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Wednesday, June 27, 2012 12:12 AM PDT

Today's Blogs - Yahoo! News: Incumbents Rangel, Hatch win primary elections Pinta Island tortoises go extinct with Lonesome George's passing Apple quietly stops touting the fact that it has a virus-free platform Reports: Nora Ephron, author, screenwriter, 'Sleepless in Seattle' filmmaker, dead at 71 Texas man gets left behind during family road trip 80 Teddy Ruxpin dolls transmit feelings from the Internet (VIDEO) Democrats move convention kick-off event amid rumors of lackluster fundraising Rob Portman: Zombie Hunter Watch Garry Kasparov defeat Alan Turing in chess, 58 years after Turing's death Amanpour in Egypt: What Morsi Means for Women, Israel and the U.S. Don't Miss Video of the Day: Barack Obama sings Justin Bieber's Boyfriend Dad charged with assault for tossing McDonald's fries at stepdaughter Obama doesn't like your favorite baseball team (unless it's the White Sox) Deal reached in Senate to keep student loan interest rate low Detective faulted George Zimmerman for not avoiding confrontation with Trayvon Martin Claire McCaskill to skip Democratic National Convention 'Deserve to Die' posters pop up in some U.S. cities Gunnar, the U.S. Navy seal, dies at age 38 Syria slipping from Assad's grasp, White House says Supreme Court could disrupt prediction markets with nuanced decision on health care Angry Elmo impersonator taken away by police Biden: Romney is a job creator 'in Singapore, and China [and] India' Bob McDonnell clams up about VP possibility 'Fear The Brow' athlete Anthony Davis trademarks unibrow Build your Lego masterpieces right within Chrome using Google Build Google wants to help save the world's lost languages Issa challenges Obama on executive privilege regarding Holder Big Ben tower to be renamed in honor of Queen Elizabeth Rielle Hunter on her split with Edwards: 'I'm not a mistress, I'm a mom' Supreme Court risks overturning 'decades of precedent' with health care ruling, says Obama spokesman Condoleezza Rice says there is 'no way' she'd be Mitt Romney's VP Arizona implements immigration law as feds push back Texas teen lesbians thought to be targeted in fatal park shooting Rob Portman's thin opposition research file: in 40 years, 1 traffic ticket Jesse Jackson Jr. takes leave of absence for 'exhaustion' New Obama ads say Romney shipped U.S. jobs to China, India Colorado wildfires: C-130s called in to help Hatch in Utah, Rangel in New York, plus more to watch for Tuesday in politics At super PAC fundraiser, Condoleezza Rice knocks Obama for immigration move and predicts Romney victory Hatch ready to rule Tuesday's primary in Utah, but will other incumbents follow? Incumbents Rangel, Hatch win primary elections Tue,26 Jun 2012 08:18 PM PDT Two very different congressmen--New York Democratic Rep. Charlie Rangel and Utah Republican Sen. Orrin Hatch--avoided the fate of other incumbents around the country and won re-election Tuesday night despite strong primary challenges in their respective states. While Hatch had for some time appeared a shoo-in for re-election, Rangel's fate was far less certain. But Rangel [...] Full Story Top Pinta Island tortoises go extinct with Lonesome George's passing Tue,26 Jun 2012 06:05 PM PDT Lonesome George, the only known Pinta Island tortoise in existence, passed away on June 24 at the Charles Darwin Research Station in the Galapagos Islands. Scientists have tried to find George the perfect mate since he was discovered in 1971 in order … Continue reading → Full Story Top Apple quietly stops touting the fact that it has a virus-free platform Tue,26 Jun 2012 05:49 PM PDT It's been one of the key selling points of Macs for years: Computers made by Apple simply don't get viruses, right? Well, unfortunately, recent computer virus outbreaks (yes, that's outbreaks with an "S") have proven Macs to be vulnerable, and as a result, … Continue reading → Full Story Top Reports: Nora Ephron, author, screenwriter, 'Sleepless in Seattle' filmmaker, dead at 71 Tue,26 Jun 2012 05:23 PM PDT Nora Ephron, the pioneering author, screenwriter