Central Asia group seeks bigger Afghanistan role

Central Asia group seeks bigger Afghanistan role

By CHRISTOPHER BODEEN, Associated Press

6-6-2012

BEIJING (AP) — Central Asian states meeting in Beijing this week say they want a role in stabilizing Afghanistan after most U.S. combat troops leave at the end of 2014, with China's economic juggernaut leading the charge.

The war-torn nation's future is expected to feature prominently in discussions by leaders of the six nations that make up the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. The bloc, which includes China, Russia, and four Central Asian states, seeks closer security and economic ties among its members, most prominently through regular meetings and joint military exercises targeting separatists, religious extremists and drug

INSIDE THE NBA

Celtics take 3-2 lead as Heat's title hopes look like empty promises

June 6, 2012  by  Ian Thomsen   

MIAMI -- The videos were spliced together to give the false impression of never-ending effort and resilience. "It is our destiny," growled the narrator amid highlights of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh dunking and celebrating one after the next.

The JumboTron dangled over the Miami Heat court like a piano above a large plate of glass. From its screens read this concluding message:

"MAKE SOME NOISE"

And hardly anyone did. The only audible noise was coming out of the loudspeakers. The support had to be synthesized because moments earlier Paul Pierce had stared down LeBron James from the three-point line, the ball dribbling from his hand to the beat of a calm and confident heart. "Right when he gets into the footwork, you knew he was going to shoot it," said Celtics coach Doc Rivers. "At least I did, because I've seen him enough." But James, who before this series had mentioned how well he and Pierce knew the games of one another, backed away to leave Pierce the space for the three-pointer that gave the Celtics a four-point lead that robbed the arena that everyone loves to hate of its bluster.

The Celtics stole a 94-90 win in Game 5 on Tuesday and a 3-2 lead in the Eastern Conference finals, just six days after they'd fallen 0-2 in overtime while Pierce watched from the bench after fouling out. Miami must now win Game 6 on Thursday in Boston. Anyone who has been paying attention to the last four games will realize how difficult that's going to be.

Afterward Dwyane Wade would roll his eyes and laugh sardonically over the bad luck that followed the two-handed dunk that was missed by Boston's Brandon Bass midway into the fourth. The ball caromed high off the back iron and was tapped by Rajon Rondo out to Mickael Pietrus in the corner, and, in fact, there was nothing lucky about that play. "Rondo not only saved it," said Rivers, "but he saved it toward one of our shooters."

2 California cities voters embrace pension cuts

Associated Press | Posted: Wednesday, June 6, 2012 

Voters in two major California cities overwhelmingly approved cuts to retirement benefits for city workers in what supporters said was a mandate that may lead to similar ballot initiatives in other states and cities that are struggling with mounting pension obligations.

Supporters had a simple message to voters in San Diego and San Jose: Pensions for city workers are unaffordable and more generous than many private companies offer, forcing libraries to slash hours and potholes to go unfilled.

"The public is frustrated," said San Diego Councilman Carl DeMaio, a Republican who staked his mayoral bid on the pension measure and advanced to a November runoff in Tuesday's election to lead the

Guard rescued at SC prison; officers control unit

Guard rescued at SC prison; officers control unit

JACK JONES, Associated Press

Updated 07:46 a.m., Wednesday, June 6, 2012

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — A guard held hostage at a South Carolina high security prison was rescued early Wednesday after a standoff of more than six hours, a corrections department spokesman said.

The officer was rescued and prison officials regained control of the building around 3:15 a.m. when negotiations with the inmates failed, said Clark Newsom, a spokesman for the Department of Corrections.

About 100 corrections officers and State Law Enforcement Division agents blew open a door and regained control of the building. The inmates did not resist, Newsom said. The correctional officer had been dressed in an inmate's uniform to disguise him but he was recognized and rescued, Newsom said.

During the standoff, the inmates never left the wing of the Lee Correctional Institution in Bishopville and there was no danger to the

Ginseng Fights Fatigue in Cancer

ASCO: Ginseng Fights Fatigue in Cancer

By Crystal Phend, Senior Staff Writer, MedPage Today
Published: June 05, 2012
Reviewed by Zalman S. Agus, MD; Emeritus Professor, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.

