The company that built the stage that collapsed at the Indiana State Fair during a powerful storm last summer, killing seven people, has been cited for workplace safety violations along with the State Fair Commission and the union that worked at the site, officials said Wednesday. The Indiana Occupational Safety and Health Administration levied fines against all three entities for their roles in the Aug. 13 collapse, which occurred as the co...

Reporting from Washington— The Supreme Court has nine justices, but if the constitutional fight over same-sex marriage reaches them this year, the decision will probably come down to just one: a California Republican and Reagan-era conservative who has nonetheless written the court's two leading gay rights opinions. JusticeAnthony M. Kennedy, 75, often holds the court's deciding vote on the major issues that divide its liberals and c...

Reporting from Washington— The Obama administration's new requirement that most health insurance plans provide contraceptive services has exploded into a high-octane political weapon, with combatants on both sides scrambling to score points among the electorate and gin up fundraising from their most ardent supporters. In Congress and on the campaign trail Wednesday, Republicans attacked the rule as another example of government overrea...

The road to the Republican presidential nomination just got longer, steeper and less predictable. Mitt Romney is still the prohibitive front-runner as the race heads now to Arizona and Michigan. He alone has the financial and organizational wherewithal to stay in the race and fight in every contest through the last big day of balloting, on June 5. But by losing three out of three Tuesday contests to Rick Santorum — two of them in blowo...

ALEPPO, Syria — — In the apartment of an elderly Aleppo woman, the TV was tuned to the pro-government channel Al Dunya. Patriotic music played over images of a happy and prosperous Syria. On her balcony, a small Syrian flag waved in the night chill. "I told my cats that if they are with us then they can stay, but if they are against us I'll send them out into the streets," said the woman, a widow who is a staunch supporter of Pre...

Reporting from Beirut— A new round of fierce clashes and shelling was reported Wednesday in the battered Syrian city of Homs, while fresh recriminations flew aboutRussia'ssuddenly prominent role in the crisis. Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin deplored what he called a growing "cult of violence" in international affairs, and emphasized that countries should have the opportunity to decide their own fates without interference from ...

BEIJING Another Tibetan has set himself on fire in western China to protest government policies while thousands marched in another part of China to show support for their exiled spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, a report said. U.S.-funded Radio Free Asia said a man, apparently a monk, set himself on fire in Sichuan province's Aba prefecture on Wednesday and was taken away by soldiers and police. His condition was not immediately clear. It sa...

Mumbaikars continued to enjoy this season's uncharacteristic cold spell on Wednesday, with the maximum and minimum temperatures dipping by 4°C and 2°C than normal, respectively. The Santa Cruz weather station reported a maximum...

Commerce minister Anand Sharma is in a hurry to put his mark on the India-Pakistan border, keen to inaugurate the still under construction integrated checkpost (ICP) coming up at Attari to...

BY STEVE LACKMEYER slackmeyer@opubco.com Oklahoman Leave a comment Oklahoma City likely will be asked to contribute “multiple millions” toward completion of the American Indian Cultural Center as two experienced fundraisers attempt to cover an $80 million funding gap....

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Crucial talks aimed at averting Greece's bankruptcy were held up early Thursday after leaders of the three parties backing the country's coalition government failed to agree to creditors' demands to make euro300 million ($398.22 million) cuts to state and private pensions. The talks broke up after a seven-hour meeting on austerity needed for the euro130 billion ($172.56 billion) bailout package. "There was very broad agreement on all parts o...

A suspected member of the Zetas drug cartel led Mexican authorities to mass graves at two ranches in the Gulf coast state of Veracruz where marines unearthed 15 bodies by Wednesday. The navy said its personnel detained...

Facebook's top executives, including CEO Mark Zuckerberg, are eligible for twice-a-year bonuses of up to 45 percent of their base salaries and other earnings, according to a Wednesday regulatory filing. Facebook Inc. said in a filing with the...

Construction has tip-toed into South Florida’s economic rebound. Long a drag on spending, the construction industry has finally bounced off a horrid bottom when it comes to purchasing. State figures on taxable sales showed November was the fourth straight month of growth in construction spending for Broward, according to the Florida Office of Economic and Demographic Research. That brings Broward in line with Miami-Dade, where constru...

BEIJING - China's inflation rebounded in January as food prices soared, renewing pressure on the communist government to control surging living costs while it tries to boost slowing economic growth. Consumer prices rose 4.5 percent over a year...

