Comedy queen Phyllis Diller dies at 95

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Comedy queen Phyllis Diller dies at 95

By Jim Cheng, USA TODAY
2012/8/21
Before Joan Rivers, Roseanne Barr and Ellen DeGeneres, Phyllis Diller crashed the mostly male stand-up comedy circuit to become an icon in the field.
The raucous comedian, known for her wild wigs and cackling laugh, died Monday morning at her Los Angeles home at the age of 95. She had recently been hospitalized with a wrist injury and was recuperating at home, longtime manager Milt Suchin said. She died "peacefully in her sleep … with a smile on her face," he said.
"I'm beyond saddened," Rivers posted soon after on Twitter. "We were friends — Melissa and I had a wonderful time with her at lunch just a month ago. … The only tragedy is that Phyllis Diller was the last from an era that insisted a woman had to look funny in order to be funny."
BLOG: Celebrity reactions

Microsoft starts taking orders for $14.99 Windows 8 upgrade

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Microsoft starts taking orders for $14.99 Windows 8 upgrade

Some users may have to enter their Windows 7 product key; may be an anti-piracy move
By Gregg Keizer
August 21, 2012

Computerworld - Microsoft on Monday began taking orders for the $14.99 Windows 8 upgrade promised to customers who purchased a new Windows 7-powered PC in the last 11 weeks.

People who bought an eligible Windows 7 machine starting June 2 can now file an online form to queue up for the Oct. 26 delivery of the upgrade.

The upgrade to Windows 8 Pro costs $14.99, more than in past cycles when they were often free, but less than the $39.99 for users who upgrade older systems to the new operating system.

Facebook’s Ambition Collides With Harsh Market

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Facebook’s Ambition Collides With Harsh Market

By SOMINI SENGUPTA
Published: August 20, 2012
MENLO PARK, Calif. — Inside Facebook’s headquarters, a red-and-white poster affixed to a wall asks bluntly: “What Could Go Wrong?”
Below, in black ink, someone has scrawled in tiny letters: “Everything.”

The poster, one of several displayed across this sprawling campus, is part of the company’s risk-taking start-up culture, as is the fact that management has not pulled down the defaced copy. But as the company loses its luster on Wall Street, this exchange on the wall points to the improbable turn that Facebook’s fairy tale has taken.

Once hailed as the most valuable technology company to hit Wall Street, Facebook is now worth just over half what it was three months ago, with shares closing at $20.01 Monday. Wall Street analysts are openly wondering whether its chief executive, Mark Zuckerberg, has the business skills to deliver on his promises.

Facebook’s troubles began in earnest with an exceptionally ambitious initial public offering. Even the grown-ups that Mr. Zuckerberg, 28, chose to run the business side of the company — Sheryl Sandberg, the chief operations officer, and David Ebersman, the chief financial officer — seem not to have been skilled enough to stave off that disaster. Nor were the bankers who handled the deal, including Goldman Sachs and Morgan

Global stock rally continues on ECB, Greece optimism

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Global stock rally continues on ECB, Greece optimism

By Marc Jones
LONDON | Tue Aug 21, 2012
(Reuters) - Rallying European markets lifted global stocks to a 3-1/2 month high on Tuesday, on hopes that meetings on Greece's future this week and new crisis plans being drawn up by the European Central Bank will see the euro zone master its debt problems.

European shares .FTEU3, which have risen 16 percent since June, were up 0.4 percent at a 13-month high ahead of what was expected to be a positive open on Wall Street.

After modest rises in Asia it left the MSCI global share index .MIWD00000PUS up 0.4 percent at 1200 GMT, .EU .L .N while the euro hit a two-week high of $1.2398 versus the dollar and climbed further against the yen and sterling.

Embattled Rep. Akin apologizes again in new TV ad

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Embattled Rep. Akin apologizes again in new TV ad

Aug 21, 2012
By Catalina Camia, USA TODAY
Amid growing GOP pressure to quit the Missouri Senate race, Rep. Todd Akin has recorded a new TV ad seeking forgiveness for his controversial comments about "legitimate rape."
"Rape is an evil act. I used the wrong words in the wrong way and for that I apologize," Akin says in the ad. "As the father of two daughters, I want tough justice for predators. I have a compassionate heart for the victims of sexual assault. I pray for them."

STORY: GOP cuts support from Akin

The ad was first reported this morning by Politico. More from Akin's script:

Taylor Swift Kisses Conor Kennedy on Cape Cod

Taylor Swift Kisses Conor Kennedy on Cape Cod

By TIM NUDD
08/20/2012
Taylor Swift and Conor Kennedy's summer of love continued with another romantic weekend in Hyannis Port, Mass.