CHICAGO -- Ginseng appears to counteract the fatigue often associated with cancer, according to randomized trial results.

After 8 weeks taking supplements of the ground-up root, fatigue scores among cancer patients dropped 20% compared with 10% on placebo pills (P=0.003), Debra Barton RN, PhD, of the Mayo Clinic Cancer Center in Rochester, Minn., and colleagues found.

Ginseng appeared as safe as placebo, at least over the short term, they reported here at the American Society of Clinical Oncology meeting.

The Secrets Behind Lindsay Lohan’s Elizabeth Taylor Transformation

The Secrets Behind Lindsay Lohan’s Elizabeth Taylor Transformation

JUN 05 2012



When Lindsay Lohan first walked onto the set of Lifetime’s Liz & Dick dressed as screen legend Elizabeth Taylor, “there was an audible gasp,” the movie’s costume designer, Salvador Pérez, tells PEOPLE. “You’d swear it was Elizabeth.”

Dressed in Taylor’s favorite styles — jewel-toned cocktail dresses, fur coats and those famous gems (well, good fakes) — the actress looked remarkably like her screen idol. “She just walked into the clothes and became Elizabeth Taylor,” says Pérez.

Producer Larry Thompson had some of Taylor’s most famous bling, including the 33-carat Krupp diamond, recreated for the film. “Part of the magic is the wardrobe,” he says. “And Lindsay said she wants to bring magic to the movie.” Many of the vintage dresses fit her like a glove, too; Lohan’s waist measures a tiny 23 inches, while Taylor’s was a mere 22 inches.


Lohan will wear 66 different looks in the 80-minute biopic, which begins in 1961, ends with Richard Burton’s death in 1984 and focuses on their tumultuous relationship (an affair while she was still married, two weddings and two divorces). To prep, Lohan hired a voice coach and even dyed her auburn hair a deep brunette to better match Taylor’s

Romney Team: email account ...

Romney Team: Authorities Probe Possible Hacking

by THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
WASHINGTON June 5, 2012

WASHINGTON (AP) — Authorities are investigating whether Mitt Romney's private email account was hacked, his presidential campaign said Tuesday.

The website Gawker reported Tuesday that an anonymous hacker had signed into Romney's personal Hotmail account. Gawker reported that the hacker guessed the answer to a security question about Romney's favorite pet in order to gain access to the account and change the password. The anonymous hacker told the website that Romney's account on DropBox, a file sharing service, also was compromised.

Fannie Mae new CEO

Fannie Mae names Timothy Mayopoulos as new CEO

By Marcy Gordon, Associated Press
6-5-2012
WASHINGTON – Timothy Mayopoulos, the general counsel of Fannie Mae, will be the next CEO of the government-controlled mortgage giant.

Fannie Mae, based in Washington, says Mayopoulos, 53, will become president and chief executive on June 18. He replaces Michael J. Williams, who announced in January that he would step down after a successor was found.
The government rescued Fannie and smaller sibling Freddie Mac in September 2008 after the two companies absorbed huge losses on risky mortgages that threatened to topple them. Since then, a federal regulator has controlled the two companies' financial decisions.
So far, Fannie and Freddie have cost taxpayers about $170 billion — the largest bailout of the financial crisis. It could cost roughly $260 billion more to support the companies through 2014, after subtracting dividend payments, according to the government.

Facebook stock fell 3.8 percent to $25.87

Facebook Extends Share Declines Since IPO

By Brian Womack - Jun 5, 2012

Facebook Inc. (FB) shares extended their decline today following a Reuters/Ipsos poll that showed sagging interest in the site and a minority of users being influenced by ads and comments when making purchasing decisions.
The stock fell 3.8 percent to $25.87 at the close in New York. The shares have lost 32 percent since they began trading at $38 on May 18.

