast

Posted: 25 Nov 2012 12:43 PM PST

Inspectors stand in debris, Saturday, Nov. 24, 2012, at the site of a gas explosion that leveled a strip club in Springfield, Mass., on Friday evening. Investigators were trying to figure out what caused the blast where the multistory brick building housing Scores Gentleman's Club once stood. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)A utility worker responding to reports of a natural gas leak in one of New England's largest cities punctured a pipe and an unknown spark ignited a massive explosion that injured 18 people and damaged 42 buildings, the state fire marshal announced Sunday.

Hobbits, superheroes put magic in NZ film industry

Posted: 25 Nov 2012 12:42 PM PST

In this photo taken Saturday, Nov. 24, 2012, a giant sculpture of Gollum, a character from "The Hobbit," is displayed in the Wellington Airport to celebrate the upcoming premiere of the first movie in the trilogy, in Wellington, New Zealand. The sculpture was created at Weta Workshop, part of Peter Jackson's movie empire in the Wellington suburb of Miramar. The world premiere of "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" is Nov. 28 at Wellington's Embassy Theatre. (AP Photo/Nick Perry)A crate full of sushi arrives. Workers wearing wetsuit shirts or in bare feet bustle past with slim laptops. With days to go, a buzzing intensity fills the once-dilapidated warehouses where Peter Jackson's visual-effects studio is rushing to finish the opening film in "The Hobbit" trilogy.

Historic Jewish cemetery in Caribbean fades away

Posted: 25 Nov 2012 12:42 PM PST

In this Nov. 12, 2012 photo, a portion of the Beth Haim cemetery, backdropped by the Isla oil refinery, is seen in Blenheim, on the outskirts of Willemstad, Curacao. Beth Haim, believed to be one of the oldest Jewish cemeteries in the Western Hemisphere, established in the 1950s and considered an important landmark on an island where the historic downtown has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is slowly fading in the Caribbean sun. Headstones are pockmarked with their inscriptions faded, stone slabs that have covered tombs in some cases for hundreds of years are crumbling into the soil, marble that was once white is now grey, likely from the acrid smoke that spews from the oil refinery that looms nearby. (AP Photo/Karen Attiah)Headstones are pockmarked, their inscriptions faded. Stone slabs that have covered tombs for centuries are crumbling. White marble has turned grey, likely from the acrid smoke that spews from a nearby oil refinery.

Mursi to meet judges over power grab

Posted: 25 Nov 2012 12:37 PM PST

Protesters run from riot police during clashes at Tahrir square in CairoCAIRO (Reuters) - Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi will meet senior judges on Monday to try to ease a crisis over his seizure of new powers which has set off violent protests reminiscent of last year's revolution which brought him to power. Egypt's stock market plunged on Sunday in its first day open since Mursi issued a decree late on Thursday temporarily widening his powers and shielding his decisions from judicial review, drawing accusations he was behaving like a new dictator. ...

112 killed in fire at Bangladesh garment factory

Posted: 25 Nov 2012 12:24 PM PST

Bangladeshi firefighters douse last of the smoke at the garment factory outside Dhaka, Bangladesh, Sunday Nov. 25, 2012. At least 112 people were killed in a late Saturday night fire that raced through the multi-story garment factory just outside of Bangladesh's capital, an official said Sunday. (AP Photo/ khurshed Rinku)At least 112 people were killed in a fire that raced through a multi-story garment factory just outside of Bangladesh's capital, Dhaka, an official said Sunday.

Suicide blasts at Nigeria military base kill 11

Posted: 25 Nov 2012 12:20 PM PST

Twin suicide car bombs exploded Sunday at a church inside one of Nigeria's top military bases, killing at least 11 people and wounding another 30 in an embarrassing attack showing the continued insecurity that haunts Africa's most populous nation.

Israel successfully tests missile defense system

Posted: 25 Nov 2012 12:15 PM PST

Israel successfully tested its newest missile defense system Sunday, the military said, a step toward making the third leg of what Israel calls its "multilayer missile defense" operational.