The Grammy award winner, 22, and the Kennedy family scion, 18, were spotted Friday kissing on a dock, proving neither party is exactly shy when it comes to publicly affirming their relationship.

Swift, who recently purchased a house in town, wore red shorts and a dark shirt with white polka dots, while Kennedy – the son of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and the late Mary Kennedy – wore a gray T-shirt and blue-and-white board shorts.

Augusta National admits two women, including Condoleezza Rice

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Augusta National admits two women, including Condoleezza Rice

By USA TODAY staff reports 2012/8/20
After three quarters of a century, women will be included on the membership rolls of Augusta National Golf Club, one of the most exclusive clubs in the world and the host of the Masters.
Augusta National Chairman Billy Payne announced Monday that former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and business executive Darla Moore will be the first female members of the club.
The news was first reported by the Associated Press.
COLUMN: Brennan: Augusta National gets it right at last
"This is a joyous occasion as we enthusiastically welcome Secretary Condoleezza Rice and Darla Moore as members of Augusta National Golf Club," Payne said in a statement. "We are fortunate to consider many qualified candidates for membership at Augusta National. Consideration with regard to any candidate is deliberate, held in strict confidence and always takes place over an extended period of time. The process for Condoleezza and Darla was no different.
"These accomplished women share our passion for the game of golf and both are well known and respected by our membership. It will be a proud moment when we present Condoleezza and Darla their Green Jackets when the Club opens this fall.

Rihanna: I Still Love Chris Brown

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Rihanna: I Still Love Chris Brown

By MAGGIE COUGHLAN 08/20/2012

Three years after Rihanna was beaten by then-boyfriend, Chris Brown, the singer says she still "truly" loves him.

Rihanna welcomed Oprah to her home in Barbados for an emotional interview – which aired on Oprah's Next Chapter Sunday – where the singer spoke at length about her relationship with Brown.

"I'm single, but we have maintained a very close friendship since the restraining order has been dropped," the 24-year-old told Oprah. "It's not easy."

The Grammy award winner also confirmed what many had suspected – that the former couple reconnected in St. Tropez earlier this year.

"We went to a mutual friend's party on a yacht. It's awkward because I still love him," she said. Adding that when she's around Brown she has to "maintain this poker face."

During the sit-down Rihanna said she is still concerned about Brown's welfare.

"I truly love him," she continued. "And the main thing for me is that he is at peace. I'm not at peace if he is unhappy or he is still lonely. I care. It actually matters that he finds peace."

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Singer Scott McKenzie Dead at 73

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Singer Scott McKenzie Dead at 73

North Carolina native sang 'San Francisco (Be Sure to Wear Flowers In Your Hair)'
By Rolling Stone
August 20, 2012 10:30 AM ET

Singer Scott McKenzie, best known for the 1967 hit "San Francisco (Be Sure to Wear Flowers In Your Hair)," has died at 73, the BBC reports. McKenzie had been suffering from Guillain-Barre Syndrome, a disease affecting the nervous system.

Insurer Aetna to buy Coventry in $5.7 billion deal

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Insurer Aetna to buy Coventry in $5.7 billion deal

By Tom Murphy on August 20, 2012
Aetna, one of the nation's biggest health insurers, staked a $5.7 billion claim in the burgeoning market for government-funded coverage Monday when it announced plans to buy fellow insurer Coventry Health Care.

The Hartford, Conn., company's proposed cash-and-stock acquisition of Coventry will bolster its Medicaid enrollment months before millions of uninsured Americans are expected to become

A look at Pacific island disputes

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A look at Pacific island disputes

August 20, 2012

The Pacific Ocean is peppered with hundreds of islands — most small and uninhabited — that are claimed by more than one country. Here's a look at some of the main territorial disputes that are causing tensions among Asian nations.

— Senkaku, or Diaoyu, Islands. Located in the East China Sea near Taiwan and the southern Japanese island of Okinawa, these remote uninhabited isles have been under Japanese control since 1895. They are seen as important because of their strategic location, and are surrounded by rich fishing grounds and may be near underwater resources such as natural gas. China claims it discovered them in the 14th century.

All roads lead to Rome

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2012/8/20

All roads lead to Rome

By Kathleen Parker, Published: August 17

“Under a democratical government, the citizens exercise the powers of sovereignty; and those powers will be first abased, and afterwards lost, if they are committed to an unwieldy multitude.”

— Edward Gibbon, “The History of the Decline and Fall
of the Roman Empire”

The period of the American Revolution coincided with publication of Edward Gibbon’s “The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire” (1776), and ever since we’ve been vigilant for signs that the United States was following in Rome’s footsteps.