Quarterly loss sends Groupon shares tumbling Groupon investors were expecting a better deal than the surprise loss the company delivered. The online deals site, reporting for the first time as a public company, said its fourth-quarter revenue nearly tripled, but it lost money and its shares fell $2.29, or 9.3 percent, to $22.29 in after-hours trading. Groupon's net loss totaled $42.7 million, or 8 cents per share, for the final three months ...

Washington - A United States public interest group asked a federal court on Wednesday to block Google from consolidating more than 60 of its privacy policies, saying it could make it easier for advertisers to target users. A lawsuit by the Electronic Privacy Information Centre alleged Google violated a settlement agreement reached with US regulators last March that requires consent from the user if Google collects information under one priva...

Thursday, 9 February 2012, 3:00 pm Press Release: Ministry of Economic Development 9 February 2012 Next steps towards oil and gas exploration Improvements in the process for permitting exploration for oil and gas will be implemented this year. “From 2012 we will exclusively use a ‘block offer’ annual competitive tender process to allocate permits for oil and gas exploration, and no longer use first-in, first-served permi...

Thursday, 9 February 2012, 3:05 pm Press Release: SweeneyVesty February 8, 2012 New Zealand Entrepreneur Launches Amphibious Trucks Amphitrucks capable of traveling up to 130km/h on land and over 60km/h on water were launched in Washington today. US military engineers and invited guests were the first in the world to see the “Phibian” in action at an event preceding the American Society of Naval Engineers (ASNE) annual conferen...

Thursday, 9 February 2012, 2:56 pm Press Release: Ports of Auckland 9 February 2012 MEDIA STATEMENT Ports of Auckland comment re: reports of strike action Ports of Auckland said this afternoon that despite media reports, it was yet to receive a 8th strike...

Thursday, 9 February 2012, 2:50 pm Press Release: Dairy Women's Network 9 February 2012 Dairying with Resilience: theme of Dairy Women’s Network annual conference Helping dairying women along their journeys toward developing dairy businesses in the face of challenges is one of the main themes of this year’s Dairy Women’s Network annual conference. The conference will be held at Rotorua’s Millennium Hotel on 21 and...

Thursday, 9 February 2012, 2:51 pm Press Release: Canstar Media Release 9 February 2012 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Dunedin - Home of Coffee Connoisseurs New Zealand’s coffee connoisseurs live in Dunedin according to the findings of an independent survey. The survey by Canstar Blue asked kiwis to rate their satisfaction with the coffee shop where they had most recently purchased a coffee. Mojo Café with locations in Wellington, Palmers...

Thursday, 9 February 2012, 2:48 pm Article: BusinessDesk NZ consumers would be lured to highspeed broadband by video content, survey says By Paul McBeth Feb. 9 (BusinessDesk) – New Zealand consumers would take up ultrafast broadband (UFB) to tap into video content such as blockbuster movies and top-rating television programmes, according to a study commissioned by the antitrust regulator. The Roy Morgan survey found the first few year...

Thursday, 9 February 2012, 2:44 pm Press Release: Going Digital MEDIA RELEASE 09 February 2011 83 per cent of New Zealand watching digital television New Zealand will start going digital in seven months and 83 per cent of households are ready for it, an increase of four per cent compared to the previous quarter. The transition from analogue to digital television...

Thursday, 9 February 2012, 3:04 pm Press Release: NIWA Thursday 9 February Our Far South voyage sets sail Fifty intrepid travellers set off from Bluff tomorrow, onboard the Spirit of Enderby, a Russian ice-strengthened ship, destined for Antarctica and the sub-Antarctica. Organised by Dr Gareth Morgan, the Our Far South voyage aims to raise New Zealanders’ awareness of this unique area. The crew is made up of interested individuals, i...

Quick ReadNYPD boss' son returns to TV show host job Friday after learning he won't face rape charges Photos (AP) -- The police commissioner's son, cleared of the prospect of criminal charges of raping a woman he met for a drink, will return to his job as host of a popular local morning TV talk show this week, his station said. Greg Kelly took a leave of absence from his job at "Good Day New York" after the allegations surfaced late last mon...

Johnny Depp is to produce a new movie about West Memphis Three member Damon Echols, who was released from prison last year after serving 18 years on Death Row for his alleged part in the murder of three Arkansas boy scouts. Depp and his producing partner Christi Dembrowski have optioned the film rights to Echols'...