Natural gas drillers target US truck, bus market

Posted: 25 Nov 2012 12:12 PM PST

In this Nov. 19, 2012 photo, Waste Management driver Alan Sadler fills his truck with CNG gas at the company's filling station in Washington, Pa. Years from now, motorists needing a fill-up might see natural gas pumps sharing space at the neighborhood filling station with ones dispensing gasoline and diesel. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)If the trash truck or bus rolling down your street seems a little quieter these days, you're not imagining things. It's probably running on natural gas.

Egypt's stock market tumbles after Morsi's decree

Posted: 25 Nov 2012 12:06 PM PST

Egyptian protesters gather in Tahrir Square in Cairo, Egypt, Sunday, Nov. 25, 2012. President Mohammed Morsi edicts, which were announced on Thursday, place him above oversight of any kind, including that of the courts. The move has thrown Egypt's already troubled transition to democracy into further turmoil, sparking angry protests across the country to demand the decrees be immediately rescinded. The banner in Arabic, top center, reads, "members of the Muslim Brotherhood are not allowed." (AP Photo/Ahmed Gomaa)Egypt's benchmark stock index plunged by nearly 10 percent Sunday in the first trading session since the country's Islamist president issued decrees to assume sweeping new powers, while police in central Cairo fired tear gas at protesters who accuse the Egyptian leader of a blatant power grab.

Auburn fires Gene Chizik after 3-9 season

Posted: 25 Nov 2012 12:04 PM PST

Auburn coach Gene Chizik watches the game near the end of a 49-0 loss to Alabama during the second half of a NCAA college football game at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala., Saturday, Nov. 24, 2012. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)Auburn coach Gene Chizik was fired Sunday after the Tigers' rapid fall from a national champion to a winless Southeastern Conference season.

Syrian rebels capture air base near Damascus

Posted: 25 Nov 2012 11:55 AM PST

In this image taken from video obtained from the Ugarit News, which has been authenticated based on its contents and other AP reporting, Syrian rebels capture a helicopter air base near the capital Damascus after fierce fighting in Syria, on Sunday, Nov. 25, 2012. The takeover claim showed how rebels are advancing in the area of the capital, though they are badly outgunned by Assad's forces, making inroads where Assad's power was once unchallenged. Rebels have also been able to fire mortar rounds into Damascus recently. (AP Photo/Ugarit News via AP video)Syrian rebels captured a helicopter base just outside Damascus Sunday in what an activist called a "blow to the morale of the regime" near President Bashar Assad's seat of power.

Cyber Monday likely to be busiest online sales day

Posted: 25 Nov 2012 11:48 AM PST

FILE - In this Friday, Nov. 29, 2008, file photo, carts full of merchandise ordered online are rolled to the main packing area for shipping at the Overstock.com warehouse, in Salt Lake City. Cyber Monday, coined in 2005 by a shopping trade group that noticed a spike in online sales on the Monday after Thanksgiving when people returned to their work computers, is the next in a line of days that stores are counting on to jumpstart the holiday shopping season. This year it is expected to be the biggest online shopping day of the year for the third year in a row. (AP Photo/Douglas C. Pizac)Bye-bye Black Friday. So long Small Business Saturday. Now, it's Cyber Monday's turn.

AP PHOTOS: Scenes from Bangladesh factory fire

Posted: 25 Nov 2012 11:45 AM PST

Bangladeshis and firefighters battle a fire at a garment factory in the Savar neighborhood in Dhaka, Bangladesh, late Saturday, Nov. 24, 2012. An official said firefighters have recovered more than 100 bodies after a fire raced through the multi-story garment factory just outside Bangladesh's capital. (AP Photo/Polash Khan)The blaze broke out at the seven-story factory just outside Bangladesh's capital Dhaka late Saturday. More than 100 bodies had been found by Sunday morning.

GOP senator: Fair to put raising revenue on table

Posted: 25 Nov 2012 11:42 AM PST

A Republican senator said Sunday "it's fair to ask my party to put revenue on the table" as part of the solution to avoid the looming automatic tax increases and across-the-board spending cuts known as the "fiscal cliff."