Compared to six months ago, 34 percent of users are spending less time on Facebook, while just 20 percent are using the site more often, according to the poll. One in five people on Facebook have bought products because of advertising or comments they saw on the site, the poll found.
Facebook, owner of the world’s most popular social- networking service, has faced investor concerns about its prospects for revenue and profit growth. The company said last month that advertising is failing to keep up with growth in daily active users as more people access the site via mobile phones.

NASA Gets Two New Hubble Telescopes — Absolutely Free

By Michael D. Lemonick Tuesday, June 05, 2012

It hardly bears mentioning that the orbiting Hubble Space Telescope is one of the most extraordinarily successful scientific instruments of all time. Since 1993, when the telescope's flawed mirror was set right by a set of custom-fit corrective lenses, the Hubble has captured one spectacular image after another, of everything from the familiar planets of the Solar System to quasars and galaxies at the very edge of the visible universe — and thanks to four repair missions by shuttle-riding astronauts, the telescope has managed to survive the harsh environment of orbital space far longer than anyone could have imagined.

All good things must come to an end, though. The shuttle is flying no more, and within the next couple

Jarrod Parker’s gem helps Athletics beat Rangers 12-1

By Associated Press
Tuesday, June 5, 2012

OAKLAND, Calif. — Manager Ron Washington thought it would be a matter of time until his powerful Texas lineup would get to rookie Jarrod Parker at some point. The Rangers will have to wait until the next time they see the right-hander to do it.

Parker held Texas hitless until the eighth inning and Brandon Inge drove in four runs in Oakland’s eight-run second as the Athletics beat the Rangers 12-1 on Monday night.

Johnny Depp's Movie Awards Jam Session And His Rock And Roll Life

In honor of Depp's performance with the Black Keys, we take a look back at his lifelong love affair with rock.

By James Montgomery 

Jun 4 2012 2:31

As if his myriad of tattoos or swaggering, Keith Richards-indebted performances as Captain Jack Sparrow weren't proof enough, Johnny Depp's MTV Movie Awards jam session with the Black Keys definitely served notice that the Hollywood icon knows a thing or two about rock.

Of course, that Sunday-night performance — in lieu of a traditional acceptance speech for his MTV Generation Award, Depp opted instead to tear through a pair of tunes with the Keys — was just his latest rock and roll moment. Long before he was a big-screen star, music was Depp's first passion ... not to mention the reason he moved to Los Angeles in the first place.

During a 2002 appearance on "Inside the Actors Studio," Depp told host James Lipton that he received his first guitar when he was 12 years old and stole a Mel Bay chord book from a department store to learn how to play it. And during his hectic teenage years, the instrument took on near mythic proportions to him.

"At that age ... things are going haywire inside, so the guitar sort of saved me," he said. "You begin to go

Vulture funds smell blood from Spanish bank woes

By Sarah White

MADRID | Tue Jun 5, 2012

(Reuters) - A flock of "vulture" funds is gathering in Madrid in the hope that a banking sector shakeout will finally deliver a bonanza of real estate and distressed company assets at rock bottom prices.

Hedge funds and private equity houses are renewing ties with Spanish lenders and government officials, bankers said, as reforms push banks to offload troubled assets at steep discounts.

"They want to make sure they're among the first five people we call up when assets from the banks start moving," said a senior investment banker who spent the last two weeks shepherding such investors

For Obama and Clinton...

For Obama and Clinton, the hatchet's buried — if not forgotten

Political stakes are too high and the former president's campaign help is too valuable to let bitterness from the 2008 primary get in the way.

By Michael A. Memoli and Kathleen Hennessey, Los Angeles Times

June 4, 2012

NEW YORK — There were charges of racism, sexism and disrespect. There were hurt feelings and outbursts of red-faced anger. Friendships were frayed and tens of millions of dollars spent.

But the shrapnel of the great Obama-Clinton war of 2008 appeared to be little more than a distant memory Monday when President Obama and former President Clinton took the stage to raise big money for Obama's reelection.

It's a Washington ritual — burying the hatchet. And it has rarely been practiced as publicly. Four years after the primary that divided the Democratic Party, Hillary Rodham Clinton is the face of Obama's

1-in-3 chance Greece leaves euro

S&P-in-3 chance Greece leaves euro

By Ben Rooney @CNNMoneyInvest June 4, 2012

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- There is a one-in-three chance Greece will leave the euro currency union in the months ahead, according to Standard & Poor's.

