General news

• British stocks dip, US up ahead of Bank of England meeting

  03-08-2016 23:58 via news.yahoo.com
  
  British stocks dipped Wednesday after data suggested an economic hit from the Brexit vote just ahead of a key Bank of England policy decision.
  
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• Man held on murder charges in teens' deaths near Atlanta

  03-08-2016 23:56 via news.yahoo.com
  
  ROSWELL, Ga. (AP) — Police arrested a 20-year-old man on murder charges Wednesday as they investigate the slayings of two teenagers, each shot in the head, whose bodies were found behind a grocery store in an Atlanta suburb.
  
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• GOP governor's allies suffer in backlash in Kansas primary

  03-08-2016 23:53 via news.yahoo.com
  
  TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Gov. Sam Brownback assured the public that the income tax cuts he championed would stimulate the Kansas economy, supply plenty of money for schools and give other states a "pro-growth" policy model to follow.
  
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• Trump's "rigged" claim challenges US democratic system

  03-08-2016 23:50 via news.yahoo.com
  
  WASHINGTON (AP) — When Donald Trump cried foul over what he describes as a "rigged" electoral system, his loosely defined claims challenged the essence of America's democratic process and more than 200 years of peaceful transfers of power from one president to the next.
  
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• New Hampshire voters unmoved by Trump's criticism of Ayotte

  03-08-2016 23:50 via news.yahoo.com
  
  CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — New Hampshire voters are largely dismissing Donald Trump's new criticism of Republican Sen. Kelly Ayotte as campaign chatter that reflects more poorly on the businessman than it does on Ayotte.
  
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• You're in! Baseball/softball, 4 other sports make Tokyo cut

  03-08-2016 23:49 via news.yahoo.com
  
  RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Olympic leaders approved the addition of five sports to the program of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics on Wednesday, including the return of baseball-softball and the introduction of youth-oriented events such as skateboarding and surfing.
  
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• U.S. Supreme Court blocks transgender bathroom choice for now

  03-08-2016 23:49 via news.yahoo.com
  
  The case is the first time the fight over transgender bathroom rights has reached the Supreme Court, and the subject arrived in the heat of a U.S. presidential election in which the makeup of the court is a central issue. In a brief order, the country's highest court put on hold an order from a lower court that had permitted the high school student to use the bathroom of his choice. Last year, the American Civil Liberties Union sued on behalf of Gavin Grimm, 17, to challenge the Gloucester Count
  
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• More rain forecast for Southwest after monsoonal soaking

  03-08-2016 23:40 via news.yahoo.com
  
  PHOENIX (AP) — Parts of the desert Southwest were getting a second soaking Wednesday, a day after monsoon rains swamped the region, stranding drivers, flooding streets and prompting water rescues.
  
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• Governor signs law to allow daily fantasy sports in New York

  03-08-2016 23:36 via news.yahoo.com
  ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed a new law Wednesday to allow the resumption of daily fantasy sports in New York.
  
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• Clinton, Kaine to release book 2 months before election

  03-08-2016 23:36 via news.yahoo.com
  NEW YORK (AP) — Hillary Clinton and her running mate, Tim Kaine, are releasing a book two months before the election.
  
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• Race riotous

  03-08-2016 23:33 via bbc.co.uk
  
  No-one is a hero in a new Australian film that asks tough questions about racism, violence and stupidity.
  
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• Penthouse targets Utah for declaring porn a health crisis

  03-08-2016 23:31 via news.yahoo.com
  SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Utah's declaration of pornography as a public health crisis has created a backlash from sexually explicit publications, earning Republican Gov. Gary Herbert a mention on the latest cover of Penthouse magazine, which also sent copies of the issue to him and leaders in the Utah-based Mormon church.
  
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• Brazil's women off to flying start in Rio Olympic football

  03-08-2016 23:31 via news.yahoo.com
  
  Brazil's women footballers ensured the opening day of action at Rio 2016 was a happy one for the hosts with a 3-0 win over China on Wednesday. The sight of vast swathes of empty seats at the 60,000-seater Olympic stadium for Sweden's 1-0 win over South Africa in the first match of the Games will have embarrassed organisers. A healthier, albeit far from capacity crowd enjoyed the Canarinhas victory as goals from Monica, Andressa Alves and Cristiane eased Brazil to a comfortable win.
  