Vettel wins 3rd straight F1 title in Brazil

Posted: 25 Nov 2012 11:38 AM PST

Red Bull driver Sebastian Vettel of Germany celebrates after the Formula One Brazilian Grand Prix at the Interlagos race track in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Sunday, Nov. 25, 2012. Vettel overcame a first-lap crash to clinch his third straight Formula One championship title on Sunday, finishing sixth in an incident-filled Brazilian Grand Prix won by Jenson Button under pouring rain.(AP Photo/Ricardo Mazalan)Sebastian Vettel captured his third straight Formula One championship title Sunday, overcoming a first-lap crash to finish sixth in a Brazilian Grand Prix won by Jenson Button under pouring rain.

GOP opposition to diplomat Rice begins to crack

Posted: 25 Nov 2012 11:32 AM PST

FILE - This June 7, 2012 file photo shows U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Susan Rice listening during a news conference at the UN. Republican opposition to Rice's possible nomination to be secretary of state began to crack Sunday, Nov. 25, 2012, as Sen. John McCain said she was "not the problem" in the White House's explanation about the Sept. 11 attack in Libya and he could be persuaded to swing behind her potential promotion. McCain's comments provide an opening for the administration, which struggled mightily in the weeks leading up to the Nov. 6 election to tamp down speculation of a cover-up involving the attack against the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi. (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews)Republican opposition to U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice as the next secretary of state began to crack Sunday as Sen. John McCain said she was "not the problem" in the White House's handling of the Sept. 11 attack in Libya and suggested he could be persuaded to swing behind her possible nomination.

NC State fires O'Brien after 6 seasons

Posted: 25 Nov 2012 11:28 AM PST

North Carolina State has fired football coach Tom O'Brien after six seasons, four of which were good enough to get the Wolfpack into a bowl but none that could get them to the Atlantic Coast Conference championship game.

Gaza cease-fire raises hopes for reconstruction

Posted: 25 Nov 2012 11:27 AM PST

A Palestinian boy looks from the rooftop of a destroyed house in Gaza City, Sunday, Nov. 25, 2012. A leading Islamic cleric in the Gaza Strip has ruled it a sin to violate the recent cease-fire between Israel and the Hamas militant group that governs the Palestinian territory according a religious legitimacy to the truce and giving the Gaza government strong backing to enforce it. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)Mohammed Falah Azzam has been through this before.

Penn State's 2012 football season for the ages

Posted: 25 Nov 2012 11:12 AM PST

The year 2012 is unveiled on the facade of the private boxes at Beaver Stadium honoring the hardships faced by Penn State's 2012 football team during a senior recognition ceremony before an NCAA college football game against Wisconsin in State College, Pa., Saturday, Nov. 24, 2012. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)The white banner fluttered in a stiff breeze before being removed from the east facade of Beaver Stadium to reveal "2012" in bold, blue numerals next to the years marking unbeaten or championship campaigns.

Utility worker punctured pipe in Mass. gas blast

Posted: 25 Nov 2012 11:09 AM PST

Inspectors stand in debris, Saturday, Nov. 24, 2012, at the site of a gas explosion that leveled a strip club in Springfield, Mass., on Friday evening. Investigators were trying to figure out what caused the blast where the multistory brick building housing Scores Gentleman's Club once stood. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)The state fire marshal says a gas company worker responding to reports of a natural gas leak in western Massachusetts punctured a pipe and an unknown spark ignited a massive explosion that injured 18 people.

Official: Gas company worker caused Mass. blast

Posted: 25 Nov 2012 10:50 AM PST

Inspectors stand in debris, Saturday, Nov. 24, 2012, at the site of a gas explosion that leveled a strip club in Springfield, Mass., on Friday evening. Investigators were trying to figure out what caused the blast where the multistory brick building housing Scores Gentleman's Club once stood. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)The state fire marshal say a gas company worker responding to reports of a gas leak in western Massachusetts punctured a pipe that led to a massive explosion that injured 18 people.

For Thanksgiving travelers, a smooth trip home

Posted: 25 Nov 2012 10:47 AM PST

Travelers heading home after the long Thanksgiving weekend had yet another reason to be thankful on Sunday: favorable weather and few airport delays reported on what is traditionally the busiest travel day of the year.

