Story of Te'o girlfriend death apparently a hoax

SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) — A story that Notre Dame football star Manti Te'o's girlfriend had died of leukemia — a loss he said inspired him to help lead the Fighting Irish to the BCS championship game — was dismissed by the university Wednesday as a hoax perpetrated against the linebacker.Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick said Te'o told coaches on Dec. 26 that he had received a call while at...

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EPA changed course after gas company protested

WEATHERFORD, Texas (AP) — When a man in a Fort Worth suburb reported his family’s drinking water had begun bubbling like champagne, the federal government sounded an alarm: A company may have tainted their wells while drilling for natural gas.At first, the Environmental Protection Agency believed the situation was so serious that it issued a rare emergency order in late 2010 that said at least two...

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NRA's paranoid fantasy undemocratic

STORY HIGHLIGHTSPaul Waldman: Obama announced gun curbs; gun advocates said it'll be tyrannyNRA ad calling Obama "elitist" because his kids get protection is not sane view, he saysHe says some gun advocates urge resistance to duly authorized law enforcementWaldman: Freedom is guaranteed by law, not gun ownersEditor's note: Paul Waldman is a contributing editor at the American Prospect and the author...

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Notre Dame's Te'o embroiled in girlfriend hoax

Notre Dame Vice President/Director of Athletics Jack Swarbrick makes statement on Manti Te'o Girlfriend Hoax Allegations Manti...

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Sahara hostage siege turns Mali war global

ALGIERS/BAMAKO (Reuters) - Islamist fighters have opened an international front in Mali's civil war by taking dozens of Western hostages at a gas plant in the Algerian desert just as French troops launched an offensive against rebels in neighboring Mali. Nearly 24 hours after gunmen stormed the natural gas pumping site and workers' housing before dawn on Wednesday, little was certain...

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Dow, S&P 500 inch up with retailers but Apple drags again

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The Dow and S&P 500 edged higher on Tuesday after stronger-than-expected retail data, though tech heavyweight Apple dragged on the market for a third day. Apple was the biggest weight on both the S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 <.ndx> after reports on Monday of cuts to orders for iPhone parts. Shares declined 3.2 percent to $485.92 and closed below $500 for...

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Anti-doping officials want Armstrong under oath

A televised confession by Lance Armstrong isn't enough.Anti-doping officials want the disgraced cyclist to admit his guilt under oath before considering whether to lift a lifetime ban clouding his future as a competitive athlete. That was seconded by at least one former teammate whom Armstrong pushed aside on his way to the top of the Tour de France podium."Lance knows everything that happened," Frankie...

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Snow Possible for Atlanta Area Thursday

There may not be a lot of snow expected, but the National Weather Service is at least alerting Georgia residents to the possibility. And it’s been since 2011 that snow of any accumulation has hit the Atlanta area. Last winter was extremely mild, and the whole 2012 year saw a record low in days that registered less than 32 degrees, according to the National Weather Service.As it’s tracking now, the...

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Are gun curbs just symbolism?

STORY HIGHLIGHTSGun violence recommendations are expected from Vice President Biden on TuesdayThe proposals are expected to contain substantive and symbolic ideas to curb gun violencePresidents use symbolism to shift public opinion or affect larger political or social changeWashington (CNN) -- The pictures told the story: Vice President Joe Biden looked solemn, patrician and in control as he sat at...

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More woes for Boeing as Dreamliner makes emergency landing

TOKYO (Reuters) - All Nippon Airways Co is grounding all 17 of its Boeing 787 planes for inspection after one of its Dreamliners...

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