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• Why Amish farm kids don't get asthma

  03-08-2016 23:29 via news.yahoo.com
  
  Children who grow up on traditional Amish farms in the United States are largely protected from asthma because their immune systems are bolstered by close contact with farm animals' microbes, researchers said Wednesday. The study in the August 4 edition of the New England Journal of Medicine compared two similar communities -- the Amish of Indiana and the Hutterites of South Dakota -- which have different methods of farming. About five percent of Amish schoolchildren have asthma -- about half th
  
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• Union: Vermont slow to improve workplace safety

  03-08-2016 23:29 via news.yahoo.com
  MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) — A year after a Vermont social worker was shot and killed outside a state office building, the state says it's making security enhancements to buildings, but the employees' union says Vermont hasn't moved quickly enough to protect workers from violence.
  
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• Stray dog joins extreme runner during China race

  03-08-2016 23:28 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Extreme marathon runner says he realised dog who joined him during China race was more than "just a little dog following me".
  
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• Michael Phelps opens door _ slightly _ to another comeback

  03-08-2016 23:21 via news.yahoo.com
  
  RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Michael Phelps kept saying this would definitely be his final Olympics.
  
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• Tony Bennett turns 90, eager for new collaboration

  03-08-2016 23:20 via news.yahoo.com
  
  Crooner Tony Bennett celebrated his 90th birthday on Wednesday, declaring himself in great health and ready for a new collaboration -- with Beyonce if she's interested. With his cheery grin and stylish renditions of pop standards, Bennett has been called the last in a generation of singing greats who included his friend and fellow Italian American Frank Sinatra. Bennett -- born in 1926 in New York's Astoria neighborhood though his most famous song is "I Left My Heart in San Francisco" -- was fet
  
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• Man held on murder charge in teens' deaths near Atlanta

  03-08-2016 23:19 via news.yahoo.com
  
  ROSWELL, Ga. (AP) — Police arrested a 20-year-old man on a murder charge Wednesday as they investigate the deaths of two teenagers, each shot in the head, whose bodies were found behind a grocery store in an Atlanta suburb.
  
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• Britain and France seek condemnation of North Korea launches

  03-08-2016 23:14 via news.yahoo.com
  UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Britain and France say they're pressing for strong condemnation by the U.N. Security Council of North Korea's latest missile launches — and possibly even more sanctions.
  
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• Trump camp in turmoil

  03-08-2016 23:12 via cnn.com
  
  Donald Trump aides and people close to his campaign are increasingly frustrated by his insistence on waging various fights that steer him off message.
  
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• The Latest: Texas AG says voter ID fight not over

  03-08-2016 23:12 via news.yahoo.com
  AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — The Latest on the Texas voter ID law (all times local):
  
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• Tesla loss grows as it falls short of sales goals

  03-08-2016 23:09 via news.yahoo.com
  
  DETROIT (AP) — Electric car maker Tesla Motors Inc. ended its turbulent second quarter with a larger-than-expected loss, but said it remains on track to increase production in the second half of this year and introduce a new car in 2017.
  
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• Can house dust explain why Amish protected from asthma?

  03-08-2016 23:08 via news.yahoo.com
  
  CHICAGO (AP) — Forget Fluffy and Fido. Bessie the cow just might make a healthier pet.
  
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• 21st Century Fox earnings jump to $567 mn

  03-08-2016 23:06 via news.yahoo.com
  
  The Murdoch family-controlled conglomerate 21st Century Fox on Wednesday reported a sharp rise in quarterly profit to $567 million, lifted by higher broadcast and cable advertising revenues. Revenues rose seven percent from a year ago in the quarter to June 30 to $6.6 billion for the group that includes the Fox Hollywood studios and an array of television operations. "We delivered full-year revenue and earnings growth on the strength of gains in affiliate and advertising revenues despite conside
  
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• University of Connecticut loses track of 15 skulls

  03-08-2016 23:01 via news.yahoo.com
  FARMINGTON, Conn. (AP) — Fifteen human skulls are among more than 100 items that went unaccounted for in a routine inventory at the University of Connecticut Health Center.
  
