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Jonathan Martin
Martin left the Dolphins nearly two weeks ago and, through his attorney, said he could no longer handle sustained harassment from inside the locker room, particularly from Incognito. Martin's camp provided the transcript of a voicemail Incognito left for Martin in April in which Incognito used a racial epithet and vulgar language. -
Obama to announce change to address health insurance cancellations
President Obama is preparing to announce Thursday morning a change in one of the bedrock ideas of his health-care law by allowing people with individual insurance policies to keep them for another year, even if they do not comply with the law’s rules for minimum benefits. -
Syrian Army Capturing a Suburb South of Damascus
Syrian troops captured a contested suburb of Damascus today as the government forged ahead with a punishing military offensive that already has taken four other opposition strongholds south of the capital, state media said. For more than a year, much of the belt of neighborhoods and towns just south of Damascus has been a rebel bastion and a key arms conduit for the opposition. But government forces – bolstered by fighters from Lebanon’s Shiite militant Hezbollah group and Shiite militants from -
Rural Texas town evacuated after gas pipeline explosion
A pipeline exploded in rural Milford, Texas, on Thursday and police have asked residents of nearby areas to evacuate, the town's mayor's office said. There were no injuries following the incident, local media cited a fire chief as saying. Milford is some 50 miles south of Dallas and has a population of about 700 people, according to its website. -
E-Cigarettes, Hookah Growing In Popularity Among U.S. Teens
Unconventional smoking products such as electronic cigarettes and hookahs are becoming more popular among U.S. teens, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In 2012, 1.1 percent of middle school students reported using e-cigarettes, up from 0.6 percent in 2011. Among high school students, e-cigarette use rose from 1.5 percent to 2.8 percent, and hookah use increased from 4.1 percent to 5.4 percent over the same period. -
Typhoon Haiyan devastates Philippines
Oxfam aid teams are on the ground in the Philippines and reporting urgent needs of food, clean water, medicine and shelter. Communication lines between some provinces are cut and many areas are experiencing total black outs. Thousands are feared dead, and local emergency food stocks are dwindling. Typhoon Haiyan, also known as Yolanda, is the strongest storm in the world this year and quite possibly the most powerful to ever hit land. Oxfam teams are assessing the extent of the damage now and a -
Global stocks, oil, gold gain on promise of stimulus
(Reuters) - Global equity markets rose on Friday after Janet Yellen, President Obama's choice to lead the Federal Reserve, signaled the U.S. central bank's stimulative monetary policy would remain in place for some time, while the dollar rose to a two-month high against the yen. Comments interpreted as showing there would be no cut in monetary stimulus any time soon sparked a rally on equity markets and dented the low-yielding yen, which typically falls when investors are looking to take on ris -
World powers, Iran in new attempt to clinch nuclear deal
(Reuters) - Big powers resumed talks on Wednesday on a preliminary deal to curb Iran's nuclear program with Russia and Britain confident a breakthrough could be clinched and Iran spelling out "red lines" but saying it wanted friendly ties with all nations. Keen to end a long standoff and head off the risk of a wider Middle East war, the United States, Russia, China, France, Britain and Germany came close to winning concessions from Tehran on its nuclear activity in return for some sanctions rel -
Indonesia halts Australia co-operation amid spying row
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said the suspension included operations to stop people-smuggling, joint military exercises and intelligence exchange. The move came after Jakarta recalled its ambassador from Canberra on Monday. Reports of the spying allegations came out in Australian media from documents leaked by whistleblower Edward Snowden. The leaked document showed that Australian spy agencies named Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, the first lady, the vice-president and o -
Congressional leaders cautious but accepting of Iran nuclear deal for now
Leading members of Congress cautiously greeted the news of the six-month nuclear deal with Iran announced Saturday night as even Republicans critical of President Barack Obama’s approach signaled a resigned acceptance of the accord.
“This is in essence it, and the deal has been made,” said Sen. Bob Corker, R- Tenn., the senior Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, implying that Congress really couldn’t undo the accord at this point. -
Nasty weather wallops much of U.S. just before Thanksgiving
The wicked wintry weather that pummeled the West Coast is now barreling across the country, threatening to wreck millions of holiday travel plans just before Thanksgiving.
The storm has already contributed to at least 10 traffic fatalities.