Madonna is having a huge party and everyone’s invited. The Madonna 2012 World Tour begins May 29th 2012 in Tel Aviv, Israel it was officially announced by Live Nation Entertainment, the tour’s international promoter. The shows will include arenas, stadiums and special outdoor sights including the Plains of Abraham in Quebec and a return visit to South America as well as Australia where she has not performed in 20 years. The tour ...

Quick ReadTV producer charged with killing his wife at Cancun resort extradited to Mexico to await trial (AP) -- Federal authorities say a reality television producer charged with killing his wife while on vacation in Mexico has been extradited from California to await trial. The U.S. Marshals Service says in a statement Wednesday that they have turned former "Survivor" producer Bruce Beresford-Redman over to Mexican authorities, who are tra...

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Pennsylvania's 2001 legislative district maps should be used in this year's elections since the state Supreme Court rejected a new redistricting plan, a federal judge ruled Wednesday. Senior U.S. District Judge R. Barclay Surrick said the election cycle is too far along to allow a revised plan to be developed and approved. Delaying the April 24 primary could deprive Pennsylvanians of the right to vote...

LOS ANGELES, Feb 8 (TheWrap.com) - Universal's comedy "Bridesmaids" has become the most-ordered VOD title of all time, the studio said...

LOS ANGELES, Feb 8 (TheWrap.com) - Arnold Schwarzenegger will join fellow muscle man Sylvester Stallone starring in Summit's action thriller "The Tomb,"...

BY CHRISTY LEMIRE--> --> --> --> ‘Greatest Hits The Ultimate Bon Jovi Collection’ --> --> GMA comes up with a fighting Cinderella role for Kylie Padilla in the GMA afternoon drama "The Good Daughter" Moving beyond the shadow of her famous actor-dad,...

By ANGELA CELIS --> The economy may grow at a faster pace in the first quarter of 2012 due to increased public spending, the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) said. Cayetano Paderanga Jr., NEDA director general, told reporters yesterday that the first-quarter gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate for 2012 may be higher than the 4.6 percent growth during the same period last year. Paderanga said it is "possible" ...

By Matt Charboneau The Detroit News Comments Adreian Payne of the Spartans slams the ball through the hoop in the first half Wednesday in East Lansing. (Dale G. Young / Detroit News) East Lansing - Coming into the week, Michigan State's showdown with Ohio State on Saturday was the highlight matchup in the Big Ten. The only thing the Spartans had to do was make sure they didn't get caught looking ahead on Wednesday when Penn State came to Bre...

Quarterfinal games at 7 p.m. Thursday. Class 1A is in regional semifinals. REGION 1-8A Lake Brantley (15-10) at Mandarin (16-10): Sarah Kane (10.7 ppg) and Cari Broderick (10.0) helped the Mustangs win their first district title in 16 years. Mandarin, which finished runner-up to Ribault in the Gateway Conference, can shoot well and has some power in the paint. With that alone, they shouldn’t be an easy out in the postseason. REGION 1-7A Engl...

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Mike Scott made all nine of his shots and scored 19 points to lead No. 19...

Jordan Daniels netted a game-high 19 points to go with five assists as Boston College knocked off...

Draymond Green had 23 points and 12 rebounds and No. 11 Michigan State led wire-to-wire to beat Penn State, 77-57, at Breslin Center on Wednesday. Penn State cut the Spartans' advantage, as large as 22 points early...

Hough High girls coach Sonja Tate said she’s not surprised that her team, playing just its second season of basketball, is going for a championship tonight. Hough (15-7, 11-2) plays at Mallard Creek (18-4, 10-3). The game starts at 6:15. Hough is tied with Hopewell (15-7, 11-2) for first place in the I-Meck 4A conference. Hopewell plays rival North Mecklenburg (13-10, 6-7) at home tonight. So if Hough manages to beat Mallard Creek, th...

Indian Trail Sun Valley is having a good season on the wrestling mat. The 35-7 Sun Devils have built momentum in the last few weeks, winning the Southern Carolina 3A/4A title before giving a tough Northwest Guilford squad only its third loss of the year in the first round of the N.C. dual team wrestling tournament Tuesday. Coming down to the last match between the two teams’ heavyweights, Sun Valley was able to hold the Vikings 36-34....