and filmmaker behind several blockbuster romantic comedies, including "Sleepless in Seattle" and "When Harry Met Sally," has died, media outlets are reporting. She was 71. Her death was first alluded to by Liz Smith on the website wowOwow.com in a column that was published on Tuesday and caused speculation [...] Full Story Top Texas man gets left behind during family road trip Tue,26 Jun 2012 05:11 PM PDT A Texas man found himself stranded in the middle of Tennessee during a road trip with his family. And he got out of the jam only after using Facebook to track down the van that had left him behind. The van was carrying his two children and was more than 100 miles away. "Somebody had [...] Full Story Top 80 Teddy Ruxpin dolls transmit feelings from the Internet (VIDEO) Tue,26 Jun 2012 03:22 PM PDT After watching this video, your memories of Teddy Ruxpin may never be the same. Artist Sean Hathaway has created an interactive multimedia installation using 1980s talking dolls to "effectively take the emotional temperature of the Internet." Teddy Ruxpin was a phenomenon of the 1980s. The animatronic bear dolls were the top-selling toy of 1985 and [...] Full Story Top Democrats move convention kick-off event amid rumors of lackluster fundraising Tue,26 Jun 2012 03:15 PM PDT Fundraising shortfall or right on track? That's the question raised by a Bloomberg story reporting that the Democratic Party is $27 million behind its funding goal to underwrite September's National Convention in Charlotte, N.C. Apparently, this budget deficit may have prompted Democrats to cancel a convention kick-off event at the Charlotte Motor [...] Full Story Top Rob Portman: Zombie Hunter Tue,26 Jun 2012 02:57 PM PDT In the War on Drugs, it's Rob Portman 1, Flesh-Eating Zombies 0. Following a recent string of attacks around the country involving people who ingested the synthetic drug known as "bath salts" and then attacked victims and ate their flesh, Ohio Sen. Rob Portman introduced an amendment to a Senate FDA bill that would implement [...] Full Story Top Watch Garry Kasparov defeat Alan Turing in chess, 58 years after Turing's death Tue,26 Jun 2012 02:42 PM PDT Grandfather of the computer Alan Turing celebrated his 100th birthday this weekend — or at least he would have, had he not committed suicide in 1954 after being chemically castrated by England. (Sorry for the downer.) To celebrate the anniversary of … Continue reading → Full Story Top Amanpour in Egypt: What Morsi Means for Women, Israel and the U.S. Tue,26 Jun 2012 02:36 PM PDT For the first time in Egypt's existence, Mohammed Morsi has become not only the country's first freely elected president, but also the first Islamic head of state in an Arab country. It's a joyous moment as Egyptians take to the streets to celebrate, but the work to restore democracy is far from over as a [...] Full Story Top Don't Miss Video of the Day: Barack Obama sings Justin Bieber's Boyfriend Tue,26 Jun 2012 02:35 PM PDT The fandom of Justin Bieber is pretty hard to escape, especially if you have kids or spend any time at all on the internet. And while most of J. Bieb's songs make us cringe, we think we've finally discovered the way … Continue reading → Full Story Top Dad charged with assault for tossing McDonald's fries at stepdaughter Tue,26 Jun 2012 02:08 PM PDT James Hackett, 26, is facing a felony assault charge after allegedly throwing an order of "hot and oily" McDonald's french fries at his 11-year-old stepdaughter, according to a Lowell, Massachusetts, police report posted on The Smoking Gun. Interestingly, the report states that the unnamed girl was not harmed in the incident but states the action [...] Full Story Top Obama doesn't like your favorite baseball team (unless it's the White Sox) Tue,26 Jun 2012 02:06 PM PDT President Barack Obama will fly Air Force One to your hometown, he'll praise your local politicians, visit your favorite diner, sample your local fare, kiss your baby, and (ahem) he'll take your donations -- but he isn't going to pretend to like your baseball team, America. Not unless your team is the Chicago White