The ratings agency issued a report Monday that examines the likelihood of Greece leaving the eurozone and how an exit would impact the creditworthiness of other euro area governments.

S&P warned that Greece could lose its financial lifeline if voters elect a government that opposes the terms of Greece's bailout program. Greece is set to hold an election June 17 after last

Sharapova stumbles to French Open win

Sharapova stumbles to French Open win; Li loses

June 4, 2012
AP
PARIS (AP) — On days like these, when so little goes right and so much goes awry, Maria Sharapova tosses away the strategies and scouting reports her coach devises and, well, does whatever it takes to win.

Locked in a three-set, 3-hour struggle at a wet and windy French Open on Monday, Sharapova's right, racket-swinging wrist was aching — and that, she insisted, was the least of her problems.

There was the tumble to her backside that Sharapova could laugh about later. The exasperating line calls, and what the second-seeded Russian considered an obstinate chair umpire. The 12 double-faults, plus 41 other errors of Sharapova's own doing. The nine breaks she allowed, including three while serving for the match. The unseeded foe who wouldn't go away.

Starbucks to upgrade food

Starbucks to upgrade food by buying artisan bakery chain

The coffee giant plans to absorb San Francisco-based Bay Bread and have the bakery's founder create food products for Starbucks stores.

By Tiffany Hsu, Los Angeles Times
June 5, 2012

In hopes of upgrading its pastry offerings, Starbucks Coffee Co. plans to spend $100 million to acquire the San Francisco artisan bakery Bay Bread and its La Boulange brand.

The company's pastries are made using fresh and locally sourced ingredients favored by its French founder, Pascal Rigo. His operation runs 19 La Boulange stores in the Bay Area that sell croissants, pastries, cookies, breads and more.

Starbucks said Monday that it was acquiescing to customer demand for "more wholesome and delicious food options" by rolling out products created by Rigo at U.S. Starbucks stores, starting in the San Francisco area in early 2013.

In addition, Starbucks plans to turn La Boulange into a nationwide chain.

Transit of Venus 2012

Transit of Venus 2012: Where can I get solar eclipse glasses?

June 4, 2012

Where can you buy special solar eclipse glasses to safely watch the Transit of Venus, a once-in-a-lifetime astronomical sight that will occur in Southern California on Tuesday afternoon? First, try planetariums or science museums, or head to a home improvement store for No. 14 welder's glass. The best bet? Find a bulk supplier.

In the L.A. area, a major bulk supplier of solar glasses is Rainbow Symphony in the San Fernando Valley, which is selling them for just 85 cents a pair. Rainbow Symphony is located at 6860 Canby Ave., Suite 120, in Reseda. It will be open between 8:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. Tuesday.

The city-owned Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles will open Tuesday at noon, selling glasses for $2.99 a pair. Other places, like the Columbia Memorial Space Center in Downey, have sold out.

The Griffith Observatory, Columbia Memorial Space Center and UCLA Planetarium are among sites that will make available telescopes with special solar filters for free viewing of the Transit of Venus. A magnified view of the scene is probably the best option for watching the sight.

Drone strike in Pakistan targets al Qaeda leader

Drone strike in Pakistan targets al Qaeda leader

By Bob Orr Topics Afghanistan ,Pakistan
June 4, 2012

U.S. officials confirm that a drone strike early today in Pakistan targeted al Qaeda leader Abu Yahya al Libi. But officials still can't say whether al Libi was hit in the strike.
If confirmed, al Libi's death would be a big blow to the remaining Pakistan-based core of al Qaeda. He is among a handful of senior advisors left from the inner circle of al Qaeda founder Osama bin laden. al Libi has served as a leading propagandist for the group, an operational leader, and most recently as second-in command to new al Qaeda chief Ayman al Zawahiri.