Nearly 400 flights have been canceled in the Dallas-Fort Worth area -- not exactly a bastion for snowstorms. Sleet and freezing rain will keep blanketing parts of the Southern Plains and Southern Rockies on Monday. -
Ukrainian Protesters Control Landmark Plaza
KIEV, Ukraine — Thousands of people milled about on Independence Square on Monday morning, as the Ukrainian government effectively ceded control of the landmark plaza to protesters demanding the resignation of President Viktor F. Yanukovich and a revival of accords that would draw the country closer to Europe.Several thousand people also marched on the Cabinet Ministry to demand the resignation of the government. They carried blue-and-yellow Ukrainian flags and chanted, “Gang, get out!” Many emp -
Drag racing called possible factor in 'Fast & Furious' actor Paul Walker's death
Santa Clarita, California (CNN) -- Drag racing may have been involved in the fiery crash that killed "Fast & Furious" actor Paul Walker on Saturday, an investigator said Monday.
Investigators got a phone call tip Sunday suggesting that another car was at the scene when the 2005 Porsche Carrera GT, driven by Walker's racing team partner, slammed into a light pole and burst into flames, Los Angeles County Sheriff's Sgt. Richard Cohen told CNN.
"Naturally, from an investigative standpoint, we need -
Train wreckage stretches NYC commute
YONKERS, N.Y. -- Some of the 26,000 weekday commuters who normally take Metro-North into New York City endured a much longer trip Monday because of a deadly train derailment that left a critical stretch of commuter rail impassable. Four people were killed and more than 60 people were injured Sunday when a Metro-North train jumped the track on the Hudson Line just north of the Spuyten Duyvil station about 7:20 a.m. ET. -
Thailand protests: Teargas fired amid renewed clashes
Thai authorities fired tear gas amid renewed skirmishes with anti-government protesters outside key government buildings. Some schools and universities closed, amid a call for a general strike on the ninth day of demonstrations. Over the weekend, protesters attempted to storm the prime minister's office, Government House. Four people have died in Thailand's worst political turmoil since the 2010 rallies that ended in violence. -
Test results show trouble with math
The latest batch of test results from the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) show that Norwegian teenagers have never scored so poorly in mathematics. Education Minister Torbjørn Røe Isaksen conceded that he’s worried: “The results simply aren’t good enough,” he said on Tuesday.PISA, under the auspices of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), measures the competence of 15-year-old students in various countries around the world. The teenagers are te -
Biden Says U.S. 'Deeply Concerned' About China's Air Defense Zone
Kicking off a weeklong trip to East Asia, Vice President Joe Biden urged China and Japan to put in place new mechanisms to reduce the chance of an escalation in tensions. The two countries, as we've reported, are at odds over air space above a set of disputed islands in the East China Sea. Back in November, China declared the air space to be part of its new, expanded air defense zone and any aircraft wanting to enter would first have to notify Chinese authorities. The U.S. is obligated by trea -
Detroit Braces for Bankruptcy Ruling
DETROIT — A federal judge is expected to rule Tuesday on whether Detroit is eligible for bankruptcy protection, a crucial step in the city’s effort to pay off part of its overwhelming debt and to begin rebuilding its vastly diminished city services. The decision, which is to be issued by Judge Steven W. Rhodes of the United States Bankruptcy Court, is also a significant legal test for Detroit, which in July became the largest American city ever to seek bankrupt -
Google Puts Money on Robots, Using the Man Behind Android
If Amazon can imagine delivering books by drones, is it too much to think that Google might be planning to one day have one of the robots hop off an automated Google Car and race to your doorstep to deliver a package? Google executives acknowledge that robotic vision is a “moonshot.” But it appears to be more realistic than Amazon’s proposed drone delivery service, which Jeff Bezos, Amazon’s chief executive, revealed in a television interview the evening before one of the biggest online shoppin -
Amazon's drone delivery: How would it work?
(CNN) -- Imaginations everywhere have been stoked since Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos announced his company plans to start offering 30-minute deliveries via drone-like "octocopters."