Sox. [...] Full Story Top Deal reached in Senate to keep student loan interest rate low Tue,26 Jun 2012 01:43 PM PDT Republican and Democratic leaders in the Senate say they have reached a deal to continue subsidizing student loans with an interest rate of 3.4 percent instead of allowing it to return to the normal rate of 6.8 percent. The extension would cost about $6 billion over the next year, but it would save costs for [...] Full Story Top Detective faulted George Zimmerman for not avoiding confrontation with Trayvon Martin Tue,26 Jun 2012 01:31 PM PDT [Updated at 4:45 p.m. ET] Neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman missed two opportunities to try to peacefully approach Trayvon Martin before he fatally shot the unarmed teenager, according to an investigator's report released Tuesday. "The encounter between George Zimmerman and Trayvon Martin was ultimately avoidable by Zimmerman, if Zimmerman had remained in his vehicle and [...] Full Story Top Claire McCaskill to skip Democratic National Convention Tue,26 Jun 2012 01:20 PM PDT Sen. Claire McCaskill, vulnerable in her re-election bid, reportedly joined a growing faction of Democrats begging off this summer's Democratic National Convention. The Missouri senator made the decision Tuesday to skip the national convention, which takes place Sept. 3-6, Pema Levy first reported for Talking Points Memo. The convention is where President Barack Obama will [...] Full Story Top 'Deserve to Die' posters pop up in some U.S. cities Tue,26 Jun 2012 01:11 PM PDT A provocative advertising campaign that declares hipsters, cat lovers and crazy old aunts "deserve to die" is popping up in major American cities, including New York, Chicago, Seattle and New Orleans. The posters, placed on telephone booths and bus terminals, do not say what the campaign is for, but a quick online search leads to [...] Full Story Top Gunnar, the U.S. Navy seal, dies at age 38 Tue,26 Jun 2012 12:21 PM PDT He was a U.S. Navy seal best known for learning to use a screwdriver. And now Cold War veteran Gunnar has passed away on Monday. He was 38-years-old at the time of his death and enjoying some quiet living in Washington DC's National Zoo. To be clear, Gunnar was not a U.S. Navy SEAL, the [...] Full Story Top Syria slipping from Assad's grasp, White House says Tue,26 Jun 2012 11:48 AM PDT The White House highlighted news reports of high-level Syrian defections and fighting drawing closer to Damascus on Tuesday as signs that President Bashar Assad is "losing his grip" on his country some 15 months into a bloody crackdown on opposition to his rule. "Recent high-level military defections to Jordan and Turkey are another testament to [...] Full Story Top Supreme Court could disrupt prediction markets with nuanced decision on health care Tue,26 Jun 2012 11:42 AM PDT Many people have money riding on the Supreme Court's verdict on the Affordable Care Act, which is expected Thursday, from health care executives to 24-year-olds hoping to stay on their parents' insurance a few more years. But none has a more direct financial interest in the decision than those who have gambled on the outcome [...] Full Story Top Angry Elmo impersonator taken away by police Tue,26 Jun 2012 11:37 AM PDT Which of these Elmos is not like the others? Elmo is a beloved Sesame Street character, and his likeness tickles tourists in the pedestrian plazas of Times Square who want shots with the famous giggly persona. (If you're not familiar with the cuddly puppet, check out the video clip above.) But recently, Elmo impersonators and [...] Full Story Top Biden: Romney is a job creator 'in Singapore, and China [and] India' Tue,26 Jun 2012 11:23 AM PDT Vice President Joe Biden mounted an all-out assault on Mitt Romney's economic record on Tuesday, accusing him of creating jobs overseas but not in the United States. Biden also cited the former Massachusetts governor's Swiss bank account and money socked away in the Cayman Islands as evidence he was "out of touch" with the middle [...] Full Story Top Bob McDonnell clams up about VP possibility Tue,26 Jun 2012 11:22 AM PDT This is