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• US boxer Claressa Shields punching toward 2nd Olympic gold

  03-08-2016 23:00 via news.yahoo.com
  COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) — Claressa Shields got the Olympic rings tattooed on her powerful right bicep five weeks ago. "Rio" and "London" are inscribed within the bottom two loops.
  
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• Obama cuts short prison sentences for 214 convicts

  03-08-2016 22:57 via news.yahoo.com
  
  By Timothy Gardner WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama cut short the prison terms of 214 convicts on Wednesday, the largest number of commutations a U.S. leader has granted in single day since at least 1900, the White House said. Obama has now granted a total of 562 commutations during his presidency, more than the number by the past nine presidents combined, it said. In Wednesday's batch, 67 convicts were serving life sentences.
  
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• High court: School can block transgender teen from boys room

  03-08-2016 22:57 via news.yahoo.com
  RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — The U.S. Supreme Court says a Virginia school board can block a transgender male from using the boy's bathroom at his school until it decides whether to intervene in his case.
  
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• Yanks left-hander Lindgren to have Tommy John surgery

  03-08-2016 22:54 via news.yahoo.com
  
  NEW YORK (AP) — Yankees left-hander Jacob Lindgren will have Tommy John surgery Friday, an injury that likely will sideline him until the 2018 season.
  
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• Supreme Court blocks bathroom choice for transgender student

  03-08-2016 22:53 via news.yahoo.com
  A Virginia school board may temporarily block a transgender student who was born a girl from using the boys' bathroom while a legal fight over transgender rights proceeds on appeal, the U.S. Supreme Court said on Wednesday. The case is the first time the fight over transgender bathroom rights has reached the Supreme Court. In a brief order, the Supreme Court stayed an order from a lower court that had permitted the high school student to use the bathroom of his choice.
  
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• White House: Iran cash payment not ransom for hostages

  03-08-2016 22:52 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The White House dismisses claims that the US paid a ransom to Iran in exchange for the release of five American prisoners.
  
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• Swimming star Phelps frustrated by spectre of doping

  03-08-2016 22:51 via news.yahoo.com
  
  As the Russian doping scandal roils Rio, Olympic swimming star Michael Phelps says he can't be sure he has ever competed in a completely clean sport. More than 100 Russians, including seven swimmers, have been banned from Rio after revelations of a state-run scheme to cover up positive drug test results. The International Olympic Committee declined to ban Russia outright, tasking sports federations with determining which Russians can compete.
  
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• The Latest: Trump claims of 'rigged' system refuted

  03-08-2016 22:45 via news.yahoo.com
  
  WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on the U.S. presidential race (all times EDT):
  
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• Harry Connick Jr. aims to surprise viewers _ and himself

  03-08-2016 22:45 via news.yahoo.com
  
  BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (AP) — Harry Connick Jr. has recorded, toured, performed in movies and sitcoms, starred on Broadway and, in the process, charmed nearly everyone he meets.
  
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• U.S. strikes easing advance against Islamic State in Sirte, says commander

  03-08-2016 22:44 via news.yahoo.com
  
  By Aidan Lewis SIRTE, Libya (Reuters) - U.S. air strikes are easing the passage of Libyan forces as they seek to clear Islamic State from the militant group's former North African stronghold of Sirte, a senior field commander said on Wednesday. Mohamed Darat said the first strikes, which took place on Monday, had helped Libyan brigades under his command secure the Dollar residential neighborhood by targeting militants who had been holding out on the district's edge. Libya's U.N.-backed governmen
  
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• Demaryius Thomas says grandmother's sentence commuted

  03-08-2016 22:43 via news.yahoo.com
  
  ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — Denver Broncos wide receiver Demaryius Thomas was told that President Barack Obama commuted the life sentence of Thomas' grandmother on Wednesday.
  