What's not fascinating about a near future in which fleets of whirring sky robots can drop our every impulse buy on our doorstep faster than we can get Chinese delivered? (You know, aside from accidental strayings into restricted air space or the rise of the machines.) -
Biden stresses 'trust' in China amid air zone saber-rattling
Emerging from a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Vice President Joe Biden said Wednesday that U.S.-China relations depend on trust and a positive notion of each other's motives, with neither party publicly commenting on an air defense zone that China recently declared, which was promptly violated by the U.S. and its Asian allies. -
EU Fines Financial Institutions Over Fixing Key Benchmarks
Six financial institutions were fined €1.71 billion ($2.32 billion) by European Union regulators Wednesday for colluding in an attempt to manipulate key benchmark interest rates, the EU's largest-ever penalty in a cartel case. The settlements involved penalties against some of the world's biggest banks, including Deutsche Bank AG DBK.XE -0.98% , Société Générale SA, GLE.FR -1.04% Royal Bank of Scotland Group RBS.LN +0.03% PLC and J.P. Morgan Chase JPM +0.75% & Co. The action brings to rough -
Fast Food Strikes Hit 100 Cities Thursday
Fast-food workers in New York City are expected to walk off their jobs Thursday, one year after their first strike, joining a 100-city strike wave. Organizers say actions will take place all across the country as part of the movement for $15 an hour and the right to form a union without retaliation. In New York City, there are more than 57,000 fast-food workers, and the median wage is $8.89/hour, the lowest of any occupation in the city. -
NSA tracking millions of mobile phones
The National Security Agency is tracking the location and movements of hundreds of millions of mobile phones outside the United States in an effort to find suspicious travel patterns or coordinated activities by intelligence targets, according to secret documents leaked by former NSA contractor Edward J Snowden. -
Chemical weapons: How Pentagon plans to destroy Syria's stockpile at sea
The Pentagon has shed some more light on just how the international community plans to dispose of Syria’s most dangerous chemical weapons, which must be removed from the country by the end of December. -
Joe Biden reaffirms US strategy for Asia-Pacific with talks in Seoul
Joe Biden, the US vice-president, reaffirmed his country's commitment to the Asia-Pacific region as he met the South Korean president, Park Geun-hye, in Seoul at the end of a week-long regional trip defined by friction over China's new air defence zone. Potentially raising tensions further, Seoul plans to expand its own zone in response to China's move, to cover a submerged reef that both countries lay claim to. -
Nelson Mandela death: World mourns South Africa's first black president
Johannesburg, South Africa (CNN) -- South Africans mourned Friday the death of the man who led the fight to end the system of apartheid here and then went on to lead the country itself. "We will always love Madiba for teaching us that it is possible to overcome hatred and anger in order to build a new nation and a new society," President Jacob Zuma told reporters Friday, using the affectionate clan name shared by his countrymen for Nelson Mandela, who died Thursday at age 95. -
Riot Police Dismantle Protest Camps In Ukraine's Capital
Ukraine's government on Monday deployed riot police near Independence Square outside Kiev's City Hall, which has been occupied by anti-government protesters for more than a week. Update at 12:30 p.m. ET: Police Reportedly Tear Down Protest Tents Police have started to dismantle protest camps, the BBC and the AP report. The AP also says that police were tearing down barricades that had been erected in front of municipal buildings. -
U.S. tech companies call for more controls on surveillance
LONDON (Reuters) - Eight major U.S. web companies, including Apple, Google and Facebook, made a joint call on Monday for tighter controls on how governments collect personal data, intensifying the furor over online surveillance. In an open letter to U.S. President Barack Obama and Congress, the companies said recent revelations showed the balance had tipped too far in favor of the state in many countries and away from the individual. -
World Leaders Heading to South Africa for Mandela Tribute
Leaders are traveling to South Africa from around the world for Tuesday's memorial service for Nelson Mandela, the anti-apartheid leader who died last week at the age of 95. U.S. President Barack Obama left Washington Monday morning, accompanied by first lady Michelle Obama, and former President George W. Bush and his wife Laura. Former presidents Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter are traveling separately to Johannesburg, where the main service will be held in the Soccer City stadium, the site of -
Paul Walker family probing road bumps as cause of actor’s fatal crash
Plastic road markers known as Botts’ Dots could have contributed to the sudden death of "Fast & Furious" actor Paul Walker.
Stunt experts are theorizing that the speeding Porsche GT that Walker, 40, and Roger Rodas crashed in actually may have hydroplaned as a result of the road bumps - sources close to the Walker family reportedly told TMZ. -
SC says gay sex illegal, LGBT rights activists disappointed; govt hints at legislative route
The Supreme Court on Wednesday reinstated a colonial-era ban on gay sex that enables the jailing of homosexuals in a major setback for rights campaigners in the country.