based on just one interview, but there appears to be a shift in the way Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell discusses whether Mitt Romney's presidential campaign is considering him as a possible vice presidential candidate. He's no longer talking about it at all. "I'm not discussing the vice presidential vetting process," McDonnell said Tuesday [...] Full Story Top 'Fear The Brow' athlete Anthony Davis trademarks unibrow Tue,26 Jun 2012 10:52 AM PDT Kentucky basketball star Anthony Davis is widely expected to be the number one selection in this Thursday's NBA draft. But he's already locked down one unique distinction: filing a trademark over his unibrow. "I don't want anyone to try to grow a unibrow because of me and then try to make money off of it," Davis told [...] Full Story Top Build your Lego masterpieces right within Chrome using Google Build Tue,26 Jun 2012 10:41 AM PDT Good news for everyone who wants to make their own Lego creations but don't exactly have the budget to buy thousands upon thousands of bricks: Google recently introduced Build — a Chrome-based game where you can create Lego masterpieces using 80 trillion … Continue reading → Full Story Top Google wants to help save the world's lost languages Tue,26 Jun 2012 10:37 AM PDT In an effort to help preserve some of the world's rarest languages, Google has teamed up with various universities and cultural diversity organizations to form the Endangered Languages Project. The company is providing assistance to these groups to build a vast database … Continue reading → Full Story Top Issa challenges Obama on executive privilege regarding Holder Tue,26 Jun 2012 09:57 AM PDT Rep. Darrell Issa on Monday accused President Barack Obama of using executive privilege to obstruct the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee's investigation of the failed Fast and Furious gun-walking operation. In a letter to Obama, Issa, the GOP chairman of the committee, questioned the motivation behind Obama's decision to intervene on behalf of Attorney [...] Full Story Top Big Ben tower to be renamed in honor of Queen Elizabeth Tue,26 Jun 2012 09:15 AM PDT Click image for more photos. London's famous clock tower--better known as "Ben Ben" for the 13-and-a-half-ton bell it houses--will be renamed Elizabeth Tower in honor of Queen Elizabeth's diamond jubilee, members of the British parliament announced on Tuesday. [Slideshow: Queen on landmark visit to N. Ireland] "The House of Commons Commission welcomed the proposal to [...] Full Story Top Rielle Hunter on her split with Edwards: 'I'm not a mistress, I'm a mom' Tue,26 Jun 2012 09:09 AM PDT Rielle Hunter appeared on "The View" this morning to discuss her new tell-all book about her relationship with John Edwards, but opened the interview discussing this morning's news that she and Edwards had split. Introduced by Barbara Walters as "the sexy blonde who husbands can't resist," Hunter confirmed that she and Edwards had broken up, [...] Full Story Top Supreme Court risks overturning 'decades of precedent' with health care ruling, says Obama spokesman Tue,26 Jun 2012 08:55 AM PDT The White House said Tuesday that the Supreme Court would be overturning "decades of precedent" if it finds the president's health care law unconstitutional in a much-anticipated ruling expected later this week. "We are, as I've said in the past, confident that the Affordable Care Act is constitutional, in keeping with decades of precedent under [...] Full Story Top Condoleezza Rice says there is 'no way' she'd be Mitt Romney's VP Tue,26 Jun 2012 08:47 AM PDT Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice may be energizing crowds at exclusive retreats for Mitt Romney and raising money for conservative super PACs, but despite dipping her toes into politics, she has no plans to become anyone's vice president. Rice ruled out the possibility in an interview on "CBS This Morning" Tuesday, saying there is [...] Full Story Top Arizona implements immigration law as feds push back Tue,26 Jun 2012 08:43 AM PDT Arizona began implementing the piece of its anti-illegal