Providence High will go for its third straight N.C. 4A boys swimming championship Saturday in the N.C. 4A championships at the Triangle Aquatic Center in Cary. Charlotte Catholic’s girls will go for a...

SYRACUSE, N.Y. Kris Joseph scored a career-high 29 points, hitting a go-ahead 3-pointer in the final minute of overtime, and No. 2 Syracuse beat 12th-ranked Georgetown...

Filed under: Chicago Auto Show, Coupe, Performance, Ford Ford debuted the 2013 Shelby GT500 Convertible earlier today at the Chicago Auto Show, but it wasn't the only Mustang vying for our attention on the show floor. In fact, we had a hard time keeping our eyes off this Vibrant Red beauty. The pony car in question? A 1993 SVT Cobra R, the pinnacle of the Fox Body Mustang. The standard SVT Cobra made its official debut at the Chicago Auto Show ...

Filed under: Chicago Auto Show, Truck, Ram The Chicago Auto Show was commonly known for years as a truck show, with automakers using the McCormick Place to show off their sport-utility vehicles and pickups. And while trends have indeed shifted in the automotive world (SUV is a dirty word these days), some companies still take time to debut a special truck or two here in the Windy City. Ram, Chrysler's pickup truck arm, has brought its new 2012 L...

Filed under: Chicago Auto Show, Crossover, Jeep, Design/Style, Off-Road Mopar didn't leave Jeep out of the customized fun here at the 2012 Chicago Auto Show. Based on the Compass, the 2012 Mopar True North boasts a two-inch suspension lift from Rocky Road Suspensions and 16-inch matte black wheels wrapped in BF Goodrich All Terrain tires. Other exterior tidbits include a matte black grille surround and lower body cladding. There aren't any chan...

Filed under: Truck, Chevrolet, Ford, GM, Ram The Super Bowl ad for the Chevrolet Silverado shows that the rivalry between Chevrolet and Ford still rages strong. But is there room for another brand or two to mix it up in the battle for pickup supremacy? Not according to General Motors marketing chief Joel Ewanick. Fox News reports that Ewanick said during a web chat on Jalopnik that "the two big players are Ford and Chevy." Ewanick added that it...

Filed under: Chicago Auto Show, SUV, Toyota Look very, very closely. This is the 2013 Toyota Land Cruiser, which, though not immediately apparent, is different than the 2012 model. How, exactly? The updated SUV has new features like LED running lamps up front, a revised taillamp design and some new wheel options. Inside, there's a brand new hard drive-based navigation system complete with Toyota's fancy new Entune infotainment system. Aside fro...

Filed under: Car Buying, Sedan, Europe, Maybach, Earnings/Financials, Luxury Daimler is shuttering Maybach in 2013 after seven years of production. In that time, the company's ultra-ultra-luxury arm managed to sell just 3,000 units, and CAR reports Daimler lost somewhere around $500,000 on each and every one of them. Even with a ludicrous price tag of over $370,000 for an "entry" Maybach 57, the brand couldn't quite recoup the dizzying $1.33 bi...

Filed under: Chicago Auto Show, Hatchback, Design/Style, Fiat Now that Fiat is officially tied at the hip with Chrysler, it's no surprise to see the Pentastar's aftermarket division take to the diminutive 500 like a honeybee to clovers (sorry). Which explains the 2012 Fiat 500 Stinger, the first Mopar-fettled Fiat ever created. The Stinger moniker seems to come from the machine's black and yellow paint scheme, which includes a somewhat homely s...

Filed under: Chicago Auto Show Detroit has the North American Car and Truck of the Year. Chicago? The Family Vehicle of the Year. And for 2012, the winner is the Volkswagen Passat. While we must have missed last year's inaugural winner - it was the Hyundai Sonata, by the way - we did catch this year's award presentation. The Passat beat out two other finalists, the Ford Explorer and Mazda5, in the voting of 68 automotive journalists. Those car ...

Filed under: Aftermarket, Chicago Auto Show, Sedan, Performance, Chevrolet, Luxury Our first face-to-face look at the murdered-out Mopar 300 occurred at the Chicago Auto Show today. Peel away the black hood and you will find the the company's familiar 5.7-liter V8 as standard equipment. Output remains at 363 horsepower, but a new final-drive ratio of 3.91:1 working in conjunction with its five-speed W5A580 automatic transmission should drop 0-60...