A two-judge bench struck down a landmark Delhi high court ruling in 2009 which found that section 377 of the Indian penal code prohibiting "carnal intercourse against the order of nature" infringed the fundamental rights of Indians. -
Obama-Castro handshake more than just a gesture
President Obama and President Raúl Castro briefly shook hands and even smiled at each other at FNB Stadium in Johannesburg during a ceremony celebrating the life of Nelson Mandela. Although looked at with skepticism, in Cuba no one really believes is was just a casual gesture. -
Police move on protest camp in Ukraine
Police clashed with protesters and tore down their tents in the main square of the Ukrainian capital early Wednesday, in an escalation of a weeks-long standoff threatening the leadership of President Viktor Yanukovych.
Hundreds of police in riot gear moved on the camp at Independence Square, dismantling barricades and pushing demonstrators who fought back. Scuffles broke out between police and opposition lawmakers who arrived to defend the camp. -
Ukraine protesters defy riot police
About 2,000 anti-government protesters huddled by braziers in their main tented camp in snowbound Kiev, in defiance of riot police who herded them away from government buildings overnight. Dozens of riot police removed barricades leading to the presidency, cabinet offices and parliament early on Tuesday. Protesters regrouped at Independence Square in central Kiev, where they have set up a makeshift tent village, complete with a stage where singers and speakers provide 24-hour entertainment. -
Media urge Syrian rebels to stop journalist kidnappings
Major international news organisations have urged armed Syrian rebel groups to stop kidnapping journalists, and to free those who are currently held. The 13 organisations, including the BBC, have signed a letter to the rebels warning that the abductions threaten the coverage of the Syrian conflict. It is believed that more than 30 journalists are currently being detained in Syria. -
Exercise Might Ease Joint Pain Caused by Breast Cancer Drugs
THURSDAY, Dec. 12, 2013 (HealthDay News) -- Exercise might help breast cancer survivors relieve the joint pain that is a side effect of their medications, researchers say. A new study included patients who were taking aromatase inhibitor drugs, such as Arimidex (anastrozole), Femara (letrozole) and Aromasin (exemestane). Five years of treatment with these drugs is recommended for survivors who had stages 1, 2 or 3 hormone receptor-positive breast cancers. -
Theft of U.S. non-lethal aid to Syrian rebels suspends shipments
ANKARA, Turkey, Dec. 11 (UPI) -- U.S. officials say they have stopped deliveries of non-lethal aid to rebels in Syria after Islamist militants there reportedly seized U.S.-provided equipment.
Washington had agreed to supply forces opposed to Syrian President Bashar Assad with the provision the aid go only to moderate elements within the rebel forces, the Los Angeles Times reported Wednesday. -
Attractiveness Puts You on Track for Success
inShare. Good-looking high school students have a great advantage over their less attractive peers in terms of grades and professional success, a new study to be released Friday finds. According to the study, which pulled from data on 9,000 U.S. high school students from the class of 1994-95 through their 20s and 30s, shows that more attractive teens have higher GPAs and as adults receive higher pay. -
UN weapons inspectors confirm chemical weapons were used in Syria – and probably in several locations
Chemical weapons were used in Syria, UN weapons inspectors have said, and probably in several locations.The Chief UN chemical weapons inspector’s final report on the use of chemical weapons was handed into Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Thursday. He is due to address the 193-member General Assembly on Friday and the Council on Monday about the inspector’s findings. -
Ethan Couch gets probation with 'affluenza' defense after crash kills 4
December 12, 2013 -- A Texas teen has been given probation and counseling -- but no jail time -- for a crash that killed four people in June. The victims' families are stunned. "I'll always cherish memories that we had," said Eric Boyles, father and husband of victims. "Today, those memories are painful because it brings you to the situation that they're not here today." An alleged alcohol-fueled joyride ultimately led to four people being killed. The 16-year-old behind the wheel, -
Newtown anniversary: NBC reporters gain access to some schools with ease
NBC reporters were able to access school buildings and walk around at several New York-area schools, two NBC investigations have found, raising questions about school security as the anniversary of the massacre in Newtown, Conn., approaches. "Today" National Investigative Correspondent Jeff Rossen was able to enter one New Jersey school without giving a name. Unescorted, he went looking for the main office, per school policy. -
Following revamp, Mega Millions hits $400M jackpot