Black Friday sales online top $1 billion for 1st time: comScore

Posted: 25 Nov 2012 10:46 AM PST

Young holiday shoppers interact with the iPad at the Apple Store during Black Friday in San FranciscoSAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Black Friday retail sales online this year topped $1 billion for the first time ever as more consumers used the Internet do their early holiday shopping, comScore Inc said on Sunday. Online sales jumped 26 percent on Black Friday to $1.04 billion from sales of $816 million on the corresponding day last year, according to comScore data. Amazon.com was the most-visited retail website on Black Friday, and it also posted the highest year-over-year visitor growth rate among the top five retailers. ...

Divided Kuwait limps toward boycott-hit elections

Posted: 25 Nov 2012 10:41 AM PST

A Kuwaiti woman walks past a board with the names and photos of next December's election candidates in Salwa, Kuwait, Sunday, Nov. 25, 2012. There is little middle ground but plenty of high-stakes tension as Kuwait stumbles toward elections for the most politically empowered parliament among the Gulf Arab states. (AP Photo/Gustavo Ferrari)The message from Kuwait's emir is blunt heading into this week's parliamentary elections: Opposition factions should express dissent in the legislature, and not in the streets. The response from the opposition is equally uncompromising: We're not satisfied with what we can accomplish through parliament, so we're boycotting the vote.

Kevin McHale's daughter dies at 22

Posted: 25 Nov 2012 10:16 AM PST

The daughter of Houston Rockets coach Kevin McHale has died at 22.

AP IMPACT: Will NYC act to block future surges?

Posted: 25 Nov 2012 10:05 AM PST

This artist's rendering provided by DLANDSTUDIO and Architecture Research Office shows a proposed perimeter wetlands and an archipelago of man-made barrier islets on New York's Manhattan island, designed to absorb the brunt of a huge storm surge. The concept was worked up by DLANDSTUDIO and Architecture Research Office, two city architectural firms, for a museum project. (AP Photo/DLANDSTUDIO and Architecture Research Office)Think Sandy was just a 100-year storm that devastated New York City? Imagine one just as bad, or worse, every three years.

Election in Catalan region tests Spain's unity

Posted: 25 Nov 2012 09:55 AM PST

Voters wait to cast their ballots in a polling station in Barcelona, Spain, on Sunday, Nov. 25, 2012. Voters in Catalonia begin casting their ballots in regional elections that could determine the future shape of Spain. If voters give the regional government strong support, its leader pledged to hold a referendum asking Catalans if they'd prefer to split from Spain and go it alone in the 27-member EU. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)The economically powerful region of Catalonia was electing a new parliament Sunday, and the outcome could determine whether it holds a referendum asking Catalans if they want to remain part of Spain.

Congo and M23 rebels negotiate in Uganda

Posted: 25 Nov 2012 09:54 AM PST

Internally displaced Congolese prepare food at the Mugunga camp outside the eastern Congolese town of Goma, Saturday Nov. 24, 2012. Regional leaders meeting in Uganda on Saturday called for an end to the advance by M23 rebels toward Congo's capital, and also urged the Congolese government to sit down with rebel leaders as residents fled some towns for fear of more fighting between the rebels and army.(AP Photo/Jerome Delay)Congolese officials are in talks Sunday with representatives of M23, the rebel group that last week took control of the eastern Congo city of Goma, according to Ugandan officials.

Facebook and volatile market still chill IPOs

Posted: 25 Nov 2012 09:44 AM PST

Making a killing on initial public offerings used to be easy.

Notre Dame still the 1 in AP rankings

Posted: 25 Nov 2012 09:34 AM PST

Notre Dame running back Theo Riddick celebrates with fans after Notre Dame Southern California 22-13 in an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Nov. 24, 2012, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Danny Moloshok)Notre Dame is No. 1 in The Associated Press college football rankings with nothing left to do but wait to find out who its opponent in the national championship game will be.