immigration law that survived the Supreme Court's ruling on Monday, requiring police officers to verify immigration status during routine stops if they have a "reasonable" suspicion that someone may be in the country illegally. Arizona tells police officers to look for specific signs that indicate they should [...] Full Story Top Texas teen lesbians thought to be targeted in fatal park shooting Tue,26 Jun 2012 08:10 AM PDT Police in a small Texas town are investigating the shooting of a female couple who may have been targeted. The women were found lying in "knee-deep" grass in a park in Portland, Texas, early Saturday. Mollie Judith Olgin, 19, was pronounced dead at the scene. Her girlfriend, 18-year-old Mary Christine Chapa, was hospitalized with a [...] Full Story Top Rob Portman's thin opposition research file: in 40 years, 1 traffic ticket Tue,26 Jun 2012 08:04 AM PDT While reporting a lengthy profile on Ohio Sen. Rob Portman, the Cincinnati Enquirer conducted a background check on the potential vice presidential contender in every state he has lived. It didn't find much. "An Enquirer background check of records in every state where he has lived found one blemish," Dan Horn and Deirdre Shesgreen wrote [...] Full Story Top Jesse Jackson Jr. takes leave of absence for 'exhaustion' Tue,26 Jun 2012 07:57 AM PDT Illinois Democratic Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. has been on "a medical leave of absence" from Congress since June 10, his office announced Monday. A statement revealed that he "is being treated for exhaustion" and offered no additional details—the first public confirmation of Jackson's absence. "He asks that you respect his family's privacy," the statement read. [...] Full Story Top New Obama ads say Romney shipped U.S. jobs to China, India Tue,26 Jun 2012 07:45 AM PDT President Barack Obama's re-election campaign has been working hard to convince voters that the election should be about what he and Mitt Romney would—or would not—do in the White House for the next four years. Team Obama's latest ads, running in Ohio, Iowa and Virginia, warn that the former Massachusetts governor will ship jobs overseas [...] Full Story Top Colorado wildfires: C-130s called in to help Tue,26 Jun 2012 06:31 AM PDT A wildfire that was first spotted on Saturday near Pikes Peak in Colorado has burned more than 4,000 acres and displaced more than 11,000 people, as firefighters—backed by military cargo planes—continue to battle raging blazes throughout the state. Fueled by dry conditions, high temperatures and hot winds, the Waldo Canyon fire—located about 80 miles south [...] Full Story Top Hatch in Utah, Rangel in New York, plus more to watch for Tuesday in politics Tue,26 Jun 2012 03:57 AM PDT Voters go to the polls Tuesday for primaries or runoffs in Utah, New York, Colorado, Oklahoma, South Carolina and South Dakota. Two incumbents to watch: Republican Sen. Orrin Hatch in Utah and Democratic Rep. Charlie Rangel in New York's 13th Congressional District. Hatch faces former state Sen. Dan Liljenquist, who has tea party support, and, [...] Full Story Top At super PAC fundraiser, Condoleezza Rice knocks Obama for immigration move and predicts Romney victory Tue,26 Jun 2012 02:32 AM PDT WASHINGTON-- As a former Secretary of State and National Security adviser, it's not every day Condoleezza Rice chooses to talk domestic policy over foreign issues. And as a scholar with a Ph.D. in political science, it's not every day that she chooses to talk politics over policy. But on Monday night during a super PAC [...] Full Story Top Hatch ready to rule Tuesday's primary in Utah, but will other incumbents follow? Tue,26 Jun 2012 02:16 AM PDT Across the country, Republicans are fighting off tea party threats while Democrats are dragged down by anti-incumbent sentiment and a president who remains unpopular in many competitive states. But on Tuesday, Utah Republican Sen. Orrin Hatch is expected to defy those trends and win re-election handily, with experience and a novice challenger helping to boost [...] Full Story Top

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