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• South Dakota charges 2 men trying to help launch pot resort

  03-08-2016 22:42 via news.yahoo.com
  
  FLANDREAU, S.D. (AP) — South Dakota's top prosecutor charged two consultants who worked with a Native American tribe on its plans to open the nation's first marijuana resort with drug offenses, accusing them of having seeds shipped from the Netherlands hidden in CD cases and sewn into clothing.
  
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• Obama to foreigners on US election: Buckle your seatbelts

  03-08-2016 22:41 via news.yahoo.com
  
  WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama had a message for youth from other countries watching America's rollicking presidential election: "I hope you've buckled your seatbelts."
  
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• Obama makes mass commutation of 214 offenders

  03-08-2016 22:41 via news.yahoo.com
  
  US President Barack Obama on Wednesday commuted the sentences of 214 drug offenders, the single biggest act of presidential clemency in over a century. The White House said Obama had forgiven a fresh group of prisoners, including 67 who had been serving life sentences. Most were guilty of non-violent crimes, many involving possession or distribution of crack cocaine.
  
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• Celtic 2-1 FC Astana (agg 3-2)

  03-08-2016 22:41 via bbc.co.uk
  
  A late Moussa Dembele penalty seals Celtic's place in the play-off round of the Champions League with victory over Astana.
  
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• Firefighter killed after helping to save 300 on board

  03-08-2016 22:40 via cnn.com
  
  An Emirates flight appeared to catch fire while making an emergency landing at Dubai International airport on Wednesday.
  
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• Syria 'toxic attack': Aleppo rebels accused by Russia

  03-08-2016 22:39 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The Russian military tells the US it believes rebels in the Syrian city of Aleppo deployed "toxic substances" in an attack on Tuesday.
  
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• Pregnant in Miami: Zika's arrival adds new anxieties

  03-08-2016 22:39 via news.yahoo.com
  
  By Letitia Stein and Jilian Mincer TAMPA, Fla./NEW YORK (Reuters) - Since Florida officials declared that the Zika virus is circulating in the state, Miami-area resident Karla Maguire has avoided taking her toddler son to a playground where mosquitoes may be biting. An obstetrician and gynecologist who is herself pregnant, Maguire has become scrupulous about following the advice that she gives patients to protect against Zika, which can cause a rare but devastating birth defect.
  
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• Florida dad fatally injures 'Pinky' the dancing flamingo

  03-08-2016 22:37 via news.yahoo.com
  
  TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Veterinarians at Busch Gardens had to euthanize "Pinky" the dancing flamingo after a man grabbed her from an animal viewing area and threw her to the ground in front of his children.
  
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• Cosby wants taped calls with accuser's mom ousted from trial

  03-08-2016 22:37 via news.yahoo.com
  NORRISTOWN, Pa. (AP) — Bill Cosby's lawyers want a Pennsylvania judge to suppress taped phones calls he had with his accuser's mother as the defense starts trying to chip away at the trial evidence.
  
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• Trump Taj Mahal casino shutting down amid record-long strike

  03-08-2016 22:34 via news.yahoo.com
  
  ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) — Donald Trump has been gone from Atlantic City for years, but his name has lived on in glowing neon on the facade of a casino he no longer owned.
  
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• Birthday boy: Patriots celebrate Brady turning 39

  03-08-2016 22:32 via news.yahoo.com
  
  FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — The crowd gathered at New England Patriots training camp broke into the first of several choruses of "Happy Birthday" on Wednesday morning.
  
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• Second Zika vaccine trial gets under way in US

  03-08-2016 22:29 via news.yahoo.com
  
  US health authorities Wednesday launched the second human trial of a vaccine against the mosquito-borne Zika virus, which can cause birth defects and is now spreading in the US and Latin America. The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) Zika virus investigational DNA vaccine will be given to 80 healthy volunteers aged 18-35 at three study sites in the United States, said the federal agency. The first dose was delivered Tuesday, the NIAID said in a statement.
  
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• Fed official says 1 rate increase might be needed this year

  03-08-2016 22:29 via news.yahoo.com
  WASHINGTON (AP) — A Federal Reserve official who has been a leading supporter of a slow approach to raising interest rates says one rate increase "could be appropriate" this year.
  
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