Why Curiosity zaps Mars rock with 30 laser blasts

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Why Curiosity zaps Mars rock with 30 laser blasts

Curiosity fired the first laser gun ever on Mars Sunday. Curiosity fires laser pulses that turn solid rock into an ionized plasma in order to analyze its composition.

By Staff, Space.com / August 20, 2012
A NASA rover has fired the first laser gun on Mars to take a peek inside a small Martian rock.
The Mars rover Curiosity zapped a rock scientists are now calling "Coronation" on Sunday (Aug. 19) to test an instrument that measures the composition of targets hit by its powerful laser beam. The rover fired 30 laser pulses in 10 seconds at the fist-size Coronation rock in order to analyze the results.

October thunder the key for Swisher

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October thunder the key for Swisher

Free agent making his case to stay a Yankee, but it won't matter if he fails this fall
2012/8/18
By Wallace Matthews | ESPNNewYork.com
White lightning struck Yankee Stadium on Friday night, not once but twice, and it had nothing to do with the stormy weather.

It had everything to do with Nick Swisher and his new bats, which arrived at the ballpark a couple of hours before the game and were immortalized by the man himself a few minutes after it ended.

"I call them white lightning," the ever-ebullient Yankees right fielder said after the Bombers used five solo home runs, two of them by Swisher, and one RBI single to beat the Red Sox 6-4 in the first game of a three-game series. "Or the white

Mars Rock-Zapping Laser Explained

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Mars Rock-Zapping Laser Explained

By Christina DesMarais, PCWorld Aug 18, 2012
A rock-zapping laser and telescopic combination called ChemCam is getting a lot of attention with NASA's rover Curiosity landing on Mars.

But what is it?

Here's an explainer, as well as more details about the mission.

ChemCam can look at rocks and soils from a distance, fire a laser to vaporize the materials and analyze them with an on-board spectrograph that measures the composition of the resulting plasma. NASA says ChemCam can also use the laser to do less destructive things, such as clear away dust from Martian rocks as well as use a

'Sparkle' adds a bright facet to Whitney Houston's legacy

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'Sparkle' adds a bright facet to Whitney Houston's legacy

By Claudia Puig, USA TODAY
2012/8/18/

Sparkle (* * 1/2 stars out of four, PG-13, opens Friday) shines brightest during its musical numbers.
The melodramatic story is familiar, though the talented cast makes the most of rather tired material.

A remake of the 1976 original, this version is set in Detroit during

Google’s Motorola Files New Patent Case Against Apple

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Google’s Motorola Files New Patent Case Against Apple

By Susan Decker on August 18, 2012

Google Inc. (GOOG)’s Motorola Mobility unit said it filed a new patent-infringement case against Apple Inc. (AAPL) claiming that features on some Apple devices, including the Siri voice-recognition program, infringe its patents.

Wash. Residents Go Home Near Fire, Still 'On Edge'

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Wash. Residents Go Home Near Fire, Still 'On Edge'

By NICHOLAS K. GERANIOS Associated Press
SPOKANE, Wash. August 18, 2012
As hundreds of residents in Washington and California were allowed to return to homes once threatened by major wildfires, some people were told to evacuate as encroaching blazes neared Idaho towns.

For Suburbs of NYC, Challenge Is to Lure Tourists

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For Suburbs of NYC, Challenge Is to Lure Tourists

By JIM FITZGERALD Associated Press
WEST POINT, N.Y. August 18, 2012 (AP)
The Empire State Building casts a long shadow.

Suburbs in the metropolitan area are stepping up efforts to attract tourist dollars, but they have to deal with the proximity of New York City, the country's biggest magnet for visitors and their money.

Our tax-charity index: Romney gives 31%, Obama 42%

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Our tax-charity index: Romney gives 31%, Obama 42%

August 17, 2012|By James Rainey
Mitt Romney is really sick of talking about his taxes. But he won’t release more than two years of returns (the 2011 return is said to be on the way), so people are going to keep asking for more.

On Thursday in South Carolina, Romney took the bait of a reporter’s question to talk about his taxes, certainly against the fervent wishes of Republicans, who would love to see the issue firmly tabled. “Over the past 10 years, I never paid less than 13%,”

Joey Kovar's brother: 'Last thing' family suspects is drugs

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Joey Kovar's brother: 'Last thing' family suspects is drugs

Aug 18, 2012
By Ann Oldenburg, USA TODAY
An autopsy is expected to be performed today on reality TV star Joey Kovar, who was found dead in suburban Chicago on Friday.

The Chicago Tribune reports that police are conducting a death investigation but no foul play is suspected. Kovar, who appeared on Real World: Hollywood and the third season of Celebrity Rehab, was a former personal trainer and body builder who had openly battled drug and alcoholic addictions.

While TMZ reports that before he died, Kovar had taken a "deadly