Relentless drone strikes have seriously thinned the senior ranks of the al Qaeda network. In the past two years more than a dozen top leaders have been killed by U.S. strikes in Pakistan and Yemen, among them bin Laden and US born cleric Anwar al Awlaki.

U.S. officials say the terror group may no longer be capable of a large scale strike against the United States, but caution that it remains a danger.

The Associated Press reports that the strike was the seventh drone strike in less than two weeks in Pakistan, which is demanding that the United States end the program. Pakistani intelligence officials told the AP that four missiles were fired at a suspected hideout in North Waziristan, a tribal area near the Afghanistan border, early Monday morning. The suspected militants were reportedly gathered to honor a militant commander who had been killed in an early drone strike at the time of the attack.

China Bashing Binds Obama To Romney

China Bashing Binds Obama To Romney

By Kate Andersen Brower and Lisa Lerer - Jun 4, 2012

Two of Mitt Romney’s first three television ads of the general-election campaign boast of how he’d stand up to China as soon as he becomes president.
Not to be outdone, President Barack Obama last week capped off a month during which he imposed or proposed duties on Chinese goods by warning their leaders to end unfair practices.



The rhetoric on China is escalating as the two candidates appeal to voters hurt by the decline in U.S. manufacturing. They’ll also find that translating tough words into action is harder than buying commercial time. Obama hasn’t carried out many of the tough-on-China policies he promised four years ago. Republicans already are expressing concerns that Romney is locking himself into a too hard-line position.
“Whenever someone goes from campaigning to governing, the realities of engaging China forces moderation,” said Charles Kupchan, a professor of international affairs at Georgetown University in

Microsoft Adds Football

Microsoft Adds Football, Tablet App to Expand Xbox Service

Dina Bass and Andy Fixmer, ©2012 Bloomberg News
Monday, June 4, 2012


June 4 (Bloomberg) -- Microsoft Corp. expanded the sports and entertainment content offered through the Xbox, adding shows like "Monday Night Football" to extend the life of its gaming console and step up competition with Sony Corp. and Nintendo Co.

The Xbox 360's online service will gain 35 entertainment providers, Yusuf Mehdi, chief marketing officer for Microsoft's Interactive Entertainment division, said today at the E3 trade show in Los

Polls shows Obama, Romney

Polls shows Obama remains more popular than Romney

By Phil Pruitt 

June 4, 2012 

President Barack Obama remains more popular than Mitt Romney, according to a CNN/ORC International survey released Monday.

Romney's favorable rating among Americans has jumped from 34% in February to 48% now. Forty-two percent say they see Romney in a negative light.

Romney still trails the president, however, who currently has a 56% favorable rating, with 42% saying they have an unfavorable opinion of Obama, the CNN/ORC poll shows. The president's favorable and unfavorable ratings are unchanged from CNN polls in March and April.

Trout's passion, production energizes Angels in AL West race

By Robyn Norwood, Special for USA TODAY

6-4-2012

ANAHEIM, Calif. – The kid will go to the wall for the Los Angeles Angels. With exuberant rookie Mike Trout batting leadoff and running into fences to catch fly balls, the Angels are suddenly revitalized and closing in on the Texas Rangers in the American League West.

At 20, the gum-chewing outfielder with a buzz cut and straight-toothed grin is the majors' second-youngest player, behind Bryce Harper, the Washington Nationals' 19-year-old phenom.

And he has affected his club in a way Harper has not.

• MORE: Trout continuing to come through

In 33 games since being called up from Class AAA Salt Lake (Salt Lake City) on April 28, Trout is batting .318 with five home runs, 20 RBI, nine stolen bases and 23 runs.

Equally impressive: The Angels — who started 6-14 despite the signings of slugger Albert Pujols and pitcher C.J. Wilson — have gone 22-13 since Trout joined the team, winning 10 of their last 12 and pulling to 4½ games behind the Rangers after beating them twice in a weekend series. Trout had six hits in 13 at-bats, keying go-ahead rallies in wins Friday and Saturday.

Pujols, without a home run before Trout's arrival, ripped eight long balls in May. Mark Trumbo leads the team with a .331 average, and reliever Ernesto Frieri didn't