DES MOINES, Iowa — Outshined by massive jackpots since Powerball doubled the cost of its tickets last year, Mega Millions enacted big changes to inflate its jackpots and lure customers who only play when the pots get huge — and the revamp appears to be working. The Mega Millions jackpot for Friday night’s drawing is an estimated $400 million. It is the second-largest Mega Millions jackpot ever, trailing only a $656 million jackpot won in March 2012, and the fifth largest lottery jackpot of any -
Sen. Bill Nelson: I told AP not to run Robert Levinson story
Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) said early Friday that he urged the Associated Press not to publish a story about Robert Levinson, a retired FBI agent who disappeared in Iran more than six years ago and had been working for the CIA. The AP first published the story Thursday afternoon. In the report, the wire service said that it confirmed Levinson's CIA ties in 2010 and had continued its reporting. -
Judge's Word on NSA Program Won't Be the Last
A federal judge made headlines Monday by declaring that the National Security Agency's bulk collection of millions of Americans' telephone records is likely unconstitutional. But even he realized his won't be the last word on the issue. U.S. District Court Judge Richard Leon put his decision to grant an injunction against the NSA on ice, predicting a government appeal would take at least six months. -
Snowden: NSA's indiscriminate spying 'collapsing'
RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — National Security Agency leaker Edward Snowden wrote in a lengthy "open letter to the people of Brazil" that he's been inspired by the global debate ignited by his release of thousands of National Security Agency documents, and that the NSA's culture of indiscriminate global espionage "is collapsing." In the letter, released widely online, Snowden commended the Brazilian government for its strong stand against U.S. spying. -
Pope Francis marks birthday with online card and meal with homeless
The Vatican has released an interactive card in honour of Pope Francis's 77th birthday, as the pontiff invited some homeless men to his residence to share a meal with him. The interactive – which can be viewed on the Vatican's website – contains more than 30 photos of the pope accompanied by quotes from various homilies he has given over the past nine months. -
This Budget Deal Is Not Conservative
For months, my group, Americans for Prosperity (AFP), and our grassroots activists have been united in support of the discretionary spending limits established in the 2011 Budget Control Act. Our reason is simple: Although these cuts are modest, so-called sequestration is the only successful bipartisan spending restraint passed under an administration that has allowed the nation’s debt to balloon by almost $7 trillion. -
Greenpeace activists granted amnesty as State Duma passes bill
Russia’s lower house of parliament has given a third reading to the amnesty bill, which means jailed members of Pussy Riot punk band may be freed before the New Year and charges against arrested Greenpeace activists are also to be dropped. -
Obama sends signal to Russia with gay stars in Olympic delegation
Washington — President Barack Obama Tuesday named two openly gay sports stars to his delegation to the Winter Olympics, sending a pointed message of diversity to Russia amid a furor over its law targeting homosexuals.
Obama chose tennis legend Billie Jean King and women's ice hockey silver medalist Caitlin Cahow for the US delegation to the Sochi Olympics which begin on February 7. -
Mega Millions lottery: Waiting for winner of jackpot ticket bought in San Jose
Who is San Jose's newest multi-millionaire and what will that person do with all that money? One of two winning tickets in Tuesday's Mega Millions lottery drawing was purchased in San Jose, lottery officials confirmed Tuesday night. The winning ticket in the $636 million drawing -- with numbers 8, 14, 17, 20, 39 and a mega number of 7 -- was sold at Jenny's Gift Shop at 1818 Tully Road, according to California Lottery spokesman Russ Lopez. -
Media divided on Russia-Ukraine deal
The agreement signed between Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin in Moscow, dominates the media headlines of both countries. In Ukraine, there is hand-wringing among some commentators about what price Kiev will have to pay for Mr Putin's offer to buy $15bn worth of Ukrainian government bonds and take a third off the price Russia charges Ukraine for gas. -
Europe launches satellite that will map 1 billion stars in Milky Way, hunt for new planets
BERLIN - The European Space Agency launched its star-surveying satellite Gaia into space Thursday, hoping to produce the most accurate three-dimensional map of the Milky Way and to better understand the evolution of our galaxy. -
Mass. high-tech startup hopes to change biking
The device, called the Copenhagen Wheel, is installed as part of a rear hub of a bike wheel and is packed with a proprietary computer, batteries and sensors that monitor how hard a rider is pedaling and activate an onboard motor whenever support is needed.