Grammy-winning bassist injured in Swiss bus crash

Posted: 25 Nov 2012 09:30 AM PST

FILE - This is a Wednesday, May 23, 2012 file photo of Grammy award-winning jazz bassist Marcus Miller performs in concert at Papp Laszlo Sports Arena in Budapest, Hungary, Wednesday, May 23, 2012. Marcus Miller and several members of his band were injured when their bus overturned Sunday Nov. 25, 2012 on a busy highway in Switzerland, killing the driver, police said. (AP Photo/MTI, Balazs Mohai, File)Grammy-winning jazz bassist Marcus Miller and several members of his band were injured when their bus overturned Sunday on a busy highway in Switzerland, killing the driver, police said.

JFK's last night recalled as key event for Latinos

Posted: 25 Nov 2012 09:28 AM PST

This image provide by Alexander Arroyos, taken on Nov. 21, 1963, shows President John F. Kennedy and first lady Jacqueline Kennedy greeting Latino activists at a LULAC gala in Houston's Rice Hotel. Historians say Kennedy's appearance at the Rice Ballroom _ 49 years ago this week and the night before his assassination _ was likely the first time a U.S. president officially acknowledged Latinos as an important voting block. (AP Photo/Courtesy of Alexander Arroyos)President John F. Kennedy was supposed to just stop by and wave hello.

Officials to announce cause of Mass. gas explosion

Posted: 25 Nov 2012 09:27 AM PST

Inspectors stand in debris, Saturday, Nov. 24, 2012, at the site of a gas explosion that leveled a strip club in Springfield, Mass., on Friday evening. Investigators were trying to figure out what caused the blast where the multistory brick building housing Scores Gentleman's Club once stood. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)Authorities on Sunday planned to announce the cause of a natural gas explosion that damaged 42 buildings and injured 18 people in one of New England's largest cities.

Rolling Stones mark 50th year with London show

Posted: 25 Nov 2012 09:13 AM PST

In this handout photo issued by LD Communications on Wednesday, Nov. 21, 2012, the Rolling Stones in their promotional video for their new Rolling Stones single Doom and Gloom, filmed in Paris, France. The Rolling Stones have delivered a controversial new video clip directed by Jonas Akerlund and staring award winning Swedish actress Noomi Rapace and it packs a punch. Rapace jumped at the chance to get up close and personal with the Stones in Paris and the results are somewhat eye-catching. (AP Photo/Rollingstones.com)The Rolling Stones are marking their 50th anniversary with a concert in London.

Macedonia: Minority marks Albanian independence

Posted: 25 Nov 2012 09:03 AM PST

In this photo taken Friday, Nov. 23, 2012, people walk through a small street decorated with Albanian flags, in Skopje, Macedonia. Macedonian capital Skopje, particularly the parts populated with ethnic Albanians, are flooded with Albanian flags, in the eve of the celebration of 100 years of Albania's independence and the national flag. Ethnic Albanians make up a quarter of Macedonia's 2.1 million people and are the largest ethnic minority in the country. (AP Photo/Boris Grdanoski)More than 1,000 ethnic Albanians marched in the capital of Macedonia on Sunday to mark the 100th anniversary of Albania's independence from the Ottoman Empire. Some politicians have opposed such celebrations, saying they could stoke ethnic tensions in Macedonia.

Nigeria: 11 dead in suicide bombs at army church

Posted: 25 Nov 2012 09:00 AM PST

At least 11 people were killed and about 30 injured when twin car bombs hit a Protestant church in a major military establishment in northcentral Nigeria, officials said Sunday, a month after a deadly church bombing in the same state.

UN to launch new round of talks on global warming

Posted: 25 Nov 2012 08:41 AM PST

FILE - In this Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2012 file photo, conference flags are displayed ahead of the Doha Climate Change Conference, in Doha, Qatar. As nearly 200 countries meet in oil-and-gas rich Qatar for annual talks on curbing climate change, one of the main challenges will be raising hundreds of billions of dollars to help poor nations adapt to a warming world that may damage their health, agriculture and economies. (AP Photo/Osama Faisal, File)As nearly 200 countries meet in oil-and-gas-rich Qatar for annual talks starting Monday on slowing global warming, one of the main challenges will be raising climate aid for poor countries at a time when budgets are strained by financial turmoil.
Posted by Harshad at